Notes: A warning: this is, and likely will remain, the only "fix" that is not directly suggested by Bulma. I probably could have spun it so that it was, but I think this was something more in line with Goku's ability to fix a problem, so he gets the credit this time. Although I am sure Bulma would be happy to take credit for being the one that constantly yelled at him to think before acting.
I am enjoying the Universe Survival Arc, but there is a ton of material in it that I would like to examine in this story. So much so that I cannot possibly get to it all in one chapter, or even in one alternate universe, fittingly enough. So the only way I can get to all that I want to, is to spread it across several alternate universes. They will be easy to identify, since I'll be titling each one "USA", followed by a number, until I move on to a different arc. If there is one. So: recent developments with Buu have caused me to think that the biggest flaw in his character, is having the wrong best friend.
Summary: When they clashed in the sky, Goku missed a chance to leave more of a lasting impression on Buu. What if Goku's promise to fight again had not been to Kid Buu, but to Fat Buu? How would Buu change, if he was loyal to Goku before all others?
Goku's Suggestion Box
A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 3, USA1: The Tale of Son Buu
"Wow," Goku gasped, wiping his brow and grinning. "You're strong, Buu. The strongest fighter I've ever faced."
The pink, chubby demon grinned, put his hands on his hips, and puffed up his already protruding belly proudly. "Thank you!"
"In fact, you're way too strong to be controlled by someone so weak and evil," Goku continued, his gaze moving to Babidi, who was hovering just above and behind Buu's left shoulder.
The wizard glared at Goku. "Hey, who asked you to talk? Buu, you numbskull! I didn't tell you to stop fighting! Get him right now! We've got places to destroy and people to massacre!"
A truly ugly look passed over Buu's face briefly, but as Babidi was behind him, he missed it. Goku did not.
"You'd make a great Saiya-jin warrior, Buu," Goku went on. "A genius fighter like you, who doesn't get hurt or tired? You'd be perfect. I can't wait for the day that you and I fight again."
Buu grinned eagerly. "We play some more?"
"Sure. I'd never pass up a chance to fight with you, if I could help it. But I'm out of time today. Although, there is one gift I can give you. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but I think today I can make an exception."
Goku suddenly raised his right hand and fired a blast of energy. Buu blinked as the energy sailed harmlessly over his shoulder, and only turned when he heard Babidi's dying shriek.
"Now you're free, Buu," Goku said. "Nobody controls you anymore. Nobody can seal you back into that ball. You decide what you want to do."
As Goku had guessed, Buu didn't look the least bit upset that his master was dead. If anything, he looked confused. He'd clearly never had a choice before.
"Buu decide?" Buu murmured, frowning thoughtfully.
"Buu decides," Goku agreed, just before he vanished from sight.
"Buu decide," Buu muttered, scratching his head. It was an entirely new concept, and he needed to think about it. So for the next five minutes, Buu floated there in the sky, wondering just what it was he would do next.
Goku's thoughts were swirling rapidly as he appeared back on the Lookout. He had not gone into the fight with Buu planning to kill Babidi. Certainly he hadn't thought he would get such a clear, easy shot to do it. He had always preferred not to kill. Even the worst sort of people deserved a chance to turn their life around. And it was not so much that Babidi was any different from the old Vegeta, or Frieza, or Cell. He was exactly like them, in fact.
But none of them had killed Gohan.
Could that have been why? It made a certain amount of sense. Except that Goku hadn't even been angry when he fired the shot. He had justified it as Babidi being the driving force behind Buu, and without him, perhaps Buu would change immediately. And there had been virtually no chance of that so long as Babidi was alive and in control.
It was entirely possible that Buu would be even worse without someone to hold him in check, but Goku couldn't imagine that anything the childlike Buu came up with could be much worse than the senseless slaughter Babidi had ordered. And if nothing else, neither Goku nor Buu would ever have to hear the wizard's annoying voice again. Surely Buu would appreciate that much. Perhaps it would buy them a few seconds worth of mercy.
Goku looked up as his friends and family surrounded him. Goten reached him first, a huge grin stretched across the boy's face. Without a word, Goku reached down and lifted Goten to sit on his shoulder. It wasn't the same as it had been so many years ago, of course. But until they wished Gohan back, this was perhaps the only thing that would make Goku feel like a father.
"You were amazing, tou-san!" Goten said, hugging Goku's neck.
"I only did what I had to," Goku replied evenly, patting his son's back.
"That form," Piccolo began, then simply shook his head, unable to properly describe it further. "Well done. You bought us precious time with that battle. And you got rid of that cursed wizard."
"I'm still not sure if that was a good idea or not," Goku admitted. "We don't know how Buu will choose to spend his time now."
"It was worth the risk," Piccolo insisted.
"Killing Dr. Gero didn't make much of a difference to the Androids at the time," Goku pointed out. "And Buu seems just as interested in playing games as they were."
"If you're going to use what ultimately happened with the Androids as an example of what might happen with Buu, that's even more reason to have removed Babidi from the picture. This is no time to have regrets over a future that hasn't happened yet. We need to-"
Whatever Piccolo thought they should do next, Goku never found out. He was the first to sense the approaching energy, because he knew what it felt like, when someone else used Instant Transmission. More importantly, he had just been exposed to and battered by that same energy. He wasn't about to forget it this soon.
In a flash, Buu was suddenly standing beside Goku. As a true testament to the pink demon's genius or perhaps magic, he had not even needed to copy Goku's usual pose when using the technique. For that to be possible, he must have been so focused on Goku's energy that nothing else held any importance to him at the time.
That could either be very good, or very bad.
"Buu," Goku said slowly, his eyes wide. He quickly put Goten down and moved the boy behind him. "You learned Instant Transmission just from seeing me use it once?"
"Twice!" Buu corrected with a big grin.
Goku blinked, realizing Buu was right. He had used the technique to confront Buu, and to leave the scene.
"Why you leave?" Buu asked, sounding more curious than anything else. "You no play with Buu no more?"
"Like I told you, I'm pretty much out of time," Goku answered. "I can only stay here for a day, and most of that time is already gone."
Buu simply stared at him, clearly not understanding.
"I'm dead, Buu," Goku finally said, pointing at the halo above his own head.
Buu stared at the halo. Finally, he frowned. "Being dead... mean no fun?"
Thinking of the safety of his family and friends, and just as importantly, Dende, should they need to be wished back, Goku nodded. "Right, Buu. Being dead is really no fun at all."
"Then Buu fix!" Buu decided at once.
"What?" Goku asked, startled. "What are you-?"
"Buu fix!" Without warning, Buu's forelock pointed at Goku and fired a swirling beam of white energy. Goku was too stunned to dodge, and the beam hit him directly in the chest.
"Tou-san, no!" Goten wailed, clinging to his father's leg.
Goku didn't fall. Or vanish. Or burst into flames. Or explode.
He just... stood there, gaping. Absolutely nothing had happened to him. Except for one thing. One very important thing that Goku noticed right away.
His halo, the proof that he was dead... it was gone.
Goku was alive again.
After the confusion and excitement died down somewhat, the very first thing that Goku wanted to do was keep his promise to fight Buu, and Buu was eager to accept. But then both of their stomachs growled in protest, and instead, Mr. Popo began wheeling out a grand feast. Or it would have been, except Goku and Buu ate everything themselves, so it was more accurately called a grand double face-stuffing.
"Oh, man! That was great!" Goku declared, patting his belly once they were done. "Thanks a bunch, Mr. Popo! You're a lifesaver!"
"Actually, I think that's his role, today," Mr. Popo murmured, nodding at Buu.
"Hey, you're right!" Goku reached over and patted Buu on the shoulder. "Thanks again for bringing me back to life, Buu! I didn't know you had that kind of power!"
Buu shrugged. "Buu not know, either. Buu never bring someone back to life. Only make them dead."
"That makes sense, I guess." It did not seem likely that Babidi ever would have ordered Buu to try and revive someone. Except perhaps his father Bibidi, but clearly that hadn't happened. "Well, thanks, anyway! Now, about that fight I owe-"
"Goku," Piccolo said sternly. "Since Buu can bring people back to life, maybe you wouldn't mind asking him about certain others who died recently? Before you get to your fight?"
"Ah, good point." Goku turned to Buu, who was frowing. "Sorry, Buu. It's just, Babidi really caused us a lot of trouble, and we're still trying to repair it all."
"Buu bring someone back, and then you play with Buu?" Buu asked.
Goku nodded. "Sure! It's a promise!"
Buu sighed. "Who Buu bring back?"
"My son, Gohan. He was the one who-"
"Not dead. Who else?"
Goku blinked. "Wait, what?"
"Not dead. Who else?" Buu demanded.
"H-Hey, you're not making that up just to get to our fight, are you?"
Buu grunted. "Buu make lots of people dead. Buu know when they not dead. Gohan not dead."
Goku glanced at Piccolo, who looked shocked. "Buu, we can't sense Gohan. How do you know he's alive? Where is he?"
Buu started to answer, then stopped. He looked to be struggling with himself. Finally, he grabbed Goku's shoulder, and they both promptly vanished.
"No! Nooooo! It can't be!"
This was the reaction that greeted Goku and Buu as they appeared in a grassy field. And sure enough, Gohan was there and alive, just as Buu had said. And with him were the Kaioshin and Kibito, who looked to be having simultaneous heart attacks and very near collapsing flat on their faces.
"Gohan, there you are!" Goku said in relief. "Why have you been hiding here? We all thought you were dead!"
"Tou-san, don't we have bigger issues?!" Gohan demanded angrily. "Why did you bring Buu here?!"
"I didn't. He brought me. You missed a lot while you were gone." Goku paused. "Hey, maybe we should do something about them first."
The Kaioshin had fainted, and Kibito was trying to bring him around while keeping one hand twisted on his own wildly beating heart. Buu quickly lost interest, and seeing how Goku wasn't ready to fight, wandered off to explore the planet.
After convincing the trio that Buu wasn't out for blood at the moment, Goku gave them a quick summary of what had happened between he and Buu. They were, of course, stunned.
"This makes no sense!" Kibito finally snapped. "Everything we know about Majin Buu says that this outcome is impossible! Are you really saying that he simply chose not to kill?!"
"No, I never said that," Goku corrected. "What I said was he wants to fight me more than anything else. But he hasn't mentioned wanting to kill anyone this whole time."
"I suppose it isn't impossible," the Kaioshin murmured. "Bibidi and Babidi were controlling Buu with threats of being re-sealed and promises of sweets. Goku has done the same with the promise of fighting Buu again. So long as you can deliver something that Buu wants, in theory, he has no reason to seek your life."
"But what happens after Buu gets what he wants?" Kibito asked nervously. "Once he gets this one fight from Goku, we-"
"Who said it was one?" Goku asked at once.
"You did," Kibito said slowly. "You promised him a fight."
Goku frowned at him. "I promised I'd fight him again. I never said it would only be once. That's not much of a deal."
"Goku," the Kaioshin said nervously, "one does not simply fight Majin Buu more than once if they have any say in the matter. And they usually don't have any say, if it wasn't clear."
"Buu gave me my life back, and he didn't have to. That's worth more than one fight in my book. And if I'm going to have any chance at changing him for the better, I need to be in this for the long haul. Because if I fail or give up, he doesn't just become one other person's problem. He becomes the whole planet's. Maybe the whole universe's. So I don't think this is something I should be trying to run away from. Who else could do this? You brought Gohan here to train because he couldn't even last as long as I did against Buu. And Vegeta threw everything he had at Buu. There's nobody else who can even hope to fight Buu right now."
"But are you even hearing yourself, Goku?" the Kaioshin asked. "You were desperately fighting to buy time, and if you had kept it up, you would have burned through all of what remained of your day on Earth. Even alive, you should not be able to maintain that level of power for very long."
"That's true," Goku admitted. "But the only way I will is to keep working at it. So if Buu is interested in more fights with me, then he'll just have to keep me alive, won't he? Or keep bringing me back to life, anyway."
The Kaioshin sighed. "Very well. Perhaps you should fight here, so as to spare Earth from further damage." Kibito looked as if he wanted to protest, but the Kaioshin shook his head. "If Goku fails, and it falls to us to deal with Buu, I would prefer that Gohan had seen as much of his fighting technique as possible. As for me, there is something I must investigate. I will entrust things here to you for now, Kibito."
"Kaioshin-sama, are you certain?" Kibito asked as Goku walked away to find Buu.
"Yes. This is very important. Based on what I have heard and seen today, I was wrong. About many things, but specifically about Buu's power. I must confirm a new theory I now have."
"What is it you're thinking, if it's okay to ask?" Gohan added.
The Kaioshin nodded. "I am certain that Buu was created with neither the ability, nor any intent to bring a person back to life. I can think of only two reasons why that may have changed, and each is equally disturbing. The first possibility is that when he kills, Buu stockpiles the souls of his victims. I suspect he would use them as fuel to refill his power reserves, but in Goku's case, decided to spare one in order to revive Goku."
"That sounds awful," Gohan murmured.
"Simply ghastly!" Kibito agreed.
"The next possibility is worse," the Kaioshin assured him. "Long ago, I shared responsibility for watching over this universe with three other Kaioshin, and we were governed by the Dai Kaioshin, our leader. Buu destroyed two of them outright, erasing them from existence. But as for South Kaioshin and Dai Kaioshin... Buu absorbed them, in order to add their power to his own. You would naturally assume that this would increase his power, but because they were gods and Buu a demon, it actually weakened him. Not that the difference in power in any way halted his rampage, as he was still far stronger than anyone who might have opposed him. But now, it appears that Buu has fully absorbed South Kaioshin and Dai Kaioshin, and can grant life to the dead as a result."
"Well, no disrespect to the fallen Kaioshin, but it sounds as if them laying down their lives was a worthwhile cost," Gohan pointed out. "They not only weakened Buu, they made it possible for Buu to do something good. So how is that worse?"
"It is worse because Buu could revive Bibidi," Kibito realized. "Unlikely as it is that he would also revive Babidi, there is that. And with only Kaioshin-sama remaining, there is another danger that-"
"We can discuss that if the need ever comes," the Kaioshin interrupted. "For now, we should each tend to the most pressing business at hand. I will seek the answers we need. Gohan, please observe your father's fight with Buu closely. Kibito, do everything in your power to keep them alive, in case Buu does not extend such a kindness a second time."
Without waiting for agreement, the Kaioshin murmured "Kai kai" and vanished from sight.
Gohan frowned as he immediately sensed a skyrocketing power level nearby. "Feels like the fight's starting! Let's go, Kibito!"
Frowning more than usual, Kibito followed Gohan as they rushed to witness the fight between Goku and Buu.
Goku's friends and family left behind at the Lookout were understandably very worried. They had come there mainly to hide from Buu. But he had followed Goku there, then brought him back to life, and then abruptly vanished with him. For nearly an hour, they were in panic mode.
And then, with no warning, Goku and Buu returned, but this time with Gohan and Kibito. Goku's clothes showed clear indications of a brutal fight, but he himself appeared totally unharmed and refreshed.
"GOHAN!" came the heart-rending cry, and then Videl was shoving even Chi-Chi aside as she charged from the group, threw herself at Gohan, locked her arms around his neck, and kissed him fiercely. Gohan was shocked, and could do little more than stand there limply as her mouth repeatedly assaulted his.
Chi-Chi cleared her throat several times at increasingly loud volumes, but finally gave up and settled for hugging Gohan's back, while Goten latched onto his brother's leg, not that Gohan was even aware of either of them.
Bulma shook her head. "Care to fill the rest of us in on where you've been and why you couldn't send word that you weren't dead or dying?" she demanded of Goku.
"Take it easy, Bulma! We went to the Kaioshin's planet. It turns out they took Gohan there so he could train to beat Buu. Only, it was an emergency, and they assumed anyone they should have told was likely dead, so they didn't tell us. That's why we couldn't sense Gohan. He wasn't on Earth anymore, and we didn't think to look anywhere else. As for why we didn't send word back, I was fighting Buu-"
"Buu win!" Buu added proudly, much to everyone else's horror.
"-and Gohan and Kibito were watching, so we were a little busy. But hey, we're here now!"
"So you fought Buu... lost... and survived?" Piccolo said slowly, wanting confirmation.
Goku nodded. "Sure. Why is that so hard to believe? Turns out he didn't kill Gohan, either!"
Piccolo frowned. "I meant, Buu defeated you, and decided on his own not to kill you?"
"Pretty much. I promised him the next fight would be even better. I just need to focus on training-"
"The next fight?!" Chi-Chi shrieked. "Goku, what are you saying?! You're planning to fight that monster again?! WHY?!"
Goku sighed. "Look, I know it seems impossible to all of you, but Buu isn't all bad. He's had bad people guiding him all of his life, but there is good in him. It's hard to see right now, but it is there. Buu brought me back to life. He helped me find Gohan. And he hasn't killed anyone since we first fought. I'm choosing to believe in him. I'm choosing to call him my friend. I know he's done bad things, but he isn't doing them now. And since we have the dragon balls, both here and on New Namek, we can start undoing that damage. I'll understand if you can't accept this. So Buu is my responsibility, and mine alone. I won't ask any of you to help me with him."
Everyone stared at Goku in varying stages of shock and disbelief. Everyone except Videl, who was still kissing Gohan, and Gohan, who was still being kissed by Videl.
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Daishinkan-sama," the Kaioshin said.
"It is not a problem. I sense this is a matter of some urgency. Please, tell me what troubles you so."
"I trust you are aware of the difficulty we have had in containing the threat of Majin Buu."
"I am indeed. Are you officially requesting help with this issue?"
"N-No, I would never presume to trouble you with this, Daishinkan-sama!" the Kaioshin stammered. "However, I must admit that the problem appears to have grown beyond my capacity to fathom. If you would consent to share a portion of your wisdom with me, I would be most honored."
"I do consent. And I do hope you ask the right question. What is it that you wish to know?"
"As of this moment, in your opinion, how many active Kaioshin are there in Universe 7?"
The Daishinkan smiled. "That is the right question."
Some Time Later
"Why is your planet still in one piece?" Beerus demanded as he marched into Bulma's lab, followed at a more leisurely pace by his attendant Whis.
Bulma stared at the Hakaishin, doing her best to control her tongue. They had met several times now, and while she was accustomed to his rudeness, she had thought that he was starting to move past threatening to blow up Earth every time he didn't get his way. Previously, he had at least bothered to offer a greeting first, before moving onto threats.
"What I think Beerus-sama meant to say, is how is your planet still in one piece, with Majin Buu being counted among its residents?" Whis translated.
Bulma frowned. "I thought for sure the Kaioshin would have explained this to you."
"We didn't consult him," Whis revealed. "He hasn't had much success dealing with Buu in the past."
"Wait. How did you even find out Buu was here? And why didn't you bring it up earlier?"
Beerus shrugged. "It didn't come up. He wasn't at your birthday party, and then that oaf Yamcha actually touched me without permission, and after that I was too blinded by rage to ask much of anything. Then I was too busy fighting with Goku. And the visit after that, Frieza commanded much of the attention. And Buu didn't show up then, either."
Bulma nodded. "I think I know where he was both times, but go on."
"And the only reason we found out at all is because the Oracle just predicted that Buu would play an important role in Universe 7's survival or destruction in the near future," Whis added. "It was only then, when we researched the matter, that we found Buu had been unsealed and living on Earth for years."
"Which is why we want to know how Earth is still in one piece," Beerus concluded.
"Okay, now that question makes more sense," Bulma sighed in relief. "I don't think you're going to believe me, so maybe I'd better show you."
"SPECIAL PAN CANNON!"
The little girl laid one wrist over the other and shouted, firing an energy beam from each hand. But while the right, larger beam shot forward in a straight line, the left, smaller beam curled around it in a repeating screw pattern, creating a twofold attack that, even when blocked, still caused considerable damage due to the second beam acting like a drill, something that many fighters on Earth simply would not expect.
Not that the boulder that the beam slammed into had any hope of blocking it. The resulting explosion and shower of pebbles proved that much.
"Not bad," Piccolo murmured as the girl turned to him for evaluation. "A little much, but not bad at all, Pan."
Pan beamed up at him.
"Helloooooooo!" called a voice high above them.
Piccolo frowned as the latest model Capsule Corp flying transport touched down in front of them. He was expecting Bulma to climb out, but got a very bad shock when Beerus and Whis followed.
"Hi, Bulma-san!" Pan cried, rushing over to give her a hug. "Did you come to see me train? Or did Trunks get lonely without me?"
Bulma laughed and ruffled Pan's hair fondly. "I'm here on business, Pan-chan. Do you happen to know where Buu is today? It's really important that I find him."
"Oh, you want Buu? It's Monday, so that means shopping with baa-chan."
Beerus nearly gagged on the straw of the milkshake he was sipping. "Majin Buu... shops?" he asked through coughs, as Whis hit him on the back a few times.
Pan blinked and tugged on Bulma's sleeve, getting her to lean closer. "Your kitty talks," the girl whispered in Bulma's ear.
Bulma grinned. "No, Pan-chan, that's my guest, Beerus-sama. He's the Hakaishin of our whole universe, so be extra polite to him."
"Oooh. So that's why he wants Buu?"
"Sort of, but not really."
"Well, like I said, Buu's shopping, so it might be a while before he gets home. But if you really need to find him right away, jii-chan can take you. But if you're not in a hurry, I can take you. I know where they like to shop."
Bulma glanced back at Beerus, silently considering her options. Normally, Beerus did not like to be kept waiting. Of course, so long as there was plenty of food, he would generally wait for hours. But there really wasn't enough food on the transport to feed him and Whis all day.
Beerus surprised Bulma by taking the choice out of her hands. "Child," he said to Pan. "How well do you know Majin Buu?"
"Pretty well," Pan replied. "He's my uncle!"
Beerus and Whis both gaped at her.
Bulma laughed nervously. "Now, Pan-chan, that's not really true."
"Uh huh!" Pan insisted. "Buu calls baa-chan 'Mama', which means he's her son, which makes him my uncle, just like Goten! Buu's adopted, but he's still family!"
"This is a most disturbing turn of events," Whis murmured.
"It really isn't," Bulma assured him. "I can explain everything. Well, I guess Pan's input couldn't hurt, Buu technically is part of her family."
"He just lives with a random family?!" Beerus demanded.
Bulma frowned. "They're not random! Wasn't it obvious? Pan is Goku's granddaughter!"
Beerus blinked a few times. "That sounds completely illogical, and exactly like something Goku would do. But it is something you should have told us from the start!"
"Again, I thought it was obvious. Who else would you trust to keep an eye on Buu?"
"I feel there is a large, long story here that we are missing," Whis said.
Bulma sighed and turned to Piccolo. "Do you mind if Pan quits a little early today? Only I think this could take a while, and-"
"She's all yours," Piccolo interrupted.
"Huh. That was easy." Bulma shook her head. "I don't suppose you want to come with us?"
Piccolo looked as if he would refuse, then decided against it. "Perhaps I should. There may be things that neither you nor Pan can explain about Buu. And I am responsible for her, for the moment."
Piccolo had not known what to think when Videl announced her pregnancy only a month after the mess with Buu had been resolved. Certainly he had seen that Videl was determined that Gohan would not get another chance to die on her, not that he had died at all the first time. Piccolo had also seen that Gohan was decidedly not the aggressive one in the relationship. Still, the confirmation of it had mortified everyone, himself included. Chi-Chi had been very upset that Gohan had a pregnant girlfriend, until Videl assured her that there was no escape for Gohan.
Gohan and Videl were married in a small, private ceremony two weeks later. Videl had no interest in letting her father turn the wedding into a media circus, and Gohan was just glad more attention wasn't drawn to it.
In a very surprising move, for the first year of their marriage, Videl had insisted on living near Gohan's parents. She wanted Chi-Chi to train her on how to be a proper wife, since there wasn't much her own father could teach her about being married. Gohan was not sure how he felt about it, but apparently Videl wasn't too confident in her own cooking, and it made Chi-Chi happy to have them (particularly her soon-to-be grandchild) so close by for a while.
As it turned out, living in the country had been good for Pan. Goku taught her how to live off the land. Chi-Chi taught her how to behave once she was inside. Gohan oversaw all of Pan's schoolwork. Goten was less a teacher and more a big brother figure. And Videl taught Pan how to fight... at first. But true to her Saiya-jin blood, Pan excelled quickly, and the first time that she managed to knock her mother out cold, Videl handed over her training to Goku. But once Goku was sure that Pan had the basics down, he asked Piccolo to take over. Goku felt the best teachers for anyone would always be a non-relative. It had been true for Goku and Gohan, and Piccolo felt it was true for Pan. He did not coddle her, and Goku and Gohan would not have trusted him to train Pan if she were too soft or unprepared.
And really, Piccolo was probably not the teacher of Pan that they had to worry about.
"Alright, lady!" the masked man barked, poking the gun into her back. "Give up the valuables and back away from the truck!"
The older woman standing beside her truck turned her head slightly to gaze at the man behind her. "I don't think you want to do that."
"You heard me! Do it!" he demanded, poking her harder.
She sighed.
Without warning, she vanished, and suddenly the man felt a hard impact on the side of his head that nearly knocked him out. As it was, he hit the ground hard, and lost the grip on his gun. Though his vision was hazy, he could still see the woman standing over him. He hadn't even seen her move.
"Let that be a lesson to you, young man. There are some women that you shouldn't try to rob. And since you can't tell the difference, you're better off not robbing anyone. The only reason I didn't break something is because I'm in a hurry."
The man glared as best he could, slowly reaching for the handgun still concealed in his back pocket. It wasn't loaded, and neither was the gun he'd lost, but she wouldn't know that.
Again, without warning, something huge and pink blocked the man's view.
"Mama! This man playing with you?" asked a strange voice.
"No, Buu," the woman said. "He was trying to take our groceries."
There was a shocked gasp. "But groceries are food! Buu's food!"
The man yelped as something grabbed his collar and hauled him up, slamming him against the side of the truck. He went pale as he noticed the woman had been joined by a large, pink... well, he wasn't sure what it was, but it was holding him, and it looked plenty mad.
"You bad man! You no take Buu's food!" the pink thing said.
"He was at least thinking about shooting me, too," the woman added calmly.
There was a long pause, in which the pink thing's face slowly but notably began to turn red.
"You... hurt... Buu's... Mama?!" the pink thing growled.
The man shook his head wildly. If anything, the woman had hurt him more than he'd hurt her.
"BUU MAKE YOU PAY!" the pink thing shrieked, and then there was blinding flash of light as the man screamed in fear.
"And Majin Buu just... lives with your family?" Beerus asked for the third time.
Pan frowned. "Why are you so surprised, Beerus-sama? He's got to live somewhere."
"So do I, but you'd never find me living with my brother by choice," Beerus snorted.
"Maybe your brother isn't as much fun as Buu is."
Beerus opened his mouth, paused, and closed it. "You may be right, child."
Whis chuckled softly as he turned back to the front of the transport. "It seems they have become fast friends."
"Well, good," Bulma sighed. "Last thing I need is him having any reason to blow up the planet."
"And you are confident that the child can sense Buu's location?" Whis asked.
"Pan and Buu have always had a special bond. He may have given her some way of tracking him that no one else has, but she can always find him. I suppose it helps that he's really only ever in three places: in the city with Chi-Chi, at home, or at Capsule Corp."
"You do not fear that he will revert to his former ways?"
Bulma shook her head. "Goku always says that Bibidi and Babidi only treated Buu like a tool, never like a person. Goku was the first one to give him a choice, and Buu chose to stay with him, so Goku welcomed Buu into his family. Now Buu considers himself one of them. And what they never do is go around terrorizing or killing people for no reason. So Buu doesn't anymore, either. Goku promised he would teach Buu how to live here, and he has."
Whis frowned. "While I can appreciate that Goku is essentially a good person, you can imagine our concerns that any Saiya-jin would be teaching Majin Buu how to live?"
Bulma laughed softly. "Because you're thinking that Goku taught Buu how to live like a Saiya-jin. But remember, Goku was raised here on Earth. So he's the perfect one to show Buu how to live here without blowing the planet to bits. And obviously, it worked. But I admit it is pretty hard to believe until you see it for yourself."
Buu was alone with the truck, happily licking a huge lollipop when the Capsule Corp transport landed close by. This did not immediately draw his attention, even when he sensed extremely powerful ki aboard. It was only when Pan came flying out that he swallowed the lollipop whole, stick and all, and turned to give her his full attention.
"Buu!" Pan said happily as she flew at him, arms outstretched.
"Pan!" he shouted, giggling as he hoped out of the truck and ran to her.
Anyone who thought they were going to hug would have been enormously wrong: they instead met with giant grins and a flurry of punches, the ground beneath them cracking from the force of their blows. After a few seconds of this, they leaped apart, and cupped their hands to begin charging beam attacks.
"STOP IT, YOU IDIOTS!"
Buu and Pan both looked up, their energy attacks winking out, and matching guilty expressions on their faces, as Chi-Chi stomped towards them.
"I leave you alone for five minutes, and you're going at it full strength?!"
Pan pouted. "Baa-chan, that was nowhere even close to full-"
Chi-Chi's hand snapped out, seizing Pan's nose firmly between two fingers. "Not my point!"
"Buu play with Pan!" Buu added, as if this would help.
Pan opened her mouth to agree, but stopped when Chi-Chi squeezed her nose a bit.
"Do either of you see what is behind me?" Chi-Chi demanded.
Buu and Pan both looked. It was an orphanage. They both knew that, having been there several times. What Chi-Chi did not see, however, were the multitude of small, eager faces pressed against the windows. What they had just seen was surely better than any video game they'd ever played.
Pan sighed. "Sorry, baa-chan." This earned her a stern look, but it did get her nose released.
"Sorry, Mama," Buu murmured.
Chi-Chi sighed and shook her head. "Honestly! We're not even that far from home. Surely you could have waited a few minutes to start attacking each other. Pan-chan, why aren't you training with Piccolo?"
"Beerus-sama asked me to find Buu," Pan explained, pointing to where Beerus stood by with Whis, Bulma, and Piccolo.
"So he asked you to find Buu. Not attack him, correct?"
Pan pouted again. "Yeah, but Buu's so much fun to fight with!"
"If the Hakaishin has business with Buu, having fun should be the least of your concerns," Chi-Chi said.
Beerus walked up to Buu, a thoughtful frown on his face. "I hear you don't kill anymore."
"Nope!" Buu replied brightly.
Beerus blinked. "Why not?"
"Buu a Saiya-jin god now! Saiya-jin god no kill!"
Beerus gaped at him. "You... who told you that?"
"Goku."
Beerus scowled. "It appears I need to have a talk with Goku."
"Why?" Chi-Chi asked. "It's not like it's a lie."
Beerus turned to her slowly. "Excuse me?" he asked in a threatening tone.
"Well, it isn't. Buu has the power of two gods inside him, and he was adopted by a largely Saiya-jin family. And I'd say most of the gods I've met were every bit as afraid of him as they were of you. Maybe he's not officially a god, but that's just an oversight from where I'm standing. He's done a lot of things to help out around here. He even built this orphanage."
Beerus gaped at her. "Why would he ever do that?"
"Because now when someone does something that Buu considers evil, he doesn't kill them. Instead, he turns them into a baby with no memory of their previous life, so they can grow up all over again. It's a chance to start over and live their life the right way."
"So then, all of those children..."
"Oh, not all of them. The orphanage takes in any children who need a home."
Beerus frowned. "You have given me much to consider. But I would still like to speak to Goku about this."
"Well, I'm sure he's training somewhere in the mountains. You could ask Buu to use Instant Transmission to find him."
"How does he know a technique of the Yardrat-jin?"
"They taught it to Goku, Goku used it in front of Buu, and Buu just picked it up."
Beerus shook his head. "Now I really need to talk to Goku..."
One of the tricky things about Instant Transmission is that it didn't warn if the target was doing something that the user would rather not see. So Buu and the rest of the group appeared a few feet away from a lake, which Goku was just emerging from, completely naked.
"Uh... hi, everyone?" Goku murmured.
Buu merely pointed his forelock at Goku and zapped him into a new copy of his usual training gi.
Goku blinked. "Thanks, Buu, but it wouldn't have taken me too long to get dressed."
"It would have been too long for my tastes," Beerus said firmly.
"Oh, Beerus-sama! What brings you here?" Goku asked.
"The fact that you've apparently been telling Buu that he's a Saiya-jin god?"
"Was that wrong?"
"Was it...?! Do you even have to ask?!"
"Kinda. Even Dende agrees that Buu is the best thing that's happened to Earth in a while."
Buu put his hands on his hips and puffed out his belly proudly. "Buu best thing!"
Beerus ignored him. "Why did you tell him that he was a god?"
Goku moved closer to Beerus and lowered his voice. "Well, I was trying to get Buu to live a good life. So telling him that he was a magic gum demon wouldn't have worked as well. But telling him that he was a god made him feel responsible for improving this planet. And he's done that. Which was the point. It's not like I told him he was a Hakaishin. That would have been too much like the old Buu."
Beerus glared at him. "All fair points, but I'm still not happy. You defeated the threat of Majin Buu by not defeating him at all."
Goku blinked. "Uh, maybe that was the problem: all he ever needed was someone to give him a choice, and no one did."
"That is not the answer I would expect to hear from a Saiya-jin."
"I was raised on Earth, so I think differently. I taught Buu how to live like me, not a Saiya-jin. So he doesn't go around conquering planets. He eats and sleeps and trains, just like I do, and just as much as I do. And let me tell you, it took a while for him to get the hang of sleeping."
"He didn't know how to sleep?"
"Oh, he did, but only sleeping for a couple of hours each night was new to him. He used to sleep for as long as he wanted, and could go weeks without waking up. Once I pointed out that no Saiya-jin would miss out on that much eating and fighting, he learned pretty fast how to do it the right way."
Beerus looked as if he wanted to argue, but finally shook his head. "You trust Buu around your family, then?"
"Sure! He's Pan's favorite sparring partner."
Beerus glanced over at Pan, who had found some wild berries and was sharing them with Buu. She was, of course, far stronger than any normal human, and yet, much weaker than Buu. If she regularly sparred against Buu, and she was still alive, that was proof enough that he had changed. As was, admittedly, Earth still being in one piece.
"One last question, then," Beerus said. "Why is this the first time I've seen Buu lately? Bulma mentioned she knew where he'd been hiding, but never said where."
Goku thought for a moment. "Let's see. If he wasn't with one of us-"
"He wasn't. You were all at Bulma's birthday party."
"-then he had to be at the orphanage."
There was a long pause.
"You're serious?" Beerus asked.
"I told you, he takes being a god seriously. He likes to make sure all the people he turned into kids are doing well. In a funny way, you could say he's more responsible than you guys are!"
Beerus glared at Goku. "I am not laughing, Goku."
Goku laughed weakly. "Yeah, I guess you aren't. Why all this interest in Buu, though? He's strong, but I don't think you have anything to worry about."
Beerus snorted impatiently. "I am not interested because he may be a threat to me. I want to make sure he is still a threat in general. Apparently, his strength will be needed in the near future, and I want to be certain he can hold his own."
"Well, he can. I don't know anyone who can put Buu on the ropes without at least going Super Saiya-jin first."
Some Time Later (Again)
The Elder Kaioshin cleared his throat and checked the clipboard in his hand. "So, to review, the Universe 7 team will consist of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Buu, Piccolo, Android 18, Android 17, Krillin, Tien, and this Roshi fellow?"
"That is the final list that Gohan provided us with," the younger Kaioshin said. "Let us hope it will be enough to ensure our universe's survival."
"I am so glad Buu's on our side now! And that he only sleeps as much as a normal person would!"
"Yes, that is fortunate. But I still have some concerns about this roster..."
"Well, I wouldn't worry too much. I can't say I know what all these youngsters are capable of, but we know at least half of them are pretty scrappy. And we don't have to worry about any of them stabbing us in the back. Why, inviting someone who would do that to participate would be pure insanity!" He laughed loudly, slapping his knee a few times.
The younger Kaioshin stared at his elder blankly. "Yes. Pure madness, sir."
The End?
Endnotes:
For those really paying attention, I moved Pan's birth up by four years. On purpose!
Recently in the Dragon Ball Super anime, Goku was apparently able to use god ki to revive Master Roshi. In which case, I call shenanigans on Buu not being able to revive anyone with the power of two Kaioshin in him. There has been ample time and plenty of opportunities for this idea to be applied, and it hasn't, so I doubt it will be. I still think it would be a neat save, and would restore some of the importance that Buu has lost. As inactive as I consider most of the gods to be, Buu would fit right in.
I can accept that the reason Buu is kept out of certain events is that he's too powerful. I would just prefer that oversleeping was not the chosen method. Although I admit being at an orphanage is not much better, but I just hate the method by which Buu isn't more useful is that he's a couch potato. Especially considering being lazy rarely seemed to slow him down when he was evil.
Anyway, if things turn out like I plan, the next chapter will explore the idea of Cell filling the Former Bad Guy spot on the team, rather than Frieza. Not that I consider him any more trustworthy than Frieza, I just think his genetics make him a better choice, provided he got an instant power boost the way Frieza did. Also, there does not appear to be another Cell in Universe 6 (though there is a doctor...) for him to conspire with, so there's that, too.