Chapter 106 – Satan Hotel's Grand Opening

Age 776, June 17th

The two-hour plane ride to Satan City was tense. Normally it would take an aircraft far longer to reach the famous city but being part of the family who built these machines had its perks. The new and expensive model was proving to be worth the claims it stood up to. Inside it were all four members of the Brief family... and one guest. Soba had been reluctant to attend at first, finding it far creepier that his boss wanted him to show up alongside her daughter. However Ramen had quickly forced him to change his mind, ranting on about how fantastic it would be to meet celebrities including the world saviour Mr Satan. He was the only person who really caught Soba's interest. Well, he and his daughter.

"Since when have you known Mr Satan?" Soba asked in a hushed voice, slapped next to his 'boss' – or rather the woman he did work for because she was too lazy to do it herself.

"... I'm friends with Videl Satan," Corset replied begrudgingly, annoyed she'd been coaxed into inviting him and even more annoyed he'd agreed to it. She would never forgive her mother for this! What sort of warped plan was she scheming up? If this was supposed to turn out as a date then she'd quickly make her own thoughts known...

"How?" Soba gasped amazed she even knew Videl Satan. He'd never admit this to anyone but he'd had a soft spot for the champion's daughter and had always wanted to meet her in person, though it was a dream he'd never thought he'd even accomplish. To think he could be doing it today!

"It's a long story," Corset replied.

"Wow... she's pretty cute you know, her hair looks a lot better short than yours does!" Soba cheekily smirked.

"She's also going out with my best friend so there's no chance she'll be interested in someone like you," Corset retorted. "... And watch the lip. I can still send you home, you know!"

"What, in the middle of the ocean? I doubt that," Soba rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You're not the one flying the plane – your mother is."

"Will you two put a sock in it?" Bulma protested. "Honestly arguing with each other like that, anyone'd think you were married!"

Sharp shades of red appeared on both Corset and Soba's faces at Bulma's comment. "Mama!" Corset spluttered infuriated. "I knew you'd invited him along for a reason!"

"No offense Ms Brief but your daughter's not my type – she's too rude and ugly," Soba retorted turning his attention away from the woman sitting beside him. He didn't have to see her to know her eyes were piercing him as if trying to make him combust and he had to hide the smirk on his face.

"I will fire you," Corset growled venomously.

"Don't worry too much Corset," Bulma chuckled. "You know some guys say nasty things to girls because deep down, they actually really like them, they just don't know how to show it properly!"

"I can assure you I'm not one of those guys," Soba snorted. "I'm sick to death of the sight of her."

"I can fix that if you'd like," Corset snapped. "I'll pull your eyes out from their sockets."

"Why are you being so mean to this guy?" Trunks butted in curious.

"Thank you!" Soba jeered.

"Normally I'd be saying stuff like that and you tell me off!" Trunks continued. "Why is he even here anyway?"

"Because Mama told me to bring him along for some reason," Corset folded her arms slouching in her seat. "I say we chuck him overboard!"

"Enough!" Bulma snapped. "I'll chuck you all overboard if you don't stop arguing!"

The plane went silent after this, everyone keeping their own thoughts to themselves. Corset sighed and looked out the window, half in the mood to just get out and fly so she didn't have to sit next to this moron. She wasn't entirely sure if he'd been playing around or had been serious but the comments hurt no matter how strong the walls she put up were. She couldn't wait to see Gohan and the others and hopefully ditch this insensitive moron as soon as they arrived at the hotel. She wondered what it would look like and whether there would be enough food to feed at least six Saiyan appetites and leave plenty for everyone else attending.

Trunks was staring at the young man on the other side of his sister with apparent interest. He thought he was being discreet but both Corset and Soba'd noticed his constant glancing over in their direction. Neither mentioned it to him, neither dared speak just in case Bulma yelled at them again.

"We're almost there," Bulma announced from the front of the cockpit.

"Good, I'm getting tired of being stuck in this slow machine," Vegeta grumbled, sat next to the woman in the co-pilot seat dressed in his Saiyan armour. Soba had wondered why the man sitting in front of them was wearing such strange clothes. Vegeta was not dressed smartly for such an occasion; he seemed to be dressed in strange spandex and what Soba could only guess was armour. Was it for any particular reason or was the man crazy? He could have sworn he recognised him from somewhere but wasn't sure where...

Corset had gone for the casual look; a black shirt with light-blue three-quarter length jeans. She didn't feel like dressing up even if it was a grand opening of a hotel. She wore smart clothes all the time at work; as far as she was concerned today was a day off of work so she could dress how she wanted. At least she wasn't the only one going casual. Soba had felt a little cheeky coming in his own casual clothes but had been put at ease when Bulma had told him it was fine.

The plane began to descend through the skyscrapers of Satan City before it finally landed. Indeed the new hotel was just as the critics said; gigantic and fit for the saviour of Earth. The building had taken two years to complete and had started as soon as Mr Satan had defeated whoever it was that had terrorised Earth. It towered over the other buildings and was at least twenty stories high, pretty gigantic for a hotel. Corset's first impression was that it was over-pompous and over the top as far as grand designs went. She was certain everything in each room would probably be plated with gold just to show off how snazzy and stinking rich its benefactors were.

Soba craned his head back as far as it would go, almost tipping backwards as he looked up towards the roof of the gigantic building. It was a venue Ramen would have killed to have attended. Celebrities everywhere! Mr Satan and his daughter Videl, and even an upcoming martial-arts student named Mr Buu... He'd hit lucky. Apparently it did pay to have links in the right places...

They were quickly greeted by Mr Satan who seemed pleased to see them. Behind him was a short, weedy-looking man in a striped suit and crisp bowtie, his hair well-groomed and shimmering a little in the sunlight.

"Is Videl not here?" Corset asked the taller of the two men before them.

"She went to collect Goku's family and the others," Mr Satan replied. "They should be back any minute."

Soba stared wide-eyed from a small distance away from the others as his eyes fell on Mr Satan. Corset turned and caught sight of him with his jaw agape and almost snorted with laughter. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"... You're on speaking terms with the saviour of Earth?" Soba said exasperated, certain his eyes couldn't have gotten any wider if they'd tried. "This is incredible! It's like a party for rich people and I'm the poor, average guy who's allowed to come! Ramen's gonna be so jealous!"

Corset smiled awkwardly, "... I never thought of it that way... I guess you're pretty lucky then." She hated to admit it but he was probably right. Her family was one of the richest on the whole planet thanks to her grandfather's company. She was used to events like these though for the most part she avoided them like the plague; too many people and flashing cameras weren't good for the soul as far as she was concerned and she loved her privacy... not that she'd have much of it left by this rate.

"We should go find somewhere to sit," Bulma mused, grimacing slightly as Vegeta wandered off towards one of the nearby walls marking the boundary of the outer courtyard and away from her and his family. "I'm sure the party will start soon."

Eventually both Goku's family and Krillin's family arrived alongside Videl, Dende, Korin, Yajirobe, Puar and Oolong. The party was to start soon and everyone was led to their seats where they would be dining.

"Hey, it's great to see you again," Krillin waved as he made his way over towards Corset, eyes widening a little. "What's with the bad haircut?" He snorted, trying so hard to keep back his amusement but failing miserably.

"I was having an off-day!" Corset snapped, cheeks reddening as she instinctively reached for shoulder-length hair that was no longer there. "... It's nice to see you too!" She added with distain, smiling a little as Eighteen and Marron approached them. Little Marron clung to her mother's hand tightly; blonde hair in pigtails just as they had been two years prior.

"So seriously, what happened?" Krillin chuckled. "I thought you told me you kept your hair the same to honour your Saiyan heritage."

"I just wanted a new look, that's all," Corset replied conscientious, eyes briefly flickering over to Soba who was thankfully standing near to her mother.

"Hey, we finally made it," Gohan came over from the plane, splitting away from his mother and brother. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Half an hour," Corset replied raising one eyebrow with surprise. "Wow, you're all dressed up. Did Chichi make you wear that?"

"No, I thought we were dressing smart," Gohan replied sheepishly, eyes flitting to the left a little. "Oh, who's your friend?"

Corset realised Soba had joined them. "Oh, you remember suggesting I get an assistant for my work? Well this is him! Everyone this is Soba Shirataki; Soba this is Gohan, Krillin, Eighteen and the little girl's name is Marron."

"That's a lot of unusual names to take in," Soba awkwardly shook Gohan and Krillin's hands. "Nice to meet you all."

Krillin grinned at Corset; Corset recognising the look and glaring. "Don't even start!" She snapped, raising one fist to his face; she would not put up with this – not today of all days! Any other day would be more acceptable just not today!

"Start what?" Krillin sniggered teasingly. "Will your boyfriend get angry at me?"

"He's not my boyfriend," Corset growled venomously.

"I'm not her boyfriend you short-ass!" Soba spat taking a small step away from Corset and looking as if standing too close to her would make him ill. "Geez, can't a guy and a girl be in the same place without people assuming they're in a relationship? What's everyone's damn problem?"

Gohan, Krillin and Eighteen were a little shocked with Soba's sudden outburst. Even Corset stared stunned and taken aback at Soba. "... Hey, calm down, ok? He's an old friend of mine who just happens to tease me about guys; please don't be so rude Soba." She spoke.

"Why do people assume so much when they know nothing?" Soba grunted folding his arms and wandering off.

"Short?" Krillin grumbled fuming.

"Didn't really expect that reaction did you?" Gohan chuckled nervously.

"I don't think any of us did." Corset sighed.

The hotel was gigantic, sitting near to a cliff looking over the ocean beyond. The entrance to the hallway where the ceremony was taking place took the group over a wooden walkway over what seemed to be a large moat; the dining area settled in the middle of the lake. Corset took interest at the building around her, impressed with the architect and how luxurious the entire place seemed. Definitely a place she would have to stay during a business trip to Satan City and she knew if she pulled strings she could get a room for free!

The ceremony soon started. Corset felt her stomach growling furiously for food as she set eyes upon the tables before them. Foods from all over the globe had been laid out before them and it was all theirs to eat. She and Soba sat themselves down on a table; those around them – particularly Dende and Piccolo – had caught the young man's interest.

"You really do have a temper on you; I've never seen you act like that!" Corset exclaimed in awe. "You're not even that rude to me!"

"Yeah well I don't like people teasing me about things," Soba grumbled. "I get enough of that from Somen! Man I hate that jackass..."

"Hey, he's your brother," Corset frowned alarmed by Soba's apparent view of his own brother. She could never imagine feeling that way about Trunks, even if he did do her head in at times.

"You'd be agreeing with me if you knew my brother," Soba insisted. "He's so up himself. The guy is delusional and such a suck-up!"

"He did get you your job," Corset pointed out.

"That's the one nice thing he's done," Soba sighed. "... I know he's up to something. Somen wouldn't suddenly be nice to me like this. He's gotta be planning to blackmail me or something."

"... Really?" Corset asked before placing more food into her mouth. "He really can't just be being a nice older brother?" She was finding it difficult to believe an older sibling could be that mean to one of their younger siblings. She would never consider being that mean to Trunks even if at times he got on her nerves and pushed her to the point she was convinced she'd have to kill him. It was all a meaningless threat but to actually treat your younger brother like Soba seemed to be suggesting?

"No way in hell would Somen be nice to me," Soba shook his head. "Trust me, I know my brother."

A small pause took over as the two began to eat, Soba soon breaking the silence with a question.

"... Why is it your dad and that other spiky-haired guy are arguing?"

"Oh, ignore them; they do it all the time but believe it or not they're pretty good friends," Corset replied nervously. She had noticed both her dad and Goku were doing their usual trick of competing with each other and their Saiyan appetites worried her; what kind of impression would it leave on Soba? He was a normal human who'd never been exposed to people such as this.

"... Also... those two guys look a little ill," Soba subtly pointed over to Piccolo and Dende. "There are some really strange people here... and your brother won't stop staring over here..."

Corset quickly glanced over to the table her parents and brother were eating at, catching her brother's eyes dart rapidly away from them.

"Hey guys," Videl interrupted, much to Corset's relief as the conversation between her and Soba was growing uncomfortable with all the questions. "How's the food?"

"It's delicious," Corset smiled, finding the amazed look on Soba's face amusing; he still hadn't got his head around her being friends with the daughter of Mr Satan. "Have you eaten yet?" She added

"No, I've been thanking everyone for coming over," Videl replied, taking a quick glance at Soba and smiling politely. "So who's the guy you've brought along?"

"Before you make the same mistake Krillin made, Soba here is my assistant at work," Corset explained. "Soba, I'm sure you know who Videl is."

"... I can't believe you two are friends..." Soba was too busy gawking to speak properly, almost dribbling the sentence out as if he'd lost all ability to talk properly.

"Nice to meet you," Videl ignored the admiring look for the most part; Corset sensing a slight twinge in Gohan's ki as the boy turned in his seat to watch his girlfriend converse with others.

"Videl's actually going out with my childhood best friend, Gohan," Corset added before her childhood friend could get too hot under the collar at all the attention Soba was giving Videl. "He's the tallish guy in the suit you met along with Krillin."

"It looks like Dad's about to start his speech, I'd better get up there with him," Videl wandered away over towards her father who stood alongside Mr Buu and who appeared to be the head waiter.

Corset watched for a moment before turning back to Soba with a smirk, "Sorry Soba but she's a taken girl," she chirped.

"... Lucky bastard..." Soba mumbled quietly in chagrin.

"Everyone, thank you for travelling such long distances to be here today!" Mr Satan's voice rang out across the hallway. "We are here to honour those who fought and vanquished the evil that tried to take over the Earth two years ago! Please enjoy yourselves and the fantastic feast I have prepared for you!"

"Over there! There he is!"

Corset could barely see over the heads of the others as a small group of paparazzi and reporters suddenly invaded the compound, rushing up to Mr Satan with microphones and cameras on the roll. She was certain she'd been told there would be no news reporters or paparazzi here today and quickly hid herself behind a menu.

"Who are you?" Mr Satan demanded.

"Mr Satan, your thoughts on the opening of your hotel!" One reporter asked as several microphones were stuck towards the saviour's mouth.

"H-Hey, explain yourself steward! I thought I said no paparazzi!" Mr Satan cried, attempting to back off from the reporters but finding himself surrounded, Videl looking on in disbelief.

Corset peered over the plastic covering and averted her face away from the scene as best she could, noticing her mother doing the same thing. Both knew they'd be hounded if any one of the reporters recognised them.

"I wish he'd start soon, I'm getting weak with hunger!" Goku waited, knife and fork ready and waiting in his hands.

"Mr Satan, what's the name of the hotel?" One reporter dressed in a black striped suit asked.

"When will it open to the public?" Another reporter dressed casually butted in.

"May I sample a room for free and rate the hotel?"

Videl hid her face in embarrassment as the reporters continued to hound her father. "How embarrassing..." She groaned.