Chapter 23
On their way to the main entrance of Capsule Corporation, everyone passed through the living room where they came into contact with Erasa and Sharpener, who expressed their relief at seeing that their best friend's dad was doing alright. Goku thanked them both for their genuine concern and also apologized for giving them quite the scare earlier. They thought nothing of it and were just glad that things hadn't escalated any further. Both were in complete shock after learning about the arrival of a 'certain someone' and just like the others, they also expressed their disdain towards the woman. Without a second thought, they carried their musical instruments and carefully followed the gang out of the building, like they were on some kind of top-secret mission.
They finally arrived outside at the thoroughly-cleaned yards where they caught sight of Dr. Briefs, Mrs. Briefs, Tights and Marron all together. Panchy and her older daughter were packing away all the games after they were done entertaining the young girl. It seemed as if Marron really had the time of her life as they could hear her clapping her small hands while happily telling the three that this was the best day ever. Tights coddled the little girl, replying back that she had fun too and that she was looking forward to any future interactions. As soon as they were done packing everything, they caught sight of the others, and from the serious looks on their faces, they could instantly tell that something was wrong. They felt the building shaking earlier, which they asked Bulma about, and she just assured them that everything was okay and that nothing was damaged. It was followed up by her telling them that Chichi had arrived at the scene and was waiting for them at the main gate. This left them completely stunned as they just couldn't believe that 'she' had the nerve to show up here after everything she'd done. Mrs. Briefs quickly handed Marron back to her mother, with both Eighteen and Krillin thanking them for watching over her for a bit.
The group quietly continued on their way to the main gate, and with every second that flew by, Goten was becoming more and more nervous about how this confrontation would unfold. What if his dad didn't win this? What if he was forced to return back 'home' with that monster? The thought of that sent shivers down his very spine. He walked very closely beside Gohan who did his best to assure his little brother that his father wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. He could only nod silently in fear as he couldn't find the words. After what seemed like a long while, the walking ceased as they finally reached Capsule Corp's main entrance, where the confrontation was about to take place.
As expected a dark and shadowy figure was seen lurking near the main entrance. With the nightlights shining ever-so-brightly, they could all see that familiar silhouette out in the distance. It was none other than Chichi who had her hands stuffed in her pockets and was looking in all directions, almost like a carefree tourist or a lost person trying to find their way back home. But of course, no one was going to fall for any stunt she might pull off, as everyone was completely on guard. After a few more moments of 'wandering around', she came to a halt once she spotted the whole gang. Piccolo, Krillin, Eighteen, Tienshinhan, Yamcha, Buu, Mr. Satan, Videl, Puar, Chiaotzu, Oolong, Roshi, Bulma, Vegeta and Trunks… the pathetic little z gang of thugs all together, along with two teenagers she hadn't met before. Then of course, with her own two eyes… she spotted both her sons and her husband.
"Well, well, well… if it isn't the whole gang altogether. How are you all doing? Done partying already?" A sickly, sweet smile crept onto her face as she removed both her hands from her pockets and folded her arms at them. She didn't receive a response as expected. Instead, she received angry and hateful stares from everyone at the scene. It was clear that no one was happy to see her, not that she expected them to be. They were all standing behind her husband as if to provide backup against her, which she found rather amusing.
Suno and Eighter were beyond shocked at first, for this was the very first time they were seeing Goku's soon-to-be ex-wife, but then that shock they previously felt turned into anger after remembering what they just discovered prior to her arrival here. 'So THAT'S Goku's wife? Unbelievable… she has some nerve showing up here after what she did to Goten!' Suno's nostrils flared as a fiery rage was building up inside her.
Goten started to feel cold chills throughout his body and he cowered away from sight, hiding behind his brother and Videl. He clutched onto Videl's leg, afraid of letting go for fear that 'she' could grab him and take him back home against his will. There was no describing it, he felt suffocated, his whole mind was clouded and he didn't know what to do.
Taking a quick glance at his son, Goku saw just how terrified he was. Completely terrified to the point where he couldn't even look her in the eye! He then glanced back at his wife, and was it just him, or was she finding enjoyment in the whole thing? His fists began to tighten, and his rage was beginning to bubble up to the surface once more.
Sensing that the tension was about to become thicker, everyone started to move away from the Saiyan and over to the side, so he would have more room. Videl pried Goten away from her leg and grabbed his small hand, leading him away from his father while Trunks beside his best friend. As Suno was walking alongside everyone, she took Goten's other hand and managed to calm him down in a soothing voice. She glanced back at her boyfriend worriedly, praying that he had this under control.
They were finally situated at a more comfortable spot near the main entrance where they could easily view what was about to happen. Vegeta warily eyed his angered rival with folded arms and a serious look plastered on his face. 'Kakarot better have this under control. The last thing we need is him screwing this up like he almost did before! I may have been able to stop him once, but there's no telling what could possibly happen this time!'
'Come on dad, you've got this!' Gohan silently thought to himself as his father just stood there, completely quiet.
'You've gotta win this Goku…' Bulma had her hands clasped together in prayer, silently hoping for some kind of miracle to occur.
Aside from the trees swaying and the crickets chirping, the whole place went eerily silent, as the soon-to-be former couple stared each other down like enemies on the battlefield, both thinking differently about the situation. It was definitely a surprise for Chichi that her husband was here of all places, ever since she abandoned him at Mount Paozu weeks ago. But now, she flashed him a smile, one that didn't show friendliness, but one that clearly showed that she had ulterior motives for being here.
Goku meanwhile had stood still in the same spot, with the wind blowing through his spiky hair and feeling that searing rage coursing through his veins as he stared hard at his wife, eyes now burning with resentment. He honestly didn't think they would see each other again until their divorce and custody hearing. Had they met again under better circumstances, then this meeting would have gone a whole lot differently. But now that he knew the entire truth about what had been going on in his absence, he was struggling to control that bubbling anger within him. What was he supposed to say to her? Act as if none of this had happened?
"Long time no see Goku…"
"Yeah… long time no see…" He calmly replied before taking on a more hostile tone of voice. "What're you doing here?"
Chichi shrugged her shoulders at him. "Oh, I don't know just… doing a little sightseeing when I noticed all these party decorations from before."
He looked her up and down in complete disgust. "I don't remember anyone inviting you to the party."
"Oh, I didn't know that Bulma was going to throw another one of those parties. Like I said, I was just looking around…" Chichi replied, playing dumb for a little bit and whipping her head in all directions.
Goku crossed his arms at her. "Yeah, you were just casually looking around… as if anyone would believe that…"
"What's wrong? Surprised to see me at a joyful time like this? Or more like a late time, considering that you guys had this so-called party lasting past midnight." A small smirk started to form on her face as she looked back at her husband.
His voice was still calm, but was becoming more icy with every second. "It was joyful, and we were just about to leave… until you showed up."
"Come on Goku, you really think I'd ruin a party?" She rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I do." He stated plainly.
"And why's that? I think you'd ruin everything by eating all the food!" Chichi started to laugh just a tiny bit at the thought.
"Well, I think that eating all the food at a party is less serious than beating up a kid, don't you think?"
It was then that the laughter vanished, as Chichi looked up at her husband's face and realized… he already knew the whole truth. 'Of course those two brats had to run to their daddy and tattle first chance they got!' She smiled a little two sweetly at him and replied, "Beating up a kid? What could you possibly be talking about? I would never do such a thing…"
He marched a few steps towards her in burning fury, both fists clenched so tightly and with his voice now raised, tired of her stupid games. "Oh really? You don't know? You don't remember beating up Goten until he was on the brink of death and leaving him in a pool of his own blood?! Does that ring the bells for you now?!"
"You know what? I'm going to just drop the act. Yes, I did beat up Goten until he was on the brink of death for being a disobedient little brat! Are you happy now, idiot?!" Chichi spat out, finding no use in hiding it any longer.
He found himself gaping at her, "Are you really asking me if I'm happy about what you've done? For real?!" Goku asked incredulously.
"Well, I've finally admitted it. Aren't you happy about that?"
"I'm only happy for the fact that both Gohan and Goten are alive and safe. Yes. They're safe with me. With you, they'll be in danger all the time." He stated fiercely, having put some real thought into his response.
She rolled her eyes at him a second time, "In danger? I was only trying to discipline the both of them, especially that stupid and whiny little brat! I don't see the harm in doing that!"
"You tried to do something nobody asked you to do." His voice was cold to the bone. With every word that came out of her mouth, he was finding it harder to not lose his temper.
"That beating was necessary to teach Goten a lesson about respect and discipline. In fact, I think I'm going to give him another beating after I take him and Gohan back home with me." She then turned to her sons who were watching their confrontation and commanded as if she still had authority over them, "Boys, you're coming home with me this instant!"
Goten started to whimper in fear, thinking that this was the end, but Gohan pulled him into his arms and glared fiercely at his 'mother', daring her to come for his brother.
Goku also turned his attention to his two boys and said in an equally commanding tone, "You guys stay where you are. They're not going anywhere, you know? They don't deserve another minute of you."
A vein popped on her forehead, having been triggered by her husband's words. "How dare you, I'm their mother!"
"You're their mother?" He pointed a finger at his wife as he couldn't help but find that laughable. "A real mother wouldn't beat up her kid until he's almost dead. Don't ever say again that you're their mother! If I'm this so-called 'idiot' then you're a freaking monster worse than Frieza or Cell!"
That earned gasps of shock among the whole group, everyone was looking at each other while whispering and murmuring among one another, trying to make sense of this. Did Goku really just say that?
"W-Woah… that was cold…" Piccolo managed to say, still completely stunned.
"Yeah…cold." Krillin uttered out with wide eyes.
"I never thought I would hear this come from Goku…" Suno whispered back.
Vegeta grunted, "Well… I guess that she had it coming. And for the first time ever, I agree with Kakarot."
"That woman really is a monster…"
"Well, with all the evidence we have against her, that would be the least we could say…" Bulma commented in response.
Oolong muttered under his breath, "It's about time Goku stood up to her. This woman is insane."
"She's really crazy…" Puar whispered in a tiny voice, floating beside a speechless Yamcha.
The whispers came to a stop, as everyone focused their attention back to the bickering couple. Chichi was honestly quite offended that she had been compared to two aliens, but she didn't allow it to deter her from pushing her husband's buttons even further. After all, she wasn't going to stop until she put her 'secret plan' in motion.
"I'm the monster?! At least I don't have those Super Delinquent transformations!" Chichi shot back.
"Those transformations you hate so much saved you and the universe more than once! You should be grateful you're not dead right now!" Goku snapped.
Chichi placed her hands on her hips and laughed, "Grateful? What a load of crap! You should have been a respectable husband and father yet you decide to go off into outer space and fight aliens. You really are a brainless idiot. It's like your daily routine was to eat, sleep and train! Every. Single. Day!"
He was starting to feel a surge of annoyance, as this felt almost like a repeat of the argument they had the night before she left Mount Paozu. He then mumbled in a low voice, "Well, I trained all the time to protect you, the kids, my friends and the rest of the universe from any menace that could show up! It's rather sad that you fail to understand that."
She scoffed, "Yeah right. You just love to make all sorts of excuses, don't you?"
"They're not excuses." He stated firmly. "It's the truth. If you can't handle it, well, that's your problem, not mine."
Thinking back to earlier, she couldn't help but remark snidely, "No sane woman would want a man like you. Or should I say… brainless monkey? Would anybody handle the fact that you're from a senseless and barbaric alien race? No, they never would. You'd be single for the rest of your life…" Her voice trailed off after noticing the woman her husband was kissing earlier. An amused smile appeared on her face. "who is she?!"
Eighter didn't like the way this woman was staring at his friend, so he wrapped his giant arms around Suno for protection, hugging her close to him just in case Goku's wife tried to hurt her. Suno shot an icy glare at the woman, who just continued to look at her amusingly.
Goku noticed that his wife had her sights on his partner and replied coolly, "Her name is Suno, and she's my girlfriend." He saw how his android friend was protecting her, but he was already prepared to step in if his wife made an attempt to hurt her.
"She's your girlfriend, eh? You've already found another woman when we haven't even gone to court, yet?"
"I didn't see it coming, actually. But now, I feel really good next to her." He said with no regrets.
She burst out laughing, placing her face in her hands. "Oh for Kami's sake… this has got to be some kind of joke!"
He glared at her as she remained in hysterics. "Why does this have to be a joke? Is it really so hard to believe that I could actually meet another woman besides you? You're not the only woman in the whole world, if you didn't realize it."
"And how did you fall in love with her, you brainless monkey?!"
"I don't have to explain that to you, because you honestly don't care about that." He snarled with a fiery gaze, standing his ground. Explaining anything to his 'wife' was pointless, as she would just poke fun at him. That, and he didn't think it was any of her business after what she put Goten through.
Chichi had her laughter under control, but she continued to ridicule her husband. "You're right, I don't care about your love life. I'm surprised you even have one! I'll bet it won't be long before she realizes how crap you are at life!"
He gritted his teeth at her insults. "Well, you accuse me of being a 'brainless monkey', right? Let me tell you this. I'd rather be a brainless monkey, than a heartless monster like yourself."
"You dare call me a monster?!"
"That's right. And I just realized that. You beat Goten until he nearly died. You don't want to be called a MONSTER after that?!"
With conviction in her eyes she declared, "Just so you know, I'll make sure you never see the boys again! You're an idiot father!"
Not allowing her insults to get to him he continued, "Well, at least I do care about them and I don't force them to live an unhappy life."
She crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, "You'll only teach them how to fight. You won't be able to provide them with a good education like I can. Gohan's in high school and I'm homeschooling that stupid brat!"
"Not once did you ask them if that's the life they wanted to have." He sharply countered back.
"That's the life they should have. As their mother, I have their best interests at heart. I have the right to decide what their future should be like!" Chichi grinned, flashing Goku a domineering smile.
His temper was rising the more he continued to listen to his wife's nonsense. With his jaw clenched tightly he continued, "Well, let me tell you that a true father gives the chance to his kids of choosing their own lives. I never told them what path to choose. I always respected their decisions, because that's what a father should do with their kids. And you tell me I've never been around for them? I LITERALLY SACRIFICED MYSELF FOR THEM SO THEY COULD KEEP LIVING!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Oh cut it out with the goody two shoes act!"
Everyone continued to watch with extreme caution as the couple's confrontation became more and more intense with every minute. Goten just watched silently beside his brother, just silently hoping that his father would make it. Eighter removed his arms from around Suno once he saw that there were no signs of Goku's wife harming her. Suno of course was extremely angered that Chichi would go as far as to take jabs at their relationship, and she hoped that Goku would put her in her place, but she also didn't want her boyfriend to go further than he needed to.
Marron on the other hand, was trembling so much in her mother's arms as she watched the scary fight between the two adults. The little girl had grabbed her mom's outfit for support. "Mommy, Daddy… I-I'm scared…" She let out in a quivering voice.
"Don't worry honey, everything will be alright…" Eighteen soothed, rubbing her daughter's back.
"Your mother's right. There's nothing to be scared about…" Krillin reassured his daughter, patting her head gently.
The whole family returned to watching the confrontation with Eighteen holding her daughter even tighter than before and glared back at Chichi. Both husband and wife could only hope that Goku ended this sooner, rather than later.
He lowered his tone, but still with an edge to it. "Well, at least I did sacrifice myself for my kids. What did you do? You brought a lot of books, you threw them in their noses and you left them with no choice but to read them. They don't need tons of books to have a good education because they're not stupid! They can choose the path that fits best to them, that's the choice I left them with!"
"Bullshit!" Chichi refused to hear any more from her husband, marching towards her sons. "I'm taking the boys home with me right now. They don't need a monkey father in their lives!"
Goku immediately re-appeared in front of his hot-tempered wife, grabbing her by the wrist and stopping her in her tracks. "What they really don't need is a heartless monster worse than Frieza or Cell in their lives. You may have given birth to them, but that doesn't mean they belong to you."
"Back off. I'm taking them home right now. Boys, we're going home THIS INSTANT! Don't listen to your stupid father, and don't make me repeat myself again!" Chichi stomped her foot on the ground like a spoiled child.
"They don't want to go with you. For what? So you'll keep treating them like slaves? They don't want that, so don't even try forcing it on them!" Goku fired back, continuing to stick up for his boys. He roughly released her wrist.
Goten leapt out of his brother's arms, confusing both him, Videl, and everyone else. He took a few small steps towards the couple or more specifically… his former mother. Having gained a little bit of confidence he shouted back, "Leave us alone! You're not our mother anymore!"
"That's right!" Gohan shot back with an unwavering glare. "We want to stay with our dad. He respects our life decisions. Goten's right: You're not our mother anymore! You're just a heartless monster, like dad just told you." He then went to fetch his brother, scooping him up in his arms and returning to the same spot they were in before.
Meanwhile Chichi was fuming. Both her sons talked back to her? They should be severely punished for their insolence, one way or the other… she'll show them what happens when they go against her demands, when they talk back to her, the one true parent.
"Grrr…" Her teeth gritted so tightly and in anger she grabbed the edges of the long skirt she was wearing with such strength, that it threatened to snap into two. "You dare to defy ME?! Your own mother?! You know what? You two monkeys can enjoy your freedom while it lasts because once I win custody of Goten, I'll make sure you never see your father again and I'll teach the both of you DISCIPLINE! Never again will you-" Then out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her older son's girlfriend right next to that dumb brat. A wicked smile became visible, as she now thought it time to reveal the truth of how she really felt towards her. "And by the way, Videl? I only allowed you to date Gohan because you're rich. You were just a means to earn ME more money. I was planning to get rid of you once I had loads of money in my hands… there would have been no more use for you after that!"
'WHAAAATTTT?' The whole compound went eerily silent after hearing those bone-chilling words. No one could really make sense of what they just heard. Many of them felt horrified and enraged that not only was Chichi using her husband and his sons, but she was also using the world champ's daughter for her own personal needs. A few of the spectators let out their thoughts of disgust towards this woman while some remained silent in the face of it all.
"N-No way… s-she didn't just…"
"How could she?!"
"B-But why would she say something like that?!"
"She's pure evil now…"
"Unbelievable…"
"That woman…" Suno gritted her teeth at her in anger before swiftly turning around to a certain pair. Her face softened instantly upon sight. "Hey…are you guys alright?"
While everyone else may have been disgusted with Chichi, the same was definitely said for Gohan, Goten, Erasa, Sharpener, Buu and Mr. Satan. But for them, the fuming anger and disgust felt far worse than for the others. For the world champ, he just felt horrified. Having loved his daughter more than anything on this planet, hearing her being used just for their wealth was just… was just… at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to teach Chichi a lesson himself, but he knew it wouldn't solve anything so he could do nothing but remain silent. That was until he turned to face his only daughter. He became crestfallen upon the sight of her.
He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "Videl? Hey, you alright?"
The teenager didn't answer to her father at all, as she felt completely stunned by the unexpected confession. At that moment, she couldn't help but think back to when she first arrived on Mount Paozu, where she and Chichi first met. Sure, they hadn't met under the best of circumstances as they bickered quite a lot but over time, she had come to respect the woman as an adult figure with authority and also as a… second mother figure. She had done her best to be there for the woman during her lowest points. Chichi seemed to be accepting her as part of the family… or so she thought. But now that she heard this crushing confession for herself, she knew that it had all been a lie. Chichi had only been pretending to accept her, acting nice after learning that she was the daughter of Mr. Satan, and secretly thinking of how much money to extort from her.
How could she not have seen this before? She felt like she had been stabbed in the chest a million times… completely and utterly betrayed. She felt like a hurt and helpless teenage girl with no way out of this hell. A sudden, uncontrollable rage began to slowly build up inside her. One that was born from the hurt and betrayal she currently felt. All the respect she had for her was long gone, along with any rational thoughts. Now the only thing Videl could think about… was making this damn woman pay for her words.
"You… YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Videl screams with absolute fury, lunging forward and attempting to attack Chichi but before she could even reach her, she is held back by someone grabbing her by her arms. She violently whips her head back to find that it was none other than her boyfriend, and she begins thrashing around and trying to break free of his grip. "LET ME GO GOHAN, I'LL TEACH HER A DAMN LESSON MYSELF!"
As his girlfriend was making feeble attempts to break free, Gohan tries to reason with her. "Videl, please calm down! Think about what you're doing. This is exactly what she wants. Don't go into her game!"
"Videl! No, calm down! Please!" Mr. Satan pleaded with his teen daughter.
"NO!" She shouts back at her father, still tightly restrained. "She'll freaking pay for what she just said! After all I did for her… SHE COULD ONLY THINK ABOUT OUR WEALTH?!"
"Calm down! You're not like this! It's not worth it! Please Videl!" Mr. Satan begged once more.
Seeing that it was fruitless to even try, Videl soon calms down, relaxing in Gohan's grip. "I… I just can't understand this… why?" She looks up at a smirking and unremorseful Chichi and that only serves to infuriate her even more. "How could you SAY that? I thought of you as my second mother figure after the death of my own mom when I was just a baby! I supported you, treated you with nothing but kindness… and you were only using me for my wealth?! Are you really that money-hungry?!"
During the whole exchange, Goku just stood there flabbergasted and at a complete loss for words. He watched in total silence as Buu, Mr. Satan, Sharpener, Erasa and Goten all huddled around a fuming Videl and tried their absolute best to calm her down. As they were comforting her, the Saiyan felt like he was in his own little world as he mulled over his wife's cruel words.
'No way… how can she do that to her?!'
His wife… she was no longer the same person he remembered her to be. During the time they were living together, he had only thought of her as naggy and selfish but to think she could be capable of acting so kindly to someone while hiding her ulterior motives? Well, he didn't even think that his wife would be capable of beating a kid.
"You truly are despicable Chichi…" Goku finally looked back at his wife with a menacing gaze, barely holding himself back from attacking her and sending her across the empty pavement. "I don't care what you think of me anymore, but you don't get to talk about Videl that way! Gohan chose to date her because he loves her, not because he wants her money!"
Both Gohan and Videl looked at him with sparkling eyes. Everyone else smiled a little bit, glad that Goku had decided to step up and defend the teenage girl, who deserved none of this treatment.
Chichi opened her mouth to retort, but Goku quickly beat her to it. "She doesn't deserve to be used for your own selfish desires and then thrown away when she isn't useful to you anymore!" With a softer voice he continued, "Unlike you… I've always considered her to be a part of the family." Videl was like a daughter to him. And even if his wife didn't care about her… he did. He understood how important she was to Gohan, and she was to him as well.
He said the last part so softly and tenderly that it made Videl's heart melt like a candle flame. She felt so much gratitude towards the Saiyan that she had done something on impulse. Leaving her boyfriend's side and sprinting towards the direction of the couple.
"Videl, NO!" Gohan screamed, holding a hand out towards her. "Don't do this!"
But Videl had no intention of attacking Chichi like she once did. She may have been heading for the exact spot where their confrontation was taking place, but not towards Chichi. The teenager did something no one anticipated. Instead–
Videl leapt towards the Saiyan, throwing her arms tightly around his waist in what one could easily tell was an embrace. An embrace that showed just how much she appreciated him standing up for her. "Thank you so much Goku… it means so much to me…" She whispered softly into his chest.
While caught off guard by her sudden action at first, Goku didn't hesitate to return the gesture, gently wrapping his own arms around Videl's slim body, holding her like she were his own daughter. Just as he returned the hug, Gohan arrived to join them. He extended an arm towards him, inviting him to join the hug, and he did just that.
With the two teenagers standing on either side of him, Goku went on to comment with the fiercest stare, "This is something you'll never understand Chichi. We're a family not because of our money or the things we have. But because of who we really are."
All Chichi did was roll her eyes, not caring one bit.
After that statement, Goku released the two and they soon returned back to the others.
"You want to know something?"
"It would be crap for sure…but I'm all ears!"
Now it was time for her husband to know the truth that she kept hidden for so many years. This for sure, would shatter her husband into pieces and she lifted a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. "I never loved you or the boys, I only wanted money! The reason why I chased after you for so many years until the 23rd tournament wasn't because I loved you, but because I only wanted a man who could earn me loads of cash! I always saw you and the boys as a source of money! I wanted the boys to eventually find a job and every paycheck they earn, I would snatch it from them in an instant! But now… I see that the three of you are dead weights! Useless!"
Now that had struck Goku like a bolt of lightning. His eyes shot wide for a moment, before his gaze slowly dropped to the floor. Spikes of black hair covered his face, but everyone could tell what he had been thinking in that instant. He just stood there in the same spot, rigid with shock and struggling to process what he had just been told. His face was stricken; pale as if something had come back to haunt him. This just felt too overwhelming.
But… the moment the shock faded away, it was replaced with a rush of uncontrollable anger. His hands once again formed into tight fists, and his teeth bared so tighter than it had ever been. He slowly lifted his fiery gaze back to the current source of his anger, Chichi. "How dare you… how dare you?!" His voice now sounded like a crazed monster.
His black, spiky hair was suddenly blown back in all directions; and a sudden spike in his energy could be felt by all the z warriors. Before anyone knew it, his hair changed from its original black color to its familiar shade of golden. All spiked up. His eyebrows were now also golden, and a change in his pupils could also be seen by the spectators. Instead of it being its usual color it was now a dark shade of green. The Saiyan's whole being was now also surrounded by a jagged, flame-like golden aura. There was no mistaking it: he had entered his Super Saiyan form. He stood still with a hateful and murderous stare in his eyes, right at his human wife.
This transformation was familiar to all the z fighters but unfamiliar to some. Tights for example, was reeling from shock and fear at seeing the abrupt change in Goku's appearance and turned to her sister to see if she had any idea what was happening or if she was just seeing things. Bulma with a grim look simply told her sis that she would explain later when all this was over. Marron started to cry a little as the sight was proving to be quite the scare for a young girl like herself. Her android mother rocked her back and forth as a way of calming her down, while Krillin cursed the fact that it had come to this. Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Videl, Mr. Satan, Buu, Erasa and Sharpener all stayed banded together worried sick as they had no idea what could possibly happen. The Saiyan boys just expressed their dismay over the situation, but Gohan continued to reassure his brother that it would be okay, though deep down, he wasn't really sure if they would be. If their dad was now a Super Saiyan, then things were sure to become a complete disaster.
Chichi also jumped back, careful not to be too close to her husband. It was risky, but she managed to accomplish one part of her plan. Now she had to trap her other victim and things would be all set.
They all started to move away to a safer location away from the enraged Super Saiyan. They needed to take a step back as neither one wanted him to take his anger out on them. But… they had to figure out a way to get him back to his senses before things went south. As they settled in a more comfortable area, Eighter once again held Suno with his big arms to protect her now that Goku had… changed. At first, they didn't know what happened to him, but they put the pieces together after recalling when Goku told them about his true origins.
"Oh no… is that his… Super Saiyan form?" Suno's face paled at her boyfriend's new appearance. Her heart stopped, and she felt a sickening wave of terror.
Gohan answered grimly, "Yeah Suno. That's… a Super Saiyan."
"This is insane… he's taking this too far now…" Eighter tensed up at the sight.
When Suno saw Goku as a Super Saiyan for the first time, she felt amazed… but horrified at the same time. She was aware that Goku lost his mind and nothing could stop him from doing what he wanted to do. He wasn't the happy, fun-loving guy she fell in love with. No. Now he was a dangerous and furious looking man. One who couldn't be in control of his actions or emotions. This new image of her boyfriend shattered her into a million pieces. 'Goku… what happened to you…? You weren't like this before…'
Chichi meanwhile started to laugh and she said in a provoking tone, "Really Goku? Is that supposed to scare me?! Get real!"
All worried eyes were on Goku who as a furious-looking Super Saiyan, just remained deadly quiet at first. But no one… not even his own two sons could have anticipated the next course of action he would resort to.
Nobody was expecting the Saiyan to slowly raise his hand…
Yes, he slowly raised his hand…
And formed a sizable ki blast…
Aimed directly at Chichi, his target…
Right in her face…
Not a single z warrior was imagining things. That's right, it appeared that Goku was aiming an energy blast at his wife, and he was about to…
The color drained from Chichi's face, and she instantly became pale as soon as she saw that ki blast pointed at her face. Did she really go too far? She stood there completely frozen, thinking that maybe her life was over. 'T-There's no way he could possibly kill me. The boys, his friends and so-called girlfriend are there watching him…' Her mind became frantic, trying to figure out if there was a way out of this. She couldn't try and run, because he could decide to shoot that ki-blast at her the minute she made an attempt to escape. Maybe her life truly was over.
Oolong's eyes widened. "D-Does he actually plan to shoot that?!"
Bulma looked at her friend in complete horror, and then shakily turned to her husband and other friends. She gulped before asking this one crucial question. "Guys… I don't think Goku would dare to fire, right?"
"Or beat her ass to death?" Oolong wondered, scared shitless.
"He's really pissed off. I never saw him like that before…" Piccolo commented with a serious tone.
"Me neither…"
Gohan turned to face the shorter man. "Yeah, I think the last time was actually the first time he reached Super Saiyan, back when Frieza killed you right in front of him, Krillin."
That left Krillin speechless, as he had no idea this ever happened. "Woah…"
"Damn it, Kakarot! He's lost his mind!"
Bulma's face fell, and she grabbed both of her cheeks in a panicked frenzy. "Oh God! If he kills her, then Goten will never be able to live with him!"
"Well, we've gotta do something fast! HE'S ABOUT TO SHOOT!" Krillin shouted in desperation.
Bulma was the first person to make an attempt to stop him, as she cupped both of her hands. "Goku, STOP THIS! We can work things out!" She hollered at the top of her lungs, as loud as she possibly could.
"Yeah, you don't need to go this far! We can still win this!" Tien shouted back.
"Calm down buddy! There's no need for this at all!" Yamcha tried to get through to his friend.
"DAD, CALM DOWN PLEASE!"
It was of no use. Goku didn't listen to the desperate pleas of his three friends or his elder son. Everyone else tried to pitch in, but he refused to listen to them also. The only thing that mattered to him at that moment was eradicating the threat known as Chichi, and he couldn't care less what anyone else thought. Their opinions didn't matter. He instantly prepared to shoot the energy blast in his palm and just as he was about to do so and permanently end the existence of this pest–
"GOKU, STOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"
That shrill voice… was it… it had Goku shook in an instant. He paused his action, and the energy blast continued to hover in his hand, but he slowly turned his head to the source of the shrill voice. It turned out to be none other than his dear girlfriend Suno who was standing far away from the crowd, now crying heavily and totally furious. Furious at him. Upon seeing the sight of his crying partner, only then did Goku finally realize… he had taken things too far. To the extreme. The hateful look previously seen on his face disappeared right on the spot, and the ki blast in his hand vanished instantly. His golden hair reverted back to black, and he was no longer surrounded by a golden aura as he finally returned back to his base form… and back to his senses. He then looked at both his shaking hands in regret. Just what had he done? Had he messed things up?
Chichi looked between the couple. That red-haired bitch was completely mad, while her idiotic husband seemed to be in regret over his actions. Before anyone could comment, she quickly turned around and hightailed it out of Capsule Corporation and out the main entrance as if she weren't just moments away from being killed. Well, she wasn't really leaving the premises, but she quickly reached the same spot she was in before and ducked out of sight behind the big, thorny bushes. She pushed back some of the sharp branches to get a good look on what was about to occur. 'Now let's see what happens now… Poor Goku was such a monster out there…'
After seeing Goku revert back to his base form, all the spectators just looked on at Suno in awe and wonder, and just totally impressed. They had all tried to calm down the angry Saiyan and nothing seemed to be working even with their combined efforts. Yet, she was the only one who was able to achieve it. She really was incredible.
Suno marched over to her boyfriend, and the worried spectators quietly followed behind her, all sensing that she was extremely upset with Goku. Now they were worried about what would soon happen with her being angry.
As his girlfriend made a stop right in front of him, Goku staggered backwards in surprise and fear. "W-What? S-S-Suno?" His friends just looked at him sadly, but Suno didn't waste any time in tearing into him for his sheer recklessness.
"What in the WORLD were you thinking?!"
"I-I-I don't know…I don't know…what happened…"
"YOU ALMOST KILLED HER IN FRONT OF YOUR CHILDREN!"
"I-I…I'm…I'm sorry…I'm really sorry, Suno…"
Suno was seething with pure rage as she stared hard at her reckless boyfriend, finding his actions to be stupid and unbelievable. All she knew was that she didn't want to hear any more excuses… so she has her hand poised and before she herself even realized it, her hand flew across his cheek in a single, but powerful and brutal slap. She SLAPPED Goku's face in front of everyone.
The Saiyan slowly lifted a hand to his stinging red cheek, feeling the pain from that one action.
All of Goku's friends couldn't believe what they just saw… they all just stared at each other in complete shock. Did Suno really just hit him? Sure, he may have been acting recklessly, but some of them couldn't help but feel as if she was being too harsh on him. Gohan, Goten and Eighter just stood there dumbfounded, not believing this with their own eyes. Why did this have to happen?
"Why did you do that, Suno?" Goku croaked out, throat feeling heavy.
With fire in her veins she yelled back in his face as she lowered her hand, "Because I'm mad at you. And disappointed as well. And this is how you want to win custody of Goten? And on top of that you do this IN FRONT of your own children?! Look at them!" She points a sharp finger at the boys, who were both observing him while feeling completely downhearted. Goku turns to look at them and the moment he does so, he begins to feel a whole lot of shame from his actions. "You didn't behave like a loving and caring father for them. No! You just behaved like a big dangerous asshole!"
Goku felt that last part very heavily, knowing that deep inside...she was right. He began to tremble, feeling the true weight of his actions. Not only did he let her down, but he let his kids down too. What a disgrace he truly was.
"I can't believe that I actually let someone as stupid as you into my home. I just can't handle this anymore…" Her face was red and puffy from the crying and inner rage she felt. Her heart was shattering into a million pieces from having to end things with the man whom she loved with her entire being.
"Wh-Wh-What do you mean, Suno?"
Suno took a step back from him, furiously wiping at the endless river of tears with her bare hand, "What I mean is that I need to be alone. Right now I don't know who you are, Goku. And I believe you should think about it too."
Those words tore into him. Hard. Little by little, he felt like he was being stabbed in the same place multiple times and that his life was slowly fading away. He felt so much pain that he couldn't say anything more. He remained in a truly heartbreaking silence… his sorrowful gaze still facing the ground as if he were brutally defeated in battle. He silently cursed at himself for disappointing her, his friends and his sons. Now he screwed things up and he wasn't sure if there was anything that could be done to fix it. How could he let it end like this?
Suno sharply turns around and marches toward her android friend, who was feeling conflicted about the whole situation. "Let's go Eighter. I want to go home." Her voice was firm and clear on this.
The android just stood there at first, wondering what he should do, or if he should even do anything at all. They were both his best friends and seeing them broken like this felt like a total nightmare for him. He looked between the two of them and once he saw how regretful the Saiyan was over his aggressive behavior, he felt like he had to do something that would persuade his redheaded friend to stay. "But…what about…Goku? Don't you think that-?"
"I want to get out of here! I want to go home!" Suno cuts him off with an angry snap, standing her ground and refusing to hear whatever it was that her android friend had to say in defense.
Eighter finally yielded, knowing that nothing he could say would convince her to stay and work things out. There was no other choice. He followed a distressed Suno to the main entrance without even acknowledging the other spectators who were watching them quietly with saddened eyes. He couldn't believe that things were ending in such a tragic way.
Goku sees them walking to the main gate while still holding his reddened cheek. The shame truly left him feeling petrified… he couldn't lose the love of his life… not after everything they had been through together and the great memories they shared. There had to be some way to save their relationship. Without wasting another minute, he sprinted towards the departing duo, catching up to them in no time.
"Suno! Wait! Don't leave! I'm sorry!" He quickly appears right in front of her, grabbing her by the arm and pleading desperately, his remorseful eyes becoming watery with tears.
Suno stares at Goku one final time. She is still shedding an endless amount of tears, as her facial expression is a mixture of sadness and rage. Upon seeing Suno's expression, Goku is paralyzed with fear and goes silent. He had never expected to see that face from his now ex-girlfriend. His heartbeat was more accelerated than ever, he wanted to tell her that things would be okay, that they could work things out… but no words were coming out. He couldn't think of anything that could salvage their relationship.
"I'm sorry, Goku. But I don't want to see you. At least, not for now. Bye." She releases her arm and hurries away from him, the sight of him too painful for her.
Suno finally disappears from the Capsule Corp premises with Eighter while Goku stretches a hand behind them...and falls on his knees in complete and utter despair. He didn't want to believe it, but it was true. He lost himself during his confrontation with Chichi and it cost him his relationship with Suno… the love of his life… the one woman who actually cared for him… lifted his spirits high up. He let her down… and now he lost her… the worst part of all… it was possibly for good.
There was zero hope for him.