Chapter 89
The Ox-King fondly looks at the photograph of him, his late wife and his daughter when she was a baby. Turning his head he sees his grown up daughter – or mostly grown up as she has recently had years taken off her – with her husband. She is busy scribbling on a piece of paper. Goten has annoyed her. The initial design she drew for his make-shift vigilante costume he rebuked, now in a huff she tries to draw something 'cooler' though making sure it is safe and respectable and hides his identity. With Goten having a costume made by his mum, it will never be cool. Chichi keeps Goku close, permanently at her side, and his views on design are limited since his choice of outfit varies little. The best idea Goku can come up with is including a sigil of the master that Goten has trained under, though neither himself nor Piccolo nor Gohan, or even herself have one.
She yawns and puts the pencil down. Scowling, she prods at Goku and leans onto him. Her eyes are getting heavy. The mountain of a man that is her father moves off and says that he shall start running her a bath. Lounging on this multi-form of her husband she rubs at her sore stomach and complains of feeling bloated. Goku points at the dirty plates by the sink that she cleared by herself and suggests a reason for that. Chichi's appetite is still abnormally large but the sickness from when she woke has cleared up for now in the evening. She throws a quick jab up at Goku who blocks it and pokes her nose. Chichi smiles. She sits up properly as she hears movement and Gohan enters.
Bags of grocery shopping move past as Gohan fills the kitchen with the daily provisions needed for a Saiyan household that Chichi has been unable to fetch. Though she is still under the weather, Goku does not stop his wife as she stands and heads off to the kitchen to help Gohan put the shopping away. His father-in-law exits the bathroom and the two share a knowing wink. With the chore of the shopping done and since she is already in the kitchen Chichi busies herself with cleaning the dishes. Gohan gets a lot of compliments from his mother by being so helpful around the house and within days of getting a job being trusted to work independently without supervision. She is proud of him. A multi-form of Gohan is still within Washu's laboratory trying to pick up the slack of a scientist no longer there.
Another yawn comes from Chichi. The washing up is done now and so she heads off into the bathroom to take a bath. As soon as the door closes Goku gives a thumbs up to the Ox King and ushers for Gohan to come close.
"Alright son, you're gonna have to fly far from here to be safe, maybe gather the Namek dragonballs, I don't know, this is gonna get dangerous." Goku has a mischievous smile on his face as he warns his first born.
"Is annoying mom that good an idea right now?" There is only one person that his father considers dangerous and that is his mother, Gohan questions the thought behind aggravating a sick Chichi.
"She's asleep now, so me and your gramps have time to do this, you just get safe. She's running us ragged here with her clinginess, me and Ox-King are taking a stand."
"... Is mom wanting to be spoilt when she's ill that bad a thing? Can you really sense her being asleep now through her ki?"
"Huh? No, I just know." Goku shrugs. There is no technique beyond marriage that grants him this intimate knowledge of his wife's behavioural patterns.
"Just know? How, mom won't fall asleep as soon as she goes in a bath."
"Give it a few more years with Videl and you'll know too. Get safe, back to her, and if you ever wanna train then you know where I am." He makes a shooing action with his hand to ward Gohan away from the impending danger.
Partners in crime, Ox-King and Goku nod to the other as Gohan leaves their ill decision to themselves and dissipates this current multi-form. The Ox-King has prepared the stage. All is set up and everything in place. Now it is Goku's time to utilise his speed and stealth to get the job done, that and for other reasons the Ox-King is not going to enter a room where his naked daughter is and Goku is far more likely to survive if caught.
Night time descends. Goku no longer needs a multi-form without his wife demanding attention and so he trains against Piccolo whom has been warned to make himself scarce once the fireworks go off. Tired from her illness and lack of sleep in the previous night, Chichi slumbers and snoozes in the bath none the wiser.
Chichi slowly wakes from her nap and stretches as best as she can in their small bath. There are soap suds in the water. She does not remember having washed and shampooed but this is evidence to the contrary. The plug is pulled and the water drains as she exits the bath. It is unusual to look down and see her body not as it once was a few days prior. Youth is a pleasant surprise. She grabs a towel and starts drying herself off. Chichi is not paying much attention as she goes through the motions. Then she spots yellow.
Goku and Ox-King cannot help but flinch as they hear an ear-splitting scream. It has begun. A loud creak comes from the door handle leading to the bathroom and a small crack appears in the woodwork, then there is a rage of grumbling as Chichi goes to cover herself before leaving the room. The actors use this time to take their places. A few minutes pass by and they hear the sink running and the rumblings of anger from Chichi. The entire house vibrates as she stomps her feet and screams again. Now the door slams open as the men in her life steel themselves for the next part.
"You! You! How dare you dye my hair!" Chichi roars as she directs all her fury at her husband.
Blonde. Her raven hair is now 100% blonde. Goku and the Ox-King have dyed Chichi's hair to the colour she detests the most. She has gotten dressed again, one patch of her hair is sopping wet from attempting to remove the dye with water unsuccessfully and so she tries to hide her unnaturally light hair with a towel. She is seething at this practical prank. To mess with her as she was sleeping and change her hair against her will. Shaking with rage she steps towards Goku who holds up his hands in surrender and false innocence.
"...Why are you wearing a suit? I can never get you to wear that." Chichi's eyes narrow as she now notices the strange attire of her husband.
Both Goku and the Ox-King are wearing full suits, with Goku's having a few sewn patches from damage. Goku straightens his tie – one that the Ox-King had to tie for him – and smiles at his wife. She does not respond with a smile. Blonde hair falls loose around her. Somehow her towel concealing it has vanished. Her glare on Goku intensifies. A small chuckle comes from her father who soon regrets it as his blood run chills from a single glance she shoots him.
"Oh dear, some rowdy delinquent is trying to pick a fight with me, an honest businessman." Goku is a terrible actor. Even if he were though his wife would never be deceived. He acts in fear at this loud and angry woman with dyed hair approaching him.
"D-... d- delinquent! You are paying for this, Son Goku. How could you-"
"For shame, I apologise for my uncouth daughter's actions. I tried to raise her right, I have no clue how she could have turned out so violent." Ox-King pretends to sob as he says his lines and continues the act. Within this there is an element of truth on her violent tendencies.
"You raised me by sending me out in bandit and dinosaur filled wastelands wearing a bikini with nothing but a helmet to defend me! You two stop this now." Since she is being insulted Chichi quickly fires back one of her own at her bandit lord of a father and the embarrassing ensemble she had to wear throughout her childhood. She marches forward and grabs Goku by the tie, raising a fist at him as her face contorts with anger.
"Please don't hurt me. I have a wife and children that I have to support." Goku shies and raises his hands to defend himself. The grip on him gets tighter.
"I am your wife! And you've supported nothing." She has now lifted him clean off the ground. There is great fury in her at Goku even speaking that lie of having worked at all despite all the times she has pushed for him to get a job.
"As a father it is hard to witness this. Even men she hardly knows at all she makes advances on." The booming voice of the goliath man protests at his daughter's actions. Another underhanded truth is slipped in under her relationship with Goku sprouting from minimal interaction between the two. It is not too hard to warp the truth into making Chichi sound like the delinquent she detests.
"Shut up with this game now! Goku, I am your wife, say it and stop this before I get really mad." Chichi is already mad and shouting at the top of her voice. Stopping will not prevent her rage.
"No, my wife is not a violent delinquent who dyes her hair. My wife is a loving woman who has raised two perfect children mostly by herself, who asks for little, works hard every day without complaint and was an innocent and cute child not some dinosaur decapitating girl." Truth and flattery do not dissuade the unbridled anger in Chichi. It is lucky for Goku that the Ox-King wrote most of these lines as he is not that eloquent. Praising Chichi he believes himself safer than he is. Goku then poses the next question in his and the Ox-King's game. "If you aren't a delinquent then what school did you graduate from?"
Harsh red flares over her. She never attended a school. Following a mean fist to his gut, Goku drops like a sack of spuds. Chichi will not stand to be so overtly mocked and ridiculed after they have disgraced her by dying her hair. Goku does not move. Chichi makes an angry sound of confusion as she kicks his downed body. There is no reaction. Goku for this has not raised his energy at all. He had no ki to defend him. Goku is knocked out and unconscious from his wife's powerful blow. Far away a training Vegeta gets inexplicably angry and a vein bulges on his large forehead as he senses some insult to his pride.
After a large noise and commotion, most of which frightened him into not wanting to come out of his room, Goten steps out onto a curious scene. His mother now has blonde hair and is crouched over and shaking the limp body of his father who is wearing a suit of all things. Whilst Chichi is distracted with the husband she injured the Ox-King sidles up to his grandson and whispers the plan for him to follow along to. Goten is confused. He heard how angry his mother is. Deciding to get on the wrong side of that anger is dangerous. If his dad and grandpa are in on it he feels it should be somewhat safe, and fun.
"Oh - er, oh no, delinquent mommy's attacking people again?" Inheriting Goku's skill in subterfuge mixed with confusion at this weird scene, Goten questions his own line he badly parrots. He looks to his grandfather to see if this is correct.
Chichi turns, with Goku cradled in her arms, to see her son. Roping in her children against her is a low move. She gives a stern stare to Goten. A knowing and wordless command is issued. Goten is seeing the error of his ways. The Ox-King will not let an ally be converted.
"Just like a delinquent, having a child young and leaving him as she is too busy with men."
The Ox-King comes millimetres from the same fate as Goku. Her fist hangs. She has never struck her own father, the only time she came close was when she was training for the tournament to meet up with and get engaged with Goku. It is 20 years too late to bring something like that up. No insult towards her children is allowed. Insinuating that she is in any way a poor mother will hold dire consequences. She shakes her head at her dad. He is being careful to only use the word 'delinquent' to describe her. A cold sweat breaks on his brow. They have pushed a bit too far. Having her first child at a young age was not helped out by the Hyperbolic Time Chamber shifting Gohan one year closer to her than he should be.
A pained groan comes from behind her. Chichi lowers her fist and goes to the rousing Goku. Kneeling down next to him, she holds him and checks that he is OK as he sits up. Goku's consciousness is back. He then makes a show of holding his head, which does worry his wife. Blonde hair rises from his own head. Goku is Super Saiyan and smiles at Chichi.
"I've been turned into a delinquent too." He exclaims. In this form he should be able to withstand Chichi. Grinning like an idiot at his wife, she is unimpressed.
"No, not me too. Mommy's made me into a delinquent." Goten follows suit and transforms.
All that is left is the Ox-King. Being pure human leads him with fewer options than the Saiyans as to how he can accomplish this. He made something earlier for this. Reaching behind him he places a freshly unattached white mop head over his hair. With a guffaw he proclaims himself a delinquent too. The Ox-King then walks towards his daughter. Goku stands and when doing so picks up Chichi in his arms. She is startled by this. Her father's bear like arms wrap around the both. Goten jumps forward and joins in as well. The family of blonde (or wearing a mop in the case of the Ox-King) hug this enraged and now puzzled heart of the family. Being hugged by everyone is taking her by surprise, and Goku's Super Saiyan arms are not leaving her room for escape.
Glowering and simmering in her anger, Chichi is hugged by her family. She gets a kiss and praise from them all along with their love. Goten and the Ox-King then back away with the same tentative motions as one would do from an explosive. Goku lowers his wife and releases her, leaving one hand on her shoulder. She raises an unimpressed eyebrow at him. They might have been trying to make it a moving act of showing them all being united as a family and how they adore her and that she is a central pillar to their existence, however, they said some hurtful and cruel insults to her. Her hair is still the blonde she hates. Even if they show their blonde hair, she does not like it.
Chichi calmly points down to the floor. Goku tells her that she looks really pretty with blonde hair. She removes his hand from her and continues to point. The Ox-King steps forward and claims that it was mostly his plan, trying to take some of the fall for Goku. Chichi has no intentions of forgetting her own father or of letting him leave unscathed. With her other hand she points for him to get down. The two men kneel down defeated. Chichi then strides over to her foolish son who got swept up in the antics of idiots. A very quick apology comes from Goten. Normally he gets shouted at for transforming so he descends and his hair turns black much like Chichi would like her own to.
As a mother, discipline is her responsibility – her husband too carefree for that. She crouches in front of her son who apologises again. Like his father Goten compliments her that she looks good with blonde hair. In a voice that manages to hide most, but not all, of her anger she asks Goten if he has completed the school work she set him. He nods vigorously. Chichi nods too. She then reaches out, takes one of Goten's hands and gives him a sharp slap on the wrist. Chichi orders her son to write an essay on the dangers of peer pressure and why you should not be mean to your mother. Goten pauses and retracts his sore hand, he asks how long an essay as she did not state. At this she just smiles. That is entirely down to him and how well he feels like apologising to her for taking part in this hair-brained scheme and calling her a delinquent. Goten hurries off. He escapes whilst he can.
Chichi stands. She pivots and turns to look at the powerful men on their knees. Goku remains Super Saiyan. The Ox-King removes the mop from the top of his head, he remains taller than his daughter even on his knees. She steps up to the both of them and crosses her arms. Her fingers drum impatiently. Her still black brows scowl in indignant rage. A Kaioken-like aura licks across her. She is beyond the level of anger that makes her hit Goku, far beyond entertaining him with that. Chichi brushes the offending blonde hair from her face.
Two hours they stay there. For two whole hours they beg for forgiveness, plead for her mercy and attempt to explain and excuse their actions. Goten tries not to listen to the furious roars of his mother. Goku makes a comparison between her and Android 18 and how Chichi always complimented the cyborg on her looks, it does not go down well. They are scolded. They are shouted at. They are forced to apologise for every trespass and insult they thought was fun to throw at her when she is feeling ill. They become responsible for the house-work for the foreseeable future. None of her cooking will feed their bellies. Goku will not be sleeping in her bed, the sofa is for him until she decides otherwise. She comes close to banning the training room, but knows without it more mischief could easily escalate from a bored Goku, instead she greatly limits his time and the level of simulation he can use and bars Goten from entering. More punishments role out. Chichi makes it perfectly clear to not mess with her like this.
Immediately after, she storms off to go to bed. The door slams shut with a resounding bang. Both father and son-in-law are exhausted after that harrowing experience. Their jape went off with a few hitches. Any disturbance to Chichi now will massively worsen their already diabolical predicament so sleep for them is the only safe option. Goku just takes his top off and lounges down onto the sofa as the Ox-King goes off to his room. The two share one wink between them at their joke.
In spite of all this, half an hour later the master bedroom door creaks open. Feet tiptoe about. With her blonde hair down around her, Chichi stands over her fast asleep husband. This is embarrassing but for all her rage and shouting her unquenchable needs are there. Her body will not allow her to be separate from Goku. She was with him all day, and now she cannot be without. The bed is too large and too cold for her by herself. She excuses it by making the reason that she is still ill and needs someone by her side to look after her. Chichi tries to silently move herself onto the sofa. Her instincts then get the better of her. The sleeping posture she is used to is on-top of her husband's form and the size of their sofa allows room for little else. With someone clambering and settling down on him, the actions of his wife do not go unnoticed. Goku lazily opens one eye and knows better than to speak. He puts one arm over her and wraps his tail about her. She holds a pout on her face to show her displeasure at his earlier actions.
Then, halfway through the night, the sleep for the married couple stops as Chichi's sickness strikes with full force. Not much sleep is had by either at that point. Nausea, headaches and dehydration through perspiration and emptying her stomach. Chichi is not in a good place. Her husband stays with her. Three times now he has vowed 'in sickness and in health' to her so he stands by his words. She blames him for getting her all worked up and stressed. Goku simply says staying in a bath for so long cannot be healthy either. A sharp jab hits him in the side. She ties up her blonde hair in a ponytail to get it out of the way and also out of view. Together they manage to catch a few winks here and there between bouts of sickness. Sleeping one on top of another is overheating Chichi. On a sofa there is no room and she remains mule-headedly stubborn in refusing Goku to their bed which means she shall not go for want to not be alone. They struggle through till dawn. Chichi's trials do not end with the Sun's rise.
Even without her punishment of not cooking she is in no state to do so. Failure to get a good night's sleep has worsened her mood. She is in pain, she is mad, and she remains resolute on Gohan's diagnosis that it shall dissipate naturally in time and refuses any medical intervention on these grounds. Goku and the Ox-King tread lightly as they aid her. Goku has little option, her clinginess is constant. A couple of minutes is the most she will be away from him.
To avoid calamity, Goten departs with his improvised Great Saiyaman 3 costume. Flying away before he can be stopped he goes to Videl's mansion. This is a far safer place to be. He dons Gohan's old Saiyan armour from Namek and puts a bandanna over his hair before knocking on the door. It is quite early in the morning. Videl is nowhere near ready enough to start a day of vigilantism. Gohan is present, awake and busy writing his thesis at breakfast. The two brothers talk and Gohan learns of what his foolish father did. It was a good plan to leave when told. Dying his mother's hair will be a grievous sin she will not forget or forgive until her natural colour resumes. Goten casually asks if Gohan is working again today so that he can stay as the replacement superhero, Gohan nods for the responsibility of Kaia is not one he shall leave. Gohan stands and makes one of the Great Saiyaman's poses, his younger brother does not emulate the embarrassing act.
Meditating in a corner is Piccolo. The Namekian was not sticking around to be landed in the same hole as Goku when Chichi became enraged. Videl does not mind him as a guest. He is easy to host as his body demands little nutrition, unlike Saiyans. Videl gets changed into her Great Saiyawoman outfit and is thankful that she continues to have the strength of Saiyans with her. They wish Gohan luck in his job as the two fly off in search of crime to stop. Criminal activities are at an all time low. News of superheroes that cannot be stopped dissuades many. Gohan's earlier wish for world peace has prevented any large conflicts from breaking out, yet minor attacks, assaults and murders will still occur. Goten asks Videl what she would have done if Gohan dyed her hair. She just smiles and leaves the rest unsaid.
After a while of more community activities and aiding people than partaking in some exciting criminal thwarting Goten gets a bit bored. News reporters close in on them, as they ever do with these celebrity heroes. The journalists are quite intrigued at the new and younger superhero on scene. Goten is no magician of words, nor has he put any thought into this part-time alter ego. All he knows is the one rule of to not say his name. They ask and enquire as to why he is here and where the Great Saiyaman is. To this Videl responds that he is busy with other matters and shall resume his post given some time. Questions go to Goten about who he is and how he was enlisted and how he knows the Great Saiyawoman.
"She's kinda like my sister." A factual response is given by Goten. Videl freezes for a moment, that is mostly true but may be not information that the general public needs to know.
Another question is fired Goten's way. The kid is not good at keeping secrets and the journalists can tell that. They ask of Goten's parents since he is a young kid out fighting crime, and of his father.
"My dad? Well he's the strongest fighter ever, he's super strong and has won the big tournament and defeated Buu." Goten feels secure in this description as he states no name. Videl is less confident.
A wish was made to erase the memories of the terror of Buu destroying all of man-kind and the Earth. The journalists are not too sure on that description for the only Buu they know of is the weird pink friend of the resident World Champion. However, the other descriptions he has given allow them to piece together who they think his father is.
"A love-child of Mr. Satan!"
Microphones are shoved closer to Goten, the confused kid not understanding what the term love-child means. Winning the martial arts tournament and being the strongest is Mr. Satan in the eyes of the public. No-one else comes close to matching that description and for a child to so proudly proclaim it makes sense, as do the abilities and feats of this new superhero match the calibre of what they imagine Hercule Satan to be capable of. A leg kicks one of the microphones away and Videl barges her way between the clueless Goten and the hungry media vultures. She claims them to be greatly mistaken and is praying that Goten will not open his mouth again.
"If we are wrong then explain why he would call you his sister. The son of Mr. Satan would call Videl this." One reporter presses.
Videl freezes. That is not a question that should be asked. Goten pulls on her cape and asks what is going on. Videl is having a little crisis. They spoke her name. She shakes her head and firmly denies that being her identity and that she is not called Videl. Goten parrots her and repeats that she is not Videl.
"You're wearing a visor that we can see through, we can all see your face. Also, Videl mysteriously stopped her own actions preventing crimes at the same time you appeared."
The Great Saiyaman has a black visor that hides his face, the Great Saiyawoman wears a blue transparent visor which does not hide her features well. Videl is dumbstruck. Refuting this evidence is beyond her. Only the multi-form technique could clear her name. They are correct in who she is. Goten is not her father's child though, however trying to explain it in any other fashion could shed light on Gohan being a superhero and jeopardise his private life.
"... And that is why I hide my identity and face, I do not want to be mistaken for the beautiful Videl who I'm sure is just busy training with her father Hercule or studying. It would be inconvenient for her if people thought she was me. Do you think the daughter of the Champion would do something as silly as this? Hercule would have taught her better than that. Just ask Hercule- Mr. Satan himself and I'm sure he'll agree that I'm not Videl." Videl nervously laughs as she uses the weight of her father to wrangle the cat back into the bag.
Most of the journalists nod in agreement at this. Mr. Satan's renown and name and prestige, they cannot think that the daughter of the Champion would do something like this. He would never lie nor deceive them for her has saved the world. She would have no need to hide her face. Criminals knowing she has the strength of Satan on her side would be in her favour and intimidate all crooks. Her father is on the highest of pedestals for the average Joe.
Behind the camera crews and journalists lands a very large spanner being thrown into the works that Videl is trying hard to salvage. He towers over the humans. His cloak flutters about. Piccolo walks through the crowd of people and goes over to Goten. The people hoping for an interview with heroes are confused by this menacing green skinned person. From afar he has been observing and keeping an eye on their antics. With his extremely keen sense of hearing he heard the trouble of Videl. Piccolo shall divert the attention of these normal people just doing their job and not meaning any harm. He shall keep safe the identities of Gohan, Goten and Videl.
He throws aside his turban, shoulder pads and cloak. They crack and sink into the road. Fear runs through some of the older interviewers.
"The Almighty Demon King Piccolo is here. If you do not accept my challenge I shall lay waste to this city. Fight me." Piccolo loudly declares.
From looks alone many of the journalists are now fleeing in abject terror. He looks exactly the same as the Demon King Piccolo, that is all their fear needs. Piccolo is pleased that he has scared most of them off. He looks at Goten. The hybrid Saiyan is excited at this prospect of fighting with Piccolo instead of the boring and mundane aid to the community they were doing. He gets in a fighting stance.
Videl has no words. The headlines will be very interesting. She cannot stop this. Her own identity is saved. Now people will be cowering at the prospect of the return of Demon King Piccolo instead. She holds her head in her hands and groans. They will have to convincingly defeat this juggernaut of power to reassure the public of their safety. As she removes her hands from her face she sees a green fist ploughing towards her. The fight with Piccolo has begun. She hopes he is holding back all of his strength or she will die. The fist is intercepted and held. Videl is blown back a few metres by the concussive force. Springing to her feet and about to spout some heroic nonsense as her alter-ego she collapses to her knees. Goten has gone Super Saiyan to face against Piccolo. The Golden Fighter is on the scene, golden hair and aura pulsing through his banana.
"Enough! You idiots! What do you think you're doing?"
Chichi is not the only woman with rage. Videl dives in to knock the idiots' heads together. A savage kick lands on the jaw of Piccolo and her second foot drives into the back of his bald skull. Together the three take to the skies. Goten and Piccolo seriously fight. Utilising their speed they can get a serious amount of fighting in before they have to immediately power down for Videl to join in for a few hits and then continue. The Super Saiyan power of Goten is not close to Piccolo. Videl keeps shouting at Piccolo that he has to lose so that the public do not start rioting in fear. Piccolo's fine hearing chooses not to listen to that as he trains this other son of Goku. Videl is trying her hardest. This is a very unfair fight and predicament for her to be in.