Notes: Looking back, I think Satana's origin was the main reason I put this story to the side for a while. I wouldn't call it bad, but the first impression, lacking certain details, might be a bit of a gut punch. Annnd maybe that's not the best choice of phrase.
Mystic Pan Pizza
A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 2: Sausage and Sorrow
Goku knew that something was wrong in his home.
Goten was unusually quiet when he got back from Gohan's house, and he even turned down a pre-dinner snack. At dinner itself, Goten only ate a single helping of everything. Chi-Chi was ready to call a doctor by then, but that was when someone knocked on the front door.
Goku already knew who their visitor was, having locked onto their approaching ki moments before. And from the way Goten suddenly went pale and tried to excuse himself, so had he. But that was a very strange reaction, enough to where Goku reached out and snagged Goten by the back of his collar, holding him in place.
"Oh, Gohan!" Chi-Chi cried as she opened the door, equally surprised and delighted. "Come in, there's plenty left to eat! I was about to-"
"Thanks, but no, kaa-san," Gohan interrupted, briefly hugging his mother and kissing her cheek. "I'm not staying long. I only need to say something to Goten."
"To Goten?" Chi-Chi murmured in confusion as Gohan moved past her.
Goten gave up on his escape attempt and turned to face his brother. "Is Videl-san still mad at me? Did she tell you what I did wrong? Because I still don't know, and-"
Gohan knelt down and placed his hands on Goten's shoulders. "Relax, Goten. Videl told me what happened. It's not that you did anything wrong, exactly. But she wants you to be more careful around Pan. You can understand that, right?"
Goten nodded gravely.
"I knew you would." Gohan paused, suddenly uncomfortable. "Here's the problem, though. What Videl saw today really scared her." He gently squeezed Goten's shoulders to stress the point. "She's scared, not angry. But until she calms down, it's best that you don't come over for a while."
Goten's face fell. "So... I can't play with Pan anymore?"
"It won't be that long," Gohan assured him. "It shouldn't even be more than a few weeks. Pan is already asking for you, and Videl can't ignore that. At least, I assume you're this 'Tengo' that Pan keeps talking about."
Goten looked directly into Gohan's eyes. "Nii-chan, you know I would never let anything hurt Pan, right?"
Gohan smiled. "I know, Goten. And so does Videl. She'll remember that, once she stops being scared. Give her a little time."
"Wait a minute!" Chi-Chi snapped, tired of being kept out of the loop. "What's this about Goten not seeing Pan? And why is Videl upset?"
Gohan looked at Goten, who lowered his head. "Sorry, Goten. If I don't tell them, Videl will."
"I know," Goten murmured, looking as if he wanted to disappear.
"You were going to your room before, right?" Goku asked, patting Goten on the head. "Sounds like a good idea to me."
Goten shot his father a grateful smile and ran to his room.
"Goten!" Chi-Chi called after him, but Goku caught her by the wrist as she started to go after him.
"Why don't we hear Gohan out first?" Goku suggested. "Goten is only going to be in his room. And if he sneaks out, I'll go find him. We can talk to him later."
Chi-Chi looked like she wanted to argue, but only ended up blushing when Goku sat down and pulled her into his lap.
The blush faded rapidly when Gohan explained the situation, and by the time he left, Chi-Chi was ready to go storming after Goten again.
"I can't believe Goten! How could he be so reckless with Pan?! I'm going to give that boy-!"
"Let me talk to him, Chi-Chi," Goku interrupted.
"What? But, Goku-"
"Chi-Chi, did you ever accidentally knock me through a wall?"
She frowned. "No. Not accidentally, anyway."
"So don't you think I might have a better idea of how Goten feels right now?"
Chi-Chi sighed. "Oh, fine. But don't you let him off easy, Goku! This is serious!"
"I know," Goku replied. "But so long as Pan is safe and Goten knows to be careful, that's all that matters. And I think not being able to see Pan for a while is punishment enough. You wouldn't like that too much, either."
Goten had expected to be punished, so he was more than a little surprised when it was his father who came to his room to talk to him.
"You know, sometimes it's scary how like me you are," Goku said. "I can still remember when I was a kid, I would pat people's crotches to see if they were a boy or a girl."
Goten blinked slowly. "I'm pretty sure I never did that, tou-san."
"Oh. Well, that's thanks to your mother teaching you not to. Not really the point I was trying to make, though." Goku thought for a moment. "Dunno if Gohan ever told you the story, but I was the first one to use the Super Saiya-jin form outside of battle. Getting into that state used up too much power, so I wanted to stay in it long enough where it felt natural. But I bet that's not what you were doing with Pan, is it?"
Goten shook his head.
"I need to hear your side of what happened, son. I'm sure you had a good reason for doing what you did, but I don't know what it is yet."
Goten started to reply, then hesitated. "Tou-san, I want to tell you, but... do you promise not to tell Videl-san? Or kaa-san?"
Goku frowned. "Goten, part of the reason they're so upset is because they don't understand. Keeping stuff from them won't help that. But I promise that if they don't need to know, they won't hear it from me."
Goten knew that was the best he was going to get, and coming from his father, it was enough. So he told Goku exactly what he'd been doing with Pan, and why.
Goku listened carefully, nodded at various points, and made up his mind instantly. "Well, the good news is that I don't have to tell your mom or Videl. The bad news is that I do have to tell one person, and they will definitely tell Videl. But this person can also fix this mess that we're in, so trust me, it's a good thing."
Extra Sausage: The Fate of Majin Beta
It was almost unheard of for more than two Hakaishin to gather without being summoned. Even those who were cordial with each other, tended to find themselves drawn into friendly rivalries that could prove disastrous for any surroundings.
But this gathering was one that, even if it did not concern them all, at least interested them.
Majin Beta had finally been captured, and his fate was to be decided.
Curiously, no other higher authorities were involved. Only the Hakaishin and their Angel attendants were present, along with the captive himself. Zeno's only contribution had been a special cage, which apparently vibrated at multiple, untraceable frequencies every instant, and should, in theory, have been impossible for Beta to escape from. And, currently, it seemed to be working. At least, Beta was making no attempt to escape, and was instead glowering at the gathered deities. He was fully capable of altering the color of his flesh at will, and had chosen his signature shade of blood-red for the occasion. Combined with his current height, at slightly under nine feet tall, he never failed to intimidate.
"As you can see," Vados began, gesturing to the cage, "Majin Beta is now imprisoned. We have come together today to decide his fate. I'm sure you all know why this decision has been left to us. Now, if there are-" Vados stopped as one of the Hakaishin abruptly began to approach the cage. "Is something the matter, Helles-sama?"
"This is all my fault," Helles murmured, her eyes fixed solely on Beta as she got closer. "I see no need to conceal the truth anymore. Beta was created in, and escaped from, my Universe 2. I failed to keep him in check, and I will finally take responsibility for all the damage he's caused. But he must be returned to Universe 2."
"That seems highly illogical," Universe 8's Hakaishin, Liquir, protested, his tails thrashing irritably. "You were unable to contain him before, and he's only gotten better at hiding. Why should he be entrusted to you now?"
"Because now, he will not run and hide. And I can prove it." Helles approached the cage, until she stood only inches from Beta. Wordlessly, she pointed to her feet. Slowly, and reluctantly, Beta sank down to one knee and lowered his head, and even reduced his size until he was four feet in height, drawing a murmur of shock from the other gods.
"Why does he obey you now?" Liquir asked.
"Now, he is complete. Now, he is perfect. Now, he is ready to become."
"Become what?"
"My successor." Helles snapped her fingers, and Beta rose to his feet. "He ran from me because he was unfit, and he knew it. Though, I had to figure that out for myself. The trio of genius scientists who created him apparently had a sense of humor. He learns at an astonishing rate, and yet he is horrible at communicating. His eventual attendant will have their work cut out for them."
"You say that as if his attendant will not be yours."
Helles smiled. "He can speak. Why don't you ask Beta what he thinks of that?"
Liquir directed his question at Beta. "It is expected for a new Hakaishin to inherit the former's attendant. Do you understand this?"
Beta closed his eyes. "I will accept no Angel. There is only one fit to be my attendant."
Liquir frowned. "No one is more suited than an Angel to attend a Hakaishin."
"I already possess the intelligence to restrain myself if needed. So it is not necessary for my attendant to be stronger or smarter than me."
"That is not how these things are done."
"That is how they will be done by me. I am not interested in keeping things the way they are. I always desire improvement."
Liquir sighed. "And who do you think would be a better attendant for you than an Angel?"
Beta slowly opened his eyes. "Only one is fit for me. I will only accept her."
Liquir snorted. "You think you can declare another Hakaishin to be your-"
He was interrupted by the laughter of Helles, who shook her head. "Don't be silly, he doesn't mean me! Isn't it obvious? He wants the girl."
"What girl?" Liquir demanded.
"The child who captured him. Perhaps as a way to punish her for doing so, I can't be sure."
"You want Son Satana to be your attendant?" Vados asked for confirmation.
"You say that as if she isn't already," Beta replied.
"That's different. You are not a Hakaishin right now."
"Not yet. But the very fact that you're holding this meeting to decide my fate, rather than having already decided it, is a point in my favor. Satana is the only attendant I will accept."
"That is not up to you," Liquir pointed out. "As Vados said, you are not currently a Hakaishin."
"No, I'm only currently the sole being that necessitates so many Hakaishin to gather, without actually commanding them to. If you were going to destroy me, you would have done it already. If you were going to lock me away, you wouldn't waste time talking about it in front of me, allowing me time to escape. Do you not understand how I evaded capture for so long? I am smarter than all of you combined. That is not a boast, it is how my creators made me. I can only operate at peak efficiency with Satana at my side. If you would deny me that, then there is no sense in appointing me."
Liquir turned to Helles. "Is all of that true?"
Helles nodded. "I believe so. The trio who made him are all dead from in-fighting, but they were the foremost inventors in my universe. This is why I wanted Beta all of this time. No one is more fit to replace me. If he says he needs this girl, then he must have her."
"You do not even know if Satana would agree to this," Vados protested.
Helles turned to Beta. "Would she refuse?"
Beta shook his head. "No. We are bound."
"What does that mean, exactly?" Liquir asked.
Beta hesitated, tilted his head to one side, and then the other, obviously searching for a proper word. "Family," he said at last. "We are family."
Vados narrowed her eyes. "It was my understanding that Satana's entire family perished when Universe 6's Earth was destroyed."
"If that were true, Satana would have died with them. On the day of Earth's destruction, her mother Lidev was six months pregnant."
Helles gasped softly. "I understand now. They truly are family."
"Will you explain to the rest of us?" Liquir asked.
"It's simple. Beta was designed to operate like a superior machine. But if he comes across anything that he determines can improve his design, he absorbs it into himself. Since he's calling that girl his family, there are only two possibilities. Either he absorbed the girl's dying mother, or more likely, the girl only survived because he actually gave birth to her, in place of her late mother."
"There is a third possibility," Beta added.
Helles blinked, stared at him, and then laughed in astonishment. "Both, then?"
"It doesn't matter what you decide here. If you do not appoint me, I will escape. Satana asked me to turn myself in, but we both knew we would not be separated for long, no matter what was decided here. Lidev entrusted that child to me with her dying breath. No one will take Satana from me. If you try, prepare to lose one of your universes, at the very least. I've been hiding all this time. You have no idea what it's like, when I'm not hiding anymore, and actively fighting instead." He paused, then added, "That isn't a boast. It's a threat."
Liquir glared at Beta. "We could erase you, here and now. And then what would become of your girl?"
"She would survive. It is in her blood. But so is vengeance. I warn you now: if you mean to destroy me, then you had better erase her, as well. You may think she is no threat to you, but I promise you this. If you take me from her, she will bring each of your universes down upon your heads. That is the sort of girl I raised." Beta's mouth curved into an unnaturally wide and cruel grin. "That is the sort of demon-child I spawned."
"We have reached the coordinates that you specified, Satana-san."
Satana turned her head toward the voice. "Thank you, Saonel-san. And please pass my gratitude on to your people for allowing the use of their Dragon Balls, and this spaceship."
The tall Namekian shook his head. "You give us far too much credit. Failing to assist a Hakaishin when called upon, does not usually end well for planets. So we are always willing to assist Vados-san. Beyond that, when she only asked to borrow our Dragon Balls, instead of preparing a feast for Champa-sama, we were quite relieved. And she assured me that they would be used for a worthwhile cause. Rather, by a worthwhile person. She spoke very highly of you."
"She is far too kind," Satana murmured.
"I pray that is the only side of her you ever witness, then. As I was saying, we have reached the coordinates of your former homeworld, Sadala."
Satana smiled. "Oh, it wasn't my home. I've never set foot on this planet. I was conceived on Earth, and born in space. But my great-grandfather's people called this planet home, even if most of my family didn't."
Saonel stared at her. "So you intend to revive this planet that you've never been to, for a race that you've mostly never met? And you specifically requested a Namekian guide, to ensure that your wish was properly translated?"
Satana nodded. "I want as few errors as possible. This is extremely important to me."
"That, I do not doubt. Now, you already told me your first wish, but you were somewhat vague on the second."
Satana told him exactly what she wanted her second wish to be.
Saonel blinked several times. "I don't understand you," he said at last.
"Which part was unclear? Does something not translate well to Namekian?"
He chuckled. "That isn't what I meant. It's you. I do not understand you, as a person. Rather, I have met precious few offworlders, and none of them were anything like you. You, Satana-san... you are an exceedingly good person."
Satana blushed and lowered her head. "Then, my second wish. You don't think it's silly?"
"I have never been more serious about seeing a wish granted properly. It is not silly at all. And because it's you, I am sure the results will be worth the effort. But, may I suggest a slight alteration?"
"Please."
"I can ask the dragon to slightly delay the effects of the second wish. This will allow you some small amount of time."
Satana looked confused. "To do what?"
"You may never have this chance again, Satana-san. Before your second wish is granted, you should take the time to walk beneath the same sky that your great-grandfather once did. Because, if I am correct, once your second wish is granted, you will not be staying here, will you?"
"How did you know?"
"An exceedingly good person such as yourself, would never be satisfied enough with their efforts to sit back and enjoy them. You are moving on to your next adventure, aren't you? That is the curse of your overwhelmingly kind heart."
"That is one of them," Satana agreed softly.
Continued in Chapter 3: Adjusted Anchovies
Gohan hoped he'd never have to sit through another Kaioshin power-altering ritual. So much for that hope. Videl learns Goten's secret. A cold-blooded emperor is hunting Beta and Satana.
