Dragon Ball Z Dynasty

by Feraligreater328

When travelling along Snake Way, Son Goku suddenly finds himself plummeting down to Hell. There, he meets a surprisingly familiar ghost from his past that promises to change everything about his life going forward. How will the Saiyan react to this sudden, positive change in his life? Find out in Dragon Ball Z Dynasty.

156. Chapter 154: Gohan's Birthday II

Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

A/N: I've had a few people ask, so let me just clarify what I meant by Daima being the cut-off point. I don't mean that, in terms of story progression, I'm going to stop at Daima. I mean, that that Toriyama has passed on to the Other World, I'm not going to utilize anything that comes out without his input. GT and any other projects that canonically take place after Daima are still on the slate, but any projects that are produced after Daima are off…with the exception of anything having to do with Black Frieza. Dependent on whether I think Black Frieza is handled well or not. Sorry for the confusion, friends. ^_^"

Chapter 154: Gohan's Birthday II

At St. Gentleman, lunchtime, Friday, May 17th…

The sun was brightly shining down on the outside terrace of St. Gentleman. Gohan, Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner were all sitting down for one of their standard lunches together, probably one of the last before finals and then summer vacation. Unbelievably, an entire school year had seemingly passed in the blink of an eye. Videl's new hairstyle, a rough pixie cut inspired by her final fling with Satan City's criminal element, gently rustled in the summer breeze.

Videl popped two hard-boiled eggs into her mouth and then, with a mischievous smirk, reached over and grabbed Gohan's chicken cutlet sandwich. Gohan watched as she took a bite and then snatched his meal back with a flourish of fake outrage. Eventually, the two of them broke down into a fit of the giggles and then full-blown laughter. Sharpner and Erasa watched on with beatific smiles on their faces. All-in-all, they were happy for their friends.

Erasa leaned back and took a long sip of her strawberry lemonade. "So, what's everyone doing for their summer career credits? I'm going to continue on as a paid intern with Miss Lazuli. She's even started letting me work as her courtroom assistant."

Sharpner laced his fingers behind his head and leaned back. "I managed to get signed on as a benchwarmer for a minor league team. I'm the substitute for a substitute, but the experience of actually sitting in the dugout should do me some good."

Gohan sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Professor Carmine has mumbled a few different times that he might have a 'new and better' opportunity with some pharmaceutical company once the school year ends. So, if he's gone I might just go do some research work at Capsule Corp or my uncle's company…"

Videl smiled. "You'll be fine without that prick, Gohan. Change is good sometimes."

She rubbed the very noticeable scar on her now fully healed shoulder. "I haven't fought a single instance of crime since prom night. I've been focusing all of my attention on pure martial arts training for next month."

Gohan looked confused. "What's coming up next-"

A piercing shriek cut through the air and Gohan realized that he had just been cut off by police sirens. The four friends turned in their seats and watched as two trucks of bank robbers sped down the street, the three patrol units giving chase but not daring to get too close, lest they be shredded by gunfire. Sharpner groaned. "Speak of the devil…"

Videl tensed up. Everyone could see that, though she hadn't lied about not fighting crime since prom, it was still taking all of her strength not to leap into action and handle business. Erasa placed a sympathetic hand on Videl's shoulder scar. "I know it sucks, honey. But, you've been doing good. Leave it to the police."

Videl was very quiet. The disposal of the crime watch had done a lot of good in reining her in, but this wasn't the first time her friends had stepped up to talk her down. Seeing a look of genuine anxiety on Videl's face, Gohan sighed. "Wanna see something cool?"

Videl looked up to her boyfriend. "Something cool?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah. It's a martial arts technique that my martial arts teacher taught me a long time ago."

Erasa shook her head. "Nuh-uh. Crime Fighter Videl and the Great Saiyaman are both retired, Gohan! No exceptions!"

Gohan chuckled. "Don't worry. I don't have my transformation watch with me. Honestly, I won't even leave this spot. Just…watch and learn, 'kay?"

Sharpner chuckled. "Oh, look at Mister Teacher here! Make sure you watch and learn Videl. He's gonna school ya!"

Everyone shared a small chuckle, but then they all fell silent and watched what Gohan was doing with genuine interest. Neither Sharpner nor Erasa really knew what they were watching for, but Videl's gaze was both knowing and intent. Gohan stared down the two trucks as they sped further and further down the street. "Now, I trust you guys not to call me weird behind my back, okay?"

Sharpner rolled his eyes. "We'll call you weird to your face, dork."

Gohan smiled, then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Concentrating. Concentrating. Focusing his strength all into one point in the center of his palm. The air seemed to crackle for just a moment, and then Gohan thrust his arm forward, sending a sonic boom focused enough that it barely ruffled the trees, but strong enough that it managed to cave in the back of both the fleeing trucks, sending them sprawling onto their sides.

In the distance, the confused police climbed out of their cars and stared at the bizarre scene that had suddenly played out in front of them. Gohan turned to his friends and sat. He took a sip of his drink and then explained. "That was a basic shockwave. The proper term is kiai. It's a technique where a fighter focuses all of their strength into a single point and then lets it out in a focused burst."

Sharpner had a nervous smile. "C-Come on, man. You're pulling our legs."

He looked to Erasa and then to Videl, trying to get them to agree, but neither woman seemed even slightly perturbed. There was a certain knowing light in both of their eyes. Erasa remained silent, simply sipping her drink. Videl spoke up. "I'm…familiar with the term. If you watch old tournament tapes, you see the martial artists from back then performing that move pretty regularly. I…think…my Dad can do it. I think…"

Sharpner nodded. "Well, of course Mr. Satan can do it if Gohan can! Right, Erasa?!"

Once again, Erasa was silent. Videl sighed. "I've always wanted to be able to pull off a shockwave like that. I just couldn't figure out how to on my own."

She crossed her arms with an annoyed look on her face. "Why aren't I training with you if you can do that?"

Gohan quickly realized his error in showing off. "Uh, I…I mean…uh…"

Finally, Erasa spoke. "Well, here's an idea: why don't we all just visit Gohan's house tomorrow? I mean, his birthday is happening that day and I'm sure he was about to invite us any second now."

Sharpner flinched. "Birthday?"

Videl scowled. "Tomorrow?!"

Instantly, the two of them were right in Gohan's face. "WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW THAT?!"

Gohan shuddered, nearly falling out of his chair. Trying to escape the wrath of his friend and his girlfriend, he looked over to Erasa. "I didn't tell anyone! How did you know?!"

Erasa smiled. "Miss Lazuli and Mr. Krillin were discussing what to get you~"

Reluctantly, Sharpner and Videl both backed off, joining Erasa on the other side of the table. A pang of guilt flashed in Gohan's chest. Sharpner frowned. "That hurts, man. We're friends, right? Why wouldn't you let us know when your birthday is?"

Gohan nodded. "O-Of course we're friends. I just…I'm not sure if I'm ready to show off the full scope of what my family is like. All of them getting together can be a bit much, ya know? I didn't want to freak you guys out and make you not want to be my friends anymore. I've…grown very fond of this little friend group and I'm not so sure what my life would be without you guys now."

Videl, Sharpner, and Erasa all fell silent. Eventually, Videl rolled her eyes. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You think you can get rid of us that easily?"

Gohan blushed. "I…don't know. Life is fleeting and it's hard to be comfortable sometimes, even with people you're close to. Little omissions and the occasional lie add up until you feel like rocking the boat might capsize it."

He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, guys."

Videl smiled. "Aw, drop it. No matter what happens, we'll still love you!"

Sharpner shot a thumbs up. "You're our bud. The friend group wouldn't be the same without you there, dork!"

Erasa chuckled. "Even if there might be some mistruths here or there, we're just here for the Gohan that's always cared about us~"

Gohan quietly smiled. Videl cocked her head. "So, boyfriend mine, are we invited to your birthday party now?"

After just a moment's thought, Gohan nodded. "Yeah. Of course you guys are invited~"

In the Z-Fighter's Private Text Chain…

Gohan: Hey, everybody, I have a favor to ask. I don't want to sound ungrateful, but would you mind if I set some rules for my birthday party?

Vegeta: Rules for a party?

18: Can one of the rules be no stupid haircuts? It would be fun to exclude Vegeta from things.

Piccolo: I'm pretty sure no stupid haircuts bans half the people in this chat.

Vegeta: HOW DARE YOU?!

18: Ooh, all caps. Scary

Bulma: Everyone shut up. This isn't the time to argue. Go ahead, Gohan.

Gohan: Thanks.

Gohan: Three simple ground rules, please. #1, no talking about Frieza or things related to Frieza. #2, no talking about Cell or things related to Cell. #3, if you have to spar or fight, keep it on the normal side. I'm inviting my school friends and I don't want to overwhelm them or scare them off.

Gohan watched as multiple thumbs up responses appeared on his last text, closing his eyes and sighing. "Maybe things won't get too crazy after all…"

The next day, Mt. Paozu, May 18th…

Gohan nervously paced back and forth next to the sign that pointed to the lead-in road of Mt. Paozu, otherwise known as his driveway. He had honestly been there since six in the morning, catching the sun just as it started to rise and remaining in place ever since. The brief period of relief the text chain had given him evaporated like water on the surface of the sun. Now he was a nervous wreck thinking about everything that could go wrong with mixing these two very distinct sides of his life. So lost was Son Gohan in his one thoughts, that he didn't hear the familiar rumble of a familiar car.

The sound of the horn honking nearly made Gohan jump sky high. Stiff as a piece of wood, he turned and saw Videl's car pulling up right next to him. Videl lifted her sunglasses and winked. "Waiting on someone, hot stuff?"

Gohan blushed. "Y-Yeah! I'm glad you guys didn't get lost!"

The teen half-Saiyan quickly piled into the backseat, yelping as Sharpner pulled him into a headlock and a noogie. Sharpner cackled. "Happy Birthday, my dude!"

In the front seat, Videl and Erasa both chuckled. Then, Videl hit the gas and they were rocketing up the dirt roads of Mt. Paozu. Gohan pulled himself from Sharpner's grip and looked into the backseat. "Wrapped presents, eh? For me?"

Erasa rolled her eyes. "No, Gohan. They're for your grandmother."

That bit of snark got everyone laughing again and that laughter made the ride up Mt. Paozu go by extra quickly. Gohan jabbed his finger into the front every so often, pointing Videl down the appropriate winding trails and occasionally just explaining the natural beauty that was his home. As they got deeper and deeper into the wilderness, Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner found themselves increasingly stuck in moments of quiet awe at the innate splendor of Mt. Paozu. The sights were worth a trip all by themselves.

Soon enough, the car arrived at the final turn. Gohan smiled. "Just over this hill is my family's little plot. My house, my grandparents' house, and my uncle's house are all within walking distance of each other. We used to live down by the stream, but once everyone else started showing up we decided to pick up the homestead and move to a bigger spot."

Videl nodded, stepping on the break and bringing the car to a halt. Gohan cocked his head. "Is something wrong?"

Videl shrugged. "It's a nice day. If we're that close, I'd kinda like to stretch my legs. I've been cooped up in this car for over three hours."

Erasa nodded in agreement. "Same."

Sharpner was already climbing out. "And the breeze out here, combined with the summer sun, feels amazing!"

Watching his friends all climb out of the car, Gohan found himself forced to go along with what they wanted. He stumbled out of the car and right into Videl, nearly knocking her over. Their eyes met and Gohan began to stammer an apology. "S-Sorry for almost knocking you-"

Videl cut him off with a kiss on the lips. She pulled back and smiled a warm, loving smile. "Happy Birthday, Gohan. Thanks for inviting us~"

Gohan smiled back, his eyes slowly scanning over every beautiful inch of Videl's face. "You're always welcome here."

Sharpner stuck his tongue out as he balanced Gohan's gifts onto his shoulder. "Jeez. Gag me with a spoon."

Erasa smiled playfully. "Like you and Stencil are any better?"

Grabbing onto Gohan's hand, Videl reduced her car back into a capsule and then turned and pointed toward the hill. "Let's get going! I'm ready to party!"

The four friends began to walk and, quite suddenly, Gohan found himself feeling the same hefty nerves flare up again. The pace of things was going well so far, but he was still afraid that someone, like Piccolo or Vegeta, might forget their more "human" etiquette and do something he couldn't explain. A stretchy arm here, or a rant about some long-dead foe there and it was basically all over for his chances at natural integration.

It must have been pretty easy from Videl's end to sense that Gohan was nervous, because she started to massage her thumb over the back of his hand without a word. And for a moment, that really did calm him down. But then, the third potential hazard cried out and reality landed on top of Gohan like a boulder from the sky. "Come on, Goten! You can hit harder than that, can't ya?!"

Gohan's mouth became sandpaper as his gaze followed the gazes of Videl, Sharpner, and Erasa toward the sight of his father and his little brother sparring in a nearby field. As much as Gohan feared the wrong thing from Piccolo or Vegeta, his father, Son Goku, was perhaps the biggest threat to normalcy out of them all. Piccolo and Vegeta could be coached, his father was a man so used to his own way that any breaches of "human" etiquette were excusable as nothing more than innocent mistakes. Gohan didn't fault his father for a moment for being himself, but it did make his guts do a trapeze act to have to face this down without his mother there to at least try and help.

Videl cocked her head. "Is that your dad?"

Gohan almost yelped, but quickly composed himself. "Y-Yup. That's my dad, alright. My dad, my little brother Goten, and I think I see my sister under that tree too!"

Goku and Goten went back to their spar, unaware of the audience that had suddenly showed up. In the shade of the tree, a pitcher of iced tea sitting next to her, was Chika. She was watching her father and her twin spar back and forth with a peaceful grin on her face, waiting with easy-going patience for them to break so she could serve them each a drink.

Gohan pulled his hand from Videl's with no warning and then started running toward his father and siblings before she could give chase. Seeing Gohan out of the corner of her eye, Chika called out. "Hey, big brother! Happy Birthday! Want some tea?"

Goku and Goten both stopped, turning toward Gohan and smiling. Goku clapped his eldest son on the shoulder. "Hey, Gohan! Happy Birthday!"

Goten beamed. "Happy Birthday, Gohan!"

Gohan quickly nodded. "Thanks guys!"

Then, in a whisper, he spoke as rapidly as he could. "Remember! Be normal!"

Goku cocked his head, then his eyebrows raised as if he remembered something and he nodded. "Gotcha."

Goten and Chika both giggled. Goten spoke in a sing-song voice. "Gohan wants to be normal~"

Chika spun around. "Normal, normal, normal~"

Gohan cried out as quietly as he could. "Will you two stop?!"

Goten nodded. "Okay! I'll stop! I was in the middle of something anyway~"

Then, as quick as a flash, Goten shot his leg upward and kicked Goku in the chest. Goku smiled playfully. "That was a cheap shot, son~"

He responded with a blow of his own, a palm thrust straight to Goten's stomach that sent him flying across the field and into a bush full of wildflowers. Goku chuckled and shot a victory peace sign toward his youngest boy. "Looks like I won, Goten!"

Goten quickly leapt out of the bush and chuckled. "Yeah! This time! But I'll getcha next time, Dad!"

Gohan's shoulders slumped. He was thankful that the spar was over, but still worried that something might have caught his friends as odd. He turned, the gears in his head grinding to try and come up with a plausible explanation for all of this, only for Videl to already be right there with an astonished look on her face. "Wow! That was an awesome kick for such a small child! My compliments!"

Goten smiled wide, flashing the same peace sign as his father. "Thank you~"

Videl turned to Gohan, a cheerful smile on her face. "I see martial arts is a bit of a family hobby? That's cool."

Gohan nervously chuckled. "Y-Ya think?"

Sharpner and Erasa quickly joined them. Sharpner whistled. "Still, that was one hella strong palm thrust for, what, a seven-year-old? Your family doesn't play around, huh?"

Chika chimed in. "Nope! Daddy doesn't like to hold back when he thinks people are strong enough to handle it. It's, uh…what was the word, Daddy?"

Goku looked down at his daughter. "Disrespectful, Chika. Disrespectful to your opponent to not go at them with your full power if you know they're strong."

Erasa squatted down, smiling as the little half-Saiyan twins. "So, you two are Gohan's little brother and little sister, huh?"

Goten nodded. "Yup! I'm Son Goten. It's an honor to meet you!"

Goten bowed, and then Chika did the same. "And I'm Son Chika. Thank you for visiting our home!"

Erasa nearly squealed. "Awww! They're so cute~!"

Videl squatted down as well. "Nice to meet you two as well. This lady right here is Erasa. The big guy is Sharpner. And I'm Videl. Thank you for allowing us into your home."

With the greetings out of the way, Videl took a moment to really take in what she hoped was her future brother-and-sister-in-law. And that was when something in her head began to buzz. She looked closely at Goten's face. What she wanted to say was almost on the tip of her tongue when, to her shock, Chika suddenly cried out. "AH! It's so exciting! Gohan brought my future sister-in-law to his birthday!"

Gohan cried out in shock. Videl flinched back so hard she fell onto her butt. Chika leapt onto Videl and hugged her tight. "Can I call you Big Sister?! Will you visit every weekend?! Please?!"

Gohan roared in embarrassed fury. "CH-CHIKA! STOP THAT!"

Videl was too dumbfounded to really respond. Erasa and Sharpner were laughing their asses off. Finally, Goku stepped in. "Now, now. Don't crowd our guests. Why don't you two run on back to the house and let your mother know that Gohan and his friends are here, okay?"

Immediately, Goten and Chika obeyed. "Yes sir!"

Watching the two of them run off, Gohan and Videl each took in a great big breath and let out a great big sigh. Erasa smiled. "Cute siblings, Gohan. Especially that sister of yours and those little play horns she was wearing~"

Gohan shuddered as if hit by a bolt of lightning. He hadn't even realized that Chika's horns were hanging out. Nervously, Gohan smiled. "Yeah! I h-have some awesome little siblings!"

The young man cleared his throat. "O-kay! Now, why don't the rest of us head that way too!"

Gohan looked over to his friends, seeing Sharpner and Erasa nodding easily enough. Videl, however, looked quite transfixed. Gohan followed her gaze and was mortified to see that his girlfriend's eyes were locked right onto his father. Gohan felt his jaw tighten. He thought to himself. 'Crap. This is bad. The gears in her head are turning. She's going to recognize him. I know she is. She's already made the connection before. There's no way she's not going to recognize him. Please, Dad, please play it cool. Downplay. Deny. Something. Anything.'

Videl spoke. "Hey, you're Son Goku right? The guy who was at the 23rd Tournament and the Cell Games?"

Goku nodded, stretching his shoulders. "Ayup~"

Gohan fell to his knees. "DAMMIT!"

As Erasa and Sharpner moved to attend to Gohan, Videl immediately marched up to Goku. Gohan watched in with genuine concern as Videl walked around her potential future father-in-law. She looked him up and down with the intensity of a magnifying glass. Goku just kinda stood there, watching himself get examined as he wiped the sweat from his face with his orange, outer gi. He didn't seem to put much thought into this girl, who he really just met, circling around him like a shark and cocking her head to and fro. Finally, Videl popped a question. "Have you ever dyed your hair blonde? Like, at all?"

Goku spoke honestly. "Nope. Natural as the day I was born."

Videl narrowed her eyes. "And yet, at the Cell Games, you were blonde to the eyebrows. Bizarre, wouldn't you say?"

A bead of sweat appeared on the side of Goku's face. He looked at Gohan and Gohan looked like he was trying to pass a kidney stone. Goku scratched the back of his head. "Uh…maybe the TV cameras were on the fritz or something? Cell was, uh…getting up to all sorts of tricks? Right?"

VIdel pursed her lips. "Hm. That's…a pretty convenient explanation. Can't prove the cameras weren't faulty. Cell's bullshit did destroy them."

Goku needed to worm his way out of this. He was an awful liar. If he didn't find an out, and quickly, he might make things weird for Gohan. And he didn't want to do that. Goku cleared his throat. "M-Man! You sure are assertive. That's pretty neat~"

Videl didn't even consider Goku's comment. She stood on her tiptoes and got nearly nose-to-nose with him. "You're the guy who fought Cell before my dad defeated him. That much I know…"

Goku cocked his head. "Y-Your Dad?"

Videl nodded. "Mr. Satan."

Goku flinched. "Who?"

Videl, Sharpner, and Erasa all flinched back in response. Videl almost couldn't believe it. That wasn't a dismissive "Who?", it was genuine. This man, Gohan's father, had no clue who her father was. Gohan, standing a couple steps behind Sharpner and Erasa, looked like he was going to throw up, or die of shock, or both. Goku looked over to Gohan. Gohan threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. Goku realized that he had made a critical error.

Then he gasped and smiled. "M-Mr. Satan! I remember now! He's that fella from the 24th Tournament! We didn't have time to really prepare for that one cuz we had just got done fighting Cold-"

Gohan's jaw dropped. Goku caught himself. "...fighting A COLD! Yeah!"

Videl's face hardened. "You missed the 24th World Martial Arts Tournament, the first one to follow the Tournament where you and your opponent somehow leveled a city, your first title defense…because of a cold?"

Goku nodded. "Yup!"

Videl frowned, her face almost disdainful. Gohan could feel a lump in his throat the size of a Dragon Ball. Everything was about to fall apart. And then what? But then, Videl spoke in a sympathetic tone. "That sucks. I'm really sorry to hear that. I'll have to let my Dad know what happened, so he can say something. Everyone in the martial arts community thinks you bailed for no reason…"

Goku shrugged, more comfortable now that Videl's eyes weren't as prying. "Eh, I don't care what people think of me. I won the tournament to show the results of all my training. Defending the title would be fun, but I don't really need the title, ya know?"

He smiled. "I won for me~"

Videl smiled back. "Wow. You're…actually pretty cool. I think I might like you, honestly."

Goku beamed. "I like anybody my son likes. Gohan is a great judge of people. What's your name again?"

Videl crossed her arms. "Videl Hercule, or…I guess it's Videl Satan since my Dad had it changed. But, you can just call me Videl."

Goku nodded, then looked over in the others' direction. "And who are you two?"

Erasa smiled. "Hi! I'm Erasa!"

Sharpner gave a single-handed wave. "Sharpner."

Goku nodded, closing his eyes and mumbling the names to himself. "Videl…Erasa…Sharpner. Okay…"

His eyes popped open and he grinned from ear-to-ear. "My name's Goku! Pleased to meetcha! Let's be pals~"

Gohan sighed with relief, watching as Erasa and Sharpner stepped closer to his father. All three of his friends gathered around his dad and started making small talk. Watching the three of them relax, and watching Goku relax right back, took a great deal of pressure off of Gohan's shoulders. Things would be easier now.

Gohan walked up to the rest of the group. "Cool. Now, with introductions out of the way, why don't we head for my house and I'll let you guys meet my Mom and-"

Videl looked Goku in the eye and spoke bluntly. "Fight me."

Gohan nearly choked on his words. Sharpner rubbed his hand over his face. Erasa gasped. "V-Videl! That's so rude! You can't just challenge someone you just met to a fight like that!"

Goku looked Videl right back in the eye. He appeared to consider something for just a brief moment, but then he smiled and nodded. "'Kay!"

That somehow horrified Gohan even more than he already was. Immediately, he tried to intervene in the situation. "W-Wait! Come on, guys! This isn't a tournament or anything like that, why fight?!"

Videl smirked, planting her fists onto her hips. Goku adjusted his wristbands with a small smirk of his own. Gohan could feel that electric charge in the air that he always felt around all of his family and friends. He could tell the situation was rapidly spiraling out of any range of control. Gohan turned to his father. "Dad! You can't fight Videl! She's still recovering from a really bad wound!"

Goku shrugged. "I can tell she's a bit off balance. On the last stages of mending a shoulder wound, I'd guess. But, she's obviously got enough spirit to make up for that. Sparring with her will be fun, I'll just avoid thwacking her on the shoulder~"

Videl took on her fighting stance, right arm extended in a loose fist, left arm drawn in a tight fist. "I'm honored to fight a former World Champ!"

The color drained from Gohan's face. With a double sigh, Erasa and Sharpner picked up their friend and moved him out of the way. It was clear that there was nothing that could be done to stop this from happening.

Deposited onto the grass, Gohan watched in stunned horror as his father took on a fighting stance as well. Waving his arms like a lunatic, Gohan managed to snag Goku's attention. Then he mouthed the words as if he were screaming. 'HOLD BACK! HOLD BACK! HOLD BACK!'

Goku rolled his eyes and nodded, suppressing his energy down to the bare minimum he could stand to muster: more or less, around the same level he was when he fought Piccolo at the 23rd World Tournament. If he feigned he was any weaker than that, he knew that this girl would become suspicious.

Goku nodded to Videl. "So, what's the match style here? First to land a blow? A knock-out match? A time-limit draw?"

Videl thought about that for a moment. "Option One could end too quickly. Two would probably ruin Gohan's birthday if one of us got knocked out cold. So, let's go with Three!"

Goku smiled. "Good choice."

On the sidelines, Erasa and Sharpner were both watching with mild concern. Erasa turned to Gohan. "So, what do you think Videl's chances against your dad are? He's about as big as Mr. Satan is, so I imagine he's pretty strong."

Gohan swallowed a lump in his throat. He began to speak, choosing his words carefully. "M-My Dad might not compete anymore, but he still trains everyday. He's very skilled at this, so he's not going to hurt Videl. She'll be okay."

Sharpener nodded. "Cool. Then this should be fun to watch."

Gohan gave a soft whimper in response, genuinely nervous to watch this play out.

Goku and Videl's face-off continued to play out. Goku nodded. "Good form, good form. You have the stance of a switch-hitter. Are you ambidextrous?"

Videl smiled. "Yeah, I'm surprised you're able to tell. Most of the people I spar against for the first time don't see it coming."

Goku continued. "That lessens my openings. There's no weak side to aim for. I'm going to be facing the same defense either way, and a stronger offense that can change on the fly. I gotta make sure I'm watching for that. And I notice that you're making eye contact too, for the most part."

VIdel shifted her foot ever so slightly. "A real fighter is able to read the opponent's intent. I never make the mistake of focusing anywhere but the eyes. I can't read what you're planning through a fist or a foot."

The girl dropped herself slightly lower, complimenting Goku's more centered stance. His smile grew just a little. Videl's eyes became fierce. "Now, enough talk!"

And then Videl rushed forward, sweeping at Goku's leg to make him jump and then spinning in the opposite direction to land a heavy kick on his waiting forearm. Using her own momentum to pull herself, Videl hooked her leg around Goku's arm and then flung herself into the air, dropping down with all the weight she could muster and smashing her elbow down with all her strength. Goku blocked the elbow drop with his palm and then shoved Videl into the air. She gracefully leaned into the fall, front-flipping and landing on her feet.

Goku scratched his nose. "Nice offense. Very direct. Reminds me of the way Gohan's mom fights. Now then-"

Goku did a small hop forward, pushing himself toward Videl with a springy, right-footed step. Then, he pistoned his left foot into the ground and shot forward with alarming speed. Videl flinched, but couldn't defend as Goku hip-checked her in the gut, followed by a cupped palm strike to send her sliding back. Videl pressed her hand to her tummy. There was a dull ache there, but nothing debilitating.

Videl narrowed her eyes and then did a front-flip. Goku was unperturbed by the feigned wasted movement, watching as Videl's real plan came to light. She did another front-flip and then hand-springed out of the motion and launched a spear kick toward her older opponent. Goku side-stepped, but was unprepared for Videl to latch onto him. Videl stopped her momentum by grabbing Goku's shirt, yanking herself back toward him and launching a punishing knee-strike at his face. Goku jerked his head back, feeling Videl's knee just barely scrape across his cheek.

Momentarily caught off-guard, Goku couldn't resist Videl's superior leverage, flailing through the air as Videl swung him around and slammed him onto his back. Videl went for a big stomp, but Goku rolled out of the way and launched himself into a headstand. Videl turned and Goku took the opportunity for a kick of his own, catching Videl a bit too brusquely for Gohan's liking across the face. Videl began to fall back and Goku sprang up, lifting his arms above his head and bringing them down for a cross-armed chop. At the last moment, Videl bent her knees and slipped out of the trajectory of Goku's attack. She knee-slid forward and Goku landed hard on his arms, backflipping through the air and landing on his feet. Videl quickly sprang to her feet as well.

The two turned to each other and smiled. Videl had a large, boot-shaped scuff on the side of her head. Goku had a smaller, but still noticeable scuff on his cheek. With a sigh, Goku held out his hand. "Good spar. Are you satisfied, or do we continue?"

With a coy smile on her face, Videl walked up and firmly grasped Goku's hand. And then, with all of her strength, she pulled him forward and raised her knee up for a blow to the chest. Goku held firm, quickly shifting his feet and managing to swing himself around Videl. Still gripping her hand, keeping one of her arms totally locked, Goku shook his head, an almost disappointed frown on his lips. "That was opportunistic. You're better than cheap shots like that, buddy."

At first, Videl wanted to be very angry. But then, all of the negative emotion seemed to drain from her. She turned to look at Goku. "D-Do you mean that?"

Goku smiled again. "Of course I do! You're really good!"

Videl blushed. Goku let go of her hand and took about ten steps back. He adopted a more defensive stance. "Now then, come at me! Gimme your best!"

Videl nodded. "Y-Yessir!"

She leapt forward, her right fist drawn back for a punch. Goku's eye flickered for just a moment, and then he blocked the real kick that was coming from below. Raising his free arm, Goku caught Videl's punch and then tried to throw her to the ground. Videl landed springily on her feet and then charged forward with a renewed barrage of punches and kicks. Goku was able to block this initial flurry with what could be described at ease, though his restrained power level did put a bit of a damper on his reflexes. Goku was managing, but he wasn't used to going at things with his power plunged this low.

Seeing that her opponent's focus had slipped, Videl abandoned her barrage and shot a hearty uppercut right under Goku's jaw. The Saiyan was stunned. Videl tried to follow-up with a punch to the chest, but Goku caught it, sweeping Videl's feet and catching her in the cheek with a right-handed jab. Videl sailed back over the grass and landed with a thud.

Gohan cried out. "VIDEL!"

But, he was summarily ignored as Videl got back to her feet. She rubbed the throbbing spot on her face and chuckled. "Good thing we didn't do a first blood match~"

Goku's eyes widened slightly. He reached up and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb, impressed to find it stained red. Videl had busted his lip. Goku smiled. "Hm. Well then, I gotta say I'm impressed. Wish you had been around for the 23rd Tournament. You'd've been a real contender~"

Videl clenched her fists, making the knuckles crack. "Just getting warmed up. Now, why don't you stop holding back?"

Goku flinched. "Huh?! You could tell?!"

Videl sniffed. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think you're coddling me. But, I can see some hesitation, as if you're working at a level you haven't been at in a while. Like a taller guy walking through a shorter person's house."

Goku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "W-Well, Chi-Chi always says you're supposed to take it easy on first-time houseguests~"

Videl nodded and smiled. "And I appreciate the courtesy, I guess. But, how about we throw away the kid's gloves?"

Goku looked over to Gohan. His son was furiously shaking his head. Goku looked back to Videl and chuckled. "Okay! Raditz-level it is~"

Goku took a deep breath and slowly let it out, allowing the energy to flow through him. His muscles seemed to heat up, his nerves popping off and filling him with a small rush of adrenaline. And then, without a bit of hesitation, Goku launched himself at Videl. The girl flinched, he moved even faster than she had expected. Goku launched a forceful kick. Videl managed to feint back, but the force of the wind from Goku's leg made her wobble in place. Before she could recompose herself, Goku raised the same leg into the air and dropped it down like an ax. Videl crossed her arms in front of her face, blocking the kick but immediately being smashed into the ground.

Rather than stand, Videl fell back onto her judo experience, weaving her legs around Goku's own planted foot and giving a sharp twist to his knee. Goku buckled and Videl spun to meet him as he fell, smashing her elbow into his ribs. Goku winced, but was able to react in kind, grabbing Videl and heaving her into the air by her arm. Goku threw a punch at his airborne opponent, but Videl was able to bring her leg up and block the fist with the sole of her boot. She kicked off of Goku, jumping into the air, and then front-flipped down and slammed her heel into his shoulder.

Goku could have withstood, but he chose instead to go along with the motion, limply throwing himself to the ground. Before he could fully land, however, Goku quickly seized both of Videl's ankles and slammed her into the grass with some real force. Goku leapt to his feet, but Videl was already at his back. She jabbed her thumb into his solar plexus, cupping her free hand over her tightened fist. She heaved Goku into the air, squeezing as hard as she could and forcing the air out of his lungs before slamming him head-first into the ground. Goku coughed and then swung his leg out, sweeping Videl's feet and catching her as she fell with an uppercut to the jaw.

Videl landed hard on her feet, spinning on a heel and then throwing a small barrage of punches at Goku. The Saiyan easily blocked each punch, but Videl didn't let up. She flipped over Goku's shoulders and thrust her feet into the backs of Goku's knees. The Saiyan buckled and Videl shot up her knees, smashing him in the back of the head. Goku shot back up and Videl took to her feet to follow-up. Goku turned and threw a punch at her and she threw a punch right back. The two fighters punched each other in the jaw and sent each other sliding back.

The two of them smirked at one another and Goku sighed. "Are you self-taught?"

Videl cocked an eyebrow. "Not necessarily. I've had a few different teachers in a few different styles over the years. Though, I mainly use a modified version of my father's fighting style to better fit my stature. I replaced a lot of the heavier strikes with judo holds and throws that produce similar results."

Goku stroked his chin. "Right. Right. I figured it had to be something like that. You're good, but I will say that you could be so much better. Your journey through martial arts is eventually going to require you to gain knowledge from someone other than your father and yourself and a bunch of lower-level fighters looking to make teachin' money..."

Videl rolled her eyes, giving a smug bow. "Oh, wise teacher~"

Goku flinched and then shook his head. "N-No! Not me! Not yet, anyway. I'm a terrible teacher compared to some of the people I know!"

Videl seemed to consider that for a moment, then she shook her head. "Look, I thought we said we were going to save all the talk. Can we continue the spar?"

Goku nodded, motioning Videl towards him. "Bring it!"

Videl bounded forward, launching a high kick towards Goku's face which he was able to easily grab. Goku briefly lifted Videl high into the air, and then tossed her off to the side. Videl went tumbling, slamming against a nearby tree but easily springing off of it. She launched herself back at Goku and tried for the same kick again. This time, Goku blocked it with a raised knee. Goku tried to slam his knee into Videl's stomach, but Videl feinted back.

She stood there for a moment, regarding Goku and wiping sweat from her brow. She would never admit it, but she was getting just a bit winded from this. Goku, meanwhile, hadn't even broken a sweat. Something about acknowledging this to herself made Videl angry. And then, she was on the attack again!

Videl leapt up in the air and brought her foot down onto Goku in a furious ax kick. Goku raised both arms to block and repelled her back. Instead of bouncing off of Goku's arms, however, Videl reached down and grabbed onto one of her opponent's wristbands, yanking herself toward Goku and throwing a punch that landed square on his lower jaw. Goku recoiled back and Videl charged in, shoulder first. Seeing an opening, Goku reached out and seized Videl's shoulder, yanking her forward. Then, he grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back, trapping her into a standing arm lock. She looked up at Goku, genuinely shocked. The Saiyan smiled. "All of your counter-attacks involve a shoulder-based charge. It's a good maneuver, just one that you shouldn't over use. Once the opponent discovers your pattern, they can gain control really easily."

Videl wanted to be angry, but then a thoughtful look appeared on her face. She jerked her shoulder in Goku's grip and felt a lightning bolt of pain in her arm. He was holding her tight, causing no pain on his own, but her every movement made up for that. She could feel a bit of anxiety in her chest. Videl drew in a deep breath and sighed. Goku let her go. She kneaded her shoulder and groaned. "You're…too much. It's incredible."

Goku smiled. Videl turned and looked at him. "No wonder you were a finalist in three tournaments in a row."

Goku nodded. "Like I said, it's all about what teachers you find. I wouldn't have made it that far without everyone that saw my potential and showed me how to utilize it."

Videl cracked her knuckles. "One more go?"

Goku nodded, a familiar fire appearing in his eyes. Gohan, Sharpener, and Erasa all shuddered on the sidelines. Gohan was close to the point of panic. His father's competitive side was rapidly overtaking everything else. Videl was giving it her all and Gohan knew his father well-enough to know that Goku wanted to respond in kind. He swallowed a lump in his throat and mumbled to himself. "Please Dad…"

Goku and Videl each took their stances and then, not wasting a moment, they both charged at one another. Goku took the first strike, launching a flurry of punches that Videl had no answer for, catching her several times in the stomach and chest and just once in the face. She stumbled back and Goku didn't let up, sweeping her legs and launching her into a tree with a light palm strike. Goku took a moment to check if Videl was okay. Once he was sure he hadn't taken it too far, smirking at Videl's grit, Goku launched forward in an air-splitting spear kick. Videl ducked and Goku's foot pierced through the bark of the tree. The top of the oak sheared off and hit the ground with a thud. Videl's face turned red. As it turned out, Goku had still been holding back this entire time.

Properly furious, Videl shot up to her feet and punched Goku in the throat. The Saiyan wheezed and gave a harsh cough. Videl spun on her heel and smashed her elbow into the side of his head. Videl followed that up with a right jab to the stomach, then another, then another. And then, she practically snarled as she pulled her hand back. "How dare you CODDLE me?!"

Videl thrust her palm upward. But, rather than coming into direct contact with Goku, the force of Videl's thrust smashed him right under the jaw and sent him flying into the air. Videl smirked with satisfaction. Sharpner and Erasa were stunned. Gohan called out. "Did you just perform a kiai?!"

All of Videl's friends sprinted across the grass toward her. She turned to them and grinned from ear-to-ear. "Heck yeah, I did!"

Sharpner flipped his hair back over his shoulder. "How the hell did you do that?!"

Videl shrugged. "What? It's not like I'm not strong enough to pull that off. Before Gohan showed us he could do that, I thought it was a trick or something. Once I saw it was the real dead, I just pulled some books and got practicing in the gym. It only took a couple hours to blow apart my speed-bag from a distance."

Gohan was speechless. Erasa whistled. "Wow, so you can just…do that now?"

Videl sheepishly blushed. "I mean…I've never been able to get that much force behind it. I kinda lost my temper there…heh…"

Erasa nodded. "And what about Gohan's dad? Aren't you afraid you might have…"

Videl's eyes widened. "OH CRAP!"

She turned and started to look around. "M-Mr. Goku! Are you okay?"

Videl and Sharpner both started to scan the entire field. Sharpner frowned and scratched the side of his head. "Where'd the old dude go? You didn't send him flying, did you?"

Videl frowned. "I, uh…"

She turned to Gohan. "G-Gohan, did you see where your dad went?"

Gohan's face was tense and about as pale as cottage cheese. His eyes briefly flickered into the air, then he looked at Videl with a nervous smile. "It's…it's all good, Videl. I'm sure my Dad is-"

Videl's gaze went to the sky and, to Gohan's final settling horror, her eyes went wide. Videl's jaw dropped and she stumbled back. "Wh-Wh-What the hell?!"

Sharpener looked up as well and gasped. "What the-"

About 50 feet in the air, Goku hovered and rubbed his lower jaw. "Ow! That sure packed a wallop…"

He looked down at his son and his son's friends and smiled, waving to Videl. "That sure was a nice shot! I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd be quite there just yet~"

No response. Goku cocked his head. "Wassup?"

Goku looked closely as the utterly shocked looks on Gohan, Videl, and Sharpner's faces. All three of them looked like they had just seen a ghost. Goku frowned. "Whatcha starin' at?"

Gohan spoke in a dry wheeze. "Y-Y-You're f-flying, Dad!"

Goku looked confused, but then his eyes went wide and he whispered to himself. "Normal people can't fly. Crap."

After another long silence, Videl began to chuckle. "O-Oh! I get it! It's just like Gohan's Saiyaman suit! You're just, like, wearing a piece of clothing that allows you to fly, right? R-Right?!"

She turned to Gohan, Erasa, and Sharpner. "Must be a pair of special pants! Or boots! Special boots! Right?! And, I mean, there's nothing wrong with that! Martial artists use weaponry and tools and stuff all the time! It's not like this is a tournament! It's just a little spar! So, it's totally okay!"

Gohan, seeing an out, immediately tried to go along with it. "Yeah! I can't believe my Dad would pull a prank like that! He's such a kidder, right?"

Sharpner, looking unsure, slowly nodded. "R-Right…"

Then, the three of them looked toward Erasa. Her eyes were half-lidded and she looked more than a little exhausted. Gohan frowned. "Erasa?"

She sighed. "Gohan, I love ya, but this is getting a bit tiring…"

Gohan flinched. "Wh-What do you-"

Erasa didn't wait for him to finish. Instead, she immediately took off from the ground and slowly flew up toward Goku, leaving her friends in stunned silence on the ground below.

Up in the air…

Goku looked genuinely ill as he floated there, mumbling to himself. "Oh man. I promised Gohan I wouldn't make him look weird in front of his friends. Daaaaamn iiiiit."

"You feeling okay?"

Goku flinched and turned, seeing Gohan's blonde friend floating right next to him. Her flying form looked more than a little novice, but she was maintaining her balance well enough. Goku groaned. "I…I'm fine. I just don't wanna upset Gohan or Chi-Chi. Not on Gohan's birthday."

Goku weakly smiled at her. "So, uh…your friend Videl down there, I overheard her talking. You have…flyin' pants too?"

Erasa rolled her eyes. "Flying pants don't exist. Miss Lazuli taught me how to fly a few days after prom because I really wasn't taking heartbreak that well."

She sighed. "Let me reintroduce myself, by the way, my name is Erasa and I am Gohan's ex-girlfriend."

Goku cocked his head. "Who is Miss Lazuli?"

Erasa nodded. "Allow me to clarify. Gohan and Mr. Krillin sometimes accidentally call her 18. Then she glares at them and they correct themselves."

Goku smiled. "Oh! Android 18 can teach people how to fly?!"

Erasa's eyebrows shot up. "Android?"

Goku shuddered. "Oh no. She's gonna kill me for that…"

Erasa waved him off. "I won't bring it up if you won't."

Goku seemed caught off-guard. He looked at Erasa and she smiled at him. Goku spoke defensively. "Ya mean it?"

Erasa shrugged. "You remind me a lot of someone I really love. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble."

Goku smiled brightly. "That's nice of ya! Really nice~"

And so, Erasa and Goku floated there for a few moments, just smiling at each other. Then Erasa sighed. "Miss Lazuli, Android 18 as she seems to prefer to be called, told me that she learned how to fly from a friend after something happened last Halloween. She took a break from teaching me how to be a lawyer to teach me how to do this~"

Goku nodded. "That's nice. I'll have to talk with her later about that. 18 is a real fighter, so if she's gotten any stronger I wanna see if she'll spar with me."

Erasa chuckled. "Yeah, I bet Miss Lazuli could knock someone's block off if she felt like it~"

Goku opened up. "Oh, heck yeah! You should see how tough she is! She beat the stuffin' outta Piccolo and my dad! And she was one of the very last blows against Ce-"

Erasa's gaze locked on to Goku. Goku stammered. "Ce-Ce-Ce-Ce-Ce…"

Erasa thought back on everything she had experienced since this year of high school had started. She thought long and hard and then turned to Goku. "I promised you that I wouldn't tattle on ya. Do you trust me in that?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah. You look like an honest person."

Erasa smiled, then she spoke plainly. "Did Mr. Satan really kill Cell?"

Goku stiffened up, but then he answered honestly. "No."

Erasa nodded. Then she looked down at her friends, all of whom were still staring in disbelief up to her and Goku. She questioned once more. "Did Gohan kill Cell?"

Goku looked over at Erasa uncomfortably, then down at Gohan. He smiled a small, fatherly smile. "Yeah. Cell never stood a chance. My son is amazing."

Erasa nodded, a satisfied smile on her face. "I fully agree."

The two of them looked at each other again and shared a small, but hearty chuckle. Then Erasa spoke up one last time. "Videl is a hothead a lot of the time, but she enjoys martial arts more than anything. Thank you for humoring her."

Goku shrugged. "I ain't humorin' nothin'. That girl is gonna be one of the best on the planet one day, so long as she keeps at it."

Again, Erasa smiled. "Once more, I fully agree."

Back on the ground…

After a few moments, Goku and Erasa both landed on their feet and Gohan, Videl, and Sharpner were on them in moments. Videl grabbed Erasa by the shoulders and began to shake her. "What? What? What? What?! WHAT?!"

Erasa held up her hands. "Videl! Calm down!"

Videl screeched. "HOW CAN YOU FLY?!"

Erasa responded. "Miss Lazuli taught me!"

Sharpner was shrill. "THE LAWYER TAUGHT YOU?!"

Erasa nodded. "Yeah. I learned how in about a week."

Videl snapped. "BULLSHIT!"

She turned to her boyfriend. "Gohan! You gave her a modified clothing like your Saiyaman Suit right?! RIGHT?!"

Gohan flinched. "Uh…"

Erasa adopted a sour look. "Gohan! It's not too late for me to take my present back! Liars don't get presents!"

Goku chuckled. "Or cake~"

Gohan grumbled. "Y-You just want more cake for yourself."

Gohan glared at his father and Erasa. Erasa glared right back. The stare-off was legendary, the Earth seemed to begin to rumble under everyone's feet as Gohan and Erasa tried to dominate the other's will. Then, with a limp sigh, Gohan slumped his shoulders and rose about ten feet into the air.

Videl and Sharpner were, once again, speechless. Gohan groaned. "S-Sorry. For lying, I mean. I…"

Sharpener yelped. "Holy crap…"

Videl was staring in awe. "You can fly…"

Gohan nodded. "Y-Yeah. I'm sorry. After hearing what your dad had to say about 'tricks' and what you had to say about 'tricks', I was afraid that you guys might think I'm a freak if I were to-"

Videl snapped. "Hold on a minute! Are you saying that you're afraid I might break up with you over something my Dad said?!"

She waved him down. "Get down here so I can punch you!"

Sheepishly, Gohan landed and Videl gently bopped him atop the head with her fist. She shook her head. "I'm not just some idiot, Gohan. Did I believe people could fly? Of course not! But, I'm not some dumbass who's going to deny what's right in front of her! You can fly, your father can fly, Erasa can fly! So, that means…I can fly, right?"

Gohan flinched. Videl looked up at him expectantly. "Tomorrow, once your birthday is over, I want to learn. Okay?"

Sharpner smiled wide. "Yeah, man! Me too!"

Gohan was dumbfounded. Happy, but dumbfounded. He started to answer, but Videl turned away. "Like I said, Gohan, we'll discuss it tomorrow. Right now, I have something to finish…"

Gohan, Erasa, and Sharpner all watched on as Videl marched across the grass and got right back in Goku's face. "I want a definitive end to this spar of ours, got it? I'm not going to be distracted by a shiny toy."

Goku smirked. "I would never accuse you of anything like that. Let's wrap it up and then go eat!"

Gohan spoke up. "Guys! Is this really necessary…?"

Videl and Goku both nodded. "Yup!"

Gohan receded back and the two opponents took their stances once more. Goku smiled. "I did wanna say that your form on the kiai was top notch stuff. You're tellin' me no one taught ya that?"

Videl snorted. "Nope. All self-taught~"

Goku chuckled. "Man, you're fun!"

Videl smiled. "You too, bud."

The battlefield went silent. Goku and Videl hardened their gazes at each other. Goku knew he still couldn't go full strength, he didn't want to break this girl, but he felt he could at least go the same level he used against Vegeta. Hard enough to hurt, but only enough hurt to inspire her to be better. This girl was more than good, more than fun. In Son Goku's humble opinion, she was positively amazing! He wanted her to get better and better until one day, he was sure, he'd be able to fight her at her best.

Goku cracked his knuckles, his power shot up. Gohan broke a sweat, his entire body going tense. Videl didn't waver.

Another short moment passed, a hot summer wind blew. And then Videl fired off another kiai. The force of the shockwave shredded toward Goku and Goku effortlessly slapped it away. Videl flinched and Goku charged, a smile on his face. "You're strong, Videl! Just never forget that there's always someone stronger! That's the only way to improve!"

Goku stopped short in front of Videl, raising his fist and then flicking her on the forehead with his index finger. Videl went tumbling back through the air and Goku gave chase again. She snarled and tossed a punch out in her freefall. Goku caught it and tossed her into the air. "Your fist is heavy, huh?! I don't know nothin' about ya, but I can see it!"

Goku leapt into the air and launched a flurry of punches in slow motion. Videl was barely able to block the blows and felt her hands vibrate as she did. Goku threw a heavy punch and Videl jerked her head out of the way, feeling the force of a speeding car shoot right by her ear and crash into the ground below. Goku hovered above her. "Are you fightin' for yourself here? Or are you fightin' for someone else? Martial arts ain't about nothin' more than provin' to yourself that you can do it! If you can't unburden that fist o' yours, you're gonna stagnate!"

For a moment, a sense of anger at Gohan flashed through Videl's head. But, that anger quickly dissipated. For just a moment, she believed that Gohan had blabbed about her personal feelings to someone else, but that definitely wasn't the case. Gohan was a good person, an honest one deep down. And, more importantly, she knew for a fact that this man Son Goku could not care less about someone else's personal history. That was written on his face. So, in this case, where he was genuinely calling her out on something so personal, what did that mean? It meant that it was obvious, right? Right?!

Videl snapped. "Piss off! You don't know me!"

Videl swung a heavy kick right at Goku's face. Goku caught her leg and raised his fist. "I know, but I wanna get to know you. And I wanna see you be better, so don't take what I just said as me bein' mean, okay?"

Videl flinched and then Goku launched his punch, as the height of his strength cap that he had set for himself. His fist collided with Videl's stomach and she shot to the ground like a missile. Gohan cried out and tried to race to her aid, but was just a bit too slow as Videl crashed into the ground and tumbled.

Goku landed, taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out. And then, Gohan was right in his face. "DAD! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Goku groaned, cracking his neck and stretching his shoulders. "C'mon, Gohan, don't start yellin' at me. I can't just let someone win, how would they know they could improve if I did that?"

Gohan flinched. "What do you-"

Behind him, Gohan heard the very un-lady-like sound of someone clearing their throat. He turned and Videl was on her feet, spitting a mixture of phlegm and blood into the grass. She sniffed and then winced and pressed her hand to her abdominals. "Damn. That's definitely gonna bruise…"

Gohan stammered. "V-Videl…"

Videl rolled her eyes as Erasa and Sharpner ran up to check on her. "Will you all calm down? I'm not some china doll. I can take a punch in a silly little spar. I'm just annoyed that I could only force him to hit me full-strength the one time…"

Goku sheepishly looked away, not his full strength in the slightest, but she didn't need to know that yet. Looking back at Videl, he smiled. "You sure are tough. Bein' able to stand after a blow like that is impressive."

Videl nodded. "Thank you."

Taking a moment to crack her own neck, Videl looked at Goku and Gohan. Then she spoke again, her attention locked onto Goku. "I want you to train me. Please. I could stand to learn from you."

Goku sighed, shaking his head. "Sorry. Like I said before, I am not a good teacher. I can be a great sparring partner, but I'm not a good teacher. At least…not yet. I'm working at it, just not right now."

Videl wilted, just a bit. Goku smiled. "Aw, don't be down! It's not like you don't have a great teacher available right away! You have Gohan and he and I are about equal in terms of strength and skill! Learn from him~"

Videl turned to Gohan, but Gohan's eyes were locked onto his father. He looked stunned. "Dad…do you really mean that?"

Goku chuckled. "Heck yeah, I do! You're awesome, Gohan! If you and that girl worked together, her growth would skyrocket!"

The two of them looked at each other, Gohan into Videl's eyes and Videl into Gohan's. They shared a firm, but silent nod. Goku stretched. "Hoo boy! This has been good! I feel refreshed~"

He cocked his head in thought and then turned back to Videl. "Oh, another thing! Tien and Chiaotzu are comin' too. Tien leads the school that invented the technique for flying, Sky Dancing. If you wanna get a bit more insight into things, you might be able to ask him to explain things too!"

Videl's face showed a small wave of recognition. "Tien…?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah! He arrived while Gohan was off waitin' for you guys. You can talk to him right away."

Gohan turned to his friends and smiled. "Yeah, that's a good point. Let's put this fighting stuff to the side for now and get to the house. In for a penny, in for a pound. I want you guys to meet my WHOLE family~"

Videl smiled. "Cool! Let's get going!"

Erasa giggled and followed along. Sharpner followed as well. "Just don't forget, I wanna learn how to fly too! You guys better not leave me out!"

Gohan watched his three friends march ahead and then turned to his father. Goku sighed and frowned. "S-Sorry. I didn't mean to…ya know…"

Gohan shrugged. "It's fine, Dad. I mean, it's a bit scary that you hit her that hard, but at least she managed to take it in stride. Must have managed to dodge, huh?"

Goku shook his head. "Nope. She instinctively withstood it."

Gohan flinched. "Oh?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, man. You've found a really good girl there. Tough like your Mom and with better instincts. Her body is using her ki without her even realizing what it's doing."

Gohan looked forward, staring at Videl's back. "R-Really?"

Goku smiled. "Yup. Honestly, she's a natural. A born fighting genius. Just like you, like Piccolo, like Vegeta, heck, even kinda like me. All of her skills are rooted into an instinct that her body is naturally utilizing. If she strength trained and toned down some of her ego, she could be one of the strongest people on the planet!"

Gohan and Goku followed Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner toward the house. And, once again, Gohan found himself utterly speechless.

At the Son Family household…

Gohan and his friends crested the final hill and came upon the sight of a party in full-swing. Goku marched past them with a yawn. "I think I might go have a little afternoon nap before dinner…"

Once Goku had disappeared inside the house, Gohan sighed and smiled. "Well, I suppose I should get you guys introduced to everybody. Let's start with-"

"Well, there you are!"

Gohan flinched at the sound of a familiar voice. He turned just in time to be tackled into a massive hug by Lime. Erasa giggled and joined in. "Hey Lime! Remember me?"

Lime locked Gohan into a headlock. "Darn right I do! Yer Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner, right?"

Videl chuckled. "Hey Lime! Been a while! We never had that lunch, did we?"

Lime let Gohan go and wrapped her arm around Videl's neck. "Well shoot! There's plenty to eat here, let's get to it!"

Erasa cheered. "Heck yeah! I'm hungry!"

Videl nodded. "Me too!"

Lime bellowed. "Then let's get to the grill! Miss Chi-Chi, Miss Launch, and Miss Gine have been at it for a few hours now!"

As the girls stumbled off, Sharpner set Gohan's presents next to all of the others and sighed. "Looks like we've been ditched, bud. So, who's fun to hang with around here?"

Gohan smiled. "Well, Tien and Chiaotzu are here, so we could go talk to them about teaching you to fly. 16 and 17 are over there and they can be fun. And it looks like Yamcha is talking to Vegeta and Bulma, so…"

Sharpner laughed. "Yamcha and Bulma? Like, the famous Yamcha and Bulma Briefs? Why would they…be…at…?"

Sharpner stopped laughing as his gaze locked onto the richest woman on the planet, standing next to her husband, and his baseball idol having what appeared to be a casual chat. There was a long silence, then Sharpner turned to Gohan. "Dude…how do you know these people?"

Gohan shrugged. "Bulma is my godmother. Yamcha is one of my Dad's oldest friends, and I guess he's my brother and sister's godfather given that he married Suno. I know all sorts of cool people just because I happened to be born into a pretty cool family~"

Sharpner stiffly nodded. "Ah…th-that makes sense…"

Another pause. Gohan shook his head with a good-humored snort. Laying his arm over Sharpner's shoulder, Gohan spoke to no one in particular. "You know, so few people here really care about baseball. I'm sure if someone were to introduce themselves to Yamcha as my friend, then start talking baseball, he'd be willing to chat for a long while~"

Sharpner looked at Gohan with wide, wide eyes. Gohan chuckled. "I have to go find my martial arts master. I can sense he's somewhere in this crowd. Sorry to leave you bud, I hope you can find someone to-"

Before Gohan could finish the apology, Sharpner was bounding in Yamcha's direction, nearly smacking right into Vegeta before coming to a halt and starting to talk. With Sharpner, Erasa, and Videl already mingling into the group, Gohan turned and started walking in the direction he sensed Piccolo was in. As he walked, he looked around at everyone gathered at his house.

His mother and his Grandma Gine were throwing spices into a giant, bubbling pot of broth meant for the hot pot dinner later. Chika and Aunt Launch were standing to the side cutting up onion, garlic, and other sweet smelling aromatics.

Eighter and Android 16 were sitting on a log, Eighter showing his fellow Android a small collection of delicate woodcarvings and 16 nodding with genuine interest. Further in the background, Erasa and Videl were talking to Lime, Suno, and Android 18. He overheard Videl ask a question. "Why all the tails?"

18 responded bluntly. "That's how you tell apart the dumb ones from the really dumb ones, dear."

Suno gave a hearty, approving laugh.

Gohan frowned for just a moment at the sight of Ranch sitting in the shade of the house, her eyes glued to her phone. He would have to make sure to attend to her the moment he got done talking to Piccolo.

From behind Gohan heard a familiar, bellowing voice. He turned just in time to see his grandfather, the Ox-King, marching in with a massive Paozu Boar over his shoulder. "I got the meat for the hot pot, everybody! Now it's a party!"

A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd as the Ox-King dropped the boar and began to gather firewood. Gohan smiled wide. He sure did love roast boar. Gohan rounded his house and took a brief glance into the kitchen window. Unfortunately, it seemed as if his father hadn't managed to sneak that nap. But, he looked happy enough sitting at the kitchen table and joking around with Master Roshi, Oolong, Turtle, and Krillin. Tien and Chiaotzu walked into the scene and took a seat, easily melding into the conversation.

He looked over to the present table and saw that Bulma's parents had just arrived. Dr. Briefs and his wife both looked beatific, placing their carefully wrapped gifts on the table and then joining the conversation with Sharpner, Yamcha, Vegeta, and Bulma. Sitting in the shade with three glasses of lemonade, Yajirobe, Korin, and Mr. Popo seemed to be enjoying the simple activity of basking in the summer sun. Upon closer inspection, however, Gohan enjoyed a small chuckle at the steadily expanding bubble emerging from Yajirobe's slumbering nose.

Finally, looking around, Gohan spotted Piccolo. He was standing in the shade of a nearby tree with his Uncle Raditz, Dende, Android 17, and a pregnant woman that Gohan only vaguely recognized. They appeared to be holding a casual conversation. Gohan started to walk toward them when, suddenly, a small shadow slammed into his gut. Gohan looked down and his gaze was met by a wild-eyed Bulla. "Hey Gohan! Happy Birthday!"

Gohan nodded. "Hey Bulla. Whatcha doing?"

She quickly leapt out of Gohan's grip and then sprinted as fast as she could. "Playing Mob Tag! I'm the only one who's not it!"

As Bulla ran off, she was quickly pursued by Goten, Trunks, Marron, Koriocha, and two dark-haired kids, a boy and a girl, that Gohan also only vaguely recognized. Still, the sight of the kids having fun made him happy. He walked over to the others under the tree and leaned against the trunk. "The kids appear to be having fun."

Piccolo nodded. "Yup."

He produced a wrapped box. "Happy Birthday."

Gohan smiled at his mentor. "Thanks, Piccolo. Another model car?"

Piccolo nodded. "An F1 racer with a dynamic engine build. You said you wanted something more challenging, right?"

Gohan nodded, looking down at the gift. "I did."

The pregnant woman spoke up in a very thick accent. "Lap, are you sure the kids are going to be okay? They're tough lil' buggers, but these other kids seem even more rough-'n-tumble…"

Android 17 smirked. "It'll be fine, Trix. If they get hurt, we have God on our side. Right, Dende?"

Dende agreeably nodded. "Yes ma'am! I'm ready to provide first aid if it's needed!"

The younger Namekian looked up. "Hey Gohan! Happy Birthday!"

Gohan smiled. "Thanks Dende. I appreciate you coming. I might, uh, actually take you up on the healing offer later."

Raditz cocked his head. "Did someone get hurt?"

Gohan sighed. "Dad punched my girlfriend in the stomach really hard."

The pregnant woman's eyes went wide. 17 rolled his eyes. "I thought I felt something weird with Goku's power level."

Gohan looked over, eventually holding out his hand to the woman. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Gohan, the birthday boy!"

The woman chuckled. "Oh, my apologies! Happy Birthday!"

17 looked over at Gohan. "Nah, this is my bad. I didn't get a chance to properly introduce you, we hardly ever see each other these days, man!"

Gohan shrugged. "Life is pretty hectic. I'll have to make sure I make it out to the preserve more. But, for now…"

17 nodded. "This is my wife, Trixie. The two kids playing tag with the others, Muffin and Socks, are Trixie's kids from her first marriage."

Trixie chimed in. "They're not just my kids. Adoption papers, love. Remember?"

17 blushed, ever so slightly. "Y-Yeah~"

He gently placed his palm onto Trixie's swelled up belly. "And the third bun in the oven here is yet to be named. But, we're working out some ideas~"

Trixie smiled and laid her head on her husband's shoulder. Gohan smiled warmly at the sight of Android 17 so genuinely happy. He looked around at his entire birthday party, and smiled wide. "The world sure is peaceful right now, huh?"

Later that evening…

All of the tables had been set out and everyone sat down to get ready to eat. Gohan relaxed into his chair with a contented sigh and looked across the yard at his little brother and little sister. In the past, the three of them had shared a birthday party, simply because their dates of birth fell so close together. Nowadays, Goten and Chika had been asking for their party a little bit earlier in the year so that nobody got lost in the shuffle on their special day.

Admittedly, Gohan kind of missed the three of them celebrating together, but he was happy that his little siblings were getting their due.

After spending a few minutes talking to Piccolo and the others, Gohan had toured around his yard just talking to everyone. He absorbed birthday well-wishes with a smile on his face, taking a few moments now and again to check on his friends. He was happy to see that they were having no trouble fitting in.

Now, here he sat with his friends, a steaming kettle of Paozu Hot Pot Broth for the four of them to share, and a bountiful tray of prepared foods to cook in it. Chi-Chi announced her hope that everyone enjoyed their meal and then, with a cheer from the gathered crowd, everyone began to dig in.

For the most part, it was a satisfying dinner. Everyone seemed to be relaxed and enjoying themselves, gorging on delectable delights in the hot summer evening. Everyone, to Gohan's dismay, except for Videl. Not that she wasn't having a nice time, she was and she said just as much. It was just…Gohan could tell that she was tense. No, worse than tense, she was in detective mode. Something had caught Videl's attention and she couldn't fully relax as her mind spun its wheels.

Finishing her bowl, Videl downed her cup of tea in three greedy gulps and then pulled out her phone and feverishly began to type something.

It didn't take long for Erasa and Sharpner to notice the same telling symptoms Gohan had caught onto. Erasa put down her bowl and gently sighed. "Is something wrong, Videl?"

Sharpner nodded. "Yeah, dude, you seem a little bit tense."

Videl narrowed her gaze at her phone. "I sparred with Son Goku…Sharpner was chatting up Yamcha…Erasa's mentor is married to Krillin…"

Erasa and Sharpner didn't seem to be following. Gohan felt a massive lump build in his throat. "Oh no…"

Videl's head jerked toward another table. "Tien…as in Tien Shinhan…"

She glared over at Piccolo, drinking a nice spoonful of broth with a smile on his face. "Junior…"

For a moment, Videl seemed to stare off into space. "We beat Tao Pai Pai, but…"

Videl's thumb slid across the screen of her phone. At first, she seemed to look up and stare at Gohan. Then, her eyes went wide and Gohan realized that she was actually staring past him. Gohan turned and saw just what Videl was staring at, his mother dipping her ladle into her and her father's kettle of broth.

Goku tried to lean in with his chopsticks and snatch one of Chi-Chi's bits of pork. Chi-Chi playfully flicked him on the nose. They both shared a small laugh, and then Chi-Chi leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Finally, Videl's eyes became as wide as saucers. Before she could stop herself, and before her friends could move to stop her, Videl bolted up out of her seat and thrust her finger right at Chi-Chi. "ANONYMOUS!"

Gohan was so shocked he leaned back too far and crashed out of his chair. Immediately, the rest of the party fell silent. All eyes were locked onto Gohan's girlfriend, the source of the sudden outburst. Embarrassed, Erasa whispered. "V-Videl…? Videl! Sit down!"

Videl promptly ignored her best friend. Chi-Chi looked a bit nervous. "Y-Yes? You're…pointing at me?"

Videl nodded, more keyed up that she meant to be, she started talking a mile a minute. "Gohan and I, we killed Tao Pai Pai! But…BUT YOU'RE ANONYMOUS! And Son Goku is here! And Tien Shinhan! And Krillin! And Yamcha! And Junior!"

She looked around, as if scanning for something she might have missed. "I-Is Shin the Hero here?!"

Not a single answer came to meet Videl's questions. At his table, Tien muttered to Chiaotzu. "...Gohan and that girl killed Tao Pai Pai?"

Yamcha looked to the sky, stroking his chin. "...haven't seen Shin since he and his son invited me, Suno, and Koriocha to dinner last year."

Videl's face lit up. "This is incredible! Amazing! The entire 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament is gathered here! Here! At a birthday party I was invited too!"

Suddenly, it dawned on the targeted parties just what this girl was going on about. Piccolo crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, but with a noticeable smirk on his face. "Oh no. A superfan…"

Videl was full-on nerding out. "I…I just don't know where to start! I bought the promotional tape of the 23rd footage that survived the explosion when my dad won his tournament! I wore that thing to shreds in the VCR! The daring martial arts! The bravery! The romance! The thrills! Even the tricks like Tien Shinhan somehow cloning himself and Junior managing to grow to the size of a skyscraper! Everyone was giving it their all!"

Gohan stood up, a bit perturbed and wanting to find a way to calm the situation. He didn't want any bad vibes between his family and Videl. He turned and scanned over all of his friends, only to be surprised to see that everyone seemed to be smiling.

Videl walked toward Goku's table, her arms motioning wildly at her sides. "It was only hearsay from the Announcer that you even won the match! I never expected you to have your opponent here for hot pot! How?! How did it go?! What happened?!"

Goku chuckled. "Well, I can definitely confirm that the announcer wasn't lyin'! I kicked Piccolo's big, green butt!"

There was a clatter of silverware and everyone looked over to Piccolo, who had suddenly launched up from his seat. He looked annoyed, a vein bulging from his clenched fist. "Hey! Don't make it sound like you steam-rolled me! I had you dead-to-rights! You hear me?!"

Goku stood and stuck out his tongue. "Nyah! That's not how I remember it, Big Green!"

Yamcha stood up, laughing. "One sec! Krillin and I were there! We can reenact what happened!"

Krillin chuckled, standing and running his hand through his hair. "Fine! But I get to be Goku!"

Yamcha and Krillin took their positions and Yamcha crossed his arms over his chest. "So, ol' Junior set off a huge explosion like this!"

He threw his arms out and let loose a massive, goofy roar. "RARAHGHRHRGHEGEGHEGFGHEGEHFHERGHHREWFRH!"

Krillin nodded. "Right, right! And he tore the whole city to the ground! Let it be noted, we gathered the Dragon Balls to wish all those folks back!"

Erasa cocked her head. "Dragon…Balls?"

Videl didn't seem to hear that part, totally engrossed. Yamcha continued. "And then Junior over there shouted out 'YES! I DOTH HATH VERILY WON-ETH THIS CHANCEY ENCOUNTER!'."

Piccolo snapped, a furious blush on his face. "I DID NOT TALK LIKE THAT!"

Goku, Chi-Chi, Tien, Chiaotzu, Master Roshi, Bulma, Oolong, Puar, and Yajirobe all chimed in. "YES YOU DID!"

Blonde Launch shouted. "DORKY-ASS THEATER NERD!"

Vegeta, Android 18, and Android 17 all laughed out loud. Piccolo's teeth scraped together. Krillin chuckled. "But, Goku was still standing and Junior wasn't expecting that one! And then Goku charged at him like this!"

Krillin ran up to Yamcha, jumping into his friend's face and battering it back-and-forth with a series of light punches followed by a play kick to send him crashing to the ground. Krillin doubled over. "And then Goku was all like 'HAAAAAAAAAAAH!'."

Yamcha chuckled. "And Junior was all like 'FORSOOTH! WHAT QUEER CHICANERY DARE ASSAULT MINE EYES?!'."

Vegeta cackled out loud. Piccolo snarled. "FORSOOTH?!"

Then Krillin charged forth, gently mashing his elbow into Yamcha's cheek and sending him flying. The impression continued for the rest of the reenactment, with Krillin replicating the entire Meteor Combination, less the Kamehameha and Yamcha palm thrusting Krillin's arms and legs and mocking him with Shakespearian theatrics.

On the ground, Krillin stammered. "N-Nice try, but you missed my vital organs…"

Yamcha grumbled. "ALL OF THEM?!"

Finally, Yamcha went for the death blow and Krillin leapt into the air, falling down and headbutting his friend in the ribs. Yamcha fell to the ground with a thud and clutched his side. "Ow! Even playing around, that hurts! No wonder that took him down so easily!"

Piccolo snapped. "I'll slit your throat, Yamcha!"

Everyone laughed as Krillin and Yamcha finished the story, adding their own addendum that the two enemies would eventually go on to become the best of friends. That detail seemed to calm Piccolo down, as did Goku marching up to him and wrapping his arm over the Namekian's shoulder. Gohan smiled once more, settling back into his chair and watching as Videl, Sharpner, and Erasa laughed right along with everyone else. Everyone was fitting in with each other like a hand in a perfectly tailored glove.

As he sat there, Gohan couldn't help but feel just a bit ashamed. Here he was, enjoying such a wonderful evening…after having spent all day fretting over nothing. He almost felt a little guilty, worrying that his family would clash with his friends like that. He had known these people all his life and, while they were all eccentric in their own ways, none of them (except for maybe Vegeta) meant any harm. Gohan sighed and mumbled to himself. "What did I think was going to set anything off in the first place? I'm such a dummy…"

And then, Videl dropped the proverbial spark into the powder keg. "So, are you guys participating in the World Martial Arts Tournament this year?"

Another hush fell over the party and Gohan felt his warm, red blood chill into ice. Slowly, he lifted his head up, his neck cracking the entire way, and found looks of total surprise on his father, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo's face. After a long, long silence, Goku spoke in an almost reverent tone. "There's a World Martial Arts Tournament happening?"

Videl nodded. "Y-Yeah. And sorry the schedule became so infrequent, they agreed to put the Tournament on a long hiatus so my father could have the time to mourn the loss of my mother. They held other tournaments in the meantime, like the Junior Division idea that my Dad came up with, but the real shebang is finally coming back this year!"

Gohan watched his friend's and his father's faces tighten. He heard shifting around behind him, but didn't dare to look and see who else his news was riling up. Videl continued. "It was originally meant to happen on May 7th, but then I went and got shot like a dumb-dumb and my Dad pushed it back one more month. It's happening soon, though. June 7th. No exceptions."

One-by-one, Krillin and Piccolo and Tien and Yamcha all got that competitive gleam in their eye. Goku's smile widened. "The Tournament is back? Really?!"

Just as Gohan mentally questioned how things could get any worse in this particular moment, the very embodiment of worst spoke up behind him. "I was only half-listening. What is this tournament?"

Gohan whipped around in his chair and saw Vegeta standing, arms crossed. Bulma sipped her tea. "Pretty easy concept, dear. You get in the ring, you throw punches, you're declared the winner once you beat the other guy. The prize is money and a belt."

Vegeta cracked a beastly smile. "Money? Bah. A belt? Pfft. You left off glory, Bulma. Glory, and the right to say you've dominated those whom you compete against. Right, Kakarot?! Right, Namekian?!"

Goku and Piccolo both smirked right back at the Saiyan Prince. 18 finished her tea with a loud slurp and stood, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "My husband and Vegeta are taking part in this?! And there's money to be won?! I'm in!"

Gohan spoke in a hushed whimper. "N-Now, let's all just-"

Trixie spoke up. "Lapis, dearie, I've seen you get into some scraps before, but never into a proper blue! I think I might like to see that~"

Android 17 looked over to his wife. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded with a smile. 17 stood, cracking his fingers behind his head. "Fine. I'm in too! Might be nice to stretch my legs!"

Gohan's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, all of his thoughts about unjustly worrying were immediately dispelled, replaced by a very real and very justifiable panic. There was a clear problem that only he was able to truly acknowledge, and it was thus: Videl was his girlfriend, her father was Mr. Satan, Mr. Satan was the champion, and now every person in his life was standing in front of him salivating at taking that championship!

Gohan fearfully mumbled. "...they'll pulverize him. Then, Videl will…she'll…"

Videl plopped down into the chair next to Gohan, a beatific smile on her face. "You know, I'm competing in that tournament too. So, I think you should as well, Gohan. After all…"

She playfully punched his arm. "...you're pretty strong, right?"

Gohan could feel his entire world spinning. He gave a nervous chuckle, smiling at Videl with his eyes squeezed shut. In his head, however, there was only one thought that Gohan was screaming at the top of his lungs. 'WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?!'