"Me?!" Chi-Chi gasped, pointing to herself. "But you're Tina Torque! You're a professional racer! Why would you want someone like me in your place?"
"You're not as bad as ya think princess," Tina smirked. "Besides, with my injury I can't ride real bikes the way I used to and with your help, I can nab that sponsorship and promote my business. Whaddya say? We can split the winnings forty-sixty?"
"Can you teach me that move?" Chi-Chi asked eagerly.
"Sure can."
'Then yes! I'd love to!"
"Hey! Whadda about me?" Goku pouted. "Can I race too?"
Tina turned and looked him over, rubbing her chin. Even with his muscles, he didn't look too bulky, so his weight wouldn't slow him down, and from what she had seen, he had good balance.
"Can you ride?"
Goku shrugged. "I've done it once."
Once? Tina frowned. And he thought he could compete? The dummy was likely to get himself killed. Then again, this race was for amateur and wannabe professional racers…most of those idiots tended to take themselves out. If he could just stay ahead of the pack, wouldn't that show her bikes to an advantage as well?
"Alright. Let's see whatcha got."
o0o
Krillin sighed for what felt like the hundredth time. It just wasn't fair. Goku, the lucky son of a gun, didn't even know what he had almost had and now with the Tournament closing, he, Krillin, would never get the chance to have a pretty girl propose to him.
"Cheer up Krillin!" Master Roshi said as he and Oolong joined him in the stands. "There'll be other tournaments even if it doesn't seem like it now."
"Heh, if Goku has his way, you can bet it'll be soon," Oolong smirked.
"Oh man that's right! I wonder if Goku's heard the news yet? He's gonna be devastated!" Krillin muttered, pitying his friend. Goku lived for fighting. What would he do now that he had nothing to train for? Unless he didn't know? Which, considering how their friend often went M.I.A. for years on end, wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
"Last I saw, he was begging Bulma to get it reinstated."
"Really?" Krillin laughed. "Good old Goku. I should have guessed he'd try something like that."
"Hmmm, it does seem like something such a tenacious youth would do," Roshi murmured, but was it wise? "Perhaps I should have done a better job at teaching you boys that there's more to life than just fighting." His gaze landed on a firm rear bending over in front of him. Oh yeah! Come to papa!
"Like a nice, tight…"
"Hands off perv!" said a blonde swinging around and shoving a machine gun in his face. Roshi threw himself to the ground as the crowd scrambled to get away but Krillin perked up when he saw who it was.
"Launch! What are you doing here?"
"Oh hey, it's you guys!" She holstered her gun and propped a fist on her hip. "Well what does it look like I'm doing? A girl's gotta earn a living!"
Krillin frowned and raised a hand to his lips and whispered, "You're not robbing this place are you?"
Launch grinned. "Nah, my wild days are over. I'm just here to earn a few bucks through an honest bet."
"Us too," Oolong smirked, flashing his tickets. "Who you got money on Blondie?"
"Who you callin' Blondie, pig?"
"Now Launch, is that any way to talk to an old friend," Roshi interrupted.
"Can it, old man. Don't think I've forgotten about you."
"Eep!"
Krillin sighed as Master Roshi ducked behind him. Who would ever believe this man was once a renowned martial artist? "So who's your favorite to win?"
"Everyone knows you don't tell a sure thing," Launch laughed, rubbing her nose.
"Sure thing?" Oolong grumbled. "This race is open to anyone. You never know who could show up and—"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't you worry. I got this in the bag."
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Greeted the announcer over the intercom. "WELCOME TO THE 48TH ANNUAL RACE OF THE AKA STRAIT!"
The crowd all cheered as Krillin scratched his head. That voice sure sounded familiar.
"WE'LL BE STARTING MOMENTARILY WITH A SPECTACULAR LINEUP BUT FIRST LET'S INTRODUCE OUR COMPETITORS! UP FIRST, YOU KNOW HIM, YOU HATE HIM, HE'S AS QUICK WITH THE JOKES AS HE IS ON THE TRACK, WAAAAAAARI WEST!"
A man in a red jumpsuit with lightning bolts stitched on the front and back of his jacket, waved to the crowd and then dabbed before running off to his bike. A small, exasperated sigh could be heard over the intercom before the announcer was declaring the next contestant.
"NEXT UP, HE'S FEELING A NEED FOR SPEED, PETA MAAAAAAVERICK!"
This time it was a man in a bomber jacket and aviators who waved, flashing sparkling white teeth as he smiled for the crowd.
"OUR THIRD COMPETITOR IS A WELL KNOWN FACE, JUMPING UP FROM THE JUNIOR DIVISION THIS YEAR, SPARKY SPROCKEEEEET!"
A cocky looking teen in a tracksuit flashed a grin and a wink to the crowd, before strolling towards his bike.
"FOURTH UP, BUTCH CASEDI IS LOOKING TO STEAL THIS YEAR'S TITLE FROM OUR FIFTH CONTESTANT AND PREVIOUS WINNER, USA BOLT, AKA THE WONDER KID! BUT CAN HE DO IT?"
A heavy set man with a square jaw elbowed a tall, lanky fellow as he raised his hands high in the air. The other man merely glared at his fellow competitor, determined not to be brought to his level, as he greeted the crowd with a more dignified wave. Neither looked pleased with the other and both turned away from the crowd with a look of contempt as a buff guy ran past them.
"JOHNNY "NO" BRAKES IS READY TO TAKE THAT MOTTO TO THE LIMIT—"
The buff man with spiky blonde hair, shades and a leather jacket spun around, running backwards for a moment to finger gun the crowd, before jetting off to his ride.
"—WHILE BLAZE PISTONS IS HOPING TO BURN HIS WAY THROUGH THE COMPETITION!"
Some of the crowd booed as a grumpy looking redhead walked out and glared at them all before continuing on his way. He was followed by a rather dull young man in a black jumpsuit with a white ascot who bowed to the crowd.
"AND OUR FINAL CONTESTANT, READY TO MAKE A MIRACLE, REVEREEEEEND IGNITIOUUUUS!"
The crowd went wild, cheering their favorites, making their bets. Some even tried to get the attention of the contestants with signs—or their cleavage. There was at least one old man with binoculars looking at the festive display but after a minute had passed, the announcer decided it was time to reign it in.
"THERE YOU HAVE IT LADIES AND GENTLE—OH WHAT'S THIS? WAIT A SECOND FOLKS! IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TWO LAST MINUTE ENTRIES! REPRESENTING WORLD FAMOUS TINA TORQUE'S UP AND COMING ESTABLISHMENT 'FUTANYA' IS THE MYSTERIOUS RACER X!"
A figure wearing a white jumpsuit and a black helmet walked out accompanied by a young man all in black, with messy hair and goggles around his neck.
"AND…OH BOY DO WE HAVE A TREAT FOR YOU TONIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, OUR FINAL CONTESTANT WAS THE WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S TENKAICHI BOUDAKAI AND HE'S LOOKING TO MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE WORLD OF RACING, CAN I GET A WARM WELCOME FOR SOOOOOOOON GOKUUUUUU!"
There were shouts of surprise from the crowd—several loud exclamations coming particularly from the nosebleed section—prompting the messy-haired man to look up. He smiled, giving a sheepish wave to the crowd before returning his attention to his fellow competitor.
"WHICH OF THESE FINE COMPETITORS WILL GO HOME WITH THE CUP AND PRIZE OF ONE MIIIIIIIILLION ZENI, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AN EXCLUSIVE ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH SONIC INDUSTRIES? GET YOUR BETS IN QUICK BECAUSE THE RACE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!"
Krillin couldn't believe it. Goku?! He leapt over the seats and onto the balcony railing, grabbing a support beam as he leaned out as far as he could before managing to spot his friend's signature locks amongst the contestants. It really was him!
"GOKU! HEY, BUDDY! OVER HERE! GOKUUUUUU!"
He shouted as loud as he could but it seemed that not even Goku could hear him over the noise of the crowd. Or maybe he was distracted. His friend's attention did seem pretty fixed on whoever that Racer X was. Did Goku know them? They sure looked awfully chummy. Maybe he could borrow Master Roshi's binoculars for a bette—
A whistle blew, catching the crowd and the competitors' attention.
"EVERYONE TO YOUR SEATS PLEASE, THE 48TH ANNUAL RACE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!"
…
"You ready?" Goku smirked, practically bouncing as they made their way to their bikes.
He couldn't help it. The excitement was getting to him. He loved competing, especially in something new, and competing against Chi-Chi just made it better. It sent a thrill shooting through him. The kind that made him wanna grab her and press her close as he kissed her breathless. He hadn't been able to indulge much the past couple of days because of the old lady hovering around but he knew they'd finally be alone tonight.
Goku leaned into Chi-Chi's space, thinking maybe he could steal a quick kiss to tide him over, just as she slid her hand up his chest and shoved hard. He stumbled backwards, into his bike, his heart pumping like crazy.
"Just try and keep up," Chi-Chi winked, knocking her visor back down and mounting her ride. Any other man might have been annoyed but Goku's smile only grew as he turned and swung a leg over his borrowed bike making her heart flutter. Goodness! The way he looked with those tall boots and those form fitting pants…If there weren't hundreds of people watching…
No! She needed to focus. She could ravish him with kisses later.
Chi-Chi checked over her bike, running her hands along it admiringly. Air bikes weren't allowed, so she wasn't riding her favorite—though Tina had finished fixing it just the night before!—but for a grounded model, this one was certainly quite beautiful. She couldn't believe that she was getting the chance to race it and what luck! They were racing to the very place they needed to go!
She had heard about the Aka Strait Race. She couldn't imagine there were many who hadn't. It was unique in the sense that its course appeared once a year when the waters receded to show a winding path from the mainland to Junrei Island. As if that wasn't exciting enough, even if you managed to out race the competition, you needed to out race the waves as they came crashing back in!
Some years they didn't even have a winner.
She'd always wanted to attend one of these races but she never imagined she'd be participating. More than participating, Chi-Chi mentally corrected. She was going to annihilate the competition.
"RIDERS! START YOUR ENGINES!"
Chi-Chi flipped the necessary switches and twisted the throttle, smiling when her engine sparked to life and purred beneath her. She could hear the others starting up too as she glanced over at Goku, making sure he was all set. It had been rough teaching him how to ride. Thankfully he was a quick learner, but she knew she still had him beat.
Goku spotted her looking his way and grinned, giving her a thumbs up before snapping his goggles over his eyes. If she hadn't known how tough his skull was, she would have demanded he wear a helmet, but he insisted they made it difficult to see.
That man! He was so stubborn.
If only he didn't look so adorable with his hair sticking up even more oddly than usual thanks to his goggles.
She smiled, shaking her head ruefully, and gave him a thumbs up in return before focusing back towards the front where she could already see the waters starting to part, revealing the sandy route to Junrei.
This was it. Her first race. It was about to begin. Somehow she was even more excited than her first preliminary round at the Tournament! Ever since she was a little girl, she'd dreamed of this…but she'd been so sure that's all it would ever be.
Chi-Chi gave a silent prayer of thanks to her mother, hopefully somewhere looking down on her, for giving her the courage to take the journey that had led her to this moment.
A buzzer went off and every racer moved forward to their starting spot. She could hear the group revving their engines furiously, could smell the burned rubber…
She looked for the starting light and…
…
"AND THEY'RE OFF! AND—"
The bikes took off, some a little too eagerly, as both Maverick and Johnny "No" Brakes collided just seconds out of the gate, sending both riders flying into the waters on either side and a thin trail of smoke wafting up into the air. The crowd oohed at the display while the announcer shook his head and reported the tragedy in mock dismay.
"OH NO! IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST OF THE COMPETITION HAS FALLEN ALREADY WHILE THE REST OF THE RACERS HAVE SPLIT INTO TWO FACTIONS!"
Goku frowned, frustrated at how slow he was going. Chi-Chi was already way ahead of him but he knew if he didn't take it easy on the turns then he'd end up finishing this race in the water. He'd already had several close calls, the sandy terrain being much different than the simulator. If only he didn't have to depend on this machine. He could beat her easy then.
He glanced up in time to see some guy in red drop several small bombs and veered off to avoid them.
"WHAT'S THIS? IT LOOKS LIKE THE COMPETITION IS HEATING UP ALREADY AND WEST IS MAKING MOVES TO ELIMINATE HIS FELLOW COMPETITORS!"
Unfortunately not everyone noticed in time to do the same.
"OUCH! THAT'S GOT TO HURT! IT LOOKS LIKE THE REVEREND HAS SAID HIS LAST PRAYER! BUT WHAT'S THIS? WHAT DOES SPARKY HAVE THERE?"
Goku twisted the gas and jumped past some kid with a stick lighting up like one of those fireworks Launch had bought him and Krillin when they were kids. A glance in the mirror showed the kid reaching for the guy in red just as another racer sped up, sending him into a tailspin and taking the other two out with him.
"WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE PISTONS IS GOING DOWN IN A BLAZE OF GLORY, JUST NOT THE WAY HE INTENDED BUT HE'S TAKING SPROCKET AND WEST DOWN WITH HIM, LEAVING SON GOKU BRINGING UP THE REAR!"
Chi-Chi smiled, relieved to hear that Goku was still in it, before returning her focus to her own issues. She pushed her engine to go a little faster, risky as that was on sand. She couldn't be sure but she had the feeling Bolt and Casedi were closing in on her.
She pushed a little more and then braked as hard as she dared on such a dangerous surface, watching the two speed past her and nearly take each other out. Those jerks had been trying to sabotage her! Chi-Chi growled and revved her engine, picking up speed.
Three could play at that game.
She caught up but they were doing their best to block her from passing. Chi-Chi didn't care. They could try to block her all they wanted, all she needed was a bend in the path and…there! There was one just ahead! She grinned as Bolt and Casedi hit the turn first, maintaining their speed to force her back. Not that it mattered. She willed herself to be calm as she coasted the turn, concentrating on the feel of her engine like Tina taught her, waiting for the right…there!
Chi-Chi hit the gas and burst past Bolt and Casedi, sending them flying off of the track on either side.
She'd done it! The path was clear! She just needed to reach the end!
"UH OH FOLKS, LOOKS LIKE THIS RACE IS ALMOST OVER AS THE TIDES ARE ROLLING IN BUT WE STILL HAVE TWO COMPETITORS IN THE RACE, THE MYSTERIOUS RACER X AND SON GOKU! WILL THEY BE ABLE TO FINISH OR IS THIS END OF THE ROAD FOR THEM?"
Goku glanced over his shoulder and cursed. The waves were coming in too fast! He couldn't waste any more time! He twisted the lever to make the bike go as fast as it could and surged forward but it wasn't enough! The waves were still gaining on him!
"AND IT LOOKS LIKE SON GOKU IS GOING UNDER!"
Well there was one thing he could try.
Goku laid his body flat against the air bike, making sure to stick his feet next to the metal pipes, as the waves started to crash down.
"Kame….hame….HA!"
"WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! SON GOKU HAS SLIPPED OUT OF THE WAVES WATERY CLUTCHES USING SOME SORT OF SUPER BOOST AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S CATCHING UP TO THE MYSTERIOUS RACER X!"
What?!
Chi-Chi looked over her shoulder to see Goku coming in fast, practically flying over the track, the signature pale blue burst of the kamehameha wave blasting out behind him.
That sneaky little cheater! Well if he thought he could get away with that, he was about to have a rude awakening.
She tucked her feet underneath her on the seat and readied herself, knowing she'd only get one shot.
NOW!
Chi-Chi leapt into the air just as Goku flew overhead and pressed her fingers into his stomach as they passed one another. The effect was instantaneous. His ki blocked, the kamehameha disintegrated and Goku came crashing back down to the earth just ahead of Chi-Chi but Chi-Chi was already landing back on her bike and kicking it into gear, shooting past him and taking the lead.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WHAT AN AMAZING UPSET! SON GOKU TRIED TO STEAL FIRST BUT RACER X REFUSED TO LET HIM! NOT EVEN THE WAVES CAN STOP THIS CHALLENGER NOW!"
Chi-Chi sailed past the finished line and swerved to a stop, smiling as Goku came up behind her.
"AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! RACER X HAS WON THE ONE MILLION ZENI AND THE ONE YEAR CONTRACT WITH SONIC INDUSTRIES IN AN INDISPUTABLE FINISH! TINA TORQUE MUST BE THRILLED TO HAVE HER PROTÈGÈ TAKE HOME THE GRAND PRIZE IN THEIR DEBUT RACE!"
o0o
"Dagnabbit! I had money riding on him!" Roshi cursed. How was it that boy was always costing him money?!
Krillin pouted as he looked at his empty wallet. "Looks like we're all going home losers."
"Speak for yourselves," Oolong grinned, flashing a wad of cash.
"You bet against your friend?" Roshi stammered. "After all he's done for you? Why you ought to be ashamed of yourself! Now give it here!"
"No way!"
Oolong held the money behind his back, making it easy for Launch to yoink it out of his hands. "I'll take that!"
"Hey! Who do you think you are?!"
"I think I'm the one with a gun in your face," Launch huffed, tapping his cheek with the weapon. "So behave."
"Are you guys just gonna let her get away with this?!"
"Well she does make a compelling argument," Roshi mumbled, as Krillin glanced up from the brochure he'd been reading.
"Hm? Oh well you know, Launch is just messin' around." He skimmed back over the article, noting it said the race course ended on Junrei Island. "Hey! I wonder if it's too late to catch up with Goku? Do you think there are any ferries to the island?"
"Of course there are!" Roshi sighed. "But ya have to have money to use them and we're fresh out! Besides, they won't be celebrating Goku. He's not the one who won!"
"That's true," the younger man muttered. Although second place was nothing to sniff about. The fact that Goku had managed that much was noteworthy considering his typical ride was that flying cloud of his.
"I wonder who Racer X is?"
Whoever they are," Roshi groused, "They'd have to be a formidable martial artist to block Goku's ki like that."
That's right! He'd forgotten about that. It was crazy to see the kamehameha wave cut short in a single second. If they could do that, they had to be strong. That explained how Goku knew them then. He always managed to find the most formidable opponents.
Krillin tried to ignore how weird it felt running into his friend like this without being able to talk to him. He knew Goku often went off on his own throughout the years but it was strange to feel like an outsider looking in on his friend. Watching him having adventures without any awareness that his friends were nearby. Knowing Goku though, he probably had hundreds of friends spread out throughout the world, it'd be impossible to keep track of them all…but Krillin knew that even if Goku had a million friends, he would always be Goku's best bud.
Though Goku had looked pretty friendly with that Racer X…what if…what if Racer X was trying to replace him as Goku's best friend?!
No, no…he was being silly.
Or was he?
He was, he was.
Or…?
No, no, he was, he was.
Krillin drummed his fingers against his arms before deciding he needed to find some way to get to Junrei Island. It would be rude not to say hello to a friend. He stood and started to tiptoe away.
"And just where are you off to?"
Krillin jumped and spun around to face Master Roshi.
"N-Nowhere!" He swore, before realizing he had no reason to feel guilty. Krillin rubbed the back of his head, feeling sheepish. "Just wanted to see if I could learn what Goku's been up to, that's all."
"Well he certainly never married little miss sunshine," Oolong muttered, still frowning at the blonde menace who stole his winnings.
The blonde in question looked up from counting the bills in her hand. "No? That's too bad. I liked her. She had moxie. If I was him I woulda snatched her up afta the Tournament."
"No way!" Krillin laughed. Goku? Chasing after a woman? "This is Goku we're talking about here. He isn't interested in things like that."
"Where did I go wrong?" Roshi muttered.
"I dunno, he seemed pretty crushed after she turned him down," Oolong pointed out, remembering the boy's lost expression, even if only for a minute. "Could be he's starting to notice."
Krillin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Yeah but he wouldn't get married! Not without inviting us to the wedding!"
"That implies he knows what a wedding is," Roshi frowned, stroking his beard. Maybe they should go after him. He had clearly failed to teach Goku valuable knowledge about how the world works. But how could he have known the boy would ever find a girl to settle down with?
"Aren't you guys forgetting somethin'?" Launch asked, eyebrow raised. She nodded down at the race track.
"Right!" Krillin nodded. "If Goku was married, he wouldn't be here racing bikes. So that answers that."
Launch growled. "Wait a second there cue ball, we still don't know who Racer X is."
"And you think it's the broad?" Oolong smirked.
"It could be!"
"Why don't yo—"
"Now, now," Roshi interrupted. "Whoever that is, it can't be Gyumao's daughter. Such skill takes years of training, beyond that which she displayed just three short months ago. It has to be someone else."
But who?
None of them could even begin to guess, leaving them all wondering what their friend was up to now.
o0o
"You cheated," Goku pouted, crossing his arms. There were people running towards them but he didn't care. He would have won if Chi-Chi hadn't done…whatever it is she'd done. What was that again? This was the second time she had done it. He really needed to start paying attention.
Chi-Chi raised her visor and stuck out her tongue. "I did not. You cheated. I just stopped you."
"What?" Goku blinked, taken aback. "How did I cheat?"
The nerve of this guy! "Did you forget about your little kamehameha wave already?"
"Oh."
Chi-Chi rolled her eyes as Goku scratched his cheek.
"Ya mean that wasn't allowed?"
Of course it wasn't!
"It's not part of the bike, dummy!"
"Oops."
Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes in suspicion just as the first of the crowd reached them and took their bikes away. "You really didn't know?"
"Who, me?" Goku grinned, following their guides to some stage. He nudged Chi-Chi with his elbow. "Course not!"
But Chi-Chi didn't trust that easy smile of his.
"So…you didn't try an' cheat because you were losin' ta me?"
"Would I do somethin' like that?" Goku smirked, taking a step closer.
Chi-Chi took a step back automatically, knowing that look. Their physical relationship was still fresh, but she was already growing accustomed to his various moods and faces. This one in particular meant she was in trouble.
If only they were alone.
She fought back the urge to slide her hands around his neck and instead pushed him away, turning her attention to the two men coming towards them. One was a man in a suit holding a microphone while the other had to be the cameraman, if the equipment he was holding was any indication.
Shoot! They probably wanted an interview. Why didn't she think of this before?! She was supposed to be keeping a low profile! What if someone recognized her?!
Chi-Chi knocked down her visor before sticking her arm out stiffly in a kind of salute.
"Hello there!" she greeted, using a false booming voice that made everyone around her fall over.
Goku recovered first and leaned in close, putting his hand up to where he assumed her ear was.
"Chi-Chi!" he whispered. "What are you doing?"
Chi-Chi whispered back.
"Keeping a low profile, remember?"
What better way to make sure she wasn't found out than to act in a way completely unlike her? Chi-Chi was proud of her fast thinking.
Goku on the other hand, could only laugh uneasily as sweat dropped down his forehead. This was keeping a low profile? He kept forgetting how weird girls could be. Or was it just Chi-Chi?
Unfortunately he didn't have time to pursue this train of thought as Chi-Chi strode forward towards the small forming crowd, once they had all recovered from their shock.
"Greetings, I take it you have some questions for me?"
The announcer smiled shakily. "Y-Yes, for the both of you in fact."
"AH!"
Goku pointed, suddenly recognizing the announcer from the Tournament. "You're here too?!"
"Of course!" Announcer guy frowned, "You don't think I only work the Tenkaichi Boudakai now do you?"
"Well…yeah?" Why would he think differently?
"Never mind all that," Tina griped, jabbing people with her cane as she made her way to the front of the group. "I'm who ya wanna talk to."
"Ah yes of course!" The announcer turned towards the camera and gestured towards Tina.
"Tina Torque, ladies and gentlemen. A famous racer herself, she retired several years ago and now designs racing bikes like the one our first place winner rode during the race. Isn't that right, er…uh…what's your name now?"
"Racer X!" Chi-Chi beamed—not that anyone could see her under her helmet—and placed her fists on her hips.
The cameraman leaned close to the announcer. "Isn't that copyrighted?"
Copyrighted indeed. The announcer dabbed his forehead uneasily with a handkerchief. What were the term limits again? He sighed, hoping his father-in-law didn't chew him out for accidental copyright infringement, before focusing back on the masked racer. Why was it, no matter the competition, there were always so many odd contestants?
"R-Right, Racer X. Well you know we need a real name to write the check out t—"
"Ya can write it out ta me, sonny." Tina informed him, patting his stomach with her cane.
The announcer wheezed, clutching his stomach, but nodded politely to the old lady before turning back to Racer X.
"V-Very well, uh, Racer X, can…can you tell me, have you participated in a race before? Your moves were on par with the professionals."
"This was my debut!"
"Debut?" The announcer perked up at that, "Does this mean we'll be seeing more of you in future races? Maybe even in a professional league some day?"
Chi-Chi laughed loudly, more than a little embarrassed by the suggestion. Her? A professional racer? "Hahaha, who can say? There's always a possibility!"
"Oh ho! You remind me of my older brother," chuckled a salt and pepper haired man in a crisp white suit and bright red ascot. He stepped onto the stage, surrounded by several guards, and shook Chi-Chi's hand. "I'm Mifune Go and that was some fine racing X!"
Chi-Chi grinned beneath her helmet and snapped finger guns in his direction. "Thanks."
"Mr. Mifune!" The announcer blanched, hopping in front of Chi-Chi. "What Racer X obviously means to say is it's an honor to have the President of Sonic Industries here to greet an amateur racer."
"The honor's all mine, oh-ho!" Mr. Mifune grinned, his teeth sparkling in the sunlight.
Goku frowned and leaned close to Chi-Chi, though he didn't bother to whisper this time. "He sure talks funny."
"Goku!" Chi-Chi snapped, all thoughts of maintaining her disguise temporarily abandoned. Didn't he know how rude that was?
The announcer slapped his forehead, feeling a headache coming on as Tina jumped in with the distraction.
"Didja bring the check?" She leaned over Mifune's assistant, stealing a business card as she did so. "Make it out to Tina Torque, T-O-R-Q-U-E. I'll make sure Racer X here gets her cut."
Mr. Mifune just stood there, unphased by the chaos, and clapped his hands together. "Excellent! O-ho! Gather round, everyone!"
He motioned for them to huddle together as a second camera man appeared, snapping a group picture of them with the check. Mifune took one second to examine the image and, looking pleased, sent the man on his way. "Good work as always Kurio. Now if you will all excuse me." He turned and shook Chi-Chi's hand one last time. "I hope to see you race again soon. Farewell, oh-ho!"
And with that, President Mifune sped off just as suddenly as he arrived, no doubt off to do…whatever it was president's of large companies do, taking a majority of the crowd with him.
"Right," mumbled the bewildered announcer. He turned back to Chi-Chi. "Any follow up words before we let you go?"
Follow up words? Why did he need to ask her so many questions?! Panicking, Chi-Chi threw up her hand in a victory sign, recalling a slogan she read in a magazine once. "Peace and love everyone! Peace and love!"
"Uh…you heard them everybody," the announcer cringed, addressing the camera. "Peace aaaand w-wait a second!"
He cut Racer X and Goku off before they could leave, noticing their familiarity with one another. "You know the second place winner, Son Goku? C-Could you be Ch—mfffgh!"
"Oh no!" Chi-Chi sighed, shaking her head in warning as she smothered the announcer's face with a gloved hand. "We wouldn't want ya givin' away anything you shouldn't now, would we?"
"No ma'am!" was the announcer's muffled reply.
Chi-Chi smiled, satisfied, and released him, smoothing out his jacket some. It was the least she could do for roughing him up.
The announcer didn't mind, feeling rightfully put out, that is until Goku stepped forward and took over. He knew the young man must just be trying to help but the announcer couldn't help but feel like Son Goku was treating him more like a punching bag than a person. He shooed them both off, fearing for his life, and retreated closer to his cameraman, determined to end this interview in one piece.
"R-Right, my apologies. I just have a few more questions for your fian—Son Goku and then you can both leave."
"Me?" Goku asked, pointing to himself.
"We just had a few questions for you as the runner up," The announcer explained. "You were labeled this year as the Strongest Under the Heavens, what made you decide to get into racing? Are you giving up on martial arts?
"Never!" Goku frowned, appalled to even be asked such a thing.
"Then why the change?"
He shrugged. "The granny asked us to. She said with the two of us, the odds were better. Seemed like fun. So I did."
The announcer nodded, easily believing his simple reasoning and turned back around to address the audience via the camera. "And there you have it folks, the Tenkaichi Champion is up for any competition. So keep an eye out for any upcoming tournaments, you might just find yourself going head to head with the likes of these two."
Finally finished, the announcer motioned for the camera guy to cut the signal and then turned to greet Goku and Chi-Chi properly.
"It's good to see you both again, and from what I hear, this won't be the last. I don't know how you managed it, Goku, but the board is reconsidering their decision to cancel the Tenkaichi Budokai."
"REALLY?!" Goku grinned, shaking the announcer's shoulders. "That's GREAT! Didja hear that Chi-Chi?"
"D-Dontcha mean Racer X?" Chi-Chi stammered.
"So it is you," the announcer smiled, "You really don't like to give out your name."
Chi-Chi blushed, realizing she'd been found out, and took off her helmet. At least everyone but the announcer and cameraman had already left. "I promised my father I'd keep a low profile."
"Your father? Who's tha—wait, no, nevermind." He didn't want to know. "Whatever the case, it's impressive you've managed to stay unidentified thus far considering how much you two tend to stand out. Speaking of, please make sure you go to the information desk to collect your prize."
"Oh Tina's handling that," Chi-Chi explained.
"Oh, Goku's too?"
"Huh?" Both Chi-Chi and Goku perked up at this.
"We don't get a second place often," the announcer explained. "So it's more of a consolation prize, but Goku does get a little something for coming in second. You should make sure to stop by, just in case Tina doesn't remember to pick his prize up as well."
The young couple exchanged curious glances.
What had he won?
…
"I can't believe we get to stay here!" Chi-Chi gasped, bypassing the enormous bed to stare out of the large balcony windows. What a view! She could see all the people still dotting the beach and the way the moon hit the water…it was so romantic. She pressed a hand to her cheek, fell back on the bed and sighed. Five days in this luxurious resort. In this luxurious bed…it was heaven. Too bad they probably wouldn't be able to stay the whole time but it would be a good base as they figured out where Zhuque could be hidden away. She knew it was one of the smaller islands but which one, she wasn't sure. Most of her mother's stories always ended after the first or second trial. She could only recall her mother mentioning the third trial maybe once and the fourth trial not at all.
She sighed, not wanting to think about that right now. First she had to find Zhuque. She could worry about what came after later.
"Isn't this wonderful, Goku?"
Goku studied the room, as he toed off his boots, and shrugged. It seemed nice and it was bigger than their capsule home. It even had a stove and a fridge and some cupboards to store stuff. He checked behind a door and found the bathroom. Good. Chi-Chi would be happy to have that.
His gaze fell to the bed, particularly how Chi-Chi looked on it, admiring the way her hair spread out underneath her. She sure looked comfy. He wanted to be comfy too.
Not wasting another second, Goku jumped on the bed, landing in the free space beside Chi-Chi, and gasped as he sunk into the mattress. It was as soft as Nimbus! Goku buried his face into a pillow and groaned. He was gonna sleep good tonight.
There was just one thing bothering him.
"Chi-Chi, why is there a tub in the middle of the room? Did they forget to put it in the bathroom?"
"Huh?"
Chi-Chi lifted her head to look where he was pointing and spotted the tub in question. "Oh! No, that's a hot tub, Goku. You soak in it and it relaxes all your muscles."
"But why is it in the middle of our room?"
That…was a good question. So much moisture in a place not meant for it, really wasn't good. She didn't want to even imagine all the mold building up under the carpet, but it was probably meant to be romantic, considering it was near the balcony and this was a suite.
"It's meant for relaxin'...not bathing…so multiple people can use it together if they want."
"REALLY?!" Goku sat up abruptly, suddenly excited, and pulled her towards him, pressing his forehead against hers. "Does that mean you'll do it with me?!"
"WHAT?!" Chi-Chi blushed and tried to push him away before she realized what he meant. "Oh! Uh…okay…b-but only if we wear our swimsuits."
"Sure!" Goku agreed. He started rifling through the capsules, looking for the one that contained their clothes before Chi-Chi stopped him, pulling out the leaflet they'd been given earlier to skim.
"Don'tcha wanna get something to eat first? It says here that our stay comes with free passes to the all you can eat buffet downstairs."
Several capsules crashed to the floor prompting Chi-Chi to look up in alarm.
"Goku?!"
"A-A-All I can eat?" Goku gasped, his drool practically touching the floor. He snatched Chi-Chi up and flew to the door. "What are we waitin' for Chi-Chi?! Let's go!"
"Wait! We need the room key!"
Goku spun around and snatched that up too before bounding out the door.
'Well…' Chi-Chi thought as he carried her down the staircase—far too impatient to wait for an elevator—at least she didn't have to worry about the hot tub anymore. She only hoped the cooks had enough food in the building.