Mystic Pan Pizza
A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by
Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)
Chapter 3: Adjusted Anchovies

Gohan woke up to feel a familiar presence looming over him. He immediately looked to the foot of the bed, only to find Kibito standing there, holding a tray with two steaming cups of tea.

"Good morning, Gohan," Kibito said. "Please excuse the interruption, but we have urgent business here. When you and your wife are prepared, feel free to join us downstairs. This will take a while."

Gohan frowned as Kibito put the tray down on the nightstand and walked out of the bedroom. He quickly shook Videl awake, warned her to be prepared for anything, threw on some clothes, and hurried downstairs.

The sight that greeted him was familiar, and yet, entirely different.

The Kaioshin was puttering around the living room, doing what appeared to be a modified version of his ancestor's power-raising dance. A few feet behind him, doing the same moves in near-perfect sync, was the aforementioned ancestor. Gohan genuinely could not be sure if the younger Kaioshin's face was red from exertion or embarrassment.

There did not seem to be a target for the dance, at first. But then Gohan spotted Pan, riding on the Kaioshin's back in a baby harness. And judging from the big grin on her face as she was constantly shaken from side to side, she was having the time of her life.

"What exactly is going on here?" Gohan asked slowly. "Why are you guys raising Pan's power?"

"Just the opposite, youngster!" Old Kaioshin barked at him. "We're not raising, we're lowering!"

Gohan stared at him. "I don't understand."

Kibito then emerged from the kitchen with yet another tray of tea, having guessed correctly that Gohan would be too distracted to drink the first batch. This time, however, Kibito glared so hard that Gohan felt obligated to try the tea. It was hot and strong, but Gohan barely tasted it. And Kibito seemed pleased, to the point where he offered a more detailed explanation for the intrusion.

"As the honored elder said, they are power-lowering. It has come to our attention that your daughter's potential has begun to exceed the natural limits that would normally be in place simply due to her age. The result of which is-"

"She's become a living bomb!" Old Kaioshin snapped.

"What?!" Gohan cried in alarm.

"It's nothing quite that dramatic, Gohan," the Kaioshin quickly assured him.

"Is, too!" Old Kaioshin disagreed. "As it is, her power can explode forth at a moment's notice! Just like a bomb and twice as explosive! She can't possibly hope to control it at this age!"

"So it is necessary to seal away the lion's share of her power, until such a time that she is knowledgeable enough to handle it wisely," Kibito continued.

Gohan blinked. "Um... look, if what you're saying is true, then fine. But what makes you think Pan has all this power? I haven't seen or sensed even a hint of anything like that."

"That is very hard to believe," Kibito replied with a frown. "The honored elder assured us that by now, she surely must have unknowingly injured someone close to her."

"Never happened," Gohan insisted. "And maybe you guys forgot, but we are pretty much a family of Super Saiya-jin. Old Kaioshin, you raised my power yourself, so you know exactly how strong I am."

Old Kaioshin glared at him. "And that's why I'm absolutely certain that a child of yours could injure even an experienced Saiya-jin who was caught unaware! You're claiming that there has not even been one peculiar instance involving this child?"

Gohan started to answer, but then spotted Videl, who had joined them at some unknown point in the conversation and now had a haunted look in her eyes.

"Gohan, stay here," she said firmly. "I need to see Goten."

Videl arrived at the Son house as the family was sitting down to breakfast. There was, as always, more than enough for any visitor that might have come by unexpectedly, but food was the last thing on Videl's mind as her eyes met Goten's across the table.

"Goten-kun, there's something very important I need to ask you," Videl said. "Can we talk in your room, please?"

Goten glanced at his parents, then nodded and lead Videl to his room, where she shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

"Were you a Super Saiya-jin around Pan because she managed to hurt you when you weren't?" Videl asked bluntly.

"It was an accident," Goten said at once.

"It was a yes or no question," Videl reminded him. "Why wouldn't you tell me? Didn't you think I needed to know what Pan was capable of?"

"If I had told you, would you have believed me?" Goten challenged.

"Probably not," Videl admitted. "Unless she hurt you bad enough to leave a visible mark."

Goten flinched.

"She did?" Videl asked in horror.

"NO!" Goten snapped, startling her. "Don't do that! Don't you dare!"

"Don't do what?" Videl asked.

"Think of Pan like she's a monster! That's the last thing we need! That's why I didn't tell you! Because I knew you wouldn't understand her! It isn't her fault that we're so strong!"

"Wait," Videl murmured. "Why did you say 'we' just now?"

Goten sighed heavily. "Because when I first became a Super Saiya-jin, kaa-san called me a monster. I know she loves me, and she didn't really mean it, but I never forgot how awful that felt. I will do anything to keep Pan from ever feeling that way."

"Even hide how badly she hurts you?" Videl asked. "I can appreciate that you were concerned about Pan's feelings, but were you going to let her keep hurting you? What if she seriously hurt you one day?"

"I could take it," Goten insisted.

"And what if I'm not okay with my baby hurting my little brother?" Videl demanded. "Did you ever think about that? Maybe I wouldn't like seeing you injured!"

Goten blushed. "I didn't really think about that."

"Then you should next time! What kind of big sister am I if I can't tell when my little brother is hurting? Or that my little girl is the one doing it?"

"Pan was hiding it," Goten explained. "She thought it was a game. She would only power up around me, and never when anyone else was around. And I'm ready for her now. All she really knows how to do on her own is a flying headbutt, anyway."

"You didn't listen to a thing I said!" Videl snapped. "I said I don't want Pan hurting you, and you're planning to let it continue!"

"It wouldn't only be her doing that!" Goten insisted. "I'll teach her how to control her power. I'll show her how much stronger we are than everyone else. That way she'll know to be careful."

"You know how else she could learn to be careful?" Videl asked. "By being horrified when she breaks your arm without meaning to. Maybe I don't understand Pan the way you think I should, but I know what that would do to her. Do you really want to do that to someone you love? And to Pan, of all people?"

Goten grimaced at the very thought. "I had to do something," he muttered. "Pan needed me. She needed to know that she wasn't a monster. Nii-chan and Trunks-kun did it for me, so I'm doing it for her. I don't ever want her to feel like no one understands her."

Videl knelt down and pulled him into a hug. "And that's exactly why she has a mother who understands her human side, and a whole family who understands her super brawler alien side." She squeezed him gently before letting go. "So there is no need for you to take all of this on your own shoulders, Goten-kun. We all love Pan, and each of us is able to contribute something to helping her grow strong and happy. Even if I hadn't believed you, you should have told someone until they did. And you could have shown me those bruises you're hiding."

"I was worried you wouldn't believe me," Goten admitted. "And that if you did, you'd be scared of Pan."

"I love Pan," Videl assured him. "But I love you, too, Goten-kun." She smiled as he blushed and bashfully lowered his head. "I know you enjoy your pranks from time to time, but I'd like to think that if you told me something so serious, I wouldn't doubt you. And thank you for telling someone about Pan's problem. I assume you did, and that's why I now have Kaioshin in my house."

Goten looked worried. "They're not going to take Pan away, are they?!"

"No, nothing like that," Videl promised. Then she paused. "At least, they didn't say anything about that." She traded worried looks with Goten. "You up for a quick trip to my house? If they do try and pull something like that, I could use some extra muscle."

Goten grinned and offered his hand to her. "Leave it to me, nee-chan!"

Videl blinked and smiled as she took his hand.

They stopped only briefly in the kitchen to explain their hurry. Videl was impressed at how quickly Chi-Chi managed to pack up what remained of breakfast. "Nobody is taking my grandchild off-world without permission!" Chi-Chi swore as she worked. "Goku, I know you owe them your life, but this is personal! If I have to offer this entire breakfast to Whis to get him to intervene, I will!"

Goku laughed. "Everyone, relax. They aren't here to take Pan away. Trust me, based on the damage I did to their world when I was there, the last thing they want is Pan growing up there. Anyway, I'm the one who called them. They're only here to get Pan's power under control. And I have a feeling there's no need to rush, either."

Goku was absolutely right: by the time the family arrived at Gohan's house, there was still another hour before the power-lowering ceremony was complete. Since there was no reason to put it off, Chi-Chi laid out breakfast for everyone.

"You thought we would take the child to our world?" Kibito asked incredulously, once Videl explained her fears. "Even without all the stories North Kai has told us, we would never invite such assured destruction upon ourselves. This ceremony will only prevent her from accessing transformations, and hopefully any related power levels, for the time-being. But that is nearly as likely to make her Saiya-jin blood rebel against our restraint. And there is always the possibility that she could naturally break the seal. Although if that happened, it would be a sign that she was indeed ready for it to be removed."

"See, I told you they'd never take Pan," Goku said confidently as he walked up. "They're too scared of Saiya-jin now."

"We are not scared," Kibito corrected stubbornly. "We are merely cautious, and rightfully so."

"You and Gohan never did have that fight, though, did you? And you didn't ask for a rain-check, or try to fight him after that. Even though he hasn't been training for a while, I think he'd still beat you pretty easy."

"I... that... what it does matter, anyway?!" Kibito sputtered angrily. Having no real defense, he gave up and stomped away.

Goku grinned knowingly.

"Thank you so much for calling them, Goku," Videl said. "And for being there for Goten to talk to. I don't know what I would have done, if not for you."

"You're giving me way too much credit," Goku disagreed. "This is what family does. You're one of us now, Videl. You don't need to thank me. None of us would be here right now if Pan wasn't here, and we only have her because of you and Gohan. I should be thanking you for making me a grandpa, but Chi-Chi said it would sound weird."

Videl gave Goku the exact same uneasy smile that she gave Goten whenever he did something that was both touching and yet slightly unwanted. She was not at all surprised that it seemed to work just as well on Goku.

Goten remembered feeling drowsy after breakfast, as well as nodding off in his chair. Someone must have moved him to the couch and covered him with a blanket after that. The power-lowering ceremony must have also been finished while he was sleeping, because Pan was now crawling up his chest and drooling on the blanket. Goten tickled her chin, both to make her laugh and stop moving long enough for him to wipe her mouth with her bib.

"Sorry I wasn't such a good uncle before," Goten murmured, holding her up to his face. "I'll do better next time, I promise. And I won't ever let you feel alone."

Pan stared at him. "Tengo?" she asked, reaching up to pat his cheek. "Sad?"

"No, I'm not sad. This is the best I've felt in a while, actually. And I'm glad you're too young to know why." Goten smiled and gave her a hug. "You were a good girl for the Kaioshin, so I'll give you a special treat. For today only, I won't call you the other name. But you still have to learn my name after that, Pan-chan."

"I Pan," Pan agreed.

"I can't wait for you to learn more words so we can have better conversations. Maybe we should practice with one of your books." He sat her on the couch and got up to select one of Pan's books from the shelf.
Pan clearly did not understand his intent, because she immediately began to wail when she saw him walking away from her. "No go!" she cried, waving her arms and kicking her feet wildly. "Goten stay!"

Goten turned back to her, his eyes wide. "Hey, did you say-?"

"GOTEN! NO GO!" Pan hollered. "STAY!"

"Yeah, you did," Goten noted, going back to pick her up. "Wow, you learn faster than I thought."

Pan whimpered and buried her face in his shirt. "Goten stay," she mumbled, grabbing a fistful of his sleeve.

"Guess we can save the books for later," Goten decided, sitting back on the couch. "You know, I missed you, too," he whispered in her ear as he rubbed her back. "But it was barely a day and I didn't go to pieces over it."

Pan lifted her head and shot him a surprisingly mulish glare that told him she'd caught enough of his meaning to be offended by it.

Goten laughed and kissed the top of her head. "That's better than crying. I'll take it."

Extra Anchovies: Frozen's Hunt

Certain people would always look out of place in a bar. And you didn't need to be a bartender, or a frequent drinker, to spot some of them.

He was one such person, and so, never made an effort to conceal himself. People would always assume the wrong thing, anyway, which only helped his reputation, which only indirectly helped his true endeavors.

This bar was especially dingy, but as a direct result, it was one of the best places to gather elusive intel, for a large fee. And money was no problem, for him.

The female bartender immediately abandoned the male customer she was talking to as he took the next seat. The customer scowled, and was about to complain, until he realized who was sitting next to him, paled, and promptly fled.

"Frozen-sama," the bartender murmured, dipping her head enough to be respectful, but not quite enough to draw too much attention. "What can I get for you?"

"Beta," Frozen said simply, his eyes narrowing. "Where is he?"

"Last I heard? On trial."

"So it's true. He really turned himself in. And for what purpose? To humiliate me?"

"My sources say he wants something that only the gods can give him."

"I already know about that. Where is the trial taking place?"

"No one knows."

Frozen pointed at the bartender, allowing a super-concentrated dot of black energy to form on his extended fingertip. "Where."

"I-I really don't know! They took every precaution to ensure Beta couldn't escape! No one mortal knows anything about the location!"

"So if I kill you, and manage to make you undead, you could find out?"

The bartender paused. "I... you can do that? No, wait, of course not! Even if you did, I'd still be a bartender that wouldn't have a valid reason to know that sort of thing!"

"True enough," Frozen muttered, lowering his finger.

The bartender sighed in relief. "Didn't you want Beta to get caught?"

"What I wanted was to be the one who caught him, so I could be given the very reward that he desires. Beta turning himself in does not benefit me."

"So what were you going to do if you managed to find the trial location?"

"You are a bartender who has no valid reason to know that sort of thing," Frozen said coldly. "But there is no reason you can't tell me this much: where is Son Satana?"

"Now, that, is pricey info, even for you, Frozen," said the hooded drinker to Frozen's right.

Frozen almost killed the source of the interruption out of habit, until he recognized the voice. "Why would that be, Champa-sama?"

"Because I said so." Champa burped, then motioned to the bartender. "Another round. He's buying."

The bartender risked a glance at Frozen, who tossed a few coins onto the counter. With no further hesitation, the bartender snatched up the money and quickly poured two drinks. Both were violently red in color, smoking profusely, and looked seconds away from eating a hole through both the glasses and the countertop.

"Can you believe it? Only place in the universe that serves them!" Champa picked up a glass, downed the drink in one big gulp, and burped up a large, red cloud that rose to the ceiling and immediately peeled some of the paint.

Frozen shook his head. "Have the other, if you like."

"Oh, I do like," Champa said, pulling the second drink to himself as he licked his lips. "Only reason I come here."

"I was thinking it's more because Vados wouldn't set foot in this place, not even to retrieve her master."

"And that is the sort of assumption that keeps making you exactly what you are, Frozen: a loser."

The bartender dove for cover behind the bar, fully expecting a fight to break out.

Frozen closed his eyes. "You are the only person who can talk to me that way."

"I expect Beta could, as well."

Frozen gritted his teeth. "That's a fine way to treat someone who bought your drink."

Champa snorted. "I made you pay for it. That's not the same as you offering first. But as a treat, I don't mind telling you exactly where the trial is. Still, it won't do you any good to know, because I forbid you to go there and make an even bigger fool of yourself, which is exactly what you would do, if I let you."

"Why aren't you there?"

"Because I would rather have a drink, than be in Beta's presence for even a few minutes. Also, I'm not obsessed with revenge."

"When is your next food challenge against your brother?" Frozen countered.

Champa sneered at Frozen. "That's a hobby. Can you say the same?"

"No. I would gladly give my life, if it meant Beta's destruction."

"All this, over that scar?"

"It isn't that. Not only that, anyway. You haven't seen what I have, Champa-sama. You can't know what he's capable of. And me describing it, wouldn't do it justice, even if you did believe me. And you won't."

"Then why do you want the girl, as well?"

Frozen lowered his head and glared down at the counter. "She is the ultimate proof of the abomination his existence brings to this and all other universes. They must both be destroyed."

"You still haven't said why."

After a long moment, Frozen slowly lifted his head. "You won't understand now, even after I tell you. But one day, you will know exactly what this means."

"Well? Out with it, then!"

Frozen raised a hand and carefully traced the jagged red scar that ran from just above his left eye to the right corner of his mouth.

"It's... those eyes. They... have the same eyes."

Satana did not remember exactly when Beta had first explained why her eyes were special. But she knew it had been when she was very young, because he'd had to change his wording several times before she understood.

Ultimately, he had never made her feel like anything was wrong with her eyes. Only others did that. Beta had always made it clear that they were related, so of course their eyes would look similar. And he never hid his eyes, because all his other physical traits clearly identified him as a Majin. But, because Satana was a hybrid who could pass for human or Saiya-jin, and might need to some day, Beta had offered to teach her to see the world without using her eyes. At the time, Satana's only concern had been hurting his feelings by accepting, but Beta had insisted that it was too useful a skill to ignore.

Also, Beta claimed that her grandfather Badrat's refusal to expand his knowledge of certain skills had backfired hugely, and caused a great deal of avoidable stress on the body. Beta stressed that while it would not have saved Badrat from his eventual yet heroic end, it was possible, however slightly, that Badrat might have saved more lives in the process, if only he'd known how best to use his great power.

Beta was sometimes very hard for Satana to read, but never when he spoke of Badrat. It was the way someone would speak of a little brother who could never quite learn the lesson, but despite that, or even because of it, was highly cherished above all others. And no matter how times Beta told her the story of her birth, Satana knew that was not truly what had made them family. What Beta failed to understand (or more precisely, accept, as there was very little Beta could not understand), was that his bond with Badrat, which began well before her mother was born, had bound him to their family, and to Earth, when nothing else in his long life had. Even if Satana had never been born, Beta would still be a part of their family. The only difference would be, he would be the sole survivor of their family. And that was something that neither of them wanted for him.

And that was only part of why Satana's second wish was so very important to both of them.

Saonel had been so right about taking the time to explore Sadala, before the wish kicked in. Obviously, Satana could not know every thought that had gone through her great-grandfather's head, just from seeing the same scenery he had. But even with no trace of the Saiya-jin civilization on the planet, yet, Satana felt a certain pride. Even if that came mostly from having personally restored the planet via her first wish.

All too soon, her wristwatch beeped, alerting her of the time, and Satana flew back to the rendezvous point, where Saonel had agreed to wait for her. As she flew, she took note of the life signs that she could sense. As predicted, Sadala's revival included both plant and animal life that occurred there naturally, but nothing and no one that had settled there later. This meant the new Saiya-jin would have to hunt for and gather food until trade could be established, but she knew they would be capable.

Saonel was kind enough to offer her a last chance to alter the wish, but Satana was certain she'd worded it correctly. And Saonel confirmed that there were no translation issues that should prevent the dragon from understanding her intent. In fact, he seemed certain the dragon would be pleased to grant such a wish. Satana wasn't sure, as it was somewhat hard to tell with a creature so huge and fearsome-looking, but the dragon at least did not appear to object to the wishes.

There was, however, a slight issue that Saonel did not factor in. It was easily fixed, but at the time, he was not aware it would be. When the dragon first made him aware of it, Saonel was both startled and greatly disappointed, as he feared it would mean the second wish would go ungranted.

"Satana-san, there may be a problem. The dragon says... while it is within his power to grant your second wish, he will require a more thorough perspective of your life to do so. It is also within his power to gain that perspective, but doing so would cause some power to be diverted from the wish itself, which would decrease the quality of the end results."

Satana was not worried at all. "Please inform the dragon that I will happily provide him with the increased perspective he requires, so that no additional power will need to be sacrificed on his part."

Saonel paused, frowned, and turned away from the dragon to face her. "I do not think you realize-" he began to say, then trailed off as he stared, for the first time, into Satana's red-on-black eyes.

"Please, don't be alarmed," she whispered. It was a such desperate, heartfelt plea, he would have been moved either way.

"I am surprised, but not alarmed. And if your unique genetic makeup is what allows you to assist the dragon, then all the better. Though, I admit I don't understand how."

"My great-grandfather received a gift, unwelcome as it was at the time. He could see into the future, but only for those of his line. The gift was passed down in my family, changing form slightly to fit each user. For me, it's an expanded awareness. But it's very expanded. If all the dragon needs to see is my life, that's easily done. You may want to stand back, however. I've never transmitted to a being so large before, so you will likely get some of the-"

"Do you not wish me to witness this?" Saonel interrupted.

Satana paused. "I guess I don't mind if you do. And it would be easier, if I don't have avoid one person within the target area."

"Then please do not make an exception on my account. I admit, I am fascinated already."

Satana nodded, then slowly raised her hands to the sky.

Satana's wristwatch beeped. "Drastic increase in energy intake detected. Now executing safety paremeters. Entering Majin Force Level 1. Accessing Son Archive: Foldername Badrock: Filename Kanassa Dome... executing."

Saonel knew what none of that meant. But when the world turned red, and the wind stopped, and the black letter M appeared on Satana's forehead, he simply knew: what he was about to see, he would never forget.

It began very slowly. A holographic image took shape in their midst. It was a small child, young enough where walking was still not a perfected art. The tail helped with balance, but even there, still not a perfected art. She was naked, and unashamed, and happy. She took a few steps, wobbled a bit, and then moved forward rapidly at an unsteady run, slamming facefirst into Beta, who, while smaller than his current height, still towered over her. He gave her an impatient glare, and she grinned up at him. Shaking his head, he gripped her hand and began to walk, slow enough where she could keep pace with him. Carrying her would have been easier, but then she wouldn't have learned. And everything that Beta did was a lesson, for someone.

Continued in Chapter 4: Buu Goo Gai Pan

On her way to begin training with King Kai, Pan runs into Buu on Snake Way. But he isn't the Buu that she knows, and he isn't alone.

Endnotes:

Of all the ways to get Goku to stay home and take an interest in Gohan's family, I never would have come up with him getting sick. But hey, it worked like a charm. So the Universe 6 version had a similar issue. And didn't fix it.