Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

Chapter 146: New Year

On the streets of Satan City…

A black cat screeched and ran behind a dumpster as a pair of massive boots splashed into a dirty puddle. This alleyway was just like any other alleyway in the southern end of Satan City, piled with trash and cast in shadow. This man, stomping his way from the shining streetlights was on the run from the law, as most of the criminal element had been in recent months.

That stuck-up brat of Mr. Satan's was bad enough, but now they had this helmeted freak to deal with. The ease of criminal activity had ebbed away and now they were all on the run. Something needed to be done before they were all forced to simply clear out of the city altogether.

But wicked salvation seemed to have come. This man, like many others, had heard a rumor through the wretched grapevine about a group getting together to end those two pests for good, Mr. Satan's wrath be damned. They would see how well he'd handle them with a dead daughter left on his doorstep. And killing off that costumed freak would just be icing on the cake.

Reaching the door, he slammed his fist against it and barked in a harsh whisper. "I'm here to join. Bibidi-bobidi-boo!"

The door opened and another recognizable face, wanted for a slew of bank robberies, emerged. He had a smile on his face, and some glowing tattoo on his head that almost appeared to be a letter "M". The man sneered. "I want that stuck-up little bitch and that freak dead."

The bank robber smiled maliciously and gestured into the shadowed room. "Then please, join us in serving our Master. He wants all these so-called heroes to be taken out~"

The man walked in, following the gesture and the door easily slid shut, followed by a bolt. And then, moments later, a scream of terror and horror and pain came out as a mere whisper from within that wretched building.

In Jingle Village…

The door to Yamcha and Suno's house opened and Gohan came crunching out into the snow, a billowing wisp of his breath trailing out of the corner of his mouth. Suno stepped out after him. "Are you sure it's okay for us to take all of these Christmas leftovers, Gohan?"

Gohan shrugged. "Mom made a lot extra hoping Dad would wake up. But, he still hasn't. At this point, we're just assuming he found an interesting technique or unique new training method in the afterlife and just got distracted..."

Suno nodded. "Probably the same for Yamcha. Do you think they'll be gone much longer?"

Gohan shrugged once again. "I really don't know. I'm sorry, Suno..."

Suno sighed. "I mean, it's fine. Yamcha led our hunters and whatnot, but we've been able to get by without him for the most part. I just... miss him. Ya know? I'd like to think he's okay, but I've already bounced from panic, to calm, to acceptance, and now I've circled back to panic..."

Gohan nodded. "I know what you mean. Sorry I'm not able to relate more than this. But after the Saiyan Invasion and Planet Yardrat, I'm just sorta used to my dad disappearing for a while to train or just do his own thing. And Tien and Piccolo are both kinda reclusive in their own rights..."

Suno frowned and hugged her arms over her chest. "R-Right..."

Gohan scratched his head and tried to change the subject. "So, who's leading the hunt with Yamcha absent?"

"ME!"

Rushing in from the blinding flurry, Koriocha made a leap and landed between Gohan and her mother in a burst of snow. Slung over her shoulders were two massive wolves, both tied around their necks with coarse rope. And hanging from each wrist were three rabbits also tied around their necks with rope. Koriocha turned to Gohan and smirked. "Dad can have his fun in the afterlife! I'm here!"

From the howling blizzard, several men's voices called out thanks to Koriocha for her hard work. Koriocha smirked and took on quite a familiar stance, the same stance that her father took in combat. "You ain't gotta worry about us, Big Bro! I mastered all my daddy's moves a while ago! I got things covered~"

Gohan smiled. "Looks like it. That's a lot of meat you have."

She chuckled. "Meat and pelts. We're gonna be a-okay! Wanna spar a bit after I put it all away?"

Gohan sighed. "I'd love to, but I have to head home for now. Lots of stuff I gotta do for school and such."

Koriocha pouted just a little. "Kay... but you gotta pinky swear to come back and spar sometime. Deal?"

Gohan knelt and offered his pinky. "Deal."

And then, once the pinky swear was sealed and shook upon, Gohan gave Suno and Koroicha each a warm, loving hug, waved goodbye, and took off into the sky. It was late and he seriously needed to get home.

Mt. Paozu…

Less than an hour later, Gohan landed on his own home soil and began a leisurely walk home through the winding paths of Mt. Paozu. The first house to pass him by was the home of Raditz, Launch, and Ranch. Gohan frowned just a little as he looked at it, seeing it so dark hurt him. As he continued walking, thinking of his uncle's seemingly endless fugue, a familiar voice called out. "Gohan! Out for a late walk?"

Gohan looked up and smiled. "Hey, Grandma Gine!"

Sitting on her porch, drinking a steaming cup of coffee, Gine smiled down at her eldest grandchild. "Have some time to talk to a poor, old woman on this cool December evening?"

Gohan nodded and started up the hill. "I've got a bit of time."

He plopped down onto the stairs next to her and sighed. "So, Grandma, what's on your mind so late into the night?"

Gine sipped her coffee. "Nothing in particular. Just can't believe it's already New Year's again. Time certainly does seem to fly..."

She pushed a lock of graying hair away from her face and looked up at the stars and the moon. Gohan frowned looking upon that hair, its ebony luster mostly gone. The same thought that always cropped up in his mind came surging back. 'Saiyans aren't supposed to age that quick...'

Gine turned to him. "That's a concerningly worried look. Something troubling you?"

Gohan sighed. "Just... thinking about Dad is all. Suno is horribly worried about Yamcha."

Gine nodded. "She has every right to be. King Kai owes us big time for giving us this much stress."

Gohan decided to test the waters just a bit. "I'm worried about Grandpa Bardock too."

Gine nodded. "Right. May I offer you a cup of coffee?"

Gohan grimaced. Shut down and shut down hard. He almost suggested using the Dragon Balls to search for his grandfather, but that was quickly halted by some mental math. The Dragon Balls still had 6 months before they would be back to their former luster. Which instantly made Gohan's thoughts shift to another distressing topic: he hadn't seen or heard from the Ginyu Force in 2 months, and suddenly they returned.

Gine sighed. "I didn't call you over here to be dour, Gohan. It's been a while since we've just talked. I miss you, even though we're neighbors."

Gohan smiled. "You came over for Christmas..."

Gine shook her head. "You know what I mean. We're close, you and me. I like the bond that we share. I don't want that to fade, even a little."

Gohan felt her delicate, much smaller hand wrap around his and squeeze tight and he felt an explosion of love go off in his chest. He turned his hand over in hers and squeezed it back just as tightly. He loved his Grandma Gine with all his heart. Gine smiled. "It hurts that I don't hear about your life. How long have you had that girlfriend anyway...?"

Gohan gasped, flinching back and smashing his back into one of the railing posts on Gine's front step. "H-H-HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!"

Gine turned to him, tracing her finger over Gohan's cheek in the exact shape of Erasa's lips. She pulled it away and sniffed. "Pink lemonade glitter gloss. If you want to keep this from Chi-Chi, you might want to ask her to tone it down on that a bit..."

Gohan mumbled to himself. "Oh... I thought her kisses tasted different recently..."

Hearing her innocent grandson say that made Gine laugh out loud, and hard. The Saiyan woman fell onto her chair and held her stomach, laughing until tears began to form in her eyes. Gohan was taken aback at first, but then he started to laugh as well. The two of them shared the moment for a good little while before finally coming to a rest. Gohan sighed. "Mom is cooking spicy river shrimp udon for dinner. Wanna come over and have some? It would be nice to have you over more than once every Saturday..."

Gine shrugged. "Saturdays are my free day. School is back in session tomorrow and I need to have my itinerary ready. Tomorrow is the Winter Sports Festival, and the kiddies are all excited about that."

Gine stood, stretching her back until it popped and then turned to her door. "I love you very much. Thank you for stopping by and having a chat with a poor, old crone~"

Gohan watched her with sadness clear in his eyes and she walked back to the isolation of her empty, little house. When he was younger, he saw how much a peaceful life on Earth had made his grandmother happy. But now it all seemed so empty. So sullen. Gohan spoke in a gentle, small voice. "You don't have to bury yourself in work, Grandma..."

A harsh wind blew and Gohan couldn't tell whether his grandmother was shaking or shivering. Either way, her voice kept a forcefully cheery tone. "Get inside before it gets too chilly~"

At Goku and Chi-Chi's house…

Gohan opened the door and made his way in as the first snow flurries began to fall. He took off his coat and slung it onto the coat hook. As he made his way to the kitchen, Gohan stuck his head into his parents' room and saw that his father hadn't moved an inch.

It was amazing, so long without food or movement and Son Goku's body was still just as strong and sculpted as ever. Gohan cocked his head. "Guess Vegeta and Uncle Raditz weren't kidding about Saiyans lasting for months if they take it easy. Still, judging by how Piccolo, Yamcha, and Tien are doing the same, I wouldn't be surprised if King Kai had something to do with this. That's good, at least. Dad and the others aren't wasting away..."

Gohan stepped into the kitchen and scented the spicy, savory aroma with an upbeat smile. "It smells great, Mom! Fantastic!"

Gohan walked up to the kitchen counter as she put the last of the oils and spices into the pot of broth. He offered her a kiss on the cheek and she accepted with a lighthearted grin. "Thanks for taking the leftovers to Suno, Gohan. I appreciate it. I hope you didn't have to call off hanging out with your friends early."

Gohan sat down at the table. "No trouble at all~"

But, in that moment, the fearful thought that his mother had somehow found out about Erasa flashed through Gohan's mind and a cold shiver went up his spine. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell his mother about his girlfriend, it was that he had no idea how to tell his mother about her. Luckily for Gohan, he was sure that he was safe. Morbid as it was, Gohan was positive that Chi-Chi was too preoccupied with her husband being "dead" to worry about things as trifling as lip gloss smears.

Chi-Chi turned and set the massive pot of udon soup in the center of the table, also setting four bowls and a ladle in the process. "Kids! Dinner!"

Two pairs of thumping feet came storming down the stairs and Goten and Chika quickly took on their normal chairs. Chi-Chi sat down as well and clapped her hands in front. "Thank you for the meal."

Her three children followed suit and then they all began to eat. It was a solemn, quiet affair as all four sets of eyes seemed to trail toward the fifth, empty chair at the head of the table. The four of them ate their soup, not realizing that they were all thinking the same thought.

Chi-Chi missed Goku.

Goten missed Goku.

Chika missed Goku.

And Gohan... also really missed Goku.

Finally hearing the silence, Gohan put on a smile and spoke as warmly as he could. "You know, he's probably going to be really hungry when he gets back. A pot of udon won't cut it like it does for us. Maybe... we should plan a big feast for him?"

Chi-Chi smiled. "You're right. We need to make sure we've got the pantry stocked..."

Chika chimed in. "And we need to make sure we pick out a lot of things Papa likes!"

Goten nodded. "Uh-huh! We can all put our heads together and think of all his favorite foods!"

And so, for that evening, the cold silence where Goku's voice once occupied was filled with talk of what it would be like when he came back. And the warmth of that evening was enough to drive away most of the winter cold.

That evening, Gohan's room…

Gohan laid in his bed and stared up at the ceiling, the faint light of the moon illuminating just enough of the room. He looked from his school books to his training clothes to the wall of miniature car model kits that Piccolo had been gifting him for his birthday the past few years. He thought about his father, about his paternal grandfather, about his duties as the Saiyaman...

... and then Gohan realized that he felt lonely.

He spoke to himself in a soft whisper. "I really wish that Erasa was here right now."

And though his saying it out loud did surprise him, the thought did not. Gohan blushed, but he couldn't nor did he want to hide his own feelings on the matter. He loved Erasa. He really did love her quite a lot. Though he wasn't sure whether what he was feeling was just friendship or something more.

He thought of her kissing him, her lips against his, and then thought of the times he had seen his father and mother, his grandparents, Krillin and Android 18, or even Bulma and Vegeta do that before. Gohan pressed his pillow over his face and almost wanted to scream into it. He had no idea what any of this was!

And then, Gohan felt two feet planted onto his chest and moved the pillow. There stood Guldo. Gohan was stunned silent. Guldo raised his hand in greeting. "Yo!"

The half-Saiyan shook his head, almost yelling before catching himself and toning down his voice. "Yo?! What do you mean 'yo'?! Where the hell have you four been?!"

Guldo cringed. "We wanted to start training sooner, but then winter came. Burter is cold-blooded. It's been an adjustment. He can barely stay awake..."

Guldo bowed. "Sorry."

Gohan calmed down. "O-Oh. That... makes sense. If he needs something warm, I have extra coats in my closet."

Guldo rolled his eyes. "You could fit your whole body in his torso if you tried hard enough. But it's the thought that counts. I'll tell him you made the offer."

Gohan slowly nodded. "R-Right..."

Guldo smirked. "Anyway, newbie, Jeice says we're ready for you and everything we need is set up. Come to that clearing we last spoke to you tomorrow afternoon. And make sure you come with a good attitude! This is gonna be the funnest and most grueling week of your life!"

Gohan flinched. "Wha-"

And then Guldo was gone in the blink of an eye. With the romantic clouds blown out of his head for a moment, Gohan laid back in bed. "Okay. This is real now. Tomorrow... I'll become a superhero for real. And then..."

Gohan closed his eyes and felt a kiss on his lips. He opened them in his mind and what met him wasn't the sight of Erasa... but of Videl. Gohan's face erupted into a bright, searing red and he slammed his pillow over his face. "Damn it. I need help..."

The next morning, in the wilderness…

Gohan was running through the forest at a breakneck pace. He had canceled all his plans today for this. From hanging out with friends to working with Professor Carmine, Gohan had put everything aside for his most important lessons that he would be learning from these odd, but experienced masters of their craft. He stopped for a moment to regain his bearings and thought to himself. 'I wonder if anyone barring Frieza has ever been this excited to hang out with the Ginyu Force...'

In this brief stop, Gohan began to reflect again on his thoughts about Videl and Erasa the previous night. He shook his head and slapped both cheeks, feeling a different kind of sadness wash over him. "Am... I a scumbag?"

He crossed his arms and went over the list of men in his life that might be able to advise him on how to handle all these new, dynamic thoughts racing through his mind.

Piccolo's race was single-gendered and reproduced asexually, so there was no need for romance.

Tien had shared before that he was purely aromantic.

Grandpa Bardock was AWOL somewhere in space.

Uncle Raditz was a shell these last 7 years.

He couldn't risk talking to Krillin in case 18 might overhear and tell Erasa herself.

Yamcha was "dead".

His father was "dead".

So that left... Vegeta?

Gohan shuddered at the thought of approaching the byronic Saiyan Prince about anything having to do with romance. "NO."

That left... Android 17? But Gohan didn't feel close enough to 17 to go asking about romance. Nor did he even know where the Android was, which led back to the risk of Android 18 finding any of this out if he had to ask her or 16 where their raven-haired counterpart might be.

Gohan groaned and smashed his forehead against a tree. "Why are romance and dating so freaking hard?!"

But Gohan didn't have much longer to reflect on his love life as a giant snake suddenly crashed onto the ground next to him, grinding a massive trench as it sank into the earth. The serpent hissed as it lashed back upward, looking angry with a massive, steaming lump on its head. There was something visibly moving in the creature's gut. Gohan chuckled. "The food fighting back, big guy?"

Quickly, another person came leaping into the scene. It was Goten, wreathed in the golden aura of Super Saiyan. The young boy saw his older brother and cried out. "GOHAN! THAT SNAKE ATE CHIKA, ICARUS, AND CHOBI!"

Gohan's face quickly became sharper and a whole lot more serious. "Oh, I see..."

Moving faster than the eye could track, Gohan slammed his foot into the massive serpent's gut and sent it flying into the air, eyes rolled back. The beast gagged and immediately coughed up little Chika, as well as two young reptiles. Gohan caught Chika and the two baby reptiles, but was quickly overshadowed by the approaching, vicious forms of Chobi's massive parents. The two pterandon's grabbed the snake midair and pulled separate ways, tearing into in two and starting a flight path toward their nest.

Gohan called after Chobi's father. "Nice save, Toh-Toh!"

Toh-Toh shot a thumbs-up back at Gohan and the two bigger dinosaurs quickly shrank in the distance. Gohan landed and set Chika, Chobi, and Icarus down. Goten quickly joined them.

As the four kids began to roughhouse and talk among themselves, Gohan looked down at them. His eyes shifted from his brother to his sister, to the fat, little pteranodon, to the baby higher dragon, and he sighed. "What have I told you guys about being careful? Those giant snakes might seem docile in the cold, but their food has flown to a warmer place. They'll snap you up if it fills their stomach, ya know?"

Chika looked up to her big brother. "Sorry, Gohan! It was my fault! I was the one who wanted to go look for mushrooms in that cave!"

Gohan sighed, smiling at his little sister. Her horns, freshly polished no less, were on full display. She beamed at him. "I'm okay, though. I knew that one of my big brothers would save me! And I was gonna throw a Ki blast at the beastie's throat if that took too long~"

Goten chimed in. "I woulda gotten her out before that! I was gonna kick that snake's butt!"

Gohan reached down and ruffled Goten and Chika's hair. "Okay, okay. Just make sure you're more careful. You guys are tough as they come, but Chobi and Icarus aren't exactly fighters. Right?"

Goten smiled, jumping on Icarus' back. "That's okay! I'll protect Icarus!"

Chika picked up Chobi and hugged him close. "And I have Chobi!"

Gohan nodded. "Good, good. Two good pairs."

He motioned toward the forest. "Run along, have fun, and don't be late for dinner!"

They both nodded. "YES, SIR!"

And then, they set off for more fun and adventure with their pet dinosaurs. Gohan smiled, watching them as they both disappeared into the trees, and then continued his walk toward his rendezvous with the Ginyu Force.

Back at the campsite…

Gohan stepped onto the campsite where, just a couple months ago, he'd had one of his favorite days in recent memory. He dug his hand into the cool ashes of the fire pit and smiled, thinking of Erasa, Videl, and Sharpner. As he let the ashes run back down into the fire pit, Gohan heard footsteps approaching from behind.

There stood Jeice, dressed in a Christmas sweater and a pair of thick, khaki pants. Gohan chuckled. "You're taking to Earth fashion pretty well."

Jeice rolled his eyes. "The more I explore this planet, the more I'm convinced that it's just another Brench. Basically, the same as my home planet, except the creatures are less deadly and it's colder than a puddle of old piss..."

Jeice started to walk, and Gohan followed. "It's not always this cold, I promise. It'll warm up again in a couple of months..."

Jeice sighed. "I hope so. It never gets cold on Planet Bercy. And the Cap'n always made sure we only took cold weather missions when Burter was taking time off. He's not built for this."

Gohan cocked his head. "Bercy?"

Jeice nodded. "Yeah. We never learned where the Captain was from, but I'm from Brench VI. Burter is from Bercy. Recoome is from Bechamel. And Guldo is from Met-"

Jeice slipped on a sheet of ice and cracked his head against the ground. Gohan carefully ran up. "Are you okay?!"

Jeice sighed or, more aptly, Jeice seethed, and gingerly pushed himself up. "I hate this goddamned planet. No offense."

Gohan gave Jeice his space and, once the Brenchian began to walk again, he began to speak again. "So, why did you four have the change of heart anyway?"

Jeice shrugged. "I ain't gonna lie to you, it's because we realized we're stuck here. We can't steal a spaceship worth a damn because Vegeta lives where they're stored, and you weren't wrong when you said he'd kill us on first sight. So, we thought we might get close to you and trick you into helping us... but then we started watching your piss poor attempts at that 'Saiyaman' act and decided we couldn't just leave a lame duckling to drown in a lake far too big for it..."

Gohan nodded. "R-Right. Right..."

As they walked in silence from that point, Gohan reflected on what all the Ginyu Force had said when he first wished them back to life. One thing Jeice had said kept playing over again and again. Out of the blue, Gohan popped a question. "H-Hey, Jeice. You have experience with girls, right?"

Jeice stopped dead and turned to Gohan; an incredulous eyebrow raised so high that it nearly popped off his forehead. Gohan shied away. "N-Never mind..."

Jeice cocked his head at that, looking even more confused at Gohan's sudden inability to look him in the eye. The Brenchian shook his head and resumed his walk. "Whatever..."

At the Ginyu Force Secret Treehouse…

Gohan sat politely on his knees watching as the Ginyu Force did their entire theme song, nodding politely as Burter yawned his way through his part and feeling just a twinge of sadness when they all fumbled over what to do for Captain Ginyu's part. Soldiers of Frieza they were, Gohan could see just how lost the four of them were without their fifth man.

As the music died out, Jeice kicked at a discarded can on the floor and mumbled to himself. "That really sucked..."

The four of them sat in front of Gohan, Burter releasing a massive yawn that almost unhinged his reptilian jaw and laying his head on Recoome's shoulder. The Bercian was buried under five sweaters, two pairs of pants, earmuffs, mittens, furry boots, and a wool hat, but still seemed barely awake.

Gohan smiled. "Thank you all for taking the time to teach a novice the ways of sentai."

He bowed, placing his forehead on the floor. "I'm eager to learn at your feet. I'm truly blessed to have so many excellent teachers in my life."

Recoome cocked his head. "Lots of teachers, eh?"

Gohan nodded. "My father, Piccolo, Krillin, Vegeta, all the others, Professor Carmine, and you guys. I have some of the best I've ever known showing me how to approach so many aspects of my life. As a thank you, I will happily get you guys a ship once I'm done learning from you."

All four flinched. Jeice sounded confused. "Y-You aren't concerned that we're going to gather an invasion force and come back?"

Gohan shrugged. "We have a lot of different measures to address that possibility. My Grandpa Bardock and Vegeta are both aware that some guy named Cooler exists. So, we've been ready for that for a while. But he hasn't come in a decade, so I don't think he has a reason to. As for you four... forgive me if you think I'm naïve, but I don't think you guys would actually do that. You don't seem like the actively petty types."

For that... none of them had a response. Gohan smiled. "So, you can take a ship and be out of here once we're all sure I'm ready to be the best Saiyaman possible!"

Jeice spoke dryly. "We tried to kill you and your friends back on Namek."

Gohan shrugged. "Vegeta tried to kill us on both Earth and Namek. And I was playing Mario Kart with him and his kids just a few days ago."

More silence. Once again, Recoome and Guldo seemed to be wrestling with the concept of Vegeta's domestic life. Burter enjoyed a single, abrupt snore that seemed to wake him from his doze. Jeice stroked his chin. "Okay, okay. No more fussing about. Down to business!"

Gohan nodded. "Right."

Jeice crossed his arms. "I'm going to ask these questions rapid-fire. Don't waste time pondering. Just give me the first thing that pops into your mind when I say them. Ready?"

Gohan nodded again. "Ready!"

Jeice snapped. "What is your dream?!"

Gohan shouted back. "Peace!"

Jeice questioned. "Aspiration?!"

Gohan shouted. "Academia!"

Jeice questioned. "What do you love?!"

Gohan shouted back. "My parents! My siblings! My family! My friends! Erasa! Videl! And this entire planet!"

Gohan flinched, realizing what he had just said and became sheepish. "Sorry. You told me to just yell what was in my head. Didn't mean to go overboard..."

Jeice waved him down. "Okay. Okay. Calm down."

He smiled, so did Recoome and Guldo. Burter was slumped over. Recoome sighed in lament. "Captain Ginyu woulda loved this..."

Jeice glared out of the corner of his eye. "Stow ya grief. We have a duty to fulfill. We'll see the Cap'n again soon enough. For now, Son Gohan, here's what you can expect! You have the passion we seek as members of this sacred squad! So you have the most important tool you would ever need to be like us! Now we just need to refine that tool, teach you all the ways it can be used to make you into a real superhero! We'll teach you..."

Jeice struck a pose. "FLAIR!"

Recoome struck a pose. "FLEXIBILITY!"

Guldo struck a pose. "RHYTHM!"

Burter missed his mark and Jeice rather forcefully nudged him with his foot. Burter sprung up, half awake, and cried out. "STYLE!"

Gohan nodded, pulling a notepad from his jacket and furiously took notes. Jeice groaned with a massive eye roll and set the notebook ablaze with a Ki blast. "No, ya dingo! This ain't a lesson ya take notes on! Your body is the notepad! Ya gotta etch the lessons into your soul. Now stand up and get ready!"

Gohan nodded, getting to his feet and stood tall. He was ready for any challenge. Recoome smirked, cracking his neck and undid the belt on the trench coat he was wearing. "You ready?"

Gohan nodded. "Ready."

Recoome chuckled, and then he ripped off his trench coat to reveal a skintight black leotard and a pink, frilly tutu, and a pair of pink ballet slippers. Gohan's shoulders slumped. "Wh-Wha...?"

Recoome reached into a massive pile of things all heaped into the corner, pulling out a leotard, tutu, and slippers in Gohan's exact size. He tossed them and Gohan caught them, still looking utterly stunned. Recoome gracefully struck a pose and then did a perfect pirouette. "We had Guldo measure ya while ya slept! Now get your training uniform on and The Great Recoome will teach you the art of the dance!"

Gohan was silent at first, looking from the tutu, to Recoome, and then back to the tutu. And then, a look of fiery determination sparked in the young man's eyes. He stripped off his clothes without a second thought and began to force his way into his new uniform.

Recoome, Jeice, and Guldo all watched Gohan's determined stance as he put on his new training uniform. Jeice smirked. "Excellent. Eagerness always pays dividends in this sort of thing~"

Over at Capsule Corp…

Ranch was sitting under a tree on the Capsule Corp lawn, gloomy and sullen. She looked down at her scabby, bandaged hands and gripped them tight. She couldn't afford to rest. Not until she was strong. Not until she could find a way to grab his attention. She rose to her feet, her knees shaking, and slapped both of her cheeks. "Can't rest. Not until I figure out this stupid Super Saiyan thing..."

She started throwing punches, gritting her teeth and putting her all into it. This could be such a simple process. Just ask Vegeta. That's what her body screamed at her as she punched and kicked at the air, picturing an enemy. A hated enemy. That ugly bug-like bastard that she had seen in so many movies about that Mr. Satan tool.

She snarled and tossed a punch with so much force behind it that one of the limbs busted off the tree. "I can't ask for help. I can't. Need to figure this all out by myself. Then, maybe Dad will..."

Ranch walloped herself on the side of the head, hard enough to ring her bell and briefly make her vision blur. "... no. This is for you."

And then another voice spoke up behind her. "You shouldn't hit yourself like that. Too pretty of a face to bang it up."

Ranch flinched, turning to see Android 18 of all people walking up to her. Ranch glared. "What? I'm busy. Why are you here?"

18 shrugged, putting her hands into the pocket of her blazer. "Bulma has me on retainer to provide legal counsel on contract law. She's currently speaking to some such people about what we wrote up but asked me to stick around for revisions. So, I'm just meandering until I'm needed..."

She crouched, getting eye-level with Ranch. "Why are you here? Don't you have school or something like that?"

Ranch turned away, throwing another punch. "School day ended an hour ago."

18 followed up. "And were you there at all today?"

Ranch threw a kick. "What are you, a lawyer?!"

18 nodded. "Yes."

Ranch paused, her cheeks briefly lighting up, and then threw an entire flurry of punches. "Sh-Shut up!"

There was a long silence as Ranch continued to spar with the air and 18 considered her words. Then 18 spoke again. "When was the last time you slept in your own bed?"

Ranch continued to spar. "Shut up!"

18 cocked her head. "Is 'shut up' a new day or the week? A month they added to the calendar?"

Ranch sneered. "I don't remember, okay?! It's been a while! But so what?! What does it matter?!"

18 spoke calmly. "It matters because a child shouldn't be bumming it on someone's couch or sleeping outside."

Ranch stopped with her one-person spar. Slowly, she lowered her arms and turned toward 18 with a bitter tonic of sadness and fear spread across her face. "... did Vegeta send you to say all of this? I know you're his friend. Is... is he sick of me too...?"

Without even a hint of warning, Android 18 tackled into Ranch and hugged her tight. Smashing the girl against her bosom as hard as she could. Even though Bulma and Vegeta had been keeping her fed, the girl felt almost weightless. She didn't cry, or even tremble, she just laid her face into the crook of 18's neck. "I'm tired, Ms. 18..."

18 spoke empathetically, her voice husky and a tad wet. "I know, dear. It's a deep tired, isn't it?"

No words needed to be shared beyond that. There was an almost telepathic empathy between the two, 18 holding on to Ranch as tight as she could and Ranch allowing herself to be held. All the anger and angst melted in that one moment and Ranch closed her eyes. "I'm so tired... but I don't wanna face my dad yet. Not until I can make him not hate me..."

Memories of Dan Lazarus and Moonwater flashed through 18's head and she gently set Ranch back on her feet. "I would prefer not to explain how I know this, but I will if you need me to..."

Ranch cocked her head. "Explain what?"

18 meekly responded. "Explain exactly why I know your father doesn't hate you, dear. I can explain it if you need me to. But... just trust me..."

Ranch looked up at 18, her eyes shimmering. "Do you... mean that...?"

18 nodded. "I do. I don't know what's wrong with Raditz because I don't talk to him a lot. But I've seen what the face of a father who hates you looks like. Raditz doesn't hate you."

Ranch still looked unconvinced. "Ms. 18. I..."

18 bent down and kissed her forehead, pulling her in for one more hug. "You don't need to work all of this out today. Answers for problems like this don't come easy, dear. Just... go home and get a proper night's sleep. Okay? No training, no sleeping outside, no crashing. Go home, crawl into your bed, and sleep."

Ranch nodded, looking more worn down and tired than any 8-year-old should and flew away. For a moment, 18 thought she was going to fall out of the sky, but then she began to fly steadily and fast.

Once Ranch was out of sight, Vegeta stepped out from behind a nearby shed and walked up to her. "Thanks. I know that was probably harder for you than it needed to be. But... thanks."

18's eyes hardened, she glared at Vegeta. "What is Raditz's problem?!"

In the face of that question, Vegeta's face sagged. Not too much, but enough for his Android lawyer friend to immediately take notice. "Oh. Something 'Asshole Vegeta' did?"

Vegeta's entire body sagged at that once, though his face stayed in the same hawkish expression. 18 frowned. "Sorry, that was probably a step too-"

Vegeta batted her hand away. "No. You're right. Well... not completely. But 'Asshole Vegeta' did play a large part in it."

And then he walked away.

At Orange Star High School…

Gohan, Erasa, and Sharpner all looked quite shocked as Videl stood in front of them. The young woman's face was lit up with a blush, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looked panicked, immediately wanting to take back what she just asked. Sharpner cleared his throat. "You want us to come over for... a slumber party...?"

Videl grumbled. "No, I said I wanted you to come over for a New Year's Eve Sleepover..."

She cringed. "You make it sound so juvenile..."

Gohan nodded. "Sounds neat. I've spent the night at Lime's place a couple times, she's come over to my house before too. That was always fun."

Erasa, meanwhile, was totally ecstatic. "YES! I'd love to come over! We haven't had a slumber party in months!"

Sharpner cocked his head. "I mean, I'm not against it. Just curious is all. Like, why do you wanna do something like that? Erasa, I get. She's a chick. But me and Gohan are dudes. Won't your dad lose his cool?"

Videl waved that concern away almost immediately. "I've already worn him down. And I've made sure that he's aware that both of you are dating someone else. And I've also made it clear that I should be seen as responsible enough to have my friends over! I fight armed criminals daily and I'm still in one piece! A single night alone with my three best friends won't be the end of the world!"

Erasa beamed. "Aw, you called us your best friends~! Are we best friends~? Bestest friends~? Bestest-ESTEST friends~?!"

Videl shoved her. "Yes. And I feel bad that I'm constantly worrying the three of you. So, I just want to have a nice evening that doesn't involve school or potential crime fighting. Like the camping trip a couple months ago, but less of a chance of Erasa being kidnapped."

Videl sighed. "So, can I expect you all over on Friday?"

The answers were immediate: a resounding round of yes.

Back at the Ginyu Force's camp…

Gohan's eyes were tightly shut as he headbanged with all his might, shouting out heroic platitudes while Jeice watched on. "I am THE great SAIYA...man EVIL beware AND-"

Jeice growled. "Stop! Stop! You sound like you're on a bleedin' tilt-a-whirl!"

Gohan stopped. Jeice sighed. "Inflection is important for catching and holding attention. You gotta maintain the same tone while still and while in motion. Dynamically alter your voice and keep the speech consistent!"

Gohan nodded. "Right, right..."

Jeice shook his head. "And another thing! Quit with that stupid, mock-heroic tone! You sound like you're in a school play! It's sloppy, it's stilted, and you aren't holding the correct type of attention with it! People are supposed to be staring at you with majestic awe, not car-crash horror! Two different attentions, kid!"

Jeice thrust a script into Gohan's chest. "Now read these lines back to me and speak them with a calm and natural, but imposing but inspiring tone of voice! Chop chop!"

As Gohan began to read off his prepared lines, the other Ginyu members were hard at work on their own projects. Burter, surrounded by five different space heaters that Gohan had bought, was working hard on modifying the Saiyaman outfit. He mumbled to himself. "Less skirt. Less baggy. More unified. Change some tones. Gotta catch eyes. Good base, but it could be better..."

Meanwhile, Guldo and Recoome were working together on a Saiyaman theme song. Guldo was drumming up a steady beat with a pair of pencils and an empty can and Recoome was steadily sketching poses in a massive notepad. He snapped. "Guldo. Slow it down. We aren't putting across the right feel with such a fast tempo..."

Guldo shook his head. "Nuh, uh. We need more fast-paced poses. Look at that outfit. It screams fast-pace! And while the kid has plenty of muscle, he's not nearly as bulky as you, so he doesn't need to show off muscle definition! He's a teenager!"

Recoome chewed his pencil. "Good point..."

A shrill yelp rang out and the three sideline Ginyu members all turned to Gohan. He looked embarrassed. Jeice sighed and grabbed a thermos, pouring a cup of honey, lavender green tea. "Take a break. Drink this. Can't lose ya voice in practice."

Gohan nodded gratefully and slurped his steaming beverage. Jeice took a swig from the thermos. Gohan sighed. "Hey, I don't wanna be rude to you guys, but I might have to skip out on practice on Friday. I have a slumber party at a friend's house."

Hearing what he had just said, Gohan was almost embarrassed, until Burter enjoyed a small chuckle. "Slumber parties are fun~!"

Guldo raised his hand. "Take extra sheets just in case of bed-wetting. You're never too old to have an accident."

Recoome shouted. "And snacks! Don't forget to take a snack you like!"

Gohan was caught by surprise. Of all the things he expected the Ginyu Force to say when he said that, gentle encouragement wasn't high on the list. He turned to Jeice and Jeice sat down on a nearby crate. "Have fun. Just make sure you're ready for a double dose the next day."

Seeing Jeice sit there, sipping on a thermos of tea, Gohan once again started to ask romantic advice. And once again, he stopped himself short. Jeice took notice, but said nothing. Burter, meanwhile, stood up and groaned. He held up Gohan's newly altered costume and sighed. "You have a pretty sweet costume here. It's a shame you don't have a nice vehicle to accentuate it. Flying in superheroics on the scale you're working on is so blasé. The silhouette of this costume atop a motorcycle though..."

Gohan politely nodded. "I do own a motorcycle. Would you like me to bring it?"

All four of the Ginyu members charged him at once. "YOU WHAT?!"

And then, as Burter fell into a doze and crashed to the ground, the other three all began to talk at once. Gohan waved his hands in the air. "C-Calm down, guys. I got it right here!"

Grabbing his satchel from the ground nearby, Gohan reached in and produced a Capsule Case. He pulled out the Capsule containing Future Gohan's old bike and made it appear. Gohan scratched his head. "This belonged to a version of me from a different future. It was his one hobby before he was killed. It's kind of embarrassing, considering it was a birthday gift to me, but I've only taken it out for a spin once or twice. Never had a use for it..."

Gohan watched as Jeice, Recoome, and Guldo practically salivated over his newly produced ride. Jeice snickered. "It might be better that you're not here for a while after all..."

Gohan cocked his head. "Really?"

Jeice nodded. "Just leave this baby to us and enjoy your evening~"

At the home of Mr. Satan…

Gohan, Erasa, and Sharpner all met at the gates leading up to Mr. Satan's house and walked up the visitor's walkway together. In the distance, they could see a limousine parked and waiting. Gohan and Sharpner were each carrying an overnight bag and two pillows a-piece. They were both in their street clothes. Erasa, meanwhile, was dressed a whole lot more casually, already wearing her pajamas and only carrying a big, brown teddy bear with a pair of backpack straps sewn onto it. Gohan could spy a zipper on the base of the bear's neck, but didn't think much of it beyond that.

Erasa pressed the doorbell the second they were on the step and gothic chimes rang out from within the house. Almost immediately, Gohan could hear a clicking sound as something approached the front door.

The door swung open and there to greet the three of them was a rather gothic young woman, the sides of her hair done up in side-tails that appeared to be in the shape of bat wings. She had a large, noticeable birthmark spread across her face. Erasa immediately grabbed her into a hug. "Hey, Ms. Komori~"

The woman smiled, stumbling back and pressing the cane in her grip to the ground for support. It was subtle, but trained martial artist Gohan and skilled athlete Sharpner could both tell that this woman had a limp. Hiki Komori smiled, her ruby red lipstick shining. "Hey, Erasa! Videl told me she was having a sleepover. Is it just you and these two strapping boys?"

Erasa nodded. "Yep~"

Hiki motioned. "Well, come on in. It's freezing out there."

All three did and then followed Hiki deeper into Mr. Satan's house. As they walked, she turned and smiled at Gohan and Sharpner. "Nice to meet you boys~ My name is Hiki Komori. I'm Mr. Satan's personal assistant."

Gohan registered mild familiarity. He had seen this woman somewhere before. "Nice to meet you~"

Sharpner's recollection was more apparent. "You're that girl that Cell maimed, right?"

Erasa slapped his arm. "Sharpner!"

He cringed. "S-Sorry. I couldn't think of a better way to put it..."

Hiki laughed. "It's fine. Yes, I am that girl that Cell maimed. But after squashing that nasty, lying bug, Mr. Satan personally sought me out. He paid for my doctor's visits, my physical therapy, and so I went to college for business management and came to him years later asking to pay off that debt. He refused and offered me a salary instead~"

Gohan was taken aback. "W-Wow..."

Hiki chuckled. "Sorry. I don't mean to overshare. I just like to brag about my boss. He's been a great mentor and a stalwart friend... even to old Ugly Hiki..."

"Hey! None of that!"

Gohan and the others turned and saw Videl walking down the hallway, dressed in a violet nightshirt marked with little, smiling bats. Her pigtails were down, leaving a waterfall of pure, black hair to cascade over her shoulders. She nodded at her friends. "Sup. This is meant to be a slumber party, ya know? Why is Erasa the only one in pajamas?"

Erasa strolled over to her friend, clasping onto her arm. "Cuz we're the only ones who know how to have fun~"

Sharpner flinched. "I-I know how to have fun! I just need to find a place to change!"

Gohan, meanwhile, had his eyes locked onto Videl. Seeing her without her hair done up made his heart beat strangely. His hands twitched. "H-Hey Videl. It's, uh, rare to see you with your hair down..."

For a moment, Gohan thought he had just said something really awkward. Videl, however, shrugged. "I'm never really relaxed at school. This is my house though, so no reason to be all business-y here."

Gohan nodded. "R-Right."

Videl turned. "YO, DAD! MY FRIENDS ARE HERE IF YOU WANNA SAY HI REAL QUICK!"

A heavy door opened upstairs, and the sound of footsteps got farther away and then closer as they came down the stairs. Mr. Satan appeared at the end of an opposite hallway, adjusting his suit tie, and grumbling. "I hate this fancy crap..."

Hiki wagged her finger. "I know, Mr. Satan, but this is an important event! Not only are you presenting a check to a charity and dining with King Furry, but we're also rubbing elbows with potential sponsors for the World Martial Arts Tournament next year. It's vital to attend this and put on your party face!"

Mr. Satan rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hiki."

He turned from his stalwart assistant and over to Videl and her friends. Mr. Satan's eyes were on his daughter first. He remained silent, but his entire face radiated with love for her. Videl locked eyes with him and shot a gentle smile. Mr. Satan then turned to Erasa. "Erasa! Hey there, sugarbeet! How ya doin?"

Erasa smiled wide and ran up to Mr. Satan, hugging him tight. "I'm fine, sir! It's nice to see you again. Thank you for the Christmas cookies! You didn't have to go out of your way."

Mr. Satan laughed. "Nonsense! Only the best for my baby girl and, by extension, her best friends!"

Erasa beamed. Mr. Satan walked up to Sharpner and clapped a hand onto the young man's shoulder. "Sharpner, my boy! Looking good! Baseball goin' good?"

Sharpner nodded. "Y-Yes, sir! Thank you for asking!"

And then, Mr. Satan turned to Gohan. For just a moment, recognition flickered in Mr. Satan's eyes. He seemed to recognize this young man in front of him, but if he gave any thought to that it was quickly disregarded. He held out a large, hairy hand. "Nice to meet you, son. You're... Stencil, right?"

Sharpner cringed. Videl called out. "No, Dad! That is clearly not Stencil! That's my friend, Gohan!"

Mr. Satan nodded. "Gohan. Go..."

For a moment, his eyes fogged over. It was as if a memory was on the very edge of Mr. Satan's brain. He had a name; he had a face... but he couldn't tell how they connected. He shook his head again. "S-Sorry, young man! I must be gettin' old. Lots of cobwebs in the ol' attic~"

Gohan chuckled. "You're fine, sir! It's nice to... finally meet you~"

Mr. Satan clapped him on the shoulder as well. "You're a big boy! If you ever want any martial arts lessons, drop by when I'm in! Ol' Mr. Satan would be happy to show you the ropes~"

Gohan clapped his hands together and bowed. "I thank you for the kind offer of wisdom."

Mr. Satan laughed. "And the boy knows his etiquette too! You sure know how to pick 'em, Videl~!"

As Mr. Satan laughed, so did Gohan and Sharpner. And so did Erasa and even Videl. Hiki smiled politely and then gently tapped her watch. "Mr. Satan. The dinner."

Mr. Satan sighed. "Nuts. Was hopin' you'd forget."

Another small round of laughter, which seemed to bring some genuine warmth to Mr. Satan's face. He really did like it when his little girl's friends liked him too. He cracked his neck. "Well, I gotta get goin. Help yourselves to whatever's in the fridge and the pantry. Have fun and don't worry about overtakin'. We can always get more~"

Everyone said their goodbyes and Mr. Satan walked to the door, doing his patented victory pose as he stepped out into the beginning drifts of snow. Hiki bowed to the three of them. "Mr. Sharpner, it was nice to finally meet you in person. Mr. Gohan, it was nice to meet you in general. And Ms. Erasa, it was nice to see you again."

They all agreed that it was a lovely meeting, and then Hiki walked up to Videl. She grabbed one of Videl's hands and squeezed it tightly between both of hers. The two of them shared a sweet smile and Hiki spoke softly. "Be responsible. Capsules in the lockbox, understood?"

Videl nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Hiki. Love you."

Hiki nodded back. "Love you too, kid."

And then, Hiki grabbed her cane and walked out the door after her boss. Once the door to them was closed and the headlights to Mr. Satan's limousine disappeared into the snow flurries, Videl adopted a wicked smile. Gohan flinched. Sharpner smirked. "Oh boy. What's that about?"

Erasa was giddy. "Did she? Did she?!"

Videl nodded, unwrapping her fist and showing off a small, silver key attached to a string. "Yep~ Spare key to my dad's liquor cabinet~ Gonna be a fun night~"

In Videl's room…

Videl growled under her breath as she rapidly pressed buttons on her controller. "Smash Ball! Damn it! Smash Ball! Gimme that-"

She gnashed her teeth and bit back a snarl as Banjo & Kazooie smashed right into her Princess Zelda, sending her crashing off the side of Final Destination. Gohan smirked as he broke the Smash Ball, and then immediately activated the Jinjonator the moment Videl landed. He chuckled. "Nope! No way and I letting you get that unfair Tri-Force nonsense!"

Videl went crashing off the screen and Gohan followed up with a jump and a Beak Bayonet. Crashing off the screen, and Videl's final stock was gone. She roared at the top of her lungs and tossed her controller into a nearby bookshelf, knocking several thick novels down to the floor. Videl groaned, picking up her beer and chugging the rest. "Damn it! How are you so good at this?!"

Gohan smiled. "I babysit all the time. I have a little brother and a little sister, a little cousin, a little godsister, and some close friends have a couple of kids as well. It's all a part of trying to be a good big brother~"

Sharpner rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his beer. "Dominating them at videogames?"

Gohan adopted a wicked smirk. "Yes~"

Erasa laughed, finishing off her can and adding it to the other five on the table next to her. Sharpner cleared his throat. "Calm down."

Erasa shook her head. "Nah!"

Then she did a shot of vodka and cracked open her seventh cold one of the evening. "Ms. 18 says that one skill to being a good lawyer is high alcohol tolerance! So this is job training! And I've decided to be a model student for once~"

Videl shoved her displaced novels back onto the shelf. "A-Plus! Throw me another!"

Erasa did. The can missed Videl by a mile and crashed into a Lego Pirate Ship she had sitting on her dresser, smashing the ship and bursting open into a river of suds... She glared at Erasa. "F-Minus! Now the carpet behind my dresser is gonna reek!"

Erasa chuckled and tossed another. Videl caught it and sighed. "Geez..."

She plopped on the ground, cracked it open, and chugged half in a single breath. Videl was on her third for the evening, picking up a bottle of her father's cheaper whiskey and quickly polishing off two nips.

Sharpner shook his head and continued his second of the evening, having only enjoyed a single shot of the whiskey. Gohan smiled placidly, the first beer that was tossed to him was still sitting unopened. "Anyone for another round?"

Sharpner shot Gohan a serious side-eye. "Don't play innocent! I know you're not drinking just so you can start hustling us once we're tipsy! Right? Sneak into the rich girl's house and start taking her for all she's worth on risky Smash Bros bets! Right?!"

Videl glared at Gohan. "Slimy bastard."

Erasa cackled. "I love my dishonest boyfriend~"

Gohan stammered. "H-Hey! I'm not trying to cheat anyone! I just... I'm under the drinking age!"

Silence for a moment, then all three of them laughed. Erasa snorted. "Under the drinking age?! Do any of us look 20, Gohan?!"

Sharpner smirked. "He acts like he's never been to a drinking party before..."

Gohan blushed and looked down at the carpet. Videl's eyes went wide. "Holy crap. He's never been to a drinking party before..."

Gohan groaned. "Is that... bad?"

Videl shook her head. "N-No! It's not bad! It's just, like, my dad is the textbook definition of a helicopter parent and I've been to at least a couple drinking parties before!"

Erasa looked away shamefully. "I basically do what I want when it comes to that stuff. Everyone in my life just trusts me to be responsible or eat the consequences..."

Sharpner shrugged. "The Vending Machine near my house doesn't exactly ask for an ID..."

Videl leaned back. "Are your parents really that strict, Gohan?"

Gohan scratched his head. "Uh... not exactly."

Then, he quickly tried to change the subject. "You know, we've known each other for a bit now. But we've never really discussed our families before beyond, like, jobs. Shouldn't that be something we should talk about for situations where we visit each other at home?"

Everyone seemed to weigh the idea on their minds for a moment, and none of them could think of a reason not to. So, Erasa started off. "Not much to say. My dad is a circuit judge, and my mom is a shopping network hostess. We've got decent money, and they aren't home a lot. I love 'em, still. But there's some distance."

Sharpner took a swig. "My mother was a cheerleader way back when and now she's on the PTO. My dad owns a chain of electronics stores and a travel agency. They're... cool. I guess. They both back me up on my dream to go pro in baseball."

Videl sighed. "You've met my dad. You see how he is. He saved the Earth, and he acts like a blowhard in public. He hasn't slept in his bed since my mom..."

She finished the can and crushed it. "... he's a good dad. My mom was a sweetheart when she was alive. I always wanted to be the best of both of them. Used to want to be a singer like her..."

Erasa smiled. "You always were a good singer back then~"

Videl smiled back. "Yeah..."

Sharpner quickly changed the subject. "Your turn, geek. Spill it."

Gohan smiled. "Well, my mom's name is Chi-Chi, she's a master homemaker..."

Erasa chuckled. "Oh, we're getting names~ He's trying to show us up~!"

Gohan continued. "... and my dad's name is Goku. He's-"

Videl's eyes went wide. "GOKU?!"

Gohan flinched. Videl got onto her knees. "Your name is Son Gohan. You have a monkey tail, and your father is named GOKU?!How didn't I put this together sooner?! Your father is... SON GOKU?!"

Gohan nodded. "Uh-huh..."

He felt a massive, swelling pit in his stomach. He had definitely over-shared. The gears in Videl's head were quickly turning. "Son Goku... 23rd Tournament... Cell Games... that boy... Golden... Fighter..."

Videl's eyes were the size of dinner plates as she looked at Gohan. Gohan flinched back. "N-Now, Videl..."

The room was silent. The only sound heard was Videl's breathing. She continued to mumble. "... but that doesn't... he would have to be able to change his hair color at will... that doesn't make sense... it... this... I..."

Videl grabbed the bottle of whiskey, ramming the spout in her mouth and pouring until only half was left in the bottle. She slammed the whiskey down onto the table and belched, her breath smelling robust and slightly burnt. Gohan reached out. "I'm... sorry, Videl. I-"

Videl laughed. "It doesn't matter! I was the one thinking up some sorta dumb conspiracy crap~"

The sudden shift of tone was almost enough to give Gohan actual whiplash. Videl lunged forward, grabbing the still refrigerator-cold can of beer off the table and popping the tab for Gohan. "Here! We all know each other better! Now let's drink to celebrate a more closely-knit friendship!"

Gohan took the foaming can. "A-Are you sure? I mean... I've never..."

Videl slapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Gohan! Live a little!"

Erasa chirped. "Yeah! It's not going to hurt anyone! We're just hanging out! Drink up!"

Sharpner chanted. "Chug it! Chug it! Chug it!"

Gohan looked uncertain. Videl sighed. "You don't have to if you don't want to. No peer pressure or anything, just trying to have some fun. If you don't want it, hand it to me~"

Videl held out her hand. Gohan looked at her in her bright, blushing, smiling face. Then he looked at Sharpner. Then to Erasa. Then, Gohan smiled and sighed... and chugged the entire can in one gulp!

Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner cheered. "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Gohan laughed with a small belch. "There! I did it. Now, you've gotta do something for me~"

Videl cocked her head. "Oh?"

Gohan nodded. "Got any karaoke games? I wanna hear that singing voice~"

Later that evening, on the roof of the Satan Residence…

Gohan smiled, toasty and warm under the heated blanket that he had lugged up to the roof. The fireworks certainly were beautiful as they exploded and crackled overhead. He spent about 2 minutes texting everyone he knew "Happy New Year", and the responses he got made him happy.

From Marron wearing a pair of festive glasses shaped like the new Age number to Vegeta overdoing it with Party Popper emojis, it seemed that everyone he knew and loved was having a nice evening. Gine had sent him two pictures, one of everyone watching the fireworks and one of his deeply slumbering father wearing the same glasses Marron was.

Next to him, Erasa and Sharpner were both fast asleep. Erasa had managed to finish an entire case by herself. Sharpner tapped out at eight beers. Gohan, personally, was on his third and felt pleasantly buzzed. The four of them had come up to watch the New Year get welcomed in style, but it was no surprise that no one had made it that far.

Gohan looked over to where Videl had crashed. "I'm going to have to carry everyone in from the-"

She was gone.

Gohan followed her trail of footprints in the snow and spied her sitting on the far end of the roof, not staring at the fireworks, but instead at the moon and the stars above. Quietly, Gohan got to his feet and began to make his way over. As he approached, he heard Videl lyrically mumbling to herself. As he got closer, he realized that she was indeed singing.

Among a million stars, a single love is born~

A burning light, to last the test of time~

Gohan paused. "Wha..."

A small drift of snow fell from a nearby antenna and plopped to the ground. Videl turned in a flash and saw him standing there. "Oh, hey there, Gohan..."

Her voice was a bit slurred. She hadn't drunk as many beers as Erasa, but she had chugged a lot of whiskey. Her eyes were glazed, but she had the innocent look on her face of a girl caught sneaking a peak at a boy's picture in a magazine. An innocent act but carrying a ton of embarrassment alongside it. "How long have you been standing there?"

Gohan blushed. "J-Just a minute. I don't know if I said it earlier when we were playing Beat Beat Karaoke, but you have a very p-pretty voice..."

Videl swallowed a lump in her throat. "Th-Thanks..."

She turned back to the moon. Gohan spoke up. "May I sit?"

Videl's voice was soft. "Sure."

Gohan sat and the two of them stared at the moon together, full and bright on this now New Year's Day. Even with Garlic Jr.'s device embedded into it, the full moon still made Gohan's heart pound. He felt uninhibited. He turned to Videl and spoke in a soft voice of his own. "You've been tense since I mentioned my dad's name, spurring yourself on with mouthfuls of alcohol. Are you... upset with me? I know my dad stepped into your dad's big moment at the Cell Games, and-"

Videl spoke bluntly. "I don't give a shit about the Cell Games."

Gohan snorted and covered his mouth, mumbling to himself. "I'd love for Cell to hear that..."

Videl turned to him. "Huh?"

Gohan shook his head. "Nothing."

Videl sighed. "I'm going to tell you something important to me. I've only ever told Erasa before. If you laugh, or make fun of me, the friendship is dead and I'll never speak to you again. Okay?"

Gohan nodded. "Okay."

Videl took a deep breath. "After my mom died, I went to a festival put on 'in her memory'."

"I heard about that on the news", Gohan lied.

Videl continued. "Terrorists or demons or aliens or something invaded and one of them took me hostage. The last song my mother ever wrote, the one I was just singing, was playing. I remember almost passing out, her voice ringing in my ears, mentally begging her to save me..."

It made Gohan's blood boil to think about all the people Bojack's selfishness had terrorized. "Yeah."

Videl turned, her eyes wide and sparkling. She believed every word she was saying. "And Mom sent me an angel!"

Gohan turned to her, silent. Videl nodded. "He was amazing! Shimmering golden hair! Emeralds for eyes! An honest-to-goodness angel!"

And, immediately, all the gears meshed in Gohan's head. "...Oh."

Videl nodded, her face flushed pink with high-quality booze. "And still, you'd better not laugh at me... I know that your hair isn't golden and your eyes aren't green... but when I look you in the face, I think of that angel. And... and..."

Gohan was frozen in place. Videl stammered. "... and..."

Neither of them heard an extra set of footsteps approaching in the snow. Videl closed her eyes. Gohan closed his. And their lips met for a tender, passionate kiss, as a firework burst against the full moon behind them. They separated and Videl swallowed another, massive lump in her throat. A single tear streamed down her cheek. At that moment, the moonlight made Gohan's hair look perfectly golden. "Thank you for saving me."

As the remains of the fireworks sizzled out of existence, another voice spoke up. "Ahem!"

Gohan and Videl both nearly jumped out of their skin, turning to see Erasa standing there with a neutral expression on her face. Immediately, Gohan felt the burning flames of guilt in his chest. "Erasa-"

Videl cut him off. "DON'T BE MAD AT HIM!"

Erasa turned to her friend. Videl's voice was hoarse. "I kissed him! Don't be mad at him! Please! Be mad at me! I... I, uh..."

Erasa stepped forward, standing eye-to-eye with Videl. "You love him too, right?"

Videl didn't, or couldn't, respond. Erasa turned to Gohan. "Do you love her?"

Gohan didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure what any of his feelings were after that. Erasa looked between the two of them for a long time. And then she sighed and gently pecked Videl on the cheek. Videl flinched. So did Gohan. Erasa smiled. "I love both of you. I'm not afraid to admit that. You're my friends. You're both my heart. And I just want us all to be happy, okay?"

Videl began to tremble, tears welling in her eyes. "I-I'm sorry..."

Erasa hugged her. "I'm not mad at you. And I'm not going to break up with Gohan, so don't panic..."

Erasa pointed to Gohan. "... you either. Get over here."

Gohan did as he was told, standing up and marching over to be pulled into a giant, group hug. Erasa spoke softly. "Love is strange. You can't control it or tell it what to do. I don't know what that kiss was about. You don't even have to tell me, if you don't want to. Just know that, no matter how this plays out, I love you both. You're two of my best friends, okay?"

Gohan hugged his girlfriend tightly. Videl hugged her best friend. And Erasa hugged her two loves right back. Then she smiled. "Fireworks are over. Let's grab Sharpner and get inside before we get sick~"

And so they went. Erasa cradling a drunken, and quite weepy Videl and Gohan lugging a stone-cold unconscious Sharpner. The four of them piled into Videl's room, onto her bed, and then fell asleep together under the soft moonlight.

Back at the Ginyu Force's camp…

Gohan arrived at the Ginyu Force's secret treehouse the next day with a smile on his face and only a slight hangover beating in his head. Gloomy texts from Sharpner, Erasa, and Videl seemed to suggest that they were experiencing much worse aftershocks than the previous evening.

He opened the door and called. "Guys, I'm here! How's-"

Gohan was blown away by what he saw. The Saiyaman Suit was draped atop a dressing mannequin, looking perfectly tailored and robust. Burter was slumbering next to it, all his space heaters unplugged.

Guldo and Recoome both laid snoring next to several instruments and a massive, double-reeled tape recorder. Gohan could spy song lyrics and sheet music laid messily between the two of them. The only Ginyu member that seemed to be awake was Jeice, dressed in a pair of coveralls and wearing a painter's mask over his nose and mouth. He was applying the final layer of shining, emerald aerosol to the formerly drab, outer shell of Future Gohan's old bike.

Jeice waved. "Hey, mate! How was ya slumber party?"

Gohan set his stuff down. "It... It was great. Have you guys rested at all since I was last here?"

Jeice shook his head. "Nah. Too much to do and too excited to stop. We gotta make you shine if you're going to be out there representing us as your master's in style. Can't let a single thing be out of place!"

Gohan looked over the bike. On the front chassis, he saw what appeared to be the Ginyu Force logo at first but was actually modified to look like a combination of that emblem and the Saiyaman helmet. Gohan smiled. "You made me an emblem?"

Jeice nodded. "Uh-huh. You're our student and our mate. We wanted to give you something that would represent that. Every hero needs an emblem, after all! Gotta have something to flash in the sky if they decide to make a Saiya-Signal!"

Jeice chuckled at that, and Gohan joined him. Soon enough they were both laughing like a pair of old friends. Jeice took a deep breath and sighed. "So, now that the others are asleep... you've been trying to ask me for advice about girls for the past couple days, right?"

Gohan flinched. "I... uh..."

Jeice turned to him, wiping the tip of his paint gun. "You can talk to me, mate. I'm not gonna make fun of ya. Growing teenage boys have feelings and other crap they can't grasp on their own. If you need someone to bounce your feelings off, I've got an ear to lend."

Gohan paused for a moment, slowly but surely realizing that... he kinda liked Jeice. The rest of the Ginyu Force too. They were goofy, and probably still loyal to Frieza when push came to shove... but he liked the four of them just fine. Gohan sighed. "Okay, but you promise not to laugh or poke fun, right?"

Jeice shot a thumbs-up. "On Brihe's life."

Gohan nodded. "Okay, well... I think I've fallen in love with two of my friends. And that makes me feel like a scumbag..."

Jeice shrugged. "And your hormones are going nuts right now. Eh. Happens to the best of us. Tell me more."

Gohan nodded again. "So..."

And Gohan sat there and talked to Jeice about things. Together, the two of them talked until the sun hung low in the sky.

2 days later, the Orange Star Police Commission…

Gunfire rattled off as Videl dashed behind a police van. Hearing the bullets pinging off the side of the armored vehicle was almost as calming as a sudden rain shower to Videl. The noise allowed her to calm down, think, and refocus. Unfortunately, that focus was broken down by a shrill squeal right next to her. "VIDEL~~~"

Videl turned and there was Akai Tomato, giddy and holding a police-issued revolver in each hand. She cackled. "Look at us, fighting criminals together~!"

Videl snapped. "I DON'T NEED YOU AROUND RIGHT NOW! I'M TRYING TO THINK!"

A rocket whizzed overhead and crashed into a nearby tree, blowing it to pieces. Videl gasped. "THEY HAVE A ROCKET LAUNCHER?!"

Tomato's jaw dropped. "Oh, wow..."

Videl peaked over the hood of the van and saw not one, but two rocket launchers on either side of the criminal's blockade. She scowled. "They must have stolen them from the police armory..."

Tomato nodded. "Yeah. I must've left the keys in the lock. Damn..."

Videl snapped again. "'Damn'?! 'DAMN'?! You left the keys that would have kept them out of advanced police equipment in the lock?! Why do police need freaking rocket launchers anyway?!"

As Tomato was about to respond, a catchy but dated tune began to play. It was so loud it even started to drown out the gunfire. The criminals ceased their takeover of the Police Commission and Videl and Tomato both stopped as well. Videl turned around. "What the heck...?"

Tomato's face lit up. "It's-"

A massive, freshly painted green motorcycle shot out over the burned remains of the once sturdy tree, twin red banners flowing in the wind. As it flew through the air, two speakers attached to the sides blared out a mighty tune.

CRIMINALS~! EVIL'S ARMY~!

A CITY CAST IN DEEP SHADOWS~!

I SHALL PROTECT THE PEACE OF THE WORLD~!

GO! GO! LET'S GO! JUSTICE CYCLE~!

The Great Saiyaman crashed his bike into one of the two rocket-wielding goons, sending him crashing through one of the police commission's glass doors. Saiyaman leapt from his bike with a mighty shout.

JUSTICE JUMP~!

JUSTICE KICK~!

He landed on the other rocket-wielder and kicked him straight to the ground. Then he turned and, with a massive flourish, fired a shockwave from his palm that blasted the guns from his foe's hands. He turned to the police, to Akai Tomato, and most importantly to Videl. "Allies of justice! I have come to aid you! Take flight and join me in putting a stop to this wretched wickedness!"

THE GREAT! THE GREAT! SAIYAMAN!

Saiyaman struck a mighty heroic pose and directed his fellow crime fighters with a single, effortless finger point. "Let us stop this terror now! MAY JUSTICE PREVAIL!"

The cops all roared in approval, charging over their bullet-ridden cars in a massive, armored hoard and charging into their commission, quickly overwhelming the unprepared criminal scum within.

THE GREAT! THE GREAT! SAIYMAN!

JUSTICE WARRIOR! GREAT SAIYAMAN!

Saiyaman turned and smiled at the approaching Videl and Tomato. "So, what do you two think?"

Tomato's eyes were sparkling. "So cool~!"

Saiyaman gave Tomato a thumbs-up. He turned to Videl, his freshly whitened teeth gleaming. "And you, Miss Videl?"

Videl was silent at first, but then she easily spoke her mind. "You are so lame..."