Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

A/N: I have been waiting for this chapter for a long, long time. :)

Chapter 165: The Wizard Babidi

In the tournament ring…

Kibito spoke in a clear, firm voice. He spoke with such depth and volume that the entire stadium could hear his words. "Show me the power that truly vanquished the demon known as Cell! Show me your Super Saiyan!"

There was a long, long silence. And then, Gohan cocked his head. "... Huh?"

In the crowd…

Having taken a moment to digest Kibito's words, the crowd at large began to murmur to themselves. One man in a suit called out. "What did that guy just say?"

A woman was confused. "The power that defeated Cell?"

A young man cackled. "That dude must be blind! Anyone with a brain knows that Mr. Satan beat that monster! Not some weirdo in green pajamas!"

As the crowd around them began to get louder and louder, the rest of the Z-Spectators all looked concerned. Goten and Chika looked up to their mother. Chi-Chi sneered. "How on Earth does that guy know about anything to do with Gohan?!"

Gine stroked her chin. Master Roshi silently hummed to himself. Raditz and Blonde Launch looked at one another and Blonde Launch spoke in a hushed whisper. "Raditz, what's goin' on?"

Bulma frowned, looking over as Android 16 began to scan Kibito. Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Nam all looked intently at Gohan's opponent. The former bandit turned to his fellow preliminary dropouts. "Hey, Nam, what exactly made you forfeit to that pink guy...?"

Nam's forehead wrinkled. "I could describe it as no more than a feeling about him, but..."

Finally, Videl stared into the ring at her boyfriend as Sharpner and Erasa continued to try and question her about her sudden ability to walk. Videl spoke quietly to herself. "Super Saiyan?"

On the other end of the tournament grounds…

Totally unaware of what was currently going on in the ring, Trunks was gently, but frantically shaking Ranch. "R-Ranch! Come on! Wake up, Ranch! Please!"

The young girl, still reeling from the effects of the half-powered Devilmite Beam, simply shuddered and quietly sobbed to herself. "Daddy... please... please come back..."

Within the fighters' waiting area…

A look of fatherly concern was set into Goku's face as he stared out at his son in the ring. His gaze briefly flickered down at the Supreme Kai and then back into the ring. "Even considering everything you just said, I'm not sure I like this..."

18 was more blunt. "This isn't right. What if something goes wrong?"

Krillin looked exhausted. "Why do things like this always happen, man?"

In the ring, Gohan's confused look had shifted to outright bafflement. His posture and stance were quickly becoming much less subdued. It was easy to tell that he was pretty annoyed at the demand that Kibito had made. Vegeta, a scowl on his face, turned to Piccolo. "Gohan seems angry. Rightfully so. He might require some motivation."

Piccolo nodded. "Agreed."

And then, the Namekian stepped forward and called out. "GOHAN!"

In the ring…

Vale spoke into his microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, though I couldn't quite grasp what he was saying, it would appear as if Kibito has thrown down the gauntlet! The Great Saiyaman has been thrown for a loop! How will the superhero of Satan City respond?!"

As the Z-Fighters in the waiting area had observed, Gohan was very much annoyed at this sudden intrusion into his privacy. His voice had an edge that the normally polite, goofy half-Saiyan never typically carried. He glanced up at Mr. Satan and then sneered at Kibito. "How dare you say something like that in front of all these people?! I oughta-"

Suddenly, Piccolo's voice called out. Gohan turned to see his first teacher standing in the doorway to the waiting area. Their eyes locked and Piccolo gave a firm nod that barely matched the uneasy look on his normally stoic, green face. Gohan groaned and turned back to Kibito, knowing that Piccolo wouldn't insist on something like this unless it was important.

Gohan had his marching orders.

The boy's gaze returned to Kibito with a measured amount of antipathy. He spoke in an almost seething whisper. "You're making me reveal a secret I would have taken to the grave. Do you have any idea how my peers at school are going to treat me once this spreads around?!"

Kibito spoke in dry sarcasm. "My heart shatters for you."

Gohan gripped his fists. "Jerk."

But then, the heavy frown on his face turned into an intense, sharp smirk. "So, big guy, what level of Super Saiyan are you looking to see today, huh?"

Kibito flinched ever-so-slightly. "Level...?"

Gohan chuckled. "In for a penny, in for a pound. Super Saiyan 2 it is!"

And then, the air all around the arena became still. The atmosphere changed. Everyone, from the Ki-sense enabled Z-Fighters to the normal humans in the crowd felt it. A sudden dryness. The crackle of subtle electricity racing across the hair on their skin. Piccolo's flesh prickled. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Kibito's wrinkled, pink face. And then...

A raging aura of lightning and flame burst forth, the muscles under Gohan's Saiyaman costume swollen like balloons. The Earth began to quiver. The sky began to shake. The grass around the ring bent over, as if prostrating itself to the power on display before it.

Gohan's eyes flashed a powerful green and Videl gasped. And then Gohan let loose an almighty roar. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A blinding flash of light shot out through the entire arena and the stones of the ring lifted in sequence, each rising a foot in a spreading circle and then dropping back to the ground with a mighty crash. A raging tornado of golden flames and silver lightning shot out, leaving their indelible marks across the pristine ring tile. And then Gohan roared a second time. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The echo of his voice spread for miles, so far that people on the distant shores of South City even caught a shallow reverberation of it. All the electronic equipment in the arena meant for live tournament broadcast shorted out all at once. The cell phones of everyone in the crowd went dead as the overcharged, ambient energy around them sapped away what little charge they had. For a moment, everyone looked around like the world had ended. And then, all their attention fell squarely onto the ring and everything was silent.

Everyone on Earth had watched the Cell Games. It was the only televised event in history with a 100% viewership rating. And the last sight many had seen on their televisions that fateful day was the image of a young man, wreathed in power and propped up with an instinctive, primal fury. It was an image that many had dismissed, but not one person had ever truly forgotten.

And now that image was standing before these spectators at this very moment.

Son Gohan, the boy from the Cell Games, had returned to the public eye once more.

In spite of himself, Kibito could not maintain his calculated, superior posture. He stared at this new, golden wraith in awe. Vale spoke reverently into the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen... this is..."

Gohan smirked. "Are you satisfied? This is the level I was at when I was facing down Cell. Are you okay with the power of a child... or would you prefer that I really pull out my full power, Kibito?"

In the fighters' waiting area…

The Supreme Kai's blood was racing. Shin smiled a genuine smile and turned to the Z-Fighters. "This is perfect! Now we just have to hope that Spopovich and Yamu take... the..."

The rest of the Z-Fighters were all staring in shock, jaws hanging open at what they were feeling before them. Vegeta mumbled to himself. "How...? He barely trains..."

Krillin was shaking. "The same kid...?"

17 and 18 were silent. Tien shook his head in disbelief. "How is one meant to compete with that? And it feels as if we're still in such shallow depths..."

Piccolo's shock quickly became a proud smirk. "That's my student."

Goku smiled a small, fatherly smile. "That's my son."

Some years ago…

Little Erasa was busily brushing Videl's long, black hair with a smile on her face. Christmas had just passed, and she was happy to be able to hang out with her friend again. Things had gotten so bad after Ms. Miguel's death and Videl had been so distant as a result of it all that Erasa was almost afraid she had been forgotten.

Then that scary stuff on Gyosan Mane Island happened and, the day after Christmas, Videl had called her. Erasa had been spending the night for nearly a week at this point and it filled her with such a happy feeling, even if Videl seemed to have gone just a bit crazy in the meantime.

That was okay. She had just lost her mommy. It was okay for her to be crazy. Erasa would always be there for her crazy best friend.

As Erasa brushed and brushed, trying to decide whether braids or pigtails would look better, Videl continued to talk about the one thing from Gyosan Mane she really seemed to care about. "It was an angel, Erasa! An actual angel! He was all wreathed in gold and he saved me from that alien monster! He was surrounded by lightning and he was really strong and you shoulda seen his eyes!"

Erasa smiled. Videl was in love with a fantasy. An "angel" that she dreamed up her mother sent her when she was in trouble. Erasa knew she would never meet this angel, but hearing Videl in love was more than enough for her.

Back in the present, in the crowd…

Erasa turned from her miraculously healed best friend and stared down into the ring. She had seen other people do this today, from easy-going children to hardass older men. Her choice of legal profession made her pretty good at logically putting two and two together. But, even in spite of all of that...even in spite of Son Goku himself telling her that Gohan had killed Cell, Erasa could never quite make the image she was seeing right now form in her head.

She stared at Gohan in the ring. Her second real love in life. One of her only two loves in life. The gentle, raven-haired bookworm with whom she had shared kisses and secrets and walks. The Golden Fighter, come to think of it. And Erasa could only manage his name. "Gohan..."

Sharpner's arms dropped from Videl. "Holy shit..."

Videl, meanwhile, was totally silent. Her voice and the storm of thoughts in her head all came to a sudden, screeching stop for the first time since that day so long ago when an angel saved her from a devil with her mother's voice ringing out in the background. Videl stared at Gohan and realized that either everything in life was one mad coincidence or nothing was.

Surrounded by stunned friends, Yamcha swallowed a lump in his throat with an audible click. "How...?"

Chiaotzu was still as stone. "He's so damned strong!"

Gohan's spectating family all stared at their boy without saying a word.

Down at the champion's throne…

Mr. Satan and the recently arrived Hiki Komori both stared in silent disbelief at the sight of Videl's boyfriend wreathed in golden flames. The world champion shook his head. "This entire time, that boy has been..."

Off in an unobserved corner…

Spopovich and Yamu both watched from the shadows, more and more thankful by the second that they hadn't been noticed. The power meter gripped in Spopovich's shuddering hands was spinning so fast the dial gears within were beginning to grind themselves away. Yamu gripped a large cask bearing the same insignia that marked his forehead. "It makes no sense. First, that pink guy announces that this brat killed Cell, when everyone knows it was Mr. Satan that did that... and now..."

Spopovich felt like his mouth was full of dry leaves. "What did he say when we were talking to him earlier? What did Dabura say, Yamu?"

Yamu repeated his superior's words. "The seer has informed our master that our target is a golden warrior clad in emerald vestments. He will be wreathed by flames..."

The shorter ghoul shook like a newborn puppy. "This beast is our guy."

The two thugs nodded to each other and then got ready to pounce.

In the ring…

Son Gohan took on a fighting stance. "Come on, then! Let's do this!"

After a moment's pause, Kibito closed his eyes. And then he gave a single shake of his head. "My apologies. But I will unfortunately not be doing battle with you today, mortal. Though, in consolation for what is about to occur, I shall openly concede defeat to you. Your strength far outstrips my own."

Gohan flinched, looking very put out. "What?!"

Vale, broken from his trance, cried out. "After all this, you're giving up?! We can't end a moment like this on a for-"

Suddenly, with two simultaneous battle cries, Spopovich and Yamu rushed side-by-side into the ring. Vale turned and cried out in surprise, seeing the two ghouls lunging right at Gohan. Spopovich's arms were splayed out in preparation for a mighty bear hug. Yamu was wielding some form of weapon.

For a moment, Spopovich and Yamu were sure of their victory. But, as with Son Goku before, time seemed to have frozen in place. Slowly, Gohan's head turned and he looked at the two thugs with contempt.

A small smirk cracked across the boy's lips. "Oh, goody. I was hoping to talk to you~"

Spopovich's jaw dropped and he gave a shrill gasp of surprise. And then, Son Gohan's fist slammed into his ribs with the force of a cannon ball, shattering his ribs like glass and sending him flying across the ring. Purple blood erupted from Spopovich's throat, and he hit the arena with a solid thud, tumbling away.

Gohan turned to Yamu, dodging a stab from the cask in the bastard's grip. He raised his hand and slapped the cask out of Yamu's hands before reaching up and giving a light, sharp slap to the knuckle imprints in the side of his skull. "My Dad sure put you through the ringer..."

The boy drew his left fist back, tightening his grip and staring daggers at the undented side of Yamu's face. "Why don't I even you out?"

Yamu flinched back, falling onto his ass with a yelp of panic. Gohan immediately lost interest, turning to Kibito and shooting him an icy look. "Are you just going to stand there?"

Kibito was silent, closing his eyes. Gohan nodded. "Fine then. You're third on the list. I will know what this was all about."

He began to turn back to Yamu. "But first..."

All at once, a magic cage surrounded the ring and the same chains that bound Goku's feet wrapped around Gohan's entire body. Yamu stood and reached for the kettle. "SPOPOVICH! ARE YOU JUST GOING TO NAP, OR-"

A familiar boot pressed down on the kettle's side. Yamu looked up, surprised to see that Gohan was right on top of him. He trembled. "But, my magic runes, how..."

Gohan seized Yamu by the top of the head, dragging him to his feet and punching him with moderate strength directly in the stomach. Yamu wheezed, his eyes bugging out. Gohan sneered. "Do you really think your third-rate magic could hold me or my father down? HUH?!"

Spopovich, still bleeding from the mouth, came lumbering at Gohan like a mindless beast. Gohan quickly turned on his heel and elbowed the dumb bastard in the cheek, making one eye bulge out. He stumbled backwards and fell onto his back, clutching his broken face. "AGH! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! MASTER SAID THAT I WAS BEYOND PAIN!"

Gohan glared at the two defeated thugs. "I'm getting tired of all this cult crap and the pain it keeps causing Videl. You two are going to tell me what's going on right now... and then MAYBE I won't give you the Cell treatment!"

Yamu briefly faltered, but then the sigil on his forehead began to burn. He quickly got to his feet. "Pull yourself together, Spopovich! We must-"

Gohan turned to face him and all of the wind went out of Yamu's sails. Despite his fealty to his dark benefactor, he knew for a fact just how outmatched he and Spopovich were here. And fear was doing a pretty good job of muffling fealty away. Yamu held up his hands. "Wait-"

Gohan thrust his hand at the coward and sent him flying with a Kiai, through the magic cage and into the wall beyond it. Yamu slammed hard and fell limp onto the ground, not unconscious but very much wishing he was. Spopovich rushed in for another attack, but Gohan quickly turned and faced the hulking bastard, weighing into him with a string of furious blows that left Spopovich black and blue, finishing the attack with a punch to the wrist containing such force that it shattered apart Spopovich's hand as well as the section of the fighter's waiting area right behind it.

Spopovich fell to the ground, yowling in pain as he held the ruined purple pulp that used to be his left fist. Behind him, the fighters' waiting area crumbled to the ground. The Z-Fighters all looked panicked, genuinely concerned that another Cumber-moment was about to occur. Shin looked frustrated as he watched Gohan continue to overpower the two pale goons.

The Supreme Kai nodded to Kibito in the ring. Kibito nodded right back.

The crowd roared in approval as Gohan kicked Spopovich across the face. Their worst fears for Videl were buzzing (unaware that she had already been healed) and they wanted blood as payment for what had happened to Mr. Satan's daughter. Gohan raised his hand and charged a ki blast. "Last chance, moron! Who is this master of yours?!"

And then, for just a moment, Gohan hesitated. Spopovich looked at the boy not with the eyes of a remorseless killer, but with the final desperate look of a man facing death. Spopovich the killing machine disappeared for a brief second. Spopovich, the man who aspired to be a beloved champion, was back. He looked at Gohan with a quivering jaw, clutching his ruined hand, and all the intensity of Super Saiyan 2 faded away. Gohan fell back to his standard Super Saiyan state. "What...?"

Kibito crossed his fingers on his left hand and stared harshly at Gohan, asserting his will over the boy and just barely locking away his lesser power. Gohan gasped, his eyes going wide. At that same moment, across the way in the ruins of the waiting area, Shin splayed out his hands and totally paralyzed Gohan's body. Everything down to blood flow and cell movement, for a handful of agonizing seconds, came to a halt.

Yamu quickly rose to his feet and, after a short mystical chant, shot off dozens of runic chains that wrapped Gohan's body. He called out. "SPOPOVICH! GRAB HIM!"

Spopovich the man faded, dying his final death somewhere deep in a fractured subconscious. Spopovich the monster rushed forward and grabbed Gohan as tight as he could, squeezing with all his might. Yamu rushed forward, grabbing the cask and jamming the spike into Gohan's side. The shorter thug laughed out loud. Spopovich joined him. And Son Gohan screamed as the device impaling him in the side began to suck some form of vital essence out like a greedy tick.

In the crowd…

All at once, the Z-Spectators stood up. What had happened to Videl had very much weakened their resolve to sit aside and let things play out. Yamu, and especially Spopovich, had crossed a line and now they would be forcibly placed right back over it.

Gohan's friends and family were all ready to move. Goten and Chika had proved to be even faster than that, both going Super Saiyan and rushing into the fray with dual shouts of "BIG BROTHER!" and "GOHAN!".

Before either could make it farther than 10 feet, however, a sudden flash of orange appeared in their path and Goku grabbed both of his youngest children into a gentle, but firm hold. Everyone flinched back.

Yamcha was the first to recover. "Goku! What the hell is going on, man?!"

Chi-Chi quickly followed up, marching up to her husband and getting right in his face, her eyes swirling red and her hair beginning to subtly flash white. "This is no time for tournament etiquette, Goku! Our firstborn child is being assaulted!"

Goku nodded. "I know. I don't like it either. But I need you to trust me, Chi-Chi. If any of us thought Gohan was in mortal danger, I would have been the first person in there taking care of those two!"

Nervously, Chi-Chi stared past her husband at her wailing oldest boy. She bit her lip. Gine frowned. "I take it that something more is happening, Kakarot?"

Goku nodded. "From what I'm being told, a lot more. Once those guys finish with Gohan, we-"

Having heard enough of this, Videl quickly took to the air and raced down to the tournament ring, using her boyfriend's name like a war-cry. "GOHAN!"

Goku was caught off guard, too late to intercept. "V-Videl! STOP!"

In the ring…

The flashing of the cask came to a stop as it had drunk its fill. Gohan's screams became quieter and quieter until he finally passed out. His aura died all at once, the gold giving way to his normal, black hair. Gohan's eyes half-lidded and he fell to his knees, limply flopping onto his chest. The chaos was over and Spopovich and Yamu stood triumphant. Spopovich cackled. "WE DID IT!"

Yamu smiled wide. "Indeed! Let us depart, Spopovich! The time of Majin Buu is now at hand!"

Spopovich nodded in agreement. Then, his eyes landed on his ruined hand and he glared at the unconscious Gohan with visceral hate. The thug raised his boot over Gohan's head. "But first-"

A familiar foot crashed into Spopovich's face, caving it in and sending him flying out of the ring, through a nearby dividing wall. All at once, the entire crowd gasped in shocked disbelief. As Spopovich raised himself up from the rubble, the crowd's disbelief quickly turned to joy. To the battered brute's consternation, the brat he had crippled before was standing over the boy they had just drained, locked in that annoyingly cocksure fighting stance of hers.

Videl was back, standing over Gohan like a mother lion. With a ferocious roar in her voice, she snarled at Spopovich. "Step back in this ring! I'll kill you!"

Spopovich growled, his now fully-broken face and how Videl was able to injure him that badly all of a sudden, the last things on his mind. He got to his feet and clenched his remaining fist. "SATAN BRAT!"

As Spopovich began to rush, Yamu quickly rushed to him and tackled him into the air. "WE HAVE NO TIME FOR THIS, IDIOT! GET MOVING!"

Spopovich touched his shattered face, sneering as he felt in his mouth and discovered that two front teeth were gone. Videl hardened her glare at him. He almost disobeyed Yamu, but then the sound of his devilish superior's hellish laughter rang through Spopovich's head and he quickly turned tail. Without another word, he and Yamu rushed off toward the west.

Videl relaxed, turning with a sharp gaze as Shin marched into the ring, the rest of the Z-Fighters following along. He beckoned up to Goku and the Saiyan nodded, placing his youngest children onto the stands with a loving pat on each of their heads and quickly joining in. He was rapidly followed by Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Chi-Chi, Gine, and Android 16.

Upon landing in the ring, 16's eyes gave an electronic chirp. He nodded with a sigh of relief. "Son Gohan is in stable condition. He is merely drained of his energy reserves."

Shin pointed west, in the same direction that Spopovich and Yamu had flown. "We must make haste. Who among you is willing to join my crusade to stop the end of the world?"

Yamcha, Chiaotzu, 16, and Videl all flinched in confusion. The Supreme Kai turned to Kibito. "Heal Son Gohan and then bring him along. We shall go in advance, so as not to lose the scent."

The Supreme Kai quickly took off, a grim and dire look on his face. Goku sighed and turned to Vale with a sympathetic look. "Sorry, buddy! Earth-saving business!"

Goku quickly pecked Chi-Chi on the cheek, shooting her a look that promised everything would be okay, and then he was off after Shin. Wordlessly, Vegeta gave chase as well. He was quickly followed by Piccolo and Tien, who of course had Chiaotzu right on his heels.

Krillin groaned and turned to the Androids. "Would you three be willing to stay here, just in case something happens? We all know we can rely on you to fight like hell if the tables turn on this end~"

18 nodded. "Fine. Be careful."

17 crossed his arms. "And don't forget to call if you need backup."

16 smiled. "We shall keep everyone else safe."

Then Krillin turned to Yamcha. "What about you, buddy? You coming?"

Yamcha frowned. "Honestly, I have no clue what's going on right now, man. So, I'd prefer to stay where I can keep an eye on Koriocha and Suno. I'll help watch Marron too, of course."

Krillin nodded and scratched his head. "Can't say I blame you. I'm gettin' too old for this crap."

And then, the former monk took off after the others.

Once everyone else had departed, Kibito kneeled down and pressed his hand onto the barely conscious Gohan's back. All at once, waves of shimmering golden light began to emanate from Kibito's palm, enveloping Gohan and slowly restoring his lost power.

Up in the stands…

Even as Hiki was offering the unbelievable explanation, Mr. Satan couldn't turn his attention away from his previously crippled daughter standing in the ring. Hiki finished her tall tale with a frantic tone in her voice. "And then I made her the tea and it seemed to perk her right up!"

The poor woman shook her head. "I don't know what's going on, Mr. Satan! I just know it's a miracle! She can walk again, sir!"

Immediately, Hiki became misty-eyed. "She can walk again~"

Mr. Satan could barely form words. "Videl..."

Back in the ring…

As he continued the healing process, Kibito found himself astounded at just how long it was taking to restore Gohan to his full strength. The holy attendant grimaced. At this rate, it would take far too long to catch up to the Supreme Kai for his liking. He did not like to leave his master unattended for too long.

Kibito honed in, but then noticed an unfamiliar pair of shiny black dress shoes walk into his field of view. Raditz, fresh from the stands with a fresh hotdog in hand, reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small, green bean. He motioned to his nephew. "Gohan! Open up!"

Kibito sneered. "Do not interfere! You will only inhibit-"

Raditz acted as if he didn't hear Kibito speaking, pressing the Senzu into Gohan's mouth with his thumb. Gohan lazily chewed and swallowed the bean. And then, also enjoying the boost from Kibito's magic, quickly jumped to his feet. Son Gohan was back to full strength!

Gohan quickly shot Kibito a sharp look, but then he turned to his uncle with a sigh. "One of those things, huh Uncle Raditz?"

Raditz was silently contemplative, finishing his hotdog in three bites as he thought back to his conversation with Korin. Then, he turned to his nephew and nodded. "Yup. One of those things."

Gine and Chi-Chi quickly marched up. Chi-Chi began to fuss over her son, adjusting his gi and making sure he wasn't truly injured. Gine turned to her eldest son and sighed. "You guys be careful, okay?"

More people moved in to speak and check on Gohan, but Kibito quickly and loudly cleared his throat. Gohan and Raditz turned their attention toward him and he spoke very bluntly. "There is no time to dally. We must follow the Supreme Kai at once!"

Kibito quickly took off and Gohan and Raditz just as quickly followed. All of the other Z-Fighters watched them fly off to the west, mixtures of worry and confidence adorning their faces. Among their ranks, however, one person was significantly less calm. "No way!"

Everyone turned, seeing Videl with a furious look on her face. Without even realizing it, the girl had produced a thick aura around her entire body. She scowled. "No! I said I wanted answers after this tournament and I meant it!"

With power she didn't know she had, Videl took off into the sky like a bolt. Chi-Chi called after her. "VIDEL! WAIT!"

Chi-Chi almost went to give chase, but Gine quickly restrained her. The two women locked eyes and Gine smiled gently at her daughter-in-law. "She'll be fine. She's going toward that danger in the company of the best people we have. She and Gohan need this..."

Very quickly, the remaining Z-Fighters were joined in the ring by a frantic Mr. Satan. The bumbling martial artist ignored the others and cried out into the sky in panic. "VIDEL! WAIT, SUGARBEET! COME BACK!"

Standing off by his lonesome, watching the various Z-Fighters stare daggers at Mr. Satan while Android 16 kindly consoled him, Vale mumbled wearily into his mic. "Wait... what's going to happen to the tournament now...?"

In the skies, over the western ocean…

Shin and the Z-Fighters all flew along in grim silence, going fast enough to keep up with their prey but hanging back far enough to not spook them. Before long, they were quickly rejoined by Kibito's group.

Once everyone was together, Shin turned and smiled at his impromptu army. "Thank you all for coming. It truly means the universe to me."

Raditz frowned. "Might be a bit too early to get all fuzzy about things. I'm still in the dark and I'd like not to be..."

Shin's smile faded. Gohan glared at him. "No offense, but my aching side would like to know what the hell is going on?!"

The Supreme Kai sighed. "Yes. I do believe an explanation is in order... once our last tagalong joins us."

Everyone flinched, but quickly turned to face the rapidly approaching power level that was hot on their heels. In a burst of energy, a flustered and slightly winded Videl joined up with their group and then adjusted her flight speed to match theirs. More than anyone, she had a furious fire in her eyes and it was trained right on the deity leading the pack. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON TODAY?!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you be back at the tournament arena? A trip like this is no place for weaklings."

Videl snapped at him. "Shove it in your receding hairline, dick! I'm not talking to you!"

Chiaotzu enjoyed a small chuckle. "Yeah, I really like this girl~"

Videl turned to Gohan, her fury subsiding just slightly. "Gohan, are you okay?! What's going on?!"

Gohan smiled at his girlfriend and then turned to Shin. "I would like to know as well. The explanation, please."

Briefly, the smile spread back onto the Supreme Kai's face, but then it faded all too quickly. "It is a bit of a long explanation, please allow me an uninterrupted moment to provide all the details..."

With a deep breath, and a noticeable tensing from Kibito, Shin spoke. "A little less than 6 million years ago, there existed a faction in this universe known as the Five Black Wizards. They were five cruel mortals, trained by a wicked and ancient demon, in the dark magical art of manipulating the lifeforce. I could spend all day listing the crimes of each of the five and the Supreme Kais' role in stopping them, but the one we shall focus on today was named Bibidi..."

The Earth protectors remained silent, listening intently as Shin continued. "Bibidi was no less cruel than his four fellow students. He tormented planets, razing them to the ground and using his techniques to rend life wholesale, turning the pure energy of creation into the foul energy of destruction and using it to reign with terror. One day, while he was in the midst of his madness, he came upon the idea to mix together his destructive anti-lifeforce with the very energy of godly entropy itself. And what was meant to be a new and unique weapon turned into something far more horrific. The manipulator of life had created it... in the form of an evil djinn which he dubbed Buu."

Shin began to shake. "Buu was, by far, the worst of the maladies we had ever seen from the Five Black Wizards. Not a weapon, but a sentient engine of terror. A childlike monstrosity that killed only because it knew it could. Countless lives were lost. Innocent lives..."

The Supreme Kai bit his lip. "... Important lives."

After taking a moment to collect himself, Shin continued. "When all seemed lost, the noble Kibito and myself, along with the other Kais willing to lend their hands to the cause, managed to catch Bibidi unaware. In a period where he had sealed his monster away, we found the cruel wizard's hiding spot and I dealt the fatal blow. And then, Kibito and I hid the magical container holding Buu away in a newly born, primitive planet which would soon be named Earth. Our goal was to conceive of a way to destroy it that would never allow the hideous, murderous beast to see the light of day again..."

Finally, Raditz spoke up. "Where's the 'but'? There's always a 'but'..."

The Supreme Kai curtly nodded. "But what we hadn't foreseen in the meantime was a successor. We were fools to disregard such a possibility. The possibility that Bibidi... would have a son."

Piccolo sneered. "A son, eh?"

Shin nodded. "The wizard Babidi, a successor to Bibidi's evil."

Videl's gaze sharpened. "I've heard that name before."

The deity nodded again. "I'm sure you have. He has been in this world for about 2 years now. And in that time, he has managed to corrupt some of the worst dregs your planet has to offer, including the likes of Spopovich and Yamu. His goal, of course, is the resurrection of his father's monster. He wants to bring Majin Buu back to life."

Once again, the Supreme Kai attempted a smile, turning to those that were eagerly following him from behind. "Which, I must reiterate, is why I am so pleased to have you all following along with me. Together, we can-"

Videl interrupted. "Wow, you sure are a god-tier bullshitter."

Shin flinched. Gohan gasped. The rest of the Z-Fighters didn't react one way or the other. Kibito snarled. "Watch your insolent tongue, mortal!"

Gohan raised his hand. "Videl, let's-"

She shook her head. "No no. My name isn't Videl. It's 'mortal'? Right, Shin and Kibito?"

Kibito clenched his teeth in what he felt was righteous fury. Shin fell into contemplative silence, his ears drooping just a bit. Videl spoke bluntly. "Listen up, the me of less than a year ago would have called everything you just said fairy-tale bullshit. I would have probably walked away in the middle of your story. The me of now is still skeptical at the ideas of sealed-away demons and evil wizards, but I'm more willing to go along with things like this specifically because I've met all the people flying alongside us..."

Her gaze harshened to indignant fury. "But, let me be clear, the Videl of any era is not one to let someone look down on her for no reason. You won't disrespect me. You won't disrespect my boyfriend. And you won't disrespect mine and my boyfriend's companions. You need to stop looking down your nose at us, right now! Especially if you want as much trust and companionship as your voice suggests..."

Rather than say anything to Videl, the Z-Fighters silently turned their attention back to the Supreme Kai for his response. None of them were feeling so brash as to state things that bluntly, but not one of the proud Z-Fighters disagreed with the sentiment. They were being looked down upon, treated as pawns in a game. And, for most of them, it made their skin writhe with anger.

Kibito sneered. "That a mere human would question his eminence, the Supreme Kai. Blasphemy."

Shin was silent for a moment longer, but then he shook his head. "It was... disrespectful of me not to be more upfront. I came to this Earth with a mission in mind and became too narrowly focused on that. I have been callous to you all, but my appreciation that you would still lend your aid is genuine. I am truly grateful that you would lend me your strength."

He smiled, and this time it didn't fade. "Your instantaneous mobilization at the thought of a threat to your world is admirable. I feel the same about all of you as I would an old friend. I appreciate the presence of everyone from the formidable Son Goku right down to you, Miss Videl. And I do apologize for the pain you were forced to endure."

Videl gave an uncaring shrug. "I can walk again. Water under the bridge."

Finally, all the Z-Fighters gave a nod. They were satisfied with Shin's sincerity. Tien spoke up. "We will see this through to make sure the Earth is in no danger."

With that matter settled, Videl took a deep breath. She turned to Gohan. "Hang back with me a second. We need to have a talk."

With a blush and a little jolt of fear, Gohan fell back with Videl. Once the others were a little more than 10 feet in front of them, Videl turned to Gohan and gave him a sharp glare. "I need you to come clean. The truth. The whole truth. Please. I love you, Gohan. This relationship means the world to me. I need you to tell me what's going on."

Gohan nodded, taking a deep breath and speaking in a low whisper. "Wh-Where do I really begin...?"

Videl responded. "The Cell Games."

Gohan's mouth was dry. He knew that he couldn't hold back anymore. "I defeated Cell. Blew him away with a Kamehameha."

Videl cocked her head. "That blue beam your brother fired?"

Gohan nodded. "Yeah. But it's Kame...hame...ha. Not Kamekameha. The chant needs to be spoken correctly or the balance of Ki-"

Videl raised her hand. "Unimportant. Next, the Golden Fighter."

Gohan sighed. "Me. I wanted to stop that bank robbery. I didn't want my first day of real school to be marred by a tragedy occurring."

Videl closed her eyes. "My turn. Okay?"

Gohan silently nodded. Videl spoke in a quiet voice. "I've shared my story about Gyosan Mane Island with you, right? The angel. The golden hair. The boy that saved me from that big, green monster..."

He nodded. "You have."

Videl smiled. "I used to pray to that angel every night, you know? Stupid, little me thought he was a protector sent by my mom. Someone meant to keep me safe and help me feel secure..."

Gohan blushed. "You prayed? Oh... my god. I..."

Both of them were silent now, teenager embarrassment making their tongues numb. Videl had just admitted to something dearly held. Gohan had just learned that the woman he loved had been praying to the thought of him alongside her deceased mother.

Finally, Gohan asked the fearful question on his mind. A selfish question, to be sure, but one that he needed to know. "Videl... are you just in love with a memory of me? Please, don't tell me that's what-"

Before he could finish the thought, Videl reached over and grabbed Gohan by the face. She pulled him close and kissed him on the lips with all the passion she could muster. The two of them separated and Videl looked at him with that same old burning fury in her intense, blue eyes. "You dummy! Of course I love the man more than the myth! My angel was someone that made me feel safe at night, but..."

She blushed. "... that angel has never taken me out to see a movie like you. He's never gotten me ice cream. Or taught me how to fly. Or encouraged me that I was strong in my worst moments."

She smiled at him. "But you looked a lot like him when you were beating the hell out of Spopovich. I'm very grateful for that, by the way~"

Gohan smiled wide. Then he looked down. "I've been meaning to ask... how do your legs work again, anyway?"

Videl pointed ahead. "Your uncle brought me a bean and some tea. Did wonders for me. I feel more ready than ever to face this stuff head on. Ya know... so long as you're willing to let me team up with you again..."

Gohan sighed, embarrassed how he forgot about such resources, even in his time of plight. "Erasa and Sharpner are going to be worried sick, you know?"

Videl quipped back. "Gohan, if this is the standard for your life, they'll get used to it I think."

The two teens looked at one another, all their swelling feelings finally settling down, and then the two of them burst into a fit of giggles. Hanging back, Krillin quickly joined them. "Hey! Lovebirds!"

Gohan regathered himself. "Yes, Krillin?"

Krillin smiled. "The Supreme Kai said that Spopovich and Yamu are landing. We're about to head down. So, if you two are done being all lovey-dovey..."

Gohan turned to Videl. "We're landing. So-"

Videl waved him off. "I know, I know. Stealth time."

In the middle of a clearing below…

A stark white hub stood in the middle of a thoroughly cleared pile of dirt. The door on the front of it, marked with an all-too-familiar "M" insignia, hissed and then slid upward into a shaft. From within this structure stepped a reasonably tall alien man, his green eyes shining in the sun and the spikes jutting from his shoulder blades scraping the metal as he stepped out. She smiled, his fishy lips twisting into a cocksure grin. "They're here."

Just a moment later, with two harsh stomps, the one-handed Spopovich and the battered Yamu landed on the ground. Yamu nodded respectfully. "Commander Pui-Pui! We have returned from our mission with a bounty of energy!"

Pui-Pui nodded. "Yes, yes. The Master will be up shortly."

On a nearby rocky outcropping…

Unnoticed on a nearby rocky outcropping, the Z-Fighters all crept closer and took in the sight of the hub sticking out of the ground. Spopovich, Yamu, and an unidentified third party stood in waiting, making small conversation. Tien narrowed his eyes. "Is that guy the wizard?"

Shin shook his head. "No. That's simply a ne'er-do-well from elsewhere in the universe. As I stated before, Babidi has a way of drawing the dregs of life to his side, mentally dominating them with his magic and turning them into his pawns."

Vegeta scowled in disgust. "That's a Zoonian. Filthy scavenger."

Nervous beyond belief, Krillin made a joke. "Hey guys, have you ever heard of the one where an assassin, a demon king, and a space pirate walk into an evil wizard's bar...?"

Tien, Piccolo, and Vegeta all shot Krillin a dirty look and he quickly shut his mouth. Goku stroked his chin. "Look at the ground around the ship. The soil is settled, but it's still visibly soft. Like it's been disturbed recently..."

Kibito snarled. "Damnation. That's how Babidi remained hidden from our sight. He buried his entire spacecraft under the very Earth itself!"

Videl was silently scanning the ground, and her face very quickly went a sickened shade of blue. "Gohan. Look."

She pointed and Gohan's gaze followed, all the way to a brand-new capsule homestead where an armless father, a bisected mother, and two dead kids lay splayed out on their lawn. It didn't take much thought for the two teens to put together what had happened. Shin sneered in disgust. "Those poor people..."

Chiaotzu flinched. "Piccolo, you hear that?"

Piccolo nodded. "I do. It's coming from within the ship. It sounds like... an elevator."

Down below…

That hunch proved to be correct. Within the white ship's hub, behind Pui-Pui, a platform rose up carrying the silhouettes of three people. The first to step out was a short, yellow imp wearing a set of cheerfully blue robes and an orange cape. He smirked and tugged one of the drooping whiskers on his face. "Greetings, boys! What have you brought me?"

Spopovich and Yamu recoiled in terror as the second shadow emerged. This one was a towering man with pink skin, sharp bat-like ears, and a pair of small horns jutting from his forehead. He stroked his perfectly manicured goatee and cackled. "I can feel the energy within the cask. Did the two of you make yourselves useful?"

Back with the Z-Fighters…

The power was overwhelming from this one, pressing down on the Z-Fighters like a lead weight. Goku was in awe. "Who the heck is that?! He's as strong as Cell was!"

Shin was perturbed, his hands visibly shaking. "D-Dabura?! What is he doing here?!"

Kibito scowled. "Inconceivable! That wizard has managed to ensnare... the King of the Demons?!"

Videl turned, looking shocked. "King of the Demons?! Like... he's from Hell?!"

Shin quickly began to answer. "No, not quite. He's..."

The Supreme Kai stopped speaking, seeing one more shadow within the ship. Vegeta snorted. "Only as strong as Cell. Please. This next one had better be more impressive, or-"

To Videl's surprise, Vegeta stopped talking. She wasn't aware that he could do that. She looked at the face of the Prince of All Saiyans, wondering what had happened, and was confused to see a look of utter shock. Vegeta's jaw was hanging wide open, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Videl turned to Gohan. "Hey, is he..."

All the rest of the Z-Fighters seemed to share in Vegeta's shock. They all sat in silent surprise, their eyes wide and their jaws dropped. Videl was immediately unnerved. Shin and Kibito both were as well. The Supreme Kai spoke quietly. "What is the matter? Who is that?"

Raditz spoke in an almost silent voice. "It can't be..."

Down below…

Standing next to Babidi, right next to Dabura, was quite the familiar shape. He was a muscular man, clad in armor of black and green. His face was covered by a mask, but a familiar shock of black hair sat atop his head. Around his waist was a furry, brown tail wrapped like a belt.

And fluttering from the back of his head were a twin set of blood red bandana tails.