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Gohan smiled to himself as he flew. Elation and excitement colored his thoughts. While not quite a year had passed since Buu, so much had happened! Him and Videl were growing in a relationship, school was going great, his father was gone again! About the only thing he missed was having some time with his little brother.
He meant to fix that today! Bulma had called him this morning and said they were ready. He’d never rushed out of the house so quick! He’d heard his parents exchanging guesses on what he was so excited about but they’d let him go without pressuring.
They’d find out soon though!
Landing with a soft thud, Gohan explored the yard with his ki, settling on his parents still in the house and Goten was just a little ways off, by the bamboo fields. Perfect!
Sure enough, after parting his way a bit into the forest—just enough really that the house was out of view—he found his brother perched in a tree, chattering with a monkey. He approached, knocked on the wood and called up “Hey Goten!”
A head popped out over the branch a moment later. “Oh! Hi, Gohan! You’re back?”
“Yep!” He held up his wrapped parcel. “And I brought something for you!”
“Ooo? For me?” Goten waved his goodbyes to the animals and jumped down, bending his knees to reduce the fall. Standing upright, he asked “Well, what is it?”
All smiles, Gohan unwrapped it, producing a smaller costume, focusing on the blue and violet colors that Goten loved to wear so much. “I thought the Great Saiyaman could use a sidekick and you’re the best one I know!”
Goten’s face contorted a bit. “Oh.”
Confusion colored Gohan’s. “Goten? What’s wrong? I thought...you liked Great Saiyaman.” When he’d first brought home the costume, his brother had squealed about it!
Goten sighed, “That was before, Big Brother. After all this stuff with Buu and them, now it feels...kinda silly.” Goten hated to hurt feelings, just like everyone in his family did but he wasn’t going to lie either. Sure, the idea of a hero was fun but after the battle against Buu and seeing Gohan fight for real and his father and Vegeta’s—well, that costume seemed like a practical joke. Trunks had called it that and it DID make sense. Besides, if fighting as Gotenks had taught him one thing, it was that you did NOT do silly poses or make corny speeches. You got beat up if you did! He met his brother with an apologetic face and backed up a little. “Sorry.”
Gohan’s good mood deflated. “It’s okay...”
Goten huffed, “Aw, please don’t be upset, Big Brother! If...if you wanna do it, that’s okay, I just—“
Waving his hand, Gohan rose to his full height. “Forget it, Goten. If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. Not your fault.” It wasn’t and yet it hurt anyway. He planted a smile on his face. “I bet Mom can repurpose it into some regular clothes.”
Taking to the air, Gohan left his brother there, dropped the parcel off in their bedroom before he took off into the mountain. It wasn’t his brother’s fault he didn’t like it but it also wasn’t Gohan’s fault that such a thing hurt. He just needed some time to process.
Settling on a familiar tree branch above the waterfall, Gohan rested, let his leg swing back and forth. The misty water sprayed his face and it felt good. Refreshing almost. There was definitely a reason that he enjoyed being around water.
His mind reeled. Ever since he could remember, Goten had all but worshipped everything he did. Gohan always tried to be a good example to his sibling and he thought he’d done that. Oh, not that Goten not wanting to participate meant he was setting a bad example but it did make him think, ponder.
It’s kinda...silly.
Silly? Was it? Gohan didn’t think so. He thought it was cool! Who didn’t dream about being a superhero and now he WAS one! He’d have been so sure his brother would have jumped at the chance.
Had he missed something?
I’ll show you why my little brother looks up to me.
He doesn’t.
Frowning, Gohan pushed that statement from his head. Majin Buu had been messing with his head—rather successfully at that—but he was not going to let it continue. No, there was no reason to suspect Goten had lost respect for him.
He thinks it’s silly. Does that mean he thinks I’M silly? Or lame?
That hurt more than anything else. Gohan had been called that a lot by various criminals (though they always recanted) but the idea his little brother might think that cut deep.
Especially because it was something Gohan enjoyed a lot.
Time passed slow and Gohan spent it in meditation. Eyes closed, breathing Even and steady. Refocusing. It was easy for his emotions to overwhelm him and he wasn’t going to let that happen. He was being ridiculous and he didn’t want Goten blaming himself for it.
His nose twitched.
Savory smells invaded his sinuses, almost knocking his balance off. Chicken, vegetables, fish, rice—
He opened his eyes.
A plate full of boiled fish, chopped beef and chicken, noodles and vegetables was directly under his nose.
His father grinned at him. “Knew that’d break your concentration. Your mom’s cooking has that effect!”
Well, no argument there and his growling stomach demanded that he not argue further. Taking the plate with fervor, Gohan lost himself for the moment, cleansing his hunger. Not much to be said in those moments!
His father waited.
When he’d mostly cleared the plate—leaving a small wrapped fish as a minor delievery fee which his father accepted readily, Gohan asked. “Why are you out here, Dad?”
“Looking for you. Goten said you might be disappointed.”
Sighing, Gohan remarked, “I didn’t want him to feel bad.”
“If you don’t feel great, he’ll feel bad. It’s just how it goes.” Goku settled on the branch next to his son. It was a sturdy, solid one, it’d hold them. Wrapping his arm around Gohan’s shoulders, Goku asked “So what happened?”
Exhaling loudly, Gohan remarked, “Oh, I thought Goten might wanna be Saiyaman’s sidekick. So Bulma made him an outfit. But when I brought it to him, he said no. Said he thought it was silly.” Pouting a bit, Gohan said “Not eight months ago, he thought it was awesome.”
Goku laughed. “That’s little kids for you. Change their minds worse than the weather does. You used to tell your mom you wanted broiled vegetables and fish for dinner then when she served it to you six hours later, you’d act like you were being served poison.”
Gohan scoffed a bit then smiled. “I guess so.”
Goku just went quiet. Gohan had other things on his mind but it never did any good to push. So, he laid back against the tree and waited. Silence was a powerful tool.
“Dad?”
Ah, see?
“Do you think Saiyaman is lame?”
Goku ruffled his brow. “Lame? Naw, why would I?”
“Well, Goten and even a bunch of criminals say it’s silly and I was...just wondering.”
Goku eyed his son. He hated when that uncertainty crept into the boy’s voice. “Well, they don’t hafta like it. Don’t mean it’s silly. Why do YOU like it?”
An interesting question and one that caught him off guard for a moment. Pondering for a bit, Gohan answered, “Well, I guess, it’s fun. It’s...” he frowned, trying to find the words. “It’s not like when we do battles and stuff. I’m not worried about someone dying or the world blowing up or anything. I know I can handle it. It’s...it’s...I dunno. All the fun, none of the pressure. It kinda like when you would have us do tag or hide and seek when we were training.”
“Playin’” Goku clarified with a smile. “You’re playin’.”
“....guess so.” Seemed weird to call it that but a horse was a horse, right? “The costume, the poses, the speeches...makes me feel happy. Like I’m in those manga where the good guys always win.” He laughed. “Guess that is silly.”
“What?” Goku nudged the boy in the ribs. “You’re helpin’ people and havin’ fun at the same time. You didn’t exactly get the play time other kids and your brother get. So who says you can’t play now? What’s silly ‘bout that?”
Well, when he phrased it like that—“Nothin’ I guess.” He smirked, “Not quite as fun as when we did play fighting for training but it’s fun. And I think it scares the bad guys to see what Saiyaman can do!”
“See?” Goku smiled and pulled the boy close, ruffling his hair. “Just cause your brother don’t like the same game don’t mean it’s silly. If you’re havin’ fun, bein’ careful, go for it. If you wanna do your Ginyu poses—“
“Dad, they’re Sentai poses!”
“Whatever. Then do it.” He waggled his eyes brows some. “And your girl seems to like it.”
Grinning a bit like a fool, Gohan admitted “Yeah, she does. Not a lot of action lately though.” Leaning back but feeling considerably less down, he said, “Guess that’s a good thing but we miss it.”
Chuckling, Goku took to the air and Gohan followed, “People can’t stay out of trouble for too long. You just watch.” He laughed again. “Besides, doesn’t the peace never last in manga?”
OOO
Well, as per usual, Goku was right.
Gohan and Videl were interrupted as they walked out of school by a ringing on their watches.
“We need Great Saiyaman! He’s being called by name!”
Now THAT was unusual. Videl commented as much as they darted into a side alley to activate their costumes. “Calling for the Great Saiyaman by name? That’s weird. Usually the bad guys like to AVOID us.”
Gohan grinned through his helmet. “Maybe he’s an arrogant kind! Either way, whatta you say we go and show him one-for?”
All smiles herself, Videl answered him with a thumbs up as they took to the rooftops and made their way to the commotion. They wouldn’t have needed any guidance. It was pretty easy to find the commotion.
A series of police cars were gathered around an old warehouse with sirens a light but no guns pulled. The news cameras were already running. As they spied Gohan and Videl, the group collectively let out a sigh of relief. “Saiyaman! Saiyawoman! Thank goodness.”
“What’s happening?” Videl was all business, costume or not.
“Well, we aren’t sure. There’s a trouble maker up there, demanding Saiyaman or he’ll melt the building to the ground. Looks like he can too.” The man pointed to a patch of asphalt they’d been ripping up melted to a puddle. “He didn’t say why—“
“Hey! Did you find me the Great Saiyaman yet? I do not have all day!”
Gohan jerked his head up.
Drifting just barely above the building was s man clothed in blue and green, hair wrapped tight in white and holding a ball of ki in each hand. But try as hard as he might to disguise it, Gohan KNEW that voice.
Dad?
Moving forward, Gohan paced forward and called up to him, “What business do you have with these people? Or with me?”
“You ruin all the fun in this city!” Came the response. Loud, boisterous and so over the top that you nearly didn’t hear the country accent unless you knew what to listen for. “Order, order, order! No robberies, no attacks, no old fashioned fun! You ruin all of it!” A laugh, an over the top one “So if you don’t want to see me fix that, you and I best settle this!”
Raising into the air slowly, Gohan stopped a few feet away.
Yep. It was Dad. Dressed in a plaid green and blue outfit and his hair pulled so tight it had to be uncomfortable and some paint thrown over his face. But it was Dad.
And he was doing the pacing and posing thing.
“I am your nemesis! Green...Tuffle! Yes, yes! Green Tuffle is who I am! Know who you will tremble before!” Wow, Dad had been studying some manga! “So what will it be, Great Saiyaman? Are you willing to take me on for these...people?” The delay was choppy but then, Dad was never good at insults.
“You’ve no right to disrupt their lives!” Gohan drifted into one of his favorite poses, one arm over his head and one pointed forward. “Withdraw or I shall throw down righteous justice on you!” He was glad his helmet was hiding his smile.
“Will you?” An almost identical grin matched him. “Show me what you can do then. Let’s...play.”
With a low squeal barely contained behind his eyes, Gohan darted forward, calling, “Challenge accepted, Green Tuffle. Let’s play!”