Standing in the middle of the grassy fields outside of their home in Mount Paozu, Gohan, Zangya and Piccolo oversaw the final stages of the transformation training for the youngest member of their team. With the former standing further ahead and the latter two remaining positioned in the rear with their arms folded, they watched closely as the youngest Saiyan on the planet focused his energy and powered up.
Golden aura bursting around him in a matter of seconds, Goten let out a yell as his hair stood on end, turned blonde, and his eyes flashed teal. A split second and a blast of wind later, and the child had finished his transformation.
Goten now stood before the group completely imbued in his race's most renowned form. Energy licking at the ground, the atmosphere around him seemingly shifted as he was met with the proud smile of his brother and Zangya, and the serious look of his Namekian mentor.
"Well done, Goten. You did it," Gohan exclaimed, grinning at his brother who was now checking himself out. "Man. And here I was thinking I would go down in history as the youngest Saiyan to ever successfully transform into a Super Saiyan. You beat me to it by three years, squirt."
"R-Really, Gohan?" Goten asked, looking up curiously while he allowed his wafting aura to fade, yet continued to hold his current state.
The teen nodded affirmatively, "Yes."
"Awesome!" the child cheered, pumping his fists excitedly before looking at his arms one after the other. "So… this is what a Super Saiyan feels like?" He certainly felt a lot stronger. That was for sure. But aside from the power increase, he couldn't really see what else had changed.
Zangya chuckled when she saw the youngster begin checking the soles of his feet, before then reaching up and tapping her head. "It's the hair, runt. If you want to see how much you've changed, go have a look at yourself in the mirror."
"Oh. Okay!" Goten chirped, before suddenly turning heel and rushing back towards the house just a few hundred meters out.
The trio out on the lawn followed the boy curiously with their eyes, watching him enter and disappear into the house. They remained in their places for a couple of minutes, waiting to see what would happen. Eventually, their patience was rewarded by the lounge room window opening, followed by Goten super-speeding back out into the field. Sliding to a dusty stop in front of the group, the child looked up with stars in his eyes.
"B-Big brother! Big Sis! Mr. Piccolo! My hair is blonde!" he cheered excitedly, earning smiles from the three warriors before he reached up and tugged on his locks. "I can turn gold just like you, big brother!"
Gohan let out a laugh at his brother's discovery and reached forward, patting him on the head, "That's right, Goten. You can transform, just like me and dad."
The Namekian, coming to stand alongside his student, beamed down at the child, "You've officially joined the Super Saiyan club, kid. Be proud of yourself."
"YEAH!" the demi-Saiyan cheered, leaping into the air and punching the sky. He then proceeded to run laps of the area, performing flips and jumps as he celebrated his success. "I can turn Super Saiyan! I can turn Super Saiyan! Woowhoo!"
As the child danced and sang, his three adult role models looked on with expressions of pride and joy. While all this was happening, over by a distant tree and standing out of sight, another unofficial member of the group was watching the celebrations closely. With her arms crossed and attention fixed on the countryside, Paprika observed and listened to the commotion going on around the strongest warriors on the planet.
Having witnessed Goten's trials firsthand and seeing him succeed at transforming into a Super Saiyan, the Makyan's heart swelled with pride when she saw the youngster announce his triumph to the world. It was a touching moment, one that brought a smile to her face.
"Good job, Goten," she whispered, before proceeding to watch the child leap into his big brother's arms for a hug.
All things considered, it was a good day to come out after all.
XXX
In between his regular exercise routines and work, Gohan was also making awesome headway with his crime fighting responsibilities alongside Videl.
Positioned atop the tallest spire in Satan City, the two warriors could be seen sitting along one of its overlapping support beams, their feet hanging over the side, and their eyes fixed upon the countless rooftops stretched out before them. With the skyscrapers making up a majority of the horizon and the sun setting behind it, it presented one of the most breathtaking and tranquil settings they'd ever seen.
Dressed in her white and pink oversized shirts and spandex shorts, the raven haired tomboy sighed happily and swung her feet back and forth. Feeling a light breeze gently lick at her hair, she leaned back and took it all in. "I can't remember the last time the city has had such good weather. It's so nice out today."
"I can definitely agree with you on that. The sky is so clear," Gohan replied, sitting on the tower's ledge alongside her and also feeling the wind breathing against his skin. The sensation drew a long exhale from him, one that calmed his nerves and lifted his spirit. "All of the energy circling the planet and resting inside the soil… it's unreal. Ever since our battle with Zeru, the planet has become so much healthier."
"And everyone seems to be a lot happier too. Maybe it's because the people can feel the positive changes in the air that the earth's population seems to be smiling a lot more," the teen crime fighter said, before sharing a quick laugh at the end. "I know it sounds a little bit cheesy and cliché when you say it like that, but after everything I've seen, it's gotta be true."
"Perhaps you're just feeling so good yourself that everyone around you is simply resonating accordingly to your mood," Gohan suggested helpfully.
"That too. But I prefer seeing it more as a whole-world sort of change. A thought like that makes me feel like we actually did something that helped lead us to this state," Videl explained, turning to smile up at the demi-Saiyan to see him beaming right back at her. "Then again, it could just be wishful thinking on my part. You must think I'm silly."
"No. No. Not at all. I think that's a great outlook to have," Gohan quickly said, reassuring her with a wave of his hand. Resting it next to him, the spiky haired warrior in the purple gi then nodded to the girl before deciding to share his thoughts on the matter. "Life is hard and the road it lays is rough and unforgiving. For super-powered fighters like us and normal people in general, it's always better to think positive and to always try and see the lighter side of things. That's how we were able to make it so far. We've experienced so many battles and hardships that, from a normal person's point of view, would have turned us cold and sour a long time ago. But by embracing every moment of freedom and peace that we can, and experiencing as many of these moments possible, we can make the most of every single day and in turn lift the spirits of the people around us."
Videl grinned brightly at the boy's words of wisdom, "That sounds like something a super hero would say."
"Well… technically speaking, I'm not that far off from a super hero," Gohan laughed, before then turning away and scratching his chin in thought, "The idea certainly does have merit."
"O-Oh. What are you thinking now?" the raven haired girl asked while looking up at the teen in amusement.
The demi-Saiyan grinned and turned back to his best friend, "I'm considering taking up your advice of becoming a caped crusader. You know, like that guy we saw in the movies not too long ago." He then made a swishing gesture with his arm and covered the lower half of his face in a very Count Dracula-like manner, "Protecting the good from the wicked and defending Satan City in the name of justice! I am not the hero the people deserve, but I am the hero that they need. I am the Dark Knight!"
His expression and acting voice had Videl stifle a giggle before she burst out laughing altogether. Wiping away tears from how hard she'd ended up laughing moments later, the crime fighter then gave the boy a wide grin, "You can be sued for copyright, you know."
Gohan shrugged, "Alright then. I'll just come up with a new name. Let's see…" The teen looked ahead and tapped his cheek a couple of times. "It'll have to be cool; something that embodies peace and justice, but also covers up my true identity."
"Since it's already a well known fact that you fight crime alongside me as a Super Saiyan, that idea seems kind of redundant," the girl said with a shake of her head.
"Okay. I'll just come up with a new alter-ego then. How does that sound?" Gohan asked, smiling from ear to ear as he pulled his hand through the air in front of him. "The Great Saiyan Warrior. No… wait… that doesn't sound right. Uhh…" He then dipped his head a little and began brainstorming ideas. "Super Steel Man? No. Beetle Borg? No. Go Man? No. Captain Spectacular? No. Wonder Saiyan… no. Tattooed-Teenage-Alien-Fighter? No… too long. Great Saiyan-man?" A snap of the fingers later and he pointed across at Videl triumphantly. "That's it! The Great Saiyaman!"
"I think that's a terrific name," Videl replied enthusiastically, before reaching forward and patting her friend on the hand. "But… why don't you stick with the Gold Fighter for now. It seems more appropriate, considering the boys at the station and a lot of the criminals we've brought in have already seen fit to call you that. You're a household name now, stud… and it looks like you're gonna have to live with it."
Deflating a little at the realization, the hybrid cheered up some afterwards and gave his friend a warm smile. "Alright. If that's how it's going to be, I suppose that's alright." He then took a peek down at his purple gi and tugged on it considerately. "I may need to go for a change of dress though. While this is great as a martial arts uniform, it doesn't exactly scream authority."
"As smoking hot as you are in that, it's not really something you would call standard issue. But I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something. Let's just give it a couple of days," Videl added helpfully. When she saw Gohan turn to stare at her, it took her several seconds before she realized exactly what she'd just said. Recoiling and blushing to the roots of her hair, the teen waved her hands in front of her and hastily babbled out a response. "I-I mean… even though you look good in that outfit, G-Gohan… it's not appropriate for our kind of work. Yeah." Straightening up, she quickly regained her composure. "It's good to wear when you're saving the world from monsters and stuff. But when fighting crime on the streets, you need something a little… uhh… more."
"Oh. Okay," Gohan murmured, his mind slowly working around the girl's little fumble. "Did she just say what I think she said?" He knew he didn't hear her wrong. His hearing was as good as Piccolo's, except he couldn't break through four dimensions with it. However, after taking in her elaboration of her initial remark, he quickly reasoned that it was a simple, honest slip of the tongue and went with her second act. A smile slowly returned to his face. "I'll try and find something a bit more casual then."
"That'll be good," Videl agreed, before turning to stare off towards the sun once again.
Smiling across at her, the young demi-Saiyan took a few moments to look the girl over. Trying to get a few ideas for an outfit that would be best suited for him by checking out her attire, a sudden thought rushed through his mind that had him withdraw a little. Blinking several times when fixing his attention on his partner's face, Gohan's mouth fell open in shock when he saw the crime fighter's hair whip on the wind and a glow filter across her face.
The sight of her literally took his breath away for all of five seconds.
"Wow. I… never realized how cute Videl looks when she smiles," Gohan thought, tilting his head to get a better look. Cracking a warm smile as well, the Z-warrior then balked when he caught himself edging closer to the girl and looked away in embarrassment. His cheeks were flushed red.
For the next few minutes the pair continued to sit on top of that tower, enjoying the sunset. Receiving no emergency calls on their watch or hearing any sirens anywhere in the city, they decided to relax a little more and enjoy one another's company.
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