“What an intense battle! I’m amazed I even survived!” Mary Sue said, wiping sweat from her brow.
“Oh, come on!” A portly, middle-aged man in the audience said, grumbling to himself. “I was hoping to use Arale’s wish to get myself a harem of the most beautiful women in the multiverse!”
A woman with blond curly locks glared at the man sitting next to her. “Oh, really?” Their baby, who was floating in midair for whatever reason, only shook his head, ashamed by his father’s behavior.
“Just kidding, my dear!” the man rubbed his hands together, sweating when the woman didn’t buy this blatant lie. A green-haired child with antennae and wings cooed as Arale approached.
“Hi cha!” Arale said, greeting her family.
“You really messed everything up, you know that?” the portly man said, glaring at his daughter.
“Ho?” Arale said, staring in confusion as her father chastised her.
“How lame! Neither threw a single punch!” Aunt Bra said, grumbling to herself. She’s been eager for a show of violence and battle.
“My love! What a spectacular battle! My heart breaks at the thought of anything even harming your beautiful skin!” Trunks said with his entire heart.
“Even how she looked at you ticks me off,” Goten said, veins bulging from his barely controlled rage.
“Eh?” What’s with them?
Mary Sue, however, ignored them both. “Seems I’ve advanced. You think I might see you in a future match, Pan?”
“Doubtful,” Pan said gloomily. Her next opponent was Cell, another monster beyond monsters. He wouldn’t be as kind as Bojack. Worse, he was almost unkillable. From the old stories, Cell could heal himself from a single cell. How could someone beat that?
Sensing her dismay, Mary Sue offered comfort by wrapping an arm around Pan’s shoulder and pulling her in tight. Behind her, her uncles grumbling to themselves, jealous of such attention.
“Next! The next fight will oppose Gotenks from Universe 16 against Gotenks from Universe 18!” the announcer said, to her uncles’ collective shock. Pan brightened. This upcoming fight sounded cool.
Her aunt, however, seemed less than impressed. “Let’s see if these imbeciles can finally show their worth. I doubt it, though.” The other Bra from Universe 18 made a similar disparaging comment. Even her grandfathers seemed uninterested in the upcoming battle.
Rankled by this, Pan offered her support. “Go Gotenks! You got this!”
Her uncles threw her a thumbs-up and a grateful smile. With perfect precision, they performed the fusion dance.
“A universal first! Before your eyes! The idol of all girls, regardless of their home planet! The greatest warrior of all universes! Gotenks the Magnificent!” Both fusion warriors said in an identical pose, fists raised proudly in the air.
“Okay, this is weird,” Pan said. Uncle Piccolo only sighed, lamenting how neither had grown up as a warrior despite their age and experience. Her aunt made another disparaging remark, wanting the fight over already.
The match was odd. Each fusion warrior’s moves mirrored their opponent. Each Gotenks howled as they took a duplicate jab to the nose. Identical power spiked as both turned Super Saiyan.
“This is a real toss-up. They might end up knocking themselves out!” Pan said. Despite being from different universes, the Gotenks shared an identical power level. She blinked as both lost Super Saiyan and then fusion.
“Because of their increased power, Super Saiyan 3 takes a shorter time to go out.” Her grandfathers shook his head. “And the fusion time gets shorter, too.”
“Ah ha! These morons will be eliminated for cheating!” her aunt said, taking private delight in her brothers’ misfortune.
“Only one person came into the ring. They are following the rules, even if they’re two now,” her grandfathers explained.
“What a weird loophole.” Why’d they even allow fusions in the tournament? Pan wondered what other odd ruling mishaps might happen?
The fight dragged on as neither pair gained the advantage. Again, they duplicated their counterparts’ moves to little success.
“Gee, I wonder if this’ll happen if Grandpas fight Goku or Vegeta?” Pan mused.
“Hardly. I’m their superior on every level.” Grandfathers replied, smirking.
“Get real!” Vegeta of Universe 18 said, “Unlike you, I’m the real deal, not some fusion that depends on Kakarot’s power.”
“What did you say?” her grandfather replied, eye twitching. The comment had hit a nerve.
Vegeta’s expression turned superior. “Strong you may be, but you didn’t earn that power. I bet you’ve gotten soft sitting on your little hill.”
“Really? How about I show you how weak I am?” her grandfather replied, on the verge of jumping his smug counterpart.
“Now, Vegeta, how about saving it for when you face him in the tournament?” Goku of Universe 18 said, trying to calm down the situation. “Though, I’m eager to see if I can reach that hill, too. You are powerful, but I can tell it’s been a while since you’ve had a serious fight. I look forward to giving you one.”
“If you can,” her grandfather said, unworried. In his mind, if Broly couldn’t defeat him, what chance did anyone else have?
“Boys are so stupid,” Pan said, fed up with this stupid posturing. She frowned when she noticed Mary Sue frozen like a statue, eyes wide. “Is something wrong, Mary Sue?”
“Oh my gosh.” Her friend was almost vibrating. “It’s Goku! The Goku! Take deep breaths, Mary. You can do this!”
“May I help you?” Goku asked as he suddenly found Mary Sue standing before him.
“M-may I get your autograph?” Mary Sue said, bowing as she presented Goku with a pen and notepad.
“Autograph?” Goku said, the word sounding odd on his tongue. He stared at the notepad in confusion.
“Your signature,” her father’s counterpart clarified.
Goku became even more confused. “Why would she want that?”
“Just sign it, Dad. It’ll make her happy,” other Gohan said, somewhat exasperated.
“Okay.” In messy kanji, Goku signed his name.
“Sweet!” Mary Sue said, treating the notebook like a sacred relic. She turned to Vegeta next. “May I get yours, too?”
“Sure.” While not that enthused, Vegeta signed his name anyway. His kanji was surprisingly well-organized and stylish, each curve of the pen perfect.
“Yes!” Mary Sue leaped around in pure joy, unable to contain her enthusiasm.
“And I suppose you want mine too,” her grandfathers said, extending a hand for the pen.
“No, not really,” Mary Sue replied bluntly.
“What?!” her grandfathers replied, flabbergasted. “Why not?!”
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But Mary Sue ignored him, showing off her new autographs with pride to Pan. “I’m so glad I joined this tournament, after all. This is the best day ever!”
“Hey! My autograph’s just as good, no better!” her grandfathers said, fuming.
“Hm, it seems you’re not as impressive as you think you are,” Vegeta quipped, earning a death glare from her grandfathers.
“All this drama over a stupid autograph,” Pan said, sighing. Her grandfathers could be so dramatic sometimes. “So, why don’t you want Grandpas’ autograph, anyway?”
“Because that’s Goku! He’s like one of the greatest heroes in the multiverse! He’s been an inspiration to countless heroes everywhere. Heck, it’s hard to define hero and not include Son Goku!” Mary Sue said, gushing like a schoolgirl over her favorite boy band.
“Uh, thanks,” Goku said, embarrassed, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t think I’m that great.”
“And such modesty, too!” Mary Sue said. “So cool!”
“I’m just as good a hero as him,” her grandfathers grumbled. “I saved the universe from Buu!”
But Mary Sue didn’t seem too impressed. Was she under the impression her grandfathers weren’t heroes? What a ridiculous suggestion!
“Ugh, all this stupidity is giving me a headache. I’ll be back.” Without another word, Aunt Bra wandered off. Since Zangya and the rest of Universe 6 had gotten disqualified because of their boss’s misconduct, Bra already won her round by default.
“Are you sure? Mom’s about to fight soon.” But Bra had already left, barely paying her niece any mind or the continuing fight with the Trunks and Gotens.
---
“Stupid thing!” Bra punched the machine, hoping to dislodge her stuck drink. Of all the vending machines, she’d picked the only broken one. With a satisfying thud, a soda landed in the vending slot.
“What gives?” She kicked the machine again. It crumpled under her kick, sparking from broken circuits. Her drink wasn’t even cold. Who maintained these stupid things?
“You know, damaging tournament property is grounds for expulsion,” a voice said. Bra turned to find a girl with a spiky purple Mohawk watching her, expression deadly serious. Bra recognized the Kai as one of the tournament’s administrators.
“It should work,” Bra cheeks burned red, embarrassed by her loss of temper.
But then the Kai’s expression turned mischievous. “I won’t tell if you won’t. The Vargas like cutting costs, and this poor vending machine is a victim of their zeni-pinching.”
“Oh?” Bra relaxed, relieved she wasn’t in trouble. It’d be embarrassing getting disqualified before her first proper fight. She tore the pull tab of her drink and soured as the lukewarm drink touched her tongue, fouling her mood even further. Thanks to her freak niece, her opponent had gotten disqualified. She’d been looking forward to showing off her abilities.
“Your drink’s warm?” The Kai asked, extending a hand. “Here, let me help.”
“Okay.” Confused, Bra handed over her lukewarm soda.
White energy gathered around the female Kai’s palm as she gripped the aluminum can. Much to Bra’s astonishment, white mist poured out from the can.
Bra gasped as the Kai returned her drink. “It’s cold! How did you do that?”
The Kai’s expression turned mischievous. “A little party trick I invented. Using my ki, I stole the heat energy from the can.”
“Amazing.” Bra stared at her cold soda in wonder. “You must teach me how to do that!”
“I just might, Lila.” The Kai extended a hand.
“Son Bra.” Bra took the hand and shook it. It was nice to meet a friendly face. And since Lila wasn’t competing in the tournament, Bra didn’t have to worry about some underhanded trick to eliminate a dangerous rival.
The Kai drove a hand into the broken vending machine and beamed as she pulled out a canned fruit juice.
“You’re not paying for it?” Bra asked, amused.
“The machine’s broken. It’s not my fault if people steal from it.” White energy gathered around her hand, and the Kai cooed in delight as she sipped her now-cooled drink.
“D-disqualification! Cell Junior is disqualified for attacking before the match started!” The announcer over the speaker said.
“Sounds things are getting interesting,” Lila said, amused.
“Who cares?” Bra gave a derisive snort. “None of the upcoming fights look even remotely interesting.”
“Is that why you’re playing hooky?”
“Something like that.” With such an overabundance of contestants, the opening round of battles was taking forever to finish. Worse still, Bra counted only about five fighters in the entire roster worth bothering with. It was so hard being as super powerful and cool as her.
Lila gave her new compatriot a conspiratorial grin. “If you’re interested, I know a fun way to waste some time.”
“Oh?” Bra said, sharing the same grin.
---
“Well, dang. I was hoping that guy would lose!” Pan said, frustrated an evil version of Uncle Piccolo had won his fight.
“He fought well, but he’s out of his league. I can’t imagine he’ll last long, especially against his next opponent.” Uncle Piccolo had a point. The so-called Demon King’s next opponent was the mighty Super Namek Gast Carcolh.
“It’s the end of the first round! Congratulations to all challengers. We’ll take a twenty-hour break. You can sleep, eat, and enjoy your apartment! To the public, our shuttles will take you to luxury hotels in our universe!” The announcer said.
“Ah, that’s how they’re paying for all this.” The Vargas were pinching zeni from their tournament guests. Pan couldn’t imagine the exorbitant prices.
“More time to myself, I guess,” Pan sighed, kicking a nearby rock dejectedly. Everyone would feast again, and Pan would stand on the sideline doing nothing. Worse yet, she wasn’t even sure zombies slept either.
“Bra’s been gone a long time. I wonder where she’s wandered off to?” Goten asked.
“I thought it’d been a little too quiet,” Pan said snidely. It was a nice break from her aunt’s constant disparaging comments and cruel mockeries. Despite Bra’s unusual vanishing act, no one appeared worried about her. The daughter of Vegito could take care of herself.
Hours passed, and Bra still hadn’t returned. But everyone had forgotten about her, digging into the mountains of food the Vargas had provided them. Pan stood by Uncle Piccolo and watched the chaotic scene unfold.
“You’re not joining them?” Pan asked her Namek guardian.
“No, I only need water.” Uncle Piccolo could only shake his head as her grandfathers stuffed his face with everything he could get his hands on.
“We have something in common, I suppose,” Pan replied.
“Good work in your fight against Bojack.” Uncle Piccolo said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You fought well.”
“I’m glad you think that way. Everyone else seems to avoid me.” Even her uncles seemed to treat her differently now. It wasn’t anything overt, but they kept their distance from her.
Uncle Piccolo didn’t respond, staring into the distance with a thoughtful expression. “I know how that feels.”
“Really?” Pan said, surprised.
“You’re not the only one people avoid on instinct.” Uncle Piccolo admitted. Pan supposed the Namek’s natural height and green skin made normal people naturally wary around him.
Pan leaned against him, taking comfort from the height and power that scared other people. “I’m glad to know I’m not alone.” Uncle Piccolo didn’t respond but gave her a gentle smile.
“We’ll dim the lights and go back to night mode. We wish you a good rest to you all.” The announcer said. When he’d finished speaking, the lights became a light blue tint to simulate nighttime.
Her uncles jumped into their sleeping mats, ready for some much-needed shut-eye. Pan reluctantly pulled the covers over herself and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come soon.
“Where is she?” Her grandfathers said, annoyed. “She should be back by now.”
“I hope she’s okay.” Now Pan was getting worried. This was most unlike her aunt. But she needn’t have worried. Son Bra, daughter of Vegito, stumbled into the room moments later.
“Don’t worry, I’m here!” She said in a slurred voice. “Need to get some shuteye. Got a big fight tomorrow!”
Her aunt stumbled over to the closet filled with sleeping mats and pulled out three more than she required. Bra giggled and plopped onto them, not bothering with any sheets or blankets. While Pan had lost her sense of smell, Bra stunk something fierce from her family’s expressions.
“Son Bra, have you been drinking?” Her father said, accusation in his voice. Her grandfathers only sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
“What? Where’d you get booze here?” Goten asked, shrinking as her father sent him a glare. “Not that I care, of course!”
“What of it?” Bra replied. “I’m a big girl. You’re always such a pain, Gohan, as usual. Stop being such a goody-two-shoes! That’s why you’re lame and so uncool!” She spoke this like it was the worst insult possible. “Me though? I’m the biggest bad girl around! Not some coward that won’t even fight!”
“Really?” Her father said, amused. “Unlike you, I have nothing to prove. I don’t need to beat anyone up to show how powerful I am.”
“Please!” Bra replied, getting into her brother’s face. “You’re nothing! I got all the badassness from Dad. You’re just some geek that occasionally goes to the gym!”
“You are strong, Bra. But you lack discipline. It’ll be your undoing one day.” Her father said.
“Whatever!” Bra stuck her tongue out before flopping onto her sleeping mat. She was snoring a storm in seconds.
“Must be nice being allowed to do whatever you want.” Her father would never allow such behavior from her. Though, from her grandfathers’ expression, Pan guessed Bra would get an earful later.
“Your mom was so right about Bra.” Her father said, his tone low and conspiratorial.
“What do you mean?”
“She said that Dad wouldn’t have a clue how to raise a teenage daughter,” her father replied.
“A real prophet, Mom is!” Pan said, laughing.
“She’s just acting out. I don’t know what’s happened between them, but their relationship has been strained since her trip with Goten in space. Dad probably got a little too strict with her.”
“Yeah, that’s probably it.” The poor girl had always had trouble controlling her feelings. Her temper was notorious. Was her grandfathers part of the reason? She dwelled on this conundrum as she struggled to get to sleep.
---
“Darn it!” Pan twisted and turned on her mat, but sleep continued to evade her. The mat was comfortable enough, but she stayed wide awake no matter how many hours passed. Everyone else was already fast asleep, her grandfather’s snoring echoing through the chamber like a thrumming beat. Frustrated beyond belief, Pan tossed off her covers in disgust.
She grumbled as she left their apartment room and wandered the tournament grounds endlessly. It seemed she only slept after using too much ki. Should she blow things up until she blacked out? But something halted her, a half-remembered nightmare stopping her from attempting such a plan. Something hid beneath the surface that frightened her. But, much to Pan’s eternal frustration, it refused to show itself.
“What is wrong with me?” Pan said, gripping the railing bars hard enough to bend them. She gazed up at the strange alien night sky. Countless flickering lights flashed above her, but nothing about them seemed recognizable. Pan spent an unknown time staring at the alien stars until someone intruded on her desolate solitude.
“Can’t sleep either?” a quiet voice said. Much to Pan’s surprise, it was the Pan from the universe where her grandfathers didn’t stay fused.
“Something like that,” Pan replied. Much to her amusement, both of them wore identical pajamas.
“Yeah, I’m getting jitters about my upcoming fight.” The other Pan hugged herself and shuddered. “It’s just that this Kakarot guy scares me. He isn’t Grandpa at all. There’s no soul behind his eyes.”
“Right! He’s like if Grandpa Goku went totally wrong!” Pan said, full of sympathy for her counterpart. They’d both had rotten luck, both matched with evil, murderous lunatics.
“Your fight was pretty cool,” the other Pan said, changing the subject. “You kicked that jerk’s butt!”
“I suppose so,” Pan said, her smile gentle. She supposed turning into a zombie wasn’t all bad. Much to her relief, her counterpart seemed unbothered about her odd condition. Instead, she looked up to Pan with admiration, like a cool older sister.
“How did you become a Super Saiyan?” Her counterpart’s voice became one of self-reproof. “I can’t seem to do it at all, no matter how hard I try.”
“You’re strong. It’ll come in time.” Pan smiled as she imagined her counterpart turning Super Saiyan and kicking the evil Goku’s teeth in. “You’ll learn, then I bet nothing could stop you!”
“Sure,” the other Pan replied deadpan, but she was smiling.
“As for how I became a Super Saiyan? Now that’s a long story.”
“There’s time. The first match doesn’t start until another four hours.”
“You should get some sleep. You’ll need it for your upcoming fight.”
Her counterpart grabbed Pan’s sleeve and pulled at it. “Come on, tell me!”
“Okay. Okay,” Pan said, laughing. “It all started when…” She paused as she sensed something. She yelped in surprise as a fist suddenly smashed through the floor and bits of concrete exploded like a fountain.
“Well, well. Look who we’ve caught wandering alone,” a familiar baritone said.
“Bojack!” Pan cursed. In all the excitement, she’d forgotten all about him. Behind the space pirate stood his slimy crew, all floating behind him, each wearing a cruel, malevolent smile.
“Pan!” her counterpart said in terror, and Pan’s blood turned to ice. In Bojack’s heartless grip was little Pan trapped in his massive fist.
Author’s note:
If you're wondering, no, I haven’t read Multiverse’s novelization. I wanted to do my own interpretation of events. I thought it was kinda fun reaching into Bra’s psyche somewhat. She’s a very damaged child.
Next time! Pan and Pan vs. Brojack and his pirate crew? Can they survive? Can Pan of Universe 18 avoid the same tragedy that happened to her? Tune in next time to find out.