Sins of a Father

A gentle breeze wafted through the crisp and cool night, caressing the skin of one Videl Satan as she flew through the air. The girl however paid it no heed, the warming ki surrounding her body, keeping the chill from her bones. Clad in plain blue jeans, a long-sleeved purple shirt and green boots, with a small frown marring her face, Videl was deep in thought.

The girl cast a brief glance upwards, taking a small bit of comfort from the myriad of stars that dotted the clear sky. The sight reminded her of just how large the universe was, just how insignificant she was, and just how special the people she met over the past few days were.

Videl had spend most of the day at the Son household, celebrating the fact that the world was at peace once more. The highlights of the day included amusedly witnessing the voracious appetite of a full-blooded Saiyan, being awed at the high-intensity spar between a finally reunited father and son, and having her heartstrings warmed at the almost tangible love among the Son family.

That last thought made her heart clench in pain. Love. Family. Not too long ago she thought she had just that, but after the revelations of the last couple of days, she wasn't so sure. After the euphoria of Majin Buu's defeat wore off, Videl was immediately struck with the realisation that her father; someone she had looked up to, trusted, and had meant the world to her, had lied to her for seven straight years.

It wasn't a simple white lie either, it was a massive lie; the consequences of which had defined her entire existence. It shaped her views of the world, altered her social standing, and gave her a goal which she strived hard to work towards.

That was why it hurt so much to find out that her life was just one big lie.

Videl still loved her father dearly. After all, the man had given his all to raise her as a single parent after her mother's passing. She knew he cared for her, at least to some degree. But if he really cared for her as much as he claimed, why would he keep such a massive secret from her?

Quite frankly, she didn't have a clue. As much as it hurt her to think about it, she needed answers, and there was only one person that could give them to her. After she was told what she needed to hear, only then would she decide whether she would ever trust the man again.

The gigantic orange billboard plastered with the grinning face of Hercule Satan came into view, signalling Videl's arrival in Satan City. The girl cringed at the sight, yet another reminder that her father was nothing but a fraud; one who had mooched off the glories of a nine year old boy for almost a decade.

Videl slowed down slightly, a small part of her subconsciously dreading the answers her father would give her. That same part of her wanted to forget that she knew the truth, and for things to go back to the way they were… back to the times when there wasn't an enormous cloud of guilt constantly hovering above her.

But that was the coward's way out, and Videl Satan was no coward. One look at the city below her; of the towering skyscrapers that majestically rose into the air, and the antlike inhabitants that traipsed through the streets, even at this late hour, reminded her of who she was. She was this city's protector, its guardian. Now more than ever, she needed to give back to the people… she needed to atone for her father's sins.

Eventually the Satan manor came into view, its grandiose frame making it a permanent feature of Satan City's skyline. When she got closer, she could make out the finely sculpted architecture that decorated the exterior, the most notable of which were the two giant statues of Hercule Satan himself that flanked the main pathway.

Videl quickly averted her gaze from the sight, knowing the statues would only make her feel worse about her predicament. She wanted to go into this confrontation with as much confidence as she could muster, and she didn't need any reminders of the guilt that plagued her very being.

The girl flew over the ornately designed gate and gently landed on the finely cut grass. She fumbled inside her pockets for her keys as she approached the door, and when she found them she pulled them out and placed them into the keyhole.

However, as she went to turn them something stayed her hand. Frowning deeply, Videl shook away the final glimmers of fear and hesitation and turned the keys. The beautiful mahogany door swung open without a sound, its well oiled hinges serving their purpose. She placed one foot onto the hard marble floor, then the other, after which she closed the door and locked it.

Videl sighed as she placed her keys back into her pockets and slowly took in her surroundings. A solid gold chandelier hung down from the ceiling and expensive artwork clustered the ocean-blue wall. A beautiful mahogany coat rack stood by the door, and beside it rested a large mirror with a pure silver frame.

Before the girl could further contemplate the ill-gotten wealth, she heard a boisterous laughter coming from the main living room. With a small scowl, she walked towards the noise and stopped at the doorway, taking in the sight before her.

Hercule Satan sat at a small coffee table opposite Majin Buu, upon whose head rested Bee. Between them was a chess set, denoting a game that was just about to end. Hercule, controlling the black pieces, had several white pieces placed on the side of the board next to him, while Buu, controlling the white pieces, had only managed to take a few black pieces in comparison.

Videl noticed the situation looked dire for the pink Majin, as his king was surrounded by her father's rook, bishop and queen. Buu glared at the pieces intently, as if he was trying to burn a hole through them.

Hercule laughed. "Give it up Buu! It's checkmate! Maybe you'll have better luck next time!"

Buu frowned at the words, only for a malicious grin to find its way to his face moments later. "Buu show you!" The Majin pointed his antenna towards the chessboard and sent a pink beam of energy shooting towards it. A second later Hercule's king had been turned into a cookie, which Buu greedily scooped up with his gloved hand and swallowed in one quick gulp. "Mr Satan no king anymore! Buu win! Buu win!" he chanted, the puppy atop his head yipping happily in an attempt to mimic him.

Hercule palmed his face and muttered something under his breath. While Videl would've ordinarily found the situation humorous, she had more pressing matters to focus on. She cleared her throat, causing her father to turn to her and smile widely upon seeing her.

"Videl, you're back! How was your day?" he asked cheerfully.

The girl chose not to reply, and decided to glare at him instead. "Dad, we need to talk."

A flash of emotion, one which Videl was unable to recognise, flashed across her father's eyes. He sighed. "I figured you'd want to do that," he muttered. "Buu, go upstairs. I'll be with you shortly."

"Ok," the Majin chirped, seemingly not noticing the tension in the air. "Come on Bee, let's go play video games!"

Videl watched Buu and Bee walk up the stairs to the bedrooms, and when they were out of sight she turned to her father once more. He was gazing down at the floor, a thin bead of sweat trailing down his forehead.

"I take it you know what this is about," she asked sternly.

Hercule nodded. "It isn't hard to guess. I knew this day would come eventually," he murmured.

'Good. No need to sugarcoat it,' Videl thought. "Then why did you do it dad?"

The elder Satan paused. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Videl said nothing, and simply chose to wait for her father to find the right words.

"Opportunity," he eventually whispered.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Videl inquired.

Hercule sighed. "I saw an opportunity and I took it." He paused. "After that… boy killed Cell, he and the fighters that were with him just disappeared. I knew they weren't coming back, because if they were they probably would've said something."

Videl's eyes narrowed. "So you just assumed it was ok to take the credit for their achievement?" she growled. "In particular, the achievement of a nine year old boy?!"

"I- I had to think quick," Hercule whimpered. "After the announcer woke up he asked me what happened. I thought about what the most plausible explanation would be. Would the world really believe some kid saved them from Cell? Instead of the world champion himself?"

Videl scowled even deeper at her father's logic. "So that's it? You had the opportunity to take the glory for yourself, and you did so? Did you even think about what the real heroes of the Cell Games would think?"

Hercule hesitated for a moment, before fixing his dark blue eyes upon his daughter's cerulean orbs. The girl noticed they lacked their usual spark. "If they came back, I was prepared to admit the truth," he muttered softly. "But they didn't. The world needed a hero Videl. The people needed someone to believe in."

"And you thought you were the one best suited for that role?" she asked in a level tone, knowing she was getting somewhere.

Her father looked away, wordlessly giving her his answer. She frowned at the sight. While she was still disappointed, at least his reasons weren't completely selfish. However, that didn't mean they were any more excusable.

"Then tell me, oh great hero, why did you feel the need to belittle the real heroes?," she seethed. "Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, even Vegeta… they all risked their lives trying to defeat Cell, and Goku gave his to save the world. Even if they didn't want the glory, I'm sure as hell they didn't want the phony who took their credit ridiculing them constantly in the media! Especially since they're the reason for your fame! What kind of hypocrite does that?!"

From the blank look in his eyes and his slackened jaw, Videl could tell her father didn't have a proper answer for that one. However, she wasn't done yet. There was still one more thing she needed to address.

"And worst of all dad, you lied to me. For seven straight years you lied to your own daughter." She looked down at the floor, not being able to look her father in the eye anymore. "You said you knew this day would come, but you never even mustered the courage to tell me the truth. Is that how little you trust me?"

After a few more seconds of silence, Videl turned away and walked towards the stairs. She didn't want to face her father anymore. His silence was all the answers she needed.

"Videl," his voice called just as she was about to place her foot on the stairs. She paused in her ascent, but didn't turn to look at him. "Lies… they give birth to more lies. The more I lied the harder it was to stop. And eventually… eventually I think I started to believe my own lies. That's why I said the things I did about Goku and the others."

The girl didn't give her father a response as she proceeded up the stairs.

"Wait," she heard him croak out as she got halfway up. "Please. You have no idea how much it hurt every time you looked at me and smiled. How you thought your daddy was a hero. I knew how much it would hurt you if I told you the truth, and I didn't even want you to stop looking at me like that. "Videl," he choked out, "I'm sorry."

Videl remained still, pondering her response. She thought about the day she spent with the Sons, and the joyous adventures they had out in the mountains. She remembered her flying lessons with Gohan, and how cheerful he constantly seemed despite her blissful ignorance and self-entitled behaviour. She wondered about Krillin's and 18's happy family life, and saw how much Trunks looked up to his father.

She then turned to her own father.

"You're lucky, dad, that Goku, Gohan, and their friends and family don't hold anything against you," she began. "They're certainly far more understanding than I am. I… I still love you dad, despite how much you've hurt me, but it'll be a long time before I ever trust you again," she admitted with a sad smile. "Goodnight."

With that Videl walked up the stairs, heading towards her bedroom. She needed time to take in everything she'd just heard, and she hoped that sleep would be easy to come by. Although her life was a mess right now, at least she had one thing to look forward to… one bright spot in her life that she knew would help her overcome this bout of depression.

She thought about his expressive onyx orbs, infectious grin, and untameable black hair, and felt a sprinkling of hope in the pit of her stomach. Despite everything her father had told her, she couldn't help her lips quirking up slightly into the first genuine smile she'd had all night.

'Gohan…'

…

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