Preface: Hi all. I'm pleased to finally be able to post the first chapter of my rewrite of the Boo arc, and the sequel/continuation to my oneshot, Repercussions of the Positive Kind. While it is not necessary to have read ROTPK in order to enjoy this fic, it does give some background information and details exactly how Goku survived the Cell Games, so please consider checking it out if you'd like to get the full picture of events.

Rising to the Challenge – The Legacy of Son Gohan

Chapter 1 – First Day of School

In the oft-peaceful woodlands of Mount Paozu, a fierce battle was taking place. Where once birds chirped freely, their melodic voices adding to the serenity of the place, grunts and booms now permeated the air, as two warriors bathed in a golden light clashed intensely. Punch met punch, kick met kick, and head met head; the two combatants equal in almost every sense of the word.

The stalemate was broken when one of the warriors ducked underneath a punch and elbowed his opponent in the solarplexus. The warrior on the receiving end of the damage cried out in pain and dropped his guard, only for his attacker to smash a roundhouse kick into the side of his head, sending him flying off to the side and snapping several trees in the process.

With a loud thump the wounded man came to a half after colliding with the side of a cliff, the sheer impact of the action creating a huge crater in the rock.

The man groaned as he separated his body from the cliffside, and rubbed his back in an attempt to get rid of the soreness. He was about to retaliate when his opponent pulled up in front of him, and hovered in the air with a cheeky grin on his face.

"You know, Gohan, if you want we can call it quits right here," Goku taunted.

Gohan grinned in response. "No need, Dad, I'm just getting started.

With a quick flare of his ki, Gohan disappeared from view and reappeared right in front of his father, launching a left jab into his face.

Goku was caught by surprise and was too slow to block, the hit disorienting him slightly. He was then unable to respond as Gohan landed a right hook to his temple, after which his head was grabbed and thrust downwards, right into his son's rising knee. The sickening crunch of broken cartilage and the splatter of blood was enough to distract the elder Saiyan as Gohan sent him crashing into the ground with a viscous axe hand strike to the back.

Goku let out a groan from inside the crater formed by his fall, but was quick to rise. After getting to his feet and tweaking his broken nose, he looked up at his son and laughed. "I might have spoken a bit too soon."

Gohan grinned at his father and beckoned him to attack again.

The two were about to go at it once more when they both froze in fear as they felt a chill run up their spines. Turning their heads to the side, they spotted a small golden cloud floating in the air, bearing two figures.

Goten smiled sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head. "Sorry Dad, big brother; Mum said I couldn't have any lunch if I didn't take her to where you were."

From beside him, a furious Chi-Chi nodded. "That's right. Gohan, you should know better than this," she scolded. "It's your first day of school, and I don't want you going there looking like a delinquent!" Gohan mimicked Goten's actions from before and scratched the back of his head in silent apology, before Chi-Chi turned her attention to his father, who was trying to sneak away. "And Goku, you should know better than to drag your son into a spar on such an important day! We discussed this last night!"

"Aww, come on Chi-Chi, he's fine," Goku pleaded. "We didn't even power up all that much!"

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes and gave her husband a fierce glare, one that promised they'd be having a talk about this later. Goku had enough common sense to not protest further.

Gohan chuckled inwardly at the sight, having seen something similar happen so many times before. That being said however, he knew the smart thing to do would be to follow his mother's instructions. After all, he too wanted to make a good first impression on his peers.

After bidding his parents and brother farewell, he sped towards his house, powering down from Super Saiyan once he stepped through the door. After stripping out of his blue gi and taking a quick shower, he walked into his room and eyed the clothes on his bed with a slight frown. His mother had picked out dark orange pants, a long sleeved white button up shirt, and a black vest, topped off with black shoes.

While Gohan didn't necessarily have a problem with the outfit, he'd been out in public enough times with Bulma to know that it was a bit too… formal for someone his age. Oh well, it wasn't a major issue.

With a shrug Gohan got changed, slung his schoolbag over his shoulder, and went outside, only to spot Goten playing tag with some butterflies he'd found earlier. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. Unlike him, his younger sibling didn't have to grow up in troubled times where the fate of the world was at stake. He actually got to have a normal childhood… well, as normal as it could be for a demi-Saiyan.

It was things like this that made Gohan not regret having to give up his own childhood. While a small part of him did wish he could've worried about what was on TV or which toys he was going to play with, as opposed to whether he'd be strong enough to beat the next tyrannical villain that was threatening the world, the constant reminders of the good he'd done, not just for his family, but for the rest of the world, were enough to quash those thoughts.

With the smile still on his face, Gohan hopped up onto Kinto'un, only to nearly fall off as a blue and orange blur slammed into him.

"I don't want you to go, big brother," Goten whimpered as he tightened his arms around Gohan, as if doing so would stop him from leaving.

The eldest Son sibling chuckled as he returned the hug. "Don't worry Goten, I won't be gone forever. I'll be back in about seven or so hours. Then we can spend the rest of the evening playing!"

Despite his reassurances, Goten didn't let go. "But that's way too long, I'll miss you," he whined, now sobbing slightly. "Who am I gonna play with while you're gone?"

"I'll take you to Capsule Corp, Squirt, how's that sound?" came a cheerful voice from the doorway. The Son siblings turned to source to see a smiling Goku with his arm around a tearful Chi-Chi. "You can play with Trunks while I spar with Vegeta."

"Really Dad, can we go?" Goten asked, the hope returning to his voice.

"Of course," Goku chuckled. "Especially considering my usual morning spar was interrupted," he finished with a grin.

Gohan laughed and ruffled his brother's hair. "See Goten? You'll be just fine."

Goten nodded, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and after giving his older brother another hug, leapt off Kinto'un to stand next to his parents. "See you later then, big brother! Don't forget your promise!"

"Don't worry Squirt, I won't."

"My little boy's grown up so fast," Chi-Chi sniffled, before trying to compose herself with a shaky smile. "Remember your manners Gohan. Don't talk to strangers, and don't get into any trouble. Listen to your teachers, and focus on your studies. Don't get distracted by girls, and don't join any delinquent gangs. Your father's friends are enough."

Gohan blushed a bit and laughed meekly. It was just like his mother to be so overprotective, despite his status as one of the strongest beings in the universe. "Don't worry Mum, you've raised me too well for that," he assured her.

"Listen to your mother, Gohan, but don't forget to have some fun too!" Goku chimed in, ignoring the look his wife gave him. "You deserve it, kiddo."

Gohan chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I'll try, Dad. See you guys later!"

With that Kinto'un took off into the sky. Gohan gave a content sigh as dropped his protective aura and felt the wind on his skin. It was a pleasant feeling, flying without the use of his own ki. Flying on Kinto'un allowed Gohan to feel a sense of childlike joy, and to briefly forget the monumental amount of power he had at his fingertips. The demi-Saiyan soon lost himself in the passing scenery down below, and for the first time in a long time let go of his burdens.

Kinto'un came to a stop on the outskirts of a large city. Gohan took one look at the massive billboard plastered just at the edge of the city, and couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Underneath the big, bold letters that spelt out 'Satan City' was the smug face of the world champion himself, complete with his trademark moustached grin and victory sign.

Once his laughter had died down, Gohan took a moment to ponder the significance of the sign. In the immediate aftermath of the Cell Games, Mr Satan had tried to take credit for the bio-android's defeat. However, while a large number of the world's population bought his claim, an equally large number didn't.

Among the detractors were many former participants of the Tenkaichi Budokai, as well as several traditional martial arts enthusiasts. These people had grown up watching Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Muten Roshi, and Tenshinhan among others, competing for the title of 'Strongest under the Heavens'. They had witnessed firsthand the power of ki, and as such didn't buy Mr Satan's claims that they were all light tricks.

Others didn't believe Mr Satan's boasts due to the simple fact that there was no solid proof of his victory. After Gohan had ascended to the next level of Super Saiyan and Cell had powered up to his maximum, all the cameras in the area were disintegrated, so there was no visual evidence that the world champion had defeated Cell. In addition to that, the footage that was broadcast to the world prior to the cameras being destroyed showed Mr Satan being swatted away by Cell, and heavily outclassed by Goku's showing.

So in that respect, the world was divided. But since everyone was just happy that the threat to the planet was over, as well as the fact that none of the Z Warriors stepped up to challenge Mr Satan's claims, no one sought to investigate the issue further. What was certain though, was that the world champion's hometown supported him wholeheartedly, enough to change its name from Orange Star City to Satan City.

Gohan, being the humble boy he was, didn't have a problem with Mr Satan trying to take his credit. He didn't want any of the attention that came with being the world's saviour, and he was simply happy the world was safe. Goku shared his sentiments, and while Chi-Chi was a bit disappointed they wouldn't get any money out of this decision, she understood and respected Gohan's desire for privacy. The other Z Warriors weren't as forgiving of Mr Satan, especially Vegeta, but they too respected the demi-Saiyan's wishes.

Gohan was broken from his thoughts by the sound of his watch beeping. He looked down and his eyes widened. "Darn! I'm almost running late!"

Dropping down from Kinto'un, he bid the cloud farewell, and sped towards Orange Star High School, appearing as a faint blur to the untrained eye. However, the sound of gunshots caught his attention, and he brought his super speed run to a halt.

Gohan surveyed the disturbance and saw there was a bank robbery in progress. A group of police officers were crouching behind a car that was being pelted by bullets, fired by automatic weapons wielded by several laughing crooks.

The demi-Saiyan narrowed his eyes. "Even after all the times this world has come under threat, some people still see fit to disturb the peace."

Being his father's son, Gohan was unwilling to let this type of behaviour slide. However, he also knew he needed to keep a low profile. Seeing only one option available, Gohan quickly turned Super Saiyan and sped in front of the barrage of bullets.

This caused the crooks to stop shooting and stare at the strange sight in shock. Seeing that they weren't about to say anything, Gohan took this moment to speak up. "I'm going to give you one chance to lay down your weapons and surrender to the police," he threatened, deepening his voice in an attempt to mask it. "Fail to do so and I will have to stop you by force."

After a few seconds of silence, the crooks burst into laughter. "Get a load of this chump!" one of them cried. "Let's show him how stupid he was to interrupt our fun!"

As they prepared to open fire, one of the cops shouted, "Kid, watch out!"

Gohan paid him no heed as the rush of bullets came towards him in slow motion. After all the training he'd done, stopping an attack like this was child's play. While he could've easily flared his ki to stop the bullets in their tracks, he couldn't risk one of them accidentally hitting an innocent bystander. So, his mind made up, the demi-Saiyan raised his left hand and swiftly caught every single bullet that was fired at him.

Once the barrage stopped, Gohan held out his hand, a glare on his face, and slowly unclenched his fist. Hundreds of silver projectiles fell to the ground, each one rendered harmless. The crooks' eyes widened at the act.

"I warned you," Gohan growled before disappearing into thin air. Not even a second later he appeared in front of the criminals, and with three quick flicks to their heads rendered them unconscious.

This action caused the truck off to the side to start up. No doubt the driver had noticed what was happening and wanted to make a quick getaway. 'Not on my watch,' Gohan thought as he raised his hand and sent an invisible kiai wave at the vehicle. This caused the truck to flip over and crash onto the road. A quick ki scan revealed the driver to be unconscious. With his job done, Gohan disappeared from view and shot off towards the school, hoping he'd make it on time.

In his haste, he never noticed the raven-haired, pigtailed girl he sped past, who seemed to freeze briefly at the sudden burst of wind generated by his speed.

"What the hell was that?" Videl said out loud, taken aback by the startling development. Seeing as she wouldn't be getting any answers from thin air, Satan City's favourite daughter shrugged and continued towards the police at the scene of the bank robbery, intent on finding out just what exactly happened.

"And this here will be your classroom," the deputy principal said. "You will have all your classes in here, so I recommend getting to know your classmates, since you're pretty much stuck with them," he chuckled.

Gohan returned the chuckle, although with a hint of nervousness. The deputy principal seemed to notice this. "Don't be nervous my boy, someone with your pedigree will be fine." He then held out his hand, and demi-Saiyan shook it. "Good luck, Gohan."

"Thank you, sir," Gohan replied, watching the man head back to his office. After the deputy had left, Gohan took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A few seconds later it was opened by a bespectacled man who was wearing a suit, and was getting on in years if his white hair was any indication. "Ahh, you must be the new student. My name is Mr Savage. Come on in."

As soon as Gohan stepped into the classroom all eyes landed on him. The demi-Saiyan surveyed his classmates, noting how different each of them were to one another. His nose was also assailed by several different scents, no doubt the girls' perfume. Gohan also did a quick ki scan of the room, for curiosity's sake, and was surprised at the sheer amount of power one of his peers emitted. It was nowhere near the level of the Z Warriors, but it was the highest he'd ever felt from a human being who wasn't proficient in the use of ki.

It didn't take Gohan long to find the source; a pretty raven-haired girl with pigtails who was wearing an oversized white shirt. Gohan's gaze lingered on her cerulean eyes for a few moments, which held a glimmer of curiosity within them that he found strangely intriguing.

"… also received perfect scores on all of his entrance exams, so please make him welcome, and you might learn a thing or two."

Gohan fought down a small blush at how distracted he was by the raven-haired girl, and thanked Kami that he was able to catch the last bit of his teacher's speech.

"Why don't you tell the class a bit about yourself, Gohan?" Mr Savage asked.

The demi-Saiyan was caught a bit off guard by that, so he grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "W-well, my name is Son Gohan. I was home-schooled all my life so this is my first time at a public school. My hobbies include eating, reading, and playing with my little brother."

There was some muttering after that, and Gohan was able to pick up the words "aww", "dork" and "cute". He wasn't sure what to make of this, so he put it to the back of his mind for now.

"Thank you for that, Gohan, please find a seat somewhere in the room and we can resume the class," Mr Savage said.

Gohan didn't have to look long as a blonde girl raised her hand. "Hey new boy, you can come sit next to me!" she called with a wink.

The demi-Saiyan couldn't help but blush at that. He then spotted the raven-haired girl from earlier sitting right next to her, and immediately felt an odd sensation in his chest. Ignoring it, Gohan walked up the stairs and sat down next to the blonde girl. "Thank you," he mumbled shyly.

The blonde giggled. "No worries. My name is Erasa. This here's Videl." She pointed to the raven-haired girl, again causing an odd sensation to stir in Gohan's chest. "The musclehead next to her is Sharpner." Gohan spared a look at a buff guy in a tank top with long blonde hair, but most of his attention was focused on Videl.

"It's nice to meet you all," Gohan said with a smile. Sharpner snorted at that, while Videl continued to stare at him. The look she gave him reminded him a bit of his mother, and he couldn't help but shudder slightly.

"So Gohan, I'll bet you don't know who Videl's dad is?" Erasa inquired cheekily. At Gohan's blank look, she giggled. "It's Mr Satan!"

Gohan's eyes widened. 'Mr Satan!? No way! She looks nothing like him!' He then blushed. 'Thank Kami for that.' After composing himself again, the demi-Saiyan gave the two girls a smile. "That must be pretty neat, being related to someone famous and all."

Erasa nodded in Videl's place. "Sure is. But being the friend of someone related to someone famous is also pretty neat," she grinned. "Then again, our Videl is also-"

"Ahh, I know why you look familiar!"

Both Gohan and Erasa turned to look at Videl, who'd spoken up for the first time.

"Huh?" Gohan blinked.

"Someone stopped a robbery at the bank this morning. Apparently he caught a bunch of bullets with his bare hands, knocked out some crooks by flicking them in the head, and made a truck flip over by waving at it." Gohan suddenly felt really uneasy, and a bead of sweat trailed down his temple. "I asked the police what this guy looked like, and they said was wearing orange pants, a white shirt, and a black vest. The most noticeable thing about him, though, was his golden hair and glowing aura. The police are calling him the Golden Warrior, and are making him out to be some kind of superhero."

Gohan chuckled nervously. "How about that… this hero guy has the same clothes as me…"

Videl then leaned in, a predatory smirk on her lips, before Sharpner chuckled. "Are you serious, Videl? This guy? Who's ever heard of a bookworm being a superhero?"

Gohan scoffed inwardly at that. 'Clearly this guy's never read any comic books.'

"Can it, Sharpner," Videl retorted, before fixing her gaze on Gohan once more. "So then, Son Gohan, anything you can tell me about this?"

The demi-Saiyan raised his arms in protest. "It's just a coincidence that we're wearing the same clothes," he pleaded. "Besides, our hair colour is totally different!"

"Hmm, you have a point," Videl conceded. She then gave him one last inquisitive look. "But I will get to the bottom of this."

Gohan gulped at the subtle implications and gave a weak smile in response. He then turned back to the front and processed what had just happened. 'That girl is vicious! She reminds me a bit of Mum.' A sense of dread then shot through his body. 'I can only hope to Kami those two never meet, especially considering she's Mr Satan's daughter! I better watch myself around her from now on. Still, I need to do something about this crime issue if I'm going to keep coming to school here.' The demi-Saiyan's face then hardened as he pondered possible solutions, not really paying attention to Mr Savage's lecture.

Meanwhile, Videl was staring at Gohan out of the corner of her eye. To say the new guy didn't intrigue her would be a lie. From the moment he walked into class Videl knew there was something different about him. He carried himself with confidence, yet there was an underlying nervousness to his demeanour that spoke volumes about his innocence. He also seemed polite, and didn't gush over Videl when he found out she was Mr Satan's daughter. That alone said that he wasn't from around here.

Then there was the fact that on his first day of school some glowing gold superhero showed up, who just happened to be wearing the same clothes as the new kid. Granted, their hair colour was different, but Videl did remember the fighters from the Cell Games being able to turn their hair golden. Could Son Gohan be one of them? Then there was his name itself. Son Gohan. It rung a bell, and she was certain she'd heard it somewhere before.

After they'd finished speaking, she kept an eye on Gohan. She noticed the subtle changes in his facial expression. First he seemed uneasy; her prodding no doubt unnerving him a bit. That fact brought a smile to her face. Then it was as if he'd bitten into a sour candy, because a look of sheer shock flashed through him. Afterwards though, his features hardened and projected a startling amount of confidence. Just what brought on that change? Just what was he thinking about?

'I'll figure you out yet, Son Gohan… that you can be sure of.'

Videl was broken from her thoughts by Erasa's giggling. She turned her gaze towards her best friend and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Erasa continued giggling, causing Sharpner to give her a strange look. "Nothing, I'll tell you later."

Videl shrugged, not deeming it overly important. It was probably something gossip related that she had no interest in. With that out of the way, Videl fixed her attention on Mr Savage. However, she couldn't help her thoughts trailing to her spiky-haired classmate.

Gohan laughed gleefully as he sat cross-legged underneath a big tree. This was his favourite moment of the day, and one he had been looking forward to ever since school started – lunchtime.

The demi-Saiyan had situated himself underneath a tree, not because he wanted to be away from others, but because he needed the space. Surely his mother had packed him all sorts of delectable foods to satisfy his Saiyan appetite. His stomach rumbled anxiously at the thought.

With that in mind, Gohan took out his food capsule and threw it onto the ground in front of him, only for his look of joy to be replaced with one of despair. He had been expecting a mouth-watering feast; chicken, bacon, ham, sandwiches, sushi, rice, beef, pasta… all the good stuff. Instead, what he got was a couple of sandwiches. More than enough for a normal human, but a pitiful amount for a Saiyan.

"Hey Brains, why the long face? Did you lose your favourite textb- whoa! Are you planning on eating all that?"

Gohan raised his head and saw that Videl, Erasa and Sharpner has walked over to him, with the blond boy initiating conversation.

He composed himself and scratched the back of his head. "No, not at all," he chuckled nervously. "I'm just surprised at the amount of food my mum packed."

"No kidding," Erasa interjected. "This many sandwiches would fill me up for a week! If you want, we can help you eat some of them?"

At that Gohan paled. They completely misunderstood his sorrow! The last thing he wanted to do was share his food, especially considering how little of it there was. But he couldn't say no. After all, these three were the only ones to actually approach him today, and while he wasn't the most familiar with teenage social customs, Gohan did know that this was his best chance of actually making some friends.

With that in mind, the demi-Saiyan gave a small laugh. "Help yourselves," he said, trying his utmost best to hide his inner pain as the trio sat down and took up his offer.

"Wow, this is really good!" Videl commented after a few bites. "It's so much better than anything our chefs can come up with."

Gohan smiled. "I'll be sure to let my mum know."

"So tell us a bit about yourself, Gohan," Erasa piped up. "We didn't really learn much from that small introduction you gave this morning."

Gohan stopped chewing his sandwich and swallowed. "Well there's not really all that much to say." He scratched his chin. "I commute here from East District 439, where I live with my parents and younger brother."

The trio stopped eating all of a sudden, and Erasa nearly dropped her sandwich. "East 439!?" she gaped. "That's like hundreds of miles from here! And five hours by jet! Just how early do you have to wake up?"

Gohan laughed uneasily, inwardly cursing himself for letting that bit of information slip, especially if the strange look Videl was giving him was anything to go by. "That's just how dedicated I am to my education, I suppose."

"So Gohan, what do you do for fun around there?" This time it was Videl who spoke up. "I can't imagine there'd be much in the way of recreational activities in the middle of nowhere."

"You'd be surprised," Gohan replied. "Out there we're pretty much surrounded by trees and mountains. There's so much to explore. It's really peaceful out there too, being away from all the pollution and overcrowding in the big cities." He then smiled. "My dad often takes me and my brother out camping, and because there's so much to explore, we always end up discovering new places."

Erasa whistled. "That does sound nice, wouldn't you agree, Videl?"

"I guess," Videl replied, before a smirk found its way to her face. "Maybe you can invite us to your house sometime. I'm sure it'd be a great experience for us city kids."

A bead of sweat rolled down Gohan's temple. "Aha, I don't know," he stammered. "It is a long way away after all. I wouldn't want you all to-"

"Nonsense," Videl interrupted. "We're friends now, aren't we?"

Gohan ignored the scoff from Sharpner and couldn't help the small blush that tinted his cheeks. "Well, when you put it that way, of course we are," he mumbled. "Ok, I'll ask my parents tonight."

"Excellent!" Videl grinned, ignoring the odd look Erasa gave her.

The rest of lunch was fairly uneventful in comparison. Conversation between the four was casual for the most part. Gohan learned that Sharper was a promising boxer, and was hoping to make it big as a pro after he left school. Erasa wanted to be a journalist, and was always up to date on the latest gossip in the school. Videl wanted to follow in her father's footsteps and win the Tenkaichi Budokai, and show everyone that she was great on her own merits, not just because she was a Satan.

That last bit surprised Gohan, and he found himself wanting to know more about the girl. From what he remembered from the Cell Games, her father was a loud, rude and brutish man with an ego the size of Namek. And yet, Videl was nothing like that. What made her so different? Gohan would've happily pondered this some more, but then the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

'Guess I'll have to find out later,' Gohan thought as he hurried off to class with his three new friends.

Gohan whistled happily to himself as he strolled through the streets of Satan City. While the day got off to a rough start, after he'd gotten acquainted with Videl, Erasa and Sharpner it went a lot smoother. He had Gym as his last class of the day, and they were playing baseball.

Not for the first time that day, Gohan thanked Kami that he was familiar enough with the sport after playing with Yamcha a couple of times during the Z Warriors' occasional gatherings. Because of this, he didn't end up making a fool of himself, nor did he end up standing out.

Yep, it was a good day, and he was looking forward to what tomorrow would bring. But before that, there was something else he had to take care of.

Once Gohan was sure he was a reasonable distance away from any bystanders, he shot up into the air and sped off towards Capsule Corp. He'd visited the building countless times over the years, and as a result knew it like the back of his hand. It didn't take the demi-Saiyan long to find Bulma, who was in the living room having a smoke.

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," the Capsule Corp heiress exclaimed as he walked in. "What brings you here, Gohan? Did something bad happen at school?"

Gohan shook his head, a small smile etched on his face. "Everything's great at school. I just need your help with something."

"Oh?"

"Yeah… I noticed today that the crime in Satan City is pretty bad, so I was hoping you could help me come up with a disguise." He then blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Some people are already calling me the Golden Warrior after I stopped a bank robbery this morning while in Super Saiyan."

Bulma's eyes widened. "So that's what that Golden Warrior thing was about!" At Gohan's raised eyebrow Bulma chuckled. "Word travels fast when you're as famous as I am. But never mind that. Hmm…" she pondered, stroking her chin. "A complete transformation so they don't know who you are… ahh! I know! I could reduce a costume to particles and put it in a capsule!"

Gohan beamed at her. "Really? That'd be great! How long will it take?"

"You're so cute. Just can't stop being a hero, can you?" the heiress said with a smile. "I'll have it ready for you in two hours."

"Thanks so much for this!" Gohan exclaimed gratefully, only for his stomach to make a thunderous rumbling noise. He blushed and chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. Mum didn't pack me a big lunch today. Probably didn't want me to stand out. Is it ok if I have something to eat over here?"

Bulma laughed. "Of course. Make yourself at home. Trunks should be coming up any second now as well. He should be finishing up his training with Vegeta."

"Thanks again, Bulma!" Gohan said as he rushed off into the kitchen.

While he was busy stuffing his face with every single edible thing he could find, a lavender haired boy walked into the room, and his mouth split into a grin when he spotted the elder demi-Saiyan.

"Hey Gohan!" Trunks called, rushing over the teenager. "What are you doing here? How was school? Mum said today was your first day!"

Gohan swallowed the piece of chicken in his mouth and smiled at the boy. "Hey there, Trunks. School was fun. I made three new friends and they're all pretty cool. I'm here because I need your mum to make me a costume so I can fight crime in Satan City without anyone recognising me."

Trunks' eyes widened. "So you're gonna be a superhero? Awesome!"

"He should spend more time training instead of playing hero," came a voice from the doorway. "A true Saiyan never gets soft, even in times of peace."

Gohan and Trunks looked up from the table they were sitting at and saw a short muscular man with spiky hair glaring at them, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.

"Nice to see you too, Vegeta," Gohan remarked, before noticing the bruise the prince of Saiyans was sporting over his right eye. He smiled. "Although I think you should pay more attention to your own training, if that black eye is anything to go by."

Vegeta was silent for a moment, then his frown turned into a smirk. "That sounds like a challenge, brat. How about we take this to the Gravity Room?"

Gohan shook his head. "Some other time. My mum would kill me if I came home injured and with torn clothes."

The prince of Saiyans scoffed before walking out of the room, muttering under his breath.

After they'd eaten, Trunks and Gohan spent the rest of the afternoon playing video games. Trunks was in the middle of beating the elder demi-Saiyan in a 2D fighter when Bulma walked into the room. "Here ya go, kiddo," she said, throwing a watch to Gohan, who caught it and put it on. "All you need to do is press the red button."

Gohan eyed the watch with interest. It was nothing spectacular appearance-wise, but that just made it all the more better as a disguise. Trunks was jumping up and down in excitement. Seeing no reason to delay, Gohan pressed the red button.

He felt a strange sensation, almost as if someone had thrown a towel over him, that passed as quick as it came. His vision darkened slightly, and he felt a weight on his head. Gohan walked over to the full body mirror in the room, and grinned at what he saw. "This is neat"

"Isn't it?" Bulma chuckled.

Gohan gave himself a look over. He was wearing black spandex underneath a green tunic with a belt at the waist. His gloves and boots were styled like Vegeta's old Saiyan armour, which he felt was a nice touch. He also had a red cape billowing behind him. The most noticeable feature, however, was the orange and black helmet that covered his head, complete with a black visor and antennas.

"Uhh, Mum, are you sure Gohan should go out in public wearing this?" Trunks enquired nervously.

Bulma glared at her son, who cowered slightly as a result. "What's wrong with it?"

Gohan chuckled. "I think it's great. Besides, the whole point of the costume is to hide my identity."

"Glad you like it," the heiress beamed. Trunks opened his mouth as if to say something, but decided against it.

Gohan pressed the red button again and his superhero costume was immediately replaced with his school clothes. He then took another look at his watch and his eyes widened. "Oh no! I should've been home by now! Mum's gonna kill me!"

Bulma laughed. "I'm sure Chi-Chi will understand."

Gohan rushed to the window and opened it. "Thanks again, Bulma. See you guys later!" he said as he jumped out of the window and headed home, turning Super Saiyan to speed up the trip.

Gohan was just flying over Satan City when he noticed a commotion down below. He stopped his flight, and could make out a car driving recklessly through the streets, almost hitting several bystanders. The demi-Saiyan scowled at the blatant disregard for human lives. "Guess this is as good a time as any to make an appearance." His hair faded to black and he pressed the button to don his superhero outfit. "Sorry Mum, but saving lives come first."

With that Gohan shot down towards the ground, and came to a stop several metres in front of the speeding car, creating a small crater upon impact. The car screeched as if the driver was trying to stop, but it was going too fast to do so. However, this was of no danger to Gohan, who simply raised his leg. He didn't even budge as the onrushing vehicle collided with his foot, leaving a deep, boot-shaped imprint in the front bumper.

The driver and his passenger stepped out of the car, knives in hand and glares on their faces. "You stupid idiot, you got a death wish or something?" one of them snarled.

Gohan's brows furrowed. "What's the big idea, driving like that!? You'll kill someone if you aren't careful? If you're in this town, drive safely!"

"What are you trying to pull, freak?" the same guy as before said.

"Yeah, just who the hell do you think you are?" his partner added.

A thoughtful look found its way to Gohan's face as he pondered the question. 'Who am I? Darn, I should've thought of this before. What am I, what am I… ah!'

Gohan spread his legs and turned his left foot to face 45 degrees to the side. He clenched his left fist and brought it down to his waist, then thrust his right hand, palm open, off to the left. "I am the defender of justice! The Great Saiyaman!"

What followed was silence. The bystanders in the area seemed rooted to where they stood, seemingly unable to move. The two goons in front of Gohan stared at him with their mouths open, their cigars hanging out. Then, without warning, they burst into laughter.

"The Great Saiyaman? That's so lame," one of them cackled.

"It goes with the lame outfit though!" his partner replied, laughter rolling off him in waves.

"This guy's crazy! Let's do him a favour and put him out of his misery!"

As the duo advanced towards Gohan, all sense of jovialness left the demi-Saiyan. He brought his hands to his sides and flared his ki, deepening the crater he was standing in. The front of the car toppled forward until over half of it was in the crater. "You think this is a joke? You think crime is funny?! I thought very hard about that name!" he growled, his ki causing the goons to stagger backwards.

"N-now that I think about it, that's a great name!" one of them whimpered.

"Sure is! Forgive us Mr Saiyaman sir! We'll won't do this kinda stuff no more!" his partner added, his fear almost tangible.

Gohan's glare softened slightly, but still remained threatening. "Consider this your final warning," he said as he removed the car from the crater with ease and set it on the road. "This city is under my protection from now on. If I see you two breaking the law one more time…" he trailed off, letting the threat sink in.

The sobbing duo bowed and apologised profusely, before getting into their banged up car and driving off. Gohan watched them go with a small smile on his face. It would take time, but he would clean up the filth in this city… of that he was certain.

"Next time," CLANG, "you decide to," CLANG, "come home late," CLANG, "make sure to," CLANG, "let me know!" CLANG, CLANG, "I was worried sick about you!"

Gohan rubbed his head which had just taken a beating from Chi-Chi's now dented frying pan and grinned sheepishly. It didn't hurt him in the slightest, but he understood it was his mother's way of venting. "Gee, sorry Mum, I got sidetracked with some important stuff!"

Goten, who was peering out from the front door of the house, decided to jump out at that moment. "That's right! Big brother was busy being a superhero!"

Chi-Chi quirked an eyebrow at that. "A superhero? Gohan, I let you go to school so you can focus on your studies, get a diploma, go to university, and get a high paying job as an executive in some fancy company! I didn't let you go to school so you can play superhero!"

"Aww, let him go Chi-Chi, I think it's great he's helping people!" Goku interjected, having decided to see what all the fuss was about. Gohan chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Besides," Goku added, "Gohan's smart enough already. A little superhero work isn't gonna affect his studies."

Chi-Chi sighed, before a tiny smile flitted across her features. "Fine, I guess it can't be helped. Just what am I going to do with you boys?" she said as she gave Gohan a hug and a peck on the cheek. "I'm proud of you for wanting to help people, son. Just make sure you keep up your studies, ok?"

Gohan nodded and returned the hug. He looked up to see his father giving him his trademark grin and thumbs up, which Gohan returned with a grin of his own.

That evening saw Gohan and Goten practicing superhero poses in front of the mirror while Goku gave them pointers. "No, no, no, it goes like this," the elder Saiyan corrected, lifting his right foot and placing it next to his left thigh. He then clenched his fists and angled his left arm across his chest, making a V shape and tensing his biceps, while pointing his right hand into the air.

After some adjusting, the two brothers tried mimicking the pose, and Goku grinned. "Perfect!"

Goten dropped his pose and gave his father a curious look. "Where did you learn to pose like this, Daddy?"

"I once fought a guy called Captain Ginyu on Namek," Goku chuckled. Gohan grinned at the reminder of the Ginyu Force's goofiness, before wincing slightly and rubbing his neck. "He called this one his 'Ultra Fighting Pose'!"

Goten laughed. "What a goofball."

"You have no idea, little brother," Gohan muttered with a small smile.

A couple of hours later, once it was time for bed, Gohan trudged to his room, his weary feet dragging across the floor. He pushed open his bedroom door and collapsed onto his bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. The last thought that flashed through the demi-Saiyan's mind was, 'School is exhausting…'

AN: I apologise if this chapter is a bit too close to what happened in canon, but every story has to start somewhere. There will be several divergences from canon the further into this story I get, and some of them might surprise you.

I'd like to give a special thanks to The Fluff Queen Lilly-sama, who gave me some advice for the Gohan/Videl interaction, as well as for a few other scenes in this chapter. If you haven't already, go check out her fics – no one does Gohan/Videl like she does.

That aside, feedback would be much appreciated. I don't have a release schedule of any sort, but I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. Until next time!