A/N: I don't own DBZ or anything DB related, however if I did, there would've been significant changes to the story of GT and the ending of Z… That being said, this is a story that takes place Post-DBGT, but pre GT epilogue. ^_^
WMX
"…My son, you will be… the greatest saiyan…"~Ringo
West City, Residential District 19~
It's a Friday, 1:55 A.M. Goten is standing atop a building with flask. He eyes the red orange hint of the sunrise mesh with the velvety royal purple night sky. . Goten briskly shivered a bit and then took a seat on said building and swigged from the flask. He was now 36, and had become somewhat detached from his family and friends. He kept in touch with his mother though. He would often send money to his family every chance he could, as well as include a concise letter about how he was doing and wondered how everyone was. However, in the months recently he'd secluded himself from everyone, he wouldn't even talk to Goku when he was allowed back to earth from Other World.
Trunks keeps a surveillance on him best he can but isn't as vigilant since taking over Capsule Corp. Gohan had gotten a pretty steady tenure at West City University, which Goten attended for three years but had dropped out even though he'd finished all of his graduation requirements. In the years that followed the drift between Gohan and Goten reached staggering distance to the extent that Goten had become fully estranged.
It remains a mystery to his family and friends what he actually does. He never mentions what he 'does' all he says is, "…business is business and that's that." When anyone would ask him about it he'd just sat it over and over. Pan, being the more curious of the family would, seemingly unbeknownst to Goten, try to tail him and find out what he's been up to for the past nine years. She'd finally 'cornered' him atop the roof.
"Its been a while, Pan-chan…" Goten said playfully.
"… How'd you know it was me?" Pan asked somewhat surprised.
"You're my niece… I can sense your power level from across the world." He said slumping back to see her.
He took note of the vixen in his line of sight. Pan certainly had grown. She had mid length obsidian hair like her mother with the thickness of a saiyan. Her lips full and accentuated upon her cute complexion, she was taller and had filled out her bust pretty well and he noted her full hips as well. Her fair, yet sun-kissed skin gleam in the twilight of the dawn, though her eyes fixated on her uncle.
"…So, you sit up on rooftops this early often?" she asked walking over and sitting next to Goten.
"No, just recently. I've been having trouble sleeping…" He said, and then let out a deflating sigh.
"I see, not on drugs or anything?" Pan said joking.
"Nah, waste of money that is. I've been having a weird dream." He said sitting back up.
"What's it about?" Pan asked curiously.
"Before that, would you like to tell me what you're doing here?" Goten then inquired.
"I wanted to see you…" Pan said shyly.
"I don't think you're mom, or dad, would want you hanging around me…" He said patting her head.
"You're the one who cut us out remember?" She retorted.
"I have a reason to, but anyways about the dream…" He moved on. Pan sighed and nodded.
"Well, its about me." He started.
"What about you?" She then asked, she shivered a bit, Goten then took his jacket and put it over her.
"Thanks…" Pan said shyly again. She loved the way he always could read her.
"So, I'm a baby…" He starts again.
"What?" Pan says taken aback.
"Well I assumed so, or at least a toddler at best." He said furthering. Pan wide eyed.
"I'm being carried by a strange woman, and she's running from something." Goten relays.
"What's she running from?" Pan then asks.
"It looked like a Super Saiyan. Kinda like Broly." He says prepping to take another sip from the flask.
"That is pretty scary…" Pan says empathetically.
"The woman holding me tells me something that I can't really understand." He says staring into the daylight.
"What does she say Uncle?" Pan says engaged in the story.
"…My son, you will be… The greatest… Saiyan." He utters with a twinge of sorrow.
"That's what's keeping you up these days?" Pan said snuggling the jacket.
"Yeah, and work's been a bit over the top." He said rubbing the back of his head.
"Care to share what it is you do." Pan said cat eyed.
"…Business…" Goten said in reply.
"…" Pan sat in silence.
"But you know Pan. Thanks…" Goten said standing.
"…Huh? Why?" She said lost.
"For listening, I don't know what the dream means but maybe it's a sign or something." He said smiling at her. She smiled back.
"Yeah, maybe… Say, you free this weekend?" Pan said standing up.
"Saturday, why?" Goten asked as she handed him the jacket.
"Mind if come over?" Pan then asked shyly.
"…Um, sure, will anyone else be coming?" Goten asked sweatdropping.
"…I won't bring anyone, if that's what you're asking. Although…" She said thinking.
"…Yeah, sure if anyone follows you its okay. I'll have the place people ready by tomorrow." He said tying a bandanna around his head.
"It was nice talking to you Goten…" Pan said as he started to ascend.
"…Huh, that's the first time you called me Goten…" He said starting to the skies. He however became weighted in a hug.
"D, Don't disappear again Nii-chan." Pan said glomping to him. He then shifted around to her face.
"I'm not going anywhere kid, now go on home and get ready for tomorrow." He said patting her head.
Pan nodded and they parted ways. Goten made his way back to his house. It was secluded in the badlands in the southern mountains outside of West City. He kept it tidy, but from time to time it could become askew. As he come back into his house a black apparition lie in wait.
"Who's there?" Goten said subtly raising his power level. The shadow revealed to be a woman.
"…Videl?" Goten said unexpectedly.
"…Goten, its been a long time…" she said stammering. He could tell she'd been crying for some time.
"What's the matter Vi'l?" He asked helping her to a seat.
"…Gohan, has…" she started.
"What's he done?" He then asked sternly.
"He's… Dead…" she said wailing into him. Goten held his brothers widow.
It hadn't occurred to him that something like that would've happened over the years. He's been so distant that he couldn't even see his brothers health diminishing.
"…I, I'm sorry Vi'l." He said hiding behind his bangs.
"He was murdered…" she said somewhat calmed by the embrace of someone.
'What?' Goten thought.
"Does Pan know?" He asked. She looked at him shocked.
"…Yes, why?" Videl relayed.
"Just preliminary. How long ago was this?" Goten asked with a fierce glare.
"…Just yesterday. He went to see Trunks about a Physics Demo at West City U." She started.
"So, it happened sometime after that…" He pieced together. Videl then went into a sobbing fit. Outside the house, unknown to them, Pan slithers down and silently mourns the pain of the situation. Goten senses a power level outside the door to his house. He looked over.
"…Pan, come in…" Goten said to the door. She entered.
"Why didn't you tell me about Gohan?" He asked seriously.
"…What did you want me to say? Hey my dad's dead, would you like to come over?" She said welling up.
"…I'm sorry kid." He said pulling her into a hug. She cried into his warmth. Videl look from the couch at the scene. She felt a comfort seeing Goten be there for her and Pan.
For the first time in years, he'd have to pay his former best friend and CEO of Capsule Corp. a visit…
"Trunks…" he said mentally.
He calmed the girls down and had made them some tea and a light bite to eat. Goten had shown the girls to his bathroom and gave them some towels so they could freshen up. He then exited through the back door and levitated to the roof. As he settle upon said roof, he looked north to West City. The girls had finished their shower and changed into some spare clothes Goten provided that he left on the bathroom sink while they were in the bath.
"Ni-chan certainly is thoughtful…" Pan started as she changed into the sweats and baggy shirt on the counter.
"Goten wasn't always as mature as he is now Pan-chan." Videl said slipping into the spare shorts and tank top.
"…You know, the last thing I asked dad was how Goten-Nii was doing." Pan said her stare slightly glazed.
"Pan, your uncle will find out who killed your father. I know he will, he's a very hard worker." Videl made her way over and hugged her daughter.
"Where do you think he went?" Pan asked.
"Probably the roof, he's always liked going up there to mull things over." Videl reckoned.
The hunch didn't disappoint, there he was casually laying on his side watching the sunrise. He was deep in thought, not picking up that they were observing him. He had begun to shed his Carbon jacket and soon after removed his undershirt as well his figure gleaming in the sunrise. It's the first time that either woman had seen Goten's upper body bare in roughly 10 or so years. It was fairly chiseled which was expected, but the scars were news to them. He never did tell anyone what he did, only that it was 'business…' Whatever business it was, might have produced those scars.
"You can stop staring…" He said reaching over to a jug of water.
"Goten… I know that you don't like talking about it but…" Videl started.
"You guys want to know what I do for a living." He said tying his hair into a ponytail. They nodded.
"I'm a weapons tester…" he said stretching.
"You mean people test weapons on you?" Pan said shocked to all hell.
"To put it bluntly, yes that is essentially what they do." Goten said turning to them.
"So, what do they do to you?" Videl asked walking over to her brother in law.
"…Business…" He uttered. Pan then approached Goten from behind and hugged him.
"Would you like to know something else?" Goten said closing his eyes as the wind brushed across his face.
"… Sure what is it?" Pan asked. Goten then turned to them and said something they weren't quite ready for.
"…I was adopted…" He said with a stern glare…