But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it the most?

[EDIT: Hello there folks! So this is an updated version of chapter 1. As a note, I'm going to be gradually updating all of the chapters that I have released so far, so if you see any inconsistencies, it's probably because that update hasn't been dropped yet. Regardless, I will be making an edit like this one at the A/N on each every time that I update the chapter, so if something is bothering you and the chapter says "EDIT: UPDATED" or something of the like, then it's probably an honest to kami mistake.

Also that will be the last time I attempt such weabo-ness as to use kami in the place of god. Unless I feel like it]

Please enjoy the story...

The grounds surrounding the Tenkaichi Budokai were crowded. Too crowded.

"Watch it, do you know who my father is?" I spat as I forced my way through the throngs of people. What made it all worse was that today was ungodly hot, meaning the crowd was not only loud and tightly packed, it was sweaty. It was like squeezing through hotdogs wearing hawaiian print shirts.

"Hey, Videl- Ow- slow down!" Gohan- oh my apologies, The Great Saiyaman, protested as I dragged him along with me. I still didn't understand why he insisted on entering anonymously, or why he had to wear that stupid looking costume to do it, but... well to each his own I guess.

I looked back at him and frowned, no way was I going to slow down and be stuck in the back of the line for the punching machine. What if I got hungry or had to pee or something? Then I would lose my place and I'd have to wait even longer.

Besides, we were only hurrying because Gohan kept stopping to eat all the food at the concession stands.

Finally, I broke through the crowd. The line wasn't too long yet, only about fifty people or so, but in my opinion that made me late, I would have been first if it hadn't been for the dork and chain. I looked over my shoulder at Gohan still behind me, now apologizing to some massive muscle-bound idiot that didn't look like he deserved the time of day. "Hurry and get in line Go- Great Saiyaman."

Gohan jumped a little at my command before bowing once more and doing what I asked. I rolled my eyes and tried to hide the smile appearing on my face. I couldn't help it! He might be a dork, but he was a cute dork, and a really good fighter. I hate to admit it, but he was the perfect guy for me.

'Not the time, Videl,' I told myself, 'Focus on the tournament now, Gohan can wait till later.' For the umpteenth time today, the reality of what 'the tournament' was hit me. I was at the Tenkaichi Budokai! Finally, after years of constant practice and combing painstakingly over the videos of the previous tournaments, I would get to compete! I had to contain screams of joy every time I thought about being here as a competitor.

Well, I mean, I did win the last tournament's junior division, but that wasn't the same thing! I was going up against seven year old kids as a teenager, it wasn't fair to them or me. First thing I did with that trophy when I got it was stick it somewhere I wouldn't have to look at it.

I had to stand up on my tiptoes to see over the heads of the other fighters, it's not easy being short. I could just make out my father standing beside the massive punching machine, talking to... someone. Whoever it was, they were even shorter than me.

I kept searching through the crowd, scoping out the competition. Some of them looked like they might know what they were doing, but- wait, who was that green guy? He was like, eight feet tall- and, well green! Plus, he was wearing this weird outfit, a purple gi beneath a white cape with these massive shoulder pads and this weird turban around like a purple hat or something. I could just make out that he was talking to a man in an orange Gi...

There was nothing really special about him. He was just over a head taller than me, had this wild hair as black as night that sort of reminded me of a palm tree, and my god his body looked like it was carved from solid stone.

'Wow, he's hot,' I thought before I could stop myself and I immediately felt a twinge of guilt and embarrassment. I was sort of with Gohan after all, and he was right there!

Then again, I wasn't really with Gohan yet, was I? He still hasn't said anything about it, which... I mean, I think I made it pretty obvious that I liked him- maybe he's just as into me as I thought? Whatever the reason, Gohan is dragging his feet so I guess I don't have to start feeling guilty just yet.

I shook my head. 'Come on Videl,' I chided myself, 'Get your head in the game. You have a machine to punch and a tournament to win.' I looked back at the guy. 'Plus he looks like he's in his twenties, he's way too old for you.' Seconds later my traitorous eyes trailed over him once more and I sighed. 'God what am I, some silly teenage girl?' I burst out laughing at the irony of the thought.

"What are you laughing at?" Gohan asked, "Wait," He gasped, "Do I have my costume on backwards again?"

I rolled my eyes. "Your costume is... well it's on right at least." I think.

Gohan let out a breath. "Whew, thank goodness. I was afraid that I looked like an idiot."

I barely caught the laughter in my throat, instead it came out as a horrible snorting sound that burned my nose and made my eyes water. There was no way I could tell him what I thought about that outfit, imagining his disappointment broke my heart, the boy was too pure for this world.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the test for the punching machine will begin shortly. To give a demonstration is last year's champion... Mister SATAN!"

The crowd went wild as my father raised his hands to take in the praise. He loved the cheering, you could tell from the massive grin on his face and the poses he struck every five seconds for the nonexistent cameras.

Oh who am I kidding there were always cameras.

As happy as he looked, I really hated seeing him like this. I was proud of my dad, he was the strongest man in the world after all, but whenever he was in front of a crowd I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed and just a tad angry. He was just so... cliche.

And it all goes straight to his head too. Someone recognizes him on the street or something and he just can't stop talking about it for the rest of the day. Events are even worse, he talks all week. I don't think he'll stop bragging until after Christmas this time.

Finally, my father stopped pandering and reeled back his fist. "Satan- PUNCH!" He yelled.

I sighed and shook my head. Why did he have to name all his moves something stupid like that? I couldn't help smiling though, he was a goof and I wouldn't have him any other way.

"And the machine registers a whopping score of one-hundred and thirty-seven!"

Again the crowd went wild. I doubt any of them knew if that was a high score or not, I know that I didn't. Soon though, the first person came up to the machine, flexed and hit it. "Fifty-three!"

One by one they kept coming and getting some mediocre score. A few started getting higher, I think some sort of bear thing got a one-hundred and twelve or something. It was boring and uneventful so I started doing some stretches to prepare for my turn.

"Uh... S-Seven-hundred seventy-four?" the attendant called out in bewilderment.

Okay, that one got my attention. I stopped stretching and stood on my tiptoes again. I could just barely see the back of a blonde head.

"It... seems to be out of order." The man said. "Sorry about that."

Oh, that explains it, a fluke.

"Okay ma'am would you like to try again?" the attendant asked..

Everyone gasped. "Two hundred and... three."

What? There's no way.

I started to make my way up through the line, I could find my place later. "Videl, wait!" I barely heard Gohan as he followed me. I needed to know who this person was, that sort of exceptional punching strength put them among the strongest fighters in the world, regardless of their skill, and I had to keep an eye on them during the tournament.

As I was pushing through the crowd, I could just barely see the next fighter; a very short man with an absolutely horrible looking haircut. He looked like a total dork, almost as bad as Gohan in his stupid outfit. "Uh... one hundred and, ninety-two points."

I couldn't believe it, that guy barely came up to my chest, how could he possibly be that strong?

Next was the man with the orange gi. Strange, now that I could see more than just fuzzy features I almost felt like I had seen him before. His so-dark-they-were-almost-black grey eyes were especially attract- er- I mean, familiar.

I stepped forward just in time to see that he was crouched, his fist barely an inch away from the machine. *Swish* "One hundred, and... eighty-six points..."

My jaw dropped. That little punch? No way he could score that high with just that, there was no room for him to generate any power, it was impossible!

The really tall green guy with the pointy ears was next. Instead of crouching down, he just folded his arm vertically and pointed his knuckles at the pad, still from only an inch away. This time I could see the punch. Or rather I watched his hand stay absolutely still, heard another *swish* and the machine was calculating the result. I hadn't see his hand move... at all.

"Two hundred and ten points..." The attendant turned to one of the staff, "The pressure mechanism seems to be broken, see if you can fetch the other machine."

Yeah so, the machine was broken. It had to be broken. But... why were these guys not putting their all into it? Even if the pressure mechanism or whatever was broken, why were they punching the machine like they might break it? Arrogance? Whatever the reason, if the staff didn't call for them to do it again on the other machine, I would demand it. Not fair that they get automatic ins because of some glitched machine!

"Now stand aside!" A gruff voice called out. The man up next was maybe an inch taller than me, unless you counted the extra foot of hair that spiked straight up. His eyes were pointed and serious, he glared at the machine like it had shot his dog or something, then he reeled back his arm for a punch. I didn't see his fist connect but I saw the result. *BOOM* No swish, just the machine breaking and flying away, crushed into a wall.

'Oh my god!' I screamed internally, 'These guys are for real aren't they!?'

"So much for restraint," I heard Gohan laugh like he saw this kind of thing every day. I was too startled to respond. There was no way... absolutely no way that any of this was possible! I stared at the man who had just blown away a machine weighing several tons with a single punch... what was he!?

Everyone else was frozen staring at the machine broken at the wall, terrified out of their minds. Despite myself, I was getting nervous too.

"I'm giving up," I heard the oaf from before say from behind me in a strange accent. "That guy would turn me inside out."

"Nice Vegeta."

I looked up, still dumbfounded at Gohan, who was smiling like he had expected nothing less. "Wait, you're not in the least bit surprised?" I asked. "Didn't you see what he did to that machine?"

Gohan looked startled. "Oh uh, yeah I saw... surprising."

I looked back at the terrifying group of people that had just broken every punching machine record to have ever existed, along with some physical laws of reality. "I don't get it... It's like they're in this big group or something... and they can all lift cars and buses! They're all scoring in the two-hundreds, and my dad only got a one-thirty seven!"

"Yeah, weird, ha ha." Gohan laughed nervously.

It was pretty obvious that there was something Gohan wasn't telling me. For one, he called the guy that had just destroyed the punching machine 'Vegeta' which... okay I have no idea what a 'Vegeta' is, but it's gotta mean something.

"Um, we seem to be experiencing some... technical difficulties, but we should be getting a new machine out here pretty quick, so uh, stick around."

The man in orange looked at the short angry one... "Hey Vegeta, I heard they're starting the junior competition in a few minutes in the main arena, do you wanna go?"

So... the man's name was Vegeta? But then how did Gohan know that? "Fine," Vegeta replied, "Let's go. Anything is better than this pathetic side show." He and the others started walking forwards, straight through the middle of the crowd which was parting open for them.

"Just look, see how they walk!? Like they're so tough." A pang of anger flowed through my body. Who were they, huh? And how were they so strong? Well whoever they were, my Dad was gonna kick their-

"Hey there!" Oh god it was him. The one in the orange gi! He was looking straight at me, raising his hand in a wave like we were good friends. I hadn't gotten a good look at his face before, but... damn. His eyes were... oh his eyes were warm and kind and inviting. And he had on this smile, like he didn't have a care in the world... honestly it sent a shiver down my spine.

And as he walked towards me I felt... tingly. Not goosebumps tingly or that nervous kind of tingly, but like 'I-just-stuck-my-finger-in-a-light-socket' kind of tingly. Literal electricity flowing through my body, my fingertips even felt a little numb.

It was... it was coming from him. A sort of... I don't know energy or something, coming off of him in waves and washing over me. It was kind of warm and- I don't know maybe if I knew what was going on I would say it was nice, but it was honestly way too freaky to be nice.

"So, you're the girl I keep hearing about!"

"Huh?" I felt a bit of pink rise to my cheeks. He's heard of me then. Makes sense I guess, I am the daughter of the strongest man on Earth, and a fighter in the tournament. Looks like someone did his homework.

His eyes shifted from me to Gohan, "Introduce her will ya?"

"Yeah she's-" Gohan paused. I looked up at him, d-did he know this guy? "She's my friend, Videl." He finished.

The short, dorky one smiled and giggled. "Come on Gohan," His voice sounded like he was holding his nose for some- oh wait he didn't have a nose. "Don't you mean to say girl-friend?" He emphasized the 'girlfriend' part like he was talking to a child.

"You're embarrassing me," Gohan said through clinched teeth. Did he know all of these guys? And how did they recognize him through the- well it wasn't a good disguise.

"Well we don't want to be late," The man replied. Then he looked back down at me, "It was nice meeting you, Videl!"

"Good luck Gohan!" The dorky one called out like he was being sly.

"Bye," Gohan said simply. He immediately frowned and looked ahead in the crowd. "I wish that they would hurry with that punching machine..."

It was then that it hit me. Gohan has superpowers, these guys have superpowers. Maybe it's not so crazy that they know each other. But if he knew other people with crazy superpowers were going to be joining this tournament, why didn't he tell me? It was the sort of thing I needed to know.

I looked up at the boy angrily. "You know them?" I accused, completely ready to grill him on all of this.

"Uh sure. The man, wearing the orange uniform? That's my dad, Son Goku."

No. No way. That guy? The guy? The-guy-that-was-way-too-old-for-me-but-I-was-totally-still-crushing-on-him-and-his-piercing-eyes-and-perfect-body? THAT GUY WAS HIS DAD? I stared aghast at Gohan. I needed to sit down. "What... I thought that your dad was d-dead..."

"Well, yeah. Didn't you see the halo on his head?" At the last part, Gohan pointed to a spot a couple inches above his head.

I looked over at his father. Yep, that was a halo all right.

"I think that I need... to lie down."

I could tell you what it all meant, but what would be the fun in that?

Erasers and Sharpeners are essential to any set of school supplies.

Until next time, dear reader…