Familial Expansion

Chapter 90

The following weeks after Gohan's move to campus were a major adjustment period for the Stark family.

Many times Tony would be working in the lab, alone or with Bruce, and absently call on Gohan to pass him a tool or to check a schematic before remembering the teen wasn't there.

Pepper mistakenly put out one too many plates for several family meals.

Some mornings Steve would knock on Gohan's door to ask if he'd like to join him on his jog before fully waking up and remembering he wasn't home.

It was especially hard for Goten. The boy kept himself as busy as possible so he wouldn't dwell on how far away his brother was.

Despite spending more time with Pepper and Happy in the office, Tony, Bruce, and Steve in the lab or tower gym, as well as all the extra training sessions with Piccolo, Trunks, and Videl, Goten was practically counting the seconds until his nightly video chat with Gohan.

It was equally difficult on Gohan's side as well. Even though he greatly enjoyed the classes, meeting so many different people, and making new friends, the homesickness was stronger than he'd anticipated. He looked forward to the nightly video chats as much as Goten. 

Though it's tough for the whole family, the weekends back home greatly helped them adapt to the new routine.

By the time Goten's 5th birthday came around, the nightly video chats had been reduced to only once or twice a week. And with no sign of any threats, Gohan started only returning home every other weekend.

Regardless of having overcome his separation anxiety, Goten is still ecstatic to have Gohan returning home for his holiday break. Especially since they were spending this Christmas back at their Malibu home.

With Peggy unable to join them this year, it didn't feel right to go to the cabin like usual. 

The Alzheimer's has been catching up with her recently, to the point she had to stop her weekly video calls with Goten. To prevent any chance of him witnessing a mental lapse.

Her niece, Sharon, had moved in with her to help out for the time being, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they'd need to put her in a nursing home.

Tony would make sure wherever she goes will be the best place money can buy, but at least for the holidays, no one wanted to dwell on such a painful subject, so when not preparing for the aforementioned holidays, each member of the family found some activity or other to devote their full attention towards.

For Tony, his distraction of choice has been building an obscene (possibly unhealthy) amount of new suits for any conceivable situation that pops into his mind.

Pepper dove into SI work, arranging many meetings while Happy overhauled company security, perhaps allowing his new position as Head of Security to go to his own a head a bit. (Much to the staff's annoyance.)

Steve started taking on extra SHIELD missions. Specifically, missions that involved as much combat as possible. Shield bashing criminals or terrorist cells served well to help him vent out his frustrations over Peggy's condition.

And Goten, of course, was training. 

The snow-covered forest of Mount Paozu was quiet and serene, its tranquility broken only by the crunch of boots on snow and the occasional rustle of tree branches.

In the midst of this winter wonderland, Goten darts through the woods, decked out in new winter clothes, the Power Pole clutched tightly in his gloved hands. His breath puffs out in clouds as he moves, eyes sharp and focused.

Piccolo, Trunks, and Videl pursue him in a triangle formation, their eyes tracking Goten's movements.

Each of them charge their Ki, ready to unleash a barrage of energy blasts. Goten's task is to block and deflect their attacks using the Power Pole, which Gohan gifted to him for his birthday. 

"Ready, Goten?" Piccolo called out, his voice carrying through the trees.

Goten skids to a halt, planting his feet firmly in the snow. "Ready!"

With that, Piccolo, Trunks, and Videl launch their Ki blasts, streaks of light cutting through the winter air.

Goten's eyes narrow as he twirls the Power Pole, deflecting the blasts with practiced ease. The energy crackles and sizzles as it dissipates into the snow around him.

"Not bad, Goten!" Trunks shouts, his voice filled with encouragement.

Goten grins, his confidence growing with each successful deflection. He leaps into the air, using the Power Pole to propel himself off tree trunks, dodging and weaving between the blasts.

The forest becomes a blur of motion as he moves, his senses heightened.

Videl increases the intensity of her attacks, her blasts coming faster and in more unpredictable patterns.

Goten's heart pounds in his chest as he blocks each one, the Power Pole a blur of red in his hands.

He touches down on a snow-covered branch, his eyes scanning the forest floor.

Suddenly, Piccolo's voice rang out. "Time to kick it up a notch!"

Goten's eyes widen as Piccolo uses the Multi-Form technique, splitting himself into four identical copies.

The four Piccolos surrounded Goten, each one charging a Ki blast. Goten's mind races as he ponders his next move, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cold.

The Piccolos launch their attacks simultaneously, Ki blasts converging on Goten from all angles.

Goten spins the Power Pole, deflecting the blasts as best as he can. But as the energy blasts increase in number and intensity, Goten finds himself needing an extra hand—or rather, an extra appendage.

In a flash of inspiration, Goten wraps his tail around the Power Pole, using it to wield the staff while his hands focused on channeling his own Ki.

His tail, surprisingly strong and dexterous, whips the pole around with an impressive agility.

With his unique method of wielding the weapon, Goten manages to deflect blasts from multiple directions, creating a whirlwind of red as the Power Pole moves with him.

In the midst of the snowy training session, Goten finds himself surrounded by a flurry of energy blasts from Piccolo, his 3 copies, Trunks, and Videl.

He deftly blocks and deflects each blast with the Power Pole, but as the intensity increases, he knows he needs to change tactics. With a determined glint in his eyes, Goten tightens his grip on the Power Pole and focuses on the energy coursing through it.

Remembering Gohan's tutorial on using the magical staff, he shouts, "Power Pole, extend!"  It instantly responds to his command, shooting forward with incredible speed and length.

The sudden extension catches everyone off guard, and Goten uses the opportunity to knock away a barrage of energy blasts, creating a temporary reprieve from the onslaught.

Undeterred by the Power Pole's rapid extension, Piccolo's copies close in from all sides.

"Power Pole retract!" Goten calls. the staff quickly returns to its normal size and Goten spins it around himself to defend.

The weapon's agility allows him to parry the incoming attacks from all directions.

Goten's tail, wrapped tightly around the base of the Power Pole, adds an extra layer of finesse and control.

"Awesome moves, Goten!" Trunks calls out, hanging back with Videl, more spectators than opponents at this point, genuinely impressed by his friend's skillful use of the weapon.

Goten responds with a grin, feeling the rush of battle and the excitement of pushing his limits.

Deciding to go on the offensive, Goten quickly extends the pole once more, aiming it at one of Piccolo's copies. 

The staff shoots forward, hitting the target square in the chest and causing the clone to dissipate.

Before the other copies can react, Goten retracts the pole again and spins it around himself to keep them at bay.

Piccolo smirks, proud of Goten's ingenuity. "You're getting the hang of it," he remarks, his voice carrying a note of approval.

As the remaining copies launch another wave of blasts, Goten lifts the Power Pole towards the sky and spins it above his head, creating a protective barrier that deflects the incoming energy attacks.

With a burst of energy, Goten extends the pole to its maximum length, creating a temporary escape route as he jumps high into the air.

"Power Pole, retract!" Goten commands, and the staff shortens just as quickly as it had extended.

He lands gracefully on the snow-covered ground, poised and ready for the next round.

For a good while, Goten holds his ground against his multiple opponents, the combination of his hands and tail allowing him to fend off the unending barrage of attacks.

But as more blasts come faster and more relentlessly, he begins to feel the strain. His arms start to ache from the effort, and his breaths come in ragged gasps.

Just as he's about to be overwhelmed, determination to clear the exercise wells up within him.

With a fierce cry, Goten transforms into a Super Saiyan, his hair spiking up and turning gold (along with tail) as his eyes flash green.

The sudden burst of power repels the incoming Ki blasts, sending them scattering into the forest.

The remaining Piccolos halt their attack and merge back into a single form. "Impressive, Goten," Piccolo praises, his voice tinged with pride.

Goten lands on the ground, his aura crackling around him. "Thanks, Uncle Piccolo."

Trunks and Videl rush over, their faces alight with excitement. "That was awesome, Goten!" Trunks exclaims, clapping him on the back.

Videl nods in agreement. "You've really gotten good with that thing. Gohan will be proud."

Goten smiles, pride swelling in his chest. "I told him I'd master it by Christmas. I can't wait to show him."

Goten's Super Saiyan form fades, his eyes returning to their normal black as the golden glow fades from his hair and tail.

It's only then that he registers the sudden chill in the air. The snow-covered forest of Mount Paozu, which had been a blur of action and intense focus moments ago, now feels like he's in a massive freezer.

He gives himself a quick once-over and realizes with a start that his puffer jacket, scarf, and trapper hat had all been blown off at some point. Most likely when he transformed, he offhandedly realizes.

For a moment, Goten stands there, blinking in surprise. Then, without warning, he starts shivering uncontrollably, his teeth chattering as the cold quickly seeps through his now-exposed body.

"B-B-Brrrrr!" he stammers, wrapping his arms and tail around himself in a futile attempt to warm up. 

Trunks and Videl can’t help but burst into laughter at the sight of their friend suddenly realizing just how cold it was.

Trunks, doubles over, managing to get out between fits of laughter, "G-Goten, y-your face! You l-look like a f-frozen fish!"

"It's n-not f-f-funny!" Goten's huffs, his cheeks flush red, whether from the cold or embarrassment was unclear, as he rubs his hands over his arms, trying to create some warmth. "I d-didn't even notice w-when I powered up!" he exclaims through chattering teeth.

Standing nearby with his arms crossed, Piccolo sports a small, fond smirk. The similarities between Goten and Goku were striking. And the 2 never even met.

With a simple wave of his hand, Piccolo uses his patented 'Clothes Beam', materializing identical replacements of Goten's puffer jacket, scarf, and trapper hat.

The warm clothing appears on Goten in an instant, as if they had never been lost at all.

Goten's eyes widen in relief as warmth suddenly engulfs him. "Whoa, thanks, Uncle Piccolo!" he says, a grateful smile spreads across his face, his voice finally steadies as he adjusts his hat and scarf, and zips up his jacket.

"Don't mention it." Piccolo replies. "I'd never hear the end of it if I let you get sick."

"That's for sure." Videl chuckles. "Between Tony, Pepper, Steve, Bruce, and Happy, you'd get chewed out for so long, your ears would fall off."

She drops a hand onto Goten's head and playfully tells him, "Next time, maybe don't blow your clothes off in the middle of a snowstorm, Goten."

Goten indignantly puffs his cheeks out and glares up at Videl. "Yeah, yeah."

"Well, besides the wardrobe malfunction," Trunks chuckles. "That was so cool, Goten! The way you used your tail to swing the Power Pole around was awesome! I wish I still had my tail so I could do stuff like that."

He looked at the Power Pole with a hint of envy. "And a weapon of my own would be pretty sweet too."

Goten beams at the compliment. "Thanks, Trunks," He sheepishly scratches the back of his head. "The tail thing just kinda happened, but it worked out, I guess." He glances at his fluffy appendage, flicking it playfully. "Maybe you can ask my Daddy or Uncle Bruce to make you something to use."

Trunks's eyes light up at the suggestion, and he eagerly nods. "Yeah, that would be awesome! It could help me keep up with you until I finally get the hang of Super Saiyan."

Trunks’ eyes sparkle with excitement as he continues thinking about having a weapon of his own. "You know what? I think I want a sword!" he enthusiastically declares, cupping his hands together and swinging his arms in a slashing motion for emphasis. "That would be so awesome! I could do some cool moves, and maybe even—" 

Before he could finish his thought, both Videl and Piccolo chuckle. The sound of Piccolo’s usually stoic demeanor breaking into a low laugh catches the boys off guard. Videl’s giggle joins his, her eyes shining with amusement.

Trunks blinks, confused. "What? What’s so funny?"

Goten scratches his head, equally puzzled, his tail flicking curiously behind him. "Yeah, why is that funny? I think a sword would be cool!"

Piccolo exchanges a knowing glance with Videl, his lips curling into the smallest smirk.

Videl, still grinning, shakes her head and dismissively waves a hand. "Oh, it's nothing, really." She stifles another laugh and gives Trunks a once-over. "A sword would definitely suit you. You'd be a natural with one, trust me."

Trunks narrows his eyes in suspicion, not entirely convinced. "Wait a second...You two know something we don’t, don’t you?" His eyes flick between Piccolo and Videl, hoping one of them would crack and spill the secret.

Piccolo merely crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow, as if daring the boy to keep pushing. "It's not important," the Namekian says, though his slight grin remained in place.

Videl smiles warmly at Trunks. "Let's just say you’ve got a lot of potential when it comes to swords. It’s...fitting for you." She winks at him. "But I’m sure you’ll figure out what we mean someday."

Trunks huffs, still not entirely satisfied, but he decides to let it go, knowing he won't be able to get anything out of them. He turns to Goten, who shrugs, equally baffled.

"Well, I still think a sword would be awesome," Trunks reiterates, trying to reignite his excitement despite the mysterious chuckling.

Goten eagerly nods, his tail swaying in agreement. "Yeah! Then we could come up with some tagteam moves. You with a sword and me with the Power Pole, we’d be unstoppable!"

Videl and Piccolo exchange one more amused glance, knowing full well that in another timeline, Trunks had already proven himself as a master swordsman. But for now, they kept that information to themselves.

"Just don’t get ahead of yourself," Piccolo warns, his tone more serious now. "A sword, or any weapon, takes dedication to master. You’ll have to train hard if you want to use it effectively."

Trunks nods, his earlier confusion forgotten as he focused on the challenge. "I’ll work hard, I promise! And when I get a sword, I’ll show you all just how cool I can be!"

Videl smiles and ruffles his hair. "I’m sure you will, Half-pint."

Trunks laughs, but then deflates a bit. He lets out a frustrated sigh and crosses his arms. "But you know, I really wish I still had my tail. I bet I could do even cooler stuff with a sword if did." 

Goten glances at his own swaying tail, then back at Trunks. "Why don't you have your tail anymore?"

Trunks frowns. "My mom had it removed when I was a baby." He huffs and kicks at the snow, frustration evident in his tone. "I don’t know why. It’s not fair. I could be using it like you do!"

Goten’s curiosity piqued immediately. He'd always thought having a tail was just part of him that's always been there, and it helped him out a lot during training.

But now that he thinks about it, he's the only one with a tail. Gohan told him that all Saiyans are born with tails, but Trunks, Mr. Vegeta, and even Gohan himself were all tail-less. "Why would your mom do that?"

Trunks shrugs, clueless. "I dunno. She never told me why. Just said it was for the best."

Neither having the answer, both boys turn their heads in unison toward Piccolo and Videl, their expressions practically demanding an explanation.

"Why would she do that?" Goten asks, clutching his own tail like a security blanket. The thought of someone removing his tail incomprehensible. "Is there something wrong with having one?"

Piccolo exchanges another glance with Videl, who awkwardly rubs the back of her neck.

While she had never personally witnessed the Great Ape transformation, Gohan had told her about what happens when a tailed Saiyan looks at the full moon.

She wasn’t sure how much detail she should give, and it looks like Piccolo feels the same hesitance as her.

Videl clears her throat and hesitantly explains, "Well, I haven’t seen it myself, but Gohan told me about this...thing that can happen with a Saiyan's tail."

Trunks and Goten lean in, eyes wide with curiosity. "What thing?!" they ask at the same time.

Piccolo sighs, memories of a certain full moon night over a decade ago flash in his mind. He remembers all too well Gohan’s terrifying transformation into a Great Ape during their training for the Saiyans, how out of control and destructive the young hybrid had become.

"I think you two should ask your parents or Gohan about that," Piccolo offers, his voice even but firm.

"Why can't you just tell us?" Trunks prods, clearly not satisfied with the vague answer.

Goten nods in agreement, his tail rapidly flicking behind him, as if trying to defend its own existence. "Yeah! What happens?"

Videl places a hand on on each boys' shoulder and tells them, "It’s...complicated. But trust us when we say your parents made that decision for a reason." 

Piccolo gives the boys a curt nod. "Yes, your parents can explain it better. It’s a conversation they’ll want to have with you themselves when the time’s right."

Goten looks down at his tail, absently curling it around his waist while Trunks furrows his brow, still puzzled, and now irritated at the secrecy. 

Piccolo checks the watch that houses his holo-suit and takes a moment to activate the beacon device Tony had installed into it for quick transport.

A familiar glowing portal swirls open in front of them, leading directly to the warm interior of the Stark Malibu home. 

"Alright," Piccolo calls to the group, his voice carrying over the snow-dusted clearing of Mount Paozu, "let’s head back."

Quickly nodding their agreement, everyone files through the portal, stepping from the frigid, snow-covered woods into the warmth of the Stark Malibu home.

Goten, Trunks, and Videl immediately begin shedding their thick winter coats and hats, tossing them to the side with relieved sighs as the indoor heating embraces them.

"Finally!" Trunks groans, throwing off his puffer jacket and tossing his cap on top of it. "I thought my fingers were going to freeze off. Seriously, I’ll never get used to that cold!"

Goten mimics his best friend's movements, unwinding the scarf from around his neck and tossing it onto the pile. "I like it! It's kinda fun fighting in the snow."

"I guess," Trunks replies, brushing some lingering snow from his pants, "but man, fighting with a tail would be so much fun too. I still don’t get why my mom had mine removed!"

Videl sighs, already knowing where this conversation was headed.

"Me neither." Goten replies, giving his own tail an absent-minded tug. "Why would she get rid of it? I’d hate to lose mine."

"Exactly!" Trunks grumbles, frustrated. "I mean, it’s part of being a Saiyan, right? I could do all kinds of cool stuff with it like you did today! But no, Mom had to go and take it off when I was a baby."

Piccolo sighs, already knowing where this was going. "It's not something you two need to worry about right now. But if you want the whole story, ask your parents."

Both boys frown at that response. "But why can’t you tell us?" Trunks complains, crossing his arms as his tail-less form pouts in the sunshine. "What’s the big deal?"

"Yeah!" Goten concurs, his own tail flicking behind him. "What could be so bad?"

"Just trust me." Piccolo says. "Like Videl said, your parents made that decision for a reason. If you really want to know, they’ll explain it better than I can." He turns to Goten, raising a brow. "Isn't Tony home?"

Goten immediately perks up, his eyes brightening. "That's right! Daddy’s down in the lab! We can go ask him now!" His excitement was infectious, and Trunks looks equally eager to get some answers. 

Without wasting another second, Goten grabs Trunks' hand and dashes off towards the lab, eager to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding their tails. 

Videl chuckles, watching the boys run off, a tad envious at their seemingly endless energy.

She drops onto the nearby couch, grabs a remote, kicks up her feet, and turns on the TV. "They’re not going to let this go, are they?"

"Not likely." Piccolo sighs, already dreading the inevitable chaos that will come from their newfound curiosity.

But for now, it's Tony's problem. Piccolo gets into a meditative position and relaxes in the warmth of the Malibu home, basking in the comforting heat after the long hours spent training in the snow, content to enjoy the peace and quiet until Gohan returns.

Goten speeds himself and Trunks down the spiral staircase and reaches the lab entrance. 

Thankfully, JARVIS had already opened the sliding doors, so the boys can dash straight inside without delay.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Goten calls, eager to get an answer for his and Trunks' question. "Can you tell us why–" but he and Trunks quickly screech to a halt once they set eyes on what the man is up to.

"Ow!" Tony shouts as he injects himself with his latest innovation.

"46." JARVIS comments just before Tony injects himself again a few inches down his arm from the last.

"Ow!"

"47." JARVIS comments again, his voice indicating that if he had a physical body, he'd be rolling his eyes right now.

Tony slaps his arm against his leg to shake off the pain.

"Sir," JARVIS pleads. "Please, may I request just a few hours to calibrate-"

"No." Tony cuts the AI off and immediately returns to his task. "Forty-eight." He injects himself again. "Ah!"

He shakes his arm again, sets the injector down, and dabs at the blood on his arm with a tissue. "Micro-repeater implanting sequence complete."

"Daddy," Goten calls. "What are you doing?"

Finally realizing he's got some company, Tony looks over at the boys and smirks. "Oh, hey, Monkey." He greets Goten, then nods to Trunks. "Short-Stack, what's up?"

"That's what I'm wondering." Trunks remarks.

Tony chuckles. "I'm just testing out a new feature of my latest suit. You boys wanna see something cool?"

A quick glance between the boys and they silently agree to set aside their tail questions for now to watch whatever Tony's got planned. 

They look back at Tony and nod in unison. "Yeah!"

"You heard 'em, J." Tony quips. "Let's put on a show."

"As you wish, Sir." JARVIS relents. "I've also prepared a safety briefing for you to entirely ignore."

"Which I will." Tony confirms. "Right, let's do this."

Before starting, Tony turns to address DUM-E as the bot sweeps the floor, a bit subdued, most likely something to do with the dunce cap strapped to him. "DUM-E. Hi, DUM-E. How did you get that cap on your head? You earned it."

He wasn't gonna let the bot off so easy after another tug of war (emphasis on war) with Icarus. 

Tony walks towards the bot, taking a few jabs at a wooden sparring post as he passes it. "Hey. Hey! What are you doing out of the corner? You know what you did. Blood on my mat, handle it."

"Sir, may I remind you that you've been awake for nearly seventy-two hours?" JARVIS wryly requests as he readies to record the test.

Of course, Tony ignores him, and pointedly avoids meeting the scolding glare Goten levels him with after the AI ratted him out.

He addresses the half dozen Iron Man suits he has displayed in glass cages. "Focus up, ladies. Good evening," He bows to the suits, then faces the boys and bows to them. "and welcome to the birthing suite. I'm pleased to announce the imminent arrival of your bouncing, bad-ass, baby brother."

Tony turns to one of his other bots he's got holding a video camera and tells it, "Start tight and go wide, stamp in time. Mark 42 autonomous prehensile propulsion suit test. Initialize sequence."

Tony raises his hands and motions his fingers as if he was typing, which activates the new suit he has laid out in pieces on a nearby workbench. 

"JARVIS, drop my needle."

A jazz cover of Jingle Bells begins to play. Tony rolls his hips and arms to the music, then as the opening lyrics play, he strikes a pseudo karate(?) pose, pointing his arm toward the dismantled Iron Man suit on the table. But nothing happens.

Tony strikes the pose a second time, but again, nothing happens. Though he does get some giggles from the boys.

"Crap." Tony bites the injection sites on his arm and slaps it a few times. Once more he strikes the pose and this time one of the suit's gauntlets flies off the table, over to Tony, and attaches itself to his hand and extends down his arm as another piece attches and unfolds onto his shoulder.

"Woah." Trunks comments. 

"That was awesome!" Goten cheers.

Tony smirks in satisfaction then points his other arm toward the suit and the second gauntlet attaches itself to his hand and arm.

The thrill of success gets a laugh out of Tony. "Alright, I think we got this. Send 'em all."

Several pieces launch off the table at once.

The first finds it's mark and attaches itself to Tony's leg without issue, but then another part flies over him and crashes into one of the suit display cases.

Another part hurls itself at Tony, but it comes in too fast, forcing Tony to deflect it with his arm, making it crash into one of the ceiling lamps.

Tony makes a time out motion with his hands and tells JARVIS, "Probably a little fast, slow it down. Slow it down just a–" Suddenly another part of the suit shoots over and Tony ducks as it narrowly misses hitting him in the head. "–little bit."

"Uh, boys," Tony calls. "you might wanna take a few steps back."

Goten and Trunks take Tony's advice and duck behind DUM-E as the other parts fly over and begin attaching themselves a bit forcefully.

The first to Tony's other leg, no major problem.

The second to his crotch, hard enough to draw a painful moan out of Tony.

Then the third to his back, which slams into him so hard he's sent flying a few feet before he uses the gauntlet and boot repulsors to balance himself out.

"Cool it, will you, JARVIS?" He asks as he sets back onto the ground. The remaining parts shoot over and attach to Tony one by one, except for the face plate, which crashes into the table where Tony's record player sat, killing the music.

It then begins to hover, as if it was staring Tony down.

"Come on." Tony dares it. "I ain't scared of you."

The face plate begins its approach, but bumps into a table corner as it goes and ends up upside-down.

Tony quickly flips into the air himself so the piece will attach to his helmet properly.

Once it hit it's mark, Tony sticks a superhero landing pose as his HUD flares to life.

Goten and Trunks come out from behind DUM-E and start clapping.

"I'm the best." Tony cooly declares.

But his succes is short-lived. At that moment, a stray piece of the suit crashes into Tony’s back, knocking him across the lab, which in turn knocks the entire suit, except for the helmet, off Tony.

"As always, Sir, a great pleasure watching you work." JARVIS quips.

"Daddy!" Goten cries. He darts over to Tony and panickedly asks him, "Are you ok?!"

Tony sits up, ruffles Goten's hair, and assures him. "I'm ok, Monkey, I'm ok." Then concedes. "I guess seventy-two hours is a bit too long a time between siestas."

"Well, it was still pretty cool." Trunks comments as he strolls over to Tony and Goten. "At least up until the end there."

Tony chuckles. "You got me there, Bowl-cut."

Goten and Trunks help Tony back to his feet and along with DUM-E, assist in gathering the scattered suit parts.

Once they'd rounded them all up, Tony ruffles both boys' hair. "Thanks for help, fellas." Then realizes he doesn't know what brought Goten and Trunks down to the lab in the first place. "Did you 2 come down here for something?"

Finally remembering the whole reason they came down to the lab, Goten and Trunks shout, "Oh yeah!"

But before either can get the question out, Videl sprints into the lab and frantically says, "Old man! You're gonna wanna see this!"

The seriousness in her voice leaves no room for argument. She quickly turns around and leads Tony and the boys back to the living room where Piccolo was already waiting,  glaring at the TV with his arms crossed.

Videl points to the TV, which is currently playing a video manifesto.

The footage shows various, seemingly random clips, ranging from acts of violence, to children playing together as a voice narrates. "Some people call me a terrorist, I consider myself a teacher."

A still shot of the capital building. "America, ready for another lesson. In 1864, in Sand Creek Colorado, the U.S. military waited till the friendly Cheyenne braves all gone hunting," flashes of multiple Native American people of varying ages.

A bald, middle-aged man with a long,  unkempt, black beard and wearing sunglasses appears on screen and continues the narration. "Waited to attack and slaughter their families left behind, and claim their land."

The man removes his glasses, revealing his face. "Thirty-nine hours ago the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was attacked."

Footage of several buildings engulfed in flames plays. "I-I-I did that. A quaint military church filled with wives and children, of course. The soldiers were out on maneuvers, the braves were away."

The man steps closer to the camera recording him and stares directly into it. The footage then switches to show a massive explosion. "President Ellis,"

Clips of the president are played between clips of someone torching a cross with a straw dummy wearing a suit with a bag over its head crucified to it. "You continue to resist my attempts to educate you, sir. And now, you've missed me again."

Several men dressed in combat gear, each wielding an assault rifle cheer as the crucified strawman burns. "You know who I am, you don't know where I am," the cheers of the armed men continue, gunfire can be heard in the background.

The man comes back on screen and taunts the viewers. "And you'll never see me coming." Several clips of people screaming, gunfire, and explosions play in rapid succession before the screen turns blood red, the symbol of the Ten Rings in the center of it, then...nothing but static.

Tony signals for JARVIS to turn the TV off, leaving the room in complete silence.

Which doesn't last very long, as a portal opens in the middle of the room. 

Gohan steps out of it and happily greets everyone, completely oblivious. "Hey, everybody. I'm home."

Picking up on the somber mood, Gohan glances around the room in confusion. "Did I miss something?"