Anyway, it was your normal Monday morning. I had just got up and gotten outta the shower. I was following my normal routine. In the bathroom, I had kept the faucet running as I shaved my head, making sure I didn't leave any stubble (The ladies hate that). I looked in the mirror. I couldn't help but let out a sigh. Me, a thirty-year-old private investigator, single, and still a bachelor. I guess its for the best, but I have this feeling that there's some dame out there with my name written all over her. I'm gonna make sure I find her, wherever she is.

Putting away my razor and shutting off the water, I checked the clock in my bedroom. Dammit. I knew I shouldn't have stayed up all night doing that paper work on the Briefs' case. I bolted down the stairs, grabbed my hat and coat, and hopped into my car. The old girl isn't a lot to look at, but Marron gets me where I need to go. And hey, at least the seat's worn in and comfortable, that's what matters if ya ask me.

Lucky for me, there wasn't much traffic on the way to the office, so I got there in a decent amount of time. I couldn't help smiling. The lettering on the backdoor seemed ancient. At one time you could read my name, all spiffy and bright. Nowadays, you can barely read out 'Ku ir n P.I.', but hey, them's the breaks. As I walked into my "cozy" office, I noticed my partner was already in, having a snack as usual. Goku's a loyal and trusted partner in this line of business, but he ain't got too much upstairs if y'know what I mean, he just has a bottomless pit for a stomach. "Any calls yet today Goku?" I asked.

Goku took a huge bite out of his sandwich, mumbled something, and shook his head towards the front door. Behind the opaque glass, I could make out a curvy shadow standing there, waiting for me. Somehow, I knew at that moment, my life was about to change. I opened the door, and standing before me was this beautiful blond bombshell with a dynamite figure and legs that seemed to go on forever. She was dressed all in black and I could tell she had recently gone through something traumatic by the traces of tears I could see behind the veil that covered her face.

"Can I help you Miss…"

"Ms. Gou. Juuhachi Gou. Mr. Kuririn, I need your help." She said.

I motioned for her to sit, as I took a seat behind my desk. I swiveled the chair so that I faced Ms. Gou, and then leaned back to put my feet up on the desk. Goku was in his own corner, paying some attention to Ms. Gou while giving me a goofy grin. However, a bag of 5/8 potato chips had him captivated. I opened my drawer to get a box of tissues out for Ms. Gou. "What seems to be the problem?" I asked.

"Mr. Kuririn, my brother Juunana is missing, and I think the gangs in our city have something to do with his disappearance. Please, I'll pay you anything, as long as you can find him."

Oh yeah, forgot to tell you about this. The gang wars were at an all time high in the City. Recently it had boiled down to two main groups, the other gangs either assimilated or wiped out completely. On the West Side, Gero led the Jinzonengan. Everyone called him 'The Doc', though you'd never want to go to him for a checkup. Trust me, if you saw Gero and were against him, his ugly mug would be the last thing you ever saw. The rivals of the Jinzonengan lived on the East Side. Vegeta, nicknamed 'Vinny', led the group called The Pride. He was from the long line of Saiyajin, the son taking over as head of the gang every time their father had died in battle. But how'd he get the name Vinny? Well, that was his pet name by his gal Bulma (who is quite the looker herself). Word got out about the nickname and for some reason, it just stuck. Let's just say Vegeta wasn't too happy with the media about that happenin'.

So Vinny and the Doc were always having skirmishes all over the city. Sometimes they were arguments over who would be in control of what, and all that "Turf War" kinda stuff. Though they did some pretty rotten things, kidnapping was more of Doc's style, but I'd better check 'em both out to find this dame's brother. Anyhow, I had a little score to settle with Gero as it is.

"Listen Lady, I'll do my best, and since I got my own business with some of the gang leaders, there's no charge."

She finally smiled. "Thank you so much. Here is my number. If you find anything, anything, about my brother, please call me as soon as possible."

"Sure thing."

I led her to her car; she was still pretty shaken up. I told Goku to keep an eye on things, but he still had the dumb grin on his face.

Then, strangest thing happened next. Though her chauffeur was waiting by the car, before getting in she turned around and faced me. She didn't say anything, but lifted her veil and gave me a kiss on my cheek. She got into her car, and as her car pulled away, I swore I heard my jaw hit the pavement after finally seeing her face. "I think you've gotten more than you bargained for this time Kuririn," I heard Goku say from the top of the stairs.

------------------------------------------ Well, that afternoon after lunch, Goku and me started on our new case. As we went down the stairs from the office, I realized I hadn't picked up a copy of today's paper. I went down to the corner and heard Gohan, the regular paperboy, shoutin' out the headline. "Police Declares War on Mob!" the kid shouted as I approached him.

"Hey Mr. Kuririn, you want a copy of the paper?"

"You bet, kid."

I gave him 10 zenni and told 'im to keep the change. He wouldn't stop thanking me, even as I walked away. Gohan was a good kid; he didn't get messed up in all those junior mobs or anything like that. I looked in the car. Goku was already waiting.

"So Kuririn, where are we going first?"

"I figure we check out Vinny's base of operations on the East Side first. Before you joined me, he helped me solve a major case, though not without some persuasion."

"How about the City Police Department? Maybe they heard something?"

"No way Goku. Nowadays, with Police Commissioner Roshi under so much pressure from the gangs, the department is at an all time high in corruption. If word leaks out to anyone that we're coming, a 'situation' might develop." "Let's head to The Capsule then, Kuririn."

The Capsule; out of all the places in the entire city, this was the hottest and hippest club around. Besides having great food and music, the actual blueprints were developed by Vinny's broad, Bulma. She was one smart cookie, and though 'ol Vinny wouldn't admit it, he'd be lost without her. Yeah, they fight all the time, but I coulda sworn that after I saw one of their "brawls", Vinny actually seemed turned on.

The club was in the far ends of the East Side but we arrived in about twenty minutes. The Capsule wasn't that busy during the day, so it acted more as an office for Vegeta at these times. As we stepped outta the car, we looked at the club.

"Ms. Bulma really knows how to make 'em, doesn't she Kuririn?" Goku said, staring in awe. I looked at the dome-like neon sign that would glow bright blue in the night, underneath the logo for "The Capsule" would shine bright red. "She has quite a head on her shoulders, I think it runs in the family or something." I answered him.

Then, both looking at the doors of The Capsule, Goku and me saw that two of Vinny's thugs were standing there, guarding the entrance. Yeah, I knew these two guys, bodyguards of Vegeta. Yamcha was your typical pretty boy; he had a scar on his face that came from fighting Goku in our earlier days as private investigators. Ten Shin Han was like a stone wall, strong as anything, and didn't say much either. Yamcha and Ten were both wearing gray pin-striped suits, though Ten had the addition of a bandana for some reason. Heck, it was probably to scare any potential trouble away. It almost made me piss in my pants right there after he glared at me. I got myself together and approached Vegeta's goons.

"Yamcha. Ten. Is your boss in?"

"Why if it isn't the infamous Kuririn P.I. and his faithful sidekick Goku. What brings you to deal with 'our kind', eh?" Yamcha asked snidely.

"State your business," Ten replied.

"All right. Either of you guys heard about some guy named Juunana Gou? Apparently he's disappeared."

Suddenly, a body shot outta The Capsule's two large main doors. Slightly charred, a rather plump, pale man stood up, and seemed only semi-conscious.

"You can tell the Doc that I don't "compromise" Juukyu"

Only one man had the arrogance to fire on a guy in broad daylight for all to see. Vegeta was in his formal attire: black tuxedo, bow tie, and the blossom of a rose sticking out of his right breast pocket. Vinny stepped outta the quiet nightclub. He wasn't concerned with me or Goku at this point, and turned his attention to the poor guy lying on the floor.

"Go back and tell your boss no deals, so is the word of Vegeta."

"You'll be sorry 'Vinny', once the Doc hears about this."

Vinny didn't say anything and watched as Juukyu, one of Gero's better-paid henchmen, got into his car. Within seconds, as the car sped away towards the West Side, Vinny lifted one arm up, and before any of us could say anything, the car exploded in a ball of white-hot fire.

"That was rather blunt." I said to him.

"Hello Detective, that was only a matter of business. Please come inside, and tell me what I can do for you." Vegeta said, revealing a slight smirk.

------------------------------------------ Vinny leaned back in his chair, taking a long drag out of the cigar in his mouth. Releasing a puff of smoke straight up into the air, he took the cigar out of his mouth and leaned forward.

"Well Detective, there's not much I can help you with. I've heard of this Juunana Gou character, the kid's rebellious. I don't know where he's gone, but word is, he was making a living hell out of Gero's life."

I was surprised. I didn't expect any real connections to the gangs. This didn't make me too happy. "Gero? How is this kid connected to the Doc?" I asked him.

Vinny put the cigar back into his mouth. "Juunana used to work for Gero, up until a month ago. No one's heard from him since, so I'm not surprised his own sister can't find his ass."

"How about your men? Have they heard anything?" Goku asked.

"You're wasting my time, if you want to ask my men, ask them. If you're done asking me questions, you can by all means show yourselves out." Vegeta replied, slowly losing his temper. He and Goku had an ugly past. They knew each other as kids, but Lady Luck took them on different paths as adults. I'd swear there was some kind of rivalry, but I never asked Goku about it. I should make a note to myself to do so. But anyhow, I got the feeling that it was time for us to leave Vinny.

"All right Vegeta. Is there anything else that might help us locate Juunana?" "Actually Detective…there is. If you meet up with that dame again, ask her how her father's doing."

"Why the hell would I care about the Gous' father, Vegeta?"

"Just ask. You'll be pleasantly surprised," he replied, an evil grin coming across Vinny's face.

------------------------------------------ Me and Goku went back to the office after grabbing a snack at Chichi's Diner. Man, that Chichi can really cook up a storm. She and Goku were makin' googly eyes for each other, so I had to pull his hide outta there or we'd never get anywhere in this case. Goku and Chichi are a nice couple and all, they're planning to get married, but when we're on the case, I don't have time to wait for this kinda stuff.

"Kuririn, what could the Gou's father possibly do with this case?"

"I dunno Goku, but we'll find out soon enough. Ms. Gou should be arriving soon."

As chance would have it, three gentle knocks sounded on the door. Goku opened it, and low and behold, Ms. Juuhachi Gou stood before us. She had lost the veil this time, but still wore the same black dress. As I stood up and walked towards her, I couldn't help but look into her face. I was almost mesmerized by those icy blue eyes.

"Mr. Kuririn, what have you found?"

"Well, I went to The Capsule to question my friend Vegeta. He tells me you know something important that you didn't tell me before." Juuhachi became a little nervous. "What did he say exactly?"

"Well, he said that your brother had been workin' for the Doc until last month. And…I have a question for ya, Ms. Gou. Would you mind telling me who your father is?"

Juuhachi looked at me, saying nothing at first. Then I noticed the tear drop streaming down her left cheek. Breaking the floodgates, she started bawling like a newborn in no time. I just sighed and opened up my top left drawer, taking out the same box of tissues as last time.

"Mr. Kuririn, you don't understand. Juunana and I had to leave."

Things were getting interesting, but she wasn't exactly spilling the beans. "Just call me Kuririn. But to help you kid, please answer my question."

"My father…is Gero. You know him as 'The Doc'. I wanted no part in his gang but Juunana…well…Juunana became my father's personal assassin a year or two ago. But then, two months ago, my brother and I started arguing with him more and more. My father let me go, but he couldn't let Juunana go, not with all that he knew. However, my brother swore he would join me soon as he could. After hearing a rumor that Juunana supposedly quit working for my father, I lost all trace of him."

I heard a thump. Goku had fallen off his chair. He was as surprised as I was, hearing that Gero was the father of Juuhachi and Juunana. Can't blame the guy though, you ever see the Doc? Obviously her looks came from the mother's side, but still, how did the Doc's blood turn up something as gorgeous as Juuhachi? And better yet, what woman woulda…well…um…I better not ask.

"Maybe I should visit your father…ask him some questions."

"I really don't know Kuririn. My father is a very erratic man. He could do anything at any given time, and he has so much power as the gang leader."

"Its all right, me and Goku can handle anything that comes our way. But you Ms. Gou, we'll take you to Chichi's, it's the safest place there is while we visit your father."

As I started walking out the door, Juuhachi got up from her seat and grabbed my arm. Surprisingly, she turned my body around and stared straight into my eyes.

"Kuririn, I've never met a man like you. You've helped me out so much, and yet you hardly even know me. Please, be careful, and may this give you reason to come back alive."

I can still vividly remember that kiss she gave me to this day. She lowered her head and gently placed her lips on mine. The soft texture of her lips drove my senses wild; the kiss seemed like it would last an eternity. Finally, we let go of each other, and she smiled shyly.

"And no more of this 'Ms. Gou'. Call me Juuhachi, Kuririn."

------------------------------------------ The air reeked of garbage. Though Gero keeps his 'office' clean, I can't say the same about the rest of the West Side. Goku got out of the car first, to make sure nothing funny would happen. Y'see, Gero's base of operations is right in the middle of a buncha rundown apartment and office buildings. I guess it's to scare away any unwanted visitors.

As I stepped out of the car, something lightly tapped my hand. I turned my head upwards to the sky.

"Great. Rain."

"Make way flatfoots, the boss has got some business to do."

I almost laughed right then and there. Here was Juugou Gou, a short purple-skinned lackey of Gero's, strutting his stuff as if he were ten feet tall. Now, I'm not short or nuthin, but even this guy doesn't really meet me at the shoulders. Behind him though, was a guy named Juuyon, nicknamed 'The Wall' Gou (neither was related to Juuhachi or Juunana). This guy was huge, taller than Gokou even. I started to get a little worried.

"Nobody see The Doc without an appointment." Juuyon said.

Goku stepped towards him. "We're talking to him whether you like it or not."

Things just got worse from there. Juuyon was ready for a fight and wound up for a punch. Goku's no slouch when it comes to fighting, like I said before. But not only is he strong, but he's fast too. Even before he could throw one punch, Juuyon was down on the ground with a broken jaw. Goku just cracked his knuckles and looked at Juugou, who had already started to run back in the building.

Soon, the doors to Gero's office opened. Gero sure knew how to keep good company. Surrounding him were Perfect "Pretty Boy" Cell, Juusan "Slick" Gou, and that punk Juugou, who had called them all out. However, Gero's signature high hat gave him away in this lil' party.

"I do not appreciate you coming and beating up my men, Kuririn P.I. I am already in a foul mood, I'm sure you've already heard about my recent loss of Juukyu."

"Oh don't worry Doc, we won't hold you up /too/ long. Just got a few questions. It seems you've been losing folks left and right haven't you? The name "Juunana Gou" sound familiar?"

"That ingrate son of mine? Bah, my men have more loyalty to me than any of my children could. I don't care what that wretch is doing nowadays."

Now that statement I wasn't ready for. I looked at Goku and he was thinking the same exact thing I was. We had run out of leads. However, Gero continued talking.

"And now my friends, there is a matter of respect that we will have to teach you. Boys?"

As Cell, Juusan, and Juugou approached us, they suddenly stopped. We turned our heads and saw that a can-like object had been thrown onto the sidewalk from across the street, from one of the abandoned buildings we assumed. As everyone ducked and moved outta the way (hey, it coulda been a bomb), the can burst and smoke flew everywhere. While Gero's men were distracted, I saw the outline of a car zooming down the street, only a few feet away. Through the smoke I could barely see anything. Then, like storm clouds opening up after a storm, I saw Gero standing around by the door like a deer in headlights. With his men scrambled around the stairs, he was wide open. Before I knew it, I heard the blare of a machine gun and the sound of a body dropping to the floor.

"There's a new group in town pops, your reign is over!" the assassin shouted boastfully. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. Gero was dead thanks to his rebellious son and now, there would be another player in this giant game of chess. My problems in the city were just beginning.