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Chapter Text

Preface

Hi there! This here is the first (non-academic) piece I've ever written in my life that is larger than one sheet of paper. In fact… it's equivalent to 184 pages, and it's not even written in my native language either. So, I'm pretty proud of myself, especially if you take into account that I do have a severe form of Dyslexia.

In my opinion I’ve done a decent job of writing you a diverse and relatively original story, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I must warn you, however, that at some point, I had to force the plot at the expense of a beloved character, and cast that character in a bad light… I had done some online research to see if I was on the right track while writing it, and I had followed Akira Toriyama's statements and other sources. However, I’ve noticed some people were offended by it and so I want to apologize in advance. Sadly this 'incident' in the story is unchangeable without rewriting it all, and that’s something I'm not going to do. Some parts of the story can therefore appear a bit OOC, although I did try my best to stay true to the dbz universe.

Furthermore, in our country when I was a teenager it was legal to drink at the age of 16 (this has been changed to 18 nowadays). Since this element was part of my teenage years, I did include that in the story, so I hope readers with different alcohol-legislation can have an open mind about it.

And finally, the story contains 25 chapters, so to avoid disappointment: this chapter - chapter 1 - is only a preface and the last two chapters - chapter 27 & 28 - are just an epilogue [27] and a 'credits & Post-credits scene'-chapter [28]

That said, I still stand behind the story as it is and I really enjoyed writing it, so I want to invite you to come and read it!

Lots of love,

Kipke
P.S. If you find spelling errors, please do not hesitate to send me a PM

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Frustration

It almost felt like there was no end to this day. Videl was staring at the blackboard on which the teacher was writing some sort of equation. She had lost track of his explanation at least twenty minutes ago. Videl sighed, she wasn't used to being at school for so long. Normally she would get a call from the chief, asking her for her assistance to catch some criminal or something. And since she was the daughter of the World Champion, the principal made an exception that she was allowed to leave the school to help the police when needed.

But then 'the Great Saiyaman' showed up out of nowhere, a flying superhero with what looked like unlimited strength. Even though she herself was really strong, this Saiyaman was way out of her league. And a superhero wouldn't be a superhero as he wouldn't fight crime. So every time Videl was summoned by the police, Saiyaman was somehow always there and most of the time he had already finished the job. To make matters worse, he was really good at crime fighting too. So good, that criminals became scared and discouraged, drastically reducing the crime rate in Satan City.

And so it happened that gradually, the teenage crime fighter was called in less and less by the police, almost to the point where she never missed school. Videl knew she should be thankful. All she ever wanted was to create a safer environment for the citizens who couldn't defend themselves, and this was exactly what Saiyaman had created. And to top that, her grades had gone up a lot too.

Though, she couldn't help but envy the man. His hidden identity, his hideous outfit and the ridiculous childish dances he performed when announcing his presence, they all annoyed her. Her blood boiled just thinking about him. Who did this Saiyaman think he was anyway? Just popping up out of nowhere and invading her turf of crime fighting!

A loud snapping sound pulled her out of her train of thoughts. Videl looked to her hand, where the sound seemingly came from. Apparently she had broken her pencil out of anger. She quickly looked around, hoping no one had noticed. To her surprise, her eyes met those of Gohan, a country boy who had recently enrolled in her school. Videl immediately looked away, embarrassed. Not necessarily because Gohan caught her breaking her pencil, but more because of her selfish thoughts.

Selfish, that was it, she was selfish. Gosh, how did she sink so low? She didn't like how her world had changed after Saiyaman showed up, but didn't the end result matter? And he even gave her more space to fight whatever crime was left after she angrily made it clear he really, really invaded her space.

A sigh left her lips and she turned her head towards the window. Videl thought back to that particular day. There was a robbery taking place in a nearby gas station. When the police report was announced on her radio, she was already on her way to that exact gas station to refuel her copter. It only took her an extra two minutes and when Videl arrived, the crime was still going on. Excited to finally be the first at the crime scene in a long time, she burst into the gas station.

The two robbers froze on the spot, apparently fearing that whoever entered the gas station was Saiyaman. But when they saw Videl, they just laughed!

"Oh, it's you. We can handle you," said one of them, relieved.

With a smirk, she got into her fighting stance and opened her mouth to tell them not to be so sure of themselves. But before any words could leave her mouth, a big gust of wind appeared and before Videl knew it, it was all over.

Saiyaman had shown up and within seconds the two robbers were knocked out and the robbery was stopped. There he stood, next to the unconscious bodies of the robbers, "No worries, Miss Videl! You are in no danger anymore," he bombastically said in his stupid fake Saiyaman voice.

Videl was furious to say the least. She had everything under control and she never was in any danger! At this point, conquering her anger was out of the question and before she knew it, she threw all her boiled-up frustration onto an unwitting Saiyaman.

Videl began to yell at him. And with every reason she stated to hate him for constantly getting in her way, she stepped forward and slowly closed the gap between them. She even told Saiyaman she hoped he would rot in the gutter for all she cared. When she had finished her rant, her index finger was resting on Saiyaman's heaving chest. With fury in her eyes, Videl looked straight at him. Even though there wasn't much skin visible underneath his helmet, Saiyaman clearly was as white as a ghost. "Just leave me alone, you complete moron," were her last words before turning her heels and marched out of the gas station.

They never spoke again. Now, whenever Videl arrived at a crime scene, Saiyaman would step aside in silence and let her take over. This was a huge improvement from her current situation, but even with the space Saiyaman now gave her, there was still not much crime left to fight. And after her rant, she felt so incredibly guilty towards him, that she rather not fight crime at all.

"Is everything alright, Videl?" a gentle voice asked. With a jolt she came back to reality as a hand touched her shoulder. She looked up, right into Gohan's concerned eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" It came out harsher than she'd intended.

Gohan shrugged, "Maybe because you're still in your seat after class has finished about ten minutes ago?" With that information, Videl abruptly sat up and looked around. The class was indeed empty. "I'd forgotten something and when I came back, you were still here," he looked at her intently and urged her to answer.

"I... I was just deep in thought, I guess." Videl felt his hand leave her shoulder.

"Alright, if you say so." He looked one last time at her, then turned around and motioned for Videl to follow, "You coming, or what?"

Videl quickly put all her stuff in her backpack and jumped out of her seat and over her desk. Without any exchange of words, the two teenagers walked towards the main exit of the school. Even in this silence she felt quite comfortable in Gohan's presence, even her frustration she just had towards Saiyaman ebbed away.

Outside, Videl opened the capsule containing her copter and jumped onto the pilot seat.

"You sure you're alright to fly?" Gohan apparently was still a bit worried.

"No worries, I'm fine. And besides, how else will I get home?" she jokingly said.

"I can fly you home if you want."

Videl looked surprised, "You can fly a copter?"

"Yes I can," he replied with an awkward chuckle and began to scratch the base of his neck nervously.

Videl blinked in surprise at the country boy standing in front of her. "I never figured you out as a pilot. But no need, I'm fine. Thank you for offering, though. It's kind of sweet," uncontrollably blushing with that last comment.

And without waiting for a response, she took off and tried to hide that blush. Where did that come from? What was the matter with her? Taking a deep breath, she looked back to the place she had taken off for one last time. Gohan still stood there, watching her copter disappear into the distance.

And somehow her blush intensified.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: The state bank

With a slight blush still on her cheeks, she tried to comprehend what had just happened. How did that boy get under her skin so suddenly? Was it because he was genuinely concerned for her well-being? Everyone always saw her as this indestructible fighting machine. And to top it all off, she was seen as this spoiled rich kid who didn't have a care in the world. If someone was concerned about any well-being, it was about theirs, not hers. But Gohan seemed different, unaffected by her status or fame.

She thought back to their first real encounter. Gohan was heralded by the teacher as this child prodigy that everybody should take an example from. He looked nervous, scratching the base of his neck as he tried to introduce himself properly. But the damage was already done. He was immediately labeled a nerd and had it not been for her best friend Erasa, Gohan would have ended up friendless.

The slim bubbly blond always took a liking to the innocent ones. And oh boy, Gohan was the definition of innocence. No matter how much Erasa tried, her flirting just didn't land. And after a few weeks, she gave up on the quite handsome teen with the dark spiky hair and the onyx eyes. However, her efforts resulted in Gohan now being included in their small group of friends. And now, for about two and a half months, Videl, Erasa, Sharpener and Gohan got along very well together.
But now Videl thought about it, she still didn't know much about the guy. Gohan came from the countryside and she knew his family owned a farm. Furthermore, he was kind, ignorant about almost everything, thought a lot about food and was genuinely caring. But that pretty much summed it all up. She realized that Gohan never spoke about himself and she never bothered to get to know him herself. The fact that she just learned he could fly a copter made her curious. What else could she learn about the guy? She decided to bomb him tomorrow with all kind of questions.

Her radio of her copter crackled and a tinny voice echoed through her cockpit. She jumped a bit and nearly lost control of her vehicle. Damnit, was she that unaccustomed to being called by the police?

"Videl, this is the chief speaking. We need all the help we can get. There's a bank robbery going on and -" There was a loud explosion on the other end of the line, followed by some cursing from the chief himself. He recovered and continued, "Prepare yourself, this group is clearly organized and it looks like they're willing to go down in the process."

"Alright, I'm on my way," and with a jerk on the steering wheel, she headed for the state bank.

In the distance she could see a big plume of smoke. That was probably from that explosion earlier. A few minutes later, she landed next to the chief's car. As she jumped out of her copter and decapsuled it, the chief gave her a status report.

"The group consists of a minimum of five people. Three of them are apparently freed from prison this morning, which has just been confirmed. One other is known to us as the mastermind behind a series of robberies, but we never found his whereabouts. The last time we heard of him was six months ago," he looked over at the bank. "I think they've gathered the best man just to successfully rob the state bank."

Videl followed his gaze. "What about the last person?"

"That's the one on watch, he's unknown to us," the chief replied. "Sorry."

"Any hostages?"

"Yes, three employees and two customers. One of which is the mayor," the chief looked at Videl. "We assume they knew the mayor would be there today. They're using him to negotiate their escape." He sighed, "Whatever happens, the mayor has to get out of there as soon as possible – alive, of course."

"Don't worry," Videl replied, "Everyone is getting out of there alive!" And with that, she stepped over the barrier tape that the police had put up.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man land on the corner of a nearby building. He was dressed in a black spandex bodysuit topped with a green gi, a red cape and a stupid helmet with two antennas on either side. Ugh, just what she needed, Saiyaman.

She decided to ignore him and focus solely on the task at hand. Videl ran to hearing distance and announced her presence to the criminal on guard.

"Yo baldy, I want to speak to the person in charge here," Videl smirked, it had been too long since she'd felt this excited.

At the entrance of the bank, a lanky-looking man dressed in a white dress shirt, a blue tie and slightly disheveled jeans repositioned his silver-colored glasses on his nose. "What do ya want girl, this ain't no place for ya," he responded.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Videl fell into her fighting stance. She loved the adrenaline rush she was getting. "I am the daught-"

" '-er of Mister Satan, the World Savior', Yeah, yeah, we know," he said mockingly. "I'll tell’n ya again, this ain't no place for you. Go home, kid, while ya still can. I don't want to use my gun on ya, but I will if ya won't go." When he said that, he raised his arm to rest the barrel of his oversized, oddly-shaped firearm on his right shoulder.

"I'm not afraid of you or your gun," Videl insisted, and she began to charge the guy.

"Randy, bring ya ass over here!" shouted the bald man.
Videl stopped her attack when a monster of a man came through the front door of the bank. His wiry appearance was tucked into a black sleeveless shirt and his bleached long hair fell over his shoulders. He grinned with excitement when he saw Videl, showing his missing tooth in the process.

Videl knew that face. This Randy was no ordinary man, but a former participant of the 24th Martial Arts Tournament. He fought her father in the semifinals, and to be completely honest, that was no easy match either.

She swallowed. This was perhaps more than she could chew.

"My, my, look what we've got here," the big man said. He pointed to his missing tooth, "You see this? That was your father's doing." He then pointed to Videl. "Now I'll knock out some of yours, just for fun, before I kill you." His grin widened.

"What if I make that smile of yours symmetrical before I knock you out," Videl snapped back and then she charged.

She kicked Randy in the right side of his neck, only to be grabbed by the back of her shirt and thrown back onto the concrete. He immediately tried to stamp on her head, but she deftly dodged him. With that same motion, she got up and planted her fist underneath his ribs, right where his gallbladder should be.

Randy gasped in pain, "You bitch, you'll pay for that!" Then he charged and tried to strike Videl with two fists at once.

She jumped out of the way in the nick of time. If that had hit her, she was definitely a goner. Videl didn't have much time to recover from her evasive jump, as Randy struck with another blow. She dodged his attack and planted a knee into his crotch: the time for playing nice was over.

Randy again growled in anger and managed to grab one of her legs. He swirled her over his head and threw her into one of the police cars. Glass clattered on the ground as she was getting up. Her shirt was torn and her ankle was definitely bruised. She stumbled away from the car and yet again fell into her fighting stance.

"Videl, pull back," the chief's voice came through a megaphone.

Videl spat the blood from her mouth onto the concrete. "This is getting personal, I'm not backing down!" And yet again, she charged at the criminal.

Heart-pounding minutes passed as the two clashed. Fists, elbows, knees and feet went in all directions and at one point Videl managed to knock out one of Randy's teeth. This infuriated him, but he wasn't able to counterattack. His lack of stamina got the better of him and Videl was still very quick on her feet.

She took a leap and planted her elbow right at the back of his neck. Randy stumbled and fell face forward to the floor while Videl landed on her feet and straightened her posture. But before she could do anything else, three loud bangs were heard.

It all happened so fast. There was a big gust of wind and when Videl could open her eyes, Saiyaman stood in front of her, his arm raised in a defensive position.

"Sorry Miss Videl, but I had to intervene," he said in his bombastic made-up voice. He looked to his raised arm and was surprised to see three - what looked like - tranquilizer darts sticking out of it.

"O my God! I just hit ‘m! Guys, I just hit Saiyaman!" the bald man at the door shouted ecstatically at his fellow accomplices. The front door of the bank cracked open as the other criminals wanted to witness it for themselves.

Videl heard Saiyaman click his tongue in annoyance, and with another gust of wind he attacked the criminals in front of them. In a minute or two it was all over. Saiyaman dragged the four unconscious criminals to the one taken out by Videl herself before walking over to her.

"Is everything alright, Videl?" asked a gentle but concerned voice.

She was completely stunned by his change in voice. This wasn't this fake bombastic annoying voice he normally used. This sounded so... normal. And really familiar too.

"Yes... yes I'm fine,"

Saiyaman bent down to pick up one of the darts, "Did one of these hit you?"

"No, no they didn't"

"Good. What about your other injuries?" Videl noticed his voice weakening a little.

"I already told you, I'm fine," she crossed her arms in annoyance as she felt her irritation rise again.

"Alright, if you say so," said Saiyaman softly. Then he turned, staggering a bit in the process, and with the fastest speed Videl had ever seen him fly, he took off.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Absence

Water trickled from her long raven-black hair as Videl made herself more comfortable. The warmth stung on her wounds a bit, but overall this bath was relaxing. She needed this moment for herself. Man, what a day it was!

After Saiyaman had stormed off, the press immediately dove in on her. The fact that she single-handedly defeated a Martial Arts Tournament semi-finalist was apparently front page news. That the mayor had just been rescued from an imminent hostage situation was of secondary importance. Videl let out a big sigh, she was dreading what those folks would write in tomorrow's paper.

The young crime fighter lowered herself deeper into the warm water and closed her eyes. She had never seen those darts coming. If it hadn't been for Saiyaman, she would have certainly been hit.

An uneasy feeling came over her. Why was that criminal so excited that he managed to hit Saiyaman? Those arrows clearly had little to no effect on the guy. But what surprised her the most was that the criminal didn't even resist when Saiyaman attacked. He just stood there... and smirked.

She took a deep breath and submerged her head under water for a moment. This bath wasn't so relaxing anymore. Videl unplugged the tub, got out and wrapped herself in a towel. After drying off, she walked towards the sink where she wiped the condensation from the mirror with a flat hand. Ugh, her left eye will be black tomorrow. She shrugged it off and decided to call it a day.

That night she had a dream in which she was pinned headfirst to the ground. She couldn't determine if someone was holding her down or if her body was just motionless. The space she was in was pitch dark and a cold and lonely feeling came over her. She tried to shout out for someone to help her, but no words came out.

When she'd almost abandoned all hope, a warm hand touched her shoulder. "Is everything alright, Videl?" asked a familiar voice she recognized as Gohan's. The warmth of that touch radiated through her body and suddenly she could move again. She wanted to thank Gohan for his help, but when she sat up to look at him, she met Saiyaman instead. His gloved hand went up and cupped her cheek. But to her horror, she felt his touch slip and saw his body slowly turn to dust, only to leave behind an empty pile of clothes.

In a blind panic, she searched throughout the clothes, hoping to find a clue as to what had just happened. But Saiyaman was gone. She got up and screamed his name over her lungs. Maybe he was still around, she thought hopefully. Gathering her courage, Videl began to explore the darkness. Her first steps were cautious, but it soon accelerated to the point that she was running. That turned out to be a bad idea, however, when she found herself stepping into a void, tumbling over, and ended up in a free fall.

With a smack, she'd hit a surface. Confused, Videl opened her eyes and found herself lying on the floor. Apparently she had fallen out of her bed. Her chest was heaving from all the tension she'd got from that creepy dream.

She sat up and rested her shoulders against the edge of the bed. Videl felt terrible. Since it was about twenty minutes before she normally got up, she decided there was no point in going back to bed. And so she slowly got up and prepared for her day of school.

###

"You look awful!"

Videl glared at her best friend, "Good morning to you too." As always, they met at the lockers before class started.

"Seriously, you could've tried to conceal it with some makeup!" Erasa continued. She took a closer look at her friend's black eye. "On second thought, there is no makeup in the world to cover that."

"Shut up," Videl bit her. "Look, I had a tough fight with this criminal yesterday and you should be happy that this is all I have."

"Ah, yes, this former semi-finalist guy! You were all over the news this morning," her friend recalled. "They even speculated about your chances of winning the next tournament. Some even believe you have already surpassed your dad."

Videl looked up in surprise. "Yesterday's fight was a hard one, to be honest. And my dad defeated Cell, a monster that could have easily destroyed the entire world. I would never surpass that."

"Well, you've been training really hard all these years. That cannot be said of your old man. All I hear from you is your complaints about his drinking problem and that he never leaves his flat screen. When did you last see him train for that matter?" Erasa gave Videl a playful wink, "And FYI, I'm with the speculators."

"Wow! Just wow!" Their conversation was cut short when their mutual friend joined the group. "I normally call you babe, but this -," Sharpener gestured to Videl's face, "This is downright hideous. You DO NOT deserve the babe-status today"

"And good morning to you too." Videl slammed her locker shut. "Let's go, class is about to start," and as Videl walked past Sharpener, she gave him a firm tap on the back of his head.

"Hey! What did you do that for?" the jock said indignantly, rubbing the sore spot at the same time.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not your babe."

"But I just said I wouldn't call you that today!"

"No, but you were implying I was every other day." Videl gave Sharpener a glare. "And, you called me hideous, too, so be thankful that I hit you just once."

The group found their usual seats and unpacked their bags. While the biology teacher was setting up a projector, more and more students filled the classroom. Not much later the lesson started and with a brief introduction on today's topic, the teacher turned on some kind of documentary about the behavior of bonobos.

"Brains is late again," Sharpener whispered. He leaned back in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. "I hope he comes in soon, otherwise I have to take notes myself."

Videl looked over to Gohan's seat. It indeed was empty.
"Give him some slack, Sharpie, the boy lives trillions of miles away. No wonder he's always late." Erasa looked at Sharpener. "But I also hope he shows up soon, I'd rather look at his cute face than this stupid film."

"I thought you'd given up on him?" Videl looked at her intently. Normally she wouldn't care less if her blond friend went on a flirting spree, but somehow that comment left her with a nagging feeling she couldn't suppress.

"Look, it's clear he isn't into me – Kami knows why – but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy some eye candy," she giggled.

"Silence!" the teacher's raised voice suddenly filled the room. "If one of you interrupts my class again, I'll send you straight to detention." With a squeak, the trio immediately sat up and didn't dare to say another word.

When recess started, there was still no sign of Gohan. The three friends sat at their usual spot next to this large evergreen oak. After everything that had happened yesterday, Videl had been looking forward to talking to Gohan and getting to know the guy a little better. There were all sorts of questions she wanted to ask him. Such as what he liked to do after school, which countries he had traveled to or what his favorite dish was. Instead, she had to deal with the usual chit-chat until even that unexpectedly died out.

"Still no sign of the bookworm, eh?" addressing the elephant in the room, Sharpener looked at the dejected faces of both girls. "I wonder if he's playing hooky again?"

"He missed out all morning. I know he sometimes walks out of class, only to return to us at the start of the next one. But he never missed this much," Erasa's voice was gloomy. "And I don't think he is playing hooky. I always assumed he occasionally walks out of class to get some fresh air as he’s probably bored out of his mind. He's so smart, I bet he already knows all of this stuff anyway." She tried to smile. "Maybe he's just sick."

"I don't think he is," said Videl firmly. "I spoke to him after class yesterday. He looked fine to me." She threw her arms over her knees, "I have this bad feeling something has happened to him."

"Since when did you develop a caring heart?" Sharpener said amusedly, but was prodded hard between his ribs by Videl. He rubbed his sore spot and glared at his raven-haired friend, though he knew he deserved it. "Look, I'm with Erasa here. He'll probably show his face in a day or two."

But Gohan didn't.

Videl couldn't shake this bad feeling and found herself staring at Gohan's empty seat. She had tried to get his contact information at the school registry, but she was rejected due to privacy legislation. And since Gohan didn't own a mobile phone, they couldn't text or call him either. So, she was left in the dark.

Her watch went off.

The whole class looked up at Videl. This was the third time in two days. She pressed the button on the side of her watch to answer the call. "Videl, we are in need of your assistance at the city mall. Criminals are looting the place," spoke a tinny voice over her speakers.

"I'm on my way, chief!"

"Videl, I know you like to work alone, but we need Saiyaman too," the chief continued earnestly. "So if you are able to, please give him a call for us."

The line broke and Videl stared at her watch. Did the chief really just ask her to call Saiyaman? She knew that Saiyaman hadn't made an appearance in the last two cases, but those were minor and easily dealt with. There was no need for him to show up. If this situation did indeed become as dangerous as the chief made it sound, she was certain that Saiyaman would come to their aid in time, just as he always did. And how on Earth was she supposed to get in touch with him anyways? It's not like she was friends with him.

"Psst, Videl." Videl felt someone tugging at her sleeve. "You should go," Erasa urged.

Pulled out of her thoughts, Videl stood up. "Right!" And with that, she left.

The chief hadn't exaggerated. For every store the city mall contained, there were at least two or three criminals looting it. It was total chaos. The police already had some criminals in custody, and with Videl's help, about thirty of them were knocked out as well. These weren't very strong criminals, though due to the magnitude of their operation, there was no end to it.

Videl became exhausted and struggled to pin this guy to the ground. She had the rogue in a headlock, waiting for a police officer to handcuff him. She looked up to the sky. "Saiyaman, where the hell are you," she thought out loud.

An evil snigger came from underneath her. "Haven't you heard?" said the criminal, quirky. "We all came here today to test if what we heard was true. And man, if I hadn't been here today, I wouldn't have believed it myself.

"What are you talking about?" Videl tightened his headlock. "Spit it!"

A smirk appeared on the man's face. "Rumor has it that Saiyaman is dead"

And with those words, her world came crashing down.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: Confusion

Videl was numb. All the chaos surrounding her turned into muffled sounds and blurred images. She didn't even realize that her grip on the rogue was loosening, nor that the man was pushing her off him and fled. She just sat there, on her knees, left alone with her inner turmoil.

Did that guy say 'dead'? Was Saiyaman…? Was he really dead?

No that can't be, he was indestructible. At least, that's how it always seemed to her. But has there ever been anyone who was truly invincible? Even Superman had his Kryptonite. Besides, all living things eventually die, and the last time she checked, Saiyaman was made of flesh and blood. So, would he be...?

No, she didn't want to believe it! She wouldn't accept it! That criminal was just messing with her head, nothing more. Speaking of which, where was the guy!

Videl snapped out from her thoughts and looked around to find the rogue. The fear and panic she just felt over the possible loss of Saiyaman gave way to pure anger and rage. She would teach him to tell her such awful lies!

Out of the corner of her eye, Videl saw the rogue walking out of the mall with a bag. Apparently, after his escape, he couldn't resist the temptation to grab some extra loot before leaving the scene. The criminal realized that Videl had seen him and, in a panic, he returned to where he came from. The young crime fighter immediately went after him, she wouldn't let this man escape. Anyone who stood between her and her target was forcibly pushed away, be it a criminal or cop.

Like the rest of the criminals on the scene, the rogue was no match for Videl. She soon caught up with him, leaving a trail of unconscious criminals and bewildered police officers. Finally, she got hold of his collar and pushed him against the nearest wall, her forearm against his throat.

"You liar!" Videl screamed in anger.

"If I'm lying to you, then tell me, where is this Saiyaman of yours?" the rogue provoked.

"Probably fighting crime somewhere else."

"Like yesterday and the day before yesterday?" the smirk returned on the rogue's face. "When was the last time you saw him for that matter? If you ask me, operation 'state bank' was a great success"

Videl's eyes widened in realization: the bank robbery was not intended to actually rob the bank, it was a decoy to get to Saiyaman. The explosion, the mayor being held hostage, her difficult battle against the semi-finalist, they were all happening to draw him into action. And the guy guarding the entrance didn't want to use his strange gun on her because its contents were solely for use on Saiyaman. And after they managed to hit him with those darts, the criminals didn't even resist their beating because they had already succeeded in their operation. Saiyaman's disappearance has something to do with those darts!

"I see you finally get my point," the rogue said, his smirk intensifying.

Videl snapped.

With tears in the corner of her eyes she lashed out. At first it was meant to silence him and wipe that stupid smirk off his face. But she didn't stop there. She let out all her rage, anger, sadness and disbelief on him. The rogue's body slackened, but she continued to beat him, not caring whether this would result in his death.

And then everything went black.

###

Videl found herself having the same dream she'd had for the past few days. She lay motionless on the floor, cold and lonely. But when the warm, familiar hand was supposed to come out and help her, it felt different. It was a much smaller hand, and its clamminess sent a shiver down her spine. It didn't radiate warmth to her body to let her move, like last time. The person who owned those hands turned her over, and to her disbelief she looked herself straight into her own tearful eyes.

The point of view of her dream changed and suddenly she was the one who'd turned the motionless person over. She found herself staring at the clearly deceased body of none other than Son Gohan. His onyx eyes were dull and hollow, and his skin had a grayish tint. Startled, she jumped up. She had expected to find Saiyaman lying there on the ground, just like in her past dreams. It made no sense that it was Gohan.

Two faceless persons appeared next to her. "Too bad, now I have to take notes myself," one said while the other continued, "It's such a shame we'll never see that cute face of his again. Now I have to watch that stupid film instead!" Both bodies began to radiate light into the darkness she was in. At first it was just a little bit, but slowly it became so bright that she could no longer see well.

In the distance, two silhouettes appeared and gradually took shape. She started to feel warm again and slowly she opened her eyes.

###

"Look, there she is!" a bubbly voice announced happily. "Had a nice sleep?"

Videl's head was pounding. She took in her surroundings and realized she was in the hospital. Waking up in a hospital bed wasn't a first timer, but she couldn't comprehend what had happened to her to end up in here. She looked to her left and saw the familiar faces of her two best friends.

"Hi Erasa, Hi Sharpener," Videl's voice was still a bit weak, "How did I end up here this time?"

"Well, long story! There was this mass looting in the shopping mall this morning and you were there to fight a lot of bad guys. A hundred at least! But then there was this big confusion about who was who, and -"

Erasa was interrupted by a sigh from Sharpener, "What Erasa is trying to say is that you were knocked out by Saiyaman during this looting, probably thinking you were one of the thugs."

"Wait what?" Videl sat up straight. "Did you... did you say Saiyaman knocked me out?"

"Yeah, that stupid asshole. If I had been there, I would have punched him in his gutter just for you." Sharpener cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, that would have taught him," he muttered to himself.

"You are absolutely sure it was him?" asked Videl confused.

"Yeah, no doubt about it. He single-handedly knocked everybody out." Erasa looked over to Videl with a slight smirk, "Including you."

"And you are sure he was okay? Nothing out of the ordinary?" Videl couldn't believe her ears.

"Hm, let me think," while she was thinking, she put her index finger on her lower lip. "Now that you mention it, it took him a lot longer than usual to 'save the day' and he looked out of shape afterwards. But in his defense, there were a lot of bad guys and it was total chaos." She picked up her phone and seemed to be looking for something. "Ah, here it is!" She turned her phone around and there was a picture of Saiyaman in front of the mall, with a pile of unconscious criminals next to him.

"Do you see that leg sticking out of the pile?" Sharpener couldn't suppress a laugh. "That's you."

Videl stared at the photo. Was it possible? Was Saiyaman still alive? The picture seemed legit, so he must be, right? And if indeed the darts had had any effect on him, he might have suffered from reduced stamina, or perhaps even ill. It all seems to fit. That criminal just lied to her to get under her skin. That bastard!

Erasa noticed that Videl had clenched her fists in her sheets in anger. "It's not that bad, I don't think anyone will notice," she told her out of sympathy.

"It's not that. This rogue I fought before I was knocked out told me that they all believed Saiyaman had died. For a moment I thought he was telling the truth." Videl's eyes began to water and she looked away, out of the window. "I feel so stupid to fall for that stupid trick."

"Well, unfortunately he is still alive"

"Sharpener! Shut up," Erasa gave him a glare at that mean remark. "Jealous much?"

"Uhmf," was all that Sharpener could bring out.

They all looked out of the window and the room fell quiet. A couple of minutes passed before Videl broke the silence, "Did anything else happen while I was out?"

"Well, there were some strange sightings," Sharpener replied. Videl looked at him questioningly, so he continued, "Some people believed they saw someone fly. Not by plane or anything, just... fly."

"Just like Saiyaman," Erasa added. "However, the witness statements are somewhat contradictory. One said he saw a short man flying with no nose, the other was convinced it was a big green monster with fangs," she laughed, clearly thinking it was hilarious.

"But that's it," Sharpener continued. "If their statements are true – which I doubt – they didn't seem threatening." Sharpener got up and put on his jacket. "The doctor said you were allowed to leave after you woke up, so if it's okay with you, I'll take you home. There is a prescription of painkillers that you can pick up at the front desk, as usual."

Videl nodded and followed suit. She wanted to go home, take a shower and forget about this day.

The next day, unsurprisingly, Videl woke up with a headache. She took the prescribed doses of painkillers and since it was Saturday, she took it easy. She didn't know if it was because she was too sedated by the medication or because of the relief she felt when she learned that Saiyaman was still alive, but last night her bad dream didn't come again. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

After making herself some breakfast, she turned on the television to watch some anime to clear her head. However, she ended up on the news channel instead. The first item was about yesterday’s mall looting and confirmed what Sharpener and Erasa had already told her. They showed some video footage of Saiyaman fighting some criminals. To be honest, it all seemed a bit strange to her. His fighting stances were off and indeed he looked out of shape. He was clearly not himself.

The item ended and a new one came up. It was a live broadcast from a bridge nearby, where a woman was about to jump. It soon became clear that Saiyaman was already at the scene, as no one was really panicked about the situation.

Videl quickly stood up and ran outside, leaving her unfinished breakfast as it was. She had to be there as soon as possible. Not because she wanted to help this woman – Saiyaman was quite capable of that himself – but to confront Saiyaman. She really needed to talk to the man about the things that had happened and to ask him if everything was okay.

On arrival, the woman was indeed rescued and in good care of the paramedics. Saiyaman himself stood next to the reporter as she was wrapping up her news item. Videl observed the duo as she waited. To her complete surprise, she saw Saiyaman's hand resting on the reporter's butt out of view of the camera. Did they know each other?

"This item was brought to you by Kate Bridgerton, thank you for watching and back to the studios," the reporter said through the microphone and shortly after, the cameras turned off.

Immediately Saiyaman's body language changed. He intensified his touch and narrowed the distance between him and the reporter. "So can I have your number? I can fly by tonight whenever you want."

The reporter giggled, but was interrupted by a cough. They both turned around to face Videl, who had made her presence clear. "Sorry to disturb your quixotic moment, but I really need to speak to Saiyaman."

"Sorry, can't you see I'm busy here? And for the record, I'm not signing autographs," Saiyaman declined. "So, get going." He turned his attention back to the reporter.

Videl stood perplexed. Did he just...

"Listen, you jerk! We're going to talk, like it or not," hissed Videl.

Saiyaman sighed. "My radio just informed me that I'm needed somewhere else," he gave the still giggling reporter a kiss on her hand, "I'll see you tonight." And without even looking at Videl he took off.

"Oh, no you don't!" shouted Videl after him. She immediately decapsulated her copter to follow him. But when she was fully airborne, he had already disappeared. She cursed herself, how could she lose him so easily? Normally he would fly to his destination just above the buildings, why wasn't he now? Was he deliberately avoiding her or something? Before that unfaithful event at the state bank, he wouldn't turn down a conversation with her if she requested one. Something wasn't right. Videl flew around the area to find any lead on Saiyaman, but in vain. After half an hour of searching, her headache came back and she had to go home. She will try to find the guy tomorrow.

The next day Videl got up early. She was determined to find Saiyaman and had it all planned. She suspected that, after Saiyaman said something about a radio, he might now have a direct connection with the chief in order to help the police. And after confronting the chief about it, he confirmed that they indeed were able to call Saiyaman now.

This early morning was very nice. The sun was shining bright and there weren't many problems with criminals today. Videl leaned against a wall next to an alley, facing an ice cream shop. The shop owners were on holiday and as there was not much else to do, the area was almost deserted. She had asked the chief to call Saiyaman and tell him his assistance was needed here at this store. Now she just had to wait for the hero to arrive.

After ten minutes Videl saw Saiyaman approaching. He flew quite low between the buildings, instead of his usual approach of flying over them. He landed in front of the shop and seemed confused.

"So, you're finally here!" Videl announced her presence.

"Oh great, it's yesterday's fangirl," Saiyaman was clearly not amused. "I got a call from the police to stop a robbery here, did you see anyone who looked suspicious?"

"The only suspicious guy I see is you," she crossed her arms. "I've asked the chief to send you here because I need to talk to you."

"Oh, have you?" Saiyaman came up to her and towered over her, resting his forearm against the wall above her head. He somehow seemed taller than usual, at least an inch or so, but that may have been an optical illusion since he was so close to her now. And though he invaded her personal space, Videl didn't move a muscle. "Crazy fangirl, huh?" he continued, "Are you so desperate for a piece of Saiyaman?"

Videl widened her eyes in disbelief. Was he trying to get under her skin? "I'm not your fangirl," she said, deciding to ignore the rest of his comment. "Look, I just wanted to talk to you about -" she hesitated. Something didn't seem right. In addition he didn't act like his usual childish self, his appearance seemed out of place, too, now that she had a better look at the man. Saiyaman always looked well-groomed, but now his face was slightly unshaven and he didn't smell like pine trees as usual. But one thing stood out above all others: "Since when do you have a scar on your face?"

"I fight crime, scars are part of the job" he shrugged. "But tell me, why were you so desperate to meet me?"

Videl became suspicious to say the least. His scars looked old and she was pretty sure he didn't have them a few days ago when they were at the state bank. Her eyebrows turned into a frown, this wasn't Saiyaman. "Show me what's underneath your ridiculous costume, now," she ordered him.

"Ah, here we go again, it's all the same with you women," he suppressed a sneaky but awkward chuckle. "Alright, if that's what you want," he pushed himself off the wall and stretched his muscles. "Who am I to say no. After all, a man should always give a beautiful lady what her heart desires, even if that lady has a black eye" he said jokingly. He motioned Videl to follow him into the alley, "Let's get some privacy first, if you don't mind."

Videl nodded and couldn't believe she'd actually succeeded. Would he really show her his identity that easily? Perhaps he was beginning to trust her. After all, he had already risked his own life for her. Eagerly she followed his footsteps.

While Videl was lost in thought, she didn't notice Saiyaman muttering to himself. "This costume is amazing! I can't believe how many girls are digging it," Saiyaman grinned broadly, "I'm really stepping up my game here!"

Videl looked up. Saiyaman had stopped deep into the alley, next to a couple of big crates. "This will do," he said and waited for Videl to join him. "So, are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

"I've waited a long time for this moment, so I'm not backing down. Look, I know this could change things between us, but I think it's for the better. I'm willing to keep it a secret, you have my word on that."

"I like the way you think. Alright, here's where the fun begins!"

But what happened next, Videl didn't see coming. Saiyaman placed his gloved hands on either side of her hip and he sat her down without any effort on one of the crates in front of him.

And without hesitation, he pressed his lips eagerly on hers.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: Missing

With a smack, Saiyaman's head crashed into the nearest wall. As soon as she'd realized what was happening, Videl had slapped him in the face with full force. Saiyaman struggled to get his head out of the crater the impact had created. When he finally succeeded, he grabbed his jaw in pain.

"What was that for?" he was clearly confused. "Damnit, now I've lost my implant!" he began to look for something on the ground, "Oh no, where's that damn thing?"

"You complete moron!" Videl burst out in anger and jumped off the crate. Saiyaman turned his attention from the ground to the girl. "You do know I'm a minor right?! Why the hell did you kiss me?"

"I kissed you because I thought you wanted me to." Suddenly his body stiffened and he clearly broke into a sweat. "Wait, you're a what...? Oh shit, sorry! I didn't realize!" he waved his hands out in front of him in defense.

"All I asked for was to show me your identity! Nothing else, you pervert," Videl glared at him. "Do I look that old to you?"

"I... I...," he began to stutter, "L... Look in my defense, that black eye makes your age hard to read, and with that muscular body I assumed..."

"Well, you obviously assumed wrong!" Videl sneered at him, still very angry. As she spoke, she closed the distance between herself and the nervous hero. Every step she took towards him, Saiyaman recoiled one and eventually tripped over his own feet to fall to the ground. "You know what you've done is against the law, right?" Videl towered over him. "I should sue you for what you did!"

"Please don't," Saiyaman begged her, clasping his hands together to ask for mercy. "I'm really, really sorry! Can't we arrange something to keep this between us? A lawsuit will ruin his reputation!"

" His reputation?" emphasized Videl questioningly.

A bead of sweat appeared on his cheek, "I mean, my reputation," he nervously tried to correct himself.

But the damage was already done and Videl grabbed the front of his Gi in her fist. "What have you done with Saiyaman!" she yelled at him.

"Nothing, I swear!" Saiyaman pleaded, "I'm just his deputy." 'Not that I had a choice in that matter,' he added to himself.

Videl kept glaring at him. She was considering her options. Somehow she believed he was telling the truth. Even though he was a pervert and what just happened was down-right wrong, it was possible that it was just a misunderstanding. She had to admit that her face in its current state was indeed hard to recognize and it was not the first time older men were hitting on her. But most importantly, he was her only lead on Saiyaman she had, so she needed him on her side.

"For the record, you yourself have already damaged his reputation due to your unwanted behavior." She sighed and let go of his Gi, "But, I'm willing not to prosecute, as I owe the real Saiyaman my life." 'Saiyaman' stared at her and waited for Videl to continue. "But only under strict conditions. First of all, you are going to tell me exactly what happened to Saiyaman. Second, you're going to behave yourself in a way that will stay true to the reputation Saiyaman had worked so hard for, so no screwing around!" her voice was determined. "And finally, you'll show me your real face."

Videl looked straight at 'Saiyaman' , who was still kneeling on the ground. He took a moment to process the situation and considered his options. He spoke, "I can't, sorry."

"Okay, I'll see you in court then," Videl turned and waited for him to take the bait.

"No Wait!"

Videl smirked and turned back around to let him speak.

"Look, I can't tell you what you want to know, because we don't know it either. We have no clue where he is or what happened. And you understand that the information I do have is strictly confidential," he paused. "But I can promise you I'll remain loyal to Go-, I mean, Saiyaman's reputation from now on," he placed his hand behind his head. "No more flirting, you have my word."

"And what about you showing me your face?" Videl ordered.

"I can't do that either, as it could lead you to the real identity of Saiyaman himself. I'd rather go to court than go through his mother's wrath if I tell you," he said apologetically. "And even if I wanted to, I can't take this damn thing off," he pointed to his battered helmet. "It's locked onto my head and I don't have the code"

Videl raised an eyebrow. "Huh, Why?"

Saiyaman sighed, "Probably because they were afraid I would screw things up, I guess." He looked to the ground guiltily.

"No wonder," Videl looked at the pathetic individual in front of her. She was amazed that they – whoever they were – managed to replace Saiyaman with someone even worse than himself. 

To her annoyance, she felt her head pounding violently again, and having left her painkillers at home, she had to wrap up this conversation as soon as possible. "I don't even want to know anymore, I'm nauseous enough already," Videl rubbed her temple to ease the pain. "So here's the new deal, you'll keep your promises and you'll come to me right away when you have new information about Saiyaman. And if you haven't reported back to me before this Wednesday, I'll file that lawsuit anyway."

"Right!" Saiyaman got up and bowed down. "Thank you and you have my word on that!" Saiyaman looked up to Videl, "But tell me, why are you so determined to know how his well-being is?"

Videl blushed, "That's none of your business," and with that, she walked out of that alley and left.

While she flew home she tried to sketch the whole picture in her head. So Saiyaman did indeed go missing somewhere between that incident at the state bank and Friday. There is a substitute to give everyone the impression that the hero didn't vanish, meaning more people are entangled in his heroic secret life. And just like Videl, they too don't know where he was or what had happened to him. The most logical thing to do now is to search for the man, so she wondered if those strange sightings of flying beings were related to the disappearance. After all, they all have in common that they can fly without an aircraft.

Videl was pulled out of her thoughts as she looked to her left. To her surprise, a man flew in the near distance. This man didn't quite fit any of the previous witness statements. Though the man wasn't tall, he did have a nose. He was wearing a blue sleeveless jumpsuit with white gloves and boots and his long upright spiky hair was swaying in the wind. His arms were crossed as he seemed to search the streets for something – or someone.

Instinctively, Videl set course for the man. She was almost convinced that he too was looking for Saiyaman and maybe she could finally talk to a normal person about the situation. She had also realized that perhaps they knew nothing about the darts and it could be crucial information to them. But as she flew about twenty feet from the mysterious man, the man jerked his head in her direction and a chill ran down her spine. If looks could kill, she definitely would be dead by now. Videl distanced herself again. Maybe... this wasn't her guy to talk to right now, at least not with that headage.

###

"So what do you think, Videl?"

Videl looked at Erasa's questioning expression. "I don't care, choose whatever topic you want."

It was Monday morning and that meant Videl was obligated to go to school, although she would have preferred to spend her time looking for Saiyaman. Erasa, Sharpener and she were all assigned in the same group for a history school project. The project groups consisted of a minimum of four students, but they had convinced the teacher that they wanted to save their last spot for Gohan, even though they expected he wouldn't come back in time to actually contribute. Gohan normally was the one who led their projects to good grades, so they decided to help him out for a change so he wouldn't fall behind.

"Come on, we don't have Brains right now, so I'm kind of depending on you to come up with the smart ideas," Sharpener said. "History isn't one of my best subjects. And Erasa is totally hopeless for that matter."

"He!" Erasa looked at him insulted.

"Gohan isn't here, so there's no need to talk about the guy," Videl snapped. "Look, I've had a really rough weekend and haven't slept much, so I'm sorry I'm not that helpful today. I'll do my share of thinking tomorrow, I promise."

The classroom door flew open and the trio turned their attention to what happened in front of the class. The principal had walked in and after some passage of words their history teacher nodded at the principal, who then left the room. The teacher looked up and coughed into his hand to draw the class' attention.

"Please everyone, go back to your seats, we have a difficult announcement to make," the teacher said, with a tone of concern in his voice. "Madam, please come forward."

A woman, dressed in a form-fitting sleeveless green turtleneck dress, walked through the open door. Her earrings matched her yellow boots and showed off under her short blue hair. Excited whispers arose from the class and some jocks even catcalled. Videl had to admit that the woman was very good looking for her age, but also looked very exhausted at the same time.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it!" Erasa whispered in surprise to her friends, "I think that's Bulma Brief, the president of Capsule Corp."

The woman turned to the class and confirmed Erasa's suspicions. "Hello everyone, my name is Bulma Brief and I am the godmother of Son Gohan." The class erupted into whispers and Videl sat straight in her seat when she heard Gohan's name. The blue haired scientist continued, "I'm here to inform you that Gohan has not come home from school since last Tuesday. If you have any information about his whereabouts as of that Tuesday after school, please tell me after your class is over."

The class was dead silent.

"You can find me in the principal's office," Bulma's voice sounded dejected. "Thank you for your attention." She walked out and after the door closed, a hurricane of noise filled the classroom.

But Videl heard nothing. She just sat in her seat, frozen by shock from realization. It all fit: same time, same circumstances, same person – missing. This was no longer a coincidence.

Gohan was Saiyaman... and clearly something bad had happened.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: The search

"No way... Brains?" Sharpener stared into the distance, his voice weak.

"Please tell me this is a cruel joke," sniffed Erasa. "That poor boy, he wouldn't just disappear for no reason, would he? To me he always seemed like a real mama's boy, I don't think Gohan would just leave her without telling." Erasa looked at Videl, who was staring at her table, "Maybe he got in trouble with some bad guys, you know, like they always trick the innocent into doing stuff they don't want to do." Since Videl didn't respond, she tried again: "What do you think happened to him, Videl?"

Videl got up so abruptly that Erasa flinched. "I...," she wanted to give her an honest answer, but she didn't have the heart. She clenched her fists and fought away the tears, "I have to go."

Even though her history lesson wasn't over, the teacher didn't stop Videl as she left the class. She took a quick stride to the nearest bathroom and rushed inside. There she turned on the sink and with both hands she caught the cold water to wash her face. The raven-haired teen looked in the mirror and studied her wet, dripping face.

She was a mess. Even though her black eye had diminished greatly, the bags under her eyes had gotten worse. She grabbed the sink on both sides and hung her head. Why did all this happen? She closed her eyes and tried to picture Gohan's friendly face. How could she not have known? She had to admit that she had her suspicions at first, but ruled it out as a possibility for him to be Saiyaman due to his innocent nature. She really didn't know her friend at all, did she?

Videl sighed deeply and got up to dry her face with a paper towel. She left the bathroom behind and walked up the stairs to the second floor. As she passed a group of third-year students, she heard them talking excitedly about none other than Bulma Brief, who had apparently passed them a moment ago. Videl ignored them and made her way to the door at the end of the corridor. She hesitated, but after taking a deep breath she knocked.

"Yes, come in," the voice of the principal came through the door.

Videl pulled at the door handle and let herself in. The principal's office wasn't very large, containing only a bookcase wall and a mahogany desk with a small tv, which was muted. Behind the desk, the principal sat in his office chair, briefly brushing his mustache with his fingers.

"Ah, Videl! Have you come with any information about Son Gohan?"

Videl looked across the room. There stood Bulma Brief with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall as she looked out the window. Her face was set in resigned sad lines. When the principal announced Videl's presence, the scientist turned her attention from the window to her. She remained silent, waiting for Videl to speak.

"Miss Brief, I -"

"It's Dr. Brief, but please, call me Bulma," Bulma said and straightened her posture.

"Dr. Brie-, I mean, Bulma... I think I was the last person who saw your godson at school last Tuesday," she began hesitantly. "I’d hung back after class was over and Gohan came back because he’d forgotten something. We chatted for a bit and left the school together. He offered to bring me home, but I declined. That's where our ways parted." Videl looked at Bulma and continued, "But nothing seemed out of the ordinary."

Bulma turned her head back to the window, "Thank you for sharing this information with me."

"You know, Gohan isn't the only one who has gone missing," Videl tried her luck. She herself was convinced that Gohan and Saiyaman were one and the same person, though she didn't know who else knew. She didn't want to screw up his secret identity to tell the wrong person. Not to mention, the principal was still in the room, too, so she had to be careful with her words. "Saiyaman has disappeared as well."

Bulma was surprised by her remark, but soon recovered her cool demeanor. "Are you sure? As far as I know, the Great Saiyaman is still fighting crime as we speak," Bulma looked straight at Videl.

"She is right, Videl, the hero is on the news right now," the principal added, pointing to his small TV screen on his desk. On-screen, Saiyaman was standing next to the same reporter he flirted with the other day, clearly trying to keep his distance this time – much to the blonde's annoyance. "Don't bother Dr. Brief with some school rumors, she's worried enough already."

"But I..." she looked at Bulma and to her surprise, Bulma gave her a piercing look that hinted Videl not to delve into the matter. She gave Bulma a small head gesture to let her know she understood. "My apologies, it was probably a rumor then."

"So – Videl was it? – what is your relation regarding my godson, if I may ask?" Her posture relaxed again.

"We are friends, we are in the same class," she replied. "Do you have any information about Gohan yourself?" She wasn't sure it was an appropriate question to ask under the circumstances, but she really needed to know.

"I don't want to get you worried," Bulma observed Videl and decided to continue, "But he did try to call his best friend that Tuesday afternoon, but the only words that came through was a faint ' Shit, no ' and then all lines were broken."

Videl looked suspiciously at the blue-haired scientist, "How can Gohan call someone without a cell phone?"

"Observant, are you?" a smile appeared on the scientist's lips. "They have their own means of communication, as it were. And sadly, that type of communication isn't recorded or traceable to a specific location, like you can do with cell phones."

The teenager looked over to the principal: she hated that the man could overhear their conversation. From this point on, she had to be very careful about her choice of words. "Dr. Brief."

"Bulma"

"Right, sorry. Bulma, I must know, what do you know about your godson?"

"The same things you seem to know and much more. Gohan entrusts almost anything to me. I know even more than his own mother. Why do you ask?"

There it is, the confirmation Videl needed! The woman before her knew about the secret life Gohan led. Now she knew she could keep asking her questions. "What if something bad happened to him, like if he got poisoned or something, what would he do – hypothetically, of course?" Videl added.

"Miss Satan, there's no need to get Dr. Brief all worked up for nothing!" the principal warned, "It's time for you to leave."

Bulma looked intrigued and let her eyes wander from the principal to Videl. "To answer your question, he would come straight to me, the quicker the better." Her eyes slid back toward the principal, who had now risen from his office chair. "But perhaps it's indeed time for you to go. Thank you for our interesting conversation." Bulma walked over to Videl and put a hand on her shoulder. "So you're the Satan girl, huh, Gohan told a lot about you," she said with a wink, then walked over to the desk to write something on a piece of paper.

Videl didn't know why, but that comment made her blush deeply. Had Gohan talked about her with Bulma Brief? Was that a good sign, or not? They were friends, of course, and Bulma was his godmother after all, so it kind of made sense that he did. But why did she wink at her?

A hand appeared and held the piece of paper in front of her. The teen looked up and found Bulma's friendly smile. "Here, I'll give you my personal phone number. Call me right away if you have any additional information about Gohan. But please, treat it with respect." Videl took the piece of paper. It was a standard Capsule Corp. business card with a handwritten phone number on it. "And you may also call me for some Saiyaman school rumors, I'm interested in your point of view on the man."

"I will," Videl promised, then followed the principal's gesture to the door and left.

Videl didn't return to her class, but left the school and eagerly inhaled the fresh air. The air was filled with the moisture from this morning's rain, but now that the sun was breaking through, she welcomed it. The schoolyard was full of students. Apparently recess had started, so she couldn't decapsulate her copter here. The park would be the nearest place with enough room except the school’s roof. She could use a little walk anyway to clear her mind.

Gohan had been missing for 6 days by now. If they didn't find him soon, he would die – if he wasn't dead already. Videl shook her head sharply. No, she refused to think like that! There was still hope, they just had to act quickly. There was no time to lose, so school had to wait.

Her walk made her turn a corner and Videl noticed she had stepped on something. Videl looked down and saw her foot was standing on a flyer. When she picked it up, she was greeted with the friendliest smile she'd ever seen. The pamphlet featured a photo of Gohan in one of his regular school clothes, smiling this big grin. It was probably taken just before his first day of school. The word 'Missing' was written above the photo and his details and contact information at the bottom. 

Her heart dropped. This whole situation got really serious. After her conversation with Bulma Brief, she had an idea where to start her search for her friend, but she needed her copter for that. With a lump in her throat, she folded the piece of paper and tucked it into her backpack and continued her way at a faster pace.

"Miss?"

Videl was almost at the entrance of the park when she was held up. A little boy dressed in neat traditional clothes looked up at her with teary eyes. His black hair was sticking out in all directions and it was almost as if she was looking into the face of her missing friend.

"Have you seen my big brother?" he held up one of the flyers she'd found earlier.

Her heart sank even more. Videl looked from Gohan's friendly smile in the picture to the broken face of the child in front of her. The similarities were undeniable. Why had Gohan never told her he had a little brother? She didn't knew her friend at all.

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't seen him in a while," Videl said with difficulty. She didn't want to break the kid's heart, but what else could she say?

The kid bowed. "Thank you," and then he ran to the next person to ask the same question.

Videl took in her surroundings. Not far from Gohan's little brother, there was another boy handing out flyers. She wondered what his connection was to her missing friend. To the right there was a woman in her mid-thirties, also traditionally dressed, handing out the same flyers. That must be his mother.

She drew her attention away from the scene. Staring didn't help the situation and she had to act now. The young crime fighter ran into the park and opened her capsule. She flew up and made her way to the last place she'd seen Gohan alive, the state bank.

When her vehicle landed, she pulled out a map from her glove compartment. Videl then jumped out and hurried to the exact spot she had stood that fateful day. A part of the state bank had been condoned off as a construction site, as the explosion had caused some serious damage to the building. She unfolded the map and positioned it to match her surroundings.

According to what Bulma said, Gohan would immediately come to her if something serious had happened to him. She picked up a pen and crossed out her current location. Then she searched for the location of Capsule Corp. and crossed it too. She rummaged through her backpack and found the ruler she was looking for. With that, She connected both dots with a straight line.

Exactly what she thought, it's the same direction Gohan took off that day so quickly.

She rushed back to her copter. Videl entered Capsule Corp.'s coordinates and since all 2.485 miles had to be flown in the exact line she had drawn on her map, she turned on the autopilot. Even though her jet-copter was one of the fastest on the market, it still would take her up to 8.5 hours to reach her destination. Nonetheless, she took off.

Traveling west for about three hours, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She had crossed endless grass fields, farmyards and mountain ranges. At first, she flew at top speed, but eventually she was afraid she would miss crucial clues, so she adjusted her speed so that she could still search the terrain below her, but also not lose much unnecessary time. This brought her an additional four hours to her journey, but that didn't stop her from continuing her search.

She flew over an old abandoned industrial site where iron ore used to be processed. This place used to be very abundant back in the day, but due to new techniques the site became outdated and it eventually closed ten years ago. It was a shame that they didn't reuse the area to build something else. When she flew over this huge storage building, she swore she saw something atypical through the holes in the roof. She turned off the autopilot and turned her jet. She hovered over one of the larger gaps and looked down. There was indeed something down there cloaked in red. Although Videl couldn't quite see what it was, a bad feeling came over her.

Unable to land her vehicle on the roof, she looked for a spot nearby. She grabbed her bag and tossed its contents onto the passenger seat. Then she filled it with her first aid kit, a bottle of water and a bar of chocolate that happened to lay around. Without even bothering to capsulize her copter, she ran to the storage building. A panic overtook her. What would she find? What if she was too late? What... What if her nightmare came true?

There was the metal door that led into the building. She jerked at its handles, but chains prevented her from opening the door. Videl was breathing heavily and grabbed an iron bar that lay on the ground. She slammed it against the lock of the chain, but in vain. She tried again and again, but the damn thing wouldn't budge. Tears filled her eyes as she tried a different approach by slamming her shoulder against the door. But after a few times trying, she understood that there was no point in continuing. She growled in frustration and picked up the iron bar again. She placed it so she could get some tension to the chains. Maybe if she used the bar as leverage, the chain might break. And using her whole body, she put as much force on it as she could.

The chain broke.

Without a second thought, she opened the heavy door. Light fell into the storage building and amid some rubble, she saw it lying on the floor, face forward:

The motionless body of none other than Saiyaman.

Chapter Text

Chapter 7: Stabilized

"No..."

With trembling feet, Videl took a few echoing steps forward, but stopped halfway. Saiyaman's body hadn't moved at all since she opened the door, and she now expected the worst. His helmeted head was turned to the other side of where she was standing. She couldn't see his face, and she didn't know if she even wanted to. His body just lay there, motionless on the floor. What if he was indeed dead? Could she face that truth?

Her body was stiff. She couldn't bring herself to it. Tears filled her eyes and she dropped to her knees. Feeling so helpless and not knowing what else to do, she took her phone out of her pocket and entered the phone number on the Capsule Corps.'s business card. As the tones came through, a tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek.

"This is Bulma Brief, who am I speaking with?" a familiar voice came from the other end of the line.

"I found him..." her voice was weak and quivering as she said it.

"What?"

"I found Saiyaman," Videl said a bit more audibly, followed by a soft sniff.

"Is he alive?" Bulma's voice sounded concerned yet determined.

"I... I don't know," now the tears really came pushing through and she began to sob. "I'm scared, I don't know what to do!"

"Listen - Videl was it? -" Bulma had put her emotions aside and sounded resolute. "The only way to help him is to go over to him and check if he's still alive or not. I know it's harsh on you, but please, this has to be done." She paused, then added to encourage her, "I know you can do it."

On the other end of the line, Bulma heard a few muffled sounds, followed by a deep breath. Videl had pulled herself together and stood up. "Please stay on the line with me," the trembling teenager asked.

"That's a promise, you're not alone. Now go and check on him," the scientist encouraged.

Videl followed Bulma's instructions and cautiously made her way to the body in front of her. She knelt beside it and reached for his neck to make sure he still had a pulse. She expected to meet an icy surface when she touched him, but while it wasn't as warm as it should be, his skin wasn't ice cold either. Full of hope, she searched with her middle and index fingers for his carotid artery just below his jawline. And there it was! A heartbeat. Although it was very faint, it was certainly there.

"He's alive!" Her whole body felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"That's a relief," Bulma sighed deeply, unaware that she was holding her breath up until now. However, she knew they weren't yet out of danger. "Videl, listen, and listen to me carefully. The reason we hadn't found him yet is because he's probably in very bad shape. I got your coordinates retrieved from your phone and help is already on its way. But in the meantime, I need you to take him out of his Saiyaman uniform. It is unwise for people to see an unconscious Saiyaman if we do have to airlift him out of here."

"You... you mean I have to undress him?" Videl asked in surprise, turning a deep red when she thought of it.

"No, no, not like that," even in these bitter circumstances Bulma couldn't suppress a giggle, "You have to press the red button on his watch."

Her eyes slid to Saiyaman's gloved hands, and he did indeed had a watch on his left wrist. She put the phone on speaker and placed it next to her so she was able to use both hands. She looked at the body in front of her. His current position wouldn't do him any good, she thought, and carefully, without doing any additional damage, she turned him onto his back. To support his head, she laid it down on her lap.

She looked at him and was met with her own reflection in his visor. A week ago she would've done anything to rip this stupid 'bucket' off his head. But now – now she knew what she would find – she didn't want to. At this point, this unconscious body was still Saiyaman to her – she was not yet ready to get confronted by the truth. With a lump in her stomach the young crime fighter reached for his arm. She kept her thumb on the red button on his watch – 'well, here goes nothing,' she thought – then pressed it.

A flash of light appeared and within seconds Saiyaman had given way to a teenager, wearing a loosely fitting white shirt with a black waistcoat over it, paired with red slacks and black dress shoes. His hair was spiky and a lone lock dangled from his forehead.

"Gohan..."

Tears filled her eyes again. This wasn't the face Videl came to mind when she thought of the sweet country boy. Instead of his usual carefree happy face, she saw an expressionless pale one, covered in blue veins. For a moment she could only stare in shock as her silent tears dripped on his forehead.

Suddenly a gust of wind appeared and small parts of the ceiling clattered to the floor. Videl covered both her head and that of Gohan in order to protect them from the falling debris. When she looked up, she saw a large demon-like creature. It had green skin and was dressed in a dark purplish-blue gi with a sky-blue obi around his waist and a white cape with sharp shoulders. Two pointy ears stuck out on either side of his matching turban. Shortly after, he was accompanied by a short man wearing regular clothes with black hair and was seemingly noseless. Videl realized that those men were definitely the flying guys from the witness statements earlier this week.

"No worries, we're here to help. Bulma has sent us," the shorter one said, responding to the slight mistrust that Videl's eyes featured.

The green demon knelt in front of Gohan and pulled a pouch from under his obi. He reached into the small bag and pulled out what looked like a green bean. He placed it in between Gohan's jaws and pressed them together until it audibly snapped in two. Though, nothing happened.

"Tsk, he doesn't swallow it," the green man growled irritably, flashing his fangs in the process.

These men had been sent by Bulma, and although Videl didn't understand what this bean would do, she trusted Bulma's judgment. "Maybe some water will work?" Videl said hesitantly, reaching for her backpack beside her. She pulled the bottle out and took off its cap. As she placed it on Gohan's lips, some water seeped in and with her other hand she gently stimulated his throat to swallow. And she succeeded.

A loud gasp sounded through the room, amplified by the echo coming from the empty walls. Gohan had risen from her lap and was now sitting up and was clearly awake. He looked at his hands and tested if they still work. His pale face had changed back to his normal healthy color. He looked up at the green man. "Hi Piccolo, hey Krillin, I appreciate the Senzu."

"Hey kid, how are you doing?" said the big green man addressed as Piccolo. He offered a hand to Gohan to help get up. "Glad to see you alive."

"Yeah, me two. I'm really grateful," Gohan replied, accepting Piccolo's hand.

"You have to thank your friend, she's the one who found you," Piccolo replied, pointing to Videl.

Gohan turned his head and was met with a bewildered Videl. She couldn't comprehend what she'd just witnessed. First, he was lying almost dead on her lap, the next he was standing in front of her as if nothing had ever happened.

"Videl...?"

Gohan looked surprised to see her. A moment of silence filled the room. He took in her tense body, her shocked face, and finally his gaze lingered on her light-blue opal but teary eyes. He blinked his own eyes as he tried to stop his staring, then smiled his characteristic friendly smile to her. Videl felt that her body started to glow and a tremendous weight was lifted from her shoulders. She didn't know how, but Gohan was somehow okay and she was so relieved!

In order to greet her, Gohan took a step towards her. But to her horror, Videl saw his eyes roll back in his sockets and his body fell forward. Before he would hit the ground, his limb body was caught just in time by Piccolo's quick reaction, who had grabbed the back of his shirt.

"What the -, Gohan, what the hell happened to you?" said Piccolo in frustration. "Something is seriously wrong here. We need to go!" Then the green man picked Gohan's unconscious body under his arm and took off with a blast.

The noseless man followed suit, but when his feet were barely off the ground, he turned his attention to Videl. "You'll find him at Capsule Corp., there he'll have the best chance of recovery," and then he too shot into the air, leaving Videl all alone in the abandoned storage building in the middle of nowhere.

###

"What just happened? He was fine when we gave him the Senzu bean, why did he suddenly collapse?" Krillin caught up with Piccolo.

"I don't understand it myself," Piccolo growled, "but we have got a lot of ground to cover, so let's hurry. We need to get him to Bulma as soon as possible. She’ll know what to do." Krillin nodded and they both increased their speed.

After a short while, a large spherical building appeared with 'Capsule Corp.' written on it. Both Piccolo and Krillin landed on the balcony of one of the rooms and rushed through the open door and went through another door on the left. The room they found themselves in now was one of Bulma's test labs. It was equipped with all kinds of laboratory and medical machines that had previously served her work on Saiyan biology. On one of the walls was a huge computer system and in the center of the room the massive light table was converted into a temporary surgery table.

"Videl? ...Videl? I'm not sure if you can still hear me, but I'm sorry, I have to go. They are here. I'll keep you posted," Bulma couldn't afford to wait for an answer, so she immediately hung up the phone when she saw the trio arrive. She ran to the table on which Piccolo had laid Gohan's body. She checked his pulse and tested the reflexes of his pupils with a small flashlight.

"So the Senzu bean didn't work?" the scientist asked as she performed some more basic tests on the unconscious boy.

"It worked fine at first, we even spoke to him for a brief moment," Krillin looked uneasy at the scene in front of him, "but then all the lights went out again and now here we are."

"I see," Bulma answered understandably. "The Senzu bean restores the physical state of the person who consumes it in an instant. The fact that he got up tells me that his body has indeed suffered physical trauma. But a Senzu will not be our salvation for him."

"So what you're implying is that whatever happened to Gohan is still causing him physical harm as we speak?" Piccolo frowned.

"Yes, exactly" Bulma consented and walked to a nearby cabinet. "I need to do some blood tests to understand what's going on, but I've got my suspicions. That girl who found him has hinted to me earlier today that he might have been poisoned."

When she opened a drawer in the cabinet, she saw the messy content of surgical instruments. 'That's strange,' the scientist thought to herself, 'normally it was always so neatly organized.' She shrugged it off and tried to find what she was looking for. What she had in stock was apparently scarce, but she still found a Saiyan-proof needle with which she could draw some blood.

To her surprise, Gohan's blood was abnormally thin and she quickly filled the required amount of vacutainer tubes. When she pulled the needle out, Bulma placed a piece of gauze to staunch the small puncture wound. Though, his blood kept flowing. "Krillin, could you please put some pressure on it while I go analyze his blood?" Bulma asked. The former monk nodded and switched places with the blue-haired scientist.

The door to the room flew open. There stood a very well-built man with perked up, spiky black hair that formed a prominent widow's peak on his forehead. He walked into the room and scowled at the boy lying in the center of the room. "So you found the half-breed," he said coolly.

"Vegeta, please close the door," Bulma sighed, "I'm trying to keep this room as germ-free as possible."

"Bulma?" Krillin's voice had an uncertain tone, "He's still bleeding."

"It'll stop soon, don't worry," the scientist replied, performing several steps of a CBC blood test. She inserted a sample into the analyzer and while it was evaluating its parameters, she made a smear in order to look for abnormalities under the microscope.

"Bulma, he's losing blood," Krillin remarked yet again. Bulma looked up from her microscope. To her surprise, blood did indeed drip onto the floor and had formed a small puddle. She got up to check on the boy on the table, who now began to look quite pale.

"Shit, he's losing a lot of blood. Never seen such thin blood." The scientist turned her attention to Piccolo, "Can you get Dende for us? We could really use his help." Piccolo nodded and without a word, he left the room through the still open door. As he passed Vegeta, he gave him a disapproving look and slammed the door behind him.

"What should I do?" Krillin asked.

"Just keep pressure on his wound," the scientist replied, returning her attention to her analysis work. "I don't think it will take Piccolo long to bring Dende here."

And within minutes her predictions were answered. Piccolo came through the door and let a child-like version of himself into the room, albeit with different attire. Dende walked over to the table and had a worried look on his face.

"Dende! Glad you're here," Krillin said with relief. He made room for the Namekian. "Can you please stop the bleeding?'

Dende raised his hands and a glow radiated from it. The small puncture hole the needle had created suddenly stopped bleeding, and shortly after the color in Gohan's cheeks returned to normal. A soft moan escaped the teen's lips.

"Stop! Please don't wake him up," Bulma warned, "His body is unstable, it's best to keep him in an artificial coma."

"I agree," Dende replied and stopped what he was doing. "I healed him, but there is a substance in his body I don't recognize. He was in bad shape, though, his organs were partially shut down."

"Hmf," a sound came from near the entrance of the door. Vegeta, who was leaning against the wall, had enough of the situation. "What kind of Guardian of the Earth are you, shouldn't you be able to remove whatever it is from his body? After all, you are his 'God'..." Vegeta's piercing eyes crossed Dende's. "Or are you just as worthless at healing as you are at finding people."

"Vegeta!" Bulma warned him, but was silenced by a calming gesture from the Namekian.

"My powers are limited to the healing of the body itself, I'm unable to remove foreign substances from it, sorry." Dende apologized. "And as you've probably noticed for yourself, Gohan's power level – and thus his life force – has dropped dramatically, even now that I've healed him." He looked back at Gohan. "His Ki levels are almost as low as a regular human being, so I didn't recognize him."

"Then again," Vegeta interrupted, "Shouldn't you have been watching the boy at all times?"

"My job is to keep a watchful eye on all the Earth's inhabitants, not solely on one individual. And for your information, there was a tsunami threat near the Southern Islands at the time Gohan disappeared, so I was occupied."

Vegeta wanted to snap back at Dende, but was interrupted by Piccolo. "Have some respect, Vegeta," he growled. Vegeta rolled his eyes in response, but remained quiet.

"I've got some blood test results," Bulma tried to ease the tension. "As we have already experienced, his blood is very thin. So thin it could leak from his veins. This can lead to internal bleeding and oxygen deficiency in his organs," she sighed. "To be honest, he should've been dead within an hour, so I'm kinda confused that he survived this long."

"The boy is half Saiyan, of course he survives longer than pathetic earthlings." Vegeta got off the wall and walked over to Bulma. "A Saiyan is a superior being built to survive the harshest conditions." He looked at Gohan, who was still unconscious. "But even though I don't want to admit it, even a Saiyan's body has its limits. If the body detects that damage has been done to the extent that it definitely dies, it shuts down as a defense mechanism. This means that the body will go into this vegetative state as a last resort for survival, in the hope that another Saiyan can help. It's pathetic if you ask me," he added, expressing his displeasure. "We found no honor in it, so even though it happened in exceptional cases, we let them die anyway."

"So the reason Gohan is unconscious is because of this protective mechanism and not because of the poison?" asked Krillin.

"You heard the woman," Vegeta snapped at the former monk. "Otherwise, he'd probably already be dead. The reason he's alive is because his body doesn't allow the poison - or whatever it is - to spread. The only problem is that the body can't get rid of it either."

"I see," Piccolo said and looked back at Bulma, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I also did a quick drug test and found very small traces of 5-MeO-DMT, a psychoactive substance. But those concentrations are so low that it should no longer have any effect."

"So what now?"

Bulma looked at Piccolo, "I noticed he didn't have an eye reflex, so I'm afraid there's more to it. I need to run some tests on his nervous system and get a puncture of lymphatic fluid. Dende, could you stay until that's done so we don't have to worry about wounds that won't clot?" Dende nodded in agreement. "And am I correct to say that the poison wouldn't spread if Gohan is in this vegetative state?" she asked her husband.

"The only reason someone would die in that state is if it runs out of resources," Vegeta answered.

"Well, that's positive," Bulma said and looked empathetically over to her godson. "As he has already eaten a Senzu, he only needs to be kept hydrated for the next ten days to stabilize him. Krillin, can you call Chi-Chi? She still doesn't know we found her son."

The scientist spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening doing tests and analyses. After Gohan's condition was kept stable in a controlled coma and she took all the samples she needed, Dende had left the premises with the others. Only Chi-Chi and Goten – Gohan's little brother – spent the night. Bulma looked at the clock, it was almost 11 PM. She sighed and decided to call it a day. Her tests had made her wiser as to what was happening to Gohan's body, but how or why it all happened was still a great mystery to her.

Her phone rang.

'Who would call her at this hour of the day?,' She thought and picked up the phone. "You speaking to Bulma," her voice sounded tired.

A female's voice came through the other end of the phone, one she recognized as Videl: "I figured it out!" She sounded excited yet tired at the same time, "I know what poisoned Gohan."

Chapter Text

Chapter 8: Interrogation

It was quiet. The only thing that made a sound was the frequent dripping in the background. Other than that? Nothing. It felt so lonely, and to top it all off, it was very cold too. Goosebumps appeared on her skin. Videl couldn't bear the thought of lying here on the ground for six days, consumed by emptiness. Not knowing what was going on in the outside world, not knowing if help was on its way, not knowing if... or better, when you were going to die.

Fortunately it was all over now. Her friend was in capable hands, and although the near future of his well-being was uncertain, he would now have the best chance of recovery. At least that was what the shorter man told her. And though she didn't know who they were, these strange men seemed genuinely concerned about Gohan. They must be close to him.

"Videl? ...Videl? I'm not sure if you can still hear me, but I'm sorry, I have to go. They are here. I'll keep you posted," a voice echoed through her cell phone speakers, followed by a click. She had forgotten her connection to Bulma, but now that Bulma had hung up, she felt even more alone. What should she do now? At this point, she'd done all she could, and now it was in their hands. Staying here in this depressing building wouldn't help either.

Videl got up and reached for her water bottle on the ground, which had fallen to the floor when Gohan had risen so suddenly from her lap, and had emptied its contents in the process. Next to the bottle, however, something caught her eye. It was a kind of hypodermic needle with a red plume attached to it. This had to be one of the darts that hit Saiyaman at the state bank. Suddenly she knew what to do!

The teenage crime fighter ran from the abandoned storage building to her jet-copter. There she searched through the contents on the passenger seat that she had thrown from her backpack and took an eraser out of her pencil case. She made her way back to the storage building and very carefully picked up the dart at the end of the plume. Whatever residue was in it, it wasn't something to be taken lightly. She knew she couldn't take any chances with it, so she stuck the tip into a small piece of the eraser. That way she couldn't accidentally stab herself with it. She stuffed the whole thing into the empty water bottle and put it back into her backpack before heading back to her vehicle.

Videl threw her backpack on the seat next to her and noticed the flyer from this morning lying on the floor. She picked it up and unfolded it, only to be met with the smiling picture of Gohan. She never really got a good look at the boy and she had to give it to him, he was quite handsome in that photo – dorky – but handsome. No wonder Erasa had a crush on him. She blushed a little unconsciously as her eyes went over his features. Though his posture was quite slim, it was still respectfully muscular. Everyone used to joke about how wimpy, nerdy and weak he was. It was almost humorous how wrong they all were, how wrong she used to be.

Her eyes lingered on the word 'missing' written above the picture. That's old news, she thought, and tore the word off. Much better! And with that, her mood lifted. Everything is going in the right direction from now on, she decided. She pinned Gohan's photo to the right side of her dashboard so he could keep her fictitious company on the long journey back. If she rushed, she'd be back in Satan City within 2.5 hours and was still able to do whatever she had in mind to do.

An hour into her journey, Videl saw a strange yellow dot in the distance. As it got closer, she was surprised to see a cloud flying very quickly toward her, carrying two traditionally dressed individuals: a little boy and a woman in her mid-thirties. Another boy with lavender-colored hair flew next to it. This strange occurance lasted only a few seconds, though Videl was sure she and the older woman were making eye contact at some point.

When it was all over, she looked at the picture on her dashboard and sighed. "No wonder you never talk about yourself, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me your mother is flying around on a yellow cloud," she muttered to the photo, "or that you are friends with a green alien-like creature with fangs and pointed ears; or that you are the godson of the Bulma Brief; or that you are actually a flying superhero in a goofy costume who can deflect bullets with his fingers." She paused for a moment and added with a chuckle, "I still doubt everything, even though I've seen it with my own eyes."

Arriving at her destination, Videl landed her copter in front of Satan City Prison. She went in and walked over to the receptionist. "I'm here to meet the chief," Videl told her, and the receptionist directed her to a room down the hall. She knocked on the door and the chief opened it for her. 

"Come in," he grumbled, motioning for her to sit on one of the chairs in the room. While Videl did what the chief requested, the chief himself sat down in the other chair at the far end of the table. "So, can you tell me why you called me here?" the chief looked at her questioningly.

"Well, I can't go into details, but I need to speak to one of the crooks involved in the state bank robbery last Tuesday." Videl looked at the mustachioed face of the man in front of her. "It's the guy who guarded the entrance, the one with the glasses."

"Their case is still pending and I can't just let people talk to suspects without good reason," the chief gave her an insinuating look.

"Look Barney, I need to talk to him," the young crime fighter insisted, "someone's life is in danger."

"How so?"

"It has to do with the gun he used," she decided, in part, to give him some details. "Someone got hit by it and I need to know what the guy shot at him."

"So, why hasn't his doctor contacted us? Why didn't we hear about this victim before?" he doubted her sincerity.

"It's Saiyaman," Videl admitted, "But his real identity must be kept secret."

"That's rubbish, Saiyaman helped us evacuate the casino after an ATM robbery explosion this afternoon. "He was perfectly fine!"

"That's a stand-in."

"Hm, as if there were several people to choose from with such powers," he said scornfully. "Videl, I think highly of you, but don't abuse my trust."

"I'm not," she said firmly, without breaking eye contact with the man in front of her.

After a while, the chief gave in. "Okay, I don't know what your real intentions are, but I'm doing this for you because you've been such a great help to us with fighting crime." He gave her an intense look, " But don't make me regret my decision."

"Thank you sir!" Videl rose from her chair and bowed before him.

"I must warn you, though, he hasn't spoken a word since his arrest. Maybe you can get him to talk," the chief got up from his seat and walked to the door. "But be aware that no matter what happens, no violence should be used between these walls," the chief warned, "that would be a crime in itself."

Videl nodded and followed the chief through several hallways until they came to a door with a 'Interrogation room 5' sign on it. She was let into an adjacent room, a small room with a large window on one wall. From there, Videl could see the interrogation room clearly.

"Please wait here, I'll get your guy," the chief said, then left her. About ten minutes later, the interrogation room door opened and the bald, lanky-looking man in orange prison garb was ushered in. The chief handcuffed him to his seat so he couldn't move from it. Then the chief left the room and joined Videl again.

"Well, he's all yours," the chief waved a hand towards the door. "You have fifteen minutes."

"Thank you," Videl said and walked to the door, but turned and looked at the chief. "Do you have any additional information about the guy that could assist with my questioning?"

"Like I told you, he doesn't talk," said the man. "All we know are the basics. His name is Habas Erpeto, he is an unemployed herpetologist in his early thirties. He has a chronically ill child and he had a wife, but when she learned of his involvement in the state bank robbery, she left him. That's basically all we know."

Videl nodded and walked to the interrogation room. When she entered, the man looked up and was somewhat surprised to see Videl. The teen lowered herself into the chair on the other side of the criminal, only to have a table separate them.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" said the thug sarcastically, looking at Videl.

Videl ignored him and looked straight to the man in front of her. "Mr. Erpeto, or should I call you Habas?" He didn't respond, so she went on, "I need to know what poison was in those darts you fired at the state bank," she said straight-forward.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You ain't no cop, why the interest?"

Videl stayed silent and waited patiently for him to continue.

"The only one I fired those darts at was that stupid costumed hero, nobody else, and according to multiple sources, he's still flying around Satan City and putting criminals behind bars. So then I ask you again, why the interest?"

"Why did you want to poison him in the first place?" ignoring his question yet again.

"What does it matter? It obviously didn't have the desired effect." Hadas got irritated, "the guy ain't human, I tell ya."

Videl still remained silent and folded her arms, not losing eye contact with him.

"No, wait?! It did work, didn't it?" the prisoner grinned, twinkles appeared in his eyes. "But who flies through the city then?"

"I just want to know what was in those darts, nothing more, nothing less. Saiyaman is still flying around, as you know," Videl told him coolly.

"Well, I'll have to keep you in the dark then," he pushed a little further.

"I need to know," she said more firmly.

"Then tell me why. If you ain't tellin' me what I want to know, I ain't tellin' ya what you want to know." The thug smirked at his power over the conversation.

“I NEED TO KNOW!" Videl now lost her composure, rose from her chair and slammed her hands on the table. "My friend is in a very bad state and he needs to be treated as soon as possible," anger and despair ran through her voice. "If your goal was to take out Saiyaman, then you're out of luck. There is a line of people with the same powers who are willing to take his place without hesitation. If this one disappears, another will take his place. There will always be a Saiyaman! Be glad you only have to deal with one."

His grin grew more intense. "That he's still alive is astonishin' in itself. The guy ain't human, I tellin' ya." He looked inquisitively to Videl, who sank back back into her seat. He sighed and relaxed his posture, "They deceived me, ya know, promissin' me the salvation I needed to help my daughter: all the money for her treatment, rescue from prison, a new name, a new identity, protection,'' there was some hurt visible his eyes, "All I had to do was to eliminate this one guy. But because they all think I've failed, they left me to rot in jail."

"I'm sorry to hear about your daughter, but this is what you get for making a deal with thugs. They only care about themselves, not about others."

"Hm," he looked away and stared at the wall in thought for a moment. They both remained silent. Then he looked back at Videl, and it was obvious that he was considering something. "You want to be a detective, don't you?" he finally asked, and Videl nodded in agreement. "Let's play a little game then. A crime is like a puzzle, collecting small pieces of information and puttin' them together to discover the real story. It's almost like a riddle. I'll give ya your answers disguised in four riddles."

He looked at her defiantly, "Wanna play?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 9: Riddles

"You wanna play or not?" the crook repeated himself.

Videl wasn't in the mood to play his little game, but since the chief had warned her he wasn't going to speak, she didn't want to lose this opportunity now that he was. So she decided to play along. "Only if you promise me I'll get the answers in the end. I don't like wasting my time on nothing,"

"That's a promise," the man reassured her, repositioning his glasses on his nose. "And since I like poetry, I'll give ya your answers disguised in four different haikus. So let's start easy," he said and followed:

...

" One consist of three

Each produced for survival

A liquid to kill "

...

"That's it?" Videl was a bit taken aback by the easiness of his riddle. "So the content of the darts is made up of three elements, each element is produced to benefit one's survival, though it is toxic to others." Videl thought for a moment before continuing: "And since you are a herpetologist, I suspect it has to do with toxins produced by a reptile or amphibian."

"You ain't letting me down, Miss Satan," a grin appeared on his face. "Let's take it up a nod-"

They were interrupted by the chief, who came through the door. "Videl, your time is up. Mr. Erpeto has to go to the dining room, they're about to serve dinner."

"But I..." Videl tried, but was immediately interrupted by the chief.

"You had your fifteen minutes. And unlike you, I don't have time to play games."

"Well, you heard the boss," the crook said reluctantly, "our little game is over."

Videl looked desperately from the criminal in front of her, to the chief, and back again. "Are you serious? The man is about to speak for the first time since he's been here, and you shut him up?"

"Chief, with all due respect, can I at least write the riddles down for her? This way she is happy and won't bother you again," the thug said smoothly, and to Videl's surprise the chief gave permission. And so it happened that five minutes later Videl was standing outside with three pieces of paper in her hand, each with their own Haiku written on it:

...

intoxicating

The Bufo's milky-white treat

A trip for relief

...

Product used to hunt

Colombia's dreadful gold

Intolerant nerves

...

Unbound by Ryūjin

China's small-scute tycoon

One devouring kiss

...

She stared at the scraps of paper as a heavy rumbling sound distracted her. She hadn't eaten since this morning and her stomach was clearly in protest. She looked at her watch, it was almost seven o'clock. Maybe she could make a pit stop at Erasa's place, since she lived not far from here. She took her phone out of her pocket and called her blond friend.

"Hi Vi!" Erasa's bubbly voice peeled through the receiver.

"Hey 'rase, can I stop by? I need a break. It's been a long day," Videl said wearily.

"Sure thing! Sharpener is here too, so we can have a bit of fun."

"Sharpener?"

"Yeah, we did some work on our history project, but we haven't been very productive. We do have a topic though!"

"That's nice," Videl said reluctantly. She almost regretted calling the blond. She didn't feel like having 'a bit of fun', and she certainly was not in the mood to talk about homework.

"We were about to order ramen, do you want some?"

Never mind, this was a good idea after all, Videl thought, "Yes please! Same as always! See you soon."

###

"Ah, this is so good!" Videl almost forgot her table manners as she stuffed her face. They had ordered her Hakodate Ramen, with extra roast char siu pork. Normally she would go for a vegetarian option, but ramen was an exception. And feeling like she was almost starving, she devoured the ramen like it was nothing.

"You eat almost like Gohan," said a bewildered Erasa as she watched the spectacle.

Videl immediately stopped eating. Her thoughts went back to today's events. The hopeless feeling she felt when her friend had been missing for so long; the shocking image of Gohan's expressionless pale face covered in blue veins; the moment of relief she felt when he got up which vanished almost immediately when he collapsed again. It has been like a roller coaster. And now, thinking about the poor boy who hadn't eaten for six days straight, her appetite was completely gone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Erasa tried, but couldn't find the right words. "We are worried too," she added.

"It's okay," Videl said, pushing aside her left-over bowl of ramen. It was best to keep the good mood. "He has been found alive today, so everything is going to be alright."

"No way!" spat Sharpener out, his eyes widening. "That's wicked! How do you know this?"

"I work for the police, I know such things," Videl lied, not wanting to go into details or let them know what her role was in his find.

"What a relief!" Erasa clapped her hands together. "We must go see him!"

"No, please don't," the raven-haired girl was stunned at how this conversation was developing. "I said he was found and that everything would be fine. But for now he is not fit enough to have visitors. Also, this information will stay in this room as his case is still ongoing, you got that?" said Videl firmly and looked at Erasa, who nodded in agreement. Videl sighed with relief and was glad that she was able to slow down her friend's excitement.

"So..." Sharener tried to ease the room, "Anything else about the bookworm?"

"No, not that I can share," said the crime fighter, "only he's now reunited with his mother."

The room went silent for a while, everyone pretending to be focused on their ramen. However, their thoughts were with their mutual classmate. Videl's thoughts went back to the scraps of paper she had in her pocket. Maybe her friends could help her out.

"Wanna play a game?" Videl asked hesitantly, breaking the silence.

"Sure babe, what did you have in mind?" Sharpener said, winking seductively at Videl, but was silenced by a very nasty look from said girl.

"I've got three riddles disguised as haikus that I have to solve," Videl continued. "Each should be a reference to a venomous reptile or amphibian." She threw the pieces of paper in the middle of their group.

"Bufo's milky-white treat? That sounds nasty," Sharpener laughed, letting his dirty mind take over.

"Sharpener, this is serious," Videl warned him.

"Why is this serious, I thought you said it was a game?" Erasa asked, looking at Videl with a questioning look.

"It's homework the chief gave me to help me become a detective," Videl didn't like to lie to her friends, but it was better than telling them the truth. If they knew what the content was for, they could cause a scene and worry about their friend more than they already were.

"So you're interested in homework when it's for the police, but you're leaving us to do all the work for the history project?" said Erasa slightly accusingly, but Videl noticed that there was also a hint of teasing in her voice. "Okay, let's start with this one!" Erasa added, letting her friend know she was in as she ripped the haiku from Sharpener's hand. "Any thoughts on this one?"

"Well, the fictional case involves a victim being fatally poisoned by a substance that is a mixture of toxins from these three animals." pointing to each of the three scraps of paper. "On that one, I think the words 'intoxicating' and 'relief' may refer to some kind of narcotic."

"What about 'treat' and 'trip'?" Sharpener said, with a smirk on his face. "Maybe the victim died while partying hard."

"Like I said, this is serious," Videl scowled at him.

"Have you tried putting it in an online search engine?" Erasa said wisely. "Although I'm not sure I want to search for 'Bufo's milky-white treat'."

"There's only one way to find out!" Sharpener took out his phone and entered the exact keywords into the search engine. "Ah, let's see what we have got," Sharpener cleared his throat and read: "Bufo Toad Ceremony Therapy: Is it right for me? The Colorado River Toad - bufo alvarius - secretes a venom that contains'... something, something... 'its most notable characteristic may be the toxic, milkey-white venom it secretes to poison predators.' I think we have a winner! A toad is a reptile, right?" Sharpener looked up at Videl, "Right?"

"Is it this easy?" She was again surprised by the ease of the thug's riddle. "And no, stupid, a toad is an amphibian... What does that article say about the effects of the toxins on the body?"

"Hm," Sharpener looked back at his phone, trying to find the answer. "It says here that it's an extremely potent short-acting psychedelic, though not necessarily deadly," he looked up with a grin. "So I was right! This guy was tripping hard."

Poor Gohan, he wasn't the guy to do any drugs. She could only think he went through some kind of trip without knowing what hit him. It must have been scary.

"Okay, my turn!" the bubbly blond said, picking up the next piece of paper. "Product used to hunt; Colombia's dreadful gold; Intolerant nerves..." she read out loud. "So, something they hunt with, that affects the nerves, I guess. Can you google 'Colombia's dreadful gold' for me, Sharpener?"

"Just a few things about illegal gold mining on Colombia's rivers," Sharpener answered after a short research.

"And if you add the keywords 'reptile' and 'amphibian' to that?" suggested Videl.

Sharpener looked back at his phone "Organized crime... Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica... Hey! Wait, here is something: Colombian Golden Dart Frog! That may be it."

Videl snatched the phone from his hands. She opened a page about this frog for more information. 'Golden poison frog – Phyllobates terribilis – is a poison dart frog endemic to the rain forests of Colombia'. Videl scrolled a little further to a section called 'Toxicity' and found out that this little frog was the most poisonous animal on Earth. Its poison inactivates all nerve cells, resulting in certain death. "One frog can kill ten to twenty humans," Videl murmurs, not looking up from the phone.

"I saw this documentary about a tribe that lives in the jungle and hunts with poisonous arrows, killing monkeys instantly. If I remember correctly, they used frogs for that." Erasa said proudly.

"Since when do you know stuff?" Sharpener teased.

"Hey! I know stuff, you just never seem to notice because it always goes over that stupid head of yours," Erasa sneered back. "And you should have known this too, because the documentary was shown in biology class."

"She's right," said Videl, not listening to their bickering, "they're used to poison arrows for hunting. And its scientific name is 'terribilis', which means terrible, which is a synonym for 'dreadful'. So I think we found our animal."

How on Earth could this be their animal? She knew that the poison the darts contained was made to kill Saiyaman, but this was overkill. Maybe the criminal used a small amount? But the estimated ten to twenty humans who would die from it was based on just 1 milligram of the poison. Which in itself was already a small amount. Though, this animal fitted the description too well. And the thug himself was really surprised that Saiyaman was alive. ' The guy ain't human, I tellin' ya ,' the thug's voice echoed through her head.

"Videl, can I have my phone back?" Sharpener said, snapping Videl back into reality.

"Yeah sure, here," Videl said indifferently as she did as he requested. "Erasa, do you have a pencil for me? Then I'll write down our answers before I forget."

Erasa handed over a ballpoint pen which lay on the table next to her. "Okay, two down, one to go!" she said enthusiastically, as Videl wrote the already discovered answers on the back of its corresponding haiku.

"This one is hard..." Erasa sighed. After searching the web for a while, they didn't get any wiser. Papers with notes were scattered on the floor as they tried to solve the riddle. "I have no idea what they mean by 'China's small-scute Tycoon'." She looked up at Videl, "Have you had any luck?"

Videl picked up some notes. "Well, we know that Ryūjin is the dragon god, the god of the sea. So it could be a sea-bound creature or a dragon-like lizard. But the only venomous lizards are the gila monster and beaded lizard according to the online search engine. Both look like small dragons to me, but they aren't deadly to humans per se. Though, the psychedelic toad wasn't deadly either. Then you have the Komodo Dragon, which on itself bears the name dragon, but there is still a debate going on whether it's venomous or not. The problem is, none of these animals come from China." She stopped for a minute looking at her phone. "Furthermore, 'scute' refers to a bony scale of a reptile or fish. And we all agreed that 'one devouring kiss' probably means that he has a deadly venomous bite."

"Maybe we look at it the wrong way," Sharpener looked at the haiku in front of him, "Maybe China just refers to the word tycoon, not to the animal."

"You know, Ryūjin is also the master of serpents, so maybe we should look at snakes instead of lizards," Erasa interrupted.

Videl looked up at her in surprise, "How do you know that?"

"Well, our history project is about Japanese mythology, as you may know," Erasa looked accusingly at Videl, "and I came across Ryūjin when I was looking for a subject for our paper."

"Well, snakes it is," Sharpener said and raised his drink up to her, "Cheers to you, hun, 'cause you keep surprising me this evening."

"Shut up," bit Erasa, but she seemed to take his comment as a compliment by the looks of her light blush.

"So we have a venomous snake that bites," summarized Videl.

"A very rich and mighty one with tiny scales that does business," Sharpener jokingly added.

Videl gave him an angry look, the umpteenth this evening. "I think you've had enough HETAP. Let's call it a day. It's almost 11 PM anyway and we're barely making any progress," Videl sighed and stood up. "Sorry, I have to make a call."

She excused herself and walked to the hall. Perhaps she should've called sooner, but she was afraid she would interrupt Gohan's immediate care. Bulma said she would keep her posted, but she hadn't called yet, meaning they were still occupied. But they had their time, and this was important information after all. Adrenaline came rushing through her body as Videl took out her phone, and for the second time this day, she called the president of Capsule Corp.

"You speaking to Bulma," answered a tired voice.

"I figured it out!" She sounded excited yet tired at the same time, "I know what poisoned Gohan."

"For real?" Bulma got right awake.

"Well, most of it, at least," Videl recovered. "I went to the police station after I found Gohan and was able to speak to the man who poisoned him. He didn't want to tell me directly what poison he used, but instead gave me four riddles. We solved three out of four."

"I'm listening," Bulma replied, letting Videl know she was interested in what she had to say.

"The poison consists of three elements, all toxins produced by either an amphibian or reptile. The first is a psychedelic drug produced by the Colorado River Toad."

"That explains why there were small traces of 5-MeO-DMT in his blood," said the scientist thoughtfully.

"The second element is the poison produced by the Golden poison frog. It will inactivate the nerve tissue."

"I see, that makes a lot of sense," Bulma said again, reviewing her own research results.

"No it doesn't!" said Videl incredulously. "One frog can kill 10 to 20 humans, so he should be dead,"

"But he isn't," replied Bulma, "and what is the last element?"

"Well, we're not quite done with that one yet. We think it's a venomous snake with small scales or something like that." Videl looked at the piece of paper in her hand, "the riddle is written in a Haiku and goes as follows: Unbound by Ryūjin; China's small-scute tycoon; One devouring kiss. But we got stuck at the middle part."

"Let me think," said Bulma, as she dug deep into her memories, "I've been to China multiple times because I have a branch of my company there. They have occasionally called me 'taipan', which I was told was a term for a foreigner who is the head of a large business in their country. A foreign tycoon, so to say. And I know a Taipan is one of the deadliest snakes to roam this earth." Videl heard the scientist typing something into her computer. "The common taipan; Oxyuranus scutellatus. It's scientific name has the word scute in it." And again there were some audible ticking noises. "But you also have a similar species, the Inland taipan – Oxyuranus microlepidotus – which literally means small-scale snake, which is extremely venomous. I think the guy refers to the latter as 'small-scute', though scute and scale are - zoologically speaking - two different terms. Whoever wrote this haiku wasn't the brightest, was he?"

"He trusted criminals and got caught by the police, you tell me if he was the bright one," Videl said mockingly. "So this Taipan is our third element?"

"Presumably," Bulma stated, while reading some information from the computer. "Some of Gohan's symptoms are similar to what this snake's venom does. For example, his blood was extremely thin and didn't clot. But before I start treatment, I wish I could test it somehow."

"I've got one of the darts that hit Gohan, maybe you could examine its residual?" Videl suggested.

"Great! I'm really grateful for your help Videl. Gohan is one lucky man to have you around." Videl blushed enormously at that remark, unnoticed by the scientist. "Is it okay if I'll send someone to pick it up? It would be nice to have it analyzed overnight so we can start right away in the morning."

"Yeah, no problem," Videl swallowed, "I need to know, how is Gohan doing?"

"He's stable, but we're keeping him in an artificial coma until we can give him proper treatment," Bulma replied, but had a question of her own: "Videl, I noticed you spoke with the word 'we', is there someone who helped you with those riddles?"

"Yeah, two of my friends helped me, but they aren't aware of the load. They think it's homework I got from the chief," reassured Videl. "No need to worry."

"Good. You understand that this situation is confidential." Videl made a sound of agreement to let her know she understood, as the scientist continued, "I'll see who's available to retrieve the dart. I'll call you back as soon as I know more. Thanks again," and with that, the line went silent.

Videl put her phone away and felt relieved. The riddles were solved and they were one step closer to a cure for Gohan. But her relief was short-lived, as she was confronted by two shocked faces as she opened the door to the living room.

Sharpener looked at Videl insinuatingly, "Is it true? Was Gohan really poisoned by those stupid animals?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 10: Treatment

Why couldn't he say no to her? Of course Gohan was their number one priority, but he was stable at the moment, so why couldn't it wait until tomorrow? It wasn’t like he had all the time in the world. He had an important match next Thursday and he hasn't been able to train for almost a week due to his Saiyaman duties. He didn't dare listen to the dozens of messages his answering machine received from his coach. Not to mention the lack of sleep he had to endure, because crime never sleeps. He looked at the navigation system on his watch. Almost there, good. The sooner this was done, the sooner he could go back to bed.

He landed in front of a bulbous house with a blue roof in the upper reaches of Satan City. To the left of the door was a water bottle, which contained the reason why he was there. Yamcha picked up the bottle and before putting it in his bag, he examined it closely. Through the plastic he could clearly see some kind of tranquilizer dart. So this dart was the sole reason why Goku's eldest son was in his current life-threatening situation.

A dog barked next door. Taking it as a sign to leave, Yamcha flew up and headed west. A group of children at the end of the street were audibly excited as the man flew over them. Yamcha smiled and waved at them. It felt nice not to have to worry if someone saw him fly, something ordinary people couldn't comprehend since Mr. Satan had called Ki-users dangerous imposters. However, this costume seemed to have earned its own acceptance and people were loving their hero 'The Great Saiyaman'.

A loud scream made him stop mid-air. His comfortable bed had to wait a little longer, he thought, and Yamcha hurried to where the scream was coming from. Two buff guys were harassing a blond woman in the back of an alley. Within seconds, the two men were laying on the ground, unconscious.

"Saiyaman..." the woman said with a soft voice, relieved that it was all over.

"Kate?"

"Thank you for saving me..." she said, tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ears, avoiding looking at the hero.

"Are you alright, Kate? Did they hurt you?" said Saiyaman, taking a step toward her.

"No, they didn't hurt me yet, although I don't want to think about what could have happened if you hadn't shown up." Kate still avoided his eyes, her brows frowning. "I have got to go," she added coldly and tried to walk past Saiyaman.

"Wait, Kate, please don't go," Saiyaman pleaded.

This time Kate looked him straight in the eye, or at least tried, but instead saw her own reflection in his helmet. "Was I just a tease to you?" she asked hurtfully, then looked away again as she fought back the tears. "You ignored me all week, avoided my attempts to get in touch with you and if I'm to believe the rumors, I wasn't the only one who fell for your charms."

Saiyaman was taken aback by her fervor. "I'm sorry you feel this way Kate, I truly am. The reason I'm avoiding you is that I recently had a reality check. Yes, I got involved with another woman before you and..." he took a deep breath, "I also made a big mistake after that. I admit I got carried away because of the suit, and I'm ashamed of that. Normally I'm not like that at all," he said truthfully. Saiyaman reached out and gently raised her head to encourage her to look at him. "I have made a promise that I wouldn't use Saiyaman's name for my personal gain, so I can't see you anymore." There was a brief pause during which the two just looked at each other. "And for what it's worth, I want you to know that you were the only one I approached on my own and you've been in my head ever since."

"If the suit is the problem, why not take it off?" Kate tried, hoping to open his heart again.

"I can't, sorry," he sighed again, "Too much is at stake. You are the reporter of Z T.V Daily, one of the most popular news channels in the world. And I've a secret identity to protect. I just can't risk it."

One of the buff guys groaned as he slowly came to, only to be immediately knocked out again with quick footwork from Saiyaman, not losing his attention from the conversation.

"So you don't trust me?" the blond snorted and placed a hand on her thigh. "Said the man in disguise," she mockingly added, looking intently through his visor. "I know you're not the real Saiyaman," she said with a soft voice. Yamcha was transfixed and was unable to respond properly to that comment. But Kate didn't expect him to reply just yet and continued, "I liked you even though I knew you were a fraud. I had a really fun evening and you were very nice to me then. I've seen Saiyaman many times by now and it is obvious that you are a different person." Kate's posture relaxed and leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. "Do you know what such news will do to my career? I bet you can imagine. And yet I stayed quiet, just for you." A soft sniff could be heard.

The two remained silent for a moment, only hearing some car noises in the distance. Then Saiyaman spoke up, "I appreciate that, and if circumstances were different, I would take my helmet off here right now to kiss you. But I made a promise and I have to fulfill my obligations, so I can't do that."

"You made me a promise too, remember," she said, looking at him hurt.

"I know. Look, the tide seems to be turning for the better and hopefully I'll be off my Saiyaman duties soon. But until then I can't keep my promises to you, sorry."

"How do I know when that time comes?" she asked softly.

"I'll let you know somehow." Then Saiyaman smiled, "I know, let's have a secret code! Then you'll know who I am, even if I'm not wearing the costume."

Kate's face brightened. "Will you do that for me?"

"Sure thing."

"Okay, what about 'Pingyao'? That was the name of my favorite cat from my childhood," she enthused.

"I love cats, sounds good to me!" Saiyaman's smile intensified. "Now that's settled, I need to deliver these bad boys to the police," he nodded towards the two unconscious men on the ground. "If you want, I can give you a lift home afterwards?"

"That would be nice, thank you," the reporter said with a blush.

###

At the same time somewhere in a blue-roofed spherical house in Satan City

"Videl, is Gohan really going to die?" Erasa's eyes were filled with tears when she said it.

"I... I..." Videl didn't know what to say. She had promised Bulma not to say anything, but her friends clearly picked up on much of her conversation. She cursed herself, why wasn't she careful enough? The lack of sleep and the stress of previous days crept over her, she used to be so observant. "I think you're misinterpreting my conversation," Videl said cautiously, unwilling to lie, but unwilling to tell them the truth either.

"No no no, I clearly heard you say 'I know what poisoned Gohan'! And I'm sure you weren't talking about someone poisoning a bowl of rice. Don't you dare lie to us," Sharpener warned her.

Videl's phone, still in her hand, rang. "Shit," why now?!

"Bulma Brief?" Sharpener added suspiciously, quickly reading the name off her screen.

Videl clicked the call away and instead sent the caller a quick text message: 'Unable to answer. Put dart outside, next to front door', assuming Bulma called because she had found a volunteer. She also knew that the scientist would be able to find out where she was, as she had done before when she was at the abandoned storage building, so she didn't have to add the address. Without explaining her behavior to her friends, she went to her bag and took out the bottle, walked to the door and put it outside. When the door fell shut, she turned to her friends and had finally figured out what to say to them.

"As I said before, the case is still ongoing and it is true that Gohan isn't fit, but everything will be fine, I assure you. His godmother is the best scientist in the world and also one of the wealthiest, so he'll have the best chance of recovery," quoting the noseless man at the end. She did her best not to lie, as it wouldn't miss Sharpener.

"What about those stupid riddles and its poisonous animals?" Sharpener kept pushing for answers.

"As you may understand by now, I kinda got involved in the case. I just couldn't sit still. Somehow I found out who had poisoned Gohan – the guy is already in jail by the way – and he gave me those haiku's. Though, I think he just played with us, because nobody is going to survive that," she pointed to the scraps of paper on the ground, where the haiku's were written on. "Gohan already survived six days on his own and according to what we found out with those haikus, he should definitely be dead in the blink of an eye after being poisoned. So no, I don't believe those stupid animals poisoned Gohan!" said Videl honestly, frustration in her voice.

"What did Miss Brief think about the haikus?" Erasa now adding to the conversation.

"Dr. Brief," Videl corrected her unconsciously. "She didn't share her thoughts about it," wisely omitting some details out of the conversation, "she said she wished to examine the poison."

"What? Since when is she married?!" exclaimed Erasa in surprise. Then a dog barked outside and out of reflex Erasa looked out of the window. "What the f-," she spat, "Saiyaman was just outside my door?! I saw him fly up, I swear!"

"So your nemesis the Great Saiyadork is involved too?" asked Sharpener to get back to the subject.

"Yes."

An awkward silence filled the room. Why did Bulma send him? Why not the friendly looking guy with no nose or the spiky mean one?

Sharpener sighed deeply and surrendered to the situation. "I wish you'd involved us in this, instead of leaving us in the dark. The mountain boy is also our friend, you know. But the end result matters, I'm just glad he was found."

"And he's going to be fine," Videl added, glad the conversation had broken off. Oh man, she was so tired. "Erasa, is it okay if I crash here for the night? I'm not sure if I'm able to get home. It has been a very, very long and stressful day.

Erasa nodded, "Sure thing, V."

###

The shrill sound of the alarm clock echoed through the room. A sleepy hand escaped the sheets and tried to put it off blindly, with no luck. Annoyed Bulma lifted her head to finally turn the damn thing off. She yawned. This would be one of those sleepless periods again, she thought dejected as she forced herself out of bed.

What took Yamcha so long last night? It was almost 1:30 AM, for Kami's sake! He only had one job. Alright, maybe two jobs, because crime came his way. But being that late? Ugh, she could strangle him for it.

After a quick shower and a breakfast on the go, she checked on the boy it was all about. Gohan, still in his artificial coma, lay on his bed in his own room. Since he was stable, there was no need to have him in her test lab, so she had moved him the night before with all the necessary equipment. She did a quick check: his vital signs were weak, but hadn't changed since he fell into this vegetative state.

She then went to the test lab to review the test results from the poison. She did both a DNA test, using genomes of various poisonous or venomous animals from the NCBI database, and took a chromatogram to see what kind of components the residue mixture contained. And to her satisfaction, it all matched up to three animals: the Colorado Toad, the Golden Dart Frog and the Inland Taipan. It would’ve taken her months to figure this out if that girl hadn’t given her this big push in the right direction.

The blue-haired scientist took all morning to come up with a treatment method. She had called colleagues who worked in the medical field to discuss her experimental ideas of healing the young man. Through one of them, she managed to obtain the venomous snake's antidote and she was glad she didn't have to worry about the toad, as its poison had almost disappeared from Gohan's system. The only real setback was the poison of the dart frog: no antidote or other effective treatments existed for batrachotoxin poisoning. And to top it off, the damage it caused was irreversible. Thank Kami for having Dende and - if necessary - some Senzu beans.

"What about bloodletting? It's been used since the ancient world, although I think the correct term is phlebotomy these days"

Bulma looked open-mouthed at her father. "You are a genius!"

"Now now dear, just thinking along," said the stocky man, inhaling his cigarette.

"Yet you're a genius! This is perfect. Since this vegetative state doesn't allow the poison to spread, most of it could still be in one place. If we could somehow dain it, we may be able to cure him!

"I assume you have to drain a lot of blood from the body, so you have to replace some of it with healthy blood. Does the boy have a suitable blood donor? He's not fully human after all," pointed Dr. Brief out.

"I've done a thorough research about Saiyan biology and because Vegeta didn't cooperate much, I did most of it on Gohan. And well, his Saiyan side is most prominent, especially when it comes to his physical features. However, his brain has more human features. In any case, it is quite interesting," Bulma thought back at her research results. "Unfortunately, his mother isn't a perfect match."

"So you don't have one?" her father asked, inhaling his cigarette again.

"There is. His little brother is a potential donor, though the boy is only 7 years old and can't provide the amount we probably need. Also, do you remember the last time he saw a needle? He's really a spitting image of Goku," Bulma smiled as she thought back at her life-long friend. Her good mood was short-lived, however, and sighed deeply. "So, we're basically left with Vegeta. This is going to be fun."

"O my goodness, good luck with that sweetie," a – for her age – very good looking blond woman picked up the conversation. She had a teapot in her hand and a couple of cups in the other. "Some tea?" she asked with a motherly softness in her voice.

"Sorry Mom, I'm afraid I'll have to skip it. I'm going to make a few phone calls and then I'll have to break the bad news to Vegeta," Bulma reluctantly stood up and made her way back to the premises.

About an hour later everything was set up. The proper equipment was set in place - although it was oddly difficult to find her Saiyen-proof needles - and everyone she needed was present... except for Vegeta. While they waited for Trunks to fetch his father, Bulma gave the rest a briefing.

"So, when the venipuncture is placed, the contaminated blood will exit Gohan's body and Vegeta's clean blood will enter with a direct connection. Since Gohan's blood is really thin, I adjusted the diameter of the tubes so that an equal volume leaves his body just as well as it comes in," Bulma looked to the shortest individual in the room, "Dende, you have to heal Gohan in the meantime, so his body becomes active again, allowing the poison to flow through his veins again. This way we will be able to rinse most of his body."

Dende nodded, "I'll try to keep him stable enough to get him out of his vegetative state, but not to wake him up."

"Perfect! Is it also possible for you to heal two persons at the same time? I want to run this phlebotomy as long as possible, but the body can only give a certain amount. If you could heal Vegeta during the session, he would be able to give a larger amount of blood."

"Since I only need to keep Gohan in an active state, but not heal him throughout, I think I'll have enough power to divide between the two."

"Again, perfect! Piccolo, you're here to restrain Vegeta if needed. I'll get his blood whether he likes it or not. And Krillin, you'll help wherever you are needed."

The door flew open and there stood a sweaty Vegeta, cleaning his forehead with a towel. He was clearly coming out of one of his workouts. Beside him appeared a small boy with lavender hair.

"Thank you Trunks for getting your dad for me!" Bulma said obligingly.

"This better be good, woman, I don't like to be disturbed during my training," Vegeta said ruffly. He took a good look across the room. "What is going on?" he asked suspiciously.

"You aren't going to like it, but we need you to give blood to Gohan. We've found that this is the only way to cure him."

"What?! I'd rather give up training than have my royal blood running through the veins of a half-breed!" he spat out angrily and turned to leave the room.

"We will see about that," Bulma said as she picked up her phone and beeping sounds came from her device. She then looked up and grinned broadly at the back of Vegeta's head.

Vegeta stopped. "What have you done?" he asked threateningly.

"I've granted your wish, Your Majesty, '' replied his wife cooly, albeit with a smirk on her face. "I've changed all the passwords and ordered the computer security system to ban you from entering the gravity room."

"You bitch!" Vegeta turned back to face his wife, anger written all over his face.

"Who's the bitchy one here, huh?" Bulma spat back, "You're always whining about how your precious little race died out! And now one of the last descendants to carry Saiyan genes has been fatally poisoned, you just shrug it off like he isn't worth saving? Are you out of your mind? You may be the only full-blooded Saiyen left, Mr. Prince of just yourself, but the reason you're still here is because of him," the infuriated scientist pointed to the still unconscious Gohan. "You owe him your life, for Kami sake! So you're going to sit in that chair and keep your fucking mouth shut up until we're done, you got that?!"

No matter how strong he was, he couldn't stand his ground against her intimidating fury. So at this point he knew he had lost the battle. "Tsk, fine," said Vegeta unwillingly. However, his Saiyan pride wouldn't let it happen until he got something in return. "On two conditions!" looking insistently in his wife's direction. "You'll restore my access to my training grounds immediately and when this brat is fully healed, he's going to spar with me, full force."

"Fine, whatever," Bulma said irritatedly, although she was relieved to have Vegeta where she wanted without as much as a struggle. "I'll restore your access after this is done though, in case you walk out of here before we're done."

Without a word, Vegeta sat in the chair with a deep frown on his face and let his wife do whatever she had to do with him. He looked to the left and was met with Piccolo's grin. "Why is the Namekian here?" he asked disapprovingly.

"He's here in case you weren't cooperating," answered Bulma, while inserting a needle into one of his arteries in his arm.

"Ha ha, as if that would help," Vegeta laughed mockingly, Piccolo just rolling his eyes.

"Alright, everything is put in place! Dende, are you ready?" Bulma looked at the Earth's Guardian, who nodded and raised his hands to begin his healing.

"Good, let the cleansing begin!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 11: The Awakening

It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon and Yamcha was flying nervously over Satan City disguised as Saiyaman. He had been looking for this 'fangirl' for over two days. Why didn't she give him her contact details? Did she think he was clairvoyant or something? How on Earth could he get in touch with her without it? He just hoped he wasn't too late.

He decided to fly over the park one last time. And finally, after all this time of searching, he found the girl he was looking for. She was sitting on the grass with straight legs, her upper body resting on her hands, next to two blond teenagers. Without any announcement, he landed in their midst.

"Hello there, Miss – uh, what's your name again?" Saiyaman turned his attention to Videl.

After recovering from the initial shock of his sudden appearance, Videl pretended not to be impressed. "I've already filled out the charges," the raven-haired teen said coolly.

"Come on! I've been searching for you for the past two days!" the hero protested, but was interrupted by a scream of ecstasy.

"OH MY! Are you for real?!" Erasa jumped up to get a better look at the local celebrity. "This is so exciting! You were at my front door last Monday!"

"Um, apparently," Saiyaman replied indifferently, though he immediately returned to the conversation with the girl he came for. "Please, that's not fair!" he pleaded.

"I said before Wednesday, and since it's already said day, you're too late," Videl said bitterly, looking up to the costumed man standing in front of her. "But I'll spare you for now, if you have something interesting to say."

"You almost gave me a heart attack, you know that?" Saiyaman breathed a deep sigh of relief when he realized she hadn't gone to the police yet. "Alright, I came here to tell you that he has been found and has undergone immediate care. He is out of the woods and it looks like he will be taken out of his coma by the end of this week."

"You're talking about Gohan, aren't you?" Sharpener joining the conversation.

Yamcha was horrified. Did that guy really say Gohan? The one whose identity he tried so hard to protect? How on Earth did this guy know about him? And how will that girl with the dark pigtails react to that information? As far as he knew, she was on the assumption he was talking about the real Saiyaman, of whom he also knew she didn't know his identity. Yamcha looked nervous from the long haired blond jock to the girl in front of him and back. What was he supposed to say now?

"Yeah, he's talking about Gohan," Videl said, looking straight into Saiyaman's visor with a smirk. She really enjoyed seeing him being cornered. It was kind of sweet revenge. However, he did give her new information about the current status of her friend's recovery, so she was actually glad that he kept his word and reported back to her. "Thank you, you may go now. You are welcome to report back to me, but I don't make it obligatory anymore. You're a free man now," releasing the hero from his pledge. "Except of course, you'll still behave yourself," she added just to be sure.

Without a word, Saiyaman nodded and placed his hand next to his head in a salute. Then he flew off, caught up in his own inner struggle: ‘ Shit, that girl knew too much, how did that happen? How will this turn out in the future? ’ He only had one job, and he managed to screw everything up big time.

###

It was Sunday morning and Videl was lying in her bed after a restless night. She thought back to the events of the past week. After Saiyaman had left her at the park, her two best friends started questioning her. She had to cover up some details as she still needed to protect Gohan's real identity. But they were her friends, so she couldn't leave out all the details. So she told the truth about her impedance in suing him after he 'tried' to kiss her without consent. This was tough, because Erasa really wanted all the juicy details. She then added some fictional details to the story about Saiyaman's involvement in finding Gohan. And to her luck, both her blond friends were satisfied and so the conversation trailed off to some other topics.

Her thoughts then jumped forward to the end of Friday afternoon. She got a call from Bulma Brief, with the best news in weeks. Gohan had woken up from his coma the previous evening and was doing well under the circumstances. They had given him two sets of treatments by replacing his blood with that of a donor and between those sessions he had been treated with some antidotes. The toxins were almost out of his body, but not all of it. Overall, he was well enough to be out of immediate danger.

Videl didn't want to intrude, so she decided to distance herself from the whole situation. Gohan's family and friends were probably eager to visit him, and as she had learned form Bulma, Gohan didn't have much energy. But he had now been out of his coma for nearly two and a half days, and she felt the urge to jump in her copter and fly to Capsule Corps.

"Oh, why the hell not," she said to herself and jumped out of bed. If she left now, she'd be in West City sometime after dinner. She just had to see him so she could see for herself that he was doing well. She really wanted to shake that horrific image of him being nearly dead out of her head. It gave her sleepless nights and she was done with those damn sleepless nights. And a quick visit wouldn't do any harm, right?

And so, after more than an eight hour flight, she stood in front of the immense entrance of Capsule Corp. She pressed one of the many buttons on the display next to the gate, hoping she'd picked the right one. The call went through, so, so far, so good.

"Hello, who is this?" a young boy's voice asked through the speaker.

"This is Videl Satan, I'm here to visit my friend Son Gohan."

"Ah, I didn't know Gohan had a girlfriend?," the boy replied teasingly.

A deep blush appeared on Videl's cheeks. "I'm not his girlfriend!" she exclaimed, "I'm just a friend from school."

In the background came a recognizable voice of a certain woman, "Trunks, let the poor girl in. Can you please escort her to Gohan's room? I'm too busy to do it myself."

"Thank you Bulma," spoke Videl into the microphone, letting her know that she was grateful that Bulma intervened.

Not long after, the gate opened and the lavender-haired boy she saw at the park appeared at the entrance. Of course, she should have known that the little boy was Bulma's son. The hair color was a dead giveaway. Videl greeted him and followed him inside. The boy remained silent all the way. Somewhere two floors up, the boy stopped so abruptly that Videl nearly fell over him. She looked at the door next to her and saw that it had the word 'Gohan' on it. She reached for the handle, but hesitated, afraid of being confronted by a very ill-looking Gohan.

"Are you going in or what? He doesn't bite," the boy said, crossing his arms behind his head as he waited for Videl to make a move.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. But oh man, she wasn't prepared for what she saw next.

At the sound of the door opening, Gohan looked up to see who entered his room. At first he was taken by surprise, expecting it to be Bulma, but then he turned bright red with embarrassment. His classmate, at the other end of the room, had the same reaction. Videl couldn't help but stare. Gohan sat on his bed with his back resting against a pillow. His bed had been adjusted so that he could sit up slightly while watching some television. In his hand he still had the remote pointed at the device. Videl thought back to the photo on her dashboard, where she first noticed that Gohan was respectfully muscular, but that was the understatement of the year.

Gohan coughed into his fist as he tried to get himself back together. "Sorry, if I'd known you were coming to visit, I'd have dressed appropriately," he apologized, trying to reach for his shirt. It was clear that he lacked energy, as he struggled to complete the simplest of tasks. He had managed to pull one of his arms through his sleeve, but failed to pull the rest over his head. At that moment, Videl snapped out of her staring and rushed to help him. She guided his head through the slit of his shirt and pulled his other arm through the other sleeve. Her eyes slid uncontrollably over the contours of his muscular upper body as she did so. When his baggy shirt was on, she was glad the huge distraction had been obscured, though was also a little disappointed.

"Thanks," Gohan said softly, looking forward with a broken expression. He hated feeling so helpless.

"You're welcome, how are you doing?"

"Given the circumstances, I'm doing fine I guess," he tried to give Videl a confident smile, though his habit of scratching the base of his neck betrayed that he was still a little insecure. Then his expression grew a bit more determined, "Before you say anything, Bulma told me how much you've done for me since I went missing, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that."

Videl couldn't help but feel terribly downhearted by his expression of gratitude. It didn't feel fair, especially after she once hoped Saiyaman would rot in the gutter, which he almost did because of her. "Please, don't thank me, it's because of me you ended up being poisoned in the first place. I -."

"Did you ask me to help you?" Gohan interrupted her.

"No, but -"

"So you are not to blame. I'm accountable for my own actions, so the blame is on me for being too reckless." He looked at Videl, who wanted to say something in return, but continued anyway. "I've been there, so I know how you must feel right now, but everything will be fine. You don't have to feel guilty about anything."

Videl nodded but stayed quiet. The silence lasted a few minutes, until Gohan broke it.

"You probably have a lot of questions right now," he said, though he was dreading the answer.

"I've been filled in for the most part by Bulma. Let's put those questions off for a while. I guess you are still pretty exhausted," she looked at his tired-looking facial expression.

Gohan looked at her in surprise. This was nothing like the Videl he knew. Normally she would've tried to get every little piece of information out of him. Especially as it had to do with him being Saiyaman. He could tell that the past week and a half had done a number on her. She too looked very tired. However, he was very relieved that he didn't have to endure endless questioning. "I really appreciate that," he said truthfully, lowering his exhausted body back into his pillow.

Again a brief silence filled the room, neither knowing what to say to the other. "Well..." Videl began uncomfortably to break the silence, "I think I'll go home and let you rest. I'm glad that you are doing okay."

Gohan raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You've flown almost two and a half hundred miles... And you want to leave already?"

"I had to see if you were alright, and I did, so..." she paused and looked away from the boy. "I know you need your rest and I don't want to be a burden."

Gohan looked at the screen in front of him that he had muted. He smiled when an idea occurred to him, "I actually had a healing session right before you came to visit and I was about to watch a movie. Would you like to tag along?

Videl's face brightened. She didn't feel like going home so soon, and since he was already planning to watch a movie, she didn't feel like she was invading his space. Also, she always felt comfortable being in his presence, even though they didn't have much to talk to each other. "I wouldn't mind, but are you sure you have the energy for it?"

Gohan looked at her and smiled, "Not really, but there's only one way to find out, right? And to be honest, it's nice to have a little distraction." With great difficulty he slid to one side of his bed, away from Videl.

Videl looked at him with a questioning look, "What are you doing?"

"Making room for you, or were you planning to stand next to my bed for the entire movie?" he couldn't help but chuckle at her facial expression.

Her eyes went through the room. The bed, TV and a wardrobe were the only items that reminded it to be someone's bedroom. Videl suspected that his desk and accompanying chair, as well as some other belongings, had been removed to house the machinery used to monitor Gohan's well-being. There was indeed nothing else to sit on. With a light blush she surrendered to the situation and sat down next to her classmate. He was so innocent that he probably hadn't even thought that her stepping onto his bed may be something inappropriate. "What kind of movies do you like?" she asked.

"To be honest, I haven't watched many movies," he said, a little embarrassed, "My mom doesn't allow it at home because it can have a bad influence on my studies."

Somehow Videl wasn't surprised. She had picked up on more than one occasion that his mother was very strict with the boy. "Okay, maybe I can help you pick one." Videl thought for a moment. She knew Gohan loved the outdoors, science and probably also would enjoy some action, and she hadn't seen the movie herself in a long time. "Do you like dinosaurs?"

His face lit up, "Yeah! You know, back home, one of my friends is a Saurian pterodactyl. His name is Toh Toh and he and his wife are expecting a baby soon. I can introduce you to him if you w-" His eyes grew big, terrified at his own slip-up. Why did he say that? Normal people weren't friends with dinosaurs!

"I would love to." At this point, Videl knew she could expect everything from the guy. After all, a dinosaur wasn't that far from a green demon-like creature. Of course she had a lot of questions, but decided to let them go for now. Gohan tried his best to be hospitable, but all the signs were there that he wasn't doing well. "Then you'd love this movie," she continued with a soft smile, taking over the controls of the TV. As she expected, it had access to a streaming platform and was able to find what she was looking for: Jurassic Park.

When the movie started, Gohan relaxed again, glad she chose to let his slip-up go for what it was. He looked carefully in her direction. Was this really happening, or was he hallucinating again? Since when did Videl Satan pass up an opportunity to pester him for information? Oh well, breaking his head over it wasn't going to help his state of mind, so he decided to focus on the movie. He hadn't seen it, and although the story was based on outdated science, the movie was quite entertaining. But, not far into the movie, he felt a tiredness come over him.

A sudden movement pulled him out of his sleepy trance. Videl had turned on her side and rested her head against his torso. Gohan froze and looked wide-eyed in her direction. She was fast asleep. After the initial shock of her closeness was over, he felt empathy for the girl. Knowing Videl, she probably hadn't slept much the past week and a half because she was very involved in his case. So he tried to ignore the situation and focused on the movie again. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn't follow it anymore. And not much later, when her warmth covered him like a blanket, he too dozed off.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12: The awakening (part 2)

"Time to wake up," Bulma walked to the window and drew back the curtains. Sunlight lit up the room much to the chagrin of the Saiyan hybrid. He let out a moan of protest as he buried his face between his pillow and something satisfyingly warm.

"I'm tired, please, can we do this later?" his voice was muffled.

"We both know that you won't feel like it then either. Come on Gohan, at least let go of Videl, she has to go to school."

"What has Videl got to do with it?" he raised his head in confusion and looked at his godmother with tired eyes. Bulma answered the boy only by pointing back at his bed with a smug grin on her face. He looked at what she was pointing at, right at the back of said girl's head. She held her hands in front of her face to hide her embarrassment. Reflexively, he let go of the small of her waist, which he had apparently held on to while fast asleep, and distanced himself from her. His face was bright red when he realized he'd just snuggled up against her and had buried his face into the back of her neck.

"I guess the movie was tiresome?" Bulma couldn't help but smile. When she went to check on Gohan last night, she found the two in a deep sleep. She decided to let them be, as they both could use their rest. Bulma had turned off the TV on which the movie was still running and had thrown a blanket over them so they wouldn't be awakened by the cold of the night. But now they had to get on with the order of the day. "I've prepared some sets of my old clothes for you, Videl, so you don't have to go to school in the clothes you slept in. I think all of them are suitable for fighting crime, so pick the one you like. They're in the bathroom. After you have freshened up, you'll be taken to Satan City."

Videl sat up straight, still quite red with embarrassment. "Thank you, but I won't be at school on time, even if I hurry. So don't bother."

"Nonsense. If I remember correctly, school starts in about an hour, so you'll have plenty of time. My husband will take you to your school."

"Wait, not Vegeta!" Gohan exclaimed. "Can't Yamcha bring her?"

"Yamcha is already in Satan City. And I think we've asked enough of him, don't you think?"

"How on Earth did you manage to get Vegeta to help in the first place?"

"Well, he's in a really good mood lately," Bulma obviously didn't want to engage the subject. "Now take off your shirt, I need to run some tests."

Taking that as her cue to leave, Videl went to the bathroom door that was attached to Gohan's bedroom. She couldn't help but glance at Gohan one last time before going in. The boy looked very ill: his natural color had disappeared from his face and his locomotion had deteriorated greatly. But damn, what a great body he had. With a light blush, she stepped into the bathroom, giving Gohan his privacy while Bulma checked his vitals.

Gohan's bathroom was very basic, with only the necessary items provided. Videl turned on the shower. Her clothes did indeed smell a bit, so she was actually glad that Bulma had some spare clothes she could borrow. After she had undressed herself, she took a quick shower, using the bar of soap present. She still couldn't understand how there was enough time to get to school when her school was so far away. She expected Bulma to have some kind of very fast means of transportation that wasn't yet on the market.

After drying off from her shower, Videl walked over to the sets of clothing Bulma had prepared for her. She could tell the scientist had worn them in her early days, and from the looks of it, she was quite adventurous. She chose the one she would feel most comfortable in if she had to fight crime. They were olive drab trousers with a cropped right leg, accompanied with a basic white T-shirt, matching elbow pads, a pair of Nax boots with built-in shin guards, and a green pouch strapped to the left thigh. Videl chose to keep on her own fingerless gloves and abandoned the shoulder pad as it had Bulma's name on it. That might be a bit too much for school anyways. She looked in the mirror and although the clothes were a little too form-fitting for her liking, she was quite pleased with the way it looked on her. She decided to put her hairbands in later so her hair could dry first.

When she re-entered the room, there was clearly tension in the air. Gohan – who had his shirt back on – had a deep frown on his face as he looked through the window, arms crossed. On the other side, next to the door, a man leaned against the wall. She recognized him as the mean-looking one she'd seen flying over the city the other day. But instead of his dead-glare face, he now had an ominous smirk.

"I apologize in advance, Videl," Gohan said to his classmate with an irritated tone, but fell quiet as he looked in her direction. He'd never seen Videl with her hair down, and the clothes she wore suited her really nicely. He didn't know what it was, but somehow he couldn't stop looking and took her in from head to toe. Videl didn't miss his stare, and it made her feel a bit insecure, but those feelings disappeared when Bulma entered the room.

"Ah, I see you went for my Wild Rider Suit, it looks great on you. Don't you agree, Gohan?"

Caught off guard, he muttered something unintelligible as his hand ran through his hair on the back of his neck. A slight blush had appeared on his cheeks.

"I'll take that as a yes," Bulma chuckled softly, turning her attention back to the girl. "I've packed breakfast and lunch for you, but I'll advise you to eat after your journey," Bulma handed over a capsule which Videl accepted and reached to put it in her pouch. However, she felt something in the pouch, and when she took it out, she discovered that it was a small capsule storage box. "Ah yes," Bulma replied when she saw Videl's questioning look, "that's an old motorcycle of mine for off-road racing, a FA4-002116, one of our earlier models. It comes with the suit, so if you like it, you can take her for a spin." The scientist looked at her watch, "You have twenty minutes before your class starts, so it's time to say goodbye."

Still confused at how twenty minutes was enough to travel, Videl nevertheless nodded and placed her food capsule in one of the open slits of the box and put it back in the pouch. "Thank you for everything!" said the girl, offering a bow of gratitude. Then she turned to Gohan, "Get well soon, Goh- AAH!" A scream of surprise escaped Videl's lips as Vegeta grabbed her without warning and threw her over his left shoulder.

"Vegeta! I swear if you hurt her in any way, I'll kill you," Gohan spat out quite out of character.

"Don't make it so tempting, boy, you know that's what I want. But in that condition of yours, you are no challenge. I can wait." And with that, Vegeta opened the window and flew off with lightning speed, the teenager still on his shoulder.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Gohan said, still looking out the window. "It's almost as if he sees me as my father, his whole attitude changed now that you've promised him I'll go one-on-one with him after my recovery. Why did you promise that in the first place?"

"We really needed him to cooperate, sorry, and this was the only way he was willing to do that. If it weren't for him, you'd still be in a coma."

"Maybe that would have been better," Gohan sighed reluctantly, "I'm basically a pig being fattened up for slaughter right now. Once I'm back on my feet, he'll put me straight back into a coma."

"Don't forget you are the stronger one," Bulma reminded him.

"I haven't trained since my father died! He trains every single day. There is no way I can stand my ground against him."

"Well, for now let's focus on your recovery and not on what might happen later. Maybe we can talk him out of it."

Gohan snorted incredulously, "Yeah, right..."

###

A nasty pull behind her belly button was all she could consciously experience of what was going on. Now it was as if she was being sucked into a whirlwind, roaring winds surrounded her as the cold consumed her. She couldn't move, let alone breathe properly. She closed her eyes to keep herself from getting dizzy from all the colors flashing by. She had no sense of time nor place and became just a toy of the moment.

Suddenly it all stopped.

Casually taken off the shoulder, she was thrown to the surface beneath her. She landed painfully on her butt and immediately a nausea overcame her. For a brief instant she gagged from all the exertion her body had endured. Now she understood why Bulma had advised her not to have breakfast before her travels. "What the hell happened?" she exclaimed, looking up to the man responsible.

"The woman ordered me to take you to your stupid school. So here we are. But remember this, I'm not a taxi. So next time you decide to sleep with the brat, figure out how to get back in time on your own."

What an attitude this man has! If she hadn't felt so sick to her stomach, she probably would've strangled him for being so rude. "Their names are Bulma and Gohan, and I didn't sleep with him, we just fell asleep."

"I'm not insinuating anything," said the guy with a mean smirk and with a blast he flew away.

"Oh, yes you did, you jerk!" Videl yelled after him, but he was already gone. How fast did this man fly? She managed to get up, though still a little wobbly on her feet, and looked around. She was on the roof of Orange Star High. Then the teen looked at her watch: fifteen minutes before class started. Did they really cover 2,500 miles in less than five minutes? How was that even possible? She looked back one last time where the man had flown off, then walked into the building.

She went straight to the nearest bathroom to wet her face. Maybe this was all a dream and the water might wake her up somehow. But nothing changed. So apparently that really happened, she thought to herself, and looked in the mirror. Her hair was blown in all directions by the wind, but when she tried to put her hairbands in, she cursed out loud. Damn it, she left her bag at Capsule Corps with all her belongings. Just great. She sighed, straightened her hair as much as she could, and went to her lockers to pick up her textbooks.

"Wow babe, looking really hot today!" exclaimed Sharpener, but Videl elbowed him in the gut straight away.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm no-"

"Don't blame him, I’m digging that look," Erasa interrupted, "and since when do you let your hair down?"

"I just wanted something different this morning," Videl hoped Erasa wouldn't get too deep into the subject, but knew this was false hope.

"Rrright...," Erasa rolled her eyes, "I know the contents of your wardrobe by heart, and this is not one of your outfits."

"You don't seem to know it well enough," Videl tried, but an icy glare from her blond friend told her to shut up.

"Your old man called me last night," Erasa continued, "asking me where you were."

"Wait, what?! He’s supposed to be on a business trip!" the raven-haired girl was shocked by the news. "What did you say to him?!"

"I told him we were having a slumber party and you couldn't get to the phone because you were washing your beauty mask off your face."

"Seriously, you told him that?" Videl crossed her arms while raising a brow.

"Don't look at me disapprovingly," Erasa had a smug grin on her face. "You owe me an explanation, young lady! Where were you last night."

"Can we talk about it some other time? The lesson is about to start." Videl took her books she needed from her locker and walked past her friend and toward their classroom.

Erasa followed suit, "Okay, but then answer me this one question." Videl looked annoyed to her best friend but said nothing, so Erasa continued, "Tell me, why do you smell like Gohan?" The young crime fighter immediately stopped in her tracks, causing Sharpener to bump into her. Erasa looked contentedly over her shoulder, proud that she'd managed to corner her now blushing friend. "I knew it! You went to see Gohan, didn't you?"

"Did you go to see Brains without us?" Sharpener exclaimed. "What's the matter with you, you know we'd love to see the guy."

"Alright, Alright! Yes, I went to Capsule Corp to visit Gohan yesterday. It was kind of a spontaneous action, so I didn't think to ask you guys. I'm sorry. And since it's about an eight hour flight, it was too late to fly home yesterday, so I spent the night."

"Wait, you actually went all the way to West City?" Erasa was a bit surprised, because she thought that Gohan would be at his home in the Southeast Mountains Area, a lot closer to Satan City. "So what you're wearing are the clothes from the one and only Bulma Brief?"

"From back in the days, yes," Videl answered her friend.

As soon as the trio entered their classroom, a cat call was heard, followed by a "Damn Satan" from the back of the room. Videl rolled with her eyes and tried to ignore it. Sharpener, however, couldn't help himself. "Eyes to your textbook, Stapler, or should I help you with that?!" Sharpener shouted back in a warning tone, causing the class to go silent. He knew Videl wasn't his, but that doesn't mean he should accept other men hitting on her.

Erasa chuckled at the scene, "Sharpie, come on, let the guy watch. That's the only thing he's ever going to manage anyways." The class laughed out loud at her witty comment, while Stapler slumped in his chair, red with embarrassment.

The day passed as usual, although many more guys tried their luck with Videl in vain. After class, the trio had been working on their History project which was due this Wednesday. When their progress had staggered, they decided to head home. "Can you drop me off at my place?" Erasa asked Videl as they left the school.

"I'm sorry," Videl apologized, "I left all my stuff in my bag that I accidentally left at Capsule Corp., including my jet copter." She let out an irritated sigh.

"But how did you get back to Satan City without your copter?"

Videl knew she couldn't tell her the truth, no one would believe her anyway if she told that a man threw her on his shoulder and flew to her school in just 5 minutes. She began to sympathize with Gohan's taciturn nature. "I got a ride," she decided to say, "Bulma's husband had to go to Satan City anyway." It wasn't the whole truth, but she felt she had to add the last part to sound believable.

"No worries, 'Rase, I'll drop you off," Sharpener said. He then looked over to Videl, "Shall I drop you off too, babe?"

Videl just let out a sigh, tired of telling him she wasn't his babe. She didn't feel like being in a small compartment with him all the way to her home. And certainly not since her father had returned home, the thought of him seeing her alone with a boy sent her shivers down her spine. He wouldn't take that lightly, that's for sure. "No need, I'll ride home by myself." She then reached into the pouch strapped to her left thigh and took out the right capsule from the storage container. With a dull bang, an old dirt bike appeared with goggles hanging over the handlebars.

"Pfew, nice bike," Sharpener seemed impressed. "Can I take her for a spin?"

"Sorry, Sharpener, if it were mine I wouldn't mind, but it isn't. It's Bulma's. It came with the suit," said Videl, putting on the goggles in the meantime and getting on the bike. "See you guys tomorrow!" and left.

It was such a liberated feeling. Her hair was blowing in the wind as she accelerated and detoured through the outskirts of the city. When she arrived home, even her father wasn't going to ruin her good mood.

"Hey Sweet Pea, how're you doin'?" Mr. Satan greeted his daughter as she entered the living room. He sat in his usual red sofa in front of an immense TV screen, watching old tapes on which he was fighting one of his earlier tournament matches.

"Hey Dad! I'm doing fine. Erasa told me your business trip had been canceled."

"Yeah, those lunatics aren't capable of anything. You gotta do it yourself if you want anything done right, but ain't nobody got time for that. It's postponed until next week until they have fixed their shortcomings. What's with the new outfit?" he raised an eyebrow as he looked up from his screen.

"Erasa forced me to go shopping," Videl lied. She didn't care anymore. She hated lying, but somehow she resigned herself to the situation and assumed that lying was part of being a teenager. Luckily for her, her father didn't notice.

"The butler told me you've been away from home a lot," he continued, still looking at her with a suspicious look. "There's better be no boy involved."

"I've spent a lot of time at Erasa's, the house is pretty empty when you're not home," she lied again. "And I haven't been to the gym very much because of that, so I'm going to make up for that now. You want to join?" Videl asked her father, even though she knew the answer.

As expected he declined, "No, you go ahead. I'm already the strongest in the world, so if I train even more, no one will ever have a chance to catch up to me."

"Sure thing, dad, you'll find me at the gym if you need me." That went considerably well, Videl thought, relieved, to think that last night she actually slept in the same bed as a boy.

The rest of the day went smoothly. After an intense workout, in which she threw off all her frustrations of the past two weeks, she had a nice meal with her father. Surprisingly, she managed to have a lot of fun with him. Normally she hated his boastfulness, but now that he was away from home so long, she could laugh about it. As the day drew to a close, she lay in her bed thinking about all the good conversations she had with him that evening. She then turned on her side to get herself to sleep, but before she actually did, she subconsciously imagined she was being held by a certain someone.

The next morning her alarm pulled her out of her dream. When Videl turned it off, she sat up in her bed. Her breathing was heavy as she wiped her sweaty hands on the sheets. A deep blush appeared on her face. Did she really dream that? About him, and her, doing...? No, no, no, Videl Satan wasn't the one objectifying boys that way! Certainly not about guys she knew.

She jumped out of bed and rushed to take a very cold shower. To her relief, it helped to tame the images in her head for a while. However, when she was sitting in her seat back at school, they came crawling up to her again. The young woman shook her beet-red head, trying to exclude the images of a very muscular body. What was wrong with her?

Suddenly the principal entered the class, briefly distracting her from her lascivious thoughts, but was immediately thrust back into it as she locked eyes with the boy that clouded her mind. There he stood, in his regular school clothes as if nothing had happened, none other than Son Gohan.

And without warning, butterflies appeared in her stomach.

This drawing is based on the story, so not 100% fitting (her hair isn't down for example) but wanted to share it here anyway ;)

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Second chances

"You idiot!"

Gohan winced as her voice echoed through the classroom. He didn't understand what he'd done wrong, though he knew that the tone in her voice meant he was in serious trouble. When he dared to open his eyes, he saw Videl standing behind her desk with her hands slammed on the table, a very angry expression visible on her face. He swallowed slowly.

"Miss Satan! Well have I ever! That's no way to welcome your fellow student back. I'll see you in my office at the start of recess!" the principal said with disbelief.

Only then did Videl realize she'd said that out loud for the whole class to hear. Shocked by her own reaction, she immediately sat back in her seat. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to!" she apologized and looked with embarrassment at her table.

"Well, without further ado, Mr. Son, go ahead."

Gohan nodded at the principal and stepped forward, still a little nervous about Videl's outburst. He cleared his throat. "As you may know, I went missing for a while, and I'm sorry if any of you worried about this. Apparently I've been mugged and drugged and I have no conscious memories of what happened, so I can't answer any questions. I'm fine given the circumstances, but I want to ask you to give me some space, because I'm not fully recovered yet. That's all I wanted to share," saying what Bulma told him to say. Then Gohan turned to the principal and waited for his approval to go to his seat.

"Thank you for sharing your story with us and doing things at your own pace. All the teachers are aware of your situation so don't hesitate to go to the infirmary if you're not feeling well."

"Thank you sir," said Gohan, bowing slightly in gratitude, then walking up the stairs to his usual seat.

When he was within earshot, Sharpener greeted him with a big grin on his face, "Missing school already? You really are a nerd, aren't you Gohan?"

Gohan looked surprised at the blond jock. Sharpener had never used his real name before. But he couldn't think about it for long as a cry of happiness escaped Erasa's lips as she began to hug him. "Oh, we've missed you so much! You've got us all worried. Never do that ever again!"

"Are you deaf? Gohan has clearly asked everyone to give him some space, that doesn't mean you should hug him to death," Videl snapped at the bubbly blond.

"Wow, easy there, sour puss! Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?" Erasa let go of Gohan and looked stunned at her best friend's reaction.

A slight blush appeared on her face. Why did her blond friend always have to be so spot on when it came to her feelings? This morning's luscious dreams were indeed the reason why she was now so irritated. She didn't want to have such thoughts, not in the slightest. And it was all because of him. "And you, why are you even here? You couldn't get out of bed properly yesterday," Videl continued towards Gohan, ignoring Erasa. "And now you look like nothing has even happened."

"Someone had to bring you your stuff," the confused boy said carefully, sliding her backpack toward her under the desks. "I figured you'd want your phone and jet copter back." Videl's eyes grew in surprise. She hadn't expected that answer. "Also," Gohan continued, "give me two hours, and you can mop me off the floor. I've just had a healing session, but that doesn't last long I'm afraid."

"Then why are you here?" Videl asked again, but this time in a soft voice, her anger gone as quickly as it had come.

"Trunks called my little brother yesterday, telling him a girl had entered my room and hadn't left until the next morning," he deliberately avoided Videl's gaze. "Unfortunately, Goten had the phone on loudspeaker and my mom overheard the call..." he sighed and rested his head on his hand. "Long story short, I'm forced to be here by my mother, even though I haven't recovered yet."

"What the... are you serious? What was she thinking?" Videl felt her anger rise again. "You almost died!"

"Well, when it comes to my studies, she's very ambitious. Me almost dying is no excuse. She once forced me to study an hour after I was hospitalized with a severe concussion, a few bruised ribs, and some other serious injuries. I know she means well, but sometimes I wish she would let go a little bit and not jump to conclusions."

"But what did that call have to do with her change of heart?" Erasa asked curiously.

Gohan chuckled reluctantly and ran a hand through his hair, "If I could act like – and I quote – 'a promiscuous hooligan', I was fit enough to go to school."

The two blonds burst out in laughter, knowing all too well that Gohan was as far off a promiscuous hooligan as could be, and even Videl couldn't resist a snicker. But it didn't go unnoticed by the teacher, "Be quiet back there, I know you haven't seen your peer in a while, but please postpone your conversations to the break!"

The four fell quiet. Gohan, the good student he was, took a notebook from his satchel and tried to focus on the lecture. His motor skills were still off and he was unable to make precise hand movements to write properly, but he tried to make the most of it. Suddenly, a large hand appeared and grabbed his notebook. He looked surprised in the direction his book had disappeared and was met with an uneasy expression of Sharpener. "Let me help you with your notes for once, Brains," Sharpener couldn't stand seeing his friend struggle like that.

"Thanks," Gohan said with some relief and slumped back into his seat. He felt as if all his energy had already drained from his body, and they weren't even halfway through the first lesson. By the time the bell rang for recess, he had fallen asleep on his desk. After Erasa woke him up, he packed his belongings and followed his friends to the large evergreen oak tree where they normally took their break. As soon as he could, he flopped down on the grass and used his satchel as a pillow. He let out a content sigh. The fresh air did him good and the sun on his face was a welcome feeling after all the days he'd spent indoors.

"So, Gohan, I have to ask, was Videl really sleeping in the same room as you when she came to visit?" Erasa asked curiously.

"Yes, but don't get any funny ideas, I've got my mother for that," he said, having learned the hard way what people might think. He couldn't suppress a slight blush, though. It was actually the first night he'd slept so well in ages. Normally his nights were clouded by old nightmares and dark themes. But somehow they didn't show up that night, and when he cuddled up to her that morning, he remembered a great sense of satisfaction. Her warmth, her scent... her body against his. 'Stop Gohan!' he thought to himself as he caught himself thinking back to that moment - knowing all too well it wasn't the first time.

"Wow, consider yourself lucky it was your mom and not Mr. Satan, when he finds out you're a dead man!" Sharpener exclaimed.

"Hmf," was all Gohan could bring up. Sharpener had no idea. Mr. Satan was nowhere near his mother's wrath when it came to punishment. Expecting Videl to respond, he opened his eyes to look at the girl, but to his surprise, she wasn't there. "Where is she, actually?"

"She had to go to the principal, remember," Erasa reminded him, "She called you an idiot for no reason."

"Ah, I forgot." And that wasn't the only thing he had forgotten. With a sigh, he sat up and rummaged in his satchel to find some jars. He had forgotten to take his medicine, which may be why he felt so terrible, for that matter. When he had collected the correct amount of pills that Bulma had prescribed, he took them all at once and washed them away with some water.

"Hungry much?" Gohan looked up and saw Videl standing in front of him, eyebrows raised. "The principal told me to apologize to you, so I'm sorry I called you an idiot, you idiot," Videl said with a defiant grin on her face. "Here, I brought you some coffee. This may help you through the next hour."

"Thanks." Gohan took the cup she offered him and looked closely at the girl. There was a slight disappointment written on his face.

"What? Did I bring you the wrong one?"

"No, that's not it," Gohan averted his gaze and nervously scratched his neck out of habit.

"What is it?" Videl grew impatient.

"I see you've got your pigtails back in."

"So?"

"You should let your hair down more often, it looks good on you," he didn't dare to look at the girl, afraid that she would take his comment the wrong way. But he honestly thought she looked really good if she did, not that she didn't look good with her pigtails... but still.

Before the now blushing teen could react, Erasa echoed Gohan, "He's right, you know, it makes you more feminine. There's no crime here, so why don't you take those hair-bands off for us? We deserve a little eye-candy." She gave Gohan a playful wink.

The boy flustered. Eye-candy? Did he look at her in that regard? He had to admit that he often looked at Videl for no good reason, but he never thought much about it.

"Why don't you two stay out of my hair and leave me alone," she said irritably, still with a slight blush on her cheeks. She couldn't help but think about Gohan's comment. Was that a compliment? Did that mean he found her attractive? Ah, and there they came again, the funny feelings in her stomach she was trying to avoid. She took a deep breath to get herself together and tried to change the subject as she sat down next to the oak tree. "What is the status of our history project? It's due tomorrow."

"Project?" drawing the half-Saiyan from his thoughts.

"Oh man, we are so screwed," Erasa said with defeat.

"How come?" Gohan curiously asked, "Maybe I can help."

"You better be, Brains, you're on our project group after all" Sharpener said jokingly, though he hoped Gohan would indeed help them. "The history project is about Japanese mythology."

"Due to recent events, we decided to do the project on the dragon god Ryūjin," Erasa explained. "We did our best, but we are still short of words."

"I know of a story that contains a dragon god, his name is not Ryūjin, though, but it comes close to it. If I remember correctly, there are documents that say this story could be real. Do you think we may add that?" Gohan said, "It's a bit of a gray area."

"It's better than nothing," Videl shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright, I can tell you the story, but I can't write it down," Gohan said, raising his arm to show his trembling hand to validate the last comment. And so he told his best friends a tale about the dragon god Shenron and seven magical orbs, without telling them that he had witnessed his power himself. "After the wishes are granted, the sky regains its normal color as the Eternal Dragon returns to the Earth's core as the so-called Dragon Balls are scattered across the Earth's surface, turning to stone for a whole year," he finished.

"And why could this be real? It's quite an incredulous story." Sharpener raised an eyebrow.

Gohan fell silent for a moment, avoiding eye contact with Videl. "It is rumored that they were used seven years ago to bring people back to life after the Cell Games." Then he put on a fake smile to lighten the mood and looked at his long-haired blond friend, "But it's a rumor, of course, but it may be enough to meet the required word count for the history project."

"True or not, you are a genius! Thanks Gohan, we owe you one!" Erasa stood up, "Let's write this down before I forget. Our next class is canceled anyway, so it's a good opportunity to work on our project. Are you guys coming?"

Everybody got up except Gohan. "Um, do you mind if I talk to Videl privately for a moment?" All three of his friends looked at him in surprise.

"Yeah sure, no problem. Come on, Sharpie, let the two lovebirds do their thing," Erasa teased, grabbing the jock's arm to drag him to the school.

Both black-haired teens blushed profusely. "We’re not lovebirds!" Videl yelled after her, but they already disappeared into the crowd of students. Videl sat back down in the grass with a sigh. "Sometimes I can't stand her. She always does that."

Gohan studied her face. "I'm sorry I gave her the wrong impression, I didn't mean to." He reached for his satchel and pulled out a sheet of paper. "What I really wanted to talk to you about is this," and handed the paper over to her, "Do you know this man?"

It was a printed image of a laboratory, captured by a security camera, with a man taking something out of a drawer. Videl recognized the bald, lanky-looking guy. "Yeah, that's the crook who poisoned you," Videl said, looking at Gohan's surprised face.

"Really?" he took the paper from Videl's hand and looked at it again. "He doesn't strike me as your average criminal. What do you know about the guy?"

"Well, I spoke to him in prison the day you were found. His name is Habas Erpeto. He told me that he was asked by some criminals to get rid of you. In return, they promised him money for the treatment of his sick daughter. The guy was unemployed and I think he saw this as his last resort to help his daughter." Videl drew up her knees and hugged them. "I think he regretted his actions. He even helped me to figure out what poisoned you with some riddles. At first I thought he was just playing a game with me, but later I came to the conclusion that he gave me the answers in riddles because the police were listening too and he didn't want to get in any more trouble." She looked at Gohan, "I wouldn't be talking to you right now without those riddles."

"Do you think he would have stayed on the straight and narrow if his daughter's treatment hadn't been a problem?"

"I think so, yes."

"Okay, that's all I wanted to know, thank you."

"What did he steal?" She asked, curious as always.

"It's quite complicated to explain," Gohan ran again a hand through his hair uncomfortably, "I'm not sure what Bulma told you about me, but let's put it this way..." he paused for a moment and decided to explain it from Saiyaman's point of view . "Normally, Saiyaman can't be hit that easily. As you may have seen, he can even deflect bullets with his bare hands. I was quite surprised that the darts pierced my skin to be honest," he sighed, still not understanding what had gone wrong. He was focused during the battle – and not distracted by Videl as Bulma had suggested – and he had his Ki-barrier up. "But when Bulma examined the dart you found, she was surprised to see that the needle itself came from Capsule Corp., her personal stock to be precise – a needle made solely to pierce my skin. So when Bulma checked her CCTV footage, we found this image," he pointed to the piece of paper. "Thanks again for sharing your opinion," he stood up with difficulty.

Videl looked at him in surprise, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going home, I don't feel fit enough to finish this day at school. Besides, I have other things to take care of."

"Do you want me to take you home?" she asked out of compassion.

"Only if you don't mind me not inviting you in, I'm really tired."

"I'll forgive you this time," she smiled at him, knowing full well that the boy was still ill. She reached into her backpack and took out the capsule that contained her copter. When it appeared, she opened the passenger door and bowed down. "After you."

"Thanks," he chuckled, she was something else, wasn't she. When he plopped down on the passenger seat, his eyes grew in surprise. There was a photo of him on her dashboard. He hadn't known they even made missing flyers out of him.

When Videl took her place behind the wheel, she realized what Gohan was looking at and flushed in embarrassment. Why didn't she remove that flyer? Videl looked from the flyer to Gohan and back. He looked so normal now. She wondered subconsciously how he managed to hide that muscular body of his under his clothes. That perfect upper body... Suddenly images of her dream flashed by and she had to shake her head to get rid of them. She swallowed and vaguely noticed that Gohan was saying something.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"North 35 degrees 13 minutes 8.9 seconds, East 136 degrees 50 minutes 43.8 seconds. The coordinates of my apartment." He blinked, "Is everything alright?"

"Wait, do you have your own apartment in Satan City?" she asked, startled from her thoughts.

"Bulma has arranged it so that I can go to school without having to travel too much. My medication should get me through the day as she can't monitor me anymore now I've moved here. And a friend comes over twice a day to give me a healing session, which works wonders." he offered her a friendly smile. "Shall we go?"

"Ah yes."

The flight didn't last that long, as his apartment was close to the school. Gohan had asked Videl to land on the roof, because his apartment turned out to be the penthouse. She suspected Bulma had chosen it so that his 'flying friends' could more easily visit him without being seen. When they landed and Gohan got out of her vehicle, he turned to Videl one last time. "Thank you again for everything you've done. Remind me to go buy you dinner when this is all over." He gave her a friendly smile and then went to his door and entered the building.

###

The sound of a baton tapping the iron bars knocked him out of his thoughts. He had pondered his sins over and over, drowning himself in guilt. Not only to his daughter, but also to the other people who suffered through his actions. Again the baton clanged against the iron. "Mr. Erpeto, you have a visitor," the warden said through the bars of his cell compartment.

"A visitor?" asked Habas in surprise. Who in the world wanted to visit him? His daughter was too ill and his wife – or rather ex-wife – had abandoned him. The only visitor he had received since his capture was that Satan girl. Maybe it was her again, he thought, expecting her to come back to him to verify the answers on his haikus. But it's been over a week since he gave them to her, so he'd assumed she figured them out herself – or that Saiyaman eventually passed away.

After following the procedures, Habas was handcuffed and taken to the visiting room. He was sat down on an iron stool in front of a window with a telephone next to it. The warden uncuffed him so he could use his arms to pick up the phone. Opposite him, on the other side of the window, sat a neatly dressed young man he'd never seen before. He had short spiky hair with a lone lock hanging over his forehead. Due to privacy regulations, the warder left to wait on the other side of the door, out of earshot. Hesitantly, Habas picked up the phone to hear what the stranger had to say.

"Can I help ya?"

"Yes, I've some questions for you, Mr. Erpeto," the boy said, looking straight through the window with a serious expression on his face. "What is the reason you poisoned me?"

Habas blinked in surprise at his directness. "Wait, are ya..?"

"Yes."

"How'd ya even survive that? You ain't human, aren't ya?" Habas said, perplexed, but also impressed. Gohan remained silent, however, so the guy continued. "I didn't expect ya to be so young," he said with guilt. "I'm truly sorry for what I did." He knew the Satan girl called him 'her friend', but he didn't expect him to be her age.

"Just tell me the reason you did it, I need to know," the half-Saiyan repeated again.

"I... I..." the prisoner's voice trembled a little, "I was asked to do it by some criminals. In exchange they promised that my private problems would be solved after I succeeded. But then again, there's no excuse in the world for what I've done. I'm really, really sorry."

"And your private problems are...?" asked Gohan, urging the man to say what he wanted to hear.

"My daughter is chronically ill, I couldn't afford her treatment. I tried to do it the right way, but somehow I couldn't find a proper job and I became desperate."

"Tell me exactly how you managed to poison me."

Habas decided that this boy had the right to know what had happened to him. There was no point in withholding information. "The poison wasn't the problem, that was easy to get because of my herpetologist background. The real problem was hittin' ya with it. I tried at least twice before operation ' state bank '. Somehow, the darts didn't land. So, thinkin' of ya as an inhuman indestructible superhero, I did some research and came across an experimental study of Bulma Brief, where she stated she had examined an alien race. In that study she mentioned something about equipment she had to make from indestructible self-designed metal, as their skin was almost impenetrable." The man sighed deeply, "It was a long shot, I actually didn't think the research was legit, but I had to see it for myself. So, I went to one of her guided tours and snuck out to look for those instruments."

"Have you told others?" Gohan looked intensely at the man on the other side of the window.

"No, the elimination of Saiyaman was solely my job. I worked alone and didn't share my findings. It goes without sayin' that I didn't trust the crooks who approached me." Habas wished he had listened to his gut-feeling, then this would never have happened. But he was blinded by hope.

"Would you be willing to show us how you got through the Capsule Corp.'s security system?"

"Yeah, sure. There's no need to hide it anymore," Habas said, "Though, I'll be in here for a while, so I'm afraid ya'll have to wait a few years."

"Maybe not," Gohan stood up.

"What do ya mean?" asked the man confused.

"You are the only human who managed to get to me, and you're going to keep that from the world. In exchange, all your daughter's medical expenses are covered by Capsule Corp., so you have no reason to hold a grudge against me. I will not press charges against you and we will assign you a good lawyer to help you through your case. In addition, Capsule Corp. is conducting experimental research on the adhesion force of gecko's, with the expectation that they can incorporate that technique into their space robot technology. They are short of a herpetologist." Gohan's serious face gave way to a friendly smile, "So you don't have to worry about being unemployed anymore."

"W-What?" Habas was stunned. "W-Why are ya doin' this for me? I almost killed ya!"

"My father believed that everyone – no matter how bad they may appear to be – deserves a second change. And I don't believe you are a true criminal, just a man who made bad choices in desperate times."

The door behind the prisoner flew open and two guards entered. Habas stood up in surprise, but was stunned to find his handcuff, which was still on one of his free arms, being removed. "W-What's goin' on?"

"You've been bailed out," one of the guards replied. "Please follow us so we can complete your release procedure."

Habas turned to Gohan again, tears in the corner of his eye. "Ya... Ya truly are a hero, there are no words to describe my gratitude."

Gohan nodded and watched as the man was led out of the room. He felt relieved. He placed the earpiece of the phone back in its holder and made his way to the exit of the building. Outside, a familiar face was waiting for him.

"You really are Goku's kid," Bulma said, taking a drag on her cigarette.

"I hope I made the right decision," he leaned against the wall next to his godmother.

"You gave someone a second chance, I think that's a very mature thing to do." She looked over to the half-Saiyan. "You know, I don't think he is the only one you should give a second chance."

Gohan looked up in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I've known you almost all my life, kiddo. I've watched you grow, both physically and spiritually. You have your heart in the right place and you always fight for the things you believe in. But I noticed you got lost after your father died. You've lost touch with yourself – your spirit – doing only the things that other people are expecting you to do. To be honest, I was really relieved and happy when you asked me to make you that Saiyaman suit, seeing again that sparkle into your eyes I hadn't seen for seven years." She took another drag on her cigarette and slowly blew out the smoke. "You've become a hero to so many people. Now it's time to become a hero to yourself and give yourself a second chance."

Gohan blinked, "I'm not following you."

Bulma looked sympathetically at the boy. "When you've hit rock bottom you've always been able to pick yourself up and come out a stronger person. That's partly because of your Saiyan genes, but it's also the strength of your personality. I'm convinced if you work hard, Saiyaman will fly around at the end of next week. But that will only be a sham recovery. You've neglected who you really are for too long, and you should use this as an opportunity to rebuild yourself as a whole."

"How is that a sham recovery?" Gohan asked, still not understanding.

"Think about it..." Bulma took the last drag on her cigarette and stubbed it out on the floor. "Is Saiyaman the only hero who has disappeared?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Undisclosed subject

After a nice date, they found themselves entangled on the living room couch. At first their kisses were insecure and hesitant, but now they were filled with lust and longing. At one point, Gohan's wet kisses wandered off, following her jawline to her neck, his large hands caressing her bare skin, just below her shirt. She herself began tugging on his shirt, hinting him to take it off. Without thought, he answered her desires, then gently pushed her onto her back to lay her down. He began to take her in with his eyes, admiring her beauty as he towered over her. She did the same, following the contours of his muscles with her soft hands. After they caught some breath, he closed the space between them again and continued to kiss her passionately. Gohan then moved his hands to the top buttons of her shirt and began to undo them one by one. However, when her first two buttons were undone, Videl stopped him and looked intensely into his onyx eyes.

"Rip it off," she said, panting in anticipation.

He straightened up slightly and placed both hands on either side of her collar, gripping the fabric firmly. He hesitated.

"Rip it!" now commanding him.

She could feel the tension in his muscles rise, knowing full well that he was only seconds away from ripping her newly bought shirt from her body. He pulled.

'Driiiiin', the unpleasant sound echoed through the room. With a jolt, she sat up, still panting heavily. That wasn't the sound of fabric being torn! In anger, she grabbed the device from her nightstand and smashed it against the wall right in front of her. The sound died – as did her alarm.

It was that damn dream again! The one with voluptuous themes involving her until recently missing friend. The boy that clouded her thoughts; the boy with that perfect upper buddy...

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, hating herself for thinking that way. That wasn't her. She wasn't the one falling hard for a boy, let alone craving him in such manners. What was wrong with her? She hated hormones, that was for sure!

Still annoyed and with a body that felt like burning, she rushed to her bathroom to take one very cold shower to calm herself down. Relieved that she'd managed to pull herself together, she prepared for her day at school. As always, her morning routine included a light breakfast in front of the 7am broadcast.

The first few news stories were nothing new to her, she had already heard about it through her police work. The third-or-so item, however, made her sit up. The broadcast took place in front of the state bank, where a blond curly-haired woman reported the item.

"There is still little known about the real facts surrounding the State Bank Robbery as all men involved have been silenced and have not told the police any details about their operation. Witness statements indicate that their goal wasn't to rob the bank at all, as none of the men went beyond the lobby or asked for any money. Therefore, it is believed that it most likely had a political purpose, as the mayor was their intended hostage. But as we all know, their terror came to an early halt thanks to the heroic collaboration of the daughter of our World Savior Mr. Satan, Videl Satan, and our local superhero the Great Saiyaman."

The image jumped back to the studios, where the news host asked the blond reporter a question: "We were told that one of the criminals was released from prison last night, is this true?"

The female reporter on the scene came back into the shot, "Yes, that is correct. An unknown person bailed out former herpetologist Habas Erpeto, who is known for guarding the entrance during the State Bank Robbery, and has indeed been released on parole. The police spokesperson assured that Erpeto poses no threat to society and he is being placed under house-arrest pending his hearing."

The shot was split, the news presenter appeared to the left, while the reporter could still be seen on the right. "Thank you Kate," he said, giving the blonde the cue to finish the news item.

"You're welcome Jimmy. Thank you for watching, I'm Kate Bridgerton and back to the studios."

"Oh no, Gohan!" exclaimed Videl and jumped off the sofa, grabbed her backpack and rushed outside. She had to check on him! She had to make sure he was okay! And not long after, she landed her copter on the roof of his building. Not caring to encapsulate her aircraft, she ran to the sliding door and pulled the handle. She struggled, but after a few tries, she opened the door.

"Dende, is that you already?" asked a familiar voice.

Videl stumbled in and pushed aside the curtains. "Gohan, are you alright?!" she cried out, still engulfed in panic.

"Um... I'm doing better than yesterday, why?" Gohan asked, confused as to why Videl was now standing in the middle of his apartment.

'Oh my Kami, he was still safe!' she thought to herself, a sense of relief taking over her panicked state. But when she took a closer look at him, a slight panic set in again. Gohan was leaning against the counter, wearing only a very low-fitting baggy sweatpants. She blushed profusely as she turned away from the boy. "Please! Put on a shirt!"

"Hey! You're the one who always storms into my room without knocking!" he exclaimed, also red with embarrassment, as he went to his bedroom to fetch himself a shirt.

Videl swallowed, trying to get the image of his naked torso out of her head. When she opened her eyes again, her eyes fell on something atop a dresser. It were two framed pictures: a relatively recent one of Gohan with his mother and little brother, the other with a group of people. She recognized a few: Bulma, holding a baby boy; the noseless man, only without hair; the big green alien-looking creature, with both his eyes closed; and - all the way to the side - the rude guy who had flown her to school the other day, looking away from the camera in annoyance. Somewhere in the middle she saw Gohan's mother leaning close to a tall blond man with a big grin on his face. Both had their hands on the shoulders of a pre-teen blond boy standing in front of them. But Gohan wasn't in the picture. Somehow this all looked very familiar to her, but she couldn't think twice as Gohan came back into the room.

"Better?" he asked, as he appeared in his regular school clothes. "Now, tell me why you burst into my apartment all of the sudden?"

Videl looked back at Gohan, slightly disappointed that he could hide his muscles so well. She took a deep breath. "The person who poisoned you was released on bail yesterday," she began to explain.

"I know," Gohan replied lightly, "I bailed him out."

"What?!" Videl was stunned, "What were you thinking?!"

"Relax, as you said yourself, this guy wouldn't have committed the crime if he had not been promised that his daughter would be helped. He's just a man who made bad choices in desperate times. And since he regrets his actions, I decided to bail him out and help him with his daughter's medical expenses. Everyone deserves a second chance."

"Why? Why do you want to take that risk?" she still couldn't believe her ears.

"Well, he got to me, nearly killed me, and I don't want that information falling into the wrong hands. So for his now sworn loyalty, I rewarded him. It's best to have the people who have the greatest threat to you by your side." he spoke wisely.

"Alright, I trust your judgment, but don't come back crying when he starts throwing darts at you again." Videl sighed, letting go of the subject.

Her stomach started to rumble when she realized she hadn't had much of her unfinished breakfast this morning. Without asking, she went over to the fridge and opened it, hoping she would find something to eat. But it was empty. Opening a few other cupboards, expecting Gohan had kept some food elsewhere, but again found herself empty handed.

"What? You literally have no food? I thought you were a big eater," she said, bewildered, "What did you have for breakfast this morning?"

"Nothing," Gohan shrugged, "I have to eat again sometime Thursday evening or maybe Friday morning." He looked at his friend's questioning face and felt the need to explain himself a bit more, "That bean they gave me when you found me has special abilities. It restores all physical trauma in an instant, which is why I briefly managed to get up back then, but you're also full for ten whole days. It hasn't been ten days yet, so I don't have to eat." He chuckled a bit, "But oh man, when my hunger strikes again, I'm so gonna eat my entire monthly budget in one sitting."

"Too bad," said Videl dejectedly. She wasn't looking forward to starting the school day on an empty stomach.

Getting where she came from, Gohan gave her a sympathetic smile. "Look, there's a bakery nearby. I'll buy you breakfast when we walk to school." He then realized something and felt a little uncomfortable. It wasn't that she'd never seen one of them before, but they'd never talked about it either. "Look, I've told you about my healing sessions, haven't I? That friend coming over to give it to me?" Videl nodded in response, so Gohan continued, "They could be here any minute now, but please, I want to ask you to treat them with respect. They're not your typical guys, so to speak."

"Is it your big green friend?" she asked him in a normal tone.

Gohan studied her and relaxed a bit when he saw that she wasn't repelled by the idea of meeting him again. "Yeah, Piccolo is actually my best friend. He's coming with another one like himself, so you can prepare for what you're about to see."

She nodded and at the same time there was a knock on the glass, announcing their presence.

"Come in," said Gohan, looking at Videl with a 'see, that's how you enter a room properly' smirk on his face. She just rolled her eyes in response as two beings entered the room. She expected them both to look the same, but to her surprise, one of them was much smaller, almost child-like, with a very friendly face.

"Hello there, Gohan, how are you today?" asked the smaller one of the two. Then he noticed Videl and offered her a smile too, "Hi, my name is Dende, a friend of Gohan. You must be Videl. It's an honor to finally meet you. You have done us a great service, thank you for that."

"A great service?" she asked, not understanding.

"By finding me," Gohan explained, as he sat down on his couch, lowering himself to Dende's level. "I'm doing better, Dende, although I'm still quite tired. Thanks for asking."

Dende walked over to the Saiyan hybrid and raised his hands, while Gohan closed his eyes and allowed himself a moment to relax. Videl looked puzzled as the light shone from the hands of the little green man. A growling voice distracted her from her stare, "Dende has the power to heal all physical injuries, but unfortunately cannot remove the remnants of poison in Gohan's body. The idea is that we let his immune system do the work to take care of that, healing the collateral damage twice a day." The big green guy looked at Videl and offered her a hand. "We didn't introduce ourselves properly, I'm Piccolo. I've known Gohan since he was a little kid."

With a slight hesitation, the raven-haired girl took his immense clawed hand into her own small one. "Nice to meet you, sir, I'm Videl, a school friend of Gohan's." she said politely.

"It's nice to see that Gohan has finally made a friend his own age," Piccolo said with a soft smile, standing back up straight and crossing his arms.

"All done!" Dende said with a smile, "See you tonight."

"Thanks again, Dende!" Gohan said gratefully.

Both Dende and Piccolo walked to the open door. As Piccolo passed Gohan, he'd put his large hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "Take care, Kid."

But before they left, the smaller Namakian turned to Videl. "Ah, I almost forgot," he said and walked over to her. He raised both of his hands again, and as another glow radiated from it, a satisfying warmth also radiated through her body, concentrating in the lower parts of her back. "Here you go," he said, still offering her a friendly smile, "I've healed your old sports injury, see it as a thank you gift." Then he turned and followed Piccolo outside.

Gohan got up and stretched himself, a big grin written on his face. "Oh man, this feels so good!" he sighed with satisfaction. "Now we've been both patched up, shall we go get you some breakfast?" She nodded, still dumbstruck at what had happened. When she followed her classmate out of his apartment, however, she noticed that the framed photo of the group of people was missing from the dresser. Though she thought it was odd, she didn't give it much thought.

After he bought her some breakfast, they walked to school. Videl looked at Gohan a little insecure, not knowing if she would offend him with the question. "May I ask you something?" she began hesitantly, "Are your friends aliens?" Gohan looked in her direction with a questioning look, and she quickly added, "Don't get me wrong, they just look so different."

Then Gohan let out a subtle laugh after seeing her embarrassed face. "Yes, yes they are. They are Namakians, from the planet Namek." His face relaxed again. "The smaller one of the two, Dende, he's Kami."

"Wait, are you saying he is God? As in the Earth's Guardian?"

"Yep," Gohan only said, enjoying her confusion.

"I have so many questions right now..." she couldn't think straight anymore, "How do you even meet a God, let alone have him help you personally."

"We were friends before he became Kami," he simply said, "But let's postpone this conversation, we're approaching school and I don't want people eavesdropping on such topics."

"Fair enough," Videl agreed, "But you're going to answer me eventually, right?"

"That's a promise," he gave her one of his signature smiles, inadvertently stirring up her unwanted gut-feelings. She looked away to hide the small blush that rose.

They arrived at the school and, to Gohan's relief, he took their morning classes without much difficulty. Yes, he was tired, but his medication was effective. All in all it was a much better day than yesterday. And just like the day before, the four friends found themselves at their usual spot next to the oak tree during their break. Gohan was lying on the grass again, enjoying the fresh air and the warmth of the sun, when suddenly something fell from the sky onto his lap.

Reflexively, he looked up and saw a man floating in the sky, dressed in a very familiar superhero costume. He gave him a salute and immediately flew away. Gohan gave Yamcha a salute back in mind and then looked at what the man had given him. It was a small jar and when he opened it he found a small piece of paper next to some pills. He unfolded it and read, 'These pills will help you with your fatigue, they will be added to your prescription (twice a day) – Bulma'.

Fortunately for Gohan, none of his friends had noticed that Saiyaman had given him something, as they were all too focused on their conversation. However, the presence of Saiyaman himself did not go unnoticed. Erasa let out a fangirl cry, "Did you see that? It's Saiyaman!" She then turned to her best friend to tease her as usual, "I'm sure he came back for that second kiss, but he probably was scared off because you weren't alone." The bubbly blonde then gave her a wink and playfully stuck out her tongue.

Videl froze. She knew that her friend was only teasing her, but she was well aware that Gohan knew nothing about the incident between her and Saiyaman. And because he is the real Saiyaman, this could become a complicated situation.

"Wait what?" the boy in question asked, confused. "What is she talking about, Videl?"

She swallowed and cautiously looked over in his direction. She didn't want to engage the subject, not at all. But his serious deep frown told her she wasn't going to avoid an explanation.

"What did he do, Videl," Gohan's voice sounded firm and determined, almost warning her to better answer the question.

"Well," she swallowed again, "You see, there was a misunderstanding the other day and Saiyaman thought I was asking him for a... a kiss."

"A kiss..." Gohan repeated, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Did he in fact kiss you?"

"Oh, someone's jealous?" Erasa tried teasingly, but was immediately shut down by an uncharacteristic icy glare from Gohan. She had never seen him this serious.

"I already said it was a misunderstanding. Nothing serious happened. We talked it out and he apologized, so case closed," Videl said defensively.

"Alright, if you say so," Gohan said reluctantly, realizing full well she wouldn't give him any further information. He was also aware that this wasn't something to discuss with his two other friends around. It had to wait until later. He knew that Yamcha wouldn't cross legal boundaries, so it was indeed probably a misunderstanding, but it still didn't sit right with him. He let out an irritated sigh and stood up, hanging his satchel over his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Videl asked, her defensiveness subsiding.

"I'm going home, I need to take care of something," his irritation was clearly noticeable in his voice.

"Do you want me to take you home?" She offered.

"No thank you. Besides, you need to attend your next class," he said bluntly, and without waiting for a response, he marched off.

Sharpener raised his eyebrow, "What's his problem all of a sudden?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 15: Baseball

Videl leaned against the lockers, waiting for her friends to arrive. She had left early this morning to escape the environment overshadowed by her ever-growing lascivious dreams. Thinking of the boy, she wondered what he had to take care of so suddenly the day before. She had her suspicions, though.

"Good morning!"

Videl looked up and saw Gohan walking towards her with a big grin on his face.

"You look exceptionally well today," she greeted him, raising an eyebrow.

"I feel great, compared to previous days at least." Gohan smiled at her, "What are you doing tonight?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"As in, do you have anything planned or are you free this evening?" he said with a little twinkle in his eye.

Her eyes grew. Was he about to ask her out? The innocent boy who always seemed to miss all kinds of romantic encounters; the boy who didn't even notice girls flirting with him; did that boy ask her on a date now? She swallowed, "N-No, I'm free."

"Good!" he rummaged in his satchel and pulled out four tickets. "Here, these are for you," he said, handing her the tickets.

She accepted the tickets and examined them carefully. These were tickets to tonight's Satanists – Taitans baseball game, a game that many sports fans looked forward to. It was the baseball game of the year to be exact, sold out many months ago. Even her father, the main sponsor of the Satanists, couldn't get tickets anymore. So, maybe her expectations of his approach were a little too high, and while it wasn't specifically a date, it was still a really nice surprise.

"Thanks, how did you get these?" she wondered aloud.

"They are not mine, they are from my substitute. After I learned about the incident between you two yesterday, I was pissed, to be honest. So I confronted him and he told me the whole story. I still strongly disapprove of his behavior, but I believe it was indeed a misunderstanding," he looked at her intently, "Correct me if I'm wrong."

"I already told you, it was!" Jeez, how many times did she have to tell him.

"Alright, just making sure," his smile returned, "Anyway, he's really sorry and he gave you these tickets to make it up to you." A defiant smirk appeared on his face, "Of course you can choose who you want to take to the match, but this one," – Gohan took one of the tickets from her hand – "I call dibs on this one."

She playfully placed her hands on her waist, "And who says I want you to be there, hm?"

"I don't care, I just want to go," he still smirked, challenging her to go against it.

"Hey there!"

Both teens looked up from their conversation to see their two blond friends coming their way.

"Hey guys! Cancel all your appointments tonight," Videl said with a grin. "And Sharpener, please don't fangirl about this," she wishfully pleaded, but knew it would be in vain, "We're going to see the Taitans tonight!"

###

The square in front of the Satanists Arena was packed with excited people, divided by the colors yellow or red. The exuberant cheerful buzz was contagious, it even gave Gohan extra energy and with a big grin he walked amidst his friends. They got to the arena extra early, because it was common for all kinds of bands to give small performances before the game, and they didn't want to miss anything.

Even though Mr. Satan was the main sponsor of the Satanists, Videl has always been a supporter of the Taitans and wore their shirt to show it off. Erasa had tied a high knot in hers, distracting many men as she passed, and Gohan and Sharpener each wore one with Yamcha's name written on the back. Yamcha himself had given Gohan one of his own old shirts the day before, and as usual he wore a loose, long-sleeved shirt underneath to hide his muscular arms.

"Hey, let's go all the way to the front, I can't see shit from here," Videl hated being so short. "It's really crowded, so let's chain up so we don't lose each other."

She grabbed Gohan's hand before making her way through the mass of people. Gohan felt that Sharpener had grabbed his other hand as well and assumed Erasa had done the same to Sharpener. After some struggle, they found a nice spot a bit to the side near the stage where a band was playing some old pop music. Sharpener had let go of Gohan's hand, but Videl hadn't. Confused, he looked at the girl, but she had her eyes on the band. To check if this was normal behavior, he looked over to Sharpener and saw that he too was still holding hands with Erasa. Then he looked around and found that other pairs of people – whether opposite or same-sex pairs – were holding hands. He'd always assumed this was something couples did, but since he knew Sharpener and Erasa weren't a thing, he was probably wrong. Perhaps this was what normal people did to avoid ending up alone in crowded places. He'd also noticed that most of the pairs had their fingers interlocked, and as he didn't want to be the odd one, he too interlocked his holding with Videl.

Videl's body stiffened. While the band was playing a romantic song, she had deliberately held Gohan's hand, just to see how the guy would react... but she never expected this bold move. Her face turned as red as a tomato and she demanded of herself to keep her eyes on the stage, afraid that Gohan would notice her redness. But by the time the next song ended, she'd gathered herself together, and for the first time since he had interlocked their hands, she dared to look in his direction. He noticed she was looking at him and gave her his characteristic smile and leaned forward to make himself audible. "Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Y-Yeah, I am," she replied with a light stutter. Why did he act like this was the most normal thing in the world? She couldn't comprehend it, but she didn't complain either.

They stayed at the stage for quite some time, but eventually it was time to take their place in the arena. As they left the large crowd, Gohan had let go of Videl's hand, much to the girl's disappointment. However, she assumed he probably didn't want their two friends to notice. When they had found their seats, she made sure to sit next to Gohan. Sharpener and Erasa sat on the other side of him.

"I'm so excited for the match!" Sharpener exclaimed, "Oh look! There he is!" and he pointed to Yamcha as he made his way across the field to a reporter for a pre-match TV interview. Sharpener proved to be a huge fan of Yamcha ever since he joined the Taitans. The team from West City, the city where Sharpener grew up most of his childhood, wasn't doing so well back then. They almost didn't qualify for the Champions League anymore. But that all changed when the man joined the team. It was almost like he came out of nowhere and made baseball popular again. "Man, I can't wait to see one of his legendary home runs!"

Gohan had never been to any of Yamcha's matches. In fact, the only times he got to see the former desert bandit would be at one of Bulma's get-together parties. There the man was always in the background chatting with old friends about the 'good old days'. The majority of the Z-fighters had overshadowed him in skill and strength a while ago, and Gohan knew Yamcha felt insignificant and left out. Perhaps that was why he retired from martial arts and turned to his second favorite sport: baseball. To Gohan's bliss, it was clear to see that he had found his place and excelled in it too.

"Another home run!'' The arena went wild as the ball flew over the field roof. No batter had ever done that in the Satanists's Arena before. Gohan wondered if all the training he'd gotten over the past few weeks from being Saiyaman had something to do with the increase in power. Whatever it was, Yamcha was owning this game!

"Go Yamcha!" Gohan shouted, going along with the excitement of the moment.

"Damn, Brains, I didn't expect you to be such a sports fan," Sharpener shouted above the cheers. Gohan answered only with a nervous chuckle, unable to tell the blond he was really just cheering for his friend.

The teams switched places as the eight inning was about to start. The Satanists were at bat and their own legendary player John Yakyū took place in the right-handed batter's box. Yamcha got ready in the pitcher's mouth and closed his eyes in concentration. Although his cutter was a good throw, John did strike the ball with full force, sending the ball flying through the air and over the Taitan's right fielder. It took the Taitans quite some time to regain control of the game, nearly giving away a home run, but in the end John was forced to stay on the third base.

"Maybe you should give that right fielder your sneakers, you know, with those air cushions, then he might have had that ball," said Erasa, looking over to Gohan. "Still think it's strange though, that you jumped twenty-five feet into the air. And why don't the Taitans use such good shoes anyways?"

Gohan swallowed and nervously scratched his neck, not knowing what to say. He knew what the girl was talking about, but hoped they'd forgotten it, as it had been a few months ago. On his first day of school, during P.E., their class also had to play baseball. Immersed in the game, Gohan had jumped inhumanly high to catch a ball, not noticing his classmates staring. He clearly overdid it. He had come up with a lame excuse for why he could jump so high, apparently something about air cushions in shoes, and decided to lay low during P.E. ever since.

Videl came out from behind him, "It still has to be a sport, Erasa, they have to compete on skill level and physical strength, not on what they can do with all kinds of material or equipment. There are rules for that. Such shoes aren't allowed. It's the same reason you don't use a bike during a marathon, or a rocket launcher during the javelin throw. It's kind of cheating. Besides, I think Gohan's shoes just malfunctioned, as we've never seen him jump that high again."

Erasa looked like she was processing what Videl had said, then smiled, "I guess you're right, never thought about it that way," and to Gohan's relief, she looked back at the game.

Not wanting to draw Erasa's attention again, he waited a few minutes before bending over to Videl's ear. "Thanks for the rescue," he whispered, giving the girl goosebumps as his breath tickled her ear.

"You're welcome," she said, though she didn't feel comfortable fooling Erasa like that. "But why did you jump that high anyway?"

"I simply didn't know I was jumping that high. Believe it or not, I was already restraining myself to the point where I assumed humans were, but still it wasn't enough. Bulma had warned me that I had to try really hard to blend in at High School, but it's so hard sometimes," he let out a sigh and turned his attention back to the game.

Videl was puzzled. Did he say 'to the point humans were'? She looked at the boy and studied his face. Suddenly she remembered something and in mind she heard the crook's voice repeating: ' the guy ain't human, I tell ya '.

She averted her gaze and began to ponder. Could that be true, him not being human? And if so, how many of them were there? He did know aliens, that she'd already learned from the guy. And all those other men could fly, though, except for those Namakians, most of them looked human enough. But again, Saiyaman – and thus Gohan – had displayed such incredible strength, it even made her doubt her father was capable of going against him. She always assumed it had something to do with the suit, but during P.E. Gohan wasn’t wearing it. Maybe it was something small, an invention Bulma had made, something like a belt, something inconspicuous. She looked back at Gohan. The guy looked so normal, he couldn't be from another planet, right?... Right?

A loud deafening rumble jolted her out of her thoughts. The noise was so loud that some supporters let out a scream from fright, not knowing where it came from or what it was. Even the baseball players paused the game and looked up. Videl and Sharpener looked beside them, both in opposite directions. In the middle, Gohan had his arms around him, his head red of embarrassment.

"Shit, I think the Senzu has worn out," he said as another very loud sound came from his protesting stomach. "I... I think I should go," and he stood up.

"Wow Brain Boy, is that really your stomach?" exclaimed Sharpener in astonishment.

However, both boys were distracted by a shrill whistle, followed by the words "Gohan, catch!", causing them to face the field. There Gohan saw Yamcha, visibly ready to throw a pitch in their direction. Gohan's eyes widened when he realized Yamcha was about to use the Wolf Fang Fist, one of Yamcha's signature martial arts techniques. And with incredible speed something came soaring through the air. Gohan tried to catch it but failed in accuracy and missed. Just in time, a mitt appeared in front of Gohan's face and prevented a collision. Gohan released his breath, which he apparently held.

"What the..." Sharpener said in surprise as he took a look at what he'd caught. "Yamcha threw you an... an apple?"

"Thanks Sharpener for catching that one," Gohan said with relief, snatching the apple from the jock's hand and immediately taking a big bite out of it. "I have to go, sorry," he added with his mouth full.

The only other person who had a clue of what was going on, other than Yamcha and Gohan himself, was Videl. Gohan hadn't eaten for ten full days, and now apparently that strange bean had worn off, his body clearly needed some food. "I'll give you a lift home," she said and she too stood up.

"No need," said the Saiyan hybrid, taking another eager bite of the apple. "I'll take Nimbus home, it's much faster. Just enjoy the game and don't forget you have a meet-and-greet afterwards."

"A Meet-and-Greet?" Sharpener asked, and hopeful twinkles appeared in his eyes.

"Yeah, with Yamcha," Gohan pointed to the field with his thumb over his shoulder as the last piece of apple disappeared into his mouth. "Details are on the tickets. I really need to go guys, see you later!" and with that, Gohan ran off, a rumbling sound trailing him.

"Wow, that was weird," Erasa mumbled.

After the odd disturbance, the game had resumed. The Taitans had won the match with a staggering 32-11. The biggest part of the arena was celebrating, giving their surroundings a really pleasant buzz as they made their way to the venue of their Meet-and-Greet featuring the biggest star in the game, perhaps even baseball in a whole.

Waiting outside a door, somewhere behind the scenes, Erasa looked at her ticket. "Strange, this is really the place we should be, why aren't there more people?"

"Don't know," Sharpener shrugged, "but you won't hear me complain, I don't mind having my hero almost to myself."

The door opened and a man got out. "Miss Videl Satan?" he asked, looking at both girls.

"That would be me," the girl replied, raising her hand.

"Follow me," the man said, holding the door open.

"Hey, what about us?" Sharpener asked the man, a hint of indignation recognizable in his voice.

"Yamcha specifically asked me to get Miss Satan first, you'll follow later, don't worry."

The blond jock crossed his arms in annoyance and leaned against the wall, while Videl followed the man down a hallway that led to another door. The guy knocked and both were greeted in by a voice. Again the door was held open for Videl, and as she entered, the door closed behind her, leaving her alone with the baseball star.

"Hello, Miss Satan," Yamcha greeted, "Please sit down."

Videl's eyes widened: that voice... She knew that voice. As she walked to the chair across the desk where Yamcha was sitting, she took a closer look at the man. The man had some old scars on his face, in a very familiar place.

"Do you know why I asked you here first?" the man asked.

Her brain was working overtime. Besides his voice and the scars, the other coincidences were too many. The guy had thrown an apple at her hungry friend for Kami's sake, almost knowing what to do in that strange situation. She even thought she heard him call Gohan by his name. And Gohan, he acted like the gesture was the most normal thing in the world, and he didn't even think twice about it. And why only she and her two friends had a meet-and-greet? When her father had those, the room was packed with people, it was a money making business. But no, here she was, alone with the famous baseball player, giving her the impression that she was here for a purpose. Suddenly, her face turned red.

"No way, you are his substitute, aren't you?"

"He told me you were smart," Yamcha said with a smile, "Yes, yes I am. And now that I know it doesn't damage his true identity, I want to personally apologize to you for the faulty events the other day." He looked at a stunned Videl and continued, "I'm ashamed of my behavior back then and I want to emphasize, that's not how I really am. I got overconfident with the anonymity of the suit and, well, I overdid it." Yamcha looked away in shame. "Thank you for putting me in my place and giving me a wake-up call."

"Well, it's good of you to see what you did was wrong, and I've seen you change your behavior," Videl then let out a small giggle, "It was really fun to see that the Z T.V Daily news reporter was all over you while you were trying to avoid her." She looked at the man again and resumed her serious posture, "And as a good friend of mine recently said, everybody deserves a second chance, so I accept your apology."

"Let me guess, that good friend was Gohan, wasn't it?" a grin appeared on Yamcha's face. "He really got that from his father, he's a good kid."

"May I ask how the two of you know each other?"

"I met Gohan's father a long, long time ago. The guy was still a little kid, traveling with Bulma in search of the dragon balls. I decided to join their journey and we've been friends ever since."

"Dragon balls?" Videl blinked her eyes and thought back to the story Gohan had told them for their history project, "You mean they're real?"

Yamcha raised an eyebrow, "Wait, he told you right? I thought you two were very close, you knowing his background and all?"

"All I know is that he's Saiyaman," she said, her face slowly turning into a serious frown, "There's more to the guy, isn't there?"

Yamcha froze for a moment, realizing that he had to be careful about what information he could share with her. "Let's put it this way," he began hesitantly, "He is Saiyaman for a reason." He took a deep breath, "Look, you understand that it's not my place to tell you about his personal life. Gohan speaks highly of you, and to us you're the first real friend he opened up to outside our group, so give it some time and he'll tell you about it himself. But I must warn you, the truth will not be easy for you, as you are the daughter of Mr. Satan."

"What's my dad got to do with it?" she said, a little defensively.

"Much more than you realize," Yamcha said, "But please give the boy a chance to tell you himself. Be patient. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he will if he finds you have the right to know."

"I'm confused, but I suppose I have to wait until he's ready for it. I'll leave the Enigma called Gohan alone for now," she sighed deeply. Then she looked back at Yamcha and decided to ask him one last question, "But, what I was wondering, is Gohan human?"

Yamcha looked up in surprise. "Why do you ask?" He wanted first to know what the girl knew before throwing away confidential information again.

"Well, he's got the strength and skill beyond human capabilities, or so it seems. And he survived a deadly cocktail of poison, which no human should do. He's also befriended aliens, so, well, I was just wondering, maybe he was one himself."

"He's a special kid, I'll give him that. But you'll have to answer that question for yourself," Yamcha looked at her and gave her a wink, "I'll give you a hint: It's all written in his superhero name."

"I suppose you're right," Videl said. 'Saiyaman' did end with 'man' after all. "Thanks."

Yamcha stood up, "Shall we ask your other friends in? I think they've waited long enough."

Chapter Text

Chapter 16: Clusivity

Gohan sat upside down on his couch in front of the TV, with his feet over the back. No one was here to say he couldn't sit like that, one of the perks of living alone. Scattered around him were empty food packages and piles of dirty dishes. The last time he'd eaten that much was when he and his father had their first proper meal since leaving the Hyperbolic Time Chamber years ago. He sighed in satisfaction, but was soon disturbed by someone knocking on his window. He didn't want to get out of his comfortable position and took the risk that it wouldn't be his mother – who would definitely make a scene out of this – and he just yelled for the person to come in.

The door slid open and not much later Videl appeared next to his couch. When he saw the girl, he was a little ashamed of his display and decided to sit up straight after all.

"I came by to check on you because you suddenly left so quickly, but I see you're doing okay," she looked at one of the piles of plates on the side table, "Did you eat all that?" she asked in astonishment.

A nervous chuckle escaped his mouth as he ran a hand through his hair, "Guilty as charged." He then gave her a friendly smile and motioned for her to sit next to him. "Want something to drink?"

"No thank you, I can't stay long as my dad is expecting me at home soon." Her eyes fell on the TV, "What are you watching?"

"I'm waiting for the live broadcast where Yamcha is going to give an interview, and if everything goes according to plan, it's going to be an interesting one." Gohan looked at Videl, who decided to sit down for a moment before leaving. "How was your meet-and-greet?"

"Interesting," she replied, "So, how many famous people do you know?"

"To me they're friends, I don't care much about fame or status," Gohan shrugged, "But seriously, how did it go?"

"It wasn't really necessary to go as far as arranging a meeting, but I'm glad to know who your substitute is." She then chuckled, "You had to see Sharpener, by the way, when he finally met his hero, he almost cried and couldn't get his words out."

Gohan laughed at the thought that his big tough friend would react that way. "Too bad I missed that. And for the record, the meet-and-greet was Yamcha's idea." His attention was again drawn to the TV, where the news broadcast began and the item about tonight's' baseball game was introduced.

"Next to me stands the top player of the evening, Yamcha, welcome," the reporter said, moving her microphone to Yamcha.

"Pleasure to be here, Kate," he smiled at her, "You look lovely this evening."

"Ugh, not this again," Videl exclaimed, a hint of irritation in her voice, "When he was disguised as Saiyaman, he flirted with her too."

"I know," said Gohan nonchalantly, "He told me, but the truth is, he really likes her. And that's why I want to see this broadcast," a childish grin appeared on his face. Videl looked up in surprise and also turned her attention to the broadcast, interested in why Gohan was so eager to see this. For now it seemed like a normal interview.

"Can you tell us what went wrong in the eighth inning? It looked like there was some struggle in the right-back after John Yakyū hit your pitch" the blond reporter asked, pointing the microphone at Yamcha again.

"John is a talented player and he is famous for his batting. It's not surprising that we struggled a bit after that technical hit. The important thing is that we regained our dominance and that we were able to avoid that home run."

"And are you going to celebrate now that the Taitans are most likely to become champions of the 43 chiku league?"

"We still have our match against the Rockets team, our formidable opponent. So it's too early to celebrate in my opinion."

"But if you do, how would you celebrate?"

"Well, if we happen to become champions, I was looking forward to a nice vacation, maybe to the old Pingyao Ancient City, to admire the well-preserved urban planning and architecture of the Ming & Qing dynasty. But for tonight, I was hoping to celebrate in private, with a good meal shared with a beautiful lady."

Gohan sat up straight, "Now it comes."

"Who's that lucky lad-," Kate stopped halfway through her sentence and her eyes widened, "Wait, w-what did you say?"

A grin appeared on Yamcha's face, "What? That I'm going to celebrate tonight's victory with a nice meal?"

"N-No, before that."

"You mean the ancient city of Pingyao?" his grin grew wider, "You should visit, I think you'll love it."

The microphone fell from her hand as she stood perplexed. She studied Yamcha's face, which was still grinning at her, saying something to her that was inaudible to the viewer. Kate then stepped forward and threw herself at him as she kissed him, forgetting the still running cameras.

"Alright, Yamcha!" said Gohan, almost cheering, but also with a hint of embarrassment. He had seen enough and turned off the TV. "That reporter and Yamcha had agreed on a code word," Gohan began to explain, "So when the time came, he could tell her he was the guy she fell in love with. It's nice to see his plan worked out, I heard it was quite difficult to get her to interview him as she normally doesn't do sports items." Gohan looked at Videl, who still had her eyes on the black screen of the TV with a visible blush on her face. "Are you alright, Videl?" he asked, a little worried.

Videl was startled when she heard her name, and her blush deepened. "Yeah, it's nothing!" she said. "It's just that romance normally flies right over your head, and now you're deliberately watching it. It's a bit weird."

"He he, I guess it is," Gohan agreed, "But I just knew what was going to happen, and I'm glad Yamcha finally found someone he really likes. He hasn't had a real girlfriend since he and Bulma broke up."

"Wait, what?!" Videl exclaimed, "He dated Bulma Brief?"

"Yeah, back in the old days. I've heard about the stories, but as long as I can remember, they broke up. Still, I think Bulma might be really mad right now if she was watching. For some reason, she still gets jealous over him."

A silence fell over them, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. After a short while Videl spoke up, "Have... have you ever had a girlfriend before?" she asked hesitantly.

The half-Saiyan looked up in surprise. It was a question he might have expected to be asked by Erasa at some point, but he'd never expected it from Videl. "No, I haven't. In fact, you guys are my first real friends my age, let alone that I had a girlfriend." He paused for a moment and sighed, "There was a girl I once tried to befriend, but she interpreted my approach differently than I intended. And well, I wasn't in the best frame of mind at that time, so our friendship quickly faded. I don't think I could ever have opened up to her as much as I would with you." He looked at Videl and smiled kindly at her, "It's actually a very liberating feeling, to be honest, to be able to be myself for once."

"Well, that's what friends are for," Videl replied, but couldn't avoid a blush. Then she remembered something from a while ago, "And what about Angela, you two started dating when you just attended Orange Star High, right? What happened?"

Gohan let out a chuckle, "You happened."

Videl's eyes widened, not expecting that answer. "H-How?"

"Remember the big fire at that skyscraper? The one with the water tank on top?" Videl nodded and he continued, "I left the date with Angela to help you as Saiyaman, but after the fire was extinguished, I went looking for her, but you found me first."

"Ah, yes, I remember she being mad about something and that odd conversation about you having teddy bear underwear."

"Yeah, don't remind me," after all this time, Gohan still felt embarrassed by it, "Basically, Angela thought I slipped away from our date so I could kiss you behind her back."

"How the hell did she come up with that idea?!" exclaimed Videl, a little embarrassed. The thought of them kissing made her unwanted gut-feelings bubble up again. But reality also struck, "I'm sorry you lost your chance with her because of me."

Gohan shrugged, "I never wanted to go out with her anyway, to be honest. She blackmailed me, threatened me that she would tell everyone my secret . I thought she found out I was Saiyamen so I agreed to go on that date. But apparently it was all about my teddy bear underwear that she somehow saw when I changed after P.E."

"Seriously, does a girl have to blackmail you to get a date out of you?" Videl couldn't suppress a giggle, "And do you still have those underwear, I'm kind of curious now?"

"No, I threw them away afterwards. Piccolo had given it to me. It was his rare attempt at being funny for a change, so I kept it for sentimental reasons." Gohan looked at the clock, and while he didn't want her to leave, it was best to point out that it was getting late. "Didn't your father expect you to be home soon?"

"Ah shit, you're right!" Videl rose hastily. Gohan also got up and followed her to the sliding door to wave her goodbye. When Videl stepped outside, she turned to him, as he casually leaned his upper arm against the door frame. "Uh, Gohan," Videl began hesitantly, "Every Saturday night Sharpener, Erasa and I go to the arcades. We had never invited you before, since you live all the way up in the mountain area, but now you live here, would you... would you like to join?" She didn't specifically ask him on a date, but asking him this one-on-one made her very nervous.

"Yeah, I would love to," he said, "Thanks for including me." He looked at her and for a moment his gaze settled on her light-blue opal eyes. He didn't know why, but he found himself lost in them and saw for the first time how beautiful they really were. Reluctantly, he took a deep breath and forced himself out of his staring, as a scent of cherries filled his nostrils. "See... see you tomorrow."

"Y-Yeah, see you tomorrow," she, too, forced herself to move from the sudden tension. After she'd decapsulated her copter and flew away, she looked back one last time. As Gohan still stood, watching her copter disappear in the distance, a déjà vu fell over her, taking her back to the first time she ever noticed him in such a way. She hated to admit it, but she was definitely falling in love with that country boy.

###

It was Friday and like every week the school day would end with P.E. Gohan sat on one of the benches along the sports field. The baseball game had Gohan thinking: Although Yamcha gave up martial arts, he still found himself a different purpose, one which suited him very well. Perhaps this whole incident was meant as an opportunity to start over. Doing something he wanted to do, becoming something he wanted to be, becoming his own person. Maybe that's what Bulma tried to say the other day after they had bailed out that guy. He never fancied fighting, it only caused pain and destruction, even if sometimes it was the only answer in perilous times. But that was something you should leave to Vegeta, not him. He had never asked for any of that, he was just forced to.

Everything seemed so normal now. He felt good and was no longer tired. The only thing that stood out was that he couldn't use or feel Ki anymore. And while he missed flying, he kind of cherished it. It made him feel more human and made him stop being so wary all the time, which made him feel very relaxed. He wasn't so different from his classmates anymore, and he finally felt like he belonged somewhere.

He got up as he saw a group of people gathering as they were about to run a few laps. Maybe it was time to find out how human he had become, or at least what damage the poison had done to his physical state. He walked over to the group and found Erasa amongst them.

"Hi Gohan! Did the teacher force you to run a few laps like the rest of us?" Erasa asked, a bit annoyed that she'd been caught doing nothing. She didn't like P.E. and always tried to avoid participating, this time in vain.

"No, I'm here on my own free will, I guess," Gohan shrugged. "I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines."

"Suit yourself, but I know what I'd rather do," she said, looking at the boy as if he was crazy.

The group all left at the same time and Gohan took the lead very quickly. But soon he felt his body was becoming exhausted and one by one his classmates caught up to him. It didn't bother him that much, but when even Erasa had caught up to him, he couldn't handle it. He forced himself to accelerate to pass her again. She took the challenge and did the same and it became a cat and mouse game for a short while, until Gohan really strained his muscles and couldn't go on. He stopped, heaving violently, sweat dripping from his face. He really hit rock bottom, hadn't he?

He sighed angrily and walked back to the sidelines, flopping down on one of the benches. He looked across the field, where Erasa was still completing her laps. His pride was a little hurt from losing to Erasa, but he blamed the poison. He should probably train to increase his stamina to an acceptable level. He then looked over to the other side of the field and saw Videl doing some kickboxing exercises with Sharpener. Sharpener struggled to hold up the hand pads as Videl's quick footwork hit them over and over, beads of sweat trickling down her face as her hair danced to her movements. It was a mesmerizing sight to say at least.

"See something you like?" a teasing voice pulled him out of his stare. When he looked up, he saw Erasa sitting next to him, who had finally finished running. "I've noticed you've been watching Videl a lot lately."

"A guy can watch, right?" said Gohan lightly with a small blush on his face, knowing that denying his behavior was futile towards Erasa.

"Why don't you tell her you like her?" Erasa continued in a more serious tone.

"Who says I do?" Gohan didn't like her directness, as he himself didn't know what these feelings meant, "And besides, what's the point anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Erasa looked confused.

"Wouldn't that be a betrayal to Sharpener? I always assumed he would end up with her," Gohan blurted out, tired of keeping this inner struggle all to himself.

Erasa started laughing and Gohan gave her a confused look. "That would never ever happen," she snickered, "He just plays with her by calling her babe all the time, for the sole purpose of getting under her skin. It's more of a running gag. A few years ago when this all started, he did like her, but soon realized it was a one-way street. You don't need to worry about that."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret," she gave him a wink, "Sharpener has a girlfriend."

Gohan's head shot in the direction of Erasa in astonishment, "When did that happen?"

"When you went missing. You see, Videl was engulfed in your case, trying to find you and all, and left us out of it. If we had known what she was doing all that time, we would of course have helped," Erasa assured him, "But she didn't and left us hanging on our history project." The blonde giggled, "You know there was a reason why we weren't so productive."

Gohan had to take a moment to let it all sink in, but then grinned at her, "Well, I'll be damned," he said, a bit proud of himself that he got the underlying meaning of what she was telling him.

"We haven't told Videl yet, so please keep this a secret. We want to see if it works out between us first, because we don't want to ruin our group dynamics."

"I will, don't worry," he said, still with a big grin on his face. He was happy for both of his blond friends, and somehow he wasn't that surprised they'd ended up together. Also, he was relieved to know that Sharpener wasn't into Videl.

Then something dawned on him. "Uh, Erasa," he began hesitantly, ashamed to ask, "Holding hands is a couple's thing, isn't it?"

Erasa blinked in surprise, "Yeah, why do you ask?"

Gohan's face flushed, remembering that he'd held Videl's hand for quite a while before the Baseball game started. Did that mean anything more than just a percussion to keep from getting lost in a crowded place? Why did so many people do it then? 

The bell rang, ending the conversation with Erasa to Gohan's relief, and he got up to go to the locker room. He was glad he didn't have to answer her last question, because it was embarrassing enough already. Why was he so bad at reading social interactions? 

Feeling that he needed a cold shower to ease his nerves, he took a towel from his locker and grabbed some clean clothes. This was the first time he actually broke into a sweat during P.E., so besides wanting one, he needed a shower too. 

He was grateful that, for obvious reasons, there were a few private shower cubicles next to the main communal one. Without thinking twice, he had hung his stuff over the edge of the cabin, but his shirt and trousers were immediately snatched by a couple of pranksters.

"Damn it, give back my clothes!" Gohan exclaimed out of character and cursed himself for being so reckless. He turned off the shower and dried himself as he still had his towel. Some noises and a shout were heard from the locker room, and not much later Sharpener came up to Gohan's shower cubicle.

"Brains, is that you? I've got your clothes back. Stapler thought he was being funny again."

"Thanks Sharpener, I owe you one!" said Gohan, relieved, and grabbed his clothes from over the cubicle's edge. He quickly dressed, left the cubicle and met his friend on the other side of the door.

"You need to stand up for yourself a bit more, Gohan, don't let them walk over you all the time." There it was again, Sharpener using his real name for some reason. Gohan studied his friend's face as he continued, "Why do you hide yourself all the time anyway? You never use the communal shower, which is not a problem, but it does stand out, and you always wear ten layers of clothing even if it's a hundred degrees outside. Whatever it is, there's nothing to be ashamed of, you know that, right? Just be yourself for once."

"I don't want the unwanted attention," Gohan simply said, confusing Sharpener with that answer. "And I feel more confident with long-sleeved shirts, that's all." Seeing his blond friend's questioning expression, he added, "I've some nasty scars that I'd rather keep to myself because I don't want to talk about them." He was mainly referring to the one he got from losing his tail, which was probably the hardest one to explain. Fortunately, Sharpener nodded in understanding and he and Gohan packed up and left the locker room. There they met the girls as usual.

While they all left the school, Gohan noticed that sweet and subtle cherry scent again. He looked over to Videl, who was walking next to him. Should he compliment it? That he liked her perfume? Or would that be weird? Erasa was making compliments all the time, so why couldn't he make one for a change. "Hey Videl, I like your new perfume."

First all three friends stopped in their tracks, then the two blonds started laughing out loud as Videl crossed her arms and tried to give Gohan an angry look. He swallowed, why did he have to open his mouth?

"Being the funny one, are you?" the teenage crime fighter said.

After Sharpener caught his breath, he picked up Videl's arm and pretended to take a good sniff, "Ah yes, Eau de Sueur, the new fragrance from your father's perfume line, isn't it?" Again the two blonds laughed.

Videl pulled her arm out of his grasp, irritated, "Shut up, Sharpener."

"I don't get it..." Gohan was so confused, what was so funny about his compliment?

Videl looked at him and turned red with the realization, "Wait, were you serious?" His confused expression said it all, and she pulled herself together to get him back from his ignorance, "I didn't shower, so I just smell like sweat."

Gohan's face turned red and now he understood why his friends reacted the way they did. He scratched the base of his neck and avoided looking at her. "I'm sorry, I guess my senses are still off," he muttered. He took a deep breath, still smelling that cherry scent, and he was glad that they approached his turn. "Well, see you guys tomorrow," he said with a little more confidence.

"Tomorrow? Wait, are you coming with us to the arcade?" Erasa let out her usual bubbly tone. "Sweet! I look forward to it!"

"Yeah, Videl invited me. I'm looking forward to it too," Gohan gave her his signature friendly smile and waved goodbye to the rest, "See ya."

###

Gohan was really looking forward to that night out with his friends, but first he had an appointment with Bulma to see how his recovery was going.

"Okay, take a deep breath," the blue-haired scientist said, as Gohan did as he was asked. "Seems normal to me. Anything out of the ordinary?"

"I still can't use my Ki and apparently my senses are off," he said, a bit uncomfortable, while Bulma continued to do her - now - routine tests. "I've been smelling all kinds of scents lately, scents that aren't there. I even made a comment about it thinking Videl had put on some perfume, but it turned out she hadn't." He was still embarrassed about it.

"Tsk," a disapproving sound came from the open door. "Don't tell me you're just noticed it now."

"Vegeta, how long have you been standing there?" Bulma asked, a bit annoyed. He always did that, barging into a conversation unannounced and she hated it.

"What do you mean, Vegeta, you smell them too?" Gohan asked, hoping he didn't go crazy.

Without a word he walked over to Bulma, whispered something in her ear that made her blush profusely, and then began to kiss her fiercely. Gohan was perplexed by what he saw. There was no one – and that means no one – who had ever seen any expression of love from Vegeta toward his wife. There were even rumors that their relationship was purely platonic, assuming Bulma only wanted him out of protection. But this, this was a first. The boy was shocked to say the least.

As suddenly as it started, it stopped, and he pushed his wife towards Gohan. "Do you smell that?" he said bluntly, as a light scent of pear filled the room, "That's the scent of pheromones. That's how you know your mate is into you. You are part Saiyan for crying out loud, your senses – and that includes your sense of smell – should be way above average! You've been relying too much on your Ki that you have been ignoring your basic instincts. How disappointing."

"Vegeta, you jerk!" Bulma cried out, very embarrassed at what Gohan had just witnessed.

"What has he done now, Bulma," a growling voice asked, as two creatures appeared in the open door. It was Piccolo and Dende, also here to check on Gohan.

All three turned their heads in embarrassment, no one willing to explain what just happened. With a sigh, Piccolo decided to ignore the situation while Dende went through his routine healing session with Gohan. The smaller Namekian smiled with satisfaction.

"Congratulations, I can't feel any trace of any foreign substance in your body, Gohan, nor could I find any damage. It looks like you've recovered!"

"But how? I still can't use Ki and my stamina isn't good either," Gohan said, confused.

"Well, your body is healed, so I think everything you need is there, you just need to find a way to access it I guess."

"Ah, I understand!" said Bulma, "That poison you got from that Golden Dart Frog - the batrachotoxin poisoning - it shuts down all your voltage-gated sodium channels in your nerves and muscles, which normally causes an irreversible depolarization, meaning the signals to activate them are blocked. Fortunately, Dende was able to reverse that damage." Bulma gave Dende a quick, grateful look and turned her attention back to Gohan. "I think your Ki might work in the same way, and that the flow of your Ki is depolarized, or blocked, or something like that. The flow of Ki isn't vital to a body per se, so your body is still fully healed and working now. You just have to find a way to activate it again." The scientist crossed her arms and let out a sigh, "Too bad not much is known about Ki in the medical world, so I don't think I can help you, at least, not yet. But I'm sure you'll figure it out in time."

"Well, our work here is done. Dende has a lot of work to catch up on, so you won't see us for a while. You can always come by for a visit, though," Piccolo said, heading mainly towards Gohan, "See you around, kid."

"So then the shameful healing sessions are over, huh?" Vegeta said in his usual icy tone.

Piccolo only glanced at Vegeta, and after a brief goodbye, he and Dende left Capsule Corps. Bulma finished her testing and she was very pleased overall. While she and Gohan chatted for a bit, Vegeta leaned against the wall and ate himself in frustration. Suddenly he walked over to his wife, grabbed her upper arm and led her to the door. "Out, now!" he ordered, pushing her through the door and locking it behind her.

Ignoring the banging and cursing of Bulma on the other side, he walked over to a confused Gohan. Without warning, Vegeta lashed out, hitting him right in the face. With a bang, the half-Saiyan flew across the room, causing some furniture to fall in the process. Before the boy could get up, Vegeta grabbed him by his shirt and slammed him against a nearby wall, holding him to his throat with his forearm.

"You listen brat, and you listen well. I've seen you haven't trained one bit after you got out of that hospital bed. Is this all a joke to you? Hmm? Your Ki is gone and your power level isn't much more than that of a pathetic human being! Where's your Saiyan Pride?!"

"Hey! I never asked for any of this," Gohan exclaimed, still shocked by the sudden change in mood. He struggled to break free, but in vain. "Let me go, Vegeta!"

"Yeah? You gonna make me?" The Saiyan prince smirked upon seeing that Gohan couldn't, "I thought so."

"What do you want?" Gohan scowled his eyebrows into a deep frown.

"Do you know why they all worked so hard to get you back on your feet? It's because they need you, they need you to be there when the world is at stake. These peaceful times have made you weak, but that doesn't mean that your potential is gone. And when you're gone, there's no one there to protect them. And how do you pay them back? Ah yes, you just turn your back at them, like they're not even worth fighting for."

"That's not true!" Gohan exclaimed, defensively, but also with a sense of guilt. "And you're here to protect the Earth too when the time comes, and if I remember correctly, you'd rather work alone anyway, so why can't I live my life the way I want to?"

"Have you ever thought what might happen if I got bored with Bulma?"

Vegeta's voice sounded sinister, causing goosebumps to appear on Gohan's arms. He swallowed. "Y-You wouldn't."

"How sure are you about that? They aren't, that's why they go to such lengths to heal you." He took a close look at Gohan, "You disgust me. I'm ashamed that I lowered myself to help you, giving you my royal blood because you were pretty much the only one of my race left. And you're still deliberately ignoring that side of you. You let your father die for nothing," Vegeta turned his head and spit on the floor, before facing the boy again. "You want to live your life as a mere Earthling? Fine! But don't come back crying if you aren't able to protect that pretty mate of yours."

Vegeta let go of Gohan, who fell to the ground. The full-blooded Saiyan looked down at the pitiful scene. "And to emphasize how pathetic you've become, that was just a friendly tap," he pointed to Gohan's bruised face. "I give you 10 seconds to remove yourself from the premises, and don't you dare to come back. And remember this brat, next time we meet again, I will kill you."

Chapter Text

Chapter 17: Buttons

"I think we should go or we'll be late too," Videl sighed, leaning against her locker.

"Maybe he's still not feeling well," Erasa mentioned as the trio started to walk to their classroom, "Too bad he couldn't come to the arcade this weekend, he was really looking forward to it."

"Maybe Brains has managed to go missing again," Sharpener tried to be funny, but his tone betrayed his genuine concern.

They all found their seats, but Gohan wasn't in the class either. But as soon as the teacher was about to begin her lesson, the door in the back of the classroom opened and Gohan entered, facing straight ahead, without looking into the class. He walked to his chair and sat down, not bothering looking at or greeting his friends.

Erasa took him in with a raised eyebrow. Normally he dressed so well, a little nerdy, but always neat. Now he was wearing just a gray sweater, which she thought was odd, and his always so cheerful mood was non-existent. His eyes were slit in a frown and he had obvious bags under his eyes. "Are you all right, Gohan?" she whispered, not wanting to disturb the class.

"Just leave me be, I'll be fine," he replied irritably, "I've had a few rough days, that's all."

"Wanna talk about it?" Erasa tried, but she was met with silence. Clearly he didn't. She sighed and reluctantly forced herself to focus back on the lesson, leaving her friend alone.

He didn't take in a word the English teacher said. He just stared forward as he went over his inner turmoil, the same that kept him from sleeping for the past couple of nights. He couldn't understand why Vegeta got so upset this weekend, nor did he know why the man cast him out like that. Sure, he wasn't exactly strong at the moment, and yes, he kind of wished he could live a normal life, but to say he was deliberately ignoring his Saiyan side was going a bit too far. He called himself ' Saiya man' for crying out loud. And to say that his father died for nothing... that was too low, even for Vegeta.

But what bothered him most were the threats. Not about killing him per se, though he didn't find it comforting either, but about the foresight he could potentially turn against the planet and that there was indeed no one to stop him if he did. It seemed really unlikely to Gohan at first, but the more he thought about it, the more realistic the scenario seemed. Would he really do that? And what did he mean by ' don't come back crying if you aren't able to protect that pretty mate or yours '. Did he threaten to kill Videl too?

From the corner of his eye, Gohan glanced at said girl without turning his head. She was nibbling at her pen as she focused on the lesson, oblivious of the danger that could impend. He'd struggled with the idea of escaping this place, severing the friendships he had, living on his own in the middle of nowhere, and when the time came, he would accept his fate as it was... but he couldn't abandon her.

He sighed deeply. If only he could sense Ki again, at least he could feel when she was in danger, wherever he was. Not that he could do anything to prevent things from happening in his current state, but at least he could give her some time to escape or something if it got risky. At first, not feeling Ki gave him back his inner peace, but now this whole situation was stressing him even more.

When recess began, he went straight to the oak tree and sat down with his hoodie up against the trunk. He didn't wait for his friends in class because he knew they would make a fuss about it. He would rather do it outside, away from most of his classmates, than in the midst of the classroom. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation, but he couldn't keep avoiding his friends either.

"So, are you on your period or something?" Videl asked as she and the two blonds approached him. She stopped in front of him, bent over and tried to look straight into Gohan's hoodie. Though he turned his head hoping she couldn't see it, she saw it anyway. "What the fu-," the crime fighter let out, "What happened to you?"

Although Gohan had a quick recovery period being half Saiyan, Vegeta's punch left quite a mark on the left side of his face. He had hoped it would be over, but apparently his body already had enough trauma endured and couldn't heal as quickly as usual. "I fell down the stairs," Gohan tried, but he knew his little lie was in vain.

"You have no stairs in your apartment," Videl gave him a glare, hinting that he would risk another black eye if he continued lying.

"Look, just ignore it, I'm not gonna talk about it anyway." Finally, he turned his head up to Videl, who had straightened her posture, causing his hoodie to slide off.

"Damn Brains! What the heck?!" exclaimed Sharpener in shock.

"It was that mean-looking guy with the spiky hair, wasn't it?" Videl said with a serious frown as she crossed her arms.

Gohan looked up in surprise, "H-How did you know?"

"I got a strange text message from Bulma last Saturday, just before you canceled the arcade. Something about I shouldn't come to Capsule Corp. anymore and that I didn't need to take it personally. It was about you, wasn't it?"

"Vegeta can be a jerk at times," Gohan simply said, not wanting to tell her the true story. "He and I sometimes have different opinions that don't go toe to toe."

"Gohan, I don't know who this Vegeta guy is, but you should seriously start standing up for yourself. I've seen people pestering you, but getting mugged and now this, this is going too far! What about I give you some boxing lessons? So when the time comes, at least you can defend yourself."

Gohan has never seen Sharpener so serious. He hated that his friends were worried about him, for the wrong reasons non the less. Or was it? Maybe his blond friend had a point. He should stand up for himself, to become stronger and defend himself, to protect Videl – or even the world – when the time comes . It seemed like Vegeta was a ticking time bomb, and when he was going to explode, there was no one to stop him. Gohan sighed, why was he always the one to sacrifice himself? To take the blows – literally? He never had a chance at a normal life, did he? Whatever the reasons, the time for sitting on the sidelines was over, that was for sure.

"Yeah, sure, why not," Gohan agreed, a little hesitantly. Normally he would never – ever – spar with any of his friends, the stakes were too high for his true self being exposed. But with his Ki gone and his stamina reduced to nothing, so low as to even lose to Erasa running laps, he dared to try. Maybe this was a good start to his training and he actually always wanted to spar with the jock, to test him out a bit.

"And maybe I can give you some other martial art lessons," Videl interjected.

"Babe, he has to learn to crawl before he can run," Sharpener rubbed her off, "Your level is way too high for a bookworm like him."

Gohan gave a nervous laugh, but wisely kept quiet.

###

A smirk appeared on his face as he dodged Sharpener's technical uppercut, one he couldn't dodge earlier this week, as he threw in a counterpunch himself. Gohan almost forgot why he was initially doing this, and for the first time in ages, he allowed himself to enjoy sparring, something he missed ever since his father died. It was clear Sharpener had some trouble holding his ground against him, but boxing was the jock's second nature and he wasn't about to give up that easily. Sharpener charged, but as the many blows before, it failed to land his target.

"He's pretty good," Erasa said in astonishment, as Gohan skillfully avoided Sharpener's punches, "Who would have thought."

"Uhuh," Videl could only hum in agreement. She and Erasa had been watching their male friends spar for the past half hour, and there seemed to be no end to it. They hadn't tagged along the first two times Sharpener and Gohan went training, mainly because first lessons tended to be boring to watch, but some rumors caught their attention and they decided to see for themselves if they were true. And man, these two were on fire.

Videl could only marvel at the skillful movements of both boys, especially Gohan's. It was clear that he had experience. He was swift on his feet and could dodge almost all the punches of the school's boxing champion. The more she looked at it, the more she recognized his movements as those of a highly skilled martial artist. She knew Gohan was Saiyaman, but she never actually saw the man fight as he usually finished his fights within seconds. She now understood why the criminals didn't stand a chance against him.

"I wonder what he'd look like without his shirt on," Erasa said dreamily. "Seeing this, I won't believe he hasn't got any muscles."

"He actually does," Videl said, a small blush appearing on her cheeks as she recalled both times she'd seen Gohan's perfect bare torso. Erasa turned wide-eyed to her friend, not believing what came out of her mouth. Videl immediately realized her slip-up and flared up profusely. Oh, no! Did she really say that out loud?!

Erasa eyed her best friend's shocked face and saw her struggle with her inner thoughts. The bubbly blonde's mouth parted a little at first, then turned into a teasing grin, "And how exactly do you know? No one has seen him shirtless, not even the boys in the locker room."

Videl swallowed, trying to find her words without giving her friend the wrong idea. "I-I accidentally saw him without a shirt when I visited him at Capsule Corp. I simply forgot to knock on his door before going in."

A squeak escaped Erasa's mouth. "Oh my Gosh, no wonder you decided to sleep with him in the same room. Tell me, was he totally naked?"

"ERASA!" Videl tried to stop her friend's train of thoughts before they spiraled out of control, "For the record, he was still wearing his sweatpants! And I did not sleep with him in one room."

"Oh, yes you did!" Erasa said daringly, still grinning widely.

"W-Wha..."

"He told me," Erasa said proudly. "So, don't deny it."

Videl just looked at her friend in pure shock, "He... He told you?" She swallowed thickly, remembering how she had woken up that morning. Him snuggling up against her, holding her in his strong arms as his warm breath tickled her neck. The thought alone made her feel all fuzzy again. "W-What else did he tell you?"

"Is there something else?" Erasa blinked in surprise, "He told me not to get any funny ideas so I assumed that was the whole story, but I guess I was wrong? Is he a promiscuous hooligan after all?"

Before Videl could react, a very loud but dull noise filled the gym. Both girls looked startled in the direction from where the sound was coming. In the boxing ring, Sharpener lay flat on his back as Gohan stood with one of his arms still stretched from his sucker punch, his expression in horror.

"Crap! Sharpener, are you okay?!" Gohan exclaimed, taking off his boxing gloves and kneeling beside his friend. He immediately checked his pulse, which was there, then checked for any other damage. Luckily it was nothing serious, but it looked like Gohan wouldn't be the only one with a black eye this week.

The boy cursed himself, why did he think sparring with his friend was a good idea? Yes, he had to train, and yes, he was under the impression his stamina had to be increased first. But during his first training with Sharpener, where he couldn't avoid being hit regularly, Gohan understood what was causing his weak appearance. So why didn't he break off their sparring right there and then?

As Dende said, everything was there, Gohan just needed to access it. Apparently he did not lack stamina, on the contrary, he actually poured all his energy into it to suppress it. He was so used to doing it, suppressing himself, that it was like a second nature to him. It allowed him to fit into a normal lifestyle – as much as he could – and he didn't even think twice about it. But normally his stamina wasn't the only source he relied on. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Vegeta was right. He relied too much on Ki and therefore ignored the basics, be it instinct or power. So now he was unable to tap into his Ki, he was left only with his physical strength and stamina, and with his habit of suppressing them both, it wasn't enough to function normally.

After this realization, Gohan had tested it during P.E. The teacher had yet again forced a couple of students to run some laps, Erasa included, so he tagged along and challenged her into that cat-and-mouse game again. Each time she passed him, he let the suppression on his muscles loosen little by little until he could run the laps normally again, though of course he couldn't help but beat Erasa. But now, with his spar with Sharpener, he crossed a line. He became cocky and let himself go too much, resulting in a knocked out Sharpener.

Gohan looked up when Videl knelt beside the jock too. "Yep, he's out cold," she confirmed. "I guess you beat the champion."

###

Videl couldn't understand why her spiky-haired friend was suddenly so distant. Sure, he'd beaten Sharpener a couple of days ago, but according to the boy it was just a lucky punch. So why did he avoid them? Was he so shocked that he couldn't face his friend anymore? It wasn't like it was his first time knocking someone out, him being Saiyaman and all. Or did he feel too good to be in their presence now he'd gained some status at school? No, that couldn't be it, they were his first real friends, he told her that himself, and that didn't suit his character either. Maybe it was because he'd never hurt anyone he cared about? Whatever it was, she couldn't put her finger on it.

Gohan no longer joined his friends for lunch, nor did he join any of their get-togethers after school. When Videl asked him about his absence, he simply said he had to do 'homework' or didn't have time. And when she tried to visit him at his apartment, he didn't answer the door, even though she swore he was home. She felt left out, and well, to be honest, she wanted to be included in his life. Gathering some courage, she went over to him as he sat hunched over his homework during their free period.

Gohan didn't notice Videl approaching as he himself was deep in thought. He felt so guilty for actually hurting one of his friends, even though Sharpener had assured him that he was fine and that it was part of the sport. Fortunately, the jock came to very quickly, and apart from a black eye, he only had a minor concussion. The biggest damage was to the blond's reputation as he'd lost to a wimpy nerd, or whatever his fellow students saw him. It could be much worse, Gohan thought, but from now on he had to do his training on his own. And with Vegeta's unpredictable behavior, he couldn't afford to be with his friends, especially Videl. He figured that if the Saiyan prince might snap, he would come after him first, and that his friends shouldn't be there when he did. It felt lonely and it really hurt to see Videl's disappointed face every time he had to brush her off, but it was the only way. And as long as he couldn't sense Ki, he needed to be around to make sure she was fine. Call him paranoid, but he didn't want to take any risks. His thinking stopped abruptly as an intoxicating scent of cherries filled his nostrils.

"Uh, Gohan?"

He looked up to the uncertain voice and met Videl's broken expression. A tightness arose in his chest, seeing her like this.

"You know you can tell me if something bothers you, right?" she started, but she was greeted with silence. The raven-haired teen then took a deep breath and tried a different approach, "Why don't we finish the rest of Jurassic Park tonight? We never made it to the end of that movie. I could use the distraction, to be honest, and you don't have to talk about what's bothering you if you don't feel like it."

"Look, I'm sorry Videl, I already have plans," Gohan replied with a heavy feeling. Unable to look her in her eye anymore, he returned his gaze to his homework. He heard her walk away, not giving him a reply to his blunt answer. When he dared to look up, she had left the room. A dejected sigh escaped his lips as he rested his face on both hands for a while, cutting himself off from reality. This really sucked, big time. Vegeta will pay for this, he'll make sure of that.

A bang startled the boy and he looked up in surprise from his hands. Erasa had slammed her hand on his table and glared daggers at him. He swallowed.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, and I don't know what we've done to be ignored by you... but you don't mess with Videl like that! Especially not today!" the blonde was pissed. "Whatever it is, you need to suck up that self-pity of yours today, pal, and start being a friend for a change. I know you haven't had much practice in that area, but friends should support each other in difficult times." She stopped and looked Gohan deep into his eyes, "You know what day it is? It's the anniversary of her mother's death, and you just brushed her off like she wasn't even worth your time."

Gohan's eyes grew in shock, "Shit, I-I didn't know."

"No, because you didn't listen and only thought about yourself, you dense idiot."

He got up and cursed himself. What a mess. This was indeed something he shouldn't be brushing off like that. He knew firsthand what it felt like to have lost a parent. He sighed, "Where can I find her?"

"Second floor, behind the lockers in the left wing. That's where she usually goes when she wants to be left alone," Erasa crossed her arms, still with an angry expression. Gohan rushed out of the room, and when he was out of view, the blonde relaxed again, relieved that the boy was finally taking his responsibility as a friend.

Like Erasa had said, Videl was indeed on the second floor. She leaned against a wall and looked sadly at her feet. When she saw Gohan, she scowled. "Go away," turning her head away from him, crossing her arms, "I'm mad at you. Didn't you have something important to do?"

"I came here to apologize," Gohan said without beating around the bush. She looked at him and noticed that he too had a sad expression on his face as he also leaned against the wall next to her. "I'm sorry I've been  aloof lately and I'm sorry that I reacted so bluntly."

"Erasa sent you, didn't she?"

"She pointed me in the right direction, but I'm here of my own free will," Gohan laughed half-heartedly, but immediately became serious again. "I'll be honest with you, it's true I've been avoiding you. There are things going on and I didn't want you to get involved. I should have told you, but I can't tell you whatever is going on either, so I'm kind of stuck in the middle."

"So you're just throwing our friendship away like that?"

Gohan sighed, "First I have to fix what's going on, then I promise I'll make it up to you. I just need time. And no, our friendship is very dear to me, I don't want to throw it away..." he turned his head to the girl next to him and looked deeply into her eyes. "I mean it."

Videl just nodded and began to look at her shoes again. A silence fell between them, neither knowing what to say to each other. Gohan understood that this was difficult for his friend, to hear that someone was consciously avoiding you, especially in times when she really needed a friend. He spoke up, "Erasa told me about your mother, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright..." Videl said, a faint sniff could be heard in her voice, "It's been a long time anyways."

"How long?"

"So long that I have no conscious memories of her, but it still hurts."

A silent tear escaped from the corner of her eye, which did not go unnoticed by the half-Saiyan. He pushed himself off the wall and before Videl knew what was happening, he embraced her in a firm hug. It shocked her, but at the same time all kinds of other feelings swirled up inside her: grief, happiness, anger, insecurity, sadness... love. It overwhelmed her, it simply was too much, and without her consent she began to cry into his chest.

To comfort her, he rested his head on hers. "I understand, I lost my father too and miss him every day," Gohan said softly, gently caressing her arm.

After a short while, Videl managed to pull herself together and dried off her tears with her sleeve. She then straightened her posture a little, enough to look at her friend's broken expression. "Y-Your dad passed away?" she sniffed.

"What the fuck?"

Both teens looked up at whoever interrupted their conversation. It was one of their classmates, a guy who regularly pestered Gohan, and he looked like he wouldn't pass up this opportunity. He smirked, "Well, well, well… Satan and Nerd Boy?"

"I'm not in the mood Stapler, don't you see we're in the middle of a private conversation?" Gohan's eyes turned into an irritated frown as he reluctantly let go of Videl.

"You're on public property, I have every right to be here and watch." He then noticed that Videl had been crying, and he added "Was he that bad?"

"If you don't leave, we will," Gohan said and tried to walk past Stapler, but the buff guy blocked his way. "Let me pass, Stapler," Gohan warned him.

"Make me," Stapler dared him, "I don't believe the rumors that you can fight and I don't see your friend Sharpener around to back you up."

Videl clenched her fists and prepared herself to speak her mind, but as she stepped forward, Gohan stopped her. "He has a problem with me, so you should stay out of this."

"Very noble," Stapler said, secretly relieved that Videl wouldn't beat his ass. "So what now?"

"Like I said, I'm not in the mood to play games. You let us pass, or you leave, your choice," Gohan said again, straightening his posture.

Stapler stepped aside, letting Gohan believe that he was free to go. But when the boy tried to pass him, he was held by a hand. "Tell me, how did your father die?" Stapler was determined to push the nerd's buttons.

A draft suddenly appeared in the hallway as Gohan clenched his fists. "That's none of your business," he said, pulling Stapler's hand away from him.

"I see, a sensitive subject, isn't it?"

Gohan turned to face the bully. "I'm warning you, you don't want to make me mad right now," Gohan said in a firm voice. Then he continued his way, followed by Videl.

Stapler smirked at the empty threat, "I bet he killed himself when he realized what a loser he's brought into this world."

###

Vegeta and Trunks both stopped eating their lunch and jerked their heads eastwards, and not much later a smirk appeared on the Saiyan prince, as Trunks could only express himself with a "Wow". Vegeta then got up, went to the cabinet and took out five 1.000 Zenni bills from a wallet.

"What are you doing?" Bulma asked her husband coldly, she was still mad at him for his outburst last Saturday. Her eyes followed Vegeta's movements as he walked over to her and placed all five bills on the table in front of her.

"Here."

Bulma looked at the money and then back to Vegeta, "You're giving me my own money from my own wallet?"

"We're married, your money is my money and vice versa, take it or leave it, I don't care."

"But what for?"

"You win the bet," he said simply and went back to his lunch, leaving the scientist in the dark.

"Gohan's Ki is back," Trunks explained, still looking east.

Bulma's eyes grew in surprise. "No way. You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"I didn't think the brat had it in him anymore. I guess my motivational speech had an effect on him after all."

"You call that a motivational speech?!" Bulma angrily rose from her chair and slammed her hands on the table, "You punched the boy across the room!"

"I prefer to call it a push in the right direction."

"You threatened to kill him!"

"The half-bred does better when he's cornered, his powers are driven by anger."

"Have you ever thought about what might happen if he thinks your threats are real? He'd killed before to protect Earth, what if he really comes after you?" Bulma sounded concerned as she dropped back into her chair.

"Then at least the world will have its hero back," Vegeta looked determinedly at his wife, his eyes frowning. "And he better come and challenge me, he still owes me a fight."

"I still think my approach would've been better, he has to choose whether he wants to fill that role or not. Now you've forced him into it again."

"That may have taken too long."

Bulma looked at her husband confused, "Why?"

"I need the boy in shape as soon as possible," he took a deep sigh and looked at his wife again, this time with worried lines on his forehead. "I haven't told you yet, but I've been restless for a while and that feeling is getting stronger every day. I'm a thoroughbred Saiyan without a purpose, a warrior with no target. If the brat slacks, I'll have no one above me to hold me down when the time comes."

"W-Wait, are you saying those threats about you turning against Earth weren't empty?"

"I'll never get bored of you, you know that, so yes, the threats were empty. But I have to admit I can't suppress the nagging feeling I might one day lose control of my other side, the ruthless and coldblooded Saiyan I used to be. And when that happens, I need someone to protect my family."

Chapter Text

Chapter 18: Opening Doors

"You'd better take that back…" Gohan had clenched his fists and trembled as anger rose inside him. The draft in the hallway intensified as he turned to Stapler.

"Why? What's a loser like you gonna do about it?" Stapler dared, but at the same time took a few steps back, feeling uneasy at the sudden change in the nerd's demeanor.

Gohan walked over to his hostile classmate and grabbed his shirt, "He died a selfless death. So I ask you again, take it back." He scowled his eyes even more, "final warning."

"Gohan, he's not worth it," Videl tried to intervene, but Gohan didn't hear her. There was just him, Stapler, and his father's pride, nothing else mattered right now.

Stapler swallowed and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he wasn't about to give in. "N-No."

" TAKE IT BACK !"

There was a loud bang and the glass exploded from their frames and the lights burst, sending tiny flashes of lightning across the darkened room. A gust of wind swirled around the arguing teens, knocking Videl off her feet and further down the hall.

The sudden rush in his body awoke him from his inner rage. This feeling, the feeling he hadn't had for weeks, felt electrifying. His Ki was back! At the same time, his eyes grew in shock, knowing full well that he had let his anger take the better of him, and in an instant everything calmed down. He looked around and was confronted by a ruined hallway, where a spherical imprint was visible from where they stood, whether it was the stone walls, the ceiling or the lockers, everything was polished away. Then he looked at the pale expression of a trembling Stapler, who had apparently peed his pants in sheer terror.

"Okay, Okay, I-I'm s-sorry!" the brawny bully stammered, "I-I'll take it b-back! P-Please don't hurt me!"

"You'd better be," Gohan said, but his voice was filled with guilt and he let go of Stapler's shirt. "Now, leave, and let's forget this incident."

"Y-Yes s-sir!" The guy got up and ran as fast as his feet could carry him. Gohan followed his movement and noticed Videl scramble herself off the floor.

"Videl! Are you alright?" Gohan exclaimed worriedly and ran to Videl to help her up.

"W-What happened?"

"No time to explain, we have to get out of here, people are coming!" he grabbed her wrist and tried to run away from the hallway's dead end. He cursed himself when he realized they wouldn't make it in time and as a last resort, he opened a random door and rushed in, dragging Videl with him, and closed it in the nick of time. Videl tried to speak, but was shushed by Gohan as he followed the Kis of people passing their door. His senses were working overtime, sensing each and every individual.

After some time, he let his body relax a little. There were still people in the hallway, probably taking note of what had happened, but they didn't have to be so quiet anymore because the hallway was filled with an excited buzz. For the first time they'd entered the room, he looked at Videl, and man, she was standing very close to him.

"You had to pick the janitor's closet, didn't you?" she whispered, giving him a disapproving glare as she tried to stand well in the small space. He giggled nervously as he ran a hand over the base of his neck. She sighed, he was too darn cute when he did that, "Care to explain what just happened?"

"I got angry," Gohan sighed.

"No shit Sherlock, I meant what happened to the hallway."

"Like I said, I got mad," Gohan looked into her uncomprehending eyes. "Sometimes when someone really pushes my buttons, I lose control," he began explaining, "It rarely happens, as I have quite a bit of self-discipline, but well, my father's death is indeed a sensitive subject." Gohan looked away in shame, "That explosion, so to speak, was a sudden release of Ki. I haven't been able to use it since I was poisoned, but apparently Stapler triggered it again."

"Wait… you did that? How? And what is Ki?" She looked confused but intrigued at the same time.

"Hm," Gohan thought for a moment, putting his finger on his chin as he did so, "I think you can best compare it to energy. Every living thing has a certain pool of energy within them, and well, I have a lot of it." Then he studied her, taking her in from top to bottom, making the girl a little insecure of herself, and then stopped when he met her eyes. "And you have a lot of potential as a trained martial artist, so if you're up for it, I can give you some lessons when I'm back in control of it, as a thank you gift for saving my life. Mastering Ki has many benefits, you know."

"I thought you wanted to buy me dinner to thank me," she giggled, remembering what he'd said the first time she'd dropped him off at his house. "What does Ki do?"

"One doesn't exclude the other," Gohan chuckled back. Then he thought for a moment. He didn't want to go into details about Ki now, it would only raise more questions anyway, and he had more important things to worry about. "Ki can be used for things your old man would call cheap tricks," he decided to say, "But I can assure you they aren't tricks." Then he moved his hand up and brushed her bangs from her face and tucked them behind her ear so he could see her eyes better. "Are… are we okay?"

Videl blushed at the sudden closeness, "Yeah, sure, I can't stay mad at you anyways."

Her comment made Gohan smile, one she hadn't seen on his face since he came to school with the black eye. "Good to know," he grinned, then looked deep into her eyes again, "And are you yourself okay too?" referring to her outlet of emotions before they were interrupted.

"Yeah, thanks, I feel much better now," she was still blushing and she, too, lingered in his onyx eyes. A moment of silence fell over the two as an inexplicable tension rose in the small space they found themselves in.

Gohan gulped when he caught himself staring and tried to change the subject. "So… We need to find a way to get out of here." He ran a hand through his hair to calm his nerves. "It's still crowded outside, so people will notice if we leave this closet."

Videl looked away, a little disappointed, though she didn't know why. After a minute of thinking she had an idea, "What if I ask Erasa and Sharpener to back us up? They can shield the door while we go out."

Gohan flared up, "What are we going to say to them?! We can't tell them that what happened in the hallway was my fault, and I know what Erasa will think otherwise."

"Yeah, like what?" Videl teased him.

"Well… you know?"

"No, I don't."

"..."

"Having a dirty mind, don't we?"

Gohan now turned as red as a tomato, "No! Not that! Come on, Videl!" he raised his hands in front of him defensively.

She giggled, he was so innocent, it was too fun not to tease him.

He crossed his arms and looked away annoyed. He meant kissing, not something vulgar like what she was implying, he would never think of doing that with one of his best friends. Except maybe that one t-, no, two times… But he also once dreamed that he was a fluffy teddy bear, singing songs to Frieza in hell, and that certainly wasn't going to happen either. He was just a guy with teenage hormones, and she was a girl who fitted his interests, nothing more, nothing less. Right? He took a deep breath to calm down and dropped his gaze on said girl, who was now texting someone on her phone. 'Right?'

"They're coming," Videl said, looking up from her phone.

Gohan smirked as an idea crossed his mind. Maybe it was time to tease her back. Take revenge for once. With his newfound Ki going up through his body, he gained a lot more confidence than he normally did, so why not use that for a change? "You know I'm bad at lying," he started, while looking her in the eye again.

"Yeah, so?" Videl asked, confused, not knowing where he was going with it.

He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head gently so that she had to look straight at him. "Let's give ourselves an alibi, then Erasa will have something to freak out about and I won't have to lie." He tried to suppress his grin to widen as he slowly closed the gap between them.

Videl froze. Was he really about to kiss her? She had gone over this scenario many times the past few weeks, but never in her wildest dreams was he the one who would actually do it. And now, crammed together in the janitor's closet, he was so close she could feel his warm breath against her lips.

Gohan had expected Videl to retreat all flustered up from his approach, or even to have slapped him in the face, but she did neither. If he didn't know any better, she was even leaning in a bit. His grin faded as the nerves kicked in: What now? Was she testing him? To see who would chicken out first? Or did she really hope that… He swallowed slightly as the small space they were in got filled with that intoxicating cherry scent again. He too stiffened as Vegeta's voice echoed through his head: ' That's the scent of pheromones. That's how you know your mate is into you.' His brain started to work overtime, flashing all kind of images: them watching that movie together on his bed, them snuggling up that night, the confidence and ease of sharing deep-seated secrets, his jealousy when he learned about Yamcha's accidental kiss, them holding hands before the baseball game… the sudden tension that occasionally existed between them when they were alone. This wasn't just friendship, was it? Was he really so dense that he didn't notice it before?

Their lips were only inches apart when three knocks brought them both back to reality. With a jolt, Gohan pulled back from his approach, his face as red as possible and his eyes wide with shock as he realized what he was about to do. A pang in his chest betrayed his disappointment that he didn't really dare to go for it. Videl's face was also red with embarrassment and she looked away. There were three more knocks. Gohan took a deep breath and carefully opened the door.

"The coast is clear," Erasa whispered, as she and Sharpener blocked the view from the chaos in the hallway.

Gohan looked back at Videl, this time with a sad expression. "L-Let's go," he said reluctantly. Videl nodded and they both slipped through the door. Once out of the janitorial closet, the impact of Gohan's 'Ki-explosion' shocked her. There was a lot of damage, but the cleanliness of the impact betrayed that it was no ordinary explosion. She's never seen anything like it, and if she didn't know better, she might have called it a trick herself. Could Ki really do that? Could she learn that too?

Gohan immediately walked away from the scene, followed by his three friends. At the end of the hall he stopped and looked uncertain. "We have to walk past Stapler again," he told Videl, "And the principal is with him."

She understood the problem and nodded, "Is there another way?" she asked. How did he know that?

"No, so just act normal, I guess," he laughed half-heartedly and kept going.

When they came into view, Stapler yelled, "There! There he is!" Gohan looked up in surprise that the guy still had the nerve to actually confront him again.

"Mr. Son, I have to ask you where you have been for the past half hour."

Gohan sweat-dropped. He knew he was joking about it with Videl, but the truth was he was a terrible liar. "I was with my friends," he tried. "We had a free period so I was doing homework at the beginning of that period, but took a break to talk to them."

"And why are you on the second floor?"

Videl jumped in, "Well, we heard an explosion, and I wanted to check it like I normally do if something out of the ordinary happens. It's my job, you know." She gestured to her other friends, "And they tagged along."

The principal nodded in understanding. "I see," he looked back at the muscular jock, "Mr. Stapler here is convinced you were involved in causing that explosion."

Both blonds laughed at the comment. "As if Gohan is a vandal. The guy won’t even cross the street on a red light when there’s no traffic. He'd have a heart attack just thinking about breaking any rule, let alone breaking a hallway," Sharpener laughed.

Gohan could only scratch his neck. If only they knew what he'd broken so far, be it rules or his surroundings. Then he looked at Stapler and frowned a little, "Are you sure you haven't seen somebody else?" he asked in a firm voice.

The buff guy swallowed, perhaps going to the principal wasn't such a good idea. He began to tremble again, afraid of what Gohan would do to him now. "M-Maybe I was wrong," he said, hoping this would ease the tension, "I don't think it was h-him, n-now I got a closer look."

"Alright, you're free to go, apologies for the inconvenience," the principal said, letting the four friends pass.

When they were all out of earshot, Videl spoke up "Well, that could have been a lot worse," while Gohan could only sigh in relief.

"What were you two doing in that closet?" Erasa asked with a grin.

Gohan tensed up. There was that question he was dreading to get, and he hadn't thought of an answer yet. But before he could say anything, Videl intervened, "You know Gohan was an asshole to me, and you sent him to me to apologize for that. And since I don't want to have snoops around my private conversations, I pulled us into that closet. You know how risky it is to be a celebrity, you never know what people will leak to the tabloids. But then that explosion happened for some reason and we got locked up for the same reason we went into that closed in the first place."

"So you didn't make out?" Erasa tried to tease.

"No." Her voice sounded hurtful, something Gohan could relate to.

They all arrived at the oak tree, for recess had already begun. Sharpener had brought Gohan's stuff, so he didn't have to go back to pick up his satchel. He didn't sit down, though, but looked at Videl, "Can we… Can we have a word, please?"

Erasa looked up and wanted to say something to tease the boy, but she was thrown back by his serious face. Videl nodded, also a little taken aback from his seriousness, and followed the half-Saiyan to a lonely spot on the school grounds. "Thanks for backing me up back there, I owe you one," he began, but he avoided looking at her.

"I'll add that to your pile of debts," she tried to break the tension, but was met with silence.

After a deep sigh, Gohan continued, "As I've already told you, things are going on in my life right now, and I can't distract myself from it." Finally he looked at her with a broken expression, "And now that my Ki is back, I have to start training, get my Ki back under control and become myself again."

"Are you going to train for the Tenkaichi Budōkai?" Her question caught him off guard and, in response to his confused expression, she added, "You know, the tournament to find ' the strongest under the heavens ' in two months from now, the tournament where my dad earned his title? You're really strong and talented, so I assumed you were talking about that."

"No, sorry, I wish it were that simple," Gohan said begrudgingly, "There are much bigger things going on, and I need to fix that before I can allow myself a normal life. I'm going to have to go off the radar for a while and please don't try to find me. I promise you I will do everything I can to keep my promises to you, but I… I’m not sure if I’ll come back. So…"

He sighed again.

"This is where we say goodbye."

Chapter Text

Chapter 19: Self-reflection

He lay in the water with his chin resting on his folded arms over the edge of the lake. His gaze lingered on the girl in front of him and smiled. He was so happy she was here. She noticed he was looking at her and smiled back as she took off her hair bands and shook her head, her hair waving gracefully with her movements. Videl was so beautiful with her hair down that Gohan couldn't describe her as anything other than a goddess. She crossed her arms and pulled her shirt over her head. The half-Saiyan tilted his head slightly to the side as she did so and dreamily took her in. She was still wearing her black spandex shorts with a matching sports bra, but the sight of her exposed, well-toned belly was enough to spark new feelings. She approached him and slowly lowered herself into the water.

"It's truly beautiful out here," she commented as she sat down next to him.

His eyes were still on the girl. "Not as beautiful as you," he chuckled at his own cheesy remark. His face softened, "This here means a lot to me, it's kind of my sacred place, a place with most of my scarce fond memories. I came here with my father to fish, with my little brother to play and," he lingered in her gorgeous blue eyes, "well, I hope to make some new memories with you here too." He blushed as he said that and moved his body to face her. He tucked some of her hair behind her ear and leaned over for a kiss. But before their lips met, the sky darkened as storm clouds began to block the clear blue sky. Rain came pouring down and Gohan looked up as a bolt of lightning revealed a silhouette in the sky.

"No!"

Gohan jumped out of the water and floated three feet in the air between the intruder and Videl. Another bolt of lightning showed the devilish expression of the crossed-armed figure as his upright spiky hair swayed in the rising wind.

"Vegeta, leave me alone!" he yelled at him, fear gripped his voice.

"I came here to kill you, brat," Vegeta's evil laugh echoed through the skies as he pointed his finger at him and, without much warning, he fired a powerful Ki-blast.

Gohan crossed his arms to defend himself, but before the blast hit him, Videl had thrown herself in front to protect the one she loved, hitting her right in the heart. Her limp body fell into the water and the clear surface turned red with blood.

"NO!" screamed the half-Saiyan in sheer horror as he dove after her. He pulled her body out of the water and turned her around, hoping there was still something he could do to save her. But the glimmer of hope faded when he saw a gaping hole in her chest. He looked into her now hollow eyes and cupped her face with trembling hands as tears streamed down his. "Please! Please, don't leave me! I'm begging you, don't leave me like everyone else! I need you, I need you so much," he sobbed as he pressed her limp body against his and rested his forehead on hers, "Don't leave me…"

A loud bang and another flash of light woke him up from his nightmare. His body was still trampling and his face was wet with real tears. Panting heavily, he sat up and buried his face in his big hands. Not this again! Ever since he'd said goodbye to her, she clouded his dreams, and the longer he was away from her, the darker they grew, giving him sleepless nights.

It was still dark outside, but since he couldn't sleep anymore, he'd better train. He left the cave he had sheltered for the past two weeks and walked past some old skeletal remains. Like every day, he stopped at its skull and bowed down in tribute to the very first being he'd considered a friend. He then jumped several miles and ended up on top of one of the mesas that scattered the area. Gohan had returned to Piccolo's training grounds, the grounds where his warrior life had begun and now would continue. He closed his eyes and with a powerful scream he turned to Super Saiyan, drying his wet - now golden - hair from the rain, and started his morning routine.

With trembling knees, he fell to the ground, his body spent, unable to maintain his Super Saiyan form anymore. He had lost track of time during the intense workout and hadn't eaten all day. His stomach growled in protest and he pressed his left hand against it to calm it down. He wasn't that far from his trusty old berry tree, so he got up with difficulty and stumbled towards it. After picking and eating a few hands of those berries, he sighed. This was no longer satisfying, he had to eat something more substantial if he wanted to continue his training.

After gaining enough energy from his berry-appetizer, he flew to a nearby area and landed next to a boulder. In his memory this rock was a lot bigger, realizing how much he had grown since the last time he was here, and he lowered his pants to take a leak on it. When he was done, he jumped onto one of the nearby mountains and waited. He didn't have to wait that long, and soon giant footsteps rumbled across the valley. As expected, it came sniffing for the new intruder in its territory.

"Hey, remember me?" shouted Gohan down.

The Tyrannosaurus rex looked up at the sound and visibly stiffened. Gohan smirked: oh yes, it remembered him! The animal turned its heels and tried to flee, but the half-Saiyan was too fast for it. With one blow, he knocked the beast unconscious, and with a move he'd learned from Krillin long ago - the destructo disk - he cut off a respectable portion of its already shortened tail. Normally he wasn't this savage, he respected nature in every way, but he had a personal grudge against this one, because it had killed his long-lost animal friend. Cutting off part of its tail wouldn't kill him, he knew that as he'd done it many times in the past, but at least he had something to eat other than berries. After his meal, he yawned from a mixture of contentment and sleep deprivation. His body felt heavy, but he forced himself to go back training until late into the night.

Too tired to fly, he walked back home from his training grounds. This was usually when he heard all kinds of voices he knew weren't there. Mostly it was Vegeta's, berating him and challenging the half-Saiyan to fight him, but also Videl's, screaming for his help. Sometimes he would react to them, as they became too real to ignore or sounded so close that his reflexes kicked in, even knocking down some trees in the process. He didn't know how late it was when he got back to his cave, but it didn't matter, because he probably wouldn't sleep through the night anyway.

This routine would go on for several days - except hunting down the T-Rex as Gohan took pity on the creature - and the young Saiyan found himself lying on his back after one of his intense training sessions. He had been fighting his shadow all day in Super Saiyan 2 until his body collapsed. He felt so tired, maybe, just maybe, he needed to get some sleep. He didn't care that he was laying in the middle of nowhere, exposed to whatever could come to harm him. But when he closed his eyes, a great shadow fell over him, forcing him to open them again.

"If you go on like this, you'll probably die from exhaustion."

Gohan's eyes shot up to the big green giant towering over him, offering a hand to help him up. He accepted and proceeded to sit up, looking into Piccolo's concerned eyes. The Namekian decided to sit opposite to him and they both remained silent for a moment.

"Care to explain why you're doing this to yourself?"

Gohan looked at the ground, he didn't know how to explain it without causing a commotion. He hadn't told anyone about Vegeta's threats because he feared it would cause panic that would escalate before he was fully back in shape. But again, he now felt stronger than ever and he could use the advice or even a training partner. He looked back up, facing his sensei.

"I simply felt the need to get stronger," he said, hoping this would satisfy Piccolo. However, it didn't.

"The Gohan I know would never leave his loved ones without telling them his plans. They're worried sick," Piccolo looked at him disapprovingly.

"It's not the first time I went off the radar, and I left my Ki up so you guys knew where I was and that I was training."

"But not everyone can sense Ki, Gohan, and you know that. Why have you left them in the dark?"

Gohan's face expressed guilt, but he didn't answer Piccolo's question. If he'd told his mother what his plans were, she wouldn't have allowed it. School was the number one priority, staying alive second. Plus, she'd probably be even more concerned if she'd known about his troubles with Vegeta. So while his decision may have hurt his mother, he felt like he was doing the right thing.

"What is bothering you? Maybe I can help clear your mind," Piccolo's usually growling voice grew soft and caring.

Gohan sighed, "If you promise not to make a fuss, I'll tell you what's on my mind."

"Who is here making a fuss about something," Piccolo smirked, "You know me better than that, I'm here to help you, and I'll always respect your decisions."

"Before I do, may I ask you a question?" Gohan asked and Piccolo nodded in agreement, "What is the real reason you guys have helped me so intensely to get me back on my feet after I was poisoned?"

"First of all, because we deeply care about you, second, we owe you. You once saved all of our lives, now it was time to return that favor."

"And third?" Gohan asked suspiciously.

"There is no third," Piccolo took in the boy, "Why do you ask?''

"Vegeta mentioned that the reason you guys were helping me was because you were afraid he'd turn his back on us all, threatening the world if he did, and that I was your solution if that happened," Gohan looked dejected.

"Nonsense" Piccolo's eyes grew puzzled, "I don't know what Vegeta's motives are for telling you that, but that's not tr-"

"He even threatened to kill me and to harm my friend," Gohan intervened a little too loud, much to the annoyance of the Namekian, "And I'll make sure that never happens!"

"Like I said - before you interrupted me - I don't know what Vegeta's motives are for telling you that, but that's not true. The guy is rough around the edges, so he may have said those things, but I'm sure that it served a greater purpose. If he really wanted to kill you or harm your friend, you'd both already be dead. Vegeta and I have not always seen eye to eye, but to this day I'll trust him with my life."

"Your funeral…" Gohan said irritably.

Piccolo was surprised by his unusual reaction. He was clearly not himself. When he looked closely at the boy, he was startled by how he was doing. His clothes were worn and even torn at some places, and he was covered in self-inflicted wounds from his intensive training sessions. It was also clear that personal hygiene was not his number one priority and in general he looked tired, giving him a very old expression. It was not wise to leave the kid alone anymore, he clearly needed some guidance. With a deep sigh, Piccolo crossed his legs. "You've reached a point that you can't improve on your own, and since your body is overspent right now, it's best to train your mind. Let me help you with the rest of your journey to becoming a stronger man." Gohan nodded in agreement, his sensei's support felt like a slice of heaven in these hellish times.

After finding the right posture, they both fell into a deep meditation, or at least Gohan tried, but couldn't concentrate. He was constantly checking Vegeta's Ki to make sure he was still at Capsule Corp., as well as Videl's, to make sure she wasn't in trouble either. According to the peaks in her Ki, the latter probably was on a police job. After a while, Piccolo spoke in Gohan's mind using telepathy, " Your mind is clouded, you must empty it if you want to continue ."

" I can't ," Gohan replied in his mind, feeling Videl's Ki flare up again. Is she fighting someone with a pretty high Power Level?

" If you don't let go of your unfounded concerns for her, you won't achieve your goal of becoming that person who can protect her when danger really strikes ."

"How did you…?" Gohan was stunned. How did Piccolo know what was on his mind? He didn't tell him, and while telepathy was used to share conversations and images, it wasn't a mind-reading technique.

"You don't have to be a genius to figure that one out, Kid, I know you through and through," Piccolo's growling voice answered as a grin spread across his face. "You're always fighting for those you love, you wouldn't come this far if it were just to protect yourself. And that same reason is now preventing you from achieving that same goal." Piccolo opened his eyes again to look at his pupil, "She is strong enough to handle that foe herself, you have to let it go and focus."

Her Ki flared up again, it sure was an intense fight. "I can't," Gohan got up and scowled, realizing that Yamcha had returned to West City since the baseball game and wouldn't help his friend. "She may be strong, but not bulletproof, and criminals tend to always carry guns. What if something happens and she dies? Then all this is for nothing!" Without saying goodbye, he blasted off northeast, leaving a bewildered Piccolo behind. To increase his speed, he turned Super Saiyan and flew faster than he had ever flown before. His training really paid off, he thought to himself, as Satan City appeared in the distance. To save some much-needed energy, he returned to his base-form and flew to the crime scene, landing on one of the roofs of the larger building, as he usually did when Videl took on criminals.

He observed the scene and was surprised to see that it was the Red Shank Gang, a group of feared criminals in Satan City. These weren't your average criminals, they were usually very organized and not afraid of causing collateral damage. And given the amount of bodies scattered across the scene, this was the case again. Then he noticed Videl, who was being held in a sleeper hold by their leader, a mountain of a man who called himself the most powerful thug in Satan City.

Gohan wanted to jump off the building to help her, but was held by a powerful hand. "Gohan, think, they'll recognize you when you go out there!" Piccolo said while clutching Gohan's Gi's back.

"I don't have my watch on me and frankly I don't care, she needs my help!"

"Does she?"

Confused, Gohan looked down again and saw that Videl had broken free of the thug's grip with an elbow in the abdomen, knocking the man out with one powerful kick. 'Wow', he thought to himself, being impressed to say the least.

"You have lost yourself in worry and let it overshadow your grip on reality. The girl is strong, she can take care of herself within the city boundaries. Have faith in her as she has faith in you."

"What do you mean?" Gohan turned to the Namekian in confusion.

"Ever since you left Satan City, the girl wishes you good fortune every night and prays personally to Dende to guide you to succeed your goal, even though she has no clue what that goal is." Piccolo let go of Gohan's Gi and came to stand beside him, placing his hand on his shoulder. "The same principle applies for Vegeta and his threats, they overshadow your judgment. But I understand you feel the need to reassure yourself that the latter scenario isn't true, so come, let's go back and prepare properly for your fight to come."

Gohan pondered his sensei's words. Indeed, he may have overreacted: the Power Level of that thug who had fought Videl was respectfully high for a human, but Videl far outclassed him. She really was an amazing person, wasn't she? But on the other hand, he didn't believe that Piccolo was right about Vegeta, and he understood that if he wanted to take him down, he needed to be able to concentrate on his training instead of worrying about her.

Gohan nodded and looked down for the last time and was surprised to met her eyes. Apparently she had seen him standing on the building and her expression was full of confusion. "You're right, we'd better go," he said reluctantly, averted his gaze after he said goodbye to her inwardly, and walked to the other side of the building so she couldn't see him fly away.

For over a week, Gohan resumed his training with Piccolo, improving himself in strength, skill and inner peace, to the point that the Namakian could no longer help him. He had managed to allay his unreasonable worries and with many meditation sessions he had managed to reflect on what he wanted in life, and finally found that answer. But before he could allow such thoughts, he had to overcome the last obstacle that could take that life away from him: Vegeta.

"You've come a long way kid, I'm proud of you," Piccolo said with a satisfying grin on his face as he saw what his apprentice had become. "There's not much I can teach you anymore."

"I feel so much more confident, I almost forgot what it felt like," Gohan said honestly. It felt so different, as if a long-lost part of him had come back to life, almost as if he had been reborn.

"You should take this day off and rest, that's what your father would normally do before a big fight. Take your time to clean yourself, body and mind, and enjoy a good night's sleep. Tomorrow you'll need all the strength you can get." Piccolo then looked down at Gohan's ruined Gi, "Should I fix that for you?"

Gohan looked down and smirked, "Maybe that's a good idea, but can you give me my fathers Gi? It would piss off Vegeta."

Piccolo grinned, "I'll make sure to look closely from the lookout to see his expression when you appear in it." He then reached out his hand and let out a cry as a dazzling flash cloaked the proud demi-Saiyan. As the lights faded, Gohan looked at his new attire, which was an orange Gi with a blue sash-style obi, with matching undershirt, shoes and wristbands.

Gohan grinned, "You couldn't help it, huh?" pointing to the kanji symbol '魔' on his chest. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," he said, looking at his sensei as he held out his arm.

Piccolo grasped his forearm firmly, "' For now ', well spoken, see you after the battle." He then looked Gohan straight in the eye, "Let all your frustration from the past few weeks out, but when you do, do it with awareness so you won't regret the aftermath." With this advice, he let go of his pupil's forearm, nodded one last time to wish him luck, and flew away.

The next morning, Gohan got up early, put on his new Gi, and washed his face in a nearby creek. When he looked at his reflection, he was almost convinced he was looking at his dad if he didn't know any better. He stood tall in pride: he had come a long way and finally he was ready. And with that in mind, he took off for Capsule Corp.

As he neared his destination, he saw a figure standing in the tiled garden with arms crossed, clearly waiting for his arrival. Gohan stopped within earshot with his head held high, but he didn't land. Instead, he raised his Ki to give a clear signal of his intentions.

Vegeta looked at the man who he once called a boy and smirked.

"So the day of reckoning has finally come."

Will the Prince of all Saiyans live up to his threats? Is our hero's training enough to withstand the full-blooded Saiyan? Will one of them drown in power and lose grip on reality? Find out in the next chapter of

"When a Hero Disappears": Clash of Titans!

Artist: DarkHans0

Chapter Text

Chapter 20: Clash of Titans

He had hit the ground with a bang, leaving a huge imprint as the stone surface crumbled around him. He quickly stood up and rubbed his cheek to soothe the sore. ' That was a lucky shot, he won't get that chance again ,' Gohan thought to himself as he jumped back into the air and counterattacked with a Masenko. It swiped its target off from his feet, even as Vegeta tried to defend himself against it, and was sent several feet into the air.

An hour ago, when Gohan arrived at Capsule Corp., the Saiyan Prince had been waiting for him. He seemed impressed and even smiled as the half-Saiyan intimidatingly raised his Ki. Then his attention turned to Bulma, who had come to see what was going on. Bulma froze when she saw Gohan, knowing full well what was about to happen. Vegeta nodded to her in recognition and asked her to order a buffet - big enough for two hungry Saiyans - and that it should be ready in a few hours. This caught Gohan off guard: shouldn't this be a battle to the end? It almost sounded like he expected them both to return, contrary to what the young half-Saiyan was expecting. Was Piccolo right all along? Or was Vegeta talking big and did he order the buffet for him and Trunks to celebrate his victory? Whatever it was, it wasn't stopping Gohan from achieving his goal of getting what he wanted out of life.

Vegeta got up and smirked, "Well, I guess the warm-up is over. Let's get down to business."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, how much did he hold back? Not that it mattered, he too had his own resources to tap into. Vegeta began to power up, his already blond hair swaying violently on the waves of energy radiating from his body. As he let out a loud cry, Gohan stood transfixed. This can't be, right? He knew the Prince had trained almost, if not, every day, but he hadn't expected him to have reached that stadium. Wouldn't he have noticed? Or was he so distracted by life that he just didn't sense the change in Ki?

The cry died down and in front of him stood Vegeta, who had ascended his regular Super Saiyan level. Gohan was stunned, he had never seen anybody do it but himself, and knowing the power output that comes with it, be it strength, speed and energy, he swallowed. Guess he really did underestimate this fight.

"Unlike you, I trained for years to reach this level. You may have surpassed us all when you fought Cell, and it pisses me off just thinking about it, but I'm a lot stronger now, so be warned.”

Gohan frowned deeply. Okay, so what if Vegeta has reached Super Saiyan two now? He had much more experience with such power. Even though he hadn't trained that much, he made sure he'd maintained access to that form because he took pride in it. But at the same time he feared it, as he had drowned in power more than once while using it. But with Piccolo's training he had overcome that issue and with ease, he too turned Super Saiyan two.

"So you haven't forgotten how to use it," said Vegeta, mocking, but also pleased.

Gohan glared at him, "Don't get too cocky. I also trained hard last month, and while it doesn't count for seven years of training, I've always been gifted with making rapid progress, exceeding expectations and I have a much higher potential than you."

"So who's the cocky one here? You think you can beat me, is that it?" Vegeta gave a mocking laugh.

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Gohan took a stance to prepare for the fight to continue, "Time will tell, at least I'll die trying."

Gohan charged at Vegeta with lightning speed, punching him into the air and chased after him to knock him back to the ground with a hand chop. But Vegeta turned, grabbed his hand with both of his, and threw him over his head with tremendous force back to where he came from. Before Gohan hit the ground, he teleported back behind Vegeta and delivered a powerful kick to his opponent's ribs.

Again Vegeta grabbed Gohan's limb, which took the younger one by surprise. Vegeta smirked, pretending to form a gun with his hand and aimed it at Gohan from under his arm. "Pew-Pew," the Prince said softly, though in a mocking fashion, firing two small red energy bolts from his pointed index finger. However, once Gohan read his intentions, he threw his body back to avoid collision, and immediately threw his other leg in the air, knocking Vegeta over.

Now free of his grasp, Gohan angrily elbowed Vegeta farther into the air and hook-kicked him in his stomach right after it. The next barrages of kicks and punches, however, were quickly avoided by the skilled full-blooded Saiyan, and when Gohan embedded a roundhouse kick, he was blown away by a large Ki-blast, which slammed him into one of the mountains.

They had been fighting in the same area where Gohan had been training for the past couple of weeks. This gave him an advantage as he knew this place by heart, but that detracted from his opponent's experience. Gohan knew he was in trouble: Vegeta was much stronger than he anticipated and his techniques were refined, as Gohan's was still rough around the edges, leaving vulnerable openings for Vegeta to use to his advantage.

Changing strategies, Gohan decided to fight defensively, a tactic he felt most comfortable with. He was never fond of fighting, so normally he just did what he had to do, which basically was defend himself, analyze the fight, and when the opportunity presented itself, he struck a powerful blow to end it all.

This new tactic worked wonders, causing him less damage from Vegeta's attacks and as the Prince picked up the pace, Gohan had speed on his side. This infuriated Vegeta, causing him to go out even more, draining his energy in the process. When the opportunity arose, Gohan formed a strong Ki-ball in his hand and slammed Vegeta in the jaw with it like one of the upper cuts he'd learned from Sharpener. The Ki sphere exploded in the face and Vegeta fell to the ground, while Gohan landed in front of him.

Vegeta got up, coughed into his hand from the smoke that had formed, and grinned at the boy. "That was a nasty move you made there," Vegeta smirked, impressed that the ever-good boy was playing such mean games. Gohan said nothing and kept staring daggers at him. He wasn't proud of it, but at least he managed to do some serious damage for once. "Let's see what else you have in store," the Prince grinned and began to discharge multiple medium-sized ki-balls at Gohan at a rapid pace.

In defense, the demi-Saiyan protected himself with an Energy Barrier, putting enough energy into it to turn it into a golden energy sphere in front of him, which he then fired as an energy wave. Vegeta jumped out of the way, but Gohan quickly changed the course of the blast, hitting his opponent nonetheless.

After a quick recovery, Vegeta teleported behind Gohan and held him in a Kansetsu waza. Gohan tried to free himself, but Vegeta's joint lock was too strong. "What's the matter boy, I know you can do better than this. Or should I remind you what's at stake?" Vegeta said ominously.

Was Vegeta toying with him? If he had wanted to kill him, he would have fought on a different level. He even had his opportunities, but didn't take them. Gohan knew that Vegeta enjoyed fighting, but he also knew that he took pride in winning, and so if there was a chance to finish him off if he wanted to, he would take it regardless. But since Vegeta didn't, Gohan assumed he had misread the intentions of the fight, and so held back as this might be a 'friendly' spar after all. But now he wasn't sure of that either, because Vegeta again pointed out the consequences.

"Your mate has a pretty high power level for a human," Vegeta began. Chills ran down Gohan's spine. No, not this again! He really thought - or at least hoped - that this scenario wouldn't happen in the end. Vegeta noticed his body tensing up and smirked, "It's not rocket science to find her whereabouts, so I'll make sure to pay her a visit after this fight is over."

Gohan tensed up even more, "Leave her out of this, you have a problem with me and not her," panic set in his heart: he wasn't able to win this battle, so how was he supposed to protect her? Perhaps he could talk him out of this and continued in a broken voice, "She's not even my mate!"

"Then why do you even mind then?"

Alright, scratch that. He figured that Vegeta wouldn't change his mind anyway, so there was no point in talking. All he could do was to stop him permanently, or at least deal enough damage to prevent him from going to Satan City.

"But I'll humor you, you can choose how it would be done," Vegeta kept pushing his buttons.

Gohan gritted his teeth and became even more tense, this time out of anger, "I said leave her out of this!"

"That choice is yours," Vegeta pushed his buttons even more, "Too bad though, she had such a pretty face."

"SHUT UP!" Gohan screamed with anger, then flew into the air at the fastest speeds. Vegeta tried to release him, but Gohan made sure he couldn't. After reaching sufficient height, Gohan turned and flew even faster to the ground, increasing his Ki, and turning his back to the surface that was soon to be hit. With a loud bang, both Z-fighters crashed to the ground. The impact was massive and rocked the earth so much that the shockwave could be felt all the way across West City.

They both jumped out of the crater and landed on either side. Each had substantial damage, one bleeding from the shoulder, the other from the leg.

"I see you still have your Saiyan soul. Good, now give me all you’ve got!" Vegeta said enthusiastically, noticing that the half-Saiyan had tapped into his hidden energy, only to be caught aback to see that Gohan's whole attitude had changed. His eyes were blank, ice cold and full of hatred, his whole body language screamed that he was about to kill someone. Vegeta had seen his behavior once before and he also knew that his opponent at the time couldn't tell the tale. Knowing he had asked for this, he smirked, raised his Ki once more and repositioned himself into a fighting stance; Let's bring it on.

Again, both fighters clashed: fists, kicks, Ki attacks and even headbutts were used, seriously injuring one another. Any impact with the ground, the earth would shake violently. Dark clouds appeared above them as the atmosphere began to react to their energy fields, causing thunder around them. But even though Gohan put up a lot of resistance, Vegeta managed to dominate the fight.

After he had enough of the battle and knowing he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer, Gohan teleported himself to a spot further from his opponent, holding both hands out in front of him;

"KA-"

He then teleported behind Vegeta as a small blue energy ball appeared between his hands and placed them to his right hip;

"ME-"

Again he teleported, this time underneath the full-blooded Saiyan as the ball of radiant energy grew larger;

"HA-"

He disappeared again and reappeared to Vegeta's left;

"ME-"

Seeing a pattern, Vegeta smirked and turned his attention to his right side as Gohan disappeared for the last time, expecting him to reappear there, but he didn't;

"HAAAA!"

Gohan had reappeared at the first spot where he initiated the attack, knowing that Vegeta wouldn't expect the move. He had poured all his frustration, hatred, pain and suffering into this attack, intending to end it once and for all. But when he was about to shout the last syllable, Piccolo's advisory words came to his mind: ' Let all your frustration from the past few weeks out, but when you do, do it with awareness so you won't regret the aftermath, ' snapping him out of his wrath.

Taken by surprise, Vegeta could only watch as a blinding beam of pure energy approached him at a rapid pace, his eyes widened in shock. As a last resort, he raised his arms in front of his head to protect himself from the impact, though he knew it would be in vain, and closed his eyes.

But the impact never came.

Vegeta opened his eyes again to see that the Kamehameha had been redirected upward, causing a bright column of light dominating the dark sky. It exploded when its creator threw another blast into its heart to detonate his previous attack, sending a shockwave through the air, knocking both Saiyans off their feet.

The Kamehameha had drained almost all the energy from his body and when he got up, Gohan was back in base form. Hoping that Vegeta didn't see it, he turned back Super Saiyan two, albeit with difficulty. Gohan couldn't hold this form much longer and he reckoned he probably had one attack left.

Vegeta too stood up, "Wrong decision!" he shouted, though inwardly grateful that Gohan had spared him. The Saiyan Prince flew over to Gohan, oblivious to his lack of energy, and placed both hands on Gohan's chest while smirking, intending to blast him point blank. However, Gohan grabbed both of Vegeta's hands with his as Vegeta charged his attack, interlocking their fingers and making a powerful Ki-attack of his own. Unable to abort his attack, Vegeta could only watch as both Ki-attacks exploded against one another.

A loud bang filled the area and dust filled the air. Gohan had blasted off not far from the explosion when a rock painfully blocked his fall. He found himself lying on his back under some small rubble. He had returned to his base form, but this time he didn't try to get up. This fight was over. He couldn't go any further. He had given everything he had left in his last attack, hoping it would be enough to dominate Vegeta. He'd seen that attack of Vegeta before where he used to completely obliterate his enemy, and thought his own actions would at least take the Prince with him to the afterlife. But since he was still here - though not understanding why - he feared it wasn't enough.

After the sound of the explosion faded, the area was filled with silence. Gohan welcomed it, but also knew it was temporary, expecting it to be soon disturbed by Vegeta's next move. But as seconds became minutes, he began to wonder where the Saiyan Prince was. Then the silence was broken by a voice not that far from him.

"How do you feel? Besides being sore, that is."

It was Vegeta's voice and it was surprisingly friendly. Gohan didn't know what it meant, but he decided there was no point in lying. After some thought, he answered, "Alive, to be honest."

"Good," Vegeta replied.

After a moment of silence, the prince continued, "You have finally reached the point where you can choose your path without being influenced by external factors." Gohan was surprised by the sudden change in recent events, and he could only patiently listen to what Vegeta had to say. "If you had chosen your path a month ago, you would certainly have chosen the easy way out, for it would have seemed unattainable to restore your old self. But now that you've recuperated that warrior in you, both paths you're struggling with are at your grasp, so you can now choose freely without regrets."

Another silence fell, giving Gohan time to digest Vegeta's words.

"Have you set your path?" Vegeta finally asked.

"Yes," Gohan answered truthfully. He'd made a decision long before, but now he knew he'd made the right one. Relief fell over him: So this was all to push him back into training, wasn't it? He felt a bit betrayed, not only by Vegeta, but especially by himself. How could he be so naive?

"My father was always hard on me," Vegeta started, "Constantly pushing me beyond my limits, threatening that if I didn't succeed something awful would come my way. I was used to it because it was the Saiyan way to train elite warriors, but sometimes it was tough to hear such things from your own father. Then again, I knew it served a greater purpose, and it made me the man I'm today."

Gohan remained silent. Why did Vegeta say this? Was it because he wanted to explain why he had treated Gohan the way he did? Hit him, berate him, and threaten him, just to force him into training? Serving a greater purpose? Teaching him the 'Saiyan' way? But then another realization dawned on him, a much softer and heartwarming one: has Vegeta really tried - in his own botched way - to be a father figure to him?

"I didn't mean what I said to you that day" Vegeta continued, "Your father was proud of you, and still will be, whatever your path may be. And for the record: I helped you because I wanted to. I only said those things to push your buttons, but I may have overreacted, and I apologize for that." Vegeta then sighed. "I hate how this planet makes me soft," he muttered more to himself than to Gohan.

Gohan chuckled at the comment, feeling all the stress of the past few weeks drift away. He was so relieved. Piccolo was right all along. He should have listened more to his wisdom and less to his own made-up reality. What a fool he’d been.

"I'm impressed by how far you've come in such a short time. I'm looking forward to the future, if you decide to continue training, that is."

"You know, there's a tournament coming up next month, if you want we could have a rematch there?" Gohan suggested, "Then we both have a month to train, so it might be fun to see who is the strongest in the end."

"Yeah, sounds good to me," Vegeta grinned, "How about we go home, I'm looking forward to the buffet."

"I’d rather have a Sensu to be honest," Gohan said reluctantly and looked to his left hand, "I really hope it will generate limbs, I lost two of my fingers on that last attack."

"Yeah, that one was really reckless of you. You could have killed us both if I was fully powered up," Vegeta answered.

That was kinda the whole intention of that move anyway, Gohan thought to himself, but chose to remain silent.

"But don't worry," Vegeta continued, "I ended up holding them after the explosion, so I think you will be fine."

Gohan felt relieved and for the first time after the explosion, he tried to move his body. He did feel he had a number of broken bones, some flesh wounds, and a punctured lung, but he managed to get up using his remaining Ki for support. "We still have some ground to cover, so let's hurry before one of us collapses before we reach the Senzu beans." He heard some movement behind a wall of rocks and Vegeta appeared after a few minutes. Gohan grinned, "You look awful."

"Look who's talking," Vegeta replied, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not the one who's missing body parts," he continued accusingly and threw Gohan's fingers at him.

"Hey! Be careful with them!" Gohan said in shock, trying to catch his fingers in time, afraid he wouldn't find them if they fell to the ground among the rubble. He sighed in relief when he had managed to secure his severed limbs.

"By the way, this conversation never happened," Vegeta warned him, fearing it would damage his reputation.

"The secret is safe with me," Gohan replied, but with a grin on his face, honored to have witnessed Vegeta's soft side for once. He flew up carefully, followed by Vegeta.

"When are you going to tell her?" the Prince asked.

"Tell who what?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Vegeta warned, "That girl, the girl you were prepared to die for. When are you going to tell her you like her?"

Gohan blushed profusely, not expecting to get such a personal question from Vegeta. He swallowed and took a deep breath to calm down. He paused for a moment to think about it. Vegeta was right, he should tell her at some point, but then again, he'd rather fight Vegeta a second time than be rejected. But would she? He knew she liked him, or at least she was physically attracted to him according to the pheromones she produced when she was close to him. "I don't know," he began hesitantly, "This weekend I guess."

"You should, she is a fine mate," Vegeta said resolutely.

After this talk, the wounded duo remained silent during their flight to Capsule Corps. and after a short while they landed on the tiled yard. Bulma immediately ran to them with a mixture of relief, concern and disgust in her eyes. "So, you guys are finally done?" she said in a harsh tone, trying to pretend she didn't care. She gave them both a quick glance and her face turned back in concern, "I'll get the Senzu beans, you really did some damage to one another. I'll be right back." As she walked away, she mumbled something about Saiyans and how irresponsible they were, unaware that the two she was talking about could still hear her.

Gohan let out a laugh as he stumbled to the table and casually threw his severed fingers on it, but as he wanted to sit in the accompanying chair, the sound of broken pottery distracted him. He looked across the table to see who had dropped a cup of tea.

His heart dropped when his onyx eyes met two gorgeous but horrified light-blue opal ones.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21: Take off

She didn't even notice the cup of tea fall from her hand. She could only stare at the boy across the table in shock. Or should she say: the man across the table? He had changed a lot since the last time she saw him. He was much more muscular, from his broad neck to his strong upper arms. She could tell he'd been training intensely since leaving school a month ago. And besides his features, his aura had changed too. He radiated confidence and tranquility, a stark contrast to the shy and insecure country boy she'd met months ago.

It wasn't the change in his features that shocked her the most, it was the condition he was in. What the hell happened to him? Or them - she should ask - because the other guy, Bulma's husband she assumed, wasn't much better off. Gohan was covered in blood, cuts and wounds, his orange Gi was torn and he was even missing two of his fingers, which he had thrown on the table as if it was a normal thing to do. What on earth did he have to fix? Seeing him in this condition, she suddenly understood why he said he wasn't so sure he would come back.

When his onyx eyes met hers, his body tensed in an instant. After taking a moment to comprehend the situation, he looked away in shame and regret. "Sorry you have to see me like this," Gohan said with a heavy heart. Then he frowned and squinted his eyes, irritated. That girl was unbelievable, "Why are you even here?" he asked a bit sour, "I thought I told you not to come here anymore."

"Don't be like that, Gohan," Bulma's voice interrupted, "She called me because she was concerned about you as she hadn't heard from you in a while, and I invited her to come over. I could use the company too, since you two bums could only think about yourself and your stupid quarrel." She walked over to Vegeta and handed him a Senzu bean, who took it eagerly, then walked over to the wounded half-Saiyan. "Here."

Gohan took the bean in his good hand and looked at the other. "Please tell me that it can restore my hand."

Bulma looked at the table and her face grimaced. "I don't even want to know how that happened," she said, rolling her eyes. She then took a deep breath, took both severed fingers and neatly positioned his little and ring fingers against his injured hand. Gohan's face twisted with pain. The adrenaline in his body had faded and he began to feel every wound and sore on his body.

"Alright, you can take the Senzu," Bulma said when she was done and when she saw Gohan take the step to take the bean, she added with a cheeky wink, "Fingers crossed it will work."

Gohan immediately froze and angrily glared at Bulma, "That is not funny!" he said, with Vegeta laughing heartily in the background.

"Come on, of course it will work, Mr. Worry Head," Bulma chuckled.

Reluctantly Gohan continued, doubting the whole situation, and swallowed the Senzu. In an instant, every wound to his body from the fight with Vegeta was gone. And to his relief, his hand had also healed as if nothing had ever happened. He tested it, bending his fingers one by one. He sighed in relief.

"What about the buffet?" Vegeta asked, looking at the empty table.

"You already got your buffet. It's called a Senzu," Bulma replied bitterly.

"What?! Despite being full for ten days, I can still eat!"

"Think of it as your punishment," Bulma gave him a mean but overpowering glare. "No food for you for the next ten days! I am still mad at you."

"Wha-," Vegeta stood perplexed, "I got him training! That's what you wanted right?!"

"We had this argument before. You know I disagree with your methods!" Bulma yelled at him. "Now get your ass inside and clean yourself, you're filthy as hell!" She then pointed to the entrance, to give her demand more power, still fierce.

Vegeta let out a 'Tsk' sound, but didn't dare to go against his wife's orders and went inside.

Gohan, who had been watching their interactions, stiffened when Bulma looked at him with the same attitude. "And you! What were you thinking? I thought you were the most mature of the bunch. How could you even think that after all these years he would pose a threat? I understand he scared you off, but you were always the one talking things out. So why shut down all of a sudden, disappear and come back all fighty mighty? You could've come to me or Piccolo or whoever you like to talk to, instead of this bullshit! And by the way, did Trunks or I ever cross your mind? Have you ever thought about the impact it would have on us if you'd snapped? You aren't the only one who has loved ones you know!"

Gohan rose from his chair, disoriented as all sorts of emotions swirled within him: feeling stupid about the whole situation; guilt towards Bulma and Trunks for not really taking their point of few in consideration; frustration; anger that she was now pointing the finger at him instead of Vegeta; and protective of his own actions. On the latter he felt he had to speak his mind: "Look, what would you have done in my shoes? Even though he has proven himself in recent years, he was very convincing that he could go back to his old ways and that there was no one to stop him if he did. So if that were the case, you guys weren't safe either… I chose to at least pose resistance if that scenario would happen. I better go against Vegeta and do the unthinkable, saving you guys in the process, even if it will hurt you in the heart, then do nothing and let this Earth be destroyed, whatever will destroy you too. I stood with my back against a wall! And he made it clear he wanted a fight out of me, and although I didn't know at the time what his real intentions were, he'd threatened Videl! And I would never let something happen to her!" 

His own words snapped him back to reality. Anxiously, Gohan’s onyx eyes darted across the table, realizing Videl had overheard the entire argument. For a brief moment he studied her face, trying to read her. Her eyes mainly reflected confusion, even a hint of shock at the revelation he just made, but he also found a light blush on her cheeks that made him blush as well. He looked away quickly, his anger subsiding and giving way to guilt. Gohan’s deep frown turned into a sad expression and sat back in his chair, turning his attention back at Bulma, "But you're right, I should've come to you or Piccolo to clear my mind. I got consumed with worry and that made me react in such a way. And even when Piccolo came to help me, I didn't listen. I feel so stupid."

"You are," Bulma replied, understanding his reasoning but still angry at his actions. "For the record, Vegeta said 'Don't come back crying if something would happen to her' . He meant that if a new enemy would show up, you should be ready to protect and not rely on him. He wasn't really talking about being that threat to her specifically, you know."

"Well that wasn't the case during the fight," Gohan replied irritably.

"Let me guess, it pushed your buttons, didn't it?" Bulma straightened and looked down at him, "You are predictable and he used that against you to get what he wanted. But like I said, he's in trouble too, because I don't agree with his methods." She placed her hands on either side of her thigh and towered over Gohan, the same way his mother would have done when he got into trouble. "Now, end of this discussion young man, you too are going to take a shower, clean yourself up and then take the girl home. Then you go straight to Mount Paozu, apologize to your mother for disappearing last month without telling her, and explain to her that I have nothing to do with this whole idiotic situation! She blames me, and you're going to fix that!" She gave him an angry look and added in a firm voice, "Am I clear?"

Gohan got up in a reflex, yelled "Yes Ma'am," bowed down and ran inside. He'd better meet her demands, she could be really scary when she was like this.

After a good shower, Gohan had put on his regular school clothes, although they didn't seem to fit so well anymore. He looked in the mirror and was surprised to see how he'd changed. His normally baggy shirt didn't conceal his muscles very well. He sighed, he should go shopping with his mother this week to buy better ones, something he hated to do. She probably would justify it as a suitable punishment for his absence.

He then made his way to the tiled garden, where the Ki signatures of both women were present. But halfway through, he passed Vegeta, who was walking toward the Gravity Chamber. "Wait what? Are you going to train even after our fight this morning?" Gohan was surprised to say at least.

"That's right, Risot, the woman is denying me my food, so I have to take it out on something else. And I have a month to train for our rematch, so I better use my time wisely."

"Risot?"

"I can't call you brat anymore, can I?"

Gohan blinked his eyes in confusion: Did Vegeta just give him a Saiyan name? After a moment he asked, "I thought Saiyan names were always derived from vegetables?"

"I thought I'd honor your human name and it still comes from a plant, but if you don't like it, I'll keep calling you brat."

"No, no," Gohan raised his hands in a defensive gesture, "Risot is fine!"

"Good, besides, it's actually a true Saiyan name, but one of those fancy modern ones nobody asked for.”

Gohan's sense of honor about being given a Saiyan name disappeared almost immediately: why did he have to add that last comment? He sighed and let it go. It was better than brat anyway. "Please don't train too hard," he tried to change the subject.

"I will not make such promises, you are dangerously close and I'll do everything I can so that you do not pass me. See you at the tournament," Vegeta said with a mischievous smirk and continued his way to the Gravity Chamber. Thinking of their fight, Vegeta was relieved to learn that when needed, Gohan would be able to stop him if one day he posed a threat, thus knowing his family would be safe. That's all he wanted to know to calm his own inner struggles. Kakarot's son was a strong one, that was for sure.

Gohan swallowed as he watched Vegeta disappear around a corner. What had he got himself into? He scratched the base of his neck and reluctantly continued his route as well.

Once outside, he walked over to both women, who ended their conversation as soon as they saw him. He didn't question it, he figured it was normal behavior, women tend to do it all the time. "So, are you ready to go?" Gohan asked Videl.

Videl looked at Bulma for reassurance, who nodded. "Yeah, sure, I'll get my copter," she said and reached into her pocket.

"No need to decapsulated your copter, we'll use Flying Nimbus," Gohan said, as if it was clear what he meant. "He's faster than a jet.'

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bulma asked, remembering the first time she tried to ride it herself. The magical flying yellow cloud can only support the pure-hearted, something Bulma apparently didn't have. Even though Videl had only shown selfless acts in recent months by helping Gohan, she didn't know the girl that well, and being Mr. Satan's daughter, there was still a chance that she inherited her father's impurity. She tried to persuade him to go for the safer option, "Why don't you fly yourself?"

Gohan ran a hand through his hair, "I haven't had a moment to relax in ages and I don't feel like doing anything at the moment."

Videl looked up as a yellow cloud descended from the air. She recognized it as the cloud she had seen Gohan's mother ride the other day. It stopped right next to Gohan, and to her amazement it was really just a yellow cloud. She reached out to touch it, and the watery airy substance slipped through her fingers, but somehow they didn't get wet.

Gohan jumped on the cloud and sat down. He extended a hand to the raven-haired girl to assist her, which she took. When their hands touched, Gohan felt an electric warmth run through his body and a light blush appeared on his face. Hoping she wouldn't notice, he guided her onto the cloud and she sat down in front of him, his legs on either side of her. Normally he would sit cross-legged, but that would leave less room for Videl to sit.

Bulma had held her breath the whole time, but let out a sigh of relief as the cloud accepted Videl. She started to smile, she really was a perfect match for her godson, wasn't she? A girl who could handle him, fought crime like him, was stunning to look at, and had a pure heart as well, something that was hard to find these days. Then she giggled: that boy was too innocent, it probably didn't even cross his mind that she could have been rejected by Nimbus.

As Videl settled into a comfortable position, Gohan looked at Bulma, "Thank you for putting up with me the past few months. I know I haven't been the easiest one lately, and I'm sorry about the whole Vegeta thing."

"I guess that's what you get when you are entangled with Saiyans," Bulma said, crossing her arms, but smiling nonetheless. "Take care Kiddo, come visit us soon."

"I will!" Gohan said, as Nimbus was already taking off. Then he turned his attention to said cloud, "Nimbus, can you bring us to Satan City?" And without further adieu, Nimbus flew East.

For a while, both teens didn't know what to say to each other. Gohan casually leaned back on both hands to give the girl some personal space. She, on the other hand, felt that he was deliberately keeping his distance, which made her feel unwanted, or rather, a burden. Maybe she should have taken her copter instead.

But when that thought crossed her mind, he finally broke the silence: "I'm sorry," he said, guilt was noticeable in his voice. She chose to remain silent, to force him to continue. "I should never have left, especially the day I did," he said, recalling that particular day: her emotions over her mother's passing; the - romantic? - tension between them in the janitor's closet; his sudden farewell, leaving her for weeks with all these open ends, unanswered questions and emotions. And for what? His unfounded paranoia? He sighed, he really was an airheaded asshole.

"Bulma has already explained a few things, although I still don't understand everything," Videl decided to engage the subject. "She told me that her husband had made you some threats in an angry mood, and that you believed them to be true, causing you to leave and do what you had to do." She paused before continuing, "However, she wouldn't tell me what it was that scared you so much."

"He threatened to hurt you," Gohan explained, "Because he knows I attach great importance to friendship, and well, that's the one thing that really triggers me to…" he stopped.

"To what?"

"To fight," Gohan said hesitantly

"I see," Videl said and felt anger wash over her, "You know, I can defend myself. If you had just explained this to me, none of this would have happened!"

Gohan's eyes twitched, "Sorry to say, that wouldn't have made any difference, you don't know what Vegeta is capable of."

Videl couldn't believe her ears and jerked her head around, "I would have been fine, thank you very much. I don't need you to save me." And she pulled her head back and crossed her arms."

"I recall differently," Gohan's irritation grew. "Without me you would've been dead by now."

Her eyes widened: Oh yeah, she almost forgot that he was Saiyaman. Indeed, he saved her life more than once. If she never had to be rescued, he would never have been poisoned in the first place.

Gohan let out an audible sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "While I really admire your bravery, you can be reckless at times. Just let me be there when you get in trouble." He then looked to the side, stared blindly at the horizon and continued, "But you're right, you can take care of yourself more than I gave you credit for, and I'll give you back that space. It's just that…" he stopped.

"What were you afraid of if I may ask?" she asked, hoping the boy would finish his sentence. Her posture relaxed more and her face softened. Although it really bothered her he'd disappeared for such a dumb reason, he meant well. It was actually very sweet, she thought, and a blush appeared on her face.

After a pause, he cleared his throat, "I think the whole problem is that I'm afraid I'll lose you one day," his voice broke, almost as if his emotions got the better of him. "And when you fight, I get worried sick. I've lost too much already in that regard."

"Is that why you showed up on that rooftop over a week ago?"

"Mm," Gohan just gave her a sound of agreement.

"You made me worry too," Videl said soberly, "You looked awful. You were covered in wounds, your clothes were torn, and you… you just didn't look like you anymore. If it weren't for your green friend I wouldn't even have recognized you." She took a deep breath of fresh air, trying to get that horrible image out of her mind. "But I was fine, more than you anyway, so again, I can take care of myself… something you should do too."

"I know," Gohan said, feeling guilty about what he'd just learned. He didn't want her to worry about him. And now he understood that the feeling was mutual. "I've done a lot of self-reflection lately and I came to the same conclusion. I think the biggest problem is that you aren't bulletproof, that such simple weapons can kill you instantly, regardless of your skills. It's such a cowardly way of fighting. So I wanted to propose that you start your Ki lessons as soon as possible. If you can use it, I don't have to worry anymore and I can give you back all the space you need."

Videl slid her eyes to the side, as if she wanted to look at Gohan, but didn't turn her head. "Ki can really make you bulletproof?" The raven-haired crime fighter could hardly believe her ears. Was that even possible? But again, she's seen Saiyaman catch bullets with his bare hands and stop and send back a missile without even a touch.

"Sort of," Gohan answered and shrugged, "You can use it as a shield to bounce off bullets." Then he cracked a smile - not that Videl would see because she was looking ahead - and continued, "What do you say? We have a deal?"

She blushed, not sure why. Perhaps it was the foresight of finally spending time with him, one on one, without it being clouded by drama. She still couldn't comprehend what Ki really was, but she decided to be open-minded about it. Or about Gohan as a whole, as he had shown time after time that he was no ordinary man. He really was an enigma. "Yeah, okay."

Relief fell over the half-Saiyan. This was one of the things he wanted to settle with her before going back to their old ways, to clear the air and open up the possibility of becoming good friends once more without unwanted tension.

"Gohan, what's a Saiyan?"

Her question took him by surprise, making him tense up once more. He wanted to tell her, but this wasn't the right time. "I, uh…," he began, not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Videl said reluctantly. The people she'd met who took a warm heart to Gohan, be it Bulma or Yamcha, all told her to be patient with her friend. That if she gave him the space, he would eventually tell her the things she wanted to know. But she wasn't a patient person, so this was very difficult for her. But if she really wanted him to open up to her, she figured this was the only way.

Gohan relaxed again, "I've decided to tell you everything you want to know about me." His answer made Videl's heart skip a beat. She opened her eyes wide in surprise, waiting patiently for what he was going to say. "But I have to think about how I'm going to tell you, it's quite complicated and I don't want to scare you off." She wondered what could possibly scare her off, but she let it go, hoping that Gohan would tell her more. "And that includes explaining to you what a Saiyan is."

"I see," Videl replied. While she was a little disappointed, she was also stoked to hear he would finally let her into his life, whatever that may be.

"Give me a week, okay," he said, trying to reassure her that he wouldn't put off the conversation too long. "But I'll make it up to you. You can ask me another question that I'll answer truthfully, right here, right now."

Videl turned her head to the side so she could slightly see his face. He smiled, but there was also a hint of uncertainty. She had collected so many questions over the past few weeks: Was the guy human after all?; How did he befriend God?; What on earth was he thinking when he picked out his Saiyaman outfit?; Who were those people on that picture he deliberately hid?; Were those Dragon Balls real and had he ever used them?; Why could all his friends fly?; And remembering the conversation with Yamcha: what did her father have to do with Gohan's secrets?

But she decided against it all. He had already promised to tell her everything so she could wait a bit longer. Finally she asked, "What is your favorite food?"

Gohan had prepared himself for every question she possibly could ask, except this one. "What?" he managed to get out.

"You said you'd answer the question truthfully, so I ask again, what's your favorite food?"

"I mean, sure, I'll answer your question, but of everything you could ask, why… why ask such a simple one?"

"Because I felt like it," she started to get irritated again. It had already taken a lot of her self-discipline to tame her curiosity, and he wasn't making it easy for her. And she certainly didn't want to explain her reasoning.

"Basically everything my mom cooks," he decided to answer, beginning to realize that she wanted to respect his privacy until he was ready. "But if I had to choose one dish, it would be Ramen."

"Really?" She glanced briefly over her shoulder and cracked a smile, "You can wake me up for a good bowl of Hakodate Ramen with extra char siu pork."

He chuckled, "Lucky me, then Ramen it is. I still have to buy you dinner. But if you want, I can make it breakfast instead."

"Ha ha, no please, dinner is fine. So you didn't forget?"

"Hey! I'm a gentleman, how can I forget such promises to a lady?"

They both chuckled at the cheesy comment and were both relieved that the tension between them had finally broken. Videl felt her body relax again, and for the first time since they'd taken off, she looked around. The view was beautiful, and although she had flown trillions of times before, this experience was much more intense. The wind played softly with her hair and the sun shone warmth on her face. And while she expected it would be cold, somehow it wasn't.

Unknown to Videl, Gohan used his Ki to shield them from most of the scorching winds and the cold, increasing the surrounding temperature a bit to a more comfortable one. If he hadn't, the poor girl would have been frozen at this altitude, and talking wouldn't be as easy at this speed. Speaking of which, "So, have I missed anything since I left? How are Sharpener and Erasa doing?"

"Oh! Yeah, there's something big you missed! You'll never guess, but Sharpener and Erasa are a thing now."

Gohan let out a chuckle, "So they finally told you?"

She jerked her torso towards him to look straight at him, placing a hand on his inner thigh for support, her eyes wide. "You… you knew?"

"Erasa told me, but she asked me to keep it quiet."

"Wh-, When?"

Gohan thought about it for a moment, "The day after the Baseball game, during P.E. According to Erasa, they wanted to see if it worked out between them, and because they didn't want to ruin the group dynamics, they kept quiet."

"Well, then they kinda failed… they're really lovey-dovey now, it's sickening," even thinking about it turned her stomach, "I mean, I'm happy for them, but it's really in the face. I don't know how to describe it but I feel like the third wheel. I'm really glad you're coming back." Her big inquisitive eyes lingered on his, "I've missed you."

He swallowed, Nimbus suddenly felt very small, and her touch on his inner thigh didn't help either. His heart was suddenly beating very fast and somehow he couldn't look away, he was held captive by her beautiful light blue eyes. "I-I missed you too," he almost stuttered. Why did she make him feel so self-conscious?

At that moment, something caught her attention on her right. Maybe it was a bird or a shimmer, but it made her look away from their gaze and her attention was drawn to their surroundings. She suddenly got on her knees, put both hands on his right leg for support and leaned over the edge to get a better view, "Wow."

Gohan didn't realize he'd been holding his breath during their staring, and found himself out of air. He was relieved their closeness was interrupted, so she didn't notice his recovery. He then looked to see what had distracted her: they flew directly over the aftermath battlefield that Gohan and Vegeta had created.

"Do you think this morning's earthquakes came all the way from here?" she asked, looking at the broken grounds below them. "I've flown over this area before, but this is new."

"This is what happens when you put me and Vegeta against one another." Gohan decided to tell the truth, she would eventually know anyway. "See the crater over there? That explosion cost me my fingers."

Surprised, she turned her head to Gohan, "Wait, what? You did this? But it looks like a war zone out there!"

"Me and Vegeta," Gohan corrected her. "Now do you understand why I got so worked up when I thought he wanted to harm you?"

Videl said nothing, she was just trying to process the information he had given her. She knew he could create explosions, the school hallway was proof of that, and she knew he was strong. He could also fly, making the spacious area a plausible battleground. But this, this was on a whole new level, even for Saiyaman . What was he? As much as she wanted to know, she stuck to her decision to wait for the boy to open up on his own, which he said would be sometime next week. "I understand," she said, trying to sound convincing, even if she only understood that if someone could destroy the area in that regard, she probably wouldn't stand a chance.

As the battlefield disappeared from view, she sat down again, with her back to Gohan, but this time she was much closer to the boy. And to Gohan's utter surprise, she leaned into him. His face lit up at the sudden contact, but he welcomed it too. She didn't freak out over what he'd shared with her about his fight with Vegeta, which was a good sign, he thought. Maybe she'd take the rest of his life the same way. His body relaxed again and with Nimbus still flying East, the duo remained peacefully in their newfound position.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22: The hero returns

Videl had deliberately moved herself closer to her spiky-haired friend to test his reaction, the same way she had when she held his hand at the baseball game. She was thrilled that he didn't reject her or move away from her when she leaned against him. She couldn't help but to feel all fuzzy inside. Too shy to say anything, she just stayed in that position, enjoying their closeness while a pleasant warm feeling came over her.

After flying in silence for a while, Gohan noticed a change in Videl's breathing. It became more rhythmic and calmer. He looked down at the top of her head and assumed she had fallen asleep. It made him smile, she was pretty cute like that. And then she moved her body, turning onto her side. Yep, she definitely was asleep! Gohan's heart began to beat much faster than was good for him. He tried to calm himself as quickly as possible so that his heartbeat wouldn't wake her. She moved again, probably to make herself more comfortable, and snuggled against his torso as she grabbed his shirt in her right hand.

After a short period of recovery, Gohan had managed to calm himself once again and found peace in their new position. She was really, really cute when she was asleep, he thought to himself as he gently rested his chin on her head. He closed his eyes and tried to turn this exact feeling into a memory, cherishing the moment.

However, a subtle cherry scent awakened him from his inner peace. He opened his eyes and stared blindly into the distance. He knew exactly what this scent was, and he blushed with the realization. But why hadn't he smelled it before? Was it the wind?

The scent grew heavier and Videl tightened her grip on his shirt. She mumbled something that almost resembled his name. Was she dreaming about him? He swallowed and tried to ignore it, but his curiosity won out. What could she be dreaming of?

"Gohan."

Now he was sure, she was dreaming about him. As his mind took him on a journey to wonder what she was dreaming about, the cherry scent began to intoxicate him.

"Rip it."

Her new words took Gohan by surprise. What would he rip? Or better, what would be ripped? What was she dreaming of? And why did her pheromones flare up so suddenly?

He closed his eyes again and tried to cast out impure thoughts that came into his mind. Whatever her dream was about, it was her dream and it was none of his business, even if he was involved in one. And frankly, you couldn't control dreams, so even if she was dreaming about him, it didn’t have to mean anything. He tried to focus on his breathing and did a simple meditation technique to regain his inner peace once more. It helped, and besides some soft sleeping moans, Videl stayed quiet for a while, which was also convenient.

A slightly louder moan escaped her lips and suddenly her hand moved. Gohan still tried to ignore it, but couldn't help but follow her movements. Her grip on his shirt had loosened and it almost felt as though she trailed his muscle outlines with her fingers. Then she gave a chuckle, burying her face a little more into his chest, but still remained laying against it. Gohan suddenly felt hot and squeezed his eyes shut, afraid he might peek down, and resumed his meditation. But he couldn't concentrate anymore when he noticed the girl against him was moving slowly downwards. Her hands caressed him, starting from his chest, moving across his abdomen and even going down to his inner thigh, while her head moved down too. She let out another chuckle. What the hell was she doing? Was she still asleep? That couldn't be it, right? Or was she teasing him? But then again, why would she do that, there was no reason for her to do so. And if she was sleeping, shouldn't he wake her up now? To point out what she was doing? But his subconsciousness didn't want her to stop, not at all.

He bit his lower lip in anticipation as he decided to see where this was going. He felt really hot all of a sudden and had given up using mediation as a distraction. His hands grew sweaty and his breathing became heavier. But he didn't dare to open his eyes. Her head went dangerously low and he cursed himself for being a teenager.

And then… her contact suddenly disappeared.

He opened his eyes in confusion and found himself on Nimbus, but no one else was there. In a panic, he looked around and a scream began to fill the air. He turned his head and saw Videl fall to the ground. "God damnit, Nimb-" but before he could finish his sentence, he too fell through the cloud.

Internally, he finished his curses as he rushed to Videl's aid, lifting her out of the air and slowly decreased the falling speed to the point that they both hung still in the air. He had her in his arms in a bridal position, as she gripped his clothing firmly in shock.

"W-What happened?" She stuttered, still trembling from her near-death experience.

"You tell me, what do you remember," he asked hesitantly, trying to fish for answers about her intentions behind her previous actions.

"I don't know? I-I think I fell asleep, and the next thing I know, I was tumbling through the air."

Ah, so she'd been sleeping the whole time. He felt somehow relieved, but also stupid for thinking otherwise. He looked up at the sky, only to see a tiny yellow speck disappear in the distance. Nimbus was a sensitive cloud and only allowed people to ride him pure by heart. But even the pure-hearted could sometimes have impure thoughts. He knew because he was rejected in mid-air once while thinking about what he'd seen in one of Roshi's magazines. Probably Videl's dream was a bit too much for Nimbus and rejected her because of it. Her movements for going down against him were nothing more than her sinking through the cloud. Gohan flared up again and was ashamed that he'd interpreted the whole situation in such a - to use Nimbus' reasoning - impure way.

"You must have fallen off while sleeping," he decided to say, without explaining the real situation. "I guess my time to relax is over, I'll fly the rest myself." He didn't dare to look at her, but couldn't help but ask, unable to hold back a slight grin, "I hope you had a nice dream?"

He felt her heartbeat increase, then she swallowed, "Yeah," she said softly, tugging her head under his chin to hide her embarrassment. If only he knew…

Gohan couldn't help but smile: at least her dream, in which he was involved, was a good one. He, too, became red with embarrassment, realizing they were still talking about an impure themed dream, or Nimbus wouldn't have cast her out. He swallowed and tried to think of something else before his mind went down that road again. He increased their speed, hoping the wind would cool him down.

They remained silent for a while, until Videl tugged at his shirt to get his attention. Gohan looked down and met her gaze. She had a sad expression on her face that made him stop flying. "Something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

She pointed down, "That's where I found you," she said dejectedly.

Gohan turned his gaze to where she pointed and saw in the distance an old abandoned industrial estate. He flew closer, following Videl's directions to a dilapidated storage building. He looked at her, non-verbally asking if this was the place, and she nodded. He then descended and entered the building through one of the large holes in the roof. When he landed, he carefully lowered Videl to help her stand on her own two feet. They looked around in silence, both recalling their memories of this place.

"Do you remember it?' Videl asked, "Being poisoned and all?"

"Hmm," Gohan let out, giving himself a moment before replying, "Yeah, I do. Bulma told me I was under the influence of a psychedelic drug, but I didn't know it at the time. It was intense, to say the least. It already started to kick in when I checked on you to see if you were hit by one of the darts, and it quickly escalated during my flight to Capsule Corp."

"What did you see?"

"My past struggles, the things that haunted me at night for almost a decade. They all came flying around me and started talking to me one by one, reasoning with me that what had happened was for the better. I'm not sure what the exact conversations were, but it helped me gain inner peace, to forgive myself, and then they exploded in all kinds of colors, like fireworks. It was odd, but I'm kind of glad it happened. Those nightmares never haunted me again." He looked up at the hole in the roof he'd fallen through that day, "I didn't get very far, did I."

"Bulma said the poison hit you very quickly," Videl said and came standing next to him. "She told me that the toxin from this toad has been used in alternative medicine to cure Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, although it's illegal. Even one treatment should be enough to heal someone. What I understood from Bulma is that you carry a lot of emotional baggage, and although I have no idea what that baggage is, she hoped that at least some good would come out of your poisoning." She paused, "Do you think that would be it?"

"Probably," Gohan processed the information: would all his nightmares finally be gone for good? He certainly hoped so. He was so used to having those, it almost sounded surreal. Perhaps that was why his newfound fear that Vegeta would hurt Videl became so intense, refilling the empty pools of despair. But since that issue has also been resolved, he should be fine now. Maybe he should ask Piccolo to help him eliminate those empty pools, so they'll never be filled with despair again. Or should he refill it with something else, something that would give him strength, a happy feeling; love maybe?

He looked at the girl next to him and gave her a half-hearted smile. "Well, it's all behind us now," then he took her hand and pulled it toward the still-open door Videl had barged in that day, "Come on, let's go, this place is depressing."

They both had to cover their eyes when they stepped outside. The sun was shining brightly, in stark contrast to the dark room they had just been in. Gohan's half-hearted smile gave way to a happy one. He turned his face to Videl, who smiled back, although she noticed that Gohan's smile turned into a mischievous smirk. She blinked, she'd never seen such an expression on his face before. He let go of her hand and walked behind her. One of his hands grabbed her belt firmly, the other did the same with the back of her sports bra against her shirt. He tugged with both hands to test if his hold was sufficient.

"What are you doing?!" she asked in surprise, dumb-smacked by his audacity.

"You'll see," he said mysteriously, "Can you do me a favor? Please, tighten your abs for me and hold your arms out to your sides." Not understanding what he was up to, she just did as he requested. "Good! Now brace yourself!"

Suddenly she felt a tug behind her belly button, as the wind began to rush around her. She had her eyes closed and felt her upright position slowly tilt to an horizontal one at one point.

"You can open your eyes now," Gohan's voice rose above the sound of the wind. She slowly did so, and found herself high in the air. Her heart skipped a beat, not with fear, but rather with excitement. It was almost as though she flew herself. Gohan grinned widely at her childlike happiness. He couldn't see her face properly, but her aura said it all: she was loving it.

"Can you go faster?" Videl shouted above the wind and Gohan obeyed. She let out a cry of happiness and Gohan started to stunt a bit: up and then down; turning; spinning; even making loops at some point.

He decided to stop when he noticed his grip was loosening, and he didn't want to ruin her clothes much more. He flew up and threw her in the air, then he caught her and turned himself onto his back. She found herself sitting on his abdomen, with each leg hanging next to him. He let go of her and placed his hands behind his head as he flew further East at a very slow pace.

"Oh my God, that was amazing!" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Do you do this every day?"

"Yeah, this is how I get to school, at least, before Bulma put me in my apartment in Satan City."

"No wonder you were all secretive about it, I wouldn't have believed it." She then leaned over and threw her legs up and lay on top of her spiky-haired friend as if he was a blanket on the beach. She placed both hands under her chin and looked at him, completely at ease in his presence. "Tell me, can I learn to fly too?"

"I promised you right," Gohan said, blushing slightly at her closeness, "Mastering Ki has many perks."

"Wait? You really mean it? Can I fly one day?"

"With a lot of practice, yes, yes you will." Gohan looked at Videl and noticed a very familiar watch on her wrist. He raised an eyebrow, "Since when do you have a Capsule Corp watch? Did Bulma give you one?"

Videl blushed. "Yeah…" she felt so embarrassed, "Please don't laugh, but I thought you could fly because of your suit, or at least some kind of device Bulma had invented that would come with it. So when I tried to ask if I could have one, she interpreted it as if I wanted a suit like you."

"The suit is just a suit," Gohan chuckled, then grinned widely, "So you have your own Saiyaman suit? Can I see it?"

Videl flared up even more, "No!"

"Oh, come on! It's not that bad, is it?"

"Have you ever seen yourself?"

His eyes turned visibly hurt for a moment and Videl couldn't help but feel bad about her comment. He recovered quickly, however, and again a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Where's your sense of style? Come to the dork-side, it's fun!" He then reached for her wrist, trying to press the red button on her watch.

"No, no you don't!" She exclaimed, trying to stop what he was doing. However, Gohan kept trying, but more to tease her than actually try to succeed. He couldn't remember when he had so much fun with anyone other than his little brother, being himself and still being accepted. A smirk appeared on his face as an idea crossed his mind, and suddenly he turned over, catching her again in the bridal position.

"Alright, you win," he said, trying to look normal. "We're almost home anyway." Videl turned her head and saw Satan City nearing. A huge disappointment came over her because she didn't want the day to end. Gohan continued, "But please, excuse me for going Saiyaman myself, people don't react that well to flying people." He then pressed his own red button and with a flash he was suddenly cloaked in his superhero outfit. He descended a bit, so he would have had to fly between buildings when they arrived at the city. "I wonder what people might think if they saw Videl Satan being carried around town by the city's Hero."

Videl flared up, she didn't think about that. "Can't you fly higher?" she almost begged.

"Sorry, I'm tired," Gohan said, but his smirk on his face made it clear he was lying.

"You jerk!" Videl exclaimed, seeing what his intentions were. "I'm not going to put on my suit."

"Suit yourself," he chuckled at his own pun, as he flew straight to the city.

A slight panic fell over the young crime fighter: what if people saw them like this?; What would the tabloids say?; And what would happen if the news reached her father? She sighed in irritation, "Ugh, alright, you win!" and pressed the button.

A blinding light appeared and disappeared almost immediately, and Videl was wearing a similar but more feminine pastel-coloured outfit as Saiyaman. Instead of green, her gi was teal and she wore a purple bodysuit underneath. Her cape was a pinkish-orange kind of color and her helmet featured a yellow heart. Gohan's cheeks flared up as feelings started to flutter inside him, she looked really cute, in a nerdy kind of way.

"Seriously! Why the heart?!" Videl exclaimed in frustration, pointing to her forehead, "It doesn't even make sense!"

"Ah don't be like that, I think it's really cool!"

"Pff, criminals would just laugh at my face, I'm telling you!"

"Then I'll punch them for having no sense of style," Gohan chuckled. "That's a crime in itself!" He stopped suddenly in mid-air and jerked his head to the left, causing Videl to grab him more firmly against the sudden change in speed. After a moment he said, "What do you say? Ready for your first debut?"

"What?! No way! I'm not going to fight crime in this!"

"So you'd rather let the criminals escape then?" Gohan raised an eyebrow underneath his helmet. Without waiting for an answer, he flew north, where he had sensed some trouble. As he got closer, he stopped again to analyze the situation.

An alarm filled the air and the police had barricaded themselves behind their vehicles, while the media reported the scene from the sidelines. It was a jewelry store robbery. Gohan sighed, it was always the same old story. Can't they get more original for once?

He turned his attention back to Videl, "So this is what we're going to do," Gohan began, "I'll fly to that guy with the ski mask and throw you at him to knock him out. Just stretch your leg like you are doing a flying kick and you'll be fine. From there you can fight the other two guys on the right, I'll do those on the left."

"Wait? What do you mean by thr-'' she didn't have time to finish her sentence because Gohan had increased his speed and took her by her arms, made a 180 degrees turn and released her, leaving her soaring in the air right at the man he mentioned. She let out a squeal, but recovered quickly, pushed her leg forward and landed right in the criminal's face. He was knocked out cold.

In the meantime, Gohan had knocked out one of the other criminals and had a second one in a headlock. His gaze, however, was distracted by Videl, who was fighting two more robbers. Her cape danced to her movements and the tight bodysuit hugged her muscular legs and arms very well. He swallowed, seeing her in her Saiyaman outfit was beyond cute. It was hot.

"Hey! If you're gonna keep staring, at least let me go," the crook said from under his arm. He had fought to free himself, but found he would never succeed. "She your girlfriend or something?"

Gohan didn't look up from his stare and watched as Videl kicked her opponent in the groin. "Do you think she'd be interested?," Gohan mumbled as all kinds of warm feelings washed over him.

"You mean she's wearing that costume of her own free will? Come on! Once she's lowered to that point, you probably just need to snap into your fingers for a quick fuck," the crook chuckled eagerly.

Gohan's cheeks flared with anger and he tightened his grip at the inappropriate comment. The crook could barely breathe. "That's no way to talk about women!"

'Ching'

Gohan's head tilted to the side as a bullet dented his helmet. He looked angrily to the side to see the get-away guy trying to reload his handgun. He squinted, he really hated those cowardly weapons. Lifting his free hand, he used his Ki to create a small shock wave, enough to knock the man down. Then light taps on his other arm attracted his attention, and when he looked down, he noticed that the crook was nearly choking. Gohan slackened his grip, enough to give the man some air.

"Jesus, man!" the crook exclaimed between his breaths. "Don't take it all out on me, everyone knows you're a player!"

"I am not!" Gohan again tightened his grip slightly, warning the guy to be careful of what he said. He cursed Yamcha for ruining his clean reputation.

"Okay, Okay! You're not! Yeesh," the crook said, afraid Saiyaman wasn't playing around anymore. "But seriously, what's the deal?"

"We're just friends," Gohan gave in, glancing again at the girl, who was now fighting his share of the remaining criminals.

"Just friends?" the crook asked, surprised. "You sure? You clearly seem to have feelings for her."

"Shut up," Saiyaman mumbled. Was it that obvious?

"Why don't you ask her out?" The crook continued, more to ease Saiyaman's temper than he was actually interested in the answer. "She's a perfect match for you!"

"You really think so?" Gohan asked, looking surprised in the crook's direction as a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Yeah, sure. She looks hot if you're into that sort of thing, everyone has their fetishes, I'm not the one to judge."

"Judge what?" Gohan turned his head and froze when he saw Videl standing next to them. "Is your conversation so interesting that you let me do all the work?" She raised an eyebrow and placed both hands on her waist, "What were you talking about?"

"N-Nothing!" Gohan said, turning red in embarrassment. He immediately let go of the crook, giving him a neck jab to knock him out so he wouldn't spill the beans.

"Right…" Videl rolled her eyes. "I'm going to talk to the chief, I'll be right back." As she walked away, Gohan's eyes followed her every move. He couldn't deny it anymore, he was completely in love with the girl.

His eyes then fell on a relatively small bag on the ground. He picked it up and found out it was the loot: diamonds, gold rings, pearl necklaces, and even some odd-looking ornaments. But then he yelped in shock and the bag fell from his hand out of surprise, causing its contents to tink across the pavement. Someone had put a hand on his butt and squeezed it gently. His eyes widened with shock and he looked to the side where he was greeted with a cheeky smile. "Haven't seen the outfit in a while, I kinda missed it. What brought you back to Satan City?"

Gohan swallowed, "Pardon Miss, can you please stop what you are doing?" He didn't know what else to do or say.

"Ah, nobody's looking, besides, your cape is blocking the view." She giggled, "But now that you're here, can you give me an interview? I'll treat you to dinner afterwards." She winked at him, "So what do you say, hm?"

"I say hands off missy," Videl walked in on the scene, "If you don't, I'll arrest you for committing a crime!"

"A crime?" The blonde Z T.V Daily news reporter didn't understand what she was talking about and discreetly took her hand back, trying to hide what she was doing, "What crime?"

"Touching a minor in an inappropriate way," Videl folded her arms as she stood in front of her, as Gohan took a step back. Somehow he felt the need to seek refuge behind the costumed girl.

Kate gave a sarcastic giggle, "I'm pretty sure he ain't a minor, I checked." Then she turned her attention back to Saiyaman and raised a suspicious brow, "Care to explain who she is?"

" I am Saiyaman too - I mean two - yeah, Saiyaman two!" Videl started off a little unsure, but was determined to dominate the discussion, and put her hands on her hip.

"You're awfully feminine for a Saiyaman ," Kate gave her a jealous look.

"Then call me Saiyawoman , I don't care! Just leave him alone." Videl then realized something, "This is not Yamcha, his substitute duties are over. The real hero has returned to town."

Kate's eyes grew in realization, ashamed that she'd actually approached the wrong person. "Oh my, I'm so sorry!" she raised her hand to cover her mouth and blushed profusely.

"It's okay," Gohan mumbled, scratching his cheek with his index finger to calm his nerves. "I understand that the costume doesn't make it easy." Then he came to stand beside Videl and placed his hand under her cape and grabbed her waist belt firmly. Videl understood his intentions and immediately tightened her abs. "I'd rather go, sorry about your interview. Say hi to Yamcha for me when you see him." And with a blast he flew up, with Videl next to him as if she was flying on her own.

Once high in the air, he let go of her belt and continued to carry her in the bridal position. He didn't say anything, he didn't feel comfortable with the situation that had just happened. Videl wasn't ready to let it go, however, and folded her arms in annoyance. "I can't stand her!"

"Don't blame her, she didn't know I wasn't Yamcha," Gohan began hesitantly, "But thanks for backing me up. I owe you one."

"I'll add that to your ever-growing pile of debts," she said, unable to contain a grin. "But seriously Gohan, you have to handle such situations yourself. At least I smacked Yamcha against a wall after his approach."

"It sounds to me like you're just jealous," Gohan couldn't help but tease her a bit because of the mood she was in.

"What?! No way!" Videl turned her head, more in embarrassment than anger, and frowned deeply. Guess they're a perfect match, that reporter and Yamcha, treating minors like that , Videl thought to herself.

"Come on, I was jealous too when I heard about the 'Yamcha incident' , at least I admit it." He then grinned, "I guess this makes us even."

Videl was pulled from her thoughts and looked at him in surprise, "You were jealous?"

Gohan stopped mid-air, ignoring her question. "Okay, you have to help me, where exactly do you live?"

"I live in the Satan Mansion," she said with a raised eyebrow, as if it was obvious where that should be.

"I have never been in this part of the city before, humor me, just point me in the right direction," Gohan replied, a bit irritated. It wasn't his fault he didn't know.

"A little further East, on the edge of town, it's the one with all those big embarrassing statues of 'The World Savior' in the yard," she said with shame. Her father could be very narcissistic at times. After a minute or two she pointed, "There! You can drop me off on that balcony, the one with the short windmill palms on either side."

Gohan followed her directions and carefully sat her down on said balcony, while he himself remained in the air. Videl pressed the button on her watch and with a flash she was herself again. "Thank you for dropping me off," she said, while tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "When will I see you again?" Her question was a bit shy, she wasn't really good at saying goodbye.

"Depends," Gohan replied, "If my mom doesn't kill me for disappearing, then I'll be back for the new semester, which is upcoming Monday." Then a light blush appeared on his cheeks, barely visible due to his helmet, "But if you want, I can come back the weekend before. We have yet to finish that movie." He gave a nervous chuckle and his heart started beating violently: was he really trying to ask her out?

At the other end, a similar reaction washed over the girl. A visible blush appeared on her face, "What about Saturday night?"

A smile appeared on Gohan's face, relieved she wasn't rejecting him. "Saturday it is," he placed his hand next to his helmet in a salute, "See you then!" And when he flew away, he couldn't stop his smile from widening.

Chapter Text

Chapter 23: Bitter Surprise

He looked in the mirror and had to admit Bulma was right: this outfit suited him quite well and he stepped back to see the whole picture. He had put on regular dark denim jeans - although regular was rather tight for his build - instead of his usual slacks. Since Videl already knew about his muscles, Bulma had suggested he should wear a short-sleeve T-shirt for once, because it always looked good on him. He therefore opted for a gray ribbed cotton one with a loose lace-up neckline. It was a bit out of his comfort zone to show off his biceps like that, but he felt he had to accept the way he was towards his friend. Videl probably wouldn't complain, she'd already seen him in his Gi, which was much worse. Somewhat satisfied, he went to the closet and topped off his attire with a pair of simple black sneakers. His usual dress shoes didn't match the outfit, he presumed.

He took a deep breath as his nerves kicked in. He knew this evening was set up for two friends who were going to watch a movie, but he'd decided to come clean and tell her everything she needed and wanted to know. He was determined to do this, but couldn't help playing unfavorable scenarios in his head: that she would be repelled by him and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. He was most afraid to tell her that he wasn't fully human. How can anyone accept that? It was totally surreal, yet it was true. And he didn't know how to address the Cell-subject, as it would also reveal her father as a fraud. He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. Whatever her reaction would be, he just had to do it.

After he finished, he went downstairs to say goodbye to Bulma. His mother had demanded that he wore a three-piece suit, anything less wasn't good enough for a date. He had obeyed, not because he wanted to, but more because he was too chicken to go against his mother's will. He had to come all the way to Capsule Corps. to change, as he preferred to wear something casual tonight.

"Well, look at you!" Bulma said with a big grin, "Looking hot are we?"

Gohan flushed with embarrassment as he mumbled, "Shut up." He knew she would tease him.

"No seriously, if she's going to reject you, she isn't into guys, I tell you," she gave him a playful wink. Then she threw a small package at him. "Here."

Gohan caught the white package, neatly wrapped in cellophane, bearing only the Capsule Corp. logo. He raised an eyebrow, not understanding what it was. But after a moment of thought, he blushed profusely at the realization, "We're just going to watch a movie!"

Bulma crossed her arms, "Well, Trunks was just an argument. Just take it, normal ones tend to break, so I designed my own."

Embarrassed, he quickly hid what he was holding in his satchel as Vegeta walked into the room. He didn't want to give the man fuel to pester him too. The Saiyan Prince took in the scene and smirked, "Well, well, so you finally asked your mate on that date? I hope this doesn't distract you from your training regimen?"

"I've been training in the mountains with my brother for the past few days, so don't worry," Gohan replied. "The kid is getting pretty strong too."

"Hm," was all Vegeta said as he went to the fridge to fetch himself a drink. He opened the can and drank it all in one sitting. He couldn't help but curse inwardly at how easy everything seemed to go for hybrids, yet he was also very proud of his own son because of it.

"Well, I guess I'll go then," Gohan said, a little uneasy.

"Hey, Risot," Vegeta caught his attention, still leaning against the fridge "Good luck." Then he lifted his thumb in approval.

Gohan was down-smacked by his gesture, he had never seen Vegeta rooting for him. It gave Gohan a little more confidence and he nodded to the Prince before walking to the balcony and flew off. In the sky he turned and waved one last time and flew straight to Satan City. He was running a little late, so he flew at maximum speed.

After arriving in Satan City, he made sure that he - dressed as Saiyaman - landed unseen on the roof of his apartment. Gohan thought it would be better if he traveled the rest as an ordinary person would. He exited the elevator and went outside, rummaged in his satchel for the capsule he needed, and pulled out a Capsule Corp. bicycle. It was a fairly new model, white with black spokeless wheels, curved handlebars and some dark blue details. He didn't use it often, but it was the easiest way to get himself around the normal way and not to waste too much unnecessary time.

His route had taken him less than ten minutes, and this time he managed not to let anyone in the streets look back in shock as he passed. He stopped at the immense front gates of the Satan Mansion and swallowed. This was it. He got off his bike and had it put back in its capsule. Videl had asked if he could ring the third button on the right, which was connected to the basement. He did as he was told and waited patiently for her to answer.

But there was no answer, at least not by voice, though the gates opened suddenly. Hesitantly, he entered and walked through the huge front yard and past some of those gigantic statues Videl mentioned. Gohan stopped at one of them, featuring Mr. Satan with one of the Cell Juniors underneath his foot, giving a peace sign.

Gohan narrowed his eyes as he felt repelled by what he saw. He remembered those little bastards, who were created by Cell primarily to infuriate him, to release his hidden potential as they attacked his friends. He recalled the emotions going through him that day and made a fist in frustration when he remembered the first time he went Super Saiyan two and killed them all.

And yet this statue represented reality perfectly: Mr. Satan standing on Gohan's victory as if it were his own and declaring he was the one who brought back peace. It wouldn’t be such a bad thing - Gohan was kind of grateful that Mr. Satan took the credit, as he now has a shot at a normal life without the press coming after him - if only the man was a little more humble about it.

"Told you they were embarrassing."

Surprised that anyone was there, Gohan looked up and was blown away by what he saw, forgetting everything he was just thinking about immediately. It was Videl, but this time she had changed her appearance. Instead of her usual pigtails, she had her hair down and exchanged her long white shirt and black spandex shorts for a slim-fitting light blue button-up blouse and dark skinny jeans. She even wore a subtle touch of makeup, which Gohan had never seen on her before. And while he was fond of her normal tomboyish appearance, he found this feminine side of her extremely attractive.

He swallowed and tried to muster his courage. "You… You look stunning," he said at last, trying to express his thoughts.

"Thanks," Videl blushed profusely and shyly tucked her hair behind her ear when she noticed Gohan surveyed her from head to toe. It was almost as if his eyes were full of longing. Her blush deepened when she herself took a close look at the man herself. She'd always seen him in oversized formal attire, topless or that orange Gi, but seeing how good he actually looked in casual clothing made butterflies flutter in her stomach. He was everything she wanted in a man. "You look pretty handsome yourself," she replied. And that's an understatement, she thought, but couldn't bring herself to admit it out loud.

Gohan remembered something, "Ah, right!" Then he reached into his satchel and pulled out an envelope. "This is for you," he handed it to Videl who accepted his gift curiously.

"What is it?" Looking in the envelope there was only a small piece of electronics that looked like a chip.

"I asked if Bulma could redesign your outfit because you didn't seem to like it. It's now teal with black and silver tones, and a more streamlined helmet, so no antennas or yellow hearts." He gave her a small smile, "Just swap this chip with the one in your watch and it's ready to go."

At first her eyes lit up in excitement, but when she saw the half-hearted expression Gohan tried to hide, she wondered, "Have you seen it?"

"Yeah, I think you'll like it a lot," he said honestly.

"And does the Great Saiyaman like it?" she asked, looking at him intently.

"Like I said, I think you'll like it, and to be honest, I think you'd look good in it too."

"But…?" she tried to get him to continue his sentence.

"But… I don't know, I think I prefer the original one, this one is too serious." He averted his eyes, a little embarrassed that he had to say it out loud.

"Then I'll stick with the one I've got." Videl giggled when she saw Gohan's suddenly confused expression. She gave him a wink, "Once you enter the dork-side, there's no turning back, right?"

Gohan couldn't help but smile, "Are you sure? Don't you want to look at it first? It's a nice suit." When she nodded her head to assure him she was certain of her decision, his smile widened. She grinned at his childlike happiness. He averted his eyes again and scratched his cheek shyly. "Does that mean you want to work together? I don't want to get in your way, but… to be honest, being on the sidelines all the time is a bit boring."

"As long as you promise to leave a few criminals to me instead of knocking them out in one second." Her butterfly feeling intensified. He'd effaced himself to satisfy her need for space after her fall out many months ago, and she began to realize how sweet that gesture actually was. And now they'd come this far together, she wanted to share that stage with him, give him back that bit of fun he'd been missing so much.

Gohan's smile grew even bigger, "That's a promise!"

"Good, let's go inside, it's getting a bit chilly outside." Gohan nodded and followed the girl.

As they passed another statue of Mr. Satan, he couldn't help but ask, although a little unsure, "So… is your old man home?"

"Yeah, he is. He was supposed to be on one of his tours, but one of his guys screwed up again. I asked him if he could stay out of our hair, and he agreed, but then again, you never know what happens when he starts drinking." Videl raised a brow, "Why? Do you want to meet him?" Somehow a nagging feeling came over her. She didn't think he would be one of those guys who wanted to be friends with her to meet her father.

"The opposite," Gohan said truthfully, "Don't get me wrong, but I would postpone meeting him as much as possible." He gave her a nervous smile.

A sense of relief washed away her previous feeling when she realized that he really wasn't one of those guys. She grinned, "I don't blame you. Is it his ridiculous rule? I'm pretty sure he won't challenge you to a fight tonight, so don't worry about that. I've already taken care of it."

"Rule?" Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Which rule?"

"Yeah… he has that rule that only one stronger than him can date me?"

"What?" Gohan frowned deeply, "Seriously? That's really unfair." He stopped and looked at her. "And here I thought my own mother was old-fashioned. Is your old man still living in the middle ages or something? You should be the one who chooses your own partner, not him." It felt like her father was wronging her, not that his stupid rule would get in the way of Gohan, but still, it was more a matter of principle.

"Like I said, don't worry about that tonight." She thought Gohan would've picked up her father's rule at school by now, but when she saw him so surprised, she was wrong. A heavy feeling came over her as she really hoped it wouldn't frighten the handsome man next to her. But for now, he continued to walk with her toward the entrance, so that was a good sign, she thought.

"So… uh," Videl tried to break the uneasy tension, "So your mom didn't kill you after you got back?" She almost cringed at the awkwardness of her own joke, but then couldn’t contain a small giggle as Gohan's face twisted grimly at the memory of that moment. 

"Well, I’ve been grounded for the rest of the month. She didn't take my absence very well, even though I tried to explain."

Again she chuckled, "How did you manage to escape?"

The half-Saiyan couldn't contain a straight face and the corner of his mouth curled up, almost into a smirk, "Unlike your father, my mother does want me to commit, so as soon as she found out that the friend I wanted to meet tonight was a girl, I was free to go."

Videl's unwanted butterfly feeling rose with that comment, and her mind wandered: 'Hold on… his mother wants him to commit? Like with a girl? And he was still here with her? Did that mean that he… no, it means nothing! He just took the opportunity to get away, that's all.' But still, she was glad he made it.

Gohan himself couldn't resist doing a quick 'Ki-sweep' to see where in the building Mr. Satan would hold up. He really, really didn't want to cross paths with the man, more for personal reasons than his stupid rule. Mr. Satan was an ordinary human being, but as the champion of the last Tenka-Ichi Budoukai tournament, his power level should be significant enough to set him apart from the other humans inside.

But when he did, he froze on the spot. His happy carefree smile gave way to an anxious expression, his natural colors faded from his face and his eyes grew in disbelief. His hands, which held the handle of his satchel, became sweaty and he began to fiddle with them to calm his nerves.

Videl, too, stopped and looked surprised at his change in demeanor. A moment passed and she followed his gaze and saw that he was looking roughly at the basement. She then sighed, "Please don't tell me this is one of the 'perks' of mastering Ki?"

Gohan was pulled from his staring, sweat-dropped, and gave Videl a guilty nervous smile, like a child caught stealing from a cookie jar. He placed his hand behind his head and scratched his hair, only able to produce a nervous chuckle.

"Unbelievable," Videl sighed as it dawned on her what the situation was. "Please, do me a favor, act surprised." She saw Gohan visibly swallow as he looked back at the mansion. She didn't understand why he was so wary about it.

"Can… Can I come back a bit later?" He asked cautiously, fidgeting nervously at his satchel again. "It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I don't feel comfortable wearing this in front of everyone. It would only take five minutes, ten tops."

"What's wrong with your outfit?" She didn't understand the problem, "It looks really good on you, there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"It's more that I was trying to hide it, you know. I really don't want the unwanted attention that comes with it. I'm supposed to be a simple nerd who's bad at sports, not a jock."

Videl raised an eyebrow, "You mean you have been pretending all year?"

Gohan ran a hand through his hair again, "Yeah, you saw what happened on my first day of school, during P.E., and that was me holding back. I figured it was best to play the nerd card ever since." He gave her a half-hearted smile, "Don't get me wrong, I'm still a nerd though…"

"Well, you shouldn't be hiding yourself like that. I get your superhero powers are a bit too much, but hiding your physical appearance is going a bit too far, don't you think? Plus it would do Sharpener's reputation good as people see you're not just a nerd. He had a rough time after you knocked him out." Then she blushed, "And for what it's worth, I'd be kinda disappointed if you went back to your regular clothes, these are much more attractive." She tucked a few locks of hair behind her ear to hide her shyness.

He blushed at her comment. So she thought he looked attractive? He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath to get himself back together, raising his Ki a little to gain more confidence. He had promised himself to accept who he was and what it entails, so he assumed this was part of it. "Okay," he opened his eyes again and started walking, "Let's do this."

Videl couldn't hold back a smile and, unaware of her friend, her eyes started to twinkle a little, glad she'd convinced him. When they arrived at the front door, Videl hesitated and looked at Gohan. "You know," she began, "This was all Erasa's doing, I'd rather have a simple movie night to be honest." Sometimes she hated how overly enthusiastic her blond friend could be, blind to what others might want. After Gohan dropped her off at her home last week, she kinda called Erasa to tell her she 'coincidentally' ran into Gohan and that he was back in town. Then she told her they would meet again today, just to 'chat' , but the bubbly blonde failed to see that it was a private meeting and took matters into her own hand.

"We can always watch the movie another time," Gohan said with a heavy heart as the duo entered the premises. Gohan hung his satchell on the coat rack and followed Videl down the stairs to the basement. They stopped in front of a door and Gohan put his hand on the door handle and looked at Videl to reassure him, who nodded. And after taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

"SURPris-," the room was filled with students whose enthusiasm died as both teens entered the room, and at the end of - what should have been - the cheer, only a misplaced confetti cannon broke the silence. Then people started whispering to each other, not quite understanding what was going on. They were waiting for their nerdy classmate, but apparently he wasn't here yet. And who was the newcomer? They had never seen him before.

Erasa walked over to Videl with a confused look. "I thought you said you were going to pick up Gohan? Ain't he here yet?"

Gohan coughed into his hand, red with embarrassment. "Nice to see you too, Erasa."

Erasa faced the handsome newcomer and looked at him intently, as he apparently knew who she was. But his onyx-eyes didn't lie. Her eyes grew in surprise and her glass fell from her hand, "G-Gohan?"

"Yeah, who else?" Gohan didn't like being the center of attention, and Erasa's reaction didn't make him feel any better. He hasn't changed that much, has he?

"O my G-, look at you! You've buffed up!" Behind her back, she gestured to the guests to get the party started, and soon music was blasting through the speakers. Then she embraced him into a big hug. "We missed you so much! How was your exchange program? Which school did you go to? I forgot."

Bulma had told him that she'd covered up his absence from school: that he had been taking courses at another school for the past month. He thanked the blue-haired scientist from the bottom of his heart for always being there for him, even though he sometimes made stupid choices. "Yeah, I took courses at Senior High in West City, but it was kind of boring."

"That's because we weren't there!" Erasa gave him a playful wink. "So you spend your free time at the gym instead?"

"Kinda."

"Met any lady friends?" she wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "I bet they all wanted a piece of you."

"No, sorry to disappoint you," Gohan said, who didn't feel like going into details about something that never even happened.

But then Sharpener put an arm around his neck and changed the subject to the here and now. "Well Brains, let's change that! Let me be your wing-man tonight!" He, too, gave him a teasing smile.

Gohan blushed and his eyes darted briefly to Videl. Their eyes met and she too took on a red tinge on her cheeks. "I appreciate the offer, but no thanks. I was doing fine on my own, to be honest."

"That's my boy! Good to see you gained a bit of backbone while you were gone." Sharpener released Gohan and looked at him closely, "And seriously, how on Earth did you get that ripped in such a short time? Tell me your secrets!"

"Changing clothes," Gohan replied simply, uninterested in the subject. "I've always been like this. I may have gained a couple of extra pounds last month, but not all of it."

Sharpener raised an eyebrow, not expecting the answer, "Have you always been ripped?"

"Yeah, since I was five or so."

"Five?" Videl entered the conversation, "What did you do to get ripped at the age of five!"

Gohan sweat dropped, he forgot he had to choose his words carefully in front of his classmates. "I… uh… I was just really ambitious, I guess." And before Videl could open her mouth, he added, "But I think I'm in for a drink, where can I find one?"

"Ah, follow me!" Sharpener said, and gestured Gohan to follow him to a small bar at the far end of the room.

The half-Saiyan did so, but as he passed Videl, he whispered the answer of her question in her ear: "Martial arts, I'll tell you later."

"So what do you wanna drink?" Sharpener opened the fridge to look inside.

"A beer is fine," Gohan shrugged.

This made the jock look up, "Beer? Do you drink alcohol?"

"I'm not a Saint, Sharpener," Gohan gave him an annoyed look. He forgot how dull his friends thought he actually was. He took one of the bottles from the shelf, opened it with the flick of his finger, and took a long gulp from it. He didn't have much experience with alcohol, but Bulma allowed him to have some now and then. And, well, he once had one too many at one of the Z-fighters get-togethers when his mother wasn't there due to a cold. He had a feeling this evening would end the same way.

Sharpener blinked, barely recognizing his friend. The wimpy mountain boy he knew was almost becoming a Chad, except that he was probably as dense about women as ever. But then again, he said he was doing fine on his own in that regard too, so maybe he wasn't as innocent as he thought he was. The blond jock wasn't complaining though, he was looking forward to having Gohan as a real bro. The fun they could have! Sharpener smiled at the thought and looked up at his friend. "Since you drink beer, do you want to play a game of Beer Pong?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "Sure, why not. I have no idea what that is though."

"It's a drinking game. Do you see that table?" Sharpener pointed to a large table where a few people were throwing a ball at some cups. "Basically you need to throw the ping pong ball into one of the opponent's cups and they have to drink it. We can team up, I'm pretty good."

Gohan nodded and both boys walked to the table. Watching the current game, he noticed that when the ball bounced on the table, the opponent was allowed to swat the ball away, but when it hit, they had to drink two cups instead of one. However, a direct hit wasn't allowed to be defended. 

When the game was over, two of his classmates put everything back in order so that a new game could be played. "Who wants to challenge us?" Passer said, looking hopefully at who this party was all about. Gohan accepted the game, and soon he and Sharpener took their places at the table. However, It wasn't much of a challenge for Gohan. The game ended quickly as he managed to hit all his throws with precision. Because not all the opponent's balls could be defended due to the rules, he still had to drink one cup, but that was it. But if he was honest with himself, it felt good to fit in for once: to be with people his age and do things people his age did. That wasn't why he was here though, so when the game was over he excused himself, leaving Sharpener at the table to play some more, who felt indestructible after such a win.

Gohan looked around and began to notice how many people had actually come to his surprise party. His whole class was there, but also the years above him and some below. He didn't recognize most of them and assumed they just came because the party was at the Satan Mansion, regardless of the reason the party was being held. He didn't really care, and to be completely honest, he didn't care about the party at all.

Dejected, he thought about what the night would’ve been like if Erasa hadn’t taken matters into her own hands, failing to read the room. He and Videl probably would have been sitting on a couch, caught up in a suspenseful movie. And then there was time to talk…

He sighed. He had deliberated all week on how to tell Videl his secrets. He again had sleepless nights, not because of nightmares - which had completely disappeared - but rather because of his nervousness, afraid that it would repel her. He had reached a point where he was determined to tell her anyway, and he wanted to put it behind him to ease his restlessness. This should have been the night he would do it, but this stupid party prevented him for doing it and it irritated him.

"Hi there!" a squiffy voice appeared beside him, while a heavy scent of pineapple filled the air. He looked next to him and was greeted with Angela's smile, who immediately invaded his personal space. "I brought you something to drink," she said, offering him the beverage.

Gohan looked from the glass to Angela and sighed. "Sorry, I really don't like pineapple, I'm more of a cherry kind of guy." And without saying much more, he walked away, leaving Angela behind. She was confused and looked at the drink in her hand. It didn't even have pineapple juice in it.

In need of another beer, the Saiyan hybrid made his way to the fridge, but stopped when he heard a familiar but unwelcome voice.

"I can't believe she’s throwing this party for that freak!" he heard Stapler say.

"Come on, he’s not that bad!" said a girl Gohan didn't recognize. "Did you see him tonight, Page?" she turned to another girl next to her, "He’s really hot without his baggy clothes, I’m not kidding you."

"He isn't bad?! Paper, come one! He’s ruined an entire hallway!"

"Yeah, I'm still not buying that," the girl addressed as Paper dismissed, "No one could have done that just by getting angry."

The other girl joined in, Gohan now recognized her as one of his classmates, "Yeah, first of all, you have no proof, and without proof your story is really incredulous. Secondly, I can't imagine him being angry at all! He is so sweet and has such a carefree nature! And to be honest, I think you're just jealous of him for being so close to your forever-crush."

"I've been an eyewitness! What more proof do you need!" Stapler said offended. "And yeah, I admit it bugs me that he’s close to Satan, but there is no way she is going for such a loser. Even if she likes him, her father would never approve, so he’s no competition." 

Gohan processed the information. Part of him became very protective, maybe even territorial, because Stapler just confessed that he was after the girl he liked. On the other hand, he felt sorry for the guy, him sinking so low that he only talked trash about him for no other reason than jealousy. Gohan sighed as he began to realize he had to walk past them if he wanted that beer he craved so much. 

“If I were Mr. Satan, I’d be stoked to have him as a Son -in-law,” Page laughed at her own pun. “He’s such a smarty! And from the looks of it, he even started going to the gym.” 

She was interrupted by a loud gasp coming from Paper, "O my Kami! Do you think he did that for Satan?" She clapped in her hands in excitement, "Hear me out! He went away for at least a month right? And he came back all buffed up. I think he went to a Boot Camp or something! Getting all muscled just for her! Wouldn't that be romantic!"

Gohan swallowed and couldn't help but blush profusely. Is this how the gossip-scene worked? How on Earth did they come to such conclusions? The beer could wait, he didn't feel like adding fuel to this conversation. But when he tried to turn around, he was noticed by one of them. 

"Gohan! Hey Gohan!"

The half-Saiyan winced when he heard his name, but recovered quickly and decided to put on a fake smile. Reluctantly, he turned back around, "Hey Page, enjoying the party?" At least now he would get his beer. 

"Of course I am! And you?"

"I was on my way to get another beer," he dodged the question because he actually hated it for obvious reasons. 

"The bookworm drinks?" Stapler sneered, but after a quick glare from Gohan, he fell silent.

"So, anything on your mind tonight?" Paper asked cheeky.

"Like I said, beer," he avoided the question again. "So if you’ll excuse me…"

"Is it true that you like Satan?" Page asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Not expecting such a direct question, Gohan couldn’t suppress a blush, and when he quickly tried to answer as casually as possible that he wasn’t, he only managed to produce some nervous stuttering. Realizing that his body language gave away the answers she was asking for, he sighed deeply and looked away in embarrassment. 

The girls both giggled, but Stapler didn’t. “Stay away from her,” Stapler warned him, his fear becoming reality.

“Look, it’s a free country. And it doesn’t matter what my feelings are, she’s the one who has the last say in it,” Gohan said diplomatically. 

An icy expression appeared on the intoxicated bully, “I’ll tell everyone what happened in the hallway. Your social life will end, I promise you that.” If nobody believed him, people had to see it for themselves. He was determined to push Gohan over the edge again.

Gohan just sighed, he didn’t like where this conversation was going and tried to excuse himself. He really needed that beer more than ever. But just like last time, Stapler wouldn’t let him pass. “Come on, not this again.” Gohan scrowled, how did that guy still have the guts to go against him after all that’s happened? 

“Oh yes, we’re going to do this again, right here, right now.” Stapler smirked.

“Look, like last time, I’m not in the mood for your nonsense,” Gohan’s irritation grew, but he knew he had to hold back and tried to play the cards back to the jock, “I don’t know why you’re always so hostile to me and whatever I’ve done to upset you, I’m sorry. But I really don’t think I deserve to be treated like that. And to be honest, I decided to not take it personally anymore. For whatever childish reason you’ve decided to spread those rumors, it’s your shortcoming, not mine. Put yourself in my shoes, you wouldn’t like it if I started spreading gossip about you peeing your pants after seeing what happened to that hallway and ruining your reputation.”

“Wait!,” Paper interrupted them, “You peed your pants?” the girls started laughing. 

“What?!” Stapler was shocked by the turn of events, “No! I-I didn’t,” he began to get nervous. “Why do you believe the nerd and not me?”

The other girl giggled, “Then why are you so worked up so suddenly? I think you did pee your pants!”

“N-No, bullshit!”

“Just admit it!” 

Unable to contain a slight grin as the bickering continued, Gohan saw the opportunity to withdraw himself from the conversation and hastily made his way to the refrigerator. After he finally got his well-deserved beer, Gohan started looking for the girl he came for. After some time he found her in the lounge area where she was playing her own drinking game with quite a large group. Erasa, sitting next to her, noticed Gohan and waved, "Gohan! Please join us! We are playing 'Never have I ever'!"

Gohan had heard about that game and knew it was based on discovering one's secrets while drinking. And since he had a lot to hide, it wasn't a game for him. "No, thank you," Gohan replied. Alternatively, he walked to a large bookshelf. He looked around and picked up an old thick book titled ' The History of Martial Arts: Facts, Myths and Legends '. He then went to the large window, where the windowsill had been converted into a cozy place to sit. He made himself comfortable and opened the book.

He didn't really pay attention to its content, but rather used it as an excuse to cast himself out from the party. He was done with socializing and decided to wait patiently for Videl to finish her game so he could finally talk to her. He could see the girl from where he sat, and his above-average hearing allowed him to follow the conversations of the game.

He started to understand the rules of the game a bit: someone would state something he or she had never done before, and the other players had to drink if that same statement didn't apply to them, meaning they had done it before. And while flipping through his book, he unconsciously played along.

However, his behavior didn't go unnoticed by the raven-haired girl. She watched as he drank or didn't drink at the statements made during the game. She even tested her theory: When it was her turn, she stated that she'd never been poisoned in her life - which Gohan drank at - and that she had never been to elementary school, because she had been home-schooled herself - knowing Gohan was the only one in class who didn't either, and indeed, he didn't drink. But when someone said ' Never have I ever been in love with someone from our class ', her eyes shot uncontrollably to her spiky-haired friend, and to her surprise, his gaze met hers. She looked at him as she placed her bottle at her lips and took a sip, a blush appearing on her cheeks. On the other end, Gohan did the same and drank some while not losing eye contact with her. After they both had their sip of beer, they turned their heads away, both beet red. Did he really openly admit that he loved her?

Gohan swallowed as his heart rose in his chest. Did he really do that? Tell her non-verbally that he loved her? Maybe she just thought he was taking a random sip of his beer, as he wasn't officially in the game. But then again, she too looked at him as she drank, so did that mean she loved him back?

To calm himself, he started to browse the recent history section of the book on his lap. He noticed there were some sticky notes and scrabbles here and there. Curious, he looked at them more closely. In the chapter ' Great Demon King Piccolo ' someone had crossed out the first three words, underlined ' Piccolo' and placed a question mark next to it. The next scrabble he found was from the 23rd Tenka-Ichi Budoukai tournament, where a picture of Piccolo Jr. was circled along with his opponent's name at the time: Son Goku, Son being underlined multiple times. Gohan gasped when he went all the way to the 'Myths of the Cell Games' , where a pixelated photo of the Z-fighters was printed. There, Piccolo was again being circled, with his name written next to it along with an arrow pointing at his picture. But that wasn't the only name: Vegeta - though his name was ' the Asshole ' - and Yamcha were recognized, too, and so was Krillin, though there were three question marks next to the name and someone had drawn him some hair. Below the picture the words ' GOHAN'S PICTURE !' in all capital letters shocked him.

He closed the book with wide eyes. So she had seen his picture on his dresser after all. He swallowed again, wondering why she'd never asked him about it. But then he remembered that she'd given him all the space he needed to tell her his secrets when he was ready. That would have taken a lot of self-discipline, as he knew she wasn't the patient one, but the gesture made him feel warm inside. He blushed: the girl really had some good detective skills, one of the things he found so attractive about her. She even outsmarted him, now he thought about it.

He looked at his bottle of beer and found it empty. He got up, put the book back where it belonged and went to get him a new beer. Luckily for him, Stapler wasn't there anymore. When he got back, the game wasn't even close to finishing, so he sat back down and played on in silence, while mulling over what he'd just learned. What else did she know? And had she made the connection between him and the Cell Games?

Videl's stomach fluttered again after Gohan returned and resumed the game. She had been afraid that he got bored and went elsewhere. She secretly enjoyed that he was there, to find out about the little things the man had or hadn't done. She understood that he had little to no experience with intimacy, which made her blush. She wanted to discover that world with him, when the time came, of course.

"Never have I ever killed someone," Parker said, looking directly at Videl. Videl sighed, knowing that this question stemmed from a rumor that she accidentally killed a criminal some time ago. The truth was that he had fallen into a coma but woke up a couple of days later in the hospital. The tabloids, however, were circulating that it was all a cover-up, to clear her name, and that the criminal had indeed died. But it was all fake news.

"You can watch all you want, but I'm not going to drink, it never happened," Videl said, a bit irritated. But then her bottle fell from her hand. Gohan drank. He just took a sip out of his bottle like it was a normal thing to confess. Did he… Did he actually kill someone?

"Hey! Watch out!" Erasa exclaimed as the beer poured over her and she tried to straighten the fallen bottle as quickly as possible.

"Sorry!" Videl said, being pulled from her thoughts. She got up and rushed to get a towel and within minutes everything was cleaned up. But she didn't feel like resuming the game because she was furious inside. She couldn't believe that he actually killed someone! She needed to know the details right away, so she excused herself from the game and walked over to the half-Saiyan.

Missing the commotion, Gohan was still in thoughts about Videl's discoveries. She probably would've told him, right? If she'd known he'd beaten Cell? She wouldn't ignore that until he was ready . No, she probably didn't know it yet, he concluded.

"We're going to talk, now !" Videl's hardened voice startled him out of his thoughts, and he was surprised that she was suddenly beside him. Her angry look frightened him, as he didn't understand what he had done wrong. She grabbed his wrist and jerked him off his seat and dragged him all the way to the back of the hall. She then faced him, "You killed someone?!" Her anger and disbelief could be heard in her voice.

Gohan's eyes grew in shock, not knowing where this came from.

"Don't play dumb with me! I know you played along with the game! And you drank, confessing that you had once killed someone!"

He never had seen such a deep frown on her face. Realizing what the deal was, he decided it was best not to lie to her, "I-I do have a body count, yes." He swallowed dryly.

" A body count ?!" She was down-smacked. " There are more ?!"

Gohan raised both hands in front of him in defense. "Um, yeah, between 1 and 9, m-maybe more, depending on which sources you find valid and not counting the Juniors."

" Juniors ?! Are children involved?"

Gohan began to realize this conversation was going in the wrong direction and he, too, suddenly felt anger rising. Why was she pointing a guilty finger at him all of a sudden? If he hadn't done what he did, there was no argument to begin with, because frankly, everyone would be dead.

"Look, calm down, it's not what you think," Gohan began to explain, but was immediately interrupted by Videl.

"Not what I think? In which world is killing justified?!"

Gohan also frowned, and his voice grew stronger, "In the same world where your father is praised for it."

"That's different!" she cried. How could he bring her father into this?

Gohan clenched his fists, " Why is my case any different?"

"Because he saved the world by killing Cell!" She then crossed her arms.

"Oh, did he now," Gohan's irritation grew, but he found it was better to reason with her. "Look, Videl, as long as you don't know the whole story, you can't judge me for it."

"I'm done here," she gave him a cold glare before turning. She felt tears welling up and didn't want to break down in front of him. But when she tried to walk away, he grabbed her wrist.

"Videl, I am a warrior , alright!" he almost yelled, "I've fought goddamn wars ! And in a war you either kill or be killed." Tears of despair began to form in the corners of his eyes, and he forced Videl to look back at him. "I promise you that I never killed anyone who didn't deserve it, and I only did it in self-defense or at the aid of a friend or the innocent. I hate that part of me, but it couldn't be helped!" He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "I wanted to tell you all about it tonight, but then this stupid party ruined it." His voice was hoarse.

Shocked at the sudden revaluation and their sudden embrace, she stayed quiet. She could only grip his shirt tightly and found the courage to look at him. He continued, looking deep into her teary but beautiful eyes, "Please, Videl, trust me. Let me explain before you decide to run away from me." His voice was trembling, "I-I don't want to lose you."

She nodded slowly and a heavy feeling suddenly lifted off his chest. A tear left his eye, but his gaze remained into hers, drawing him in with a sudden tension. With one hand he let go of her waist to brush away her bangs so he could see her eyes more clearly. He swallowed, a thick cherry scent overwhelmed him and he couldn't resist any longer. Hesitantly, he began to close the gap between them as she leaned forward.

"I don't want to lose you either," she whispered, taking her hands off his chest and wrapped them around his neck. She closed her eyes and began to stand on her tiptoes.

Their hearts were beating violently and she bit her lower lip expectantly. They had now crossed a line and both knew there was no turning back. Their breaths began to intermingle as their lips were only inches apart.

Gohan flared up his Ki the slightest of margins to gain the extra confidence he needed and then he made his move, leaning forward to finally close the distance.

But, his lips never met hers…

A firm hand had grabbed him by the shoulders and he was being pulled away from her. A hairy arm pinned him against a nearby wall, and when Gohan opened his eyes, he looked straight into the furious ones of none other than Mr. Satan.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24: Defusion

A heavy smell of whiskey radiated from the man who was currently holding him against the wall. Gohan swallowed, this night didn't go well for him, did it? He wasn't sure how to deal with this new situation in a respectful way. He couldn't think clearly. His mind was still hazy from the what-would-have-been kiss with Videl and the beers didn't help either.

"Hands off my daughter, hotshot," growled Mr. Satan, as drops of spit poured out of his mouth as he said so. The man was really angry, that was clear as day, and was apparently disturbed from his private time because he was only wearing a bathrobe and some socks.

"With all due respect, sir, I didn't do anything wrong," Gohan tried, but that was the wrong answer.

The man slammed his fist against the wall next to Gohan's head, breaking the plaster. It was probably to scare him, though Gohan didn't flinch. "You didn't do anything wrong?!" Again some spit left his mouth, "First you make a scene by yelling at my daughter and thereby getting my attention, and then you got the nerve to try to assault her?"

Gohan squinted his eyes at that comment. Did he really use the word assault? This went down the wrong way with the half-Saiyan. "I didn't assault your daughter," he said with a firm voice, against better judgment. He knew that 'the World Champion' was just luring him out.

"Dad please, let him go," Videl tried to defuse the situation. "He didn't do anything against my will."

"You'll stay out of this if you know what is good for you. I'm not done with you either," Mr. Satan threatened her.

"Sir," Gohan said with a warning tone. He didn't like how he was talking to her. "She can make choices of her own."

"As long as she lives under my roof, she lives under my rules!" Mr. Satan frowned deeply, "And that includes: no boys ."

"Dad! Just let him go!" Videl reached for her father's arm, which was holding Gohan against the wall, to try to pull it away, but as soon as she touched him, he lashed out with a flat hand. It was more of a reflex, driven by anger and alcohol, normally he wouldn't even think of hurting his Sweet Pea.

Videl's eyes shut, not expecting what was coming for her and could only wait for the impact. But the impact never came. When she opened her eyes again, she found her father's hand mere inches from her face, but it didn't move. She looked in disbelief in the direction of her father. Did he really try to hit her?

"I… I…" was all he could get out. The man was startled by what he had almost done. He then looked at his stretched arm to see why his movement had suddenly stopped and found that a hand had prevented him from doing it. It belonged to the boy, who looked now very angry in his direction. He didn't even see him move, but inwardly thanked him for doing so.

After he came back from his initial shock, Mr. Satan tried to pull his arm back, but there was no movement. Confused, he tried more firmly, but his hand didn't budge. He then released Gohan from his grip to get more force behind his pull with the other hand, but again in vain, even using the wall as leverage with his feet. He then tried to open the fingers clasped around his wrist, but there was no movement. He was stuck, like a horsefly on a sticky trap.

After several more attempts, Mr. Satan had no other choice but to ask, "Can you please let me go?" He couldn't understand why he wasn't able to move a mere arm, but he blamed the alcohol.

"She asked you the same thing, but you didn't, so I won't." He kept eye contact. Gohan gritted his teeth, he was furious at the man and he had to use all his willpower not to punch the guy in the face. That would do more harm than good anyway, so he decided he'd better play his cards straight.

Gohan moved his hand and grabbed Mr. Satan's palm tightly just below the thumb, using his fingers to anchor the hand as he twisted it and applied downward pressure. He slowly turned the hand to the left, twisting the joint and bringing his body closer to Videl's father so he could give more leverage in the wristlock.

Gohan was now standing close to the unreasonable man who once wronged him by stealing his credit for the Cell games, and suddenly this all got very personal. To give the man a subtle hint, he applied a little more pressure than necessary. The man's facial expression twisted with pain. 

Mr. Satan could do nothing, the guy had him in a tight wristlock and it was unbreakable. He knew if he moved to free himself, he would break his wrist and jeopardize his career. Ironically, figuratively speaking, he was now the one with the back against the wall. He looked up, to give the teen a piece of mind, but was taken aback by the boy's confidence.

"Listen, I understand she's your daughter, but as long as I live, you're never, ever , going to do that again," Gohan looked straight into his eyes.

Mr. Satan gritted his teeth and looked straight back at him, not wanting to admit he had lost to this teenager. Gohan narrowed his eyes even more and exerted a little more pressure. Yet, there was no response. Anger now grew inside the half-Saiyan. This man needed to know who he was dealing with. Again Gohan put on some more pressure, almost to a breaking point. Both men were still staring down at each other very closely, and with the next warning, Gohan made sure his eyes to flash teal for a brief moment, only for Mr. Satan to see: " Am I clear ?!"

The man's eyes shot wide as his face went white. Did he see that right? Did his eyes suddenly change color? And not any color… That color! He had seen the same color before, long, long ago. He remembered it like it was yesterday, because they've been chasing him in his dreams ever since. He swallowed, "Who… Who are you?"

"The one you've always been afraid to cross paths with again," Gohan squinted, giving Mr. Satan the answer he was afraid to hear. He knew he would remember. The half-Saiyan released the man when he got the message, who fell to his knees in shock. Gohan stood tall and looked down at the trembling individual. He despised that man, but this night wasn't about him. Gohan looked back at Videl, who had been a silent spectator the whole time. "Everything alright?"

She nodded, but was confused by what just happened. Gohan had easily overpowered her father, the World Champion; the Defeater of Cell; the Savior of Humanity. There was no way this was happening. She knew Gohan was strong, but in her wildest dreams she wouldn't have guessed this outcome when the two would face each other. And that without even a fight to begin with.

"Come on, let's go," Gohan said, stepping away from the Champion and approaching Videl, reaching for her hand. But Mr. Satan had jumped up and was now standing between his daughter and the boy, arms wide, shielding her from the imminent threat with his own body. His bathrobe slid open, revealing his trembling bare body, who was wearing only boxer shorts underneath. Gohan raised an eyebrow, thinking Mr. Satan would have taken the hint.

"L-Leave my daughter out of this," he said, his voice reflecting fear, but his actions didn't. "This is between you and me."

He had to admit that the man was brave when it came to his daughter's aid. Stupid, but brave. Gohan crossed his arms, "On the contrary, this is between your daughter and me, and you should be the one to stay out of this."

Mr. Satan looked from the boy to Videl and back again. Then she spoke up, "It's fine Dad, Gohan's a really good guy, and-"

"H-How did you c-call him?" Mr. Satan could not believe his ears and his mind began to work overtime. The eyes; the age; the confidence; it all fit perfectly except the hair. But there were two other guys who changed their hair color to blonde at free will, so maybe he was able to do that too. This couldn’t be him, could it?

"Gohan," the half-Saiyan repeated, "That's my name, and that does not mean I take lunch orders and deliver them." He referred to a misunderstanding during the Cell games, where his name was interpreted as a meal-order, giving him the nickname Delivery Boy instead of the fighter he really was.

The little hope Mr. Satan still had faded quickly with that last comment. It was him, the little boy from the Cell games, but all grown up now. This man was the true Hero of the World; The one who really defeated Cell: The one whose actions he took credit.

Mr. Satan lowered his arms, realizing that whatever this guy wanted would happen, whether he liked it or not. "Now, what's going to happen?" he asked, head bowed, afraid of the answer. Was he here to get revenge? To humiliate him? Or even kill him? And what did his daughter have to do with all this?

"Nothing really," Gohan replied, "You'll step aside and let me continue the conversation I had with your daughter." He let his body relax a bit, for it was clear Mr. Satan had given up his defense. "Look, I'm not here for you, but for your daughter. We're friends, we go to the same school and we're in the same classes. And if you weren't her father, our paths would never have crossed again. It's just an unfortunate coincidence."

"So you're not here looking for revenge?" Mr. Satan wanted reassurance. "Or go after my daughter to get to me?"

Gohan's eyes shot wide. "No!" He was offended by that statement. "If you haven't noticed, I'm one of the good guys. And if I wanted to get revenge, I would have done it a long time ago. I'm fine with the current arrangements." Gohan ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Please can we just go?"

The Champion stopped responding, probably too busy with his inner turmoil, so Gohan decided to pass him and let him be. Standing next to Videl, he placed his hand on her lower back and, with a soft nudge, gently hinted that they should walk away. She obeyed and the two turned away from the scene. Videl looked at her father one last time before walking away.

But after a few steps, Gohan stopped and sighed deeply. Why did he always have to play the better man? He let go of Videl and walked back to Mr. Satan, who had sat down defeated, with his back against the wall. Gohan knelt before him and when the man looked up he was greeted with Gohan's sad but compassionate expression.

"I think we've got off on the wrong foot here," Gohan began, "I'm not a bad person and I don't believe you are either. I'm willing to let go of the things that happened between us, including the events of seven years ago. I have the feeling we'll see each other more often in the future, so it's best to bury the hatchet and move on. I love your daughter -" Mr. Satan's eyes shot wide in realization, "- and I promise you I'll protect her with my life."

"You… You’d do that?"

Gohan nodded, "Yeah, in fact I already did, taking the damage that came at your daughter when she fought some crooks. I got seriously poisoned and if it wasn't for Videl, I wouldn't be here anymore." Gohan recalled the past few months: what a journey it had been, for the bad and the good.

"Does she know?"

"No," Gohan blushed, "I'm not sure if she feels the same way about me, so I'm a little -"

"I mean about the Cell Games," growled Mr. Satan, frowning deeply. He wasn't ready to hear a man talk about his little Sweet Pea in such a manner. He wasn't ready for her to grow up.

Gohan flared up, embarrassed by his slip up. "Oh, right," he scratched the base of his neck, "No, that neither." Mr. Satan sighed in relief, though that was short-lived as Gohan continued, "But at the end of today she will." The Saiyan hybrid gave Mr. Satan a sad look, "She knows I'm hiding things from her, that I have secrets, and I've promised her that I'll tell her everything. I'm not going to break that promise."

"I see…" the Champion slumbered in defeat.

"Do you want to tell her yourself?" Gohan asked, giving the man the opportunity to come clean.

"I've tried many times," he sighed, "And I don't have the heart to actually do it." Mr. Satan looked the rightful hero in the eye, "I can't provide her the answers she needs to know. I've been there, at the Cell Games, but it was all a blur, I still don't understand it myself." He sighed again, "You should do it. All I can do is hope she'll forgive me one day."

Gohan gave him a half-hearted smile, "I'll take care of that, no worries." The Champion looked up in surprise at the spiky-haired teenager, he hadn't expected to hear this. And to answer his confused expression, Gohan added, "You did me a favor by taking the credit, you know. I know it weren't your intentions, but it gave me a chance at a normal life, and that's worth more than anything that you have here," he referred to the mansion; the wealth; the fame, "And I want to thank you for throwing the head of Android 16 to me at the time. The things he had to say made a real difference, and without it I don't think I would have been able to do what I did. For what it's worth, given the situation, I think you showed real courage, and for that I think you deserve to be called a hero." Gohan stood up and offered Mr. Satan a hand. "And I'll make sure she gets that message."

Mr. Satan accepted his hand and Gohan helped him to his feet. "So no hard feelings?" He still was a bit suspicious.

"About the Cell Games? No, I think I'm good." Then Gohan felt this might be the only time he could speak his mind about it, "But I have to say I don't appreciate you calling me and my friends tricksters. We aren't. We're actual martial artists, with real abilities. No smoke and mirrors. And I do want to ask you to stop calling for a rematch with the 23rd Tenka-Ichi Budoukai Champion and call him a coward for not giving you what you want. The man is dead, you were there when it happened."

The color drained from his face. "Oh," Mr. Satan didn't know how to properly respond to that. He got the hint that the man died during the Cell Games, he knew not all of those guys made it. But then he looked at the broken teen, who just stared blindly into the distance, as if he was recalling a painful memory. "It was your father, wasn't he?"

Gohan only nodded.

"He died a true hero," Mr. Satan put a hand on Gohan's shoulder as a gesture of sympathy. "And I hear you. No more name calling. I'll try to cool down a bit and not talk too big anymore. I thought you all were gone and since no one stepped forward to point me out as a fraud, it became part of my act. I'm sorry, I promise it will stop."

Gohan raises his arm again and offers the man a hand. Mr. Satan shook it, sealing their agreement. Then Gohan gave him a friendly smile. He felt good that this had been settled after all those years. Relieved, he released their grip and began to walk back to Videl, who was still standing where he'd left her. She had decided to give the men some privacy, assuming it would only heat things up if she were there.

Gohan smiled kindly at her as well, but stiffened when he noticed Mr. Satan had followed him. The man stood next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. But before he could say anything, Videl flushed. "Dad, your bathrobe is still open," and hid her face behind her hand to hide her embarrassment.

Looking down, he too got red with embarrassment, and as he closed his bathrobe, he also noticed that they had attracted a pair of prying eyes. A handful of party guests had noticed some commotion and came to see what was going on. Mr. Satan didn't know what they'd seen so far, but he knew it could damage his reputation. Then his flamboyant persona survived.

"Ha ha ha!" He laughed out loud for everyone to hear. "You, my boy, survived the test! You stood up for my daughter even though you are no challenge for the World Champion! That's what I call bravery." His bombastic voice echoed down the hall.

Not believing his ears, Gohan gave the man a glare. "I still have to make it believable, right?" Mr. Satan mumbled to Gohan, who had now folded his arms in annoyance, not forgetting what they had just agreed upon, but decided he'd better let it go. He knew the man's reputation was all he had.

Then Gohan looked up in surprise as Mr. Satan faced his own daughter, "I understand you're growing up. I don't like it, you may know that, but that's part of life I suppose. So I'm withdrawing my rule for you not being able to date boys. I figured you'd do it anyway, even if I don't take it back." He sighed and pointed with his thumb at the teen next to him, "You're right, he is a good kid." Then he turned and started to walk away, but then looked back at Videl, "I just hope you find it in your heart to forgive me one day," and with those words he left, sad to let his daughter go, but relieved she was in good hands. He just hoped she'd forgive him for lying about the Cell Games.

She blinked in utter surprise and watched her father disappear around a corner. She was gob-smacked, not understanding how on Earth Gohan managed to convince her father to let her date boys, or rather, date him. And what did he mean by ' Forgive him ', was there something she should forgive? She looked confused at Gohan, hoping he would explain.

Gohan noticed that they were still being watched by spectators and his nerves kicked in as he didn't feel comfortable being the center of attention. "Can…" he swallowed, "Can we talk privately somewhere else?"

Understanding the situation, Videl nodded and started to walk, gesturing to Gohan to follow her. They passed the onlookers, now doubled in numbers. They watched in silence as the duo passed by and not much later Videl entered a room. 

Gohan peeked in and he assumed it was Mr. Satan's office. "Um, maybe we should go somewhere else where your father can't disturb us," he tried a bit nervously. Gohan knew they had talked it over, but the guy was drunk and the half-Saiyan assumed he was far from finished drinking. He didn't want to risk crossing each other again tonight.

Videl said nothing and walked over to a display case, which she tried to open. However, it was locked, so she smashed the window. Gohan could only look in surprise as she picked up a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from the shelf and returned. "Follow me," she said and continued her route. They went all the way to the west wing of the building, two stories high and far away from the party. Then she opened a door and waited for Gohan to enter.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25: Game of Secrets

Gohan had entered a spacious bedroom. It was a bit outdated, but stylishly decorated in pastel shades of yellow and green. It didn't feel like it was Videl's room, though, as he'd expected her to have more personal items in it. Videl answered his thoughts, saying, "This was my parents' room before my mother died, so basically my mother's room. My dad never comes here, avoiding painful memories. But for me it's kind of my sacred place, a place I can go back to when I want to be alone."

"You sure it's okay? I don't want to taint your sacred place with our talk, it's not gonna be an easy one." Gohan gave her a concerned look, not wanting to invade her personal space.

"Don't worry, it's fine." Videl walked to the side table and set down the bottle of whiskey and glasses. "I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom." Then she walked through the door adjacent to the room.

Gohan felt a heavy feeling rise. So this was it, the time had come to finally come clean. And now that the moment had come, he began to doubt himself. What if she wouldn't accept his background; his past; his actions? And what if he would damage her relationship with her father when he would tell her the truth? The man wasn't that bad and he didn't want them to grow apart. And to be honest, he wasn't really looking forward to going down memory lane either. Even if he had found some peace in it, it still hurt like hell. Gohan sighed and walked over to the bed, kicked off his shoes and sat down on it with his back against the wall, while waiting for Videl to return. He drew up his knees and hugged them tightly, hiding his head between his arms. He curled his feet, one over the other, and unconsciously made himself as small as possible.

When Videl entered the room again, she felt heartbroken at the sight. It was clear that her friend was struggling, that it took all his willpower to be here, far from his comfort zone. She knew he was going to tell her his secrets, but it had never occurred to her how much it would hurt him to even try.

"Here," she said in a soft voice. Gohan looked up and she handed him a glass of whiskey. He accepted, lowered his eyes again and stared blindly into the distance. "You know, you should be having fun tonight. If it's that hard for you to talk, then we can postpone it," she said reluctantly, for she was very curious, but she wanted to comfort him too.

"No… we should talk," Gohan could barely get those words out of his mouth, he sounded hoarse.

"Okay," she was relieved to hear him say that and also sat on the bed, right in front of him, "but let's make it more fun." Gohan looked at her questioningly and raised an eyebrow. She answered him with a friendly smile and held up her glass. "Let's make a toast to the new World Champion first," she winked playfully.

"World Champion?" Gohan asked, not understanding.

"Yep, I don't know how, but you clearly stood above my dad tonight. Meaning, you won. My dad was saving this bottle of whiskey to open it when he would become Champion again this year, but I figured he didn't deserve it. So cheers to you!" She held up her glass and waited for Gohan to clink it.

He gave her a small smile and clinked his glass against hers. Then he put the glass to his lips and drank it all at once. His face twisted, "Wow, this is strong stuff."

Videl looked at the boy in shock. "That was a limited edition Karuizawa wh-" she then closed her eyes and sighed, "You're supposed to sip it. Not gulp it down like beer."

"I figured."

"Give me your glass," she said, annoyed, and filled it up again. She handed it back and then looked at him, still seeing a hurtful expression. "I understand that you have a lot to tell, and some of things are difficult for you, so I want to lighten it up a bit. Let's play a game, you tell me two things that are true and one that is not, and I have to guess what the lie is. Every time I'm right, you drink - and that's just a sip, not the whole glass - and if I'm wrong, I drink. We can start with the small things and when you are ready, you can drop the bigger ones."

Gohan's body relaxed a bit. The girl was something, huh? She still gave him the space he needed, even though they both knew the words would come out tonight. He smiled at her, he loved this girl. "Okay, but I'm warning you, I think you’ll end up drinking a lot," he grinned at her.

"Well, make me," she teasingly challenged him.

"Let's see, uhm," he thought for a moment, "I've been in space; I helped design one of Bulma's top products on the market; and I was abducted twice in the same day."

"Okay, random," Videl said while raising an eyebrow. "You have two alien friends, so I assume you've been to their planet as well? So let's just say that's true. And since you're smart, and - really - nobody gets abducted twice in the same day… so I say the last one is false." She smiled at him in satisfaction, convinced she was right.

"You should drink," Gohan gave her a smirk, "I never invented stuff for Bulma."

"You've been kidnapped… Twice?" Videl raised her brow again. "On the same day?"

"Yeah, when I was four. First by my uncle, then Piccolo," he shrugged, "The latter taught me how to fight. So here's your answer to why I was ripped at a very young age."

"But that won't happen in one day. How long has he held you?" Videl was surprised by his confession.

"Almost a year, six months of which I had to survive alone in the wilderness," he sighed, "I did learn a lot, though."

"But you told me Piccolo is one of your best friends."

"Yes, that's correct," Gohan said, without giving it much thought. To him, this was all ancient history.

"Doesn't that make it a classic example of the Stockholm Syndrome?" Videl asked a bit suspicious.

Gohan looked up in surprise, he'd never had thought about it in that regard. "Um…" he didn't know how to respond. "Well, he had his reasons, and even my mom had forgiven him, so even if you're right, I can still say he truly is my best friend, maybe even my father figure."

"Okay," Videl then took a sip of her whiskey, thinking it was best to keep her opinion to herself, "Tell me another one."

Gohan again took a moment to think, "I fought in the Tenka-Ichi Budoukai tournament under a false name; I met someone from the future; and I'm actually older than my passport says, even though my date of birth is correct."

"Time travel isn't a thing," Videl pondered the options, "But then again, Bulma invented a lot of things that other scientists said couldn't be possible. So maybe her future self invented one and sent someone back. And that age thing is so unbelievable, that I can't imagine you actually could have come up with that on your own, so it must somehow be true." She then made up her mind, "And there's no one that looked like you and was similar to age at the tournament, I checked, so that should be false."

Gohan smiled, impressed by her analytical skills, and took a sip of his whiskey. "Now you," he said, eager to guess some himself.

"Hm, let's see," as she thought, Videl raised her hand to her chin. "Me and Sharpener kissed a while back; I shadowed you a few times after school to find out how you travel from school to your house, but I never succeeded; and sometimes I dream of you."

Gohan grinned widely and felt relieved. When she said she kissed Sharpener, he couldn't help the nagging feeling in his stomach, but the other two options he knew for sure were true. "You never kissed Sharpener," he said, "So go ahead, drink."

"You suddenly feel confident," she tried to look at him to make him think he was wrong, but in vain. She sighed, and took a sip in silence. But she had to ask, "How old are you exactly?"

"I'm not quite sure," he shrugged, "But I'm from May 18, 757, which makes me almost 17. But biologically I'm less than a year older. I've been in this chamber - the hyperbolic time chamber - to train. Time passes differently there: one day here is one year there. And I trained almost a whole day, if you catch my drift."

"Your life is quite interesting, I have to give you that," Videl said, a bit taken aback by all the odd things he shared with her.

"Oh, that's just scratching the surface," he sighed.

"Tell me, how did you become a warrior, you certainly don't have the personality of one, except perhaps a strong sense of justice." Videl felt the time was right to ask him some questions.

"I didn't want to," he said gloomily, "But it's because I had the greatest potential to become one." He sighed, "The sole reason Piccolo decided to train me. There was a threat coming to Earth at the time and since my father was killed trying to save me from my uncle, Piccolo wanted me to take his place as a warrior. So I trained for 11 months straight, and when the time came, I was thrown into the lion's den. I tried my best, but I was so scared that at one point I even froze on the spot, causing Piccolo to sacrifice himself to save me. If my father didn't come to rescue us, I wouldn't be here and -"

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold your horses," Videl interrupted him, "Your story doesn't add up," she became suspicious, was he really lying to her? "Your father died to save you, then suddenly he is alive to save you. And the same goes for Piccolo, he died saving you, but he's walking this Earth as we speak."

"I told you about the Dragon Balls, did I?" Gohan reminded her, "They are real. My father died, but he was wished back to help us fight the threat."

"And that threat was?" Videl asked, still a little suspicious, but the friend's demeanor said it all: he wasn't lying. His eyes really cast pain and sorrow.

"The same threat that destroyed East City," he replied.

Videl's eyes shot wide. She'd heard the stories and rumors of an alien invasion back then.

"Well, long story short, we barely survived, and since I wanted to revive all our friends who died that day, including Piccolo, we went to the planet Namek because they had a second set of Dragon Balls that we could use." He closed his eyes and tried to decide whether to tell her about Frieza or not. Suddenly Videl took his hand in hers and stroked it gently, non-verbally telling him she was there for him, causing the half-Saiyan to open his eyes again. He continued, "Sorry, there's so much to tell, but I have to give you the shortcut for now, or we'll be here forever." He offered her a soft smile, "What you need to know is that things didn't go according to plan on Namek, because there was this evil galactic emperor - like destroying planets kind of evil - who wanted those Dragon Balls for himself. So we had to fight again and I was forced to kill and I almost died myself." Videl squeezed his hand at that statement. "But we made it and eventually everything went back to normal. So yeah, Piccolo is indeed walking this Earth as we speak."

The two fell silent for a moment. Gohan watched her hands caress his and he began to return the favor by stroking her fingers with his thumb. She had such soft and small hands.

"I have a feeling there's more," she again gave him a light squeeze.

"Yeah, some time later the androids came, I was around nine, ten when the C-," he stopped immediately and his eyes shot wide. After a moment of silence, he spoke up, "I'll be right back, I need to take a leak."

She watched how her friend rushed to the bathroom and it dawned to her that he'd probably reached the point he didn't dare to tell. Maybe it was time to lighten the mood again, she thought, and smirked when an idea came to mind. She got up, went to the bedside table and took out two hair clips and put in her usual pigtails.

Unaware of what Videl was doing, Gohan washed his face to calm his nerves. He almost mentioned the Cell Games to her, but panicked. Why was this so difficult? He'd already told her about the other stuff, equally disturbing. So why was it so hard to name Cell? He sighed as he dried his face. He just had to do it, there was no turning back now. He picked up a glass from the counter, filled it with water, and gulped its contents in one go. He figured it was best to neutralize his tipsiness, and after two additional glasses, he felt ready to return to the bedroom.

He looked up in surprise when he didn't see Videl. Then the door slammed behind him, causing him to jump. He turned around and was met with a mischievous smirk from Videl, who stared down at him with crossed arms. For some reason she had put her pigtails back in, and her soft feminine side had been replaced by her strong, confident one. He swallowed, it suddenly made him very nervous.

She walked over to him and came very close. Gohan didn't move, but he felt the need to lean back a bit to keep some distance. Videl then placed a hand on his left arm and moved down slowly with the soft touch of her fingertips. When she reached his wrist, she looked up and her grin widened.

With a flash, he'd turned into Saiyaman. Confused, he looked at his wrist and saw that Videl had pressed the button on his watch. Not understanding, he looked back at her.

"Look who we have here, it's the Great Saiyaman!" she said in a loud voice, still looking at him mischievously. "Let's find out who you really are, and remove that bucket from your head." She then playfully reached for his helmet and out of reflex Gohan dodged. Videl tried again, and again Gohan managed to avoid her grasp.

"W-What are you doing?" he asked, still not understanding what was going on.

"Like I said, I'm about to unmask you," she winked at him.

It slowly dawned on him what her intentions were, and he too smirked. Standing tall, he raised his hand in front of him and ordered her into a halt. "Stop there, evildoer, my identity should remain a secret!" he said with his bombastic Saiyaman voice.

She reached for his helmet again, but this time she tried to succeed, but Saiyaman was too fast. He jumped away and playfully dodged her attempts. He smiled, she really knew how to cheer him up, didn't she?

At one point she managed to get into his personal space, which startled him and she took advantage of his insecurity by tackling him. He fell to the ground, but out of reflex he grabbed the girl and took her with him and they both landed on the soft carpet. Videl recovered quickly, straddled him and grabbed both his wrists, trying to pin him down. Gohan, on the other hand, froze at their sudden proximity and couldn't help but blush profusely. Even though he could, he didn't try to escape her hold.

His heart was suddenly beating so fast.

When she noticed that Gohan had become submissive to her dominance, she let go of his wrists and reached for his chinstrap. He didn't move when she unclipped his helmet. Part of him still felt the need to protect his identity, even though she already knew who he was, but he didn't want to resist either. Somehow her actions made him feel very vulnerable. Her hands now grabbed both sides of his helmet and she gently took it off. His anxious gaze met hers, now fully revealed, but her smile defused his grogginess.

"I knew it," she said softly, "Son Gohan." Her friendly smile widened, "The true protector of justice."

His blush deepened and he shyly looked away, but couldn't suppress a smile. Suddenly he felt all fuzzy inside. She had set his helmet aside and her hands were now resting on his chest. He had followed her movements with his eyes, looked up at her again and he too smirked. Videl felt that he had placed a hand on her thigh and his touch went up to her lower back. She blushed as he pulled her closer. His gloved fingers now caressed her bare skin just below her shirt.

And then there was another flash.

With a jolt, Videl sat upright and covered herself with her hands at her sudden change in attire, her beet-red face barely visible from under her helmet. Gohan smiled at her sudden shyness, glad he wasn't the only one who could be like that.

He grabbed her lower back once more and with one swift movement turned them over, now lying on top, much closer than they had been before. Her blush intensified, she hadn't expected him to be this bold. His hand had now touched her raised knee, and with a slow stroke he caressed her thigh all the way to her hip against the smooth spandex fabric. Her cherry scent clouded his mind as he stared hungrily into her eyes.

Astonished, she lifted the visor of her helmet, to check if she indeed saw this fire in his eyes. It was incredibly sexy, if she could say so herself, and she wanted more of it. Uncertain, she touched his torso with her gloved hands, slowly moving them upwards to finally wrap her arms around his neck and subtly pulling him toward her.

He obeyed and bowed his head under her guidance. He could feel her heart beating fast, and so was his. Once again their position and the tension between them were unmistakably from two people who were about to lose themselves in one another.

But when their lips almost touched, Gohan closed his eyes and sighed deeply, resting his forehead against her helmet. His lustful expression gave way to sadness and he averted his gaze, looking away from the expectant girl underneath him. He withdrew from their closeness, but not being ready to completely leave her body warmth, he pulled her with him. He sat down with his back against the edge of the bed, while Videl found herself straddling his lap. He lifted both knees so she could lean on them, making her position more comfortable. He clicked away his Saiyaman's outfit and did the same with hers, avoiding further distraction. He still didn't look at her, but a moment later he said in a hoarse voice, "We have to finish our talk first."

She understood why, but she couldn't hide her disappointment at his rejection. What did it take to finally kiss this guy? She took a deep breath and found another soft smile, realizing he was just being a gentleman. The things he had to say, the ones he'd been dreaded of since he'd promised to tell her, he probably was afraid she wouldn't take it well. And to protect her from a broken heart, not to give her the impression that he was using her, he chose not to kiss her - yet.

"Come on, Gohan, you don't have to be so gloomy about it. Whatever it is, I had the honor of knowing the real you first, what you are like as a person. Whatever you've done or are, it doesn't change a thing." She blushed, "It won't make me feel any different about you, I'm sure of it."

He gave her a half-hearted smile. She managed to lighten up his mood again and found the courage to look back at her. Her smile warmed his heart. "Thanks for your kind words," he said, but he still didn't feel comfortable with it. Was he making it a bigger deal than it actually was?

"Okay, in the light of the evening, let's play one last game." Gohan looked up at Videl in surprise, how could she think about playing games in such a mood? She winked at him and continued, "But I think we're past a simple drinking game. Let's make it more interesting!" She smirked, "I'm going to guess what is eating at you, and if I'm right, I'll get something I want, and if I'm wrong, you'll get something you want."

"I'm pretty sure you won't guess it," Gohan said, but he was starting to get a little curious.

"Maybe, or maybe not, but at least give me a chance. I've developed some good detective skills from working with the police force and I'm quite good at tying up loose ends, if I do say so myself. I've gathered some bits of information from the past few months, and I think I know what you're struggling with."

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. He remembered the book he'd found, and now his curiosity took over completely. He needed to know what the girl actually already knew. "Okay, so there are two major things I'm trying to tell you all evening. So what do you propose?"

"You name what you want if you win, then I'll name my prize," she grinned widely.

"Hm," Gohan thought about it for a moment. What did he want? He then grinned at her himself, "You cook dinner."

She suddenly blushed, "What?!"

"You'll cook me a simple dinner if you don't get it right once, a three-course meal when you fail them both, and you have to do the dishes, too."

"I-I never cooked a meal in my life," she said hesitantly.

"Well that's my prize, and I'm willing to guide you in the kitchen. So, what's yours?"

A mischievous smile appeared on her face, "Since you've put the stakes that high, you have to do my homework for a whole week if I'm right the first time, and -," her grin deepened, "- if I guess them both, you have to kiss me."

Gohan flared up like he'd never done before. "K-Kiss you?" He knew there was this tension between them, they almost would have done it if Mr. Satan hadn't intervened, but her saying it out loud somehow made it very real. It wasn't just a feeling anymore, It was there, out in the open: she wanted to kiss him. And before he could think about it properly, his words had already left his mouth, "Deal."

"Good," she couldn't help but blush herself, not expecting him to take the bait. She rested her body against his raised legs a little more and thought for a moment. "I think I'll go for the one I'm less sure about. It's an extension of the knowledge you gave me that you were a warrior at a very young age. I did some research on your friend Piccolo myself. I somehow felt I had seen him before and remembered that he was involved in the Cell Games. Looking back at the footage, I recognized some of your other friends as well: the noseless man, the mean-looking one, and even Yamcha. However, there were a few other people I didn't recognize, including a pre-teen blond boy. I remembered you had a picture on your dresser that featured them all, every unknown person who attended the games. And now, after what had happened earlier with my father, when I saw his expression on his face, I understood that you two had met before." She played nervously with her fingers, "After the Baseball game - the meet-and-greet with Yamcha - I asked him about you, but he wouldn't share any information regarding your secrets. But he did warn me that the truth about you wouldn't be easy for me since I was the daughter of Mr. Satan. Tonight I came to the realization that it could all be a lie. That you, or one of your friends, killed Cell and not him? That my dad just took the credit. It suits his character… And while I can't explain the blond hair and teal eyes, I have a feeling that you are the Delivery Boy, aren't you?"

Gohan's eyes shot wide and could only stare into hers. She knew. Damn, that girl was smart. She knew for at least the last hour, and she was still here with him, patiently waiting for him to tell it himself. She didn't run away, nor did she reject him, and with her on his lap, he felt reassured that she still wanted to be associated with him. Much of the heavy weight he held all night left his chest.

His facial expression was all she needed to know. She guessed right, "Does that mean you're doing my homework for a week?" She smirked.

"I'll do your homework for a week," he mumbled and looked away. After a moment of silence, he spoke up, "I've kept it a secret for almost seven years. You're the first I ever told this to." He looked her in the eye again, "I am indeed the one who defeated Cell."

She blushed, somehow she felt very privileged, "I always had the feeling that my dad wasn't the one, but since everybody believed that he was, I somehow ignored my gut feeling. I feel so stupid." She stared blindly into the distance.

"Well, take it from me that if he had challenged Cell as he planned he would be dead right now. He immediately understood that Cell was more than he could chew and given the circumstances he did what he could to help, even if that meant putting his own life in danger. He was in the middle of something he wasn't prepared for."

Videl looked at Gohan, "You don't have to stick up for him. It's okay if you think he's an asshole, because he is."

Gohan chuckled, "I haven't seen eye to eye with him those seven years, but I think our conversation today has resolved a lot of frustration and I think I'm good. To be honest, without your father, I'm not sure if I could have defeated Cell in the first place as he indirectly gave me the advice I needed to finish him off."

Somehow he felt like she was going to accept everything he was. They got this far, so that other bit was just something they had to get over with. "One down, one to go," Gohan hinted, urging her to continue the game. "You said you're more certain about this one?"

"Ah, yeah," she was pulled out of her thoughts and looked down. " Certain is a big word, but I have this strong feeling. Although, it's quite far-fetched from normalcy, but since you aren't much of a regular person, I think I might be right," She paused, "But please don't laugh if I'm wrong."

He chuckled, "I promise."

"And before I make my guess, I just want to let you know that if what I'll say is true, I'm fine with it. I figured your parents had somehow managed it, so why can't I?" Gohan flared up at that comment and couldn't stop looking at her, wishing from the bottom of his heart she would guess it correctly.

She took a deep breath and continued, "Okay, so, it's about a comment the crook who poisoned you once made. The thing is, the poison should have killed you, one dart was enough to kill at least 110 fully grown men, yet here you are, surviving three. And knowing how powerful you can be, having seen you do inhuman things, I was second guessing it all. Then, when I asked Yamcha about it, he hinted to me that the answer I was looking for was written in your superhero name. Not understanding it back then, I let go of the subject until earlier this week before we left Capsule Corp. Bulma said something about 'being entangled with Saiyans' , whatever that is. And when I asked you about it, you told me it was one of the things you had to explain to me when the time was right. And since you haven't done it yet, I think this is the last piece of the puzzle. And if you mix that knowledge with Yamcha's hint, you should be half man, half Saiyan, since your superhero name is ' Saiyaman' .

She wanted to look up to see if she was on the right track, but before she could comprehend what was going on, he'd pulled her in and placed his lips on hers.

As the words left her mouth, he felt a wave of emotions run through his body: Relief; happiness; nervousness; joy; extremely hot; overwhelmed; intoxicated; love; and, quite new to him, lust. It was like a whirlpool inside and he couldn't believe his ears. She knew and was fine with it. But how? Well, it didn't matter. His apprehensiveness had disappeared as if it had never been there. He was just overjoyed and he let go of all his restraints.

"I love how clever you are," he mumbled against her lips as he began to move his. She reciprocated his movements and was again surprised at his boldness as he eagerly entered her mouth with his tongue to find hers. She almost couldn't believe he'd never kissed before - knowledge she'd picked up from his participation in the never-have-I-ever game - because it felt so confident and heavenly. He placed his hand behind her head to secure her position for better access, and gently caressed her lower back with the other. She couldn't help but feel all mushy inside from his touch.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she, too, let her insecurity wash away, embracing the sudden change in events. She'd wanted him for so long, longing for the boy who had almost given his life for her. She let her hands explore his body a bit, just under his shirt, and was amazed at how well-built he actually was. Seeing it is one thing, but feeling it… she blushed, unable to describe what was going through her mind.

After a few minutes, Gohan pulled away from their kiss, noticing that they could both use some air. He was panting, and so was she. He turned beet-red as his mind began to think clearly again, realizing what he had just done, but still managed to give her a sly smirk. "I hope this was enough to pay off my debts."

She just nodded, hardly daring to look at him. He loved how the confident, tough, tomboyish girl in his arms had suddenly become shy.

"And if my actions weren't clear enough: yes, you are right," he began, feeling the need to fill in the missing piece in her story. "My dad was a Saiyan, an alien warrior from the planet Vegeta, but my mom is an Earthling. So that makes me something in between." He looked down and took one of her hands in his. "That's where my brute strength comes from, making me the ideal warrior to protect this planet. I've always struggled with the responsibility and wished I could live a normal life, which led me to reject my Saiyan-side for years. But I can't hide who I really am, and recent events have made me rethink that destiny. I've chosen to honor that path, to take my responsibility and started training again." He paused for a moment, "I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into. My decision to follow my path has a price. It would be a dangerous path, attracted by evil, so my life would be uncertain. The odds are that I will die untimely like my father."

She looked at him, "And yet you're still alive." She smirked, "I have a feeling they will have to go the distance if they want to succeed in killing you." She then gave him a friendly smile, "And if you're the one protecting the Earth, wouldn't that mean that if you fail, the Earth would be gone anyway? So even if you die an early death, doesn't that mean there's no future from that point on anyway? The way I see it, there's no reason to back away from you, as the outcome will be the same, so I'd rather enjoy my time in the meantime." She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

"I guess you make a valid point," he said with a soft smile against her lips before kissing her back. She really knew how to cheer him up, didn't she?

"Anything else I need to know?" she said teasingly, but was still curious about the answer.

"There's still a lot, but I think we've tackled the main part," he said sheepishly.

"Can you show me?" She blushed, recalling that the boy who defeated Cell was actually blond. "How do you change your hair? You're the Golden Warrior too, aren't you?"

He chuckled. He really loved how smart she was. "Yeah, you were quite hot on my tail back then, linking me so quickly with the Golden Warrior." He grinned, "That's when I decided to continue as the Great Saiyaman, to hide my identity a little better."

She blinked in surprise, "You mean Saiyaman exists because of me?"

Gohan grinned widely, "Yeah, and I can't thank you enough for that, I've never had so much fun before." He chuckled, "As you may understand by now, I didn't have much of a childhood myself. I know Saiyaman is childish and people think he's a total dork, but I don't care. With that suit I can at least release my inner child a bit." Then he looked at her intently.

She noticed movement in the air around them. His dark eyes suddenly began to flick to teal, and without further warning, his hair turned blond. Pure energy radiated from his body, causing her to close her eyes for a split second. When she opened them again, she could only look at him in astonishment. Underneath her lay the Golden Warrior. She blushed.

"It's actually an ability I have to thank my Saiyan heritage for," he began to explain. Her blush didn't go unnoticed and he smiled, she was so damn cute when she was shy. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and leaned over for a kiss. But she jerked her head away from him with a shocked expression on her face. This made Gohan anxious as he didn't expect such a reaction anymore. After all he shared with her, would this be the reason she would run away from him? He could only look intently, studying her face, hoping to find the answer to why she was suddenly so distant.

Videl's reaction was based purely on instinct. She knew this Golden Warrior was Gohan, but she couldn't go with it. "Can you… Can you change back, please?" she asked hesitantly, standing up and avoiding eye contact with him. She sat down on the bed and finally spoke, "It may sound stupid, but being so close to you while you're blond, feels a bit like cheating on your normal self to me. It's something I need to get used to I guess."

Gohan obeyed and without further notice he was back to normal. He chuckled as he sat next to her, "So blond isn't your thing, huh? Poor Sharpener never had a chance." She simply replied by poking him in the ribs, noticeably more comfortable with him now.

There fell a silence after the lack of response from Gohan's side. He probably didn't even notice her poke. Shyly she tried to break the awkward silence by changing the subject. "So, now you are all better, what are your plans?" she finally asked.

Gohan looked at her and smiled sheepishly, "I, uh, I suppose I will go on with my life as before. I think it's best for me to finish school, become a scholar and earn some decent money to support a family, but at the same time I will resume my training to fulfill my responsibilities as a warrior. It's going to be tough, but I'm sure I'll manage." Then he blushed shyly, "and between that and teaching you about Ki, I was hoping we could spend the little time I have left together."

To his surprise, Videl immediately answered him with a kiss. He felt over the moon and he eagerly began to kiss her back. Their kiss deepened, but soon Videl pulled away, confusing Gohan. He looked at her as she reached for the bottle of whiskey and poured the substance into the two glasses next to them. Gohan became apprehensive, "Do you want to get me drunk?"

"I want to make one last toast," she said, handing him one of the two glasses. "And I don't mind the side effects of alcohol on you." She giggled and blushed at the same time, "It makes you a lot more assertive."

"I can be assertive without alcohol," Gohan said a bit brooded. Videl just gave him a knowing glare, not believing a word of it, and Gohan knew she had a point. "Alright, but this is the last one, I'm already half-seas-over," he said with honesty.

She gave him a smile and moved closer to him, raising her glass, "I want to propose a toast to the silent hero who had given it his all, got lost on his way, disappeared even from the surface, but found himself in the end. To the Great Saiyaman; the Golden Warrior; the Delivery Boy; the Defeater of Cell; the true Savior of the Earth: To Son Gohan," she paused and looked at him sympathetically, "I salute you, hero of justice, and officially welcome you back."

Gohan blushed, this was the first time anyone outside his family acknowledged and honored his achievements. He finally didn't feel lost anymore, that he had found his place and finally felt he deserved to be here. They clinked their glasses together, but he couldn't stop looking at her. She was amazing and he loved her. And though he didn't dare to say that out loud, he wanted to express his feelings. He watched her take a sip from her glass, and he did the same, but grew impatient. He wanted her; to show her how much she meant to him; what effect she had on him.

To Videl's horror, she watched as Gohan - again - drank the content of a 4.7 million Zenī worth of whiskey in one sitting and set his glass aside. She opened her mouth to express her shock, but then Gohan took her glass as well, and looking at her with a mischievous grin, he drank the whole thing too. He didn't want any obstructions between them anymore, and well, she told him herself she didn't mind his drunk side.

He leaned over to a confused Videl and kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her body. He pulled her onto his lap and broke the kiss, looking deeply into her eyes. "Thank you for accepting me," he said softly and kissed her gently. She didn't even think twice and threw her arms around his neck and answered his movements.

It didn't matter anymore: the word was out and they both accepted one other and embraced each other's love. Their eager, inexperienced kisses gave way to more intimate, passionate ones, the ones that were shared by two lovers. They got lost in their own world, oblivious to the world around them; to the party downstairs; to the past and the future; to the threats that may or may not cross their way; to evil wizards and bubblegum monsters; to friends becoming foes and foes becoming friends. There was only the here and now, and they were perfectly fine with it.

The end

Chapter Text

Epilogue

Hi there,

You've reached the end of the story, congratulations! That means you at least found it interesting enough to read it until the end.

I had a blast writing this story. And as you may know, this was my first FanFiction ever, and, to be completely honest, this was the first (non-academic) piece I've ever written that contains more than one sheet of paper. Due to my Dyslexia I never had the courage and energy to commit myself to writing - certainly not in a foreign language - but I'm glad that I finally did so. I've learned a lot and I can say that my writing skills and my English have increased a lot.

The reason I started to write this story wasn't necessarily because I wanted to increase the above mentioned skills, but rather that I couldn't think about something else. This story clouded my mind for almost a year and I hoped that - by writing it down - I could get it out of my head once and for all. And it worked! So, I've gained some peace and space again to think about other things :P .

I had decided to upload it on FanFiction (and later to AO3), because I wanted to commit myself in finishing the story, which I did. But I have to say, I really underestimated how many people would actually read the story. I thought maybe 20 people would read it, 25 if I was lucky… and that I may get 1 or 2 reviews max. So, you can imagine I was kind of flabbergasted… maybe even intimidated, but most importantly it stimulated me to continue writing all the way to the end. And for that, I want to thank you!

I loved reading your reviews, and thanks again for taking the time to write them. They were appreciated! Both your compliments, but also your criticisms, as they kept me sharp. The most important thing I learned (the hard way) was not to mess with main characters and that last minute [sleep deprived] decisions weren't the best (e.g. Yamcha's kiss and Vegeta threatening Gohan to kill him; the last one was originally only to be a simple 'threat' towards Videl). It has cost me some readers, which made me sad, but I understood.

Anyways, I accepted my flaws and decided to incorporate them in the story. I had the storyline very clear in my mind, and I wrote it in a straight line from the beginning to the end as I imagined it. I decided to see this process as my own project, and that you guys were guests to the story, causing me to write it as I imagined it without changing it for 'fan service'.

The only problem I had was estimating how big the chapters (and thus the story) became, because while writing, the conversations of the characters & surrounding descriptions weren't included in my head XD. And that was kind of a big piece of the story itself. Reading it back, it's really a joke that I thought it would only take me 10 chapters to write the whole story.

Even though I had planned every step in this story in advance, I did make some changes though:

* I really liked the reporter Kate when she came into the story, and decided to pair her with Yamcha. In my original idea, Yamcha would have multiple flirts (this would almost be his only part in the story, next to covering up for the absence of Saiyaman), which in turn flirted with Saiyaman (Gohan) in the end. This would cause Videl to get jealous and decide to fight alongside him as Saiyawoman.

* At the prison, Videl would use a fake (clean) dart to poke the crook who poisoned Gohan, causing him to think he was poisoned as well. In a panic he would tell her what the content was and begged her to give him an antidote. This was how she originally learned about the dart's content and the Haikus weren't a thing. But I went creative and I liked this Haiku-element much better. Besides, I thought faking poisoning the crook was a bit too aggressive in my opinion, and also illegal, which would be a step too far for our crime fighter.

* The Baseball game was kind of a filler chapter, and it would have been a nice day out to the arcade, but since Yamcha was becoming more a main character to the story, I chose to go with the baseball game instead.

* The fight with Vegeta would have happened off screen. Instead we would have followed Videl in her search for answers (including breaking into Gohan's apartment… again crossing legal boundaries), all the way to Capsule Corp. Gohan would appear badly wounded after a month of absence, which would shock her. But because a reader/reviewer said he/she couldn't wait for the fight, I decided I maybe could challenge myself in writing a fight scene instead. This is kinda the only time I chose to go for fan service, mainly because I would gain writing experience out of it. I added the scribbles in the book at the party to compensate for the 'missing' chapter (Videl’s p.o.v. )

I do have one favor to ask you: Would you like to write me an honest review? I never asked for a review before (only thanked those who did), and now the story is finished, I think it is time to do so. This experience was a learning process for me and without feedback, it would only be a bit of an empty shell in that regard. I know some of you already have written me a review (thnx again!), but I've noticed there are a lot of silent readers out there as well, and I also am curious for their opinion.

I can take (constructive) criticism, so please be honest. If you didn't like things, feel free to let me know as well, I'm not here to get sugar coated.

If you don't have an account, you can review as a guest. I even think you can change your account to guest if you prefer to review it anonymously (at least on FF it does). Also, if you don't feel comfortable writing in English, no problem, just do it in your own language! I have Google translate on my side ;) . I really don't mind. And if you don't know what to write in your review, you can answer these questions (though, you can freestyle if you want):

1. What did you expect when you started to read the story and did it meet your expectations?
2. What did you like about the story?
3. What did you not like about the story (probably the OOC-ness of Yamcha and/or Vegeta, again, sorry about that…)?
4. Would you change things? If so, what would you change?
5. Was the story diverse enough? I tried at least to have different aspects in the story.
6. Did you find any Easter eggs? If so, which one? I included a handful.
7. What is your overall opinion about the story?

Again, thank you for your time to read my story! For now, I'll take a break from writing, but I do have 1 or 2 Han/Vi one-shots in mind, so if you are interested in those, I believe you can put me on your author alert list or something, or just let fate decide if you come across it when I publish them at that point in time ;).

Lots of love, Kipke

PS: To thank you for reading this epilogue, I have written a post-credits scene and uploaded that in the next 'chapter'. So please check that out!

Chapter Text

Credits:

I want to thank Eye of the Panda [FF] / the_eye_of_the_panda [AO3] for inspiring me to write my own Fan Fiction and for being my post-beta! You really helped to polish the story and I'm forever grateful. Her stories are great, so if you have the time, check them out.

And most important: I want to thank QueenKeesie [FF] for her support, advice and company from chapter 19 onward. It was so much more fun and you helped me a lot. Thnx! I'll return the favor with her story: role reversal , so if you like you can check that one out too :).

Post-credits scene:

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Sharpener asked, a bit unsure. He had never been to this part of the mansion before.

"Yeah, just a little further." Erasa didn't slow her pace. She was worried sick because she hadn't heard from Videl in almost two hours and the rumors weren't good. "Videl wasn't in her room, so this is the only place she could be."

"What about Brains? Do you really think he left?" Sharpener said gloomily. He had hoped he could have spent more time with him at the party. It sounded stupid, but he wanted to have some bro-time with him, at least share a beer or a good story. But instead, he'd walked away from the beer pong table and Sharpener hadn't seen him since.

"Punaise had seen him by the front door, grabbing his satchel as he hastily left. She said he looked messy and skittish and oddly enough he was barefoot. If I'm to believe the rumors, Mr. Satan did a number on him and he fled the premises." Erasa sighed, "Poor boy, this evening should have been a fun night for him, instead everything is messed up."

She stopped in front of a door and put her ear against it. "I knew it," she sighed again, her expression concerned, "I hear muffled sounds, I think she's crying." Her expression saddened. Erasa knew that if Videl wanted to be alone, she would come to her mother's room, the only place where her father or any of the servants would not disturb her.

"You stay here," she turned her attention to Sharpener, "I'll try to comfort her and hopefully convince her to come downstairs again."

Sharpener nodded, "Tell her we are about to play a game, maybe that will distract her from the things that happened."

Erasa only gave him a friendly smile, Sharpener was never good at this kind of talk, but he tried. Then she took a deep breath before carefully opening the door and sneaked in. Sharpener watched the door close and tried to make it himself comfortable by leaning against the wall. This would probably take a while.

But just when he found the right spot, the door opened again and Erasa stepped out with a shocked expression on her face.

"What happened?" Sharpener asked concerned, "Is she okay?"

"Oh yeah, she's more than okay," Erasa looked very pale. "Let's go," she commanded and walked away.

Sharpener raised a brow, "And Videl, doesn't she want to join the game?"

"Oh no, she's playing her own game right now."

"Then why don't we join hers?"

Erasa's pale face suddenly turned red instead and she stopped in her tracks, giving Sharpener a knowing look, "Oh you wish!" Responding to the questioning look on his face, she added, "It's a game for two, Sharpie, you of all people should understand what I'm talking about."

Sharpener's face changed from a confused expression to a surprised one. "No way!" He couldn't believe his ears, "Who?!"

"Our - apparently not so innocent - missing friend," Erasa said as she walked on.

"What the -, are you kidding me?"

"Uh-uh."

"Really?!"

"Uh-huh!"