Chapter Two: It's On the News

"Beware evil fiend, for the Great Saiyaman is here! My cool poses and super style will knock you off! I'll punish you for being bad, in the name of justice! Take that!"

Gohan bit down his lip as he tried not to burst out laughing while his adorable little brother took over the superhero persona with his favorite action figure. The older boy had no idea how Goten came up with those funny speeches, but they surely couldn't have come from him... He was never that corny, was he? Besides, he hadn't gone through his "superhero routine" for a while now...

"Oh, no!" shrieked the elder brother in a purposely high pitched voice. "Please don't hurt me! I surrender, I surrender! I'll be good, I promise!"

That was pretty much the same pitiful way the criminals he took care of every now and again begged him for mercy. Usually at this point he would━

"Ha ha! It's too late now! You must pay for your crimes!"

━NOT do this. Goten proceeded to use his Saiyaman action figure to beat up the hooded ones Gohan played as, laughing maniacally while accompanying his moves by saying things like, "Take that! That'll teach you! Ha ha! Who's laughing now?"

The older half-Saiyan felt a drop of sweat trickle down his temple while he watched the small child happily kicking and punching the thug-figurines around with his Great Saiyaman miniature. Beating up bad guys was never something he'd do if he could avoid it... Ah, well, it was just a harmless game after all, and Goten was still a kid. If he found this way of handling criminals to be more fun, then it was good enough for Gohan. Although, he should make sure to keep his brother out of such situations in real life... The little tyke would most likely cause a complete disaster!

The phone ringing didn't distract the two boys from their game, for their mother quickly picked it up and began to speak with the person calling. Gohan paused, however, when he noticed his mom's unbelieving tone as she talked into the receiver.

"Gohan! You're supposed to be in pain and try to escape now!" His younger sibling's whining voice brought his attention back to the game; however, he kept his ears strained, trying to make out his mother's hushed words coming from the kitchen.

The conversation ended with a click soon after, and he kept wondering what that was all about, for he hadn't been able to get much of what she were saying━only some stray words here and there. Chichi hurriedly walked in the living room and looked around for something, a concerned yet impatient frown taking over her features. Gohan pretty much forgot about the action figure game he was supposed to participate in at this point, watching with interest and curiosity as the older woman rushed for the remote control, tucked in between the cushions of the sofa, and quickly turned on the TV.

When the black screen came to life, his gaze automatically turned to watch what was on, hoping to understand what all this fuss was about.

And he literally stopped breathing.

This... This couldn't be true. He tried to swallow the constricting lump caught in his throat as he stared at the screen, his mouth dry. He could hear his heart thumping so loudly in his ears that it was almost preventing him from making out what the pony-tailed girl on the news was saying, seemingly in the middle of a press conference.

"━apologize for the grief and sadness my disappearance has caused to everyone, especially to my beloved father, Hercule Satan, who believed he'd lost his only daughter. I apologize to my friends, who had to go through all this; and to the city and citizens, for not being there to protect you all━although from what I heard Saiyaman's been handling things quite well during my absence. If you're watching this, Saiyaman, thank you for keeping the city safe. I really owe you one."

"Isn't that the girl that died...?" Goten's innocent and confused voice piped up shyly, looking at his big brother for an answer. The older boy's attention, however, was solely on the blue eyed girl looking at the camera that filmed her, and he felt as though she was, in fact, smiling directly at him.

"I know I owe you all an explanation," she continued, her expression turning grave. "As you know, I was believed to have died in a fire that completely burned down a local apartment building. I was able to escape, however, and have been in hiding ever since that incident took place. You see, I was the target of a very dangerous criminal gang, and a special organisation━which I shall not name, by their own request━took me in while we worked together to take the threat down. And as we succeeded to put them behind bars, I recovered my safety as well as my close ones', and I immediately came back home━I arrived just tonight, a couple of hours ago."

While the reporters started to question her turn by turn, Gohan stood up, taking his mother and brother by surprise with his sudden movement. Wordlessly, he walked to the front door, slipped on some shoes, grabbed his coat and went outside, tuning out his mother's inquiries while he quickly summoned his energy beneath his feet and took off into the air.

It dawned on him now. That mysterious ki that he'd been trying to pinpoint earlier, it was hers. He couldn't believe he hadn't recognized her right away━how could he forget her unmistakable energy signature? How could she be back all of sudden, for that matter? He didn't buy this story of secret organisation or whatever for one second━Videl had been dead, there was no doubt about it. And now she was back.

Dragonballs? he wondered. How? When? Who? Did Mr. Satan somehow find out about them? Or was it someone else? Then why didn't the sky turn pitch black━

Of course! Summoning Shenron at night wouldn't be too noticeable, especially for those who were indoors. Someone must have collected them, and brought Videl back only a few hours ago.

So many questions kept tumbling around in his head. He was flying at full speed, hoping to see her and ask them to her as soon as possible━he was almost tempted to turn Super Saiyan to get to Satan City faster, but the golden aura would be sure to draw unwanted attention and the young warrior wasn't so careless as to risk something like that. Now was definitely not the right time for that.

He sped up to the maximum of his abilities, now at the brink of transforming. His eyes flickered teal for a brief moment, but the young fighter was able to hold it down. He was almost there now━

Something stirred inside his chest, and Gohan swallowed hard, that damn lump still constricting his throat.

More than having his questions answered, he wanted to see her. With his own eyes, he wanted to make sure that she was indeed alive and well, that it wasn't some trick. She'd been━was━one of his closest friends since he started school, one of the first, very own friends he'd had in his whole life, and he'd always cared deeply about Videl. He wanted to see her━he needed to see her, right now.

He soon reached the city and landed by the outskirts, then broke into a run without a pause. The streets of Satan City blurring around him, Gohan concentrated on her ki signature as he sprinted straight towards her. With his incredible speed, it didn't take him more than mere seconds to arrive in the spacious hall where the press conference was being held, getting inside unnoticed. He stopped abruptly on a secluded spot, putting the hood of his coat over his head for extra measures; not that anyone in that huge crowd of journalists would have noticed him: all eyes were solely on the raven haired girl on the podium, still answering the numerous questions one by one.

It was really her. Videl was actually standing there, in flesh and blood━alive. A warm feeling invaded him as he gazed upon her, a small smile forming across his features. The beating of his heart picked up, pounding against his chest even faster than when he had been flying at full speed.

She was... gorgeous. The young man gulped with difficulty, feeling blood rush to his face, yet he just couldn't take his eyes off of her. Had she always been so... breathtaking...? His body was responding strangely to her presence, the sight of her... her smile, her twinkling, soothing blue eyes; the way she spoke, the way she held herself... His hands were getting sweaty, his face felt hot, his heart didn't seem to be able to calm down, and now he was having trouble breathing, too. The sensations weren't quite unfamiliar━more like... forgotten.

And then it hit him━and the realization rooted him on the spot.

He loved her.

It all made sense now. The feeling of emptiness, the confusion, the hurt, the anger, the guilt, the constant aching in his chest, the growing void in his heart... It wasn't only over the loss of a friend, however close she'd been to him━he knew it now. He was painfully aware of it. His feelings for her ran so much deeper than friendship.

He loved her; plain and simple. He was completely, desperately, agonizingly in love with Videl Satan.

As the daughter of the ever famous Mr. Satan━and being a bit of a celebrity herself━Videl had grown used to reporters and paparazzis and even just civilians asking all sort of questions, curious about her personal and professional life. She'd never liked answering them, but the girl understood that in her current situation she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She knew she had to give an explanation on how she could be back, when everyone believed her to have been dead for the last several months.

Well, she obviously couldn't go with the truth. It had been hard enough to tell everything to her dad... Surprisingly though, her usually skeptical father believed her without much difficulty. Sure, he was dumbstruck at first, asked her to repeat... but he believed her word without a second thought. Videl figured he was too happy and relieved to have her back to care about the circumstances of her return. So she died and was brought back with some magic balls and a dragon? OK, sure.

As long as you're here with me pumpkin, I couldn't be happier, he'd said. She smiled at the memory. It was good to be back, and to see him again. She'd truly missed her daddy all those months she'd been in the other world.

"Ms. Satan, over here!"

"Yes?" she said, motioning the woman in a suit at the front to voice her question.

"Arya Curis from the Daily Satan. You told us that a special organisation had taken you in while you were in hiding. Given that you've been absent from all social interaction, have you been able to date? Are you in a relationship? Maybe one of the agents from that organisation?"

What the hell?

Something like that wasn't unexpected, of course, but how on earth was it relevant to her situation? Did they really need to know whether or not she was seeing someone? She was seriously getting tired of this press conference; the questions were becoming less and less about her return and more about her personal life. Honestly, how would having a boyfriend or whatever even be interesting? It wasn't like she was much different than any other teenage girl in that department.

Heaving a sigh, she leaned toward the microphone and answered tiredly. "This question is highly inappropriate Ms. Curis, but since you're going to jump to conclusions if I don't answer, no, I'm not in a relationship. I didn't meet anyone in that aspect when I was away. It's not like I was on vacation or something, it was serious business."

That didn't seem to satisfy the young woman, who immediately followed on, "But surely you could've met some young men while working with━"

"Ms. Curis, please cut it out," Videl snapped, by now fed up with that nosy pest━was it how Gohan felt about her when she would stick her nose into his business? She sure hoped not...

"If you have any more questions please address my family's press agent. That is all."

Last minute questions suddenly broke out from the mass of reporters, an incomprehensible jumble of voices desperately trying to get her attention for one last information━but Videl was already climbing off the podium and taking a side door. She waved off the bodyguards who started to follow her and kept walking along a narrow corridor, her eyes quickly inspecting the directional signs for the exit. She needed to take a breath of fresh air...

Besides, Gohan was coming her way now.

She had noticed him long before he arrived in Satan City; his gigantic ki was definitely not one she could've missed even if he were on the other side of the planet. Distractedly, she wondered just how strong he actually was, as she knew that she'd only sensed a fraction of his full power. She'd felt him among the crowd when she was still in the middle of the press conference, but hadn't dared turn her gaze on him. His energy had felt quite... troubled, if she wasn't mistaken... She didn't really know what it meant but it made her feel nervous for some reason. Well, she was still really new to this ability of ki sensing, even more so when it involved pinpointing the emotions it carried. For that matter, it was in fact the very first time she had felt Gohan's ki. Even so, she instantly knew it was him; his aura felt so familiar, so much like━

She pushed a door open and finally stepped outside, sucking in a deep breath. Closing her eyes, a peaceful smile formed on her lips while the cool night air soothed her. In the back of her mind, Videl followed her friend's course as he got closer to her location, mentally readying herself to see him again.

She was starting to get a little nervous now. Opening her eyes, she let out a deep breath and leaned back against the wall. He should be there any moment now.

Right on cue, the door she'd just walked through opened again, and she smiled as she saw the spiky haired boy cautiously step out, a pair of onyx, familiar eyes immediately seeking her own.

A pang of something unnamed stirred her heart. Wait... was she blushing? And why did her throat feel so dry all of sudden?

Brushing off her body's strange reaction to Gohan's presence as the joy of seeing her friend for the first time in so long, Videl took a few steps toward him, her hands clasped behind her back, and smiled shyly at the tall young man.

"Hey," she greeted softly, and a warm sensation filled her heart when he smiled back.

"Hey there, Videl."

Hearing his voice again after so long... felt oddly comforting. Like the tune of a soothing melody you've been longing to hear, but you only realize it when it's playing. The dry lump in her throat tightened, and Videl swallowed, her cheeks feeling a little hotter.

Gohan took a few steps towards her, and his hand hesitantly reached up, brushing the soft strands of her fringe with the tip of his fingers, an unreadable expression taking over his face. His deep, black eyes seemed to observe every detail of her features and the young girl felt so small, so defenseless under his intense gaze, his towering presence.

"You're really here," he whispered, breathless.

She lowered her eyes to the ground, suddenly finding her boots extremely interesting. Her face was burning hot now, and she tried to swallow the lump caught in her throat, reminding herself what she was supposed to do.

"Let's go for a walk," she said softly, slowly pacing away from his overwhelming closeness. She felt him follow after her wordlessly, and scanned their surroundings for a secluded spot. They kept walking until they reached a narrow, deserted street, and Videl finally turned around to face the tall boy.

"You've probably figured out," she began, "that the explanation I gave the media is nothing but fiction... And you must've guessed," she continued, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips, "how I can be alive again, haven't you?"

He nodded, a thoughtful frown etched across his features. "The Dragonballs."

Her smile widened and she nodded in turn, turning away from him as she took a few steps. A playful glint lit her eyes as she heard the boy slowly follow her, an idea forming in her mind...

Gohan waited patiently to hear the rest of her story, but instead he felt her ki spike up all of a sudden. His jaw dropped when a bright, white aura shone around her, and then she took off to the sky.

She could... What? Since when...? how...? Where did Videl learn how to fly? From who? When? How? What on earth was going on?

He hesitated for only a moment, but took off in turn and hurried after her, as he was pretty sure Videl expected him to. A jumble of new questions filled his head while he flew after her trail, quickly catching up to her.

But before he could voice a question the girl shot forwards ahead of him, surprising him even more with her speed. Looking back at him over her shoulder, she grinned playfully and called teasingly,"What's the matter, Mr. Saiyaman? Can't catch up to a girl?"

His eyes widened in surprise, his flight unbalancing for a moment while the information sank in. How did she know? How was it possible? Moreover, he had a feeling that it was far from the only thing she knew about him, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

Frowning slightly, the young Saiyan decided that he needed answers, and he wasn't going to wait any longer to get them. Using his super speed, he phased out of sight and reappeared right in front of the flying girl, catching her between his arms before she realized it.

"Not fair..." she mumbled into his chest, a red tint coloring her cheeks. "I can't be faster than you."

He wasn't ready to let her go just yet, and kept his arms wrapped about her small frame. His senses took in the sweet, fruity scent of her hair, his mind forgetting momentarily what he meant to do.

Snapping out of it, he let out a soft sigh and reluctantly parted from her, but his fingers lightly brushed through the silky strands of her ponytail before he could stop himself. She looked up at him with a shy, yet playful smile, and Gohan felt a warm sensation tingling in his chest. Oh, how he'd missed this girl...

"OK, you won," she said, crossing her arms in a mock pout. "It's not like I could ever beat you anyway."

Her words reminded him everything he'd meant to ask her, everything he had to understand. He tried to pull himself together, to calm his nerves, to keep his feelings in check... Now was not the time to lose control. He averted his gaze for a few moments, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself to look back at her and voice his thoughts, commanding himself to not let her stunning beauty pull him in again.

"Wh... What's going on, Videl? How come you can fly? And how can you know that I'm... How can you know about Saiyaman?" He shook his head slightly, trying to organize the mess of questions rushing through it. "Why do I get the feeling that you know everything about me?"

She grinned, and the glint in her eyes confirmed his suspicions. She was obviously enjoying herself, too, taking her time to answer, to finally shed some light in what had happened to her all that time. Was it how she felt, when she had been so adamant to get answers from him back then? Was that why she'd never given up and kept trying to unmask him no matter what? He felt a pang of guilt for what he'd put her through, for all the lies he'd told her, and figured that it was only fair that now she was the one with the secret he desperately wanted to know.

"Well, that's because I do," she finally answered. "I know pretty much everything about you, Gohan. After all..." she paused, and bright smile lit up her face, her eyes twinkling gleefully.

"Well," she continued, letting out a chuckle, "your dad is quite talkative you know."

January 16th, 2014