Fated
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Dragon Ball Z
A/N: Notice how I'm easing Gohan and Videl into a relationship… no rushing from me!!
WARNING: There is violence and gruesome images in this chapter… nothing too bad but you can skip the dream sequence which is in italics if you like.
G. Login: Hah, just gunna have to read and review to find out!!
Aaron Leach: Mmkay!
ShadowMajin: Thanks! Can you point out the misspelled words?
D: Thank you! There are several things you have to take in account why Trunks doesn't sense Gohan… First, Gohan would have to be close by for his weakened Ki to be sensed, second Gohan was severely injured and has no strength to raise his Ki, third Gohan would hide his Ki so he would not be detected by the androids, and fourth, even though Trunks is now a Super-Saiyan he is still not skilled enough to be able to control his powers enough to be able to sense him…
H-bomber: Why thank ya!
Jordan: Well, considering this is a Gohan x Videl orientated fic it will focus more on them HOWEVER Trunks have a large part in this story… I won't tell you how however, you're just going to have to read and review to see…
Ellie9125: Thanks! Will do!
VegetaTrunks: Thank you! I find this story interesting too :P
Linbug: Hah, like I said to the others, you're just going to have to wait and see! But I'll tell you this… you won't be disappointed!
Hqudsi45: LOL that all depends on if people find my story interesting and leave a comment… those encourage me to update faster :)
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Days later, somewhere a huge explosion was heard as a building went up in a fiery inferno. People screamed and tried to flee as two sinister beings stepped out of the flames, evil radiating from their eyes and giving them an eerie glow. The androids walked calmly toward the scurrying people, lifting their hands to "put them out of their misery". People turned to ash as the androids shot laser blasts at them, incinerating them as they tried to crawl away fruitlessly
Seventeen grinned wildly and shot a family in a car trying to escape and crowed with joy as it exploded and burned the poor souls alive. Eighteen stood by with a little smile on her lips, watching her "brother" have his fun. "Come on Seventeen this is boring… no more people to kill! Let's go to another city." She said, turning to leave.
Seventeen turned to his "sister" and smirked. "Yeah alright…" he said and walked in step with her.
"Too bad we killed that one guy…" Eighteen said.
"Who? You mean that guy who you said changed his hair color to blonde only to copy you?" Seventeen teased with a sneer. Eighteen glowered at her brother and crossed her arms.
"Don't start." Eighteen growled, earning another laugh from her brother who placed a hand on her shoulder, smirking good naturedly… if that was possible for a machine of death.
"Alright, alright… you're right though – at least he was an amusement!" Seventeen relented and then gestured toward what looked like a still functional car. "Shall we?" he asked excitedly, loving the prospect of watching the helpless people run for their lives as he ran them over mercilessly.
"Yeah sure, why not…" Eighteen said, rolling her eyes at her brother's "immaturity" and striking an old woman who was hidden in the rubble trying to escape through the heart, watching her ruby-red blood join the hundreds of others as the painted the streets crimson before jumping in the car with Seventeen.
Elsewhere, in a secret, underground refugee camp a man thrashed in his sleep as the waking nightmares of the world captured him and haunted his dreams, not giving him the solace he so craved…
Gohan ran desperately, trying to escape the echoing sounds of death and destruction as he searched for the source of the sinister laughs in the darkness. He raised his only arm and tried shooting ki blasts but the more he tried to fight the louder the laughs became. "Oh look Seventeen! He thinks he can put a dent in us! How cute!" Eighteen mocked but Gohan could not see her and searched around wildly.
"Here I am!" Seventeen materialized before Gohan and socked him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Gohan groaned in pain and knelt over, feeling dizziness wash over him; he gasped when he felt a pair of fists slam against his spine, knocking him flat on the ground.
"Well well well… you think you can escape don't you?" Eighteen asked and Gohan felt her materialize behind him; he turned around and his eyes widened when Eighteen maneuvered her hand into a knife and struck Gohan's legs one by one. Gohan screamed in pain, feeling his legs torn off by the mechanical monster.
"Where do you think you're going?" Eighteen sneered as she watched Gohan try to crawl away, leaving a trail of blood behind him. She laughed and stepped heavily on his spine, making him scream louder in pain as she crushed him. Suddenly Seventeen appeared before him again holding Trunks by the hair. Gohan groaned and tried in vain to get to his "little brother" but to no avail.
"G-Gohan! Help me!!" Trunks sobbed, tears running freely down his cheeks mixed with the blood from his numerous injures as he made a futile attempt to get the android's vice like grip off.
"No! Let him go!!" Gohan demanded hoarsely, trying desperately to ignore the fact that his lungs were being crushed. Seventeen only laughed with much amusement at his demands and struck the boy's chest with his hand, ripping out his heart.
"Ahh, much better…" Eighteen mocked above Gohan, pressing harder on the fallen hero's chest.
"Arghhh-NOO!!" Gohan cried and desperately to get away; his eyes widened again and he felt tears weld when he saw Seventeen now hold up the kind stranger he had come to know as a dear friend by the neck. Videl moaned in pain for she could not scream as her throat was being constricted by the machine.
"Mmm I like the sound of that, don't you?" Seventeen asked Gohan, grinning cruelly and licking Videl's cheek. "She has such a lovely voice doesn't she? Let's see what her voice box looks like!!" Seventeen suggested excitedly and shoved his hand down her throat brutally, ripping out everything he could grab slowly, watching her thrash violently against his grip.
"NOOOOOO!!" Gohan cried as he struggled with all his strength against the floor, watched the androids drop Videl on the floor and smile as she writhed in pain, unable to scream as blood pooled out of her mouth. Gohan roared in fury and managed to lift his hand up, intended to make rubble out of the infernal android. Gohan screamed as he shot a Ki blast with everything he had.
When the dust cleared Gohan felt his heart constrict and shatter at the site of Seventeen holding up Videl's now completely ruined body in front of him. Gohan has just killed her…. Gohan screamed and tried desperately to get Eighteen off him but he could not and was forced to watch all his friends and family die by the hands of Seventeen one by one, each in a different, gruesome way.
"YOU MONSTERS!!" Gohan shot up from bed and jerked his head around frantically, panting heavily and searching wildly for his enemies. When Gohan's senses finally returned to him and he realized he was still "safe" underground he calmed down as much as he could and tentatively lay back down on his bed.
Gohan shut his eyes and clutched his hand over his chest, not caring if he tore the medical-gown. "Damn them!" He cursed the androids, trying with all his might to stop himself from weeping at the thought of Trunks dying by the androids. 'Trunks… Please be safe…' He thought, opening his eyes and glancing up at the broken, non-functional ceiling fan.
Gohan's vision blurred as he thought of his "little brother". Sure Gohan cared deeply about all of his friends and family and he was beginning to feel something strong for Videl but Trunks held a special place in his heart. The bond he and Trunks shared was something more than sibling… they were more than friends, more than master and student, more than brothers… to him, Trunks was something altogether different; their bond was more father and son than anything else.
"You had better be safe…" Gohan sighed and his gaze flicked to the door, feeling Videl's Ki approach. Moments later the door to Gohan's room entered and Videl walked in with a strained smile.
"Hello Gohan!" She said, going to stand next to him. Gohan sat up again and Videl blushed when his eyes probed her. Gohan examined Videl with alarm and then lifted his eyes to hers, a questioning look obvious in his gaze.
"You're hurt! What happened?" Gohan asked, setting aside the people he could not help at the moment from his mind to concentrate on someone he possibly could.
"Um… well… it's nothing, I'm fine – how are you today? Sorry I didn't visit you yesterday or earlier today…" Videl said, trying to dodge the question; Gohan frowned, obviously not letting her dodge it.
"Videl – what happened?" Gohan demanded. Videl frowned and crossed her arms; Gohan did not miss the wince when she did so.
"I told you, it's nothing."
"I don't believe you."
"WELL YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TRY!!" Videl snapped, shocking Gohan. Videl didn't quite know why she was so angry and frustrated, maybe she was just weary from the constant horror in everyone's life …maybe she was just frustrated because he was so determined, or maybe she just didn't want him to worry…
Videl turned to leave but Gohan reached over quickly and grabbed her arm, tugging her back and surprised at his strength when the little tug forced Videl to crash land against him on the bed. For a moment neither spoke as they stared into each other's eyes, then Gohan asked again, "Videl… tell me what happened…" he whispered, trying to ignore how right she felt against his body.
Videl felt a similar feeling as she blushed and resisted the urge to glance at his lips. "A-Alright…" She whispered back, crawling off him and turning around so he wouldn't see her grim expression and worry for her. "Yesterday… I went topside with a team of medics to another city to search for survivors… we weren't expecting the androids to be there already and they attacked the ambulance… I was the only one to escape with my life but I was powerless to stop those damn androids as they killed the survivors who ran out when they saw us… I… I don't know how I managed to survive but I was later found and was being treated all last night and this morning…" Videl confessed.
Gohan, shocked and enraged by the story tried to get up and go after the androids who hurt so many and almost killed the person he was coming to care deeply about, however, his wounded and broken body protested loudly and made it a challenge for him. Videl gasped when she saw Gohan stand shakily to his feet and rushed over to gently press him back down on the bed. Gohan only resisted slightly before letting her push him back. "Don't! Please don't try to leave… I… I know I can't do anything to stop you when… when you're healed… I know you must live your… own life… but please, please just stay and recuperate first!" Videl pleaded, feeling her eyes brim with tears.
Gohan sighed, relenting to her request and his expression softened when her tears fell. Gohan caressed his thumb over he cheeks, wiping the tears away and smiling sadly. "Okay Videl… I'll stay a little longer… until I'm fully healed…" he promised and smiled a real smile when Videl's expression changed to relieved and happy, breaking through the sadness.
Gohan felt his gut twist… but this time it was a pleasant feeling. He came to realize that he enjoyed Videl's company and found a strange solace when she caressed his face when she thought he was asleep or help his hand when his dreams turned into nightmares and the warm, affectionate smiles she gave him when she thought he was not looking. His heart soared when she smiled and ached worse than his broken rips crushing his lungs when she broke down in tears. He decided that she too was something worth fighting for… and perhaps, something worth living for as well.
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End A/N: Those damn androids are hateful aren't they? Ooooh looks like Gohan and Videl's relationship is growing!! Will their relationship end in a tragedy?? You'll just have to stay tuned, read, and review to find out!! Or Else!!
