AN: Ahh. I have officially completed my first, full-length fic. I'm so proud! Here's hoping I can spend more time updating this story than worrying that I haven't written in my other one.
Disclaimer: You're feeling guilty and I'm well aware, but you don't look afraid and baby I'm not scared. That Song (Follow Me) is property of Uncle Kracker. The characters used in this fic and the show they're from (Dragonball Z) is property of Akira Toriyama.
Last Time:
"You like?" He laughed and Videl blinked. "How did you manage to get yourself into there?" Videl huffed in embarrassment and tried to wiggle out of her upside down position inside the orange helmet.
"Oh, shut up." She mewed. Gohan just laughed.
"Come on." He bent down and pulled Videl to his chest. Her eyes fluttered at the warmth he gave off and the sweet smell of soap and grass. "Let's go to bed."
Chapter 11
Videl yawned. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she looked down at her front paws, stretched out on the bed in front of her. The sun was up and was spilling in through the open curtains into Gohan's room.
Videl frowned. Where is Gohan?
True enough, the bed was empty, its covers thrown back where its owner had pushed them away in his rush to get up.
I'm not that deep a sleeper. If Gohan got up it should have woken me up too. Pulling herself to her feet, she sniffed the air curiously. No food, so Mrs Son can't be up yet. And I can't hear the shower running. Hmm, I wonder what Gohan does first thing on a Saturday morning.Videl sighed. Now what?
Suddenly her ears pricked up, her head twisting towards the window as she heard muffled voices coming in from outside.
Leaping from the bed, she hurried across the room and pounced up onto the window ledge. The window had already been unlocked and it only took a slight nudge on Videl's part to get it to open all the way. Placing her front paws on the edge of the window, she leaned out into the early morning air.
Below, Goten stood on the grass in his brightly coloured gi, arms stretched over his head.
"Come on, Gohan!" He called towards the front door. Gohan called something back, but the sound was muted by the walls of the small house.
Whatever Gohan had said made Goten roll his eyes, before racing to the door and pulling his older brother out by the arm. Videl's face lifted in a smile.
"Gohan!" She called down to him. "Meow! Meow!"
But Gohan couldn't hear her. He was saying something to Goten, laughing and shaking his brother's arm off.
"Meow! Meow!"
Suddenly, Gohan became quite serious. He stopped laughing and his hands became fists. He said something and Goten nodded, taken in by Gohan's change in attitude.
"Gohan! Gohan I'm up here! Meow!" Videl kept calling to him happily, trying to get his attention.
Then she stopped. Gohan's hands raised up to his chest as he took a deep breath.
"Go… han?"
White fire was flowing up around him, like when he was flying, but fiercer, like it was trying to burn him. Videl's ears drooped. It was almost… frightening. But it kept getting stronger and faster, until it was all around his body, until it hurt to look at and Videl had to close her eyes.
When the light died down, she opened her eyes.
It was like someone had turned off the sound. Because she couldn't hear anything at all. All she could do was see.
Because right there - in the middle of the Son's garden - was the Gold Fighter. Just like everyone described him. Bright gold hair and green eyes.
"G-Gohan? It was you?" But he left. Running away from the house with his younger sibling. Videl watched him go, wide eyes staring after his retreating form until she couldn't see him any more.
She sat down heavily on the window ledge. I should have known. I should have known he had more than Saiyaman to hide. But I… I don't understand. How? People can't just… transform. Right? It's not possible. It's like… I don't know.
Videl took in a shaky breath. Why am I so surprised? Gohan's full of surprises. You said so yourself. Still, saying something and actually seeing it in action are two very different things.
Shaking her head roughly, she turned around and jumped off the window. Pull yourself together Videl. So what's the problem? All this really means is that Gohan's got something to answer for when you get back to normal.
Videl frowned mournfully as she set off down the stairs. When ever that'll be.
The feline padded silently into the living room. No sounds could be heard anywhere inside the house, so Videl figured Chi-chi really was still in bed. She looked up at the clock on the mantle piece. It wasn't even 7 o'clock yet.
Her heart stopped beating.
Why hadn't she seen that picture before?
That one hung up on the wall by the window.
Because that was exactly what it was like.
That was exactly what Gohan had reminded her of just then.
Because there, on the wall by the window, was the boy from the Cell Games.
And his father.
And Mrs Son.
Videl squinted against the onslaught of wind that whistled through her fur. She moved closer to Goten's body. It was surprisingly cold up above the clouds.
Nimbus was carrying them at a speedy pace, soaring alongside Gohan in the mid-morning skies.
Videl looked over at the teenager, clad in his Saiyaman outfit, his long red cape fluttering behind him, school bag at his hip. Inside were the test tubes and papers he had collected from the labs in Satan City the day before.
She watched his face, only his mouth visible beneath the thick metal helmet.
Gohan. He was the boy at the Cell Games. He fought Cell. And he was just a kid.
No matter how many times she told herself that, Videl just couldn't seem to get her head around the idea. How could Gohan, sweet naive Gohan, have fought the greatest super power the world had ever seen?
But he did.
Videl's tail flicked. Her father had always told her that the things the people from the Cell Games did was all a trick. An illusion. But…Gohan really could fly. There was no illusion behind that.
Did that mean all those balls of light were real too? Dammit, if I could just look at the tapes again. Maybe I could see something-
Videl looked down at the ground. The huge buildings of Capsule Corporation were already lurking below them, drawing ever closer as the three descended.
Gohan's feet touched the ground and the Nimbus cloud stopped beside him, hovering patiently. Videl jumped out of Goten's lap onto the ground next to Gohan's feet, giving her ruffled fur a shake once she was safely back on four feet.
Goten hopped off the cloud as well, giving it a cheerful goodbye and racing towards the building.
"Oh, Gohan?" The boy ground to a halt, looking back at his brother. "You are going to come and play with me and Trunks today, aren't you?"
"Sure, Goten. I just need to go see Bulma and then I'll come and play for a little while. But then I need to go and see if the police have anything more on Videl, all right?"
Goten seemed to think about this for a while. "Ok, Gohan. But you have to play for more than a little while because you haven't played for AGES."
Gohan just laughed. "Ok, Goten. I promise not to play for too short a time."
Goten grinned at his brother, then raced off into the building. Videl looked up at Gohan, who sighed happily and pressed the button on his watch, bringing back his street clothes. Then he smiled down at Videl.
"Well, lets go then, Neko. If we don't hurry, who knows what Goten might do to me."
Videl watched as Gohan walked after his younger brother. Under her fur, she blushed.
Gohan and Videl walked through the doors to the private laboratories at Capsule Corp. The usual array of mechanical contractions, blueprints and silver metals greeted them and a gentle bleeping sound drifted through the room.
Videl followed Gohan through the strange array, walking behind the tall boy as he wound his way through the mess of mechanical parts.
"Hey, Bulma. Good morning." He called, spotting the heiress from her position behind a computer screen in the back of the large room. She looked up and smiled warmly.
"Hi, Gohan."
"What are you looking at?" Gohan asked, coming to stand behind her and looking over her shoulder.
"Actually, I was just looking for new reports on your friend, Videl. I must say you peaked my interest the other day. It really is like she just evaporated."
"Well, then, I've got a present for you." Gohan said, pulling his bag off his shoulder and placing it on the desk next to Bulma's keyboard.
"Really, what is it?" Bulma asked curiously, opening up the satchel and pulling out some of the papers, looking down at the small black print.
"I went to the research centre where I last saw Videl, like you said, and they gave me a few things. Some stuff about the projects they've been working on and any chemicals they've been using… and I got you some samples to take a look at as well. Just… don't tell them it was me who took them."
"Gohan, I must say, I am surprised." She smirked up at him. "Stealing? You? You must really like this Satan girl."
Gohan laughed nervously, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Really, Bulma! It's not like that!"
Videl stared at Gohan as he scratched subconsciously at his neck, which had now turned a fetching shade of pink. Could what Goten have said last night been true? Does Gohan…Videl felt her own skin heat up, a strange squeezing feeling tugging at her chest.
Bulma smiled victoriously, her eyes dancing happily. "Whatever you say, Gohan. Anyway," She got up from her seat, taking Gohan's bag with her and putting the papers back inside. "I'll take a look at this for you. Who knows, it might actually get us somewhere."
"Thanks, Bulma. That's a big help." Gohan told her, the last strains of pink still lingering about his features.
"No problem, kid. It's what I'm here for." Bulma smiled, hitching the bag onto her own shoulder.
"Oh, is it alright if I leave you to it? I promised Goten I'd play with him and Trunks while I was here."
"Please do! Trunks has been on at me for days about getting 'Goten's big brother' to play with him. It'll be good to have him quiet again." Bulma laughed, shooing Gohan out of the room, Videl hot at his heels.
So, thanking Bulma again and bidding her farewell, the pair headed to Trunks' bedroom.
Gohan is Saiyaman. Videl pondered to herself. And he's the Gold Fighter. And he was the boy at the Cell Games. And he might…he might be in love…No, don't be stupid. That's nothing but the thoughts of a 7 year old boy and the gossip of a middle aged housewife. Just because you're a cat doesn't mean you have to take these things so seriously. You should know better. Besides, there are far bigger things to worry about right now-
"Human-cat." Videl's feet froze on the carpet, her head flying around at the sound of another cat talking to her.
"It's you." Videl mewed back, spotting Dr Brief's little black feline looking at her with its big eyes from down a separate hallway leading off from where she stood.
"Human-cat. Follow me." He said, before bounding off down the corridor. Videl looked up only to see Gohan walking away from her, having not noticed the other feline's presence.
After a moment of indecision, Videl raced after the small black cat.
Gohan looked behind him. "Neko?" The empty corridor stared back at him. "Where did she go?"
"Hey! Hey, wait up!" Videl called down the corridor, the little black cat ahead of her not paying any heed as he kept up his fast pace. Videl tried a different approach.
"Where are we going?!" The other cat didn't say anything, but he slowed down enough so that Videl was able to come level to him. "Well, where are we going?" She asked again, this time to the cats face.
"To show you something." Was all the other animal said in his usual slow, high voice.
"Show me what?"
"Something."
Videl frowned at him. Can't this thing ever give me a straight answer?
The two cats reached a set of steps, which the Briefs cat hopped down with well practised agility. Videl stopped for a moment, then, not wanting to loose the cat, bounded after him with all the grace she could manage with her limited experience.
At the bottom, the other cat had stopped to wait for her and when she finished her decent, ran off again, leaving Videl to chase at his heels.
"What did you mean the other day? When you said Gohan had secrets?" Videl asked, calling at the cat between gulps of oxygen.
Again, the cat didn't speak.
"Did you mean that Gohan was at the Cell Games? That he fought Cell?" She tried. But still the cat wouldn't answer. Remembering something, Videl shouted at the cat. "Is Gohan a Saiyan?"
Nothing.
Videl growled impatiently, dragging in air as she ran through the continuing labyrinth of the Capsule Corporation.
Wait. Something hit Videl. Saiyan? Like… Saiyaman?
"He must be!" She said aloud. "Gohan must be a Saiyan! Is that why he can do all those things? Because he's a Saiyan?"
"I suppose so."
So he IS a Saiyan! At last, a straight answer!"But what's a Saiyan?"
Suddenly the two cats were outside, Videl squeezing out of a barely open door after her companion.
"What are we doing out here?" She asked him, as he walked off across the grass of CC's back lawn. Breathing in the fresh air heavily, she walked after him, her legs a little unsteady after the endless run through the large building.
"I must show you something." He mewed by way of explanation, his wide eyes set dead ahead.
Confused, Videl continued to follow the small feline across the neatly cut grass, until they reached the tall fence that ran around the outside of the grounds.
Instead of stopping, the small cat slipped through the bars of the fence and walked out into the street. Videl, unsure for a moment, slipped uncertainly through the bars after him.
"Where are we going?" Videl asked again, as she followed the other cat quickly across the road, thankfully clear of cars. The cat wouldn't reply, but he stopped as he hit the sidewalk.
Videl came up next to him, looking at him expectantly. When he didn't move, she followed his line of vision into the small area between two buildings. For a while neither of them said anything, both watching something, though Videl wasn't sure what.
"Look, there's nothing-" Videl stopped mid-sentence. Now she saw it. It was quick, but from out of the darkened spot they had been watching, sprung a cat, it's mottled brown fur flashing in the afternoon sun.
And, around it's front leg, was a ring of gold.
"T-that's my hair piece." Videl muttered in a daze, before springing into action. "Hey! That's mine!" She yelled after the cat, then ran down the street, chasing after the retreating figure.
Inside Capsule Corp a curtain was released, allowing it to float back into place.
"What will you do now, girl?" Vegeta muttered to himself, with a smirk.
Yes. This was certainly becoming very interesting.
AN: Well, you wanted some movement. I think that's moving a little better now. I had to change a few things in my plan for this chapter, but I'm glad I did. I'll need to change some of my plans for the next few chapters now but that's simple enough.
Oh and welcome to the New Year!