Disclaimer: This is a Fan-fiction. Dragonball, Z, GT and Super are the property of Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.
Chapter 14
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Videl was still standing in the courtyard of the town hall. The mayor and Officer Goodenough had been rescued from their rooftop confinement and were being treated by paramedics. The semi-trailer blocking the access was being moved, but none of registered to Videl. She was looking Officer Goodenough's badge, having recovered the Gang leaders gun. The gun itself was now nothing more than a paperweight, the badge splitting into the side of the barrel, jamming the gun. How? Videl looked to badge's owner, he was looking at her, his face a mask of shame and guilt. The young Satan purposefully made her way over to the ambulance the officer was at.
"Sorry doc, could I have a minute with your patient?" She asked the EMT, aware that he wasn't a doctor. The man recognised her and nodded, politely leaving the two alone. "So, I can thank you then?" Videl asked, throwing the gun and badge in his lap. "I assume it was you who threw your badge so hard it split the steel of a forged handgun." She watched the tell-tale signs of a guilty mind present. "Who? Ian please. Who has been helping you?" Pointing to the gun. "How did they do this?"
"I don't know." The officer said simply. "I only just met him. He took them all down. Throwing men like ragdolls, knocking them out in one blow. I don't know how he did it." Videl could sympathise, she had no idea how it was done either, but she wanted a name. Grasping his shoulder had the desired effect of focusing the man. "It was that Gohan kid." Videl smirked in victory. "At the bank too. He told me to take the credit, it would get me off the street and Videl." He stared into her, eyes frantically. "I can't stay in the field, I'm not built for it. I'm sorry but just want a desk job."
Videl could understand. Ian was no beat-cop, the sight of him beneath the trauma blanket the EMT had provided proved that. The man nearly twice her age looked like a frightened child. Hell, it was the first thing that had happened this week that she did understand. What the teen wanted to know was, how. Videl looked up at the street lamps which illuminated the courtyard, a smirk crossed her face. "Videl." The mayors voice called out. "Was that other person a student of your fathers? I thought I made it clear that we can't have every member of the Satan gym running around as vigilantes."
"He wasn't from my father's gym." Videl said evenly.
"Well then who was he?" The mayor retorted the mayor, his confusion evident.
"I don't think I truly know." Videl replied softly, more to herself. "But, I have a suspect." She added slightly louder. Flashing the mayor a grin, the teen looked back up at the street lamps and the security cameras attached to them. "And soon I'll have proof."
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Videl had left the scene and proceeded straight down the street to the station. The camera footage would be stored on the police servers, and at least two were facing the right way. So, with any luck, the teen crime fighter will have caught how her classmate had done… whatever it was he did. Videl's mind was racing she needed to know what trick he used. The footage may not give her all the answers but it would give her something to hold over the one who could. Videl rounded the corner and began to approach the surveillance desks. "So, what can I do for you today Videl?" The old officer asked, beginning to rise from his behind desk.
"Hey, I need to check out the CCTV footage from the cameras by the town hall courtyard." Videl answered walking toward the veteran officer. "No need to get up. I know how to call it up." She added taking a seat at the desk opposite the older man. "How's the leg?" Videl inquired politely while accessing the footage. The incident that had maimed him had also signified the start of Videl's work with the police, the day after was when Videl had been given her badge.
"Oh, y'know changes with the weather." The veteran officer replied, taking his seat again. "Can't complain though, still have it. Thanks to you."
Videl shot the old man a gentle smile. "Hey, you got yourself out. I just kicked open the door." She said encouragingly. She turned her attention to the screen and selected the corresponding files. "Besides, I was too busy to help you out. Women and children first, remember." Videl shot another friendly smile his way as the footage loaded. The old man laughed and returned to his work, Videl focused on the screen. She advanced the footage to the time she arrived at the scene and began to switch through the different cameras to see which afforded the clearest image of the courtyard. When she had settled on a camera, one which faced the buildings front and was far enough away to have the roof in frame, Videl played the footage.
She was approaching the big guy, Videl could remember his anger when she told him that her father wasn't coming. That it was beneath someone like him to dirty his hands dealing with trash. She watched as the fight began, the martial artist in her critiquing her own performance. Suddenly a figure appeared to flash on the screen surprising Videl, both on screen and watching it. The Boss pulled his gun, and Videl's face morphed into confused awe. A hooded figure leapt down from the roof, attacked the four men and then threw them into the other two causing all six to hit the getaway car. When she tried to find the hooded figure, she couldn't, he was gone. Videl reset the playback and began to control the speed by hand.
She sped it to the moment that had distracted her during her fight, then reduced it to half speed. The white flash, Videl saw, was the hooded figure. It was Gohan. She played it back again, this time scrolling through frame by frame, like an automated slideshow. Videl's mind came to a stop. Gohan in his travelling cloak seemed to fall into frame and land next to the Mayor and Ian, grab them and the carry them onto the roof of the building, all in the space of two seconds. His motions slowed after by comparison, Videl could clearly make out the tall teen grabbing Officer Goodenough's badge, leaping off the roof, throwing the badge to save her, striking down two thugs upon landing and then using the belts of the two behind him to throw them like ragdolls into their gangmates. Without a check, he turns and vanishes.
Videl stopped the video and reversed it a few frames. Gohan was standing, his face visible to the camera. It was him. She clicked through the remaining frames. He turns, looking like he is about to start running and then gone. Videl sat back just staring at the computer. That can't be right. That's not possible. Videl stood angrily and started running out of the station. "Videl. What's wrong?" She heard from behind her but did not respond, she needed to get to her phone. She needed to talk to Erasa. To warn her that Gohan was dangerous and to hear from her friend that what she saw was not possible.
The moment Videl was outside she threw out her jetcopter capsule, opened it and climbed inside. Videl had left her phone in the pilot's door of the copter rather than risk breaking it in the fight. She immediately dialled Erasa's number. Videl didn't get the chance to say anything though. Erasa instantly began to speak in a hushed tone but at such a speed it was like her mouth was on fire. "Videl, Gohan was at the bank. He told me, well not exactly told me but just as Bulma arrived he rushed off to help you." Videl just opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, like a fish on land. "Bulma said he stops crime where ever he goes, apparently it's a part of his training."
"Training?" Videl repeated.
"That's what I said." Erasa continued, barely stopping for breath. "I asked Bulma what sort of training and she said she didn't know. But it was martial arts training." Videl was confused, she had spoken to him about his martial arts and he had said he didn't train. A flash a comprehension, the tall teen hadn't said anything of the sort. He had been vague and dismissive but he had not lied, he just wasn't truthful. "I said you wouldn't be happy when you found out and she said the was no point trying to catch him, he didn't do anything wrong, but she doesn't know you like I do." Videl loved her friend, faithful to the bitter end. Loyal to her over even Bulma Briefs. "Gohan said he was going to visit his grandpa, so just go to his house." Erasa said with an air of accomplishment. Videl was going to thank her when another voice spoke.
"I wouldn't. If your friend likes living I wouldn't just plan a surprise visit to his house."
Videl assumed to faint voice was Bulma. "You heard that?" Videl heard her friend ask, but couldn't hear the response. "Trust me." Erasa said. "My videl can handle anything."
"That's right." Videl agreed. "Can you find out where he lives?" She pressed and heard Erasa pass on the request.
"Ha like I'd tell you two that, I value my life too much. Tell her to ask her dad." Bulma's voice said, distant clear.
"Did you catch that?" Erasa asked.
"Yeah, but what does my dad have to do with Gohan?" Videl replied confused. Erasa relayed the query but wasn't graced an answer.
"It doesn't matter anyway, Videl." Erasa said sagely, then whispered. "How did we find that creepy stalker." Videl chuckled. "Anyway, I got to go. We're at West City." Videl said her farewells, promised to update the blonde and hung up the phone. Erasa what am I going to do without you? Videl laughed at the rhetorical question, started the engine and made her way back to the school, she needed to look through the student directory.
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It had been hours, Videl had lost phone service about twenty minutes ago. The forest beneath her stretched on for what seemed like forever. Why would anybody in their right mind want to live all the way out here? There nearest Village was forty minutes behind her. The answers Gohan possessed had better be worth it, if it turned out to be some elaborate trick she may just beat him up for wasting this much of her time. As she continued to stare out over the sprawling forest, Videl began to run through questions in her mind. Who trained him? How had he taken down those men so quickly? Did he have something to do with the Bus? When she told him that story, he hadn't seemed surprised. In fact, he asked if she believed the old woman about the three-eyed cloaked hero. What it him? Did he save her? If so, then how?
The console before her suddenly beeped sharply indicating that they had arrived at the GPS coordinates she'd entered. "Finally." Videl said and cast her gaze across the horizon again. "Great. There's nothing here." she said to herself, before noticing a small coulomb of smoke rising from a small house in a small clearing. "I guess that's it. Looks more like a hunting shack." Videl said to herself. It wasn't strictly true, it was a modest cottage, just it's location gave it a more rustic appearance than it deserved. She manoeuvred the craft to land in the clearing well away from the house, she didn't want to startle anyone inside. Videl got the feeling these people didn't receive guests very often. Upon exiting, Videl's suspicions were confirmed when she was met by a woman in her mid to late thirties giving her a very unwelcome stare. "Uh hi." Videl said walking toward to woman. "My name is..."
"Don't care." The woman replied curtly. "You are not welcome here."
"Okay." Videl said cautiously, who did this woman think she was. "I'm just looking for Gohan. Is he here?"
"No." The woman replied just as short. "Leave."
"Do you know when he will be back?" Videl asked in her most respectful tone. "It's very important that I speak with him. He was involved in a police incident. Will you tell me where he is?"
"No, Leave." Was all Videl received.
"Alright look here lady. I travelled a long way to get here, I'm tired and I've had a weird day. So why do you get off your high horse, pull that stick out of your butt and actually help me? I would appreciate that." Videl said walking right up to the rude woman. "Or would you rather just continue being a dragon to perfect strangers."
The woman was mad, furious. Maybe the teen had gone too far. Whatever, it felt good and it's not like the housewife could really do anything about it. This thought it turned out, was not true. The angry housewife moved like a coiled snake, her hands formed into the shape of a serpent's head of the eastern martial arts. Videl had seen it before but never fought against it. The crime fighter barely dodged the first two strikes, both aimed for her head. With a speed which further surprised the young Satan, the housewife swept her rear foot around, alternating her stance and nudging the teens foot in the process. Videl saw it all, felt its effects, realised her balance was slipping but Videl found she was still too surprised to correct herself properly and it took all her efforts to twist her head away from the next strike.
Videl felt it graze her ear, but rather than retracting the limb, the woman rotated her arm and grabbed the back of the teens head pulling her closer. Videl couldn't fight it, her feet were still in the wrong position, she was falling forward. Her eyes on the ground, watching it rapidly approach, were suddenly wrenched closed as a crippling pain erupted from her side. The force of the strike the woman had landed, hit the teen out of nowhere, it's inertia shifted her a good metre away for the woman and left her gasping for air. "You think you can talk to me like that?" The woman said, standing over her. "Did you think you could come here and just demand to see my son?" Her son? Videl remembered something Gohan had said about his mother, something about making him study in every school on the east coast, he failed to mention she was crazy. Videl eyed the Son matriarch. "Leave now." The woman raised her arm, ready to strike.
"No."
Videl's refusal had signalled the next round. The housewife's knife hand attacked lashing out, Videl however, was ready. She caught the strike with her left hand and countered with a heavy right aiming straight for the woman centre. The impact came too soon and Videl was once again shocked when she saw her attack had been blocked by the woman's knee, shock was replaced by a flash of fear as Videl realised what was going to happen. The woman's strike landed uncontested. It caused her head to ring and to let go of her opponent's arm, but rather than press her advantage the housewife began to back off. In spite of the pain in her head, Videl's mind raged and she willed all her strength into one more punch. This time, the attack was not expected, it sailed to its target and caused the older lady to fold over and stumble backward.
"What did you do to my mom?" A child's voice called out. Videl saw a boy, no older than six, run out of the house and stand protectively in front of the Son matriarch. This must be Gohan's brother, the cake stealer. "I'll make you pay for hurting her." The boy took a stance, and Videl saw that he too was trained in an eastern style. She raised her hand in defeat.
"I just wanted to talk to Gohan. I don't want to fight." Videl said, she sighed exhaustedly.
"But he's not hear, he went to see grandpa." The boy said innocently, he pointed to the south.
"Goten." The Mother's shrill voice caused the boy to visibly shake. "Go inside the house, now." The boy made to argue but a stern look finalised the issue. The woman stood and walked to the door. "You can leave now, Ms Satan. You are not welcome here unannounced."
Videl narrowed her eyes at the closing door before she turned around and began to walk to her jetcopter. It was only when she was inside and beginning the take-off procedure that she spared a look at the house. The boy was at a window waving goodbye. Videl couldn't help it, she smiled. What a sweet kid, witch of a mother though. Videl was trying to think if she had ever met anyone as rude, when she realised, that the teen had not actually given the woman her name. "How did she know…" She shook her head, of course they recognised her, the teen had one of the most recognisable faces on the planet, but why then was she so hostile. It didn't matter either way. The boy had told her the direction and now all she needed to do was catch up with him.
"You can run but you can't hide Son Gohan."
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He couldn't have come this far, she must have missed him or gotten the direction wrong after all. Videl had been running her engines on full for a full two hours now, and she had not seen an indication of Gohan, not a plane, copter, car, truck or even balloon. Videl was beginning to think that the boy had pointed in the wrong direction, she may need to call Erasa, well when she got a signal again anyway. The sun was beginning to set and it seemed to set fire to the desserts south of her. If she remembered her geography that was the Bandits Desert, Videl did not want to get stuck out there.
The teen was staring at her phone, and so, missed the faint shadow in the setting sun, signalling danger. She did notice it, when her jetcopter suddenly banked. It was so violent it knocked her from her seat. Glancing desperately out the window, Videl saw the talons of a giant tetradactyl. It had gripped the stabilising wing and currently attempting to subdue the mechanical craft. Videl attempted to get back to her seat when she was rocked again. The sound of tearing metal grabbed her attention and at its source, she saw talons piecing the hull. A second beast had joined in. Videl's mind froze as the craft began being torn apart. She was going to die. She had no other capsules, she was in mid-air and the only other things up here wanted to eat her. Yep, death was a certainty.
The cockpit of the craft was ripped in two, causing the teen to scream and begin her fall to certain doom. The moment her eyes made out the ground, a strong and sharp pressure closed around her leg. She was no longer falling, this prospect was far from pleasant though, twisting herself around Videl saw she was being grasped by the talon of one of the hungry beast. "let me go." Videl shouted, struggling in a vain attempt to free herself. She didn't want to die like this. She didn't want to die at all but she definitely didn't want to be eaten. "Let me go." She shouted again. Suddenly she was falling again.
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Gohan was running along the valley floor, soon he would reach the Bandit Desert, he should find a place to rest before then the only safe place he knew of there was Yamcha's old hide out. It had been a big day and the teen began to reap the rewards of expending this much energy. His stomach growled. "Dinner it is then." Gohan told his organ. Looking to the sky. "It's nearly sunset anyway." The teen began to search around for anything that was edible with little preparation. He was picking some desert berries when he heard the scream.
It was panicked and close by. Gohan extended his senses, there were life forces close by and one of them he recognised instantly. Videl, what was she doing out here? He did not dwell long, summoning up his aura the teen shot into the sky only to see Videl's jetcopter failing from it in the distance. Another scream focused his mind and the young Saiyan saw a tetradactyl carrying his friend by the leg. He shot forward to intercept the beast before his friend was hurt. It took moments to close the distance materialising behind the dinosaur he heard his former classmate scream. "Let me go." He struck the beast on its spine and it cried out in pain. A scream from Videl let the teen know she was free and falling.
Orientating himself to face the falling teen Gohan worked out his plan. He sped past the falling girl to a cliff top she would fall past, Gohan landed and then faced the girl. "Videl." He screamed attempting to gain her attention. She shifted her head to face him, horror etched over her usually confident features, Gohan made his move. He ran straight to the edge and jumped. Videl's look of shock and horror diluted slightly with confusion as he caught her. Manoeuvring his catch to hold her bridal style and shifted himself to get a view of their trajectory, Gohan noticed an outcropping of rock and subtly corrected their fall, closer to it. Instead of landing on it, he used it as a spring board and jumped again, aiming for a sloping wall of the cliff face, when his feet connected the young Saiyan slid down the rock face, effectively slowing his decent considerably and when the ground drew close he jumped away from the wall and landed on solid footing.
Gohan let out a breath he was holding and looked to the girl in his arms. She was staring at the ground and shaking slightly. "Are you okay Videl?" He asked, not bothering to hide his concern. The girl looked up at him smiled, gave a shaky thumbs up and promptly passed out. "What are you doing here?" The teen mused aloud.
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Drip. Where am I? Drip. Who's there? Drip. I can hear you. Hiding, like a coward. Drip. "Show yourself!"
Videl awoke sore and confused. She was cold and uncomfortable, the bed she was on was lumpy and rock solid in parts. How did she get here? Sitting up on the stone bed, the teen looked around. The dark environment gave little away in explaining where she was, or how she'd arrived. She remembered failing. Failing. Her Jetcopter was attacked, the last thing she could remember was a hungry tetradactyl carrying her away. Was this it's nest? Videl's mind screamed in panic. "No, why would there be a bed in a dinosaur nest?" Videl reasoned with herself. She needed to get a handle on the situation or her mind would trick her again. Think. The last thing you remember was failing. Then the dinosaur grabbed you, then… Videl's eyes widened as she remembered. He grabbed you, Gohan. He jumped off a cliff and caught you. The young Satan looked around for any sign of the mysterious boy, but the cave was too dark to make anything out.
The only source of light was coming from around a corner, at what Videl assumed was the entrance to the cave. There was something else to softly echoing off the walls of her new accommodations, a melody. Someone was there, whistling. Rising to her feet, Videl slowly made her was to the source of the noise, making sure to keep her weight off her sore leg. As she looked around the corner, the moonlight allowed her a better idea of where she was. She was in a cave, that much had been obvious, but it seemed as though someone had carved benches, storage nooks and other useful things into to rock wall themselves. The entrance was about twelve meters from where the teen currently stood and at the cave's mouth was the origin of the whistling.
Gohan was crouched down looking out of the cave. He seemed to be fixated on something Videl couldn't see and was whistling absentmindedly, he hadn't noticed that he had gained an audience. Videl made to walk out and confront the teen when she froze in place, her mind processed the glint of light which had flashed past her eyes, she studied the boy more carefully and noticed his head was resting on his hands and his hands were resting on a short sword. Before the crime fighter could come up with a plan to deal with the offending weapon, the situation turned more bizarre.
Gohan shot to his feet, spinning the sword to sit over his right shoulder, and leapt out of the cave. Videl ran to the entrance, ignoring the complaining limb, in an attempt to follow her quarry. The young Satan let out an alarmed cry when she reached the spot Gohan had occupied, the cave was at least fifty meters off the ground, carved into the cliff face itself. A loud roar commanded the teens attention and she saw a large dinosaur, less than forty meters from the cliff the cave was carved into. The beast was screaming, howling to the sky. Videl looked around for her former classmate, she found him at the carnivore's hindquarters, stabbing his blade into a section of the beast tail that he had evidently relieved the creature of. Videl wanted to shout a warning, to tell him to get out of there while he still could. But she didn't move, she couldn't move. The Satan City crime fighter just watched on as the beast faced its attacker, intent on revenge.
Gohan didn't flee. He stood his ground as the beast turned. The world seemed to slow down, Videl felt her breath catch in her throat, and her heart stop beating, as it lunged. Gohan though seemed immune to this doppler effect, as he flicked the meat he was holding with the sword into the air above his head and brought the blunt side of the blade down on the dinosaur's snout. The beast reeled from the hit and backed up a few large steps. Gohan stood tall, pointing the blade to the heavens and smirked snidely at the dinosaur as the end of its tall impaled itself once again on the teens blade. Videl watched in amazement as the huge lizard quickly fled into the desert. She cast her gaze back to the boy and was startled to find him waving. She retreated into the cave, breaking the line of site. What the hell? Videl was becoming panicked. She couldn't read this guy, she had thought he was dangerous before, now, Videl didn't want to imagine. She did however want a weapon of her own. She made her was back to her dark corner attempting to find something, in case Gohan turned against her.
"Videl. How are you feeling?" Gohan's voice called out. Damn he had climbed up here quickly, Videl thought she would have more time. "I figured you might be hungry. Unfortunately, I've only got a few apples until this cooks." He added and an assortment of noises followed. Until this cooks? Was he referring to the tail he had just removed. Videl poked her head around the corner to see the teen kneeling in front of a small alcove in the wall, she assumed it was a fireplace from the small vent cut into the wall behind the boy. Her assumptions were confirmed once Gohan stood brushing his hands of and hanging the meat over the fire. Videl was impressed, he'd made the fire quickly too. "Would you like some water?" Gohan asked as he store the sword in a nook in the wall.
"No thank you." Videl said softly. "Where are we?" The teen added with a firmer voice. "My jetcopter. You saved me. How?" She stepped out from the corner, feeling slightly more at ease, now the sword was no longer being brandished. "In fact, how did you move that fast at the Mayor's office today, or the bank earlier?" She noticed his body language tense slightly. "Don't lie to me." Videl warned. "I spoke with Ian. I saw the security footage. I want answers Gohan. You're going to give them to me." Gohan looked at her, his face conflicted. "Now."
"I want nothing more than to tell you, Videl." Gohan said seriously. "But I can't."
Videl narrowed her glare at the boy. "You can't?" She repeated, he couldn't be serious. "Why can't you?" the teen added, through clenched teeth.
"Your father forbade it." Gohan replied, his voice poorly hiding a note of sadness. Videl just stared at him. Bulma's words drifted across her mind. Tell her to ask her dad. What did her father know? Why was he hiding thing? They shared everything, they were the Satans, heroes to millions. Videl shook her head, attempting to focus herself. There was something going on, a conspiracy against her, and if the world's richest woman and the boy in front of her where right, then her father had something to do with it. But so too, did the boy in front of her.
"Gohan. I've almost died twice. Today." Videl began, her tone low and cold. "I am not in the mood to play games." The smaller teen approached her taller peer. "You will tell me, how you do the things you can do." Videl flashed an evil smile. "Or I will share what I know with the authorities, and not just in Satan City. I'll call in favours from every major city and we will investigate everything about you." Videl suddenly remembered Gohan's brother waving from the window and felt guilty. "Your friends, your family, anyone who has ever studied or lectured you. One way or the other I will get the answers I seek."
Gohan was giving the shorter teen a curious look. "Or, you could go and ask your father." Gohan replied evenly. Videl sharpened her glare. "I mean. Uh, it was him who told us we weren't aloud to go near you. He threatened us, kind of like you are now" He explained nervously.
"Why?" Videl asked. "Are you dangerous?"
"Yes." He replied bluntly. "But not to you."
"Wow. Don't I feel special." Videl said sarcastically. "The tricks at the Mayor's office. Are they what makes you dangerous?" She inquired. If she could keep him talking he may reveal something he shouldn't.
"No tricks Videl." Gohan said simply. "Just training."
"Training?" Videl nearly shouted, her mind reeling back slightly. "What kind of training lets you move faster than the eye can see? Huh, or lets you survive jumping off a cliff? Huh. Well. My father's student Caroni, can jump pretty high, and he, spends all his time just practicing his flying attack."
"The training you should ask your father about." Gohan's reply infuriated the young Satan. "One of my friends offered to take you to Kame House for training after seeing you fight at the Intergalactic Tournament, but your father said no." Videl was astounded. If her father knew about this why would he keep it from her? why hadn't he mentioned that there were others who had impossible attributes, that it was something that others could teach. Gohan's speed was like Hercule's amazing strength, why wouldn't her father want her to possess a greater power too. She found herself thinking back to the words her father had inspired her with. "It is a shame really." The boy continued, interrupting her. "Back then, I think you would have been open to the idea, now however, I'm not sure you are ready."
"Not ready?" Videl repeated, her confusion apparent. "What are you talking about? Are you saying I wouldn't be able to do this Kame House training? Are you saying I'm not strong enough?" She challenged.
Gohan studied her before taking a seat by the cooking meat. "At first, I wasn't a fan of Bulma's test." The boy said and shifted his attention to the caves entrance. Videl gave him a confused looked, what was he going on about. The crime fighter was about to say as much when the boy continued. "But I've come to see that such a simple question can really reveal a lot about a person, you see, it asks when a person experienced and accepted a reality, or possibilities, that were larger than themselves. One different from what they expected. A moment like that affects people profoundly, it gives them focus or a passion, which is reflective of their experience." He looked straight at her. "Erasa's story told me that she was inspired to dream beyond what was common science, that nothing was truly impossible. What it told me about you Videl, is you are scared." Videl steeled her features. "You hide your own truths and not just from others. What you know to be true, you keep from yourself. I don't understand, why?"
"What are you talking about?" Videl yelled, her patience running thin. "Because I don't believe Erasa's stupid cloud dream."
Gohan shook his head. "I can't say. It's your mind Videl." The teen stood and checked the cooking meat turning it. "But I see the passion you have for your work, that level of commitment doesn't just stem from nowhere." Videl felt herself pale slightly. "When I asked you Bulma's question I thought I would hear a reason for your pursuit of justice. Your account of what drives you so passionately to fight criminals."
"It's not justice." Videl said defiantly. "It's personal."
"I assumed as much." Gohan sat back down. "Which is why you should speak to your father. I assume he would already know why. Think of your reasons when you ask him about Kame House and be honest, if personal vengeance is your motivation then you risk following a dark path, your father may have seen this and has reason for denying you go, if he approves though, you can travel there and train."
Videl moved and sat at a bench opposite the cloaked teen. "He doesn't know why I do it, either." Gohan looked surprised this time, but he sat patiently, not speaking. "It's a memory I don't like to dwell on." The nightmare which had frequented her sleep every night this week echoed hauntingly through her mind.
"Sometimes it is what when learn about ourselves, when things are darkest, that change our lives the most." Gohan said softly, his gaze looking through her and into his own memory. A sadness crossed his own face and then was hidden behind a soft smile. Videl felt a calm emanate from the boy, it reminded her of their walk to the school, their first meeting.
Videl sighed. Maybe Gohan with all his weird friends and connections wouldn't think she was nuts. "Do you remember when the Earth went crazy?" Videl asked tentatively, he looked puzzled. "It's okay if you don't, not many people remember what happened once they came to. It was nearly ten years ago. The fog with the nerve agent went around the world and made everyone go crazy." She watched as a morbid realisation dawned on her classmate. "I was with my mother, we were using a friend's submarine to get pictures of local fish for a school project as the fog swept through Orange Star City. By the time we had resurfaced and went to find my dad, the gas had passed and everything looked normal. Until we found my dad." Videl let out an involuntary shudder. She had only told a few people this story and her father wasn't one of them, she couldn't bare to see the look on the mans face if she did.
"He was standing on the beach, just staring into the sky. My mum called out to him and he looked at us." Videl's voice dropped to a whisper. "He was different. Not himself." Her voice and pace picked up as she continued. "When he saw us, he charged. Like a crazed berserker, I was terrified. I remember my mother calling for him to calm down, then her scoping me up and running for the car. I was staring over her shoulder as the monster who had stolen my father chased us slowly gaining." Videl took a moment to calm herself. "We made it to the car and got in just in time. But my father, even in those days, was a powerful man and he punched through the window and hit my mother. I was screaming as his large arm reached for me, but mum grabbed his arm and pulled his head into the chassis then pushing him out the car and driving off."
"Videl..." Gohan began.
"Please, let me finish." She said closing her eyes. Now that she'd started Videl felt like she needed to finish. That he needed to understand. Her getting stronger was a choice, she needed to get stronger or it would happen again. "We drove until we were well outside of town. The chaos we'd seen was horrifying, people were attacking each other, smashing buildings. It was bedlam. But once we'd left the city things calmed down. My mother said that we were safe there, that there were no people who could hurt us." Tears began to form in her eyes. "But we weren't safe, the woodsmen and the animals in the forest had been affected too. A swarm of creatures burst out of the trees and attacked our car. We tried to get away but we were knocked of the road. We fled, as fast was we could, looking for any place to hide." Videl could feel the tears falling down her face. "We came across a cabin, its roof was missing sections and looked flimsy but it was something so we rushed inside and my mother lent against the door. She told me to hide but the small shack was empty, there was nowhere to hide." The teen spat the last part, her shame overflowing. "So, I climbed up a fallen beam, hid on the roof and I cowered there. I heard the door give way, my mothers screams and I thought I was next. Then the rain began."
"As it fell, I could feel the change. The violence and hatred that poisoned the forest dissipated." Videl opened her eyes and stared at her audience. "I looked to the sky and I felt it wash over me. I remember clearly a single drop landing on my tongue and I knew at that moment that I was going to be okay, that my father would be fine, that the nightmare was over."
Gohan seemed to hear what went unsaid. "Your mother?" His voice soft and sad.
"She saved me. Gave her life to protect me." Videl felt her resolve harden. "I promised myself right then, on that dingy tin roof, that I would never cower like that again. I would face that darkness just like she did. I would not let another die because I was to scared and weak to fight." Videl stood, her eyes burning with fury. "So, what does that say about me? Huh. What does Bulma's test say about that!"
Gohan didn't react to her anger, Videl was thankful. She didn't mean to get that way it was just a sensitive topic. "It tells me that your mother loved you very much." Videl's tears threatened to return. "Please Videl. Talk to your father. This training will continue the path you started walking that day" He stood and prodded the dinosaur tail. "Here, you should eat something." He said tossing her an apple. "The meat will still be a little while. If you're not a fan of apples, there are some berry bushes near here. I can get you some of them instead."
"Where is here?" Videl inquired, glad for the temporary reprieve the change of subject granted.
"It's a cave that a friend of mine used long before I was born." Gohan let out a chuckle. "Yamcha the Bandit his name was, I think they named the desert after him."
"Your friend? An infamous bandit." Videl asked.
"He was, not since I've known him. Yamcha plays baseball now." Gohan explained.
"Wait, Yamcha the star Titans player. Was a bandit?" Videl asked incredulously.
"Yeah, hard to picture." Gohan said laughing. "I can't picture him threatening anyone." He laughed harder. That wasn't where Videl's mind had gone. She had trouble with the idea that the sporting role model had lived a life of crime.
"Didi Yamcha train at this Kame House too?" Videl inquired shifting the conversation back to the reason she was here.
Gohan nodded. "Yeah after his first year he was a finalist in the World Martial Arts Championship. I think he has given up the art now. But when I first met him he seemed amazing."
Videl sat thoughtfully for a moment. The more Videl thought about it, the more questions she came out with. Things she would have dismissed as crazy suddenly deserved proper consideration. "You said one of you and one of your friends saw me fight at the Intergalactic Tournament?" the short teen inquired. Gohan nodded in reply. "Did you guys have something to do with the terrorist event during the main matches?" She added hesitantly, Videl had spent years convincing herself that what she had seen was a fantastical delusion caused by a concussed head.
"Yeah three of my friends had to leave midway through." Gohan confirmed. "But it wasn't a terrorist attack Videl. Your father's slogan was correct in the end, it truly was and intergalactic tournament."
"What, aliens?" Videl scoffed. She knew there was life in the stars, but that it would fly to earth just to test their strength was a bit silly.
"Yeah. Ironic, huh?" The spikey-haired boy said evenly. Like it was a normal conversation. "They came looking for trouble but they bit of more than they could chew. Seems to be a habit of Beings plaguing Earth, don't you think?" The boy asked seriously. When Videl just stared at him, Gohan shook his head. "Never mind. But yes, Bojack was his name and he wasn't a terrorist he was a powerful alien martial artist."
"I was there Gohan. Martial Arts doesn't create explosions like that. Nothing makes explosions like that." Videl explained. "It doesn't cause people to catch fire like that." She added softly, barely above a whisper. "I would like to ask your friends about it. Are any of them at Kame House?"
Gohan nodded. "Yeah, Krillen lives there now."
"Then tell me where it is." Videl demanded. "If my dad has really kept all this from me then he won't just let me meet them." She reasoned. "I'm not going to let this go Gohan. So, you will either tell me where it is or I will just follow you until you lead me there or to someone who can." The teen added in a tone which prevented further discussion on the issue.
Gohan walked to the cave entrance, the bright moonlight gently illuminating the boy. "Could you come here?" Videl raised an eyebrow but moved to stand near the tall teen. "Could you try calling your Nimbus."
Videl let out a frustrated sigh. "Gohan that's Erasa's delusion, not mine."
"It's not a delusion, just a few hundred years ago there were lots of Nimbus clouds apparently." Gohan informed her. "Even now, there are large bundles of them over the forests of Korin." Videl didn't know what to think. He couldn't be serious, magic clouds were as real as genies. "Just call for it. Humour me, please." Gohan encouraged. She shook her head and said the name, looking impatiently at her companion. "As loud as you can. We don't know where the cloud is." Gohan said smiling. Videl wanted to smack him again.
"Nimbus." She screamed into the moonlit night. Her voice Echoing across the desert plain. "There. See, nothing. Can you please tell me where I can find this Kame House?" Videl asked impatiently. Gohan was scanning the horizon, apparently, not even listening to the raven-haired fighter. "Gohan." He smiled as she spoke, his eyes danced with excitement. Suddenly he turned to face her, put a hand on her shoulder and with a dazzling smile on his face, he pushed the teen from the cave.
Time slowed as the reality of what was happening sunk in. Videl was beyond the point of recovery, she instinctively began to turn to face the ground. The desert floor loomed beneath her, the irresistible pull of gravity was drawing her down and there was nothing she could do. Gohan had killed her. She screamed, the teen couldn't help herself, the fear had taken over. Her vision suddenly filled with the golden sand and her momentum was arrested far soon than the teen expected and her death had been a lot less painful or eventful than expected. The teen pushed herself off the soft fluffy surface and just stared. She was still in mid-air kneeling on a cloud. Videl took in a shaky lungful of air. "Gohan." Videl said in a small voice.
"Yeah." The teen in question cheered. "That is your Nimbus." He exclaimed.
"Gohan." Videl said again. Her voice carrying a more dangerous tone. "You pushed me."
"Uh, yeah." Gohan said sheepishly. Videl imagined him scratching his head like an idiot.
The young Satan spun around and pointed at the boy. "When I work out how to get back up there…" Suddenly the cloud lifted, startling the teen. It stopped level with the cave and Videl took the opportunity to jump back into the cave. She stood with the hand on her knees trying to will away the adrenaline pumping through her system. "You pushed me." Videl scream grabbing the boys cloak and pulling his face down level with hers. "What were you thinking, you idiot?" She screamed.
"Uh sorry." Gohan apologised. "I thought it would be funny." He laughed nervously. Videl's gaze became furious. The taller boy shook his hands defensively. "I do that to my brother all the time."
Videl was appalled. "You push your brother off cliffs?"
"Well yeah." Gohan replied casually. "I mean, the Nimbus always catches him so it's sort of a game to the little guy."
"Wait, so that cloud." Videl pointed to the magical golden wisp floating at the caves entrance. "Is yours?"
Gohan gently grabbed Videl's hands and removed them from his cloak, rising to his full height, causing the short teen to crane her neck. "No. This one is yours." He said walking up to the cloud. "Hello there." He said kindly to the cloud. "I've never met another Nimbus cloud." The teen looked into the sky and shouted for a cloud himself. Videl watched in amazement as a gold streak began to make its way across the sky toward them. It soon parked itself next to the one Videl had called. The two clouds seem to bounce excitedly for a second then they merged, pulsed and separated. "Curious." Videl looked at Gohan, he was staring at the two clouds in as much amazement as she was. He noticed her looking. "I've only ever known of my father's cloud, I've never seen them interact."
Videl looked back to the pair. "It's like they are speaking." Gohan made a humming noise in agreement. "Why do I have one?" Videl asked absentmindedly.
"All I know about them is they stay near Korin Tower unless they have an owner, then they will travel where ever their owner goes." Gohan replied. "You need to have a pure heart to ride one, so riders are very rare." He turned to face her. "Kame House is in the sea a few hours south west of Fire Mountain. I am heading to Fire Mountain in the morning, you can travel with me until then if you want." Videl faced her classmate. "But first I think it's time to eat."
Videl's stomach growled loudly, causing the teen to blush. "Yeah, sounds good." She agreed. Taking her seat on the bench again. "I thought you were visiting your grandpa." Videl commented as Gohan passed some cooked tail. "Why would you let him live at Fire Mountain near that horrible Ox King." Videl asked before taking a bite. It was surprisingly tasty.
"My Grandpa is the Ox King." Gohan replied, causing Videl to choke a little. Gohan offered a water bag to the coughing girl. "He's not horrible. Those stories are from ages ago. He really is a sweet man."
"I'm sorry. I didn't…" Videl began but suddenly stopped. My grandpa is the Ox King. Gohan was the Ox Kings grandson. Then his mother, that woman. An image of Chichi holding her side flashed passed her eyes. Was the Ox Kingdoms princess. The one Gohan had said caused seventy fighters to run scared because someone stained her dress. "Oh. No." Videl's eyes darted to Gohan, who was looking at her with confusion and curiosity. "Your mum. She doesn't hold a grudge… Does she?"
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A/N Thank you to all those who reviewed and sent the PM's of condolence and support it was quite touching. A thank you to those who Fav'd/Followed. It is encouraging to know that some are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it.
It has been a common theme of criticism among reviews that there are some grammar and spelling errors (probably more in this chapter too. Sorry in advance.) so I will be going through the story shortly and fixing these small hiccups.