13
The raw power that coursed through his veins ignited something in him. The rush it gave him awoke something in the Saiyan hybrid that he didn't think he possessed. The urge to fight, to destroy, to punch something in the face and feel the bones of a nose cracking against his knuckles. It made him feel invincible. The power was everything. It swallowed him whole, made everything else seem obsolete.
It felt… incredible.
Gohan looked at his hands, watching in wonder and awe as bolts of electricity danced and crackled around them. It had taken a lot of hard work, but he had done it. The Ascended Super Saiyan looked up and smirked proudly at his mentor.
"So, what do you think?"
Piccolo scoffed. "Tsk. To think it only took you three months to get to that level. Can you imagine how strong you could've been if you'd kept training in the past sixteen years?"
Gohan grinned. "Think I'm ready to kick Vegeta's ass?"
"I think you're a waste of potential, but hell, what do I know?"
"You sure know how to train a guy, for one thing," Gohan replied to the rhetorical question in a joking tone. "I can't believe how strong I've gotten… I could kick ten-year-old me's ass and then some."
"Hmph, I don't believe I had that much to do with it. Your natural talent is just that impressive." Piccolo scoffed once more. "You have any idea what I would give to get a fraction of your potential?"
Gohan smirked. "I think Vegeta said something like that too."
Piccolo shook his head in dismay. "To think you don't even like fighting."
"I wouldn't say that. I had fun with you these past few months," Gohan offered. "It's the hurting people part that I don't like. The life-and-death battles. Sparring can be fun though."
Piccolo quirked an eyebrow. "Then why did it take you sixteen years to get back to it?"
Gohan let the transformation fade away and exhaled deeply. He massaged the back of his neck. "I don't know. It's just not the same without Dad around. I've only ever trained because there was a threat coming; I don't think I've ever trained for fun until these last three months with you."
"Fair enough." The Namekian crossed his arms and smirked. "I do look forward to watching you take Vegeta down a peg. That Saiyan has been getting way too cocky if you ask me, and I never liked the fact that someone like him was the strongest being in the universe."
"Yeah, that's a scary thought, isn't it?" Gohan agreed with a chuckle.
He stretched his back, extending his arms behind him, then cracked his neck and let out a sigh of content as everything fell into place.
He lowered himself into his fighting stance and smirked at Piccolo.
"How about another round? In my normal form; I wouldn't want to send you to Dende without meaning to."
Piccolo dropped into his own stance and smirked back. "That's some big talk for someone who could barely keep up with me just three months ago."
Gohan waved him off. "That was then. Now, you don't stand a chance against me."
"How ungrateful. You already forgot who is responsible for your incredible power boost? I thought your mother raised you better than this."
"You raised me too, don't put all the blame on my mom. Besides, didn't you just say it was mostly thanks to my natural talent?"
Piccolo chuckled. "Enough chit-chat. Show me what you got."
Gohan grinned, his eyes twinkling in amusement.
It had come as a surprise to him, how much he'd been enjoying getting back to training under Piccolo's supervision. With no threat looming over them and no foe to face and eventually kill, sparring truly was fun. It was even better because he got to spend more time with Piccolo. With his crazy work hours at the hospital, Gohan had had less and less free time. His mother was so proud that she encouraged him to keep working hard, but Gohan felt dejected that he didn't get to see his family and friends as much as he would have wanted.
He'd asked his supervisor for fewer work hours, which were granted to him without so much as a blink. His contribution to the medical department thanks to his success at the fundraiser had been more than fruitful, not to mention his excellent work with the patients as well as on the leukemia research. His supervisor felt that he was more than entitled to the lesser workload and even suggested that he take some time off. Gohan politely declined; he loved his job and was happy to continue with his work.
Now, with fewer hours at the hospital and a whole lot of free time to do whatever he pleased, Gohan was able to see his family and friends to his heart's content. He'd also made his comeback as the Great Saiyaman, helping out the police not only in Satan City but everywhere in the world when he came across any ongoing crime.
He'd been avoiding Videl at all costs, however, and he knew the young police detective was most likely doing the same. He hadn't seen her since saying goodbye to her that morning, three months ago.
It was right after that time that he'd decided to approach Piccolo with an unexpected request.
After the robbery attempt at the gala, something didn't sit well with him. He didn't like how easily Vegeta had overpowered him. The idea that the Saiyan Prince was the most powerful being in the universe had something unsettling to it.
Gohan berated himself for letting something so thoughtless and imprudent happen. Even though the Earth had been at peace for the past sixteen years, there was no telling if Cell had been the last enemy to threaten the planet. And if something did come to happen, then what? Were they supposed to entrust the future of humanity in the hands of the arrogant and proud Saiyan Prince? Would Vegeta even fight to save the world, or was he going to pull another "let's help Cell absorb 18 so he can get his perfect form and I can have fun with him"? Vegeta only cared about finding a worthy opponent. He would most likely put everything into jeopardy again if that meant he had a chance at facing a powerful foe given the opportunity.
There was no way Gohan was ever giving him that opportunity.
He couldn't believe it had taken him so long to realize how stupid he'd been. He'd been lucky the Earth had been peaceful while he carelessly let the last full-blooded Saiyan surpass him and become the strongest being in the universe.
Asking Piccolo to become his mentor once again had seemed like the logical next step. Gohan was amazed by his lightning progress. In only three months, his power had grown to unbelievable levels.
There was only one way to truly test himself, however.
Gohan strolled into Bulma's lab, greeting the genius scientist with a warm smile and a wave.
Bulma wiped her hand with a smudged cloth. "Hey, Gohan. What brings you here today?"
The young man rubbed the back of his neck and gave his friend an awkward smile. "Well, actually, I came to apologize to you… in advance, I mean."
She quirked an eyebrow at him, urging him to explain himself. Gohan chuckled uneasily.
"Um, you see… I kinda got back to training… since the gala actually."
"Wow, seriously?" Bulma moved closer to him, her eyes wide in astonishment. "What changed? I thought you didn't like fighting?"
"Turns out sparring can be fun," Gohan offered, scratching his cheek. "I guess I didn't know that since I only trained to save the world as a kid…"
"Ouch. That's sadly very true, you poor thing." Bulma tilted her head to the side. "But why would you be apologizing about that?"
"Well, no, that's not why I'm apologizing to you in advance." Gohan sighed softly. It was probably weird to come to Bulma first, but he'd felt like he had to. She should be warned of what awaited her. "See, one of the reasons I wanted to get stronger was that your husband really got on my nerves, back at the gala. I wasn't strong enough to get back at him then, but now, it's a different story."
Bulma put her hands on her hips. "Seriously? In only three months? You do realize Vegeta has been training like a possessed crazy man while you focused on your career? You actually believe you surpassed sixteen years of intense training, not to mention in a gravity room that goes up to three hundred times the Earth's gravity, in only three months?"
"I don't just believe, I know I'm stronger than him," Gohan replied with a rare cocky smirk. "And I came here to tell you that I'm totally gonna kick his royal ass."
Bulma snorted and laughed into her hand. "Geez, Gohan… you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
He grinned playfully, but a guilty glint shone in his eyes. "Well, I just wanted to give you a heads-up because… well, it's likely Vegeta is going to be super grumpy in the next few days…"
Bulma suddenly stopped laughing, her eyes widening in realization. Horror and dread struck her face, freezing her features. Gohan leaned his head to the side with a guilty grimace.
"Yeah, I know… You have to live with him and all, so I'm really sorry I'll be putting you through that."
But Bulma was still frozen in horror. Gohan sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping, and turned to leave.
Just as he was about to hit the button to open the sliding doors, Bulma's weak and dread-filled voice stopped him.
"Do you really have to?"
He let out another deep sigh. "I'm sorry, Bulma – yes, I do. I have to make sure I've surpassed him. I can't let Vegeta be the strongest being in the universe – it just doesn't sit well with me."
"It hasn't bothered you in the past sixteen years…"
He turned around and gave Bulma a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Bulma. I wish you didn't have to be collateral damage, but I have to do it."
She huffed indignantly and crossed her arms. "You Saiyans. And here I thought you were different, Gohan… turns out you're just like the rest of them, wanting nothing more than a good fight."
"Aww, come on, Bulma, you know that's not true." Gohan scratched his head. "I admit that I have been looking forward to kicking Vegeta's ass since the gala…"
Bulma scoffed, as though he'd just confirmed what she said about Saiyans.
"But that's only because he really pissed me off, and I think that's pretty human for a reaction, isn't it?"
She observed him with a deep frown; Gohan was looking at her expectantly, fidgeting nervously where he stood, fiddling with his hands – as though he needed her confirmation, as though he wasn't sure himself and needed to be reassured. As though he needed to hear from her that he was more human than Saiyan.
"I guess…" she admitted with a tired sigh, running her hand through her short blue hair. "And I'll admit that Saiyans aren't the only fighting-crazed people – there are plenty of humans like that too."
Gohan felt a painful pang in his chest and couldn't help the wince that took over his features.
Yes, he was well aware of that fact. He happened to know a young woman with a fighting spirit that rivaled that of his father. He also happened to be madly in love with her.
Goodness, he missed Videl so much…
"Well, I guess there's nothing to do about it since you've made up your mind," Bulma conceded, raising her palms upwards with a defeated shrug. "I'll just have to bear with his highness' moods. Meh, I'm used to it anyway."
She suddenly perked up and her lips broke into a broad grin. Gohan raised an eyebrow.
"Or maybe I could just go away with Trunks for a few days!" she exclaimed excitedly. "That sounds a lot better, actually – I think I'mma do just that." She looked at her watch. "We should be ready to go in about an hour I think, and you guys are probably going to take a few hours for your fight, right?"
"I'll bring Vegeta to some wasteland," Gohan offered with a smile. "I wouldn't want to destroy your house and all."
Bulma nodded her head. "Sounds good to me. Well, go on ahead, then. I gotta wash up and get everything ready for me and Trunks."
Gohan chuckled. Well, that solved it. He was glad Bulma wouldn't be enduring Vegeta's bad moods after he showed the prince who was the strongest now. He knew letting her know about it would be a good idea.
Videl let out a tired sigh, leaned back on her desk chair and massaged the back of her neck. She was finally done with her report. She had never liked that part of the job, but Videl understood how important it was to be succinct and as detailed as possible when writing a police report. It was one thing to catch a bad guy, but what good would it do if the perp walked away from a lack of incriminating evidence?
She and a few of her colleagues had busted a major drug cartel. A lot of arrests were made, cleaning up the streets of the city of the persistent vermin. It had been a big hit and Videl was proud of the work she and her fellow police detectives had done. Drugs destroyed so many lives every day, so with that cartel out of the way, it meant a lot of poor users might try to sober up. At least, that was what Videl hoped. It may be naive and probably a little too optimistic, but she wanted to believe her job wasn't pointless.
Videl looked at the clock on the wall. It was nearing seven, which meant her work hours actually ended almost an hour ago. She smiled and stretched her back, her arms extending above her head, and then she got ready to leave, happy with her workday and looking forward to getting home.
She didn't have any plans or anything. Videl hadn't been going out much in the past few months, not really feeling like seeing other people. Erasa was the only one who had been able to pull her out of her shell every now and then, but the young mother didn't have that much free time either.
Adam had called a few times at first, but it was right after her date with Gohan, and Videl didn't feel like seeing anybody else. It had been three months now, yet her heart was still weeping miserably, yearning for the man she loved.
Videl sighed deeply as she grabbed her leather jacket from the coat hanger. She had been avoiding the crime scenes where Saiyaman appeared; it wasn't like she was needed once Gohan got involved. It hurt her pride to admit that, but Videl preferred that over having to face Gohan again.
It was still too soon, too painful.
Yet, Videl still hoped – with every fiber of her being, she wanted to trust him again. She wished for Gohan to succeed in proving himself to her. She missed him so terribly; she endured his absence like a stab in her heart with every day that passed. And the still vivid memory of their last date only made things a thousand times more excruciating.
Oh, how she wished he didn't have to go. She longed to be in his arms again, to feel his warmth, his unconditional love for her wash over her being, soothing her searing wounds and tormented soul.
It had been three months since the last time she saw Gohan, and eight months in total since their breakup. Would the pain of losing him ever lessen? Was she doomed to be heartbroken for the rest of her life? Would she ever be able to move on and fall for someone new?
Did she even want to?
Videl heaved out a dejected sigh, hugging her jacket around her as she leaned back against the wall. Truth be told, being with anybody else was the farthest thing on her mind. Gohan was the only one she wanted, and despite everything, he would always be the only one for her.
Her only hope now was that she eventually learned to trust him again.
Videl swallowed thickly. She couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal when she thought of what Gohan did to her. If only things had gone differently… If only he had just admitted to being Saiyaman before it was too late…
She sighed once more and straightened up, rubbing the nape of her neck. She looked back at the slowly emptying precinct, at the few devoted officers, detectives, sergeants and even secretaries who worked extra hours just to finish up what they had started.
To get her mind off her disastrous love life, Videl had been working like crazy. It was one of the reasons they had finally apprehended the drug cartel after years of working the case: Videl had given everything she had and it had paid off.
At least one good thing came out of her shattered heart.
The earth vibrated under her feet. The police detective frowned. Satan City wasn't prone to earthquakes, even if that tremor had felt pretty mild.
Another one made the ground shake, but this time was a little stronger. And then the next one forced the young woman to grab a hold of the shelves next to her to maintain her balance.
What the hell was going on?
Videl crouched down and moved to get under the closest desk for safety. Everybody else was doing the same. Casey, the captain's secretary, joined her under the same desk, fear and worry blemishing her pretty features.
Videl grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Casey turned to her.
"It's going to pass," Videl said with a reassuring smile.
"But what's going on? Satan City has never had earthquakes before…" the young woman uttered in confusion.
"That's not entirely true," pointed out an elderly police detective, hiding under the desk next to theirs. "You probably don't remember since you were only kids at the time, but the big fight against Cell had caused the whole planet to shake violently, very much like right now."
Videl widened her eyes. Detective Badge was right. The tremors they were experiencing right now were oddly similar to the ones the battle at the Cell games had provoked, sixteen years ago.
Furniture fell over, and Casey shrieked when the computer that had been above their heads crashed right in front of them. Videl pulled the younger woman to her and held her tight, trying to comfort her as much as herself.
"It's going to be okay. I'm sure it'll be over before we know it," she said, trying to sound convincing.
But if these tremors really were similar to the ones from the Cell games, if there actually was some big super-powered fight happening somewhere on the planet right now, who knew how long it was going to last? In the meantime, they were all stuck here and could only wait it out while praying it wasn't going to cause any serious damage, or worse, that it wasn't going to harm anyone.
Videl felt her heart tighten unpleasantly. Could it be Gohan fighting? Was the Earth in danger again?
She hoped it was just a natural earthquake. At least that would mean the Earth wasn't under attack.
Fortunately, Videl's assumption was mostly wrong. She was right to assume that a deadly super-powered battle was the cause of the violent tremors affecting the whole planet, and she was right to conclude that Gohan was the one fighting, but other than that, the Earth was still at peace and no new foe was attacking it. The only thing disturbing these quiet times were the criminals that would always infect the world no matter how hard the champions of justice worked to get rid of them.
In a wasteland far, far away, two Ascended Super Saiyans were facing each other for the first time in over twenty years. Unlike what Gohan and Bulma had believed, Vegeta was not at all peeved that he was struggling against the younger warrior. On the contrary, the prince was thrilled that he was finally getting a real challenge. Gohan had surpassed his expectations – the hybrid prodigy was indeed the stronger warrior now – and yet Vegeta was elated at the idea.
After sixteen long years of wandering about with no real goal in his life and no real purpose; after sixteen years of training as hard as he could more out of habit and boredom than anything, Vegeta finally had something to look forward to again. He had a new rival, someone who not only posed a challenge to him but also gave him the drive to train harder than ever once more, someone to catch up to.
As much as he'd abhorred coming second to Kakarot and then to Gohan, not to mention to his own son from the future, life had become so dull for the Saiyan warrior that the prospect of a new purpose in his life was simply exhilarating.
He wiped the blood trickling down his chin and smirked at the younger Super Saiyan.
"I knew you had it in you," he said. "To think you got that strong in only a few months. Your potential will never cease to amaze me."
Gohan quirked an eyebrow at him. "Did you just pay me a compliment?"
"Heh. Blame the boredom of these times of peace."
Vegeta dropped back in his fighting stance, his hand curling in front of his forehead while pulling his right arm behind him, his fist clenched tightly. Bolts of lightning crackled around his limbs and his golden aura expanded as the Super Saiyan summoned more of his power.
Gohan followed suit, dropping in his own stance. "I take it you're having fun?"
Vegeta scoffed, rolling his eyes, but the twitch of the corner of his lips was unable to conceal his budding smile. He really was having fun – for the first time in over sixteen years, he had finally acquired a more than decent sparring partner.
They rushed each other once more, their powers colliding violently, creating shockwaves that, unknown to them, affected the whole planet. But the two warriors were too focused on their battle to realize what was happening and what they were causing as they clashed forces without holding anything back.
Vegeta was having the time of his life. He hadn't had so much fun in ages. Gohan was truly a prodigy: to think it only took him three months to rival sixteen years of intensive training.
A devastating kick sent the prince crashing into some boulders. Vegeta yelled as he rushed the hovering Saiyan hybrid once more. Gohan evaded his attacks then blocked a punch before using his other hand to make a ki-blast explode against his stomach. Vegeta gasped at the scorching pain and jumped back to create some distance between him and his adversary.
Gohan didn't just rival him: he surpassed him.
Vegeta smirked as he locked eyes with the younger Super Saiyan. Finally, after so many years of boredom – finally, a worthy opponent.
A deep frown furrowed his brow as he flew over small towns and big cities on his way home. Everything was a bit… damaged. Buildings and houses had cracks all over, the cemented ground was split in various places, and the people looked terrified.
A dreadful feeling rose within him. Was it…? Did they cause this? In the heat of the battle, Gohan hadn't even realized how destructive his fight with Vegeta was being… How could he have been so careless? He had just traumatized the whole world with that stupid fight. How could he be so irresponsible?
His heart tightened as he thought of all the people he cared about. Goten should be fine, and he was most likely able to protect their mother, but what about Grandpa Ox? He lived alone in his big castle, which could've very well collapsed from the shockwaves of his violent battle with Vegeta.
Gohan changed course and rushed to the mountain area. He had to make sure everyone was okay. Next would be his friends in Satan City.
His throat tightened. Videl was okay, right? She was tough, of course she was okay. She was, wasn't she? If anything had happened to her because of him… If anything had happened to anyone because of his careless decision to fight Vegeta, Gohan would never be able to live it down.
He gritted his teeth. Why didn't he realize what was happening? He'd been so caught up in the fight… He'd been having so much fun facing Vegeta…
What was he becoming? This wasn't like him. He should've been more careful. He should've guessed that this might happen. He should've brought Vegeta to a better place for their fight. He should've fought him in the Room of Spirit and Time on the Lookout – the world would've been safe from their powers if they kept their battle in another dimension. Why hadn't he thought of that before?
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Gohan berated himself.
He was completely spent after his fight with Vegeta, but he turned Super Saiyan nonetheless and tore through the sky as fast as possible. Something occurred to him then. His brow furrowed deeper as he focused his senses, trying to find his family and make sure everyone was alright.
Goten was easy to find, and as he had thought, his little brother was with their mother… and their grandfather. Gohan stopped in his tracks and blew a long breath of relief. They were okay…
He turned his head around then and searched for the people he cared about all over the world. Unable to help himself, he started with Satan City, filtering through the masses of ki signatures for the one he was most worried about.
"Ahh…" he sighed in relief, running his hand over the back of his neck. "She's okay…"
He should've done that from the start instead of working himself up, but in his panic at the thought of having hurt his loved ones with his carelessness, Gohan simply hadn't thought of it. Next, he checked up on Raven and on his other work friends, and while finding their weaker ki signals was a little more difficult, Gohan was able to make sure everyone was okay.
He needed to check the news as soon as possible. The dreadful feeling was still there, weighing on his chest. He couldn't ever live with himself if he had caused any harm to anybody…
Videl scrolled down on her phone, her frown deepening as she read the headlines. Nobody seemed to know what happened, but apparently it had affected the whole planet. Seismologists were perplexed and they were studying the phenomenon with great care.
She set the phone on the couch cushion at her side and leaned back on her seat, her head raised and her eyes closed; she put her forearm over her forehead, letting out a deep sigh.
At least, there was no report of an alien invasion or something of the like. Still, the not knowing part was worrying and frustrating.
She knew what she needed to do if she wanted to get to the bottom of this. Videl glanced at her smartphone, biting her lip. She never found the courage to delete his phone number, so she still had it on her contact list. She could just call him and ask what happened. Gohan would know… and he wouldn't lie to her, right?
Or would he? He'd been completely honest with her about everything that happened at the Cell games, but would he really answer her truthfully if she asked for an explanation? Maybe he wasn't okay telling her everything, maybe he had only meant to tell her about Cell and nothing more.
But there was only one way to find out…
Would she dare? She hadn't spoken to him in three months; they'd been avoiding each other since their last date together… Would Gohan even answer if she called him?
She groaned in frustration and got up. She stomped toward the bathroom and went for a shower, hoping to clear her mind and maybe, just maybe, find the courage to call Gohan.
She recognized the beautiful doctor. Videl fidgeted nervously, her hands closing and opening again and again at her sides as she observed the attractive young woman.
Was she Gohan's girlfriend? Videl felt her throat close up at the very thought. It wouldn't add up, though… Gohan swore he was never giving up on her, that he would always keep fighting for her, that he would do everything in his power to regain her trust… That meant he wouldn't be seeing anybody else, right?
Or maybe he had one-night stands in the meantime… After all, he was a man and he had needs, and with his physique and his personality, Gohan wouldn't have a hard time picking up girls if he wanted to.
She shook her head sharply. This wasn't any of her business either way. Gohan was free to do whatever he wanted, and if he was dating that African beauty, then that had nothing to do with her. She couldn't keep hoping like this, it wasn't healthy. She might never be able to trust him again, no matter how much she wished she could. Hoping things would miraculously change was pointless.
She had to move on, and she had to let him move on too.
Raven turned around and started going on her way, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she recognized the police detective. She blinked, her eyebrows raised in surprise, and Videl felt her face flush.
"Hello!" Raven greeted her warmly, walking over to her. "Do you need anything? Are you feeling okay? Or maybe you're here visiting someone?"
Videl thought she saw a playful glint in Raven's eyes at the last inquiry, but she dismissed the idea.
Why did she come here, for that matter? How did she even end up in this place? Videl remembered getting in her car and going for a ride to clear her mind, but somehow she found herself parking by the hospital where Gohan worked. And then, before she could stop herself, she actually went inside and started looking around for him.
"No I… I'm okay…" Videl lowered her head and scratched her cheek. "I don't really know what I'm doing here, to be honest…"
Raven perked up. This was a good sign, right? Maybe Videl got worried about Gohan after the earthquake. Maybe she realized she might have lost him and didn't want to spend another second away from him.
But, wait… Raven frowned slightly. That didn't add up. After the gala, Gohan had explained to her what he'd done to Videl and how much he screwed up, and that meant Videl knew he was Saiyaman, so she wouldn't really get worried about him since she knew he had superpowers, would she?
Aw, man, that was too bad. Raven really hoped things could work out for Gohan and Videl…
"Ah, okay…"
She scratched her hair and looked around, not really knowing what to do with herself. She wished she could help Gohan, somehow. But how? What was she supposed to do? Should she do anything at all, for that matter? She might make things worse if she tried anything…
Why did Videl come, anyway?
"He's… he's not here yet. Gohan's on the night shift."
Videl stiffened, her eyes widening as she kept staring at her feet. "I don't… I never said…"
Raven smiled fondly. Ah, that girl was so cute. She sure got why Gohan was so crazy about her.
"How about some coffee? My treat," the young doctor offered.
Videl looked sideways, tucking her short strands behind her ear. Raven felt a little pang. Damn, she sure was pretty.
"I… uh…"
"One coffee won't hurt, right?" Raven went on. "I was just about to go get one myself actually, and I wouldn't mind some company."
"Ah… well… I guess… um… okay then…"
Raven chuckled. So adorably awkward. Gohan had great taste in women.
She wasn't sure as to what she should say. Could she even make a difference? Raven sighed softly, absentmindedly making circles in her coffee with her spoon. Videl had taken a decaf, which made sense since it was getting late and she didn't need to be up and alert all night.
"Say…" started the police detective, her voice hesitant. Raven looked up at her. Videl's attention was focused sideways, unwilling to meet her eyes as a light blush was tinting her cheeks. "Um… I know it's none of my business but, um, I was just wondering…"
Raven tilted her head in confusion as the young woman across from her trailed off.
"Yes?" she encouraged her to go on. "What is it?"
The red on Videl's cheeks deepened. "You and Gohan… Are you…?"
Raven blinked, not quite sure what the unfinished sentence meant. And then it dawned on her – Videl's embarrassment, not to mention her attachment to Gohan; she must be wondering whether Gohan was seeing anybody. The mere concept of any sort of romance with her younger friend was so ludicrous to Raven that she didn't put two and two together right away.
She laughed into her hand, trying to muffle the unattractive noise. "Me and Gohan? No way! That'd be like incest – he's like a little brother to me. He's way too young to be my type anyway."
She saw the tension leave the young woman's shoulders as a deep sigh of relief slipped from her parted lips. Raven smirked knowingly. Well, if she had any doubt before, the doctor now had all the confirmation she needed: Videl still had feelings for Gohan.
"Ah… Good. I-I-I mean… I didn't mean it like that…"
Raven chuckled as Videl tried to correct her slip up. So adorable.
"You, on the other hand," she said in a suggestive tone, "you're totally my type."
Videl widened her eyes and stared at her, her jaw hanging, her face bright crimson. Raven laughed in amusement.
"Don't worry, I won't try anything. I would never do that to Gohan," she added with a wink.
Videl tried to say something in reply, but she was so flustered that only unintelligible stutters came out of her mouth as her gaze dropped once more. Raven felt like she could melt.
Oh, she was too precious. She was so perfect for Gohan.
If only he hadn't screwed up so awfully. Raven totally got where Videl was coming from, and she wasn't sure she herself could've forgiven the person she loved if he or she ever did the same thing to her. The feeling of betrayal, of having been played with… Trust was such a fragile little thing. Raven wasn't sure Gohan would ever be able to get it back now that it was broken. It had already been eight months since he and Videl broke up, and it didn't look like Videl was any closer to forgiving him.
It was so unlike him, to do something like that. Videl must have driven him completely mad if Gohan couldn't even control himself…
Her phone chimed in her white coat's pocket. She apologized to Videl and fished it out, turning on the screen to check her new notifications.
It was a text from Gohan. Raven raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing with Videl in the cafeteria?"
She immediately looked around, expecting to find Gohan, but apparently he was staying out of sight. Raven rolled her eyes. Seriously? She was giving him the perfect opportunity to make an approach on the woman he loved after three months, and his first reflex was to hide?
Her phone chimed again as Gohan sent her another text. "Stop being so obvious, geez!"
She frowned in amusement. "Where are you anyway?" she wrote back.
"It doesn't matter. Can you please answer my question? Why are you having coffee with Videl?"
"She turned up at the hospital and looked a little lost, so I asked her for coffee." She smirked as she continued typing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to steal her from you, even though I would be very tempted. She's so beautiful and cute!" Raven added three heart symbols.
"I'm well aware… Thanks for your consideration."
She giggled. Although it was usually hard to tell over texts, Raven could very well feel the sarcasm in Gohan's written message.
"Um…" Videl cleared her throat and the young doctor looked up at her. "I should probably get going…"
"That'd be a shame," Raven smiled coyly, resting her chin on the back of her hand. "Gohan's just arrived, and he seems a little worried I might steal you from him," she said with a wink.
Videl chuckled uneasily. "So it was him texting you, I see."
"I wonder why he came in so early?" Raven said, looking around once more to try and find where her friend was hiding. "His shift doesn't start for at least three hours."
"He was probably worried about you, knowing him," Videl guessed in a heartbeat, leaning her elbows on the table and crossing her arms over the surface; she was looking to the side, her eyes unfocused. "After the earthquakes."
Raven observed the young woman. "That does sound like him." She smiled. "You really have him figured out, huh?"
A small, wistful smile curved Videl's lips as she finally turned to look at her. "I guess."
"You came here to see him, right?" Raven asked, deciding to go for it. "But you know about him. About… his secret identity. So it's not because you were worried about him."
The brunette raised her eyebrows in astonishment, sitting up straighter on her chair. "He's told you."
Raven smiled. "We've been friends for years, but Gohan only told me at the gala during the robbery; he wanted to reassure me that it was going to be alright."
Videl looked down at her hands on her lap, her eyes unfocusing once more. "Did he tell you… what he did?"
"How he lost control with you? Yeah, he told me." The young doctor heaved out a dejected sigh. "I feel awful for you two. You're so perfect for each other, yet one mistake ruined everything."
Videl swallowed thickly. "Tell me about it…"
"He's not seeing anyone, you know," Raven admitted. She saw the way Videl's breath hitched at the information, and the reaction made her smile. "He hasn't been with anyone else since you broke up with him. He doesn't want anyone else."
The pretty brunette bit her lip. "Really…?"
"Are you that surprised? Gohan's completely crazy about you, and he's not the kind of guy who can be with a woman when his heart belongs to another."
"That… does sound like him," Videl breathed out.
"I get that you can't trust him anymore, I really do. But it's just… It's such a shame. When two people love each other as much as you and Gohan do, it's just not right, you two not being together."
"You think I don't know that?" Videl was frowning at her as she said that. "You think I can just choose what I want to feel? If I could, believe me, I would've long forgiven him. I would've jumped in his arms and never let go."
"Sorry…" Raven sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. "But, Gohan's very dear to me. I know he screwed up, and if I were in your shoes I wouldn't be able to forgive him either… It just breaks my heart seeing him so distraught and depressed over losing you."
Her phone chimed, vibrating loudly against the table. Videl peeked at the screen as it turned on and Gohan's name appeared. Raven raised an eyebrow as she picked up the rectangular device and opened the text.
"Stop, Raven. Just stop. I know you mean well but you're not helping, and you're only making Videl feel more miserable about our situation. Anything you could come up with, I've already tried. There's nothing you could do, so just stop. Could you maybe try to cheer her up instead, please? You're always the best at making me feel better when I'm down, and Videl needs someone like you right now. I'm sorry you got mixed up in my screwed-up love life…"
Her eyes were welling up as she read his message. Raven sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her wrist.
"What's wrong?"
Raven shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, smiling at the young woman. "Hey, do you know the breakfast joke?"
Videl quirked a skeptical eyebrow. "Uh… no?"
"Yeah, it's not my cup of tea, either."
Raven grinned as she got the response she expected: Videl snorted laughing into her hand. While the beautiful brunette got over her mirth at her clever pun, she wrote Gohan a reply.
"Better?"
Her phone chimed almost immediately after. "Thank you so much, Raven."
She smiled fondly. "Where are you? Why are you still hiding?"
"I wouldn't want to ruin the mood now that you just lifted it."
Raven rolled her eyes. "You won't. Besides, Videl came to see you, and she must have her reasons. Aren't you curious as to what they are?"
She saw the three little dots move and then disappear – and then it happened again. And again… Raven smirked. She had him there.
"What is it?" Videl inquired, still smiling at the silly joke. "You're texting Gohan again, right?"
"I'm telling him to come out of his hiding spot. You wanted to talk to him, right? That's why you came to the hospital after all, isn't it?"
"Well… yes… but…"
Raven perked up and immediately wrote another text to Gohan. "See?"
Videl coughed into her fist, her cheeks reddening. "Um… Could you maybe give him a message for me?"
Raven frowned. Damn it. Since Gohan was obviously in hearing range, now there was no way he was coming out of hiding.
"I actually… I just wanted to ask him if he knew what happened today," Videl went on. "I figured he must've been involved in some way…"
Her frown deepened. "Why would he be? How could he be, for that matter?"
Her phone chimed once more. Raven looked at the screen, a skeptical expression on her face.
"She's right," Gohan had written. "I'm responsible for the shockwaves today."
She gaped. "Wha…?"
"What did he say?" Videl asked eagerly.
Raven scowled and turned off the screen of her phone, keeping it in her hand as she stubbornly crossed her arms. "I'm not your postal service. If you want to ask him something, do it yourself."
Videl slumped her shoulders and let out a deep sigh. "I guess that's fair…"
When he was looking for Raven to make sure she was alright, that she hadn't gotten injured or something during his fight with Vegeta, Gohan had been so shocked to see her sitting with Videl that his first instinct had been to hide, using his super-speed to get under one of the tables of the cafeteria without being seen.
He had the worst first instincts in history. Why did he keep putting himself in awkward situations? Didn't his horrible mistake with Videl teach him anything at all?
Gohan had made sure to put his phone on silent mode when he started texting Raven. He was only a few tables away from the women, which had allowed him to eavesdrop on their conversation.
He sighed softly. What now? Raven didn't want to play the messenger, and Videl wanted to talk to him…
He wasn't even surprised that she'd figured out that he had something to do with today's shockwaves. Videl was just that clever. It was no wonder that she was one of the most promising police detectives of the city.
He did not want them to see him come out from under the table, though. That would be too embarrassing.
Good thing he had super speed.
He phased out and reappeared by the entrance of the cafeteria. From the distance, he saw Videl frown, and then she turned to look straight at him, as though she had felt the shift in the air. Or maybe it was just her intuition.
Gohan swallowed, feeling his heart go crazy as he got to gaze into those gorgeous blue eyes once again. His face felt flushed, his hands were moist; he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.
One look from her, and he was already a flustered mess. How did she do that?
Raven followed Videl's gaze; she rolled her eyes. "Finally!" Her chair screeched as she stood. "I'll leave you two alone then."
As she passed him, however, his friend lowered her voice when she addressed him once more, "I expect a full report later. I want to know what you meant in your last text too, but that can wait." She winked at him and added, "Good luck."
Gohan nodded in understanding and gratitude. He watched Raven leave, if only to postpone the moment he would have to face Videl again.
He could feel her eyes on him, and a trickle of sweat rolled down his throat. He swallowed thickly.
It wasn't even about explaining to her what happened today. He was fine with telling Videl anything she wanted to know – he trusted her. He would even be willing to tell her about his alien half.
And maybe he should. Maybe Videl would feel more inclined to trust him again if he showed her that he didn't want to keep any secrets from her.
She just made him so damn nervous.
Gathering his courage, Gohan turned to meet her gaze once more. He offered her a sheepish smile and a wave. He liked the way she smiled back at him, the way her beautiful blue irises twinkled with amusement.
He walked over to her. Not once did they break eye contact as he got closer and then pulled up the chair Raven had just left before sitting down across from the woman he loved.
"Hey," he said softly, his eyes sparkling as he gazed upon her. His heart was leaping in joy, doing all kinds of weird happy dances in his chest.
Three months. It had been three months since he last got to lose himself into her beautiful blue eyes.
Three months without her… It felt like an eternity.
"Hey," Videl replied, and Gohan could see from the twitch of her lips how much she wanted to grin. His heart swelled; his eyes softened.
"So, I hear you wanted to talk to me?"