Finding Android 18's whereabouts had taken less than an hour, amazingly. One conversation at Women's Weekly's offices had led to another, which had then led to a group of men with cameras, known as the paparazzi, which had then quickly led to Hercule City Lake and this shiny apartment block. Shiny and surrounded by razor wire fences. Security guards were lazing about, none of them noticing Gohan fly through an open window on the eighth floor.
18's apartment was the west-facing apartment of two apartments on the fifteenth floor, beneath the top floor penthouse that happened to be Hercule's property. Naturally, the monthly rent here was ridiculous, likely enough to buy the adobe back at 439 East District several times over. 18 had to be making a fortune with her modeling contracts. Gohan's mother would faint at such sums of money, but he didn't care; he was here for something else, except he wasn't sure exactly what.
Gohan floated up an empty stairwell with nervous tingles in his stomach. He hopped into floor fifteen's corridor, and hesitated in front of 18's door. Indecision jittered his hand. His sneakers shuffled on velvety carpet. He was close to turning away as determination surged from his gut. His knuckles rapped against cold wood.
Ten second. No answer.
Gohan knocked harder.
Again, no answer.
He hit the door three times hard enough to shake the whole thing, sending vibrations through the floor.
At last, 18's distinctive voice called from within, "Excuse me, I specifically instructed to not disturb me before lunch." Her voice was smooth and alluring. Unique. Gohan had forgotten how she spoke with cadences and inflections that no one else did, kind of like an accent. Her voice was a perfect match to her sexy body. "Well," she continued, "what is it? A package? Well? Hello?"
He stumbled on unspoken words when he sensed almost zero energy in her, as though she were any other Human. That was right. Her energy was different. And unlimited.
Abruptly, the door opened and Gohan was staring at her beauty. Those unblinking, calm, silvery-blue eyes gave nothing away. Neither did her baggy gray track suit and fluffy bunny slippers. She smelled of coconuts and chocolate, which Gohan thought quite appealing. He found himself instinctively leaning into her taller frame. All the prepared introductions he had worked on were suddenly cloudy to him.
"Hello Gohan," she said in a pleasant, android-like way. "It's good to see you again. It's been… how long? Five years since you destroyed Cell?" But the biting tone quickly returned. "And yet you're as quiet as I remember. Was your voice box permanently damaged in the fight? I don't see any scars on your neck." She was referring to that time on Kami's Lookout—the only time they had met in person. He had been either too exhausted or simply unsure of what to say.
Gohan bit his tongue, then forced words to come out: "Just over five years. I'm fourteen now."
"So you can talk." Her weight shifted from one leg to the other. "Are you going to tell me why you're here?"
"I handed in my application to Orange Star High this morning." Only when he stopped speaking did he realize his answer made no sense. His blush returned in full heat.
Her face was completely devoid of reaction for a long moment. "Are you aware this is not Orange Star High?"
He coughed into the back of his hand. "Uh, yeah. I meant to say I thought to stop by and say hi."
"Is that all?" she asked with a peculiar inflection.
"Yes, that's all. Just wondering how you've been doing, fitting in with society and everything. You know. I'm curious."
She stared him down for a longer moment while his pulse thudded louder. "Then should I invite you inside for a snack before we catch up?"
"I— I guess so?"
"Then please, be my guest, Gohan." She stepped aside, gesturing.
Her apartment was everything he had imagined and more. The floor was polished marbled beneath silver fur rugs. Silver was the color scheme here; from the chandeliers to the door knobs to the window frames, most things were were either trimmed or coated with silver, white, or ivory. She led him to sofas in front of a fake fireplace which was by an indoor spa pool big enough for several people. He sat, most careful to not touch a crystal vase holding purple flowers. The flat-screen television on the wall was bigger than the dining table back at home.
This, for sure, what not like home.
18 placed two whole strawberry cheesecakes and a bottle of iced tea on the glass coffee table. She drawled, "Try to not make a mess."
He almost started shoveling a cake into his mouth. Instead, he made sure to practice table manners, picking up the small spoon and eating bite by measured bite. The texture was creamy and crunchy, not too sweet, not too cold. It had just right amount of strawberry glaze on top, and its biscuit crumb base was just thick enough. Scooping faster by the second, he finished both cakes in three minutes flat. The iced tea was nice as well; he drank the bottle in two gulps. He burped and said, "That hit the spot. Thanks, 18!"
"You're welcome, Gohan." She was sitting on the opposite sofa with her legs crossed, her hands folded on her lap. She hadn't served herself anything.
"Did you already eat?" he asked.
She gave a tiny shrug. "I can eat or I can not eat. Food makes no difference to me."
"Huh? How does that work?"
"I live off my infinite energy reserves. Eating is… an unnecessary remnant of my Humanity, although I do still enjoy an occasional meal." That was also right. She used to be a regular Human at birth but then Gero modified her on a cellular level, according to what Bulma had discovered five years ago.
Gohan said, "That makes sense I guess. I can't imagine not needing to eat. Do you ever feel hungry?"
"I don't. I suppose I can be thankful for that." Her posture subtly straightened. "So, Gohan, how exactly did you find me? I know you can't sense my energy."
His eyes widened to grapefruits. "Uh, how exactly? It's kind of a long story."
"I enjoy long stories."
He gulped and decided to be honest for the majority: "Well, um, I saw you in one of my mom's Women's Weekly magazines, but the article didn't quite make sense. It said your name's Lazuli, you're only eighteen-years-old, you've been in gunfights with gangs, you're a big fan of Hercule Satan, and you're into skiing and science. That's your cover, right? Hercule isn't very strong; he may be strong for a Human, but he's not even on Master Roshi's level. He would've died at the Cell Games if Cell didn't hold back."
"I know." 18 nodded smoothly. "It is my cover; however, some of it is true. My original name was Lazuli, I have been in gunfights as you know, I do like skiing and science, and… I will always be eighteen-years-old or thereabout. Does this satisfy your curiosity?"
So she was immortal as Gero had proclaimed. Not immortal. Just forever young, forever living. She could still die of unnatural causes, and this wasn't a thought Gohan liked at all. Could she be wished back? Gohan scratched his chin, saying, "Pretty much. Though I'm surprised you're not hanging out with Android 17. Wasn't he wished back to life along with everyone else Cell killed?"
"He was, but we've went our separate ways. We do keep in touch."
What a relief! "What's he doing?" Hopefully nothing terrible.
"He's a park ranger. He was always fond of large animals. I am not. The smell is revolting."
"That's a relief. Him being alive and doing good now that is." Gohan took a breath and made a personal note to not introduce her to any of his dinosaur friends.
"Indeed," she said in a neutral though light-hearted tone, "but you haven't answered my question. How exactly did you find me?"
"Oh, the paparazzi told me. You're getting kind of famous, you know? People are calling you names like supermodel."
She almost smirked. "Yes, I will have to fake my own death somewhere down the line." Because she didn't age. "Do you have something to say about that?"
"I don't see why I would. Will anyone get hurt?" Gohan wasn't entirely serious.
But she answered in utmost earnest, "No, it will be a case of lost in the wilderness. I've repeatedly mentioned in interviews that I like to explore. Ingenious, isn't it?"
"Ah, yeah…" Gohan chuckled. "Ingenious." Ingenious like something Gero would come up with, but Gohan wasn't going to say that out loud.
18 smirked for real. The expression was very enticing, rather naughty. She said, "So do you have any more questions? If not, I suppose we're done here. Unless you want another cake?"
This was the chance! Shuffling on his bottom, Gohan lightly balled fists and looked her straight in the eyes. His voice was close to breaking as he said in a single rushed breath, "Let's go exploring together some time. Just you and me. Since we can both fly, we can go as far as we want. We can ski at the ice continent or go to a tropical beach in the middle of the ocean. How about it?"
A slight widening of 18's eyes gave away surprise, but she was more or less relaxed. Her response was a half question, half statement: "You're serious."
"I am," Gohan said a bit too timidly.
"You're asking me out on a date."
He nodded, blushing.
She looked down for a moment with a small smile. "Ah, I see. You did say you're fourteen now. You must've very much enjoyed my photos in the magazine."
"Sort of." He couldn't quite meet her eyes, staring at her slender, long legs.
She asked slowly in a quiet, attractive voice, "Which issue was this?"
"Um, the one with the lady in a red swimsuit on the cover page." He had already forgot her name.
Now 18 was blushing, albeit nigh unnoticeable. "The one where I'm in a tiny white bikini?"
"That's the one," he nearly squeaked. So far, this was unfolding well.
"And you'd like me wear it when we go skiing together?"
"Yes. I mean no— I mean, when we're at the beach and not—"
She suddenly stood to her full height, angry he assumed. That was not the right thing to say. What else could've been said? He could've lied and said that she could wear whatever she wanted. Yes, that definitely would've been better. He look up at her face, ready to apologize, and saw she wasn't looking at him. She wasn't angry at him.
Standing in a discrete battle posture, 18 was looking at the door. "Gohan," she said quietly and very seriously. "There's two outside. I think they're androids."
"What?" Gohan said too loudly, already on his feet. "How do you know?"
"I can sense their energy, but it's not exactly the same as mine. They're powerful, hundreds of times stronger than me. Maybe thousands, even tens of thousands."
So Gero had yet another backup plan, five years delayed.
The pain and suffering of Gohan's friends and family flashed before his eyes, worst of all his father's sacrifice. An familiar power sparked within Gohan, and he was a second from transforming when the door was knocked twined.
A gruff, male voice irritably said, "Hello, we're looking for a… Son Gohan. We have some questions. Hurry up, we don't have all day."
He didn't kick the door in. Maybe questions and answers were all they wanted. Gohan held back for now.
Author's note:
Good too see the initial reaction to this fic is positive! Gohan will indeed be training, and I've taken some liberties with the canon, but things will be explained in a way that (hopefully) makes total sense. Chapters will be structured in a similar way to the manga in which every chapter ends on a cliffhanger.