When You're a Superhero

8. You Gotta Fight Supervillains

They had heard about Satan City's new superhero. He seemed like the real deal too, superpowers and all, and he didn't appear to be using magic like them but another form of raw energy. It had intrigued the powerful wizard. Had he finally met his match? And here he had thought this land was boring.

It so happened that he and his brother had been getting ready for an important heist. It felt like a sign.

The Great Saiyaman's mental fortitude was something else for sure. Trickles of sweat gathered on his forehead and rolled down his temples while his arms trembled, outstretched toward the agonizing superhero to maintain his hold on him. Normally, his power was strong enough to attack several people at once provided that they were gathered in the same area, but keeping the superpowered man down was taking everything he had.

And then things got complicated.

"What are you doing to him? Stop that! Stop it right now!"

Videl had arrived at the scene, snarling at them like a wild hound. The two-time world champion rushed at the brothers, and he wasn't in any position to stop her unless he ended Saiyaman's mental torture. But that would unleash him at them, and the sorcerer wasn't planning to let that happen. As strong and scary as Videl was, he would much rather deal with her than with a pissed-off superpowered hero.

His brother could take care of her anyway. His telekinesis would surely be enough to get her out of their way so that they could get their loot and make their escape.

He gritted his teeth. Saiyaman kept fighting back against his magic despite the unbelievable amount of pain he was under. Somehow, it felt as though the more the caped hero struggled against his spell, the harder it was to keep him down. It was like his mind was getting stronger the more it hurt, somehow. At this rate, the wizard wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

He couldn't help the smirk creeping on his lips. This man was something else for sure. He had truly found his match.

His brother growled in frustration. Videl was too quick and agile for him ━ she was skillfully evading anything he threw at her. She jumped out of the way of a car, backflipped to avoid getting hit by a street lamp pole, ducked under a table that zipped over her head ━ and she kept getting closer.

"Keep still, dammit!" he gritted out, moving his arms widely to fling a tree at the crime fighter. But he didn't have her heightened reflexes and she gracefully weaved herself out of the way.

The taller wizard clicked his tongue. "I'm holding down a superhuman here, and you can't even touch that woman? Do I have to do everything around here?"

His brother threw another car at Videl, but she jumped over it and used it to kick herself off.

"I'd like to see you try! She's not any woman ━ she's the world champion!"

She was getting too close, and his hold on Saiyaman was wavering.

He gritted his teeth. "Just push her away directly, you idiot!"

"I can't! She's moving too fast ━ I can't catch her!"

He grunted in frustration. "We have to get out of here. Get the potion!"

"But what about…?"

"There's no time! Hurry!"

Videl was reaching them. She ran like a cannonball, ready to strike, but the shorter sorcerer pulled a vial out of his robe and shattered it at their feet. Her fist went through thin air ━ the brothers had vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

Videl turned her head in all directions, but the strange men were nowhere to be seen. Did they actually use a magic potion to get away? Magic was real, too? How was that possible?

Saiyaman's gut-wrenching screams finally subsided. He groaned, his limbs shaking as he pushed himself up. Videl snapped out of her stupefaction and rushed to his side. She bent down, put his arm around her shoulders and wrapped hers around his back, helping him to his feet.

"Th… Thanks," he croaked out, his voice hoarse and used.

"Are you okay? What did they do to you?"

Videl kept her hold around the superhero, looking up at him with a worried crease on her brow.

"Some kind of… psyche attack." He gritted his teeth and slipped a hand under his visor to massage his temple. "Ugh… My head is still throbbing…"

The crease on her brow tightened. Yesterday, after seeing him come out completely unharmed after getting caught up in the explosion of a bomb, and then watching the incredible feats he accomplished with only one free arm since he was holding her against him with the other… Videl honestly thought that Saiyaman was invincible.

And yet now he could barely stand on his own. His screams of unbearable agony still rang in her head ━ it made her blood curdle.

Seeing him like this… Videl realized that even with all of his superhuman powers, Saiyaman had weaknesses and could get hurt, just like everybody else.

She touched his cheek with the back of her fingers. He froze; his breath hitched.

"You're covered in sweat…"

He swallowed and turned his head, grabbing her wrist to pry her hand away. "I'll be okay. You don't have to worry about me ━ I'm no stranger to pain."

Her frown deepened. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

He cracked a smile. "You know, if you'd tried taking off my helmet instead of helping me, you might have succeeded."

She pulled away from him and crossed her arms with a huff. "What do you take me for? Taking advantage of someone in their weakened state, I wouldn't do something so low."

"It might have been your only chance though."

She smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure. I'm still going to unmask you one way or another."

He chuckled. "Right."

He looked around them and his smile faded; his lips pursed in a tight line. Videl frowned as, in turn, she swept her gaze on their surroundings. The shopping street was in ruins. There was rubble and smoke everywhere, wrecked cars, chunks of wall and concrete littering about, as well as glass shards, uprooted trees, street lamps, sign poles…

"We should go help," he stated. The police were bustling about, looking for any injured civilians as well as taking witness statements on the robbery at the jewelry store.

"Shouldn't you be going to the hospital, rather? Who knows what kind of side effect that attack could have on you. I can give you a ride if you want."

He raised his hand in front of him. "I'm fine, really. The headache is pretty much gone, and there are people who need help more than me."

Her lips pursed. "But…"

"Thanks for saving me, by the way." He smiled. "It's a good thing you got here when you did."

With that, Saiyaman turned and jogged away to offer his help to the police and the newly arrived EMT crew.

Videl's traits didn't relax as she watched him lift a wrecked car like it was nothing to get it on a tow truck. While he did look alright now, she wasn't convinced that he was safe.

Even as strong as he was, Saiyaman wasn't immune to magic. He was vulnerable to those law-breaking wizards. It worried her that they got away. They would most likely strike again, and they knew their powers worked on the superhero. Even though she managed to scare them away, they might come up with a spell or a potion to deal with her too next time since the guy with telekinesis had had trouble against her.

She was still wrapping her head around what happened. Magic was real, and it could harm the Great Saiyaman. Maybe even kill him…

Her chest tightened. The ghost of his gut-wrenching screams echoed in her head. It had been so awful. She couldn't even imagine the agony that would rouse that kind of cry.

It seemed like the robbers didn't get to steal what they came to get. They managed to get some beautiful pieces of jewelry, but the police arrived before they could break into the vault and disrupted their plans.

"What were they looking for?" Gohan asked the police captain. After they finished uncluttering the street, the young hero went to talk with the superior officer. These wizards were dangerous, so any info on them would be helpful.

"The items in the vault are quite rare, so it's not surprising that it was their goal."

Gohan nodded his head. His brow furrowed in thought. He wondered if there was more to it.

"May I have a look at the content of the vault?"

"Hm, I guess that would be okay. You're not in the police, but showing you what's in the vault won't interfere with our investigation, and we know you're only trying to help."

Gohan smiled. "Thank you."

They went into the jewelry store. Videl was there, talking with a saleswoman. She excused herself and jogged up to them.

"Where are you going?" she inquired, walking along beside the much taller superhero.

"I asked to check the vault," Gohan explained. "Apparently, that was the robbers' target, but they didn't get to break inside."

"Mind if I come with?"

Gohan shrugged. "Sure."

The owner unlocked the vault for them and the three walked in after her. She opened the safety deposit boxes one by one. There were only ten of them.

Gohan picked up a sapphire necklace with a platinum chain. The shade of blue made him think of Videl's eyes, and he found himself thinking that this piece of jewelry would look even more beautiful on her.

"Do you think they'd want these precious jewels for purposes other than reselling?" Videl wondered, picking up a pure diamond nearly the size of her fist. "I mean, they do magic, right? They even used a potion to get away from the look of it. Maybe they can use the rocks in some way?"

Gohan nodded, his face serious ━ not that they could tell. "I was thinking the same. I'll have to look into it."

Videl turned questioning eyes at him, tilting her head to the side while she shifted the diamond from one hand to the other, as though trying to guess its weight. "Look into it? How?"

He gave a mysterious smile. "I know people."

She paused. "Like… magic people?"

"Not the kind that we encountered, but yes. They should at least be able to tell me what's possible and what isn't when dealing with magic."

She watched him in wonder. "It's like you live in a completely different world."

Gohan chuckled. "Well, you're not wrong. Anyway, I'll let you know what I find out. I should get going ━ I'll see you around, Videl." He looked to the police captain and nodded his head. "Thank you for letting me see the vault. I'll do my best to help you catch those criminals."

The captain smiled. "We appreciate your help.".

Gohan turned around, his cape flowing gracefully with the motion. He smiled to himself ━ that must have looked so cool.

"Wait." Videl held him back, putting her hand on his arm. He felt a jolt at the touch, even through the fabric of his spandex suit.

He looked at her, glad that his helmet was hiding his blush. "What is it?"

"Let me take you to the hospital. I'm really worried about you."

The crease on her forehead and the glint in her eyes confirmed her words. Gohan felt a pang in his chest. He didn't want to make her worry, but at the same time, it showed that she cared about him, and Gohan had to admit that he liked the thought.

He cracked a smile. "I can't go to the hospital in costume, you know that."

"Then promise me you'll go as yourself." She tightened her hold on his arm, her fingers digging into his flesh. "Please."

His heart was pounding. "Okay. I promise."

How could he say no to her when she looked at him like that?

Videl smiled in relief and let go of his arm. "Okay, good. Let me know how it goes, alright?"

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but if it can ease your worries, I'll swing by the hospital later."

Her frown was back and she crossed her arms. "Later when? Can't you go now?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, um… I do have a job I need to get back to."

"But it could be serious. You don't know the kind of aftereffect their magic could have on you. What if you fall unconscious or have a stroke while you're at work? You can't risk that. It's better that you go now."

He didn't want to admit it but she did have a point. The fact was that magic could harm him, and they had no way of knowing the kind of damage the wizards' powers were capable of long-term. Gohan didn't like to think about it, but Videl had every reason to be worried.

"Tell you what, I'll just go see the magic people I told you about. One of them has healing powers, so whatever aftereffect that mental attack might have on me will just be healed."

Videl blinked at him. "Healing powers…? How do you even know people like that?"

"Would you like to meet them?"

Her lips parted. "Are you serious? Aren't you worried I might get closer to your real identity if I meet people you know?"

He waved her off. "If it were anyone else ━ but there's no way to link them to me ━ or to anyone really." He chuckled slightly. "You'll understand when you meet them. If you want to, that is."

"O-Of course!" An excited gleam was shining in her eyes while her lips stretched out in a broad smile.

"Then let's go."

He turned around and walked out of the vault, then out of the jewelry store, Videl by his side. Gohan knew it may be a bit reckless to introduce Videl to Piccolo and Dende, but as long as they didn't call him by his name in front of her, there was nothing to worry about.

He wanted to share his world with the young woman. He knew the sensible thing to do would be to forget about her and move on, but Gohan just couldn't bring himself to give up on her. He figured that if she could accept the existence of aliens, maybe she would be more open to the truth about him when ━ if ━ he ever revealed himself to her.

He had thought it through, turning the problem from every angle possible. The only way he could ever have something with Videl was if he told her everything about himself.

That is, if she shared his feelings, of course. That part would be tricky, seeing as Videl didn't even know his name or what he looked like. Regardless, Gohan had made up his mind this time. He was done trying to bottle down his feelings for Videl. It hadn't been working anyway ━ he liked her too much. He wanted to be with her ━ he wanted to at least try, no matter the outcome.

It had been a wake-up call. When the wizard attacked his psyche and the pain was so excruciating he thought he might die, Gohan realized he couldn't live his life with regrets, always wondering what could have been but never doing anything about it. He had a chance to be truly happy with an incredible woman, and he would be stupid to let it go to waste just because he was too scared to open up to her. If Videl could accept him for who he was and everything it implied, and if she would be willing to keep his secrets, they did have a chance. It wasn't hopeless. He just had to take a leap of faith.

Well, before that, Gohan needed to make sure Videl was the one, that his feelings were serious, and that she felt the same way. Then, he would have to push through his fears and insecurities and welcome her into his world.

He supposed having her meet Piccolo and Dende would be a reasonable first step.

Outside of the jewelry store, the police seemed to be getting ready to leave while a few spokespeople talked to the media about the robbery. Seeing the news crews, Videl quietly told him to meet her on a nearby rooftop ━ neither of them wanted to attract their attention by leaving together. A shot of the Great Saiyaman flying away while carrying Videl in his arms would be sure to make the headlines.

Videl got in her jetcopter, gave him a wave, and took off into the sky. Gohan watched her for a few seconds, not wanting to make it obvious that he would be following her. A few journalists took the opportunity to rush at him, but Gohan jumped out of the way before they could reach him. Hovering in the sky, he offered them an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, gotta go." He held up two fingers to his head against the side of his helmet. "See you around."

Before he turned away and took off, he gave them a few moments to get him on camera, and then he flew away, not too fast so they could continue filming and taking photos of him as he got further and further away. He figured he ought to give them that at the very least. He was a superhero after all. The media was his bridge to the civilians, and he wanted them to trust him.

Gohan quickly found Videl standing atop a nearby building, her jetcopter already put away in its capsule. He landed in front of her.

She had a big grin on her face. Gohan felt a pang in his chest. She was so beautiful. His new resolve strengthened. He wanted to be with her.

"Where are we going?"

"Pretty far. Luckily for us, I'm faster than any existing vehicle, so we should be back in about an hour or so."

She quirked her eyebrows and tilted her head. "Just how fast are you?"

"If I ever do the math, I'll be sure to let you know."

She laughed slightly. His heart glowed at the sight. He couldn't get over how much he liked her.

He took a step toward her but paused as a thought occurred to him. "Is it okay for you to be gone so long? Dani must be waiting for you, isn't she?"

"I left her at Capsule Corp and my friend who works there is showing her around. I'm sure she's having a good time."

Gohan nodded. "Good to know." He took another step closer, his arms outstretched. "Shall we, then?"

Videl closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself up against him. Gohan's heart thumped hard, his whole body burning up from being so close to Videl. He couldn't help but notice how soft and curvy she felt, and his eyes fell shut for a moment as a waft of her fruity scent reached his nostrils. His throat tightened.

His hands trembled as he moved an arm to hold her around her waist and pulled her even closer.

"You… um… you're not going to try and take my helmet off again, are you?"

She chuckled. The blush on her cheeks gave him hope. "No, not this time. You're safe to go."

He cracked a smile. "Alright then." He couldn't hide the amusement in his voice.

He was planning to show her who he was eventually anyway. Maybe. Probably. But he wanted to get to know her better first. They had met only a few days ago, and while it had been enough for him to develop feelings for her, it was still way too soon. He wasn't even sure that Videl would ever see him that way.

It was going to take time. He wanted to build the trust between them, to grow closer to her. And, eventually, maybe… if Videl did like him back and was willing to keep his identity a secret…

He was getting ahead of himself. First things first, he was going to bring Videl to the Lookout and see how she reacted to meeting aliens.

They flew in silence. Despite Saiyaman's breakneck speed, the wind in her eyes wasn't too strong, and Videl wondered if he was doing something to make the flight pleasant for her. She turned her head to observe him. Her gaze dropped on his lips.

Was it really Son Gohan under that silly helmet?

Her breathing deepened. Whether he actually was the young scientist, Videl was certain he was good-looking. His mouth alone was way too attractive.

Her heart raced; her face heated up. She averted her eyes to the scenery below and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out a soft sigh.

She felt weird. And being so close to the superhero wasn't helping, either. She closed her eyes and pinched her lips together. Her heart still wouldn't calm down.

She took a deep breath to try and get a hold of herself, but instead, she got a waft of his masculine scent. She pulled her head back and let out a quiet groan of frustration. Why did he have to smell so good, too?

"Are you uncomfortable in this position?" Saiyaman asked, loud enough to be heard over the whistling wind. Without waiting for her answer, he shifted her in his arms; instead of holding her with one arm against him, he snuck his other arm under her knees and carried her like a bride. "Is this better?"

Her face flared up. Videl didn't know why she was getting flustered when he had carried her like this just yesterday and she hadn't batted an eye then. Was it because she was becoming too aware of him?

She turned her head away and mumbled, "Um… yeah, I guess."

"What was that?"

Right. He couldn't hear her over the wind whistling in their ears if she didn't speak louder.

"It's better, thanks," she replied, loud enough this time.

He cracked a smile. "We're almost there."

"Who are those people, anyway?"

"One of them is the one who taught me how to fight."

"The one who kidnapped you and beat you up until you learned how to fight back, you mean?"

Saiyaman chuckled. "Yeah, him. He was a tough mentor, but I owe him a lot."

"Is he the one with the healing power?"

The hero shook his head. "No, that's the other one. He's… I guess I could say he's a childhood friend. I saved him from bad people when we were kids ━ and he's saved me many times too, thanks to his powers. He's also, um…"

Saiyaman trailed off, his smile nervous as he seemed to try to tell her something.

"What is it?"

"Um… Well, he's… he's a deity. He's the Guardian of Earth."

Videl stared blankly at him and blinked. Then blinked again. Her brain tried to process what Saiyaman had just said, but the information failed to get through.

It was just too big. This man was actually the childhood friend of a god? Just who was he? How did he end up getting chummy with a freaking deity? Just… what?

"Ah, there we are!" Saiyaman exclaimed, looking ahead.

Videl followed his gaze, spotting a tower in the distance. She raised her head and shielded her eyes with her hand, trying to see where it stopped, but it continued way past the clouds, so high that she couldn't see the top.

Saiyaman started flying upward along the tower, so Videl assumed their stop was at the very top.

"Are you seriously friends with a god?" she couldn't help but ask.

He let out a chuckle. "I guess that's one way to put it. He wasn't a god when we met though." He raised his helmeted head again, focusing on the destination. "I haven't told you everything yet, but it'll be easier to explain once you meet them."

The top of the tower, a circular habitation, came into view. But Saiyaman didn't slow down; he kept flying up and eventually passed it. A small, white cat person and a pudgy, hairy man were leaning over the edge and waved at him.

"Hello!" Saiyaman threw at them over his shoulder. "I hope you're doing well!"

"Who are they? I thought that would be our stop."

"Friends of my dad. We can make a stop there later if you want to meet them too."

Videl didn't know what to think of all that. It was obvious that she would have no way to make a connection between these people and the superhero's real identity, what with them living so far from any civilization, so she got that Saiyaman wasn't worried about that. But why was he so willing to let her into his world? Sure, they had decided to be friends, and he had been opening up to her, but still. Shouldn't he have some reservation about introducing her to his friends? Not to mention, one of them was an actual god… And he didn't know her all that well ━ they only met a few days ago. Was he just that trusting? Was there more to it?

At last, they were arriving at their destination. It was a circular platform with a dome-shaped bottom part. Even seeing it from down below, it looked enormous; it was much bigger than the top of the tower they had passed.

Videl was growing nervous. To think she was about to meet the Guardian of Earth, an actual god ━ and Saiyaman's childhood friend. She hoped to make a good first impression ━ but she was also extremely curious as to what being a god truly meant, and how accurate or wrong the various religions in the world were.

Saiyaman flew over the bottom dome and paused in mid-air, allowing her to take in the sight before her. The palace on the platform was magnificent; it sparkled in the sun in a way that made the place feel sacred and holy, almost unreal. Videl held her breath.

The hero landed on the tiled floor with a soft clack and gently set her down. Videl took a few steps forward, her head raised and turning in every direction, marveling at the quiet and majestic castle. Even someone like her who grew up in wealth and extravagant luxury couldn't help being in awe at the sight before her.

It was truly a home fit for a deity.

Saiyaman placed his hand on her back and leaned close to her ear. "I'll be right back."

His breath brushing her skin caused a shiver to course through her spine. It still baffled her how her body reacted to him, and even to his touch despite him wearing gloves. Videl couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if he made direct contact with her. The thought alone was enough to make her heart race.

Saiyaman walked away, leaving her by a sumptuous archway. She watched him silently, assuming that he needed to talk to his friends before introducing her to them. He probably wanted to tell them not to call him by his real name in front of her.

And, indeed, it was exactly what the young hero intended to do. Having sensed his arrival, Piccolo and Dende met him halfway to the palace.

"Hello, Gohan," Dende greeted him warmly. "What brings you here? And you brought a friend, too."

He assumed the young deity had been busy watching over different parts of the world and didn't know what happened to him earlier.

Gohan took off his helmet and cracked a smile, tousling his hair. "Hello Dende, Piccolo. I've got some questions for you guys, about magic. And, um, my friend is really curious about my life so I figured it was okay for her to meet you."

"The crime fighter, right?" Dende asked for confirmation. So his childhood friend had been watching over him as well.

Gohan nodded. "Yeah. And you can't call me by my real name in front of her."

"Then you should probably not tell her my real name either," Piccolo advised. "Your father was known to have defeated the Demon King Piccolo ━ she might make the connection if she looks hard enough."

Gohan raised his eyebrows. He hadn't thought of that at all. "Oh. You're right. What should I call you then?"

"Majunior is fine."

"But wasn't that your stage name at the tournament where you faced my dad?" Gohan recalled from the stories he had heard many times growing up. "Wouldn't she be able to put two and two together since you revealed yourself as Piccolo back then?"

A trickle of sweat rolled down the tall Namekian's temple. "I suppose."

"Wouldn't it be okay if you just didn't tell her his name, then?" Dende offered.

Gohan frowned. Dende was right. He was still resolved not to lie to Videl, and telling her a fake name for Piccolo would be just that.

He suddenly stiffened and quickly put his helmet back on. A moment later, soft steps could be heard getting closer. Geez, that had been close.

"It's… Saiyaman, right? Your superhero name." Dende asked in a whisper with his hand cupped over the side of his mouth just as the young woman appeared. Gohan nodded curtly.

"Yeah." He took a step toward Videl and rubbed the back of his neck. "I told you I'd be right back."

She shrugged. "I was just looking around."

Then her gaze shifted to the green-skinned men by his side. She paused, her eyebrows raised, her lips parting, her eyes growing wider. Gohan gave an awkward smile, scratching his cheek. He couldn't blame her for reacting in this way. She probably didn't expect to meet people who looked anything but humans.

"Let me make the introductions." He walked over to Videl and put his hand on her back to lead her to his alien friends. "This is Videl," he told the Namekians. "She's the current world champion of martial arts, and she's a crime fighter too. We've become friends since I moved to Satan City. Videl, this is my mentor, and this is Dende, my childhood friend and the Guardian of Earth."

Videl bowed low. "It's a ho-ho-honor to meet you b-both." She straightened up and chuckled nervously, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear. "Ah, geez, I'm not usually like this…"

"I figure you don't usually get to meet a god, either," Gohan said with notes of amusement in his voice.

"No need to be nervous," Dende said with a warm smile, his head tilted slightly. "You can call me Dende. I'm really happy to meet a friend of… Saiyaman's."

The slight hesitation made it obvious that Dende almost slipped up, and Gohan cracked a nervous smile, scratching the base of his neck beneath his helmet. It was going to be okay, right? Even though he did want to tell Videl who he was eventually, he was nowhere ready for that right now.

"So you're Mr. Satan's daughter, huh," Piccolo commented, eying the young woman with his arms crossed. "Interesting."

Gohan was surprised that Piccolo knew who Videl was, although, in hindsight, he supposed he shouldn't be seeing as the former Guardian still possessed the ability to watch over the planet.

"I'm sorry, um, I didn't catch your name…?" Her voice was hesitant and nervous. Even as tough as Videl was, Gohan couldn't blame her for being intimidated by someone as imposing and threatening-looking as Piccolo.

"You don't need to know my name," he said curtly.

Videl blinked. "Um… Okay…"

Gohan cleared his throat. "Anyway…"

The young woman suddenly perked up. "Oh, that's right! Saiyaman got hurt today ━ we were facing some kind of wizards." She looked at Dende. "He said you had healing powers? Can you heal psyche lesions too, if he has any?"

Dende raised his eyebrows. He and Piccolo both looked at Gohan in disbelief.

"You got hurt?" his mentor repeated, as though he might have heard wrong despite his sharp ears.

Gohan gave a meek smile. The throbbing in his head was still lingering, and though the pain was faint now, it wasn't going away either. It made Videl's theory that he might be suffering from some kind of aftereffect from the mental attack all the more plausible.

"Let me get a closer look," Dende said, his lips taut in a straight line and his brow deeply furrowed. He stepped closer to the half-Saiyan and placed his fingers on his temples.

The deity closed his eyes, and his hands started glowing. A moment later, the lingering headache was finally gone for good. Gohan sighed in relief.

Dende withdrew his hands and observed his childhood friend with a serious frown. "It seems you did have some kind of lesion. It was like your psyche was injured. I believe it would have healed on its own with time like any other physical injury."

"An injury…" Videl whispered. Then she growled and slapped the superhero's arm. "See! I told you you needed to get to the hospital! Just because you're a superhuman doesn't mean you can't get hurt. You can't be careless about your health!"

Her eyes were narrowed, shooting deadly daggers at him. Gohan raised his hands in defense and took a step back.

"You heard Dende, it would've healed on its own," he tried to justify himself.

"But we didn't know that!" she berated him. She threw her arms up and sighed in frustration. "How can you be so calm about it? What if the damage had been permanent? What if it had grown like a tumor and eventually caused a fatal stroke?"

"She's right, Saiyaman," Dende said, his face serious. "Next time you get hurt, no matter the kind of injury, come see me right away."

"You said it was some kind of wizards, right?" Piccolo inquired, and Gohan was grateful for the change of subject.

He knew that Videl was right and that he shouldn't have dismissed his headache, but he wasn't the type to fuss over every little discomfort. If it would have gotten worse, of course he would have sought Dende's help, but as long as the pain was bearable, he didn't see what the big deal was.

He didn't blame her for berating him, though. He would have reacted the same way if the roles were reversed.

"Yes," he replied. "One of them had the ability to throw mental attacks at people, and the other one had telekinesis. Have you ever heard of people with that kind of magic?"

"They also used a potion to escape," Videl added. "And they tried to steal precious gems."

"Maybe for magic use. Is that possible?"

Piccolo and Dende shared a look, both frowning deeply.

"Freeza had telekinesis," Dende recalled.

"Wasn't magic, though," Piccolo pointed out. "Anyone could do the same with enough practice."

"That's true…"

"What about your magic?" Videl asked. "Is it similar in any way?"

"Is your telepathy magic, or is it just an ability from your kind?" Gohan wondered.

"Telepathy…?" Videl whispered to herself.

"It's not magic," Dende replied. "My healing is magic, and my knowledge from the Dragon Clan as well, obviously. But I can't make potions like them."

"What about spells?" Videl inquired.

Dende paused at that. "Kind of? I did recite a spell when I reactivated the Dragon Balls and gave new life to Shenlong."

Videl turned to Gohan, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. He smiled at her.

"Shenlong is a wish-granting dragon that comes out of the Dragon Balls once all seven of them are reunited," he explained. He saw no need to hide this from her, nor did he want to.

She stayed silent, staring at him blankly. Gohan chuckled slightly. He had to admit, she looked really cute with that disbelieving look on her face.

"It should be possible to use precious gems for spells and potions, I believe," Dende surmised, going back to the topic at hand. "Like how the Dragon Balls are made of crystal."

"So it's likely they targeted the jewelry store to use the gems for their magical proprieties," Gohan concluded, nodding his head in thought while holding his chin in his hand.

"I've never seen that kind of magic," Piccolo stated. "And, as you know, I have watched over the Earth for hundreds of years."

"Could they be alien?" Gohan asked without thinking. He suddenly stiffened after he let the words slip out and glanced over at Videl, whose eyes seemed to have doubled in size and jaw was hanging open.

"It's a possibility," Piccolo said thoughtfully.

"We could comb through Satan City to find them," Dende suggested. "It's a pretty big city, but we should be able to locate them in time."

"That would be a big help, yes," Gohan said with a nod of his head. As much as he worried about how Videl would react to the existence of aliens, they still needed to deal with the matter at hand.

To think that wizard had been able to hurt him. Could they really be aliens?

Could they get even stronger, somehow? Was that how they meant to use the gems in the vault? Did that mean that mental attack could get even worse? A trickle of sweat rolled down his temple. It had been so horrible. The pain had been unbearable, and he had barely been able to struggle against the onslaught in his head.

"Is there a way to fight their magic?" he suddenly blurted, drawing the attention on him. "The mental attack, especially. I'm not worried about the guy with telekinesis, but the other one, he was actually able to hurt me."

Dende and Piccolo shared a pensive look.

"You could try a shield," the taller Namekian offered. "I'm not sure it would work, but it would be worth a try."

"I recommend meditation either way," Dende said, worry lines creasing his youthful traits. "You have to increase your mental fortitude to eventually be able to fight off the attack."

Gohan swallowed. Fight it off? Was such a thing even possible? The agony had been so excruciating ━ just the memory of the mental attack gave him an unpleasant shudder. How could he ever be in any condition to fight it off when the pain was so overwhelming? He honestly thought he might die ━ and since the attack actually managed to leave an injury on his psyche, if it had kept on, if Videl hadn't scared the wizards away…

He could have died. That wizard could've actually killed him.

The realization was petrifying. He never thought he needed to worry about getting killed outside of a battle against an overpowered monster. This was a different kind of enemy, and in a way, they were even more deadly than a hundred Cells and Freezas. He could train and eventually surpass enemies like those two, which he had, but this… How was he supposed to fight such powerful magic with his fists?

"It's already gotten stronger," Dende went on, unwittingly answering his question. "Struggling against that spell ━ much like how you get stronger after every fight, especially if you brush with death ━ it made your mental fortitude more resilient already. If you train and strengthen it via meditation, you should be able to eventually fight that spell off. And the more you encounter that wizard, the stronger it'll keep getting. You are a Saiyan, after all."

Gohan nodded, his arms crossed, his brow deeply furrowed behind his visor. It made sense. Saiyans were born for battle, and the more they fought, the stronger they became. The harder the struggle, the better they got. And if they brushed with death, their power would get a significant boost. Logic would dictate that their mental fortitude could improve and strengthen in the same way.

"A… Saiyan…?"

He tensed up. He had completely forgotten about Videl since she had stayed quiet while they kept the discussion going.

He turned his head to look at her. She was frowning at him, seeming deep in thought.

"What's a Saiyan… Saiyaman?" She emphasized his superhero name, naturally putting two and two together after Dende's slip-up. The deity gave him an apologetic smile.

Gohan sighed, massaging the nape of his neck. He supposed the cat was out of the bag now. His resolve never to lie to Videl forced him to come clean. He hadn't planned for it, not so soon. He only meant to tell her that Piccolo and Dende were from another planet, not his own father. Not yet.

But he refused to lie to her, ever. Even as terrifying as telling her the truth about him was, he knew he had to go through with it.

He would have told her eventually anyway. So it was happening sooner than he had planned. There was nothing he could do about it now.

"It's… the part of me that makes me so much stronger."

His throat tightened as he started to explain. Gohan prayed with all his might that Videl could accept the truth about him.

Hope you liked the chapter and don't forget to leave a review! I hope Gohan's change of heart makes sense. I figure that after feeling like he was dying he wouldn't want to suppress his feelings for Videl anymore. Any input is very welcome. :D

Until next time!

August 28, 2021