-Eighteen-
Eighteen's head slowly fell back to rest on the sofa's soft, plush back. She wasn't wearing much, just a tank top and some underwear, but it wasn't like there was anyone around to see her, so she didn't care. She let her body relax against the cushions as she sat. She sighed, her gaze lazily looking up towards the lavish designs crawling up the oval shaped ceiling cupping a chandelier which flooded the room with a pleasant light. She found the patterns charming, before she blew a cloud of smoke in it's direction.
Her gaze slowly fell to examine the rest of what had served as her home for the past several weeks. The entrance, a set of thick wooden doors, opened up to this circular shaped space which she'd used as one great big lounge area. A corner of the room had been dedicated to one long couch which wrapped around it part way, cupping an excellently crafted coffee table which she'd promptly smothered in beer cans and cigerette buds. In fact, she noticed that there was trash scattered everywhere throughout the hotel room she'd paid for.
She smirked. She'd walked in without any identification of any sort, but something she'd learned about people these days was that, if you pushed enough cash in front of them, pretty soon they stopped asking questions.
And she definitely had enough cash to afford it.
Way back in the days following Dr. Gero's death and their freedom, they'd purposefully robbed several banks for if ever they needed it. At first, they'd simply lived life lavishly, but soon they'd realized they didn't need to do that at all. They found out that they didn't need to buy anything, because they could simply take whatever they so desired. Of course, that hadn't meant that she'd forgotten where they'd stashed it. There was no way she'd forget about the millions of Zeni buried way out in the desert.
It was odd to be back living like this, like before all of this happened. She supposed that it wasn't an unpleasant change over all. The back had a sliding glass door which led out to a deck with a hot tub in it. The door to her right led to a bedroom with a full king sized bed complete with a four post bedframe. Her bathroom had a tub so big she could practically swim in it if she so desired. Her kitchen space was large enough to put certain restaurants to shame.
She smirked.
Yes, I am truly suffering during these dire times.
She snickered at herself, rolling her eyes as she brought the cigarette back to her lips.
She let the smoke out a moment later, watching it as it spread out across the room. She knew that most people thought smoking indoors was wrong, but it wasn't like she'd be inviting anyone over anytime soon, so she figured it didn't matter one way or another.
Besides, why the fuck would I care what anyone else thinks?
She scowled.
Her attention was only barely held by the bland drama playing on the massive flatscreen suspended from the wall across from her. She knew it had something to do with time travel and getting some heart medicine to someone important…? She couldn't be sure.
Her other hand had a small sphere of golden yellow energy floating within it, no bigger than a marble in size. The orb danced within her fingers, weaving through them with ease before swirling around her wrist and up her forearm.
She grinned confidently as she continued to concentrate. She'd been practicing pretty regularly over the past several weeks considering just how bored she'd been over that time.
She had all the money she would need for the next decade at least, so it wasn't like she had a job she had to get to any time soon. She didn't need to eat or drink if she didn't feel like it, and no desire to go outside and intermingle with the simpletons that populated West City.
At least, most of the time.
She had eventually decided to track down another spiking energy signature following the event with Joe. She'd arrived at an apartment complex before peeking in through a window to confirm her suspicions of domestic violence.
Judging by the sweaty, naked set of people sucking on each other's faces, Eighteen had deduced that they in fact were not in a domestic dispute.
Guess there's more than one reason a person's energy signature can spike.
She made a silent agreement with herself to practice with her Ki sensing and see if there wasn't a way to tell the difference between two conflicting types of energy spikes.
The ball of energy whipped around her neck at high speeds as it continued to zoom all around her relaxed form.
Hmm, I wonder if Gohan knows how to tell the difference.
From her understanding, the technique was one that he'd known for years now, odds were that he'd have more insight on the matter if she asked.
She began to toy with the idea of perhaps picking his mind some time…
NO!
She immediately scowled as she realized what she was doing.
Stop rationalizing talking with Gohan!
She'd caught herself doing that a few times over the last few weeks. She couldn't fathom the reason why her thoughts continued to drift back to the one armed fighter. She supposed it was simply due to her being so recently introduced to the fact that Ki could do more than lift her up and blow up buildings. A part of her really wanted to understand everything else she didn't know about Ki, and he was simply the person to go to in order to do that.
Another part of her… admitted that Gohan also happened to be a pleasant person to be around. He was strong, he understood what it meant to have true power and that was something Eighteen could respect, even if begrudgingly. It made his words hold value in her mind, more so than any of the weaker, lesser people that surrounded him.
To her, he was the one other person in the world who she could listen to and not have the sneering, underlying thought of 'Yeah, but that's just coming from a nobody that doesn't matter'. Because he did matter, he mattered in a big way, considering his strength was even greater that her own, or so it seemed.
"...Tsk,"
She let her eyes slowly drift across the room until they focused on the glass doors leading out onto the patio and to the twinkling night sky. She stared at them, wondering if there were any planets out there with people like her, looking out and questioning if their planet had anything interesting on it. She frowned. She did remember that time that two space crafts had descended from the sky. It had been on the news, she was pretty sure. What did that mean for-
"...!"
Eighteen's body suddenly lurched forward, her eyes wide with panic as her mouth fell open in a stunned stupor.
Her senses were being flooded with power. She could sense Gohan's energy, and it was skyrocketing!
Her blue eyes darted in the direction she could feel the power surging. It couldn't be a training session, Trunks was nowhere near the explosion of energy, and she could definitely tell that Gohan was maxing out his power output.
Seventeen!
Gohan had found him. She didn't know how exactly he'd managed to track down her brother, since, as far as she was aware, there hadn't been any deaths recently, but he had. It was the only reason that made any sense to her. Why else would his energy be throttling like that?!
A moment later, the woman was to her feet. She told Seventeen that she wouldn't be around to help him if he was discovered again; that he would be on his own if he attracted Gohan's attention for a second time.
But that didn't mean she was going to leave her own brother to die.
She growled, her hands tightening into fists before she shouted, "Damn it, Seventeen!"
She was blurring through the room a moment later, grabbing and putting on the clothing lying discarded on the ground closest to her, a set of black shorts and a T-shirt that was too big on her, before rushing towards the patio door. She paused for only a moment to steal a look towards the small backpack she always kept her disguise in.
She couldn't picture needing it. Why would she? If Gohan was truly fighting Seventeen right now, showing up as Videl certainly wasn't going to help the situation.
...might help me escape afterwards, though…
She could change into it the moment after she disengaged before disappearing into the city as a normal girl.
She snatched the bag up before shooting off into the sky.
-Gohan-
He roared as he felt his energy explode out in all directions, his golden aura violently thrashing at the air around him as he did so. He felt his body trembling from the effort, humming with so much strength that begged to be unleashed
And that was exactly what he planned to do.
"KA-" His face twisted into a snarl.
"ME-" His entire body began to tremble from the strain, his form low as his hand pulled back, filling with vibrant blue energy.
"HA-" It was beginning to grow to an amount that was too much for his one hand to handle.
He grimaced.
"ME-" His hand was on fire!
He shut his eyes tight just before his arm shot forward-
"HA!" He felt the Earth rumble beneath him as the beam erupted from his hand with all the grace of a roaring waterfall.
He grit his teeth as he felt the weight of the attack threaten to push him back, his face and gi cast in its blue light as he felt his grip on the ground wane.
He growled as he raised a single foot before stomping it into the ground, driving the heel of his boot into the dirt before he pushed his reserves harder, feeling his arm strain as he refused to let the beam diminish.
His face began to reveal the same strain his arm was going through as he continued to supply the beam with energy.
It was starting to go numb.
Finally, when Gohan was certain he was on the brink of breaking something, he ended the attack. He let out a sharp gasp of pain before falling to one knee, arm trembling from the effort.
He felt a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, his chest rising and falling in rhythm to his desperate breaths of air.
He stared forward, glaring at the spot he'd just unleashed his father's signature attack.
...The stars look nice tonight.
It wasn't very often Gohan felt the need to push his powers to their absolute limits. He typically got enough of that from fighting the Androids on such a regular basis. The only other time he came to the desert to train himself back to exhaustion was when he felt… annoyed.
Gohan growled, not enjoying the fact that it was the truth. The problem was, it bothered him more that it had troubled him at all in the first place!
He shook his head, placing his still slightly numb hand against his brow.
I should be happy, right? This is everything I ever wanted, right?
He knew it was the truth, assuming that… they really were gone.
He closed his eyes, pulsing out his Ki so that he could sense the entire planet at once.
Still nothing.
He'd been keeping up to date on sightings as well, regularly tuning into the news so often that he'd actually decided to buy a television so that he could watch from home. He knew that the woman loved him like a son, but it always felt weird to go over to Bulma's just to watch TV.
He growled, checking the Earth one last time before letting out a defeated sigh. Even if the Androids weren't killing at every second of every day, they typically were still around doing something malicious. Before, there'd be reports from news crews talking about a store they robbed or a car they rode around in before driving into a bridge and leaving for local authorities to clean up. There was even the one time they opened the cages of an entire zoo to watch all the people run out screaming for their amusement. Usually, these occurrences would be too quick and random for Gohan to respond to, especially due to the fact that he couldn't track their Ki. Regardless, there'd always be something he'd hear on the news about some new way the Androids had managed to ruin something about their society.
The only problem was, this time, there was nothing. Not a trace, not a single hint of either of them doing anything. From what Gohan could tell, they'd both gone completely off the radar.
They were gone.
It was already to the point that he'd actually heard speculation from specific journalists that the Androids may have been scared off for good this time.
The demi-Saiyan felt his fingers curling into fists at the mere notion.
The Androids, the duo responsible for taking the lives of literally millions of people, just disappearing without a trace.
Just like that.
Gone.
Gohan felt his teeth grit together, feeling his anger boiling over.
He knew that if that fact were true, then the world should be rejoicing, that he should be happy over that fact. No one would ever have to die to their whims again. The world would start to rebuild and finally be able to grow again, like it had decades ago.
He'd finally get his life back.
So then… why did he feel so cheated?
He'd sacrificed his entire adolescence, his entire childhood, training and challenging them. He'd spent so many years being brutalized and thrashed around, lost an entire limb to this seemingly never ending war.
For it to all end… just like that?
A single fight where he finally did some damage and scared the two of them off.
Was that really the end of his hardship?
He paused, staring down at the dirt at his feet.
He felt… like it couldn't—like it shouldn't. He knew that was selfish of him to actually want the Androids to appear again. He knew that would mean that dozens, potentially hundreds of people would have to die in the initial attack as they always did, just for him to get his rematch against them.
There was a sense of guilt that plagued the demi-Saiyan's mind as he considered that fact. Did he actually want people to die?
He closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly.
No, I only want to destroy the Androids. I'm not a monster like them.
He let his eyes open again, forcing the self taught message to sink into his mind. He knew that reminding himself of that fact was important, especially now.
He'd wholly expected it, but that hadn't made the sting any less disheartening.
He knew they didn't mean to say it. He knew that the meaning was all in his head… probably. Unfortunately, that didn't make the message any less real for the young man.
He could picture Bulma now, a smile on her face as she approached him.
"Man, you know how satisfying it is to finally see Android Seventeen get knocked around? "
He could hear Roshi now, his voice full of cheer and celebration as he recited a statement he'd announced at the party.
"At long last! We get to see one of the mecha-brats get what's coming to them!"
His mind turned to his mother, recalling a simple message she'd sent him a few weeks after the event.
"Please don't forget our conversation. Now that the Androids are finally starting to go away, start to consider what's best for you in life."
They were congratulating him, commending him on a job well done.
Gohan knew that was what he should be taking away from their words, knew that was what they really meant by their words.
They were proud of him. He knew that fact.
...Right?
He paused, turning his attention away from the dirt to stare out at the vast ocean of stars littering the plain of night. A part of him could still vaguely recall the time he'd spent out in space with Krillin and Bulma. A few pieces were fuzzy now, but he'd only been five at the time, so he figured that was normal for someone his age. It felt like so long ago; his time on Namek, his time out in space... his time with his father and his friends, before they were abruptly taken away—this time permanently.
...Finally…
The word carried with it a concealed message, one that he presumed none of his friends realized was there. He supposed that was because it wasn't there. At least, not to them.
"I'm… I'm sorry it took me this long, dad."
He stared up at the sky, picturing his father somehow looking down and watching him in that moment. He knew that it was impossible for dad to hear him now, but it comforted him to believe that he could.
His mind began to drift within itself, his awareness of the desert around him growing farther and farther away as he did.
He pictured his father, or at least what he remembered his father looking like, standing before him.
At first he pictured Goku taller than himself, before realizing that they would actually be standing at the same height if they'd both been alive today.
He pictured the man's wild black hair exploding out in all different directions, his easy going smile resting on his lips as he stared back at his son.
Gohan could imagine his father acting jovial, laughing and patting him on the back at seeing his son as a Super Saiyan just like him!
The young demi-Saiyan felt a sad smile pull at his lips.
Yeah, that's exactly how dad would act.
He could picture his father getting excited, asking for a sparring match as he turned Super Saiyan as well.
Gohan's brow furrowed as he tried to remember what his father looked like as a Super Saiyan. He didn't have many pictures of the man in the form, mostly due to his mom disliking its aesthetic and refusing to pose for pictures while he transformed.
He did his best to recreate the look in his mind.
Now, he was standing before the first Super Saiyan, the legendary form of the race he'd never know more than what he'd overheard Vegeta say in passing.
The real Super Saiyan.
He recalled Vegeta mentioning that the transformation was one that hadn't occurred in thousands of years. He remembered as a boy being so entranced with his father's new form. He thought back to when he was that five-year-old boy, feeling so much pride knowing that the legendary Super Saiyan was his old man!
That feeling had felt somewhat cheapened when he'd discovered Vegeta had achieved the state later. Even more so when he himself had managed to transform in his first confrontation with the Androids all those years ago.
Nowadays, the transformation hardly felt special to him anymore. Or at least, not for him specifically. He still marveled at the memory of seeing his father confronting Frieza for the very first time on Namek.
That was one memory he doubted he'd ever forget.
He threw out a punch at the illusion, one that he pictured his father easily slipping past, playfulling calling out, "C'mon, Gohan! I wanna see what my son can really do!"
Gohan pulled his head back, mock-dodging a few punches he could picture his dad throwing out to test the waters and see how he responded.
Gohan grinned, genuinely enjoying himself as he retaliated with a kick that attempted to clip his father's chin just before the Super Saiyan reared his head back, avoiding it.
The demi-Saiyan knew that his attacks would never land even as he threw out two more strikes meant to catch his dad in the sides. His dad was too strong! Too skilled to ever be struck by an attack he performed.
Goku stepped around the attacks, spinning as he threw out a kick that Gohan remembered him using against Vegeta once.
The half Saiyan lowered his stance, slipping below as he rushed in in an attempt to catch his dad overextending.
Of course, he'd been mistaken in assuming his father would ever be caught unaware.
He threw out a flurry of blows, all of which Goku nimbly dodged or parried as his wide grin held unwavering on his lips.
"Wow, Gohan! You've really gotten strong!" He imagined his father complimenting.
The demi-Saiyan suddenly froze, his fist extended as he stared at the empty space he'd been fighting.
...Finally.
He was finally strong enough. Finally strong enough to make a difference and finally win a fight for once. Because unlike the man before him, the previous Super Saiyan who'd saved the Earth and their lives when they'd been threatened, he'd not won his fight in one or two confrontations.
No, it had taken him much, much longer than that.
When his father had been faced with Raditz, Nappa, and even Vegeta, he'd stopped them in his first fight. When he'd finally arrived to challenge Frieza, not even knowing the Super Saiyan transformation yet, he'd still managed to defeat him in his attempt.
Gohan stared back at the man before him—the man that he was supposed to be for this world now that Son Goku was gone.
He felt so much smaller than him, so much weaker, despite knowing that if he were to compare himself to the man today, his Ki would likely exceed his father's strength before he died.
He supposed the reason for this was simple.
Goku had succeeded in protecting the people he loved. He'd succeeded in protecting the Earth from those who'd threatened it.
Where Gohan felt… he'd mostly failed at protecting the people of this world. He'd merely delayed the Androids for all this time, slowing them down as they'd continued to end hundreds of thousands of lives through the years.
The fact that they'd finally been beaten back now, after so many people had been lost, was solely bitter sweet. No more than a hollow victory, made worse by the fact that he hadn't actually destroyed them yet. It felt empty, and it felt meaningless.
His image of Goku began to fade, twisting and warping until it was no longer his father standing before him.
Instead, he was confronted by a very familiar smirk.
"Sup, Blondie? How's it feel to know me and my sister both got away, huh? Must really suck knowing that you're never going to get the chance to beat us ever again. Y'know, since you'll never be able to find us-"
Gohan blew away the image of Seventeen with an explosive discharge of blue energy that washed over the Android's entire figure.
His scowl slowly eased into a silent determination as he began to fight the empty air once more. This time he decided to focus on his form and technique rather than envision an opponent for himself to challenge.
Just focus, Gohan. You need to make sure that you're ready for when one of them shows up again.
His fist and legs made sharp hissing noises as they split the air in violent, coordinated blurs.
He needed to believe that they would appear again, that their demented ways would eventually lead to his discovery of their whereabouts. He needed to feel the drive to defeat them still, because if he didn't get that chance, if this was truly the end of the fight he'd been living for all his life…
Gohan frowned, his head jerking to the side as his heightened senses caught movement out of the corner of his eye. His teal eyes narrowed as he listened to the sound of rock and dirt tumbling down the side of a cliffside overlooking his training grounds only a short flight away. He tried to scan the lip of the cliff, searching for whatever had caused the disturbance.
He caught a very faint movement, a form slinking away from the lip, but the night made it impossible to make out who or what it could be.
Immediately, Gohan's senses stretched out, searching for whatever creature might be prowling around this time of night.
He blinked.
He could sense nothing.
Gohan's face adopted a look of confusion as he tried to make sense of it. Usually, the snakes and wildlife of the area were easy to track. It wasn't like they knew how to hide their energy, like Krillin had shown him all those years before.
Were his eyes playing tricks on him?
No… I definitely didn't imagine the rock or dirt falling… so, what was-
His eyes snapped open wide with realization.
He couldn't sense whoever it was, and he'd definitely seen some movement up there. Had they tracked him down for whatever reason? How?! Why?!
He felt himself growing excited at the idea, regardless of the reason. A part of him knew that what he was thinking was nearly impossible, but that didn't stop his hopes from skyrocketing. His aura surged all around him, flaring out in one explosive burst before he shot towards where he'd seen the movement moments ago.
His face twisted into a snarl, preparing himself for the fight ahead if he was correct in his assumptions.
I'll make you proud, dad.
-Eighteen, Fifteen Minutes Earlier-
Shit, shit, shit, shit!
It felt like that day all over again. It felt like she was about to watch her brother be torn limb from limb.
Please, stay alive!
The woman had been confused when her senses led her past the city and into the desert. She'd assumed that Seventeen had been acting careless again within West City, and that had prompted the engagement.
Her brow furrowed as she flew over the miles of sand and dusty stone leading towards the training grounds Gohan had shown to her. Had Seventeen sought Gohan out? Why?! How?!
She growled as she clenched her fists. Didn't matter now one way or another.
It hadn't been hard to spot Gohan once she'd arrived, his golden aura flaring powerfully as his limbs shot out through the darkness attacking… no one?
What?
Eighteen frowned as she continued to stare down at the man. She noticed that he'd taken his shirt off for whatever reason. She supposed it was due to the surplus of sweat buildup as he continued to strike out against his invisible opponent with determined vigor.
He's just… training?
The tension in the woman's shoulders slowly eased as the panic she'd had earlier washed away with relief.
She'd been wrong. Seventeen was alright, and Gohan was not killing him.
She felt odd for having to actually consider that as a very real part of her life now.
Huh.
She was floating hundreds of feet in the air, the night sky disguising her figure as she lingered, staring down at the small form of golden light violently thrashing at nothing. Dr. Gero's advancements had given her and her brother an enhanced sense of sight that made the night little more than a slight annoyance, but in conjunction with the distance she could only barely make out Gohan's vague shape from so far up.
She frowned. Why was she acting as if she had to be watching him right now? She knew that the only reason she'd come was because she'd believed her brother had been in the process of being ragdolled into the dirt repeatedly.
Eighteen's head slowly turned to look back towards West City—only a few miles away. She could still see the lights twinkling in the distance, creating the vague shape of a city.
I should go back… shouldn't I?
It was the sensible thing to do. Being here would only risk being spotted, and it wasn't like she had any buildings to hide behind to get away this time.
Her gaze slowly shifted back towards Gohan. It was interesting to her, watching him as he performed under the assumption that he was entirely alone. She enjoyed being able to sense his energy like this, from so close, feeling it wash over her like a tsunami.
Just like before, it was absolutely incredible. A spectacle that she could only marvel at after having to stay away for so long. She wished she could replicate it, force her own power to surge out like his own in a vibrant, impressive display of life. She could picture it being fairly substantial in comparison as well, although she had her doubts as to whether or not it would be as beautiful as Gohan's was.
She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but there was something more that Ki seemed to indicate about a person other than general excitement and power level. She'd initially interpreted it as the person's signature, and while that was true, now that she'd explored a little more with the skill, she knew that wasn't all of it.
It was as if she could detect the very essence of good within Gohan's golden aura. As if the concept of morality was a soup and she could taste Gohan's honest good nature heavily impacting its flavor.
She felt conflicted about the fact that she found the sensation marvelous.
Of course, that was only a theory of hers based entirely on speculation. Unfortunately, mankind's power levels were far too weak to compare to, and the only people she knew who could test the other side of the spectrum was herself and her brother. She imagined that if their Ki could be translated and sensed, it would come out evil and malicious, reflecting everything that Gohan's wasn't.
She grimaced, partially glad that she couldn't sense anything from herself. Perhaps it was better that way.
"..."
She still hadn't decided whether or not she should leave.
Her eyes squinted, frustrated that she couldn't clearly make out Gohan's figure. Eventually, her eyes landed on a small plateau that overlooked the stretch of land Gohan was training within. It was far closer than her position hundreds of feet up in the sky, and she was willing to bet it was far warmer as well.
Her blue eyes narrowed on the spot. She could easily picture herself down there, using it for cover. She imagined she could watch Gohan for some time if she really wanted to, as long as she remained quiet through it all.
She frowned. She knew that it was foolish, that doing so would net her no gain and only serve to put her at risk. It was outright idiotic to even consider lingering even a moment longer than she had to.
…Oh, to hell with it all.
Slowly, Eighteen began to descend towards the plateau.
She waited until she was certain Gohan's back was turned before she darted into position, lying flat on her stomach as she peered over the edge of the long cliffside.
She could see him far better now that he was less than a hundred feet away, his body gleaming from the combination of his golden aura and sweat.
She watched as he shot forward, driving a knee into his invisible opponent before twisting, snapping out with his heel as it slashed the air horizontally. Finally, she watched as he lept back, firing a barrage of Ki blasts that erupted in massive dirt clouds as they made impact with the ground.
This is so… weird.
She supposed that was a bit of an understatement if she was being honest with herself.
She was quite literally spying on the man who'd crippled her brother, threatened her with death, and just made a downright nuisance of himself for over ten years! How could he be so inexplicably fascinating?!
She felt the innate desire to watch him, to understand him and know more about the things that he knew.
...A part of her even wanted to be down there practicing with him, donning the 'Videl' disguise and re-initiating… whatever the hell their relationship had been before their last fight.
I do have the disguise on me…
Eighteen began to mull over while she continued to silently study the man as he moved.
She noticed just how chiseled his upper body appeared now that his shirt was off. She supposed she'd never taken the time to actually look at the man before this point. She tried to remember all the other times his shirt had been torn away in a fight with her and her brother. It had to have happened dozens of times, considering all the times they'd beaten him to a pulp, and yet she'd never even noticed just how ridiculously well built the man was.
She watched the way his bicep and forearm flexed as he shot out a series of jabs before completing the combination with a straight roundhouse kick to his spectral opponent's sternum. Her eyes lingered on his upper chest and shoulders, the muscles bulging as they strained themselves to complete the lightning fast movements Gohan was performing.
Hmm, so different from Seventeen...
She'd never thought of that.
She'd seen her brother shirtless more times than she'd care to count and she'd never found it strange that his body, while by no means weak looking, was almost entirely unchanged from when they'd been people before. He looked like how a normal person should look, physically speaking, despite being able to level literal mountains with a single hand if he'd wanted too. Her body was much the same, slim and attractive, but by no means muscular in any sense of the word.
Watching a body unenhanced by Dr. Gero's work, a body who'd earned the same strength she had seemingly through hard work and determination was… intriguing.
Her gaze began to slowly soften, her eyelids falling halfway as her eyes sought a further exploration.
Eighteen began to slowly inspect his back, the way his shoulder blades tightened to create a ripple of muscles that ran paralleled on either side of his spine. A part of her wished he still had his other arm just so that she could see how well it matched the other. Instead she was met with an uncomfortable looking stump that hung uselessly at his side.
Hmmm…
She slowly shifted, resting her cheek in her hand as she continued to stare with hooded eyes.
The man turned, snapping out a kick that would have launched his opponent into the sky had it landed. The movement caused the woman to turn her attention towards his chest and midsection where she found his abs had received the exact same treatment as the rest of his ripped body.
Eighteen's eyes started slowly wandered lower, her stare curiously tracing out the lines that formed the man's hips before disappearing down his-
WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?!
Eighteen's eyes snapped open wide before she jerked up, pushed herself away from the cliffside as she abruptly ended the… strange thoughts she'd begun to explore.
Nope.
She told herself, shaking her head.
Nope, nope, nope!
She repeated before realizing something that made her blood run cold.
Gohan had stopped training, and he was looking straight towards her.
Fuck!
Had she made a noise when she'd jerked up? She cursed under her breath for not paying attention. Panic began to set into the woman as she attempted to flatten herself to the ground, moving back slowly as she prayed Gohan would assume it was just his imagination-
She felt his power flare a moment later, his energy signature coming straight towards her.
Fuck!
There was no time to do anything! Should she run? No, there was nowhere to run to. It was desert for miles of space, which Gohan would definitely use to blast her out of the sky. Hide? She frowned, looking at all the flat empty space all around her.
My disguise?
Her mind flashed to the bag still on her back.
The woman scrambled, hastily tearing the pack open before affixing the set of glasses to her face and wig to her head.
A moment later, she could see the golden glow of Gohan's aura on her forearm, her back turned to the man as she rose from her squatting position on the ground
She swallowed hard.
"...Videl?"
Oh, thank God.
She turned slowly, doing her best to hide the wave of nervousness plaguing her system.
"Hey, Gohan," she responded awkwardly as she turned towards him.
She could tell by the sideways tilt of his head that he was utterly baffled by her presence.
"Wha-?" He began slowly, his teal colored eyes narrowed on her as he studied her. Internally, Eighteen was screaming with panic as she tried to envision a way out of this absolute mess.
Why do I do this to myself so often!? Do I want to be destroyed!?
She speculated to herself in annoyed self-loathing.
Finally, he shook himself from his stupor and asked, "what are you doing here?"
Eighteen's mind went blank.
I have absolutely zero reasons to be out here at this time.
She froze, realizing that she had no lie to escape this.
"I—well, I came out because I… sensed your energy…" She responded dumbly.
He blinked, clearly clicking the answer together before a flash of understanding seemed to wash over his face, "Ohhh!"
Eighteen frowned, what had he just put together?
"You thought I was fighting Seventeen and Eighteen."
She paused.
That's not… entirely untrue.
Had he actually been fighting with Seventeen, he would have then been fighting the both of them as she attempted to save her brother.
"Uh, yeah, actually." It was her turn to tilt her head to the side. How did he…? "But how did you know that?"
He shot her a curious smile. "Because I figured you were coming to help with your energy…?"
OH!
Her eyes flashed wide. She hadn't even thought of that!
Perfect!
"Y-yeah!" She responded immediately. "I felt your energy boom and figured… that I helped out last time…" She rubbed her arm, averting her gaze.
This feels so slimy.
She had not helped, or at least, she certainly hadn't helped him.
She frowned, did she actually feel… guilty?
What fuck do I have to feel guilty about? I was saving my brother! Fuck you, brain!
Wasn't her brain supposed to be on her side?
Annoyed, she decided to focus on the conversation.
Gohan's demeanor shifted, his hand reaching over to scratch the back of his head in this weird tick she'd noticed he so often did.
"Heh, well, I definitely appreciate the willingness to help. Sorry if I scared you. Sometimes I go to train by myself since Trunks isn't quite at my level yet. I told Trunks ahead of time so he'd know. I completely forgot that there was someone else able to sense Ki, now." he flashed an embarrassed smile. "My bad."
"Uh, it's no big deal." Why was he lying? "I'm just glad that you're not fighting the Androids." He didn't like to train alone.
As much as she hated to admit it… she'd regularly sought out Gohan's energy throughout the month she'd been away. She'd regularly felt Trunks and Gohan together, their energies flared as they engaged one and other.
She'd never felt Gohan by himself.
Once in a month?
Seemed like a strange training regime if it was the truth, although she'd supposed it wasn't entirely impossible.
"Heh, yeah." She noticed his smile waver. "Me too."
There was an uncomfortable pause before Gohan's eyes drifted away, appearing equally uncomfortable with the situation. She frowned. Why did he look like he was…?
"Uh… so, what have you been up to for the last month? I tried to get in touch a few times…" He trailed off, looking away.
Fuck!
She mentally slapped herself in the forehead. She'd just got done ghosting him for the past month! Of course he was feeling awkward!
Or, more than likely, pissed off at me.
She certainly would be. If someone came to her, asked to learn to fly and entirely ignored her immediately after, her old self would likely track them down and murder them out of of principle.
She doubted Gohan would do the same.
"I…" She tried to come up for a good reason for ignoring him. The last time she'd gone with the truth and it had saved her, but this time she figured 'you almost killed my brother!' wasn't going to work out.
"I had some… family stuff happen." She answered with an apologetic frown. She knew that was a terrible answer and likely sounded like bullshit to the man.
Gohan's brows knit together, his lips shifting into an apologetic frown "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope everyone is okay."
His voice sounded so sincere that it stunned the Android for a moment. It genuinely sounded like he cared.
"Were any of your family injured in the last attack? I know you said you live in West City."
Oh.
She realized that family in the hospital was likely a common issue for people considering how often she and her brother attacked.
Funny how I never thought of that until now… huh.
"Well, actually…" She paused, considering the event. "...one of them was hurt." It felt weird to be able to tell the truth to him.
She watched as the man let out a short, frustrated breath, his lips frowning as he appeared guilty to her.
"I'm sorry that happened. I tried to get there as soon as I could. I hope that they weren't a part of those who died in the initial attack."
She could see true remorse there, his gaze solemn as he studied the ground.
"H-hey." She reached out, tapping his hand with a few fingers. She tried to flash him a reassuring smile. "He's still alive, he just got a broken arm is all."
Gohan looked back up at her, his teal eyes like pools of liquid emerald as she stared into them. His lips spread wide in a smile that made her eyes descend to watch them in as if like a magnetic was also acutely aware of the fact that he was still very topless.
She decided moments later that a rock off to the left was likely a better focus point for the remainder of this conversation.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, at least."
"Yeah, of course…" She felt a weird squirming sensation of guilt wiggling its way to the surface. "I'm... sorry for not responding to your texts."
"Oh, right, that." He looked away dismissively. "No big deal. I totally get it. You just wanted to learn how to fly." He shrugged. "I didn't take any offense."
His gaze shifted back towards the cliffside. "Well, it was nice catching up. I'm glad to hear your family is safe and see that you're doing well. I'm going to get back to training—oh!" He paused, turning back to her for a moment. "If you feel my Ki rise like that again, please don't come out here. If there had been a fight, I don't know if I could protect you and fight both of them at the same time."
Wait, he's ending the conversation?
"Oh, alright. Sorry. It was nice seeing you." She smiled.
He gave her a polite nod before walking a few feet. She realized a moment later it was to avoid blasting her with dust the moment he took off into the sky.
She watched his golden glow as he flew back to where he'd been before.
She felt… wrong. She felt that the interaction had been wrong. That something in that conversation had gone amiss.
But she couldn't decipher what.
Warding off Gohan had been the plan, hadn't it? She'd put on the disguise hoping that Gohan would leave her alone and she would be able to avoid a conflict. She even got the added bonus of him being extremely polite and forgiving her for her ghosting him.
He'd even closed the door on their relationship, saying that he understood, and he didn't mind if she'd only wanted to know how to fly.
Her eyes turned out towards the night sky. She was free from any connection to the man if she wanted.
Free to do… whatever, she wanted. She could check up sometimes if he trained like this again, but other than that, she was free.
Free to do… whatever I want.
She'd succeeded in all the goals she'd told herself she'd been aiming for.
So why do I feel like I just lost?
She recalled the moment a month ago, when she'd been mystified by the ability to sense the very essence of life that all people had.
Eighteen scoffed. She remembered having the immediate urge to hug the man for it.
"..."
A part of her, she realized, didn't want to leave quite yet. She was even willing to admit that she might want to… talk with Gohan-
He nearly killed both you and your brother! Get a hold of yourself!
She paused, her pale blue eyes glazed over as if confronting the words themselves in her mind.
He nearly killed my brother, and he nearly killed me.
That had been her crux for the past several weeks, the 'new' logic upon which she'd based her decisions.
Gohan had threatened her loved one. He'd hurt her brother.
Her eyes slowly fell shut as her hands closed into fists. She could feel herself trembling with rage as she continued to confront the logic.
As she continued to confront the hypocrisy of it all.
...I think that I should be upset that Gohan hurt my brother?
She snarled, her expression hardened with a feeling of self-loathing that hit her like a tidal wave.
WELL, HOW MANY PEOPLE OF HIS HAVE WE SLAUGHTERED?!
She wanted to be upset about her brother losing an arm?
Compared to everything they'd done to the man, what Seventeen had received seemed minor. At least he got to live, didn't he?
I wonder how many of Gohan's friends or family can't say the same.
Her mind reeled as she tried to remember all the times she and her brother had terrorized the poor boy growing up. She could recall the boy coming to challenge them as early as the age of six or seven, the first time they'd fight what would slowly grow into a war.
He hadn't been golden at first, she could remember that much.
It was only after the rest of the team had been slaughtered that he'd finally erupted like a tree struck with lightning. She remembered actually being scared in those initial moments. She'd just finished dispatching of the green one when Gohan exploded with rage, managing to legitimately catch her off guard and drive her back for a time.
Seventeen had eventually needed to step in to get him off of her, before, together, they'd battered him to the ground. They'd stood there, leering over the boy, questioning if they should slaughter him too. That had been towards the beginning of all this, back before they'd decided that humans were too weak to be valued.
They'd spared him, neither ready to take a small child's life.
How long ago that was…
She felt like it'd been a lifetime since she'd been that person. The young woman who still had morals, as grey as they'd been back then. She had lines back then—lines that she'd felt if crossed would leave her shattered as an individual.
Sure, before she'd been abducted by Dr. Gero, she hadn't exactly been a model citizen.
She'd robbed stores, gotten into bloody fights, stolen vehicles and generally gotten into all sorts of mischief. However, she'd never taken a life before, and had still had a moral code on who she would actually injure or steal from.
Those lines were gone now. They had been for years. She'd crossed them. Each and every one of them.
Some of them had even been directly involving Gohan.
She hadn't realized it at the time, but torturing an eleven year old boy had been one of her lines. She'd never thought she would do it, but after Blondie wouldn't quit bugging them, they'd figured a handful of broken limbs would be enough for the young man to get the picture.
Of course, they'd later find out that they had been most definitely wrong.
Thinking about it, she began to consider how long it had been until all of their morals had finally been washed away. How long had it taken for her brother and she to one by one cut away the ties to humanity they once held? The transformation had come on so… naturally, so gradually that she hadn't even noticed the change up until now.
She remembered hunting down a young boy a little more than a month back, just before that damn… that… talk.
What was his name?
She paused in her thought, a part of her feeling it was important to recall it.
Hercule. Hercule Satan.
She felt her lips pull slightly towards a smile. That was it. That was his name.
She returned to the memory, recalling eventually finding the boy hiding away in a storage closet in the back of a bookstore. She'd been agitated that the young boy had managed to evade her for so long, his instincts serving to spare him ten additional minutes before she'd found him.
She recalled torturing the child before driving a single beam through his skull. It had meant nothing to her.
And I think I get to be upset about my brother's injury.
She wondered what her past self would have done if she'd seen what she would eventually become. What would the girl who only just stepped out of Dr. Gero's lab think of the woman standing in her shoes today?
She would be horrified.
She knew it to be the truth. If her past self was standing before her today, having seen the atrocities that she'd committed, all in the name of good fun, she would likely attack herself in an attempt to rid the world of this monster.
She closed her eyes.
It was the truth, wasn't it?
She was a monster.
Slowly, Eighteen's eyes opened, her gaze locked on the ground at her feet. The woman's head rose, turning until she was looking back towards where she could feel Gohan training.
She could still hear that little voice in her head, reminding her that the man over that crest was the one responsible for her brother's pain. But it was much quieter now, barely a whisper of a thought anymore.
Another voice chimed that he was also the only person in the world strong enough to kill her, and he very much had the proper motivation to do so.
She paused, frowning.
For some reason, that didn't feel like such a big deal anymore.
-Gohan-
The demi-Saiyan threw out a single fist that cut through his opponent, before shooting forward a second time, bending his arm so that his elbow embedded itself into his target as well.
That all you got, Blondie?
He growled as he spun, whipping out his leg in a low sweep that he envisioned knocking the Seventeen to the ground. His prediction was that this attack would allow him a few seconds to twist, anticipating his second opponent. He pictured Eighteen coming from the rear as he pulled back his fist and—
—Froze, his eyes wide in shock as, at the very last moment, he stopped himself.
There actually was someone standing there.
"Videl?"
His eyes were wide, confused. How had she crept up so close without him noticing? Also, what was she doing here? He'd figured out weeks ago that the woman wanted nothing to do with him, so why would she…?
She was standing there, appearing almost uncomfortable… or was that nervousness he was detecting?
"Uh… Hey, Gohan." She flashed a smile, one arm raising to swing a single uncomfortable wave. It was clear to him that she did not want to be here right now.
So why is she?
"Um, hey, Videl." His brows knit together, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"I-" She paused almost as if she hadn't had an answer to that question. "I wanted to know… when the next teaching session was."
He frowned. Teaching session? He'd been under the impression that she'd only wanted to know how to manipulate her energy enough to fly. She'd done that now, so what was she hoping to gain by asking for more lessons?
"Do you need more pointers on how to fly?" Did she think there was another step?
She gave him a curious look. "Uh, no, actually. I think I actually have flying down now." She hovered in the air for a few moments to demonstrate. "See?" She smiled.
Gohan felt his lips naturally form a smile in response.
"Well, that's certainly good to see-"
"And I've been practicing this!" She added abruptly. A moment later, a ball of energy the size of a golf ball formed in her palm before spiraling up her arm and around her torso. The energy zoomed with precision as it continued to dance across her body. He could see her brow set, her eyes reflecting her determination as she focused on the little sphere of Ki.
Gohan's brows arched. That actually was a surprise. "Wow, Videl! I have to admit, that actually is quite impressive."
He watched her beam at the prase. He couldn't help find it adorable as she let the energy disperse, a seemingly content smile on her lips.
It made him think of a child showing their teacher a drawing they were particularly proud of.
"But… I'm still struggling to grasp what you meant by 'teaching sessions'. It was my understanding that you just wanted to learn how to fly… right?"
He watched her smile crumple slightly, her brows drooping slightly. "I… well yes, that is true. I guess I just really enjoyed learning about Ki and was hoping to learn more."
He shot her a sympathetic look. "I see. Well, I will admit that Ki is quite fascinating when you first start learning about it." He let out a slow sigh, shaking his head. "The only issue is that I simply can't keep teaching you. Ki and Ki control are innately tied to combat and martial arts. The vast majority of these techniques are designed for combat use, and unless you plan to become a full fledged martial artist, there's very little more I can even show you." He paused, adding, "I'm sorry." Upon noticing the woman's slightly defeated looking face.
Then, a grin split it.
"You think I don't know how to fight?"
The words made his chest pound a little harder from excitement. Was she saying what he thought she was saying?
"Do you?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Care to find out?" She chided with a playful grin, raising her fists to her face as she lowered her stance. Gohan's brows rose as he recognized a legitimate fighting style within her form, proper footing, good spacing as well as weight distribution.
There's definitely foundations there.
He mentally noted as he let his focus on his golden aura diminish. Closing his eyes, he let the strenuous state slip from his mind before he felt his hair ease back to its normal black.
"Alright then," he said, grinning with anticipation, "let's see what you can do."
"Don't underestimate me, now." Her smile was unwavering, "I know you can quite literally destroy buildings, but I can zip around a little ball of energy, so…" she laughed at her own joke
Gohan laughed, too.
It felt good to laugh.
Finally, he watched as she pushed forward, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she approached. Gohan watched her legs as she moved, dancing through the sand until eventually she was upon him.
Good footwork.
He noted as he easily slipped by a punch meant for his chin, then two more as the woman followed up with a flurry of short, swift jabs.
The style reminded him of an MMA fighter trying to poke at their opponent and get a read for them.
"You didn't happen to take MMA as a kid did you?"
"How'd you guess?" She said as she unleashed a hook which he realized had been planned out in conjunction with the jabs, trying to position his head so that her hook would catch him.
Of course, she was far too slow to make that attack land.
He caught the fist an inch from his face, grinning as he did.
"Just noticing, is all." A part of his training was learning several different styles of fighting. MMA had certainly been a part of his research.
He shoved back the hand. He'd seen her offense, now it was time to test her defense.
He pushed forward, making sure that he was telegraphing his punch so that she definitely knew it was coming. Much to his delight, she managed to sway to the side at just the right moment, avoiding the fist as it sailed over her shoulder.
Good.
He threw out two more jabs, each faster than the last as he tried to decipher her skill level.
She slipped to the other side as the fist sailed over her other shoulder before pulling back, creating distance as the last strike struck air.
Very good.
He was impressed. She'd shown she clearly knew what she was doing in a normal fight.
She swung out a kick meant to take out his leg. He guarded the attack with his shin, before doing the same and noting how readily she managed to mirror his guard.
Gohan was genuinely enjoying himself as he parried yet another strike meant for his face. She was by no means close to Trunks in speed or strength, but that didn't mean that sparring with a new partner wasn't any less fun.
He was beginning to question if this was perhaps the reason the girl had taken to Ki control so fast. She already had amazing foundations for martial arts!
Considering this fact, the man threw out a straight punch he'd predicted would miss in a similar fashion, preparing a knee to follow up as he-
"Urk!"
His eyes grew wide with shock as his fist managed to slam itself into the woman's cheek.
Another moment later, she was airborne.
Gohan's face grew white as a sheep as he watched Videl launch back five feet before collapsing in a heap in the sand.
Fuck! I wasn't paying attention!
He'd been letting his mind wander too much during the fight!
The demi-Saiyan immediately rushed to the young woman's side, kneeling as he noticed her back turned to him, her shoulders trembling.
Damn it! I made her cry! Oh, Kami, what do I do?!
Panic began to set in for the young man as he scrambled. "I'm so sorry! I should have been more careful! Is there anything I can do to-"
"Hehehe…"
...What?
Videl's thin frame suddenly rolled over, her lips curled in a smile as she echoed another round of laughter. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it?"
Gohan blinked, the panic slowly bleeding from his mind as his lips formed a grin as well. "Yeah." He let his body sit back in the sand, relieved that she hadn't been hurt. "Yeah, it was."
"So, did I pass?"
"Pass?"
"The test." Videl slowly pushed herself up, brushing off the specks of sand clinging to her otherwise pale, unblemished thighs. "If you'd be willing to teach me more about Ki control."
Gohan paused in thought. She definitely showed promise, but did that mean that he was actually considering taking on another disciple?
He imagined that Trunks wouldn't be upset over it given his assessment of the woman being a 'total bombshell'.
Gohan caught his gaze lingering on the woman's exposed legs as he placated the thought.
"..."
He pulled his eyes away a moment later as he prevented a blush forming on his cheeks. Granted, the kid was right, but Gohan knew that should not be a deciding factor when considering taking on another disciple.
You are the teacher, and she will be your student.
He felt it important he cement that fact in his mind before he proceeded. He tried to come up for reasons not to train her. Was there actually any drawbacks from taking on another student?
You'll have less time to train yourself.
He paused, considering the fact. He supposed it was the truth, if he was being honest, but it wasn't like he was spending all his time training by himself, either. He tried to remember the last time he was out here like this. Had it been a month and a half?
The young man pushed himself to his feet, standing next to an expectant-looking Videl.
"Well…?" She raised her eyebrows at him.
Gohan took one final pause to consider his options. He doubted she would ever get to a level that she could actually sway a fight against the Androids, but more people being able to protect themselves during an attack couldn't be a bad thing, right?
"Alright, I don't see why not." He finally relented.
He watched her smile grow wide.
He let out a soft chuckle. "Alright, alright, but I'm not gonna start teaching you this moment. I still want to finish my own training."
Also, I have no idea what to teach!
He realized that he would likely need to plan out lessons ahead of time, now, instead of the typical sparring sessions he had with Trunks.
"Oh." She blinked, her eyes registering a surprise as if she hadn't even considered that, "Okay, yeah that's fine. I'll um, text you, okay?"
"Sounds like a plan." He nodded. "Be careful on your flight home, okay? You've used a lot of energy, today. You don't want to collapse midair."
She flashed him a smile. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
He watched her turn, walking away a short distance before posing to take to the air. Abruptly however, she paused, a frown pulling at her lips.
His head tilted to the side. "Something the matter?"
The tension in the woman's legs eased as she righted herself into a simple standing position, staring down at the ground at her feet. It looked to Gohan that she was thinking something, something that appeared to be bothering her…?
Finally, he watched as she growled, stomping her foot once in the sand, before turning on her heel and walking back towards him with a determined expression on her face.
He could see her fingers had curled back into fists.
Despite knowing that he was incalculably stronger than her, that didn't stop his nervousness from bubbling to the top as she drew closer.
"V-Videl?" He heard the slightly hitch to his voice as the word left his lips. A second later, Videl was standing before him, her brows furrowed in a ferocious expression.
"Thank you." She finally said.
Gohan jumped when he felt the woman wrap her arms around his chest, pulling him into a hug he hadn't expected.
"I-I" He stammered, his face bright red from the sudden contact. Looking down, Gohan had the unceremonious realization that he was still topless.
"You're welcome?" he answered, confused. He'd merely offered to teach her, no need to-
"It's for when you taught me how to sense Ki." Finally, she pulled away. "I told myself I would give you a hug for that… and now I have." He couldn't tell very well in the dark, but there was the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks.
"Bye."
A second later, the winds all around him picked up as she shot into the sky. He watched as her slim frame slowly disappeared into the twinkling night.
The young man stood still for a long time, his mind replaying the night's events as he did. He'd certainly not expected to see Videl of all people showing up tonight. Hell, he hadn't expected anyone to show up tonight. And to find out that the woman could fight and wanted to learn from him?
Well, I guess today was certainly eventful.
He thought to himself as he slowly started to stretch, limbering his body up in preparation to continue fighting. His brow furrowed as he'd noticed something that had just occurred to him. He remembered Videl, or at least, he'd thought he'd remembered Videl well enough, given that it had only been a little over a month since their last interaction. He supposed that there was a chance that he was remembering things wrong, even a likelihood since it wouldn't make sense otherwise.
Were Videl's eyes always blue?
Author's Note:
Hello all! Thank you for being patient and waiting for this installment. Not-so-fun-fact: This chapter got corrupted during the editing process! This unfortunately meant that everyone's favorite beta reader Ben, had to go through and clean up this chapter two times(hence the wait)! So please, everyone give a MASSIVE thank you for Ben working so hard.
Moving on to happier notes.
As many of you can likely tell, this chapter was a MAJOR moment for Eighteen's character, as well as a realization (for me) that for some reason Gohan as a character is very effective to write even when he's by himself. The following chapters are going to reflect this new dynamic, and hopefully be something that you all enjoy :).
The next chapter shouldn't be too long of a wait considering how often my mind is thinking out this story. Quite literally, I have mapped out and outlined basically the entire plot of this fic, from beginning to end, I know where I need to go.
And trust me when I say, it's going to be a wild ride ;).
Until next time!