Author's Note: This is real. I HAVE a new chapter for all of you. ^__^ Well, since the rules for the Sennenki changed --- judging will be done instead of voting --- it will take a while before the results will be out. Hopefully, I'm going to win... although that's something I'm not counting on. *sighs heavily* Anyway, since it will take quite sometime before we'll know if I should give the triple-chapter update, I decided to just write a new chapter... and well, Nash, my classmate, kept bugging me to do so, so I did.

So here it is. Enjoy, and please review!

And one last thing... Mirai Trunks fans, anyone? You see, I have a new fic up (a Mirai Trunks one) and if you won't mind, I'd like to hear from you with regards to it. So if you have time to spare, please read and review Hikari no Will Power. Arigatou minna!

Fueled by Anger, Driven by Despair
Chapter Ten: Take Heed, Danger Nears


"Trunks! Why'd you let her go?!"

A sly yet sardonic smile appeared on the demi-saiyajin's pale teenage features. "So? She may be able to run, but she won't be able to hide. Not from us, anyway," he replied rather confidently, crossing his arms in front of his muscular chest with the same intensity of confidence. "Besides, it's a lot more fun this way. And take this into consideration... we might be able to snag a couple more gold coins from Nakasone-san for her capture --- wouldn't that be convenient?"

"What if she comes up with another of her grand schemes, to get back at us? I mean, she knows we're aware of what's going on... and I know that she wants us silenced. She managed to deceive everyone the past two years, hiding her crimes perfectly... she'd definitely be able to do the same now!" Goten countered in a worried tone, his anxiety evident.

Trunks patted him encouragingly on the back. "Aw, c'mon. Don't worry about it. Chill."

The other sighed, as if in resignation --- yet his reluctance shone through, despite of his efforts to make it appear as subtle as possible. "I don't know, Trunks. I hate a bad feeling about this, really. Letting her go... I don't think that was a very good move for us."

"What do you suggest we do, then? Run after her and drag her back here? Then we tie her up to a big tree and leave a huge beehive swarming with all those poisonous creatures hanging on one of its branches? Listen to me, Goten. Doing so won't be enough to put everyone on our side and against her. We need to actually let the others catch her red-handed. And that's when we do whatever we have to do... or whatever Videl has to do, rather."

"How are we going to do that?"

The lavender-haired teenager's cocky smile leaked back in. "Gee, Goten, haven't you figured it out? The only way for the others to catch her red-handed is for us to set her up! We prepare a trap, one that she'll surely fall for, then the moment she walks into it... bam! She'll be trapped with no way out and victory is OURS!"

To the older boy's surprise, his best friend still did not look impressed. He was still reluctant, and it was visible in the way his eyes gleamed and flickered with uncertainty. "Are you sure she'll fall for whatever trap we'll be setting up? I don't think she'll believe whatever that will reach her ears, unless it's straight from my brother's mouth---" his voice trailed off, blinking as it happened so.

"Finally," Trunks muttered with a smile, happy that, at last, Goten managed to figure out what he wanted him to. His joyous mood fell apart, though, as the younger demi-saiyajin looked at him and asked,

"But how are we going to get Oniichan to help us?"

Dramatically, Trunks slapped himself on the forehead, and emitted a groan audible enough for the other to realize that the younger boy didn't get the point he was trying so hard to imply. Pushing his exasperation away, he told Goten, "We DON'T get your Oniichan to help us," as slowly as possible for the words to sink into the other's brain. Then, Trunks paused, expecting the ebony-eyed boy to ask him what he meant.

And indeed, the question came, though it was asked in a meek tone as Goten somehow realized that Trunks was getting frustrated at his incomprehension of the subject at hand. "Then how do we do it? If Oniichan won't help us --- and we won't ask him to --- then who will? There's nobody else Erasa trusts... well, she used to go to Okaasan, but she practically blew up on her..."

Trunks could not stop himself from rolling his ice-blue eyes at the narrow-mindedness of his friend, although he silently reminded himself that he should be used to it by now. "Goten," he began as he attempted to supress his exasperation, "don't you see where I'm getting at?"

The raven-eyed demi-saiyajin shook his head apologetically.

It caused Briefs-Vegeta to sigh heavily. "Eiyu. He's the key to all this. He's on our side, he's ready to help us --- or so I think --- and he looks exactly like Gohan. A little acting on his part and ours will be sufficient to make Erasa believe in whatever we want her to believe, and pull her right into the vertex of our trap."

"Oooh!" Son exclaimed as the last piece of the puzzle that was messing up his mind fell into its proper place, his eyes twinkling excitedly. "A brilliant idea, Trunks! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Yeah, why didn't you?" the other seconded sarcastically, rolling his sapphire orbs in the process.

Turquoise eyes aflame with anger, Erasa ran as fast as she could towards the address sated in the letterhead of Gohan's note, the letter itself crumped in her right hand which was clamped into a fist. "Damn those brats... Damn that Videl... Damn them, DAMN THEM ALL!" she shrieked in a heavily strained voice, unshed tears glistening within her crystalline orbs.

Everything had been perfect for the past two years, until her ex-best friend --- her greatest rival --- returned to play a game of chess in the name of revenge, and the brats' intervention made matters even worse. Everything else began to cave in ever since, and Erasa knew that there was only one person she could run to, only one person she could count on... and that she was time-limited. Her only chance to get him to help her was now, while he was still oblivious to the truth.

Her husband, Gohan.

Although she wasn't sure how long she would be able to hide the truth from him --- for she had the gut feeling that the brats Goten and Trunks already told everyone what they found out about her, and that she actually admitted that it was true, though it wasn't in a vocal way.

She was about to open the door of the abandoned semi-mansion when she stopped, something hitting her as the establishment's shadow was cast on her. It wasn't the fact that she was barging into Gohan's so-called territory without notice, but the fact that the place was awfully familiar. She blinked, her eyes showing a hint of recognition as she remembered being inside the said house once or twice before with her friends, although she could not seem to recall when it happened and why she ended up there during those times.

Erasa sighed, then shoved her thoughts aside as she pushed the door open --- only to find that it wasn't locked in the first place. She halted, her eyes narrowing significantly. It wasn't Gohan's nature to leave his territory unguarded, so much more, open.

Suspicion filled her thenafter. Gohan did not leave the door open, someone barged in uninvited, obviously. She immediately did a quick mental scan of who could have done so, but her deductions didn't help much. There was only one person who could have seen the letter --- the letterhead, at least --- and that was Chichi, but the young woman knew that her mother-in-law wasn't the stealthy and espionage-interested type.

Also, the doorknob left no mark of a struggle to open it, relaying the message that the person who sneaked in had been doing undercover work and counterintelligence-related jobs for a long time now. And it was something her last two suspects --- Trunks and Goten --- would not be able to pull off. Not in two years' time, anyway, presuming that they began their investigations on her right from the debut of her classical show.

A show that was about to end, unfortunately.

Knowing the danger the intruder posed on Gohan and his plans --- as well as hers --- she stepped into the chateau, grabbing a metal rod which was, to her surprise, conveniently palced by the doorway. Raising it into a semi-offensive, semi-defensive position, she worked her way through the darkness and towards the dwelling's bedchamber, where Gohan would most probably be.

With Videl.

She grimaced and forced herself to drive the fangs of jealousy away from her. It was not the time to think of it, as there were more pressing matters at hand. She knew that to let her emotions take control would be to allow herself to be dragged into a dark pit, as nearly everything she had established was falling apart, and now it all came crashing down on her. She only had one more chance, one last hope.

And she definitely did not want that to slip out of her grasp, and all her efforts to go to waste.

She arrived at the bedchamber's hallway in no time, half-surprised that the way seemed familiar to the young woman. Too familiar, in fact, that she reached her destination without having to perk up her senses but to merely rely on her intuition. Her determination, too, contributed to the speedy accomplishment of the first phase of her mission --- which left the harder half of the whole ordeal, or the persuading Gohan part.

All of a sudden, she froze, and quickly pressed herself against the cold, cobweb-accented wall, away from the prying eyes of whoever was nearby --- and she was sure that someone was indeed close by as the sound of a faint yet audible groan was picked up by her ears. She raised the rod she was carrying once more, this time in an attack stance, as she made her way towards where the noise originated, as cautiously as possible.

Then she saw the gate-crasher --- his silhouette, rather --- and adrenaline began to surge through her body in heavy currents. She gripped the rod tighter, lifted it, ready to strike...

... and stopped right before she struck down, as raven orbs captured her cerulean ones.

"Gohan," she breathed, relief evident in her voice as she placed the rod away as quietly as possible and hugged her husband as tightly as she dared. "I'm glad you're alright. But... where's the intruder? I know someone came in---"

He put his finger on her lips and mouthed that she be quiet. "Keep your voice down. Videl's inside, and we don't want her to know what's going on. The intruder... well, I knocked him out, as he wasn't aware of my presence," he explained in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Who is he?" the young woman asked, peering at the dark form that lay on the floor --- bound, gagged and unconscious --- with a face that was hidden beneath the cloak of darkness.

"Someone named Eiyu Nakasone. I found this tucked in the folds of his overcoat, along with a couple of espionage weapons and gadgets," he told her as he handed her a small card. "Unfortunately, it's only a name card... doesn't tell much, I'm afraid... but I'm sure we can find out more about this fellow if we just look hard enough."

"What about Videl?"

"I was about to ask that too," the young man replied. "We could continue what we've started, but... you may want to change our tactics a bit. After all, she is here."

She looked at him and smiled wryly, as there was something that caused her reluctance to remain. "That could work, yes... but what about this pest in the house?" she inquired, tilting her head towards the still form of the trespasser.

"We deal with him, of course," the other answered with a smile, which in a matter of seconds, turned cruel. "After we let him witness her downfall, as he is obviously allied with her." He then gestured towards the door of the bedchamber, which remained as quiet as ever. Apparently, Videl still didn't know what was happening outside the room, and she had enough confidence on her former boyfriend that she didn't bother to check up on him. "After you."

"Thank you," she whispered before she headed towards the door, confidence shining through her features, with a cruel smile that mirrored the one the young man wore. Excitement was evident in her eyes as well, as she felt that victory was crawling towards the palm of her hand, unhindered.

It was too late for anyone to stop them; victory was clearly theirs.

On the other hand, the young man's bitter smile transformed into a smirk --- although it could not be noticed due to the pitch-black atmosphere --- as he followed the other, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his trousers. He reached out for the doorknob, closing his hand on hers that already gripped it, then looked down at her and nodded slightly, as he was readier than he would ever be.

Their prey was in for a big surprise. Alas, it was an unpleasant one.