Chapter 4
One month later
History. Gohan's favorite subject, but he wasn't wild about this class project Mr. Fukashima had dumped into his lap. Not only that but it was a group project, forcing Gohan to work with two other living beings on it. A few weeks ago that might've made him nervous, but not so much so now. It didn't take him long to figure out who his two partners would be. Two new friends of his that he had gotten to know over recent weeks, without really getting to know them. That meaning they hadn't really shared with him much about themselves, but he had learned a few things about them just by watching the way they would go about their daily lives.
First there was the raven-haired beauty sitting to his right. He eyed Videl as her blue eyes stared down at a sheet of paper yet to see a solitary scribble. Her pen dangled from her mouth, as she tried to think up any argument that might get their project off the ground. One thing he'd discovered about Videl was that her curiosity had no end, and when she was determined to accomplish something she wouldn't quit until the job was done. Not a day went by where she didn't dog him about his past, or where he came from, and she was never satisfied with the vague answers he'd offer her. He filled her in on a few little secrets about himself along the way, but nothing to off the wall or that would convict of being a half alien from another solar system. Sometimes even little half-truths seemed to do the trick. For instance, when she asked him about the color of his eyes. He told her it was a trait he inherited from his father that ran in the family. Of course he conveniently left out the part about that trait linking back to a distant planet where all the inhabitants had tails and black eyes. No need for Videl to know about that just yet.
Then there was Ryo, who slouched over on the table groggily, just barely forcing his eyelids to remain open. Gohan would laugh to himself softly every time his chin would slide of his hand, and how he'd stop himself every time just before his nose slammed into his history pick. It wasn't that the boy was disinterested with the assignment or even bored for that matter, but he obviously hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Gohan had inquired to him about that on several occasions, but Ryo would simply wave it off as nothing he needed to worry about, so Gohan didn't pry into the matter any further. Ryo hadn't reveled all that much about himself to that point, but Gohan remained patient knowing it would all come with time. Trust took time to develop, so Gohan saw no further need to rush his investigation. Any doubts he may have ever had about the boy were for the most part long gone.
The silence of the library remained stagnant chocking the life, or at least the speaking ability, of everyone it consumed. All three waited around seemingly waiting for someone else to break through their bonds, and bring some life back into the room. Suddenly Videl's eyes lit up in a rather rare, but stunning way, at least to the boy sitting on her right anyway. "I've got it! I think I finally figured it out!"
"What?" Ryo yawned. "How to smile?" Ryo's eyes opened as wide as they had all morning when a crumbled up ball of notebook paper flew into his face. "Hey!"
Videl frowned. "No, you dip! I know what we can do with our project."
"Oh yeah, what?" Gohan asked, with a little added interest that he couldn't quite explain. Maybe he just liked to hear her talk.
"Well… We're supposed to write a report based on the Japanese standpoint in World War II right? Namely the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. I was thinking, since there are three of us, maybe we should come up with three different arguments based on all three views of the war. One of us could represent the Japanese, another the United States, and the other might try to take the view of what a neutral observer might think about everything."
"Hmm… Actually that is a pretty good idea," Ryo admitted. "It's nice to see you do have a few brains to go along with all that brawn."
"If you don't watch your mouth, that brawn is going to kick your butt all over campus!" A small smile took a bit away from the idle threat.
"I'm quivering with fear," Ryo muttered without even blinking.
Gohan just had to smile as he watched his two friends bicker back and forth. It was an amazing sight really, for Videl wouldn't have let anyone else talk to her the way that Ryo did, nor would anyone dare. Ryo was the one exception to the rule, and they didn't waste an opportunity to bust each other's chops. Almost a brother-sister like relationship as Gohan observed it. "That's a great idea Videl. But who's going to take what role?…"
Videl put her pen back up to her mouth. "That's a good question…"
"I'll play the neutral side," Ryo announced quickly. "I like the challenge of looking at it from numerous perspectives."
"Okay… I'll do the American side then, since it'll be the most awkward," Gohan volunteered. "That is unless you'd rather take it Videl."
"No, I'm fine with that. I'll take Japan. I guess it's all settled then…"
"Maybe we should discuss what our natural views are, and take it from there," Gohan suggested. "Why don't you start off Videl? I mean, what might you think if you were a Japanese citizen back during the time when the US dropped the A-bombs?"
Videl frowned, that question hitting very close to home. "How would you think I'd feel?! It was one of the most hideous and cowardly attacks in the history of modern warfare! They weren't just waging war on the Japanese military, they attacked everyone from our women, children, right down to our dogs and cats! Not only did they destroy two cities and kill thousands of people, the descendents of the people who survived were forced to suffer for years to come! It was complete total warfare, and there's nothing anyone could tell me that could justify that!"
"You have some good points, but the Americans could say the same thing about Pearl Harbor," Gohan countered after taking a moment to think it over. I'm sure they view that as a cowardly attack where a lot of un-expecting people were killed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare one to the other, or trying to justify either attack in any way. I'm only trying to look at both sides of it."
"I guess that makes sense…" Videl's brow sunk. "I still don't like it though. What do you think Ryo?"
Ryo remained silent for a moment, slumped over in his seat. Finally, he stood upright and stretched a bit before giving his take on the situation. "I'll tell you what I think. All of it is pointless. War is just a senseless cycle of bloodshed and hatred with the potential to linger on for years afterward as long as people remember. Japan and the US are supposedly close allies now and trade partners, but there are those people who'll resent each other their entire lives for those exact reasons. It's all ridiculous when you think about. If the US was in Japan's situation when they bombed Pearl Harbor, you can bet your pony tails that they would've bombed one of our naval bases if they felt war with us was inevitable, and if Japan had the bomb towards the end of the war then the Emperor of that era wouldn't have wasted a breath ordering it dropped on US cities if it would put an end to the war and save Japanese lives. Everyone's running around screaming this group of people is horrible for doing something to us that we would've done to them if the roles were reversed. Not that I can blame them however. World Leaders can claim they're going to war for self-dense, or to protect another country, but there's always the bottom line hidden somewhere. Everyone has something they want to gain. Sometimes it's necessary, but most of the time it's just suits hiding behind desks trying to throw their weight around by sending out people they consider expendable to shoot each other all in hopes of saying our people are better then yours. It's just the way the world works, always has, and probably always will."
Ryo stifled a yawn, and waited for a response from his classmates that never came. Wondering why they were so quiet, Ryo looked across at them to find them both staring at him with their mouths hanging open. Ryo's brow twitched a bit in confusion, while a light pink spread across his cheeks. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"
Gohan and Videl gaped at him another second or two, before looking back at each other. Videl looked back at Ryo and smiled. "I think you just wrote our intro."
"Yeah, that was really good," Gohan agreed, but also considering something was a bit off. "The only problem is, that's more of Ryo's view of the situation than how a neutral country might look at it."
"Well, that's what you asked me wasn't it?" Ryo asked, with a slight twinge of nervousness in his voice. The boy was obviously embarrassed about something. "I'll have to do a little research into the subject before I can say what a neutral leader might think. I should go find a book on Switzerland or something, I'll be right back."
"Remind me to tell him to write that down when he gets back," Videl asked Gohan after Ryo had made his hasty exit. "We really have to use that."
"I'll be sure to, I just hope he can remember everything he just said… I wonder what he got so embarrassed over though? It looked to me like he was just itching for an excuse to get as far away from us as he could."
"Well, you know how shy he can get at times. I really think he just hates it when someone has their attention on him, or he might have thought he said something stupid. He's dead wrong if he thinks that though. I know it sounds odd, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of person who takes praise very well…" Videl groaned softly, and gently rubbed at her temples. "Oh, my head hurts… Maybe it's time we took a break or something."
"Sounds good to me," Gohan said, a curious smile forming on his lips. "Why don't we talk about something unrelated to school for a while? At least until Ryo comes back. Like maybe something about yourself…"
Videl's brow furrowed. "About me? What for?"
"Well, I just find you interesting I guess. I'd like to know more about what it's like to be the daughter of the man who saved the world from Cell…" No matter how hard he practiced, Gohan always gagged every time he spoke that hideous lie aloud.
Videl blushed a bit at first, but that look quickly formed into a scowl. "There isn't much to talk about… It's just like being the daughter of any other man who's never home, out partying all night, or who hangs out with easy women who aren't fit to be anything but five dollar hookers on some street corner! My dad just happens to be rich, and world famous that's all."
"Ouch… From the sound of things you must not get along too well with your dad huh?"
"No, not really… I love my dad, and we get along for the most part though we disagree on a lot of things. It's just that… Our relationship isn't what it use to be… We were so close when I was little… I remember when he use to take me out fishing at least once a month, take me camping, or when we'd just sit in the back yard with mother and watch the sunset. Then after mother died, and father won the Marital Arts Tournament and eventually defeated Cell, everything changed. All of a sudden he didn't have time for me anymore. He was still around in that big old house, but he was never really there anymore. Now the only time he ever seems to want me around is when he needs to pull some publicity stunt to show the Earth it's biggest hero is a proud father. Don't get me wrong, I know he still loves me, but he's lost in this strange new world. I can only hope that one day somebody pops that ego of his, and brings him back down to Earth enough for him to remember that I am his *daughter*, not a promotional gimmick!"
Poor Videl… I never thought letting Hercule take the credit for defeating Cell would hurt anybody… I guess I was wrong. Don't worry Videl, I might just decide to pop his bubble for you one of these days. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't had said anything like that… I didn't mean to open up any old wounds…"
"Don't sweat it Gohan. It actually feels good to talk about it to someone every once in a while… I don't even know why I rambled on like that, I guess I kind of needed to get it off my chest." All at once that far off look in her eyes suddenly transformed into one of curiosity as they changed their direction towards Gohan. "Okay, what about you? It's your turn to spill now. So tell me… How come you never attended public school before this semester?"
"Because there wasn't any schools around the little mountain village I live in," Gohan stated matter of factly. "I was taught at home by my mother most of my life."
"True, but why start all of the sudden though? From the sound of things, and judging by your book smarts she did one hell of a job of it. If home school was working out so well for you then why enroll in public school at all, especially when you have to commute so far to come here?!"
"It wasn't exactly my idea. It was my mother's… You see my mom was pretty tough on me when it came to my education even when I was as young as five, but even without that there weren't exactly too many people living in my little village that consists of exactly one house! I tended to get depressed a lot, and mom thought it would be good for me to get out in the world and…" Gohan stopped in mid-sentence, worried he had said too much.
Videl's brow furrowed slightly, curiosity mixing in with a tiny bit of concern. "Depressed? What do you have to be depressed about?"
Gohan wanted to tell her… Well, he didn't want to tell her per say, but felt he owed something to her. She had shared a rather deep fact about her personal life that was obviously difficult for her to talk about, and Gohan really wanted to return that favor. However, he just wasn't ready to scratch at the scab that had formed over that old wound just yet. He just wasn't strong enough at the present time. "I'm sorry Videl, but I need to learn to watch what comes out of my mouth in the future. That's not something I'm ready to talk about… It's a real touchy subject for me, so if we could just leave it at that for now… Please?"
Videl frowned obviously not that thrilled with the idea, but she nodded her head regardless. "Alright… I can respect that… Just as long as you tell me eventually. You know I'm just going to keep dogging you until you do?"
Gohan's grin spread from ear to ear. "Don't I know it!"?
"You two can finish flirting later," Ryo interrupted them, holding a large stack of books in his arms.
"We weren't flirting Ryo," Videl scowled, a light pink attacking her cheeks.
"Sure you weren't." With a smile, Ryo dropped a large pile of books on the table.
Gohan examined the reading material Ryo had just dropped in front of them, not just because he couldn't see over the top of that mountain. He noticed a couple books based on WWII, and two geography books with England and Italy on the cover. "What's with all the different books Ryo?"
"Well, I got thinking. Videl's idea was great, but I think we should take it one step further. Instead of just focusing on how all-neutral countries in general might have viewed the events at the beginning and end of World War II, I thought maybe we should include a paragraph or two regarding how all the major countries involved might have been thinking come the end of the war. Whether it was Allies, Axis, or a neutral observer. It'll be slightly more difficult, but should be no less fun. It's better then just the same old, same old boring ten page essays retelling the same tired old facts over and over again. So, what do you guys think?"
"I think it's wonderful!" Videl beamed. Gohan grinned, and nodded his head in agreement. "You always have to go all out don't you?"
"It's the only way to go, or your wasting your time," Ryo replied with an all too simple smile.
********
Gohan flew home with a big smile plastered across his face. He'd been thinking a lot about Videl's idea for their history project and… Ah, who was he kidding, he'd been flat out thinking about Videl. There was something about her that made him want to smile every time he thought about her. He'd been noticing little things about her he didn't see the first time he met her, and couldn't understand why others didn't seem to notice at all. Like just how dazzling her smile could be the few times she let it show without it looking like some cocky smirk, or how by the third time he looked at her he realized just what a looker she really was. How her eyes seemed to glow when she was curious, and just how cute she looked when she was mad which happened quite frequently. One of his more guilty observations, one that always brought a blush to his cheeks, was on the rare occasions Videl would leave her shorts and baggy shirts in the closet, and come to school in a plain t-shirt and jeans. More then once he caught himself admiring how her jeans hugged and showed off the firm shape of her rear end. Hey, Gohan was a gentleman, but he wasn't perfect.
Gohan wasn't exactly sure what he was feeling, but whatever it was he decided he liked it. Liked it a lot actually. He didn't know where he wanted to take if from there, until maybe he found out a little more about it first. Hopefully, he could learn a lot more about Videl along the way as well.
With his attention clearly wandering, Gohan failed to notice that someone had been flying beside him for about a minute or so. "Hey Gohan, you awake over there?"
Gohan snapped out of his trance once the voice rang in his ear, along with a gentle tapping at his shoulder. Gohan nearly performed a mid-air barrel roll when he realized just whom it was flying along side of him. "Ryo?! What are you doing up here?!"
"I'm conducting and orchestra, what does it look like I'm doing?"
Gohan shook off the shock, and smiled at his fellow aerodynamic classmate. "Sorry, you kind of caught me off guard, but with your Ki level so high I guess I should've figured you would know how to fly."
"I could say the same about you," Ryo said, while the high winds slapped his fluffy brown hair around. "This would explain how you get back and forth from home to school. A normal five hour drive is only a good thirty minutes through the air if you're fast enough."
"Right on the money as usual Ryo. Say, I've never bumped into you up here before? Do you fly home from school yourself?"
"Nah, I live kind of far off myself, but I don't usually bother to fly. The area where I live is rather crowed, and it would be careless to try to land there. Too much of a chance on being seen. Besides, I don't have much to do once I get home, so I just walk the hour so home to kill time."
"I see…" Gohan said. He felt a little angry with himself at the moment for being rather careless while flying around the city himself.
"Look, this was nice, but I didn't fly over to you to make small talk," Ryo began. "I wanted to talk to you about Videl."
Gohan's face burned bright red. "Videl?!… Umm… Whatever for?"
Ryo smiled, noticing the blush creeping across Gohan's cheeks. "Oh man I knew it. You have a crush on her don't you Gohan?"
"WHAT?! NO!" Gohan shrieked like Ryo had just accused him of shooting the president. "We're just friends Ryo, I don't like her or anything!"
"Yeah sure, but there'll be a more appropriate time to discuss that." Ryo's expression suddenly fell deadly serious. "I came here to warn you about something I thought you might be interested in. I think Videl might run into some trouble this evening. There's something going on downtown this evening around six o'clock, and if I know Videl she'll throw herself right into the middle of it. Just thought I'd tell you incase you want to keep an eye our for her."
"Well, of course but…" Gohan's brow creased with confusion. "I'm going to assume your telling me the truth, but I want to know how in the world do you know this is going to happen if it does?"
"I have my sources Gohan, that's all I can tell you right now." With that Ryo broke away from Gohan, and speed off towards the south.
Gohan boomed to a halt in mid-flight. "RYO WAIT!" Surprisingly, Ryo slowed to a stop, and looked back at Gohan from a good distance away. "You need to tell me what's going on here?! How can you expect me to believe you, if you can't tell me how you know Videl's going to be in danger?!"
"You'll just have to take my word for it!" Ryo shouted back. "Trust me, you'll live to regret it if you don't! I know it's a hard pill to swallow, but please understand why I can't tell you just yet. There are a few things about me I don't wish to put out into the open, even to you or Videl just yet. You should be able to understand that more then anyone Gohan, I know for a fact you have some secrets of your own you don't want anyone else to know about. You'll find out all about me soon enough, so until then you just have to trust me okay? I'm sorry but I have to run. I'll see you later Gohan."
Gohan didn't bother to stop him again, and fought off the urge to chase after him. Ryo did have an excellent point, and Gohan did understand where he was coming from. Still, that didn't mean he had to like it. He decided to leave the subject be for now, and not pry into the boy's business. He'd find out everything he wanted to know eventually, he'd make sure of that. His only hope was that it would be soon. Ryo's head games were really getting under his skin.
Besides, there were more important things to worry about at the moment. For one he needed to get home before his mother started to worry, and two there was the situation with Videl. He had two hours before the clock turned six. He didn't see any reason for Ryo to lie to him about something like that, nor would he take the chance that he was, and he wasn't about to standby and do nothing if Videl truly was in danger. What is it about Ryo? Whatever it is I need to find out soon, but he's driving me up the wall! I wonder what sort of trouble Videl's going to get herself into this time? There's no telling… Oh well, I guess there's only one way to find out.
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Within the next ten minutes Gohan was already walking through his front door, an incredibly quick trip even for him. His mother just happened to be in the kitchen preparing that evenings dinner, when Gohan tried to rush past her. "There you are Gohan! I've been waiting for you. I want to know if you could do me a favor?"
"What?… Well, I guess, but it really depends. I'm in a bit of a rush…"
"Well whatever it is, it's going to have to wait for now," Chi-chi said sternly. "I need you to fly over to Bulma's and pick up your brother. She's held up in the lab at the moment and doesn't have time to bring him home, and Kami knows Vegeta isn't going to get off his butt and bring him back."
"But mom I…" Gohan started to argue, but stopped after analyzing the situation further. Capsule Corp. wasn't all that far away, Gohan could get there in no time if he really booked it. He could fly there real quick, grab Goten, be back in time for dinner, and be left with plenty of time to track down Videl and keep an eye on her just in case Ryo's warning held any real weight. "It's that all? Sure, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll get right on it."
"Thanks sweetheart. If you hurry you guys should probably get back in time for dinner…" Chi-chi started, unaware her son was already out the door. Chi-chi's first hints were the loud sonic boom that roared through the house, and a bright ball of light that could only be her son flying through the sky, that she saw out of the kitchen window. "Goodness, he's sure in a hurry. Wonder what's up with him?"
Gohan made a beeline straight for Capsule Corp., and in no time he was already knocking on the Briefs front door. Bulma greeted him with a cheery smile, as she invited him inside. "Nice to see you too Bulma, I'm here to pick up Goten. Hope the little scamp hasn't been too much trouble for you. Where is he anyway?"
Bulma dismissed the issue with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about him, he's nothing I can't handle. Right now he's in the gravity room with Vegeta and Trunks, but they should be out any minute now. I swear, you Sayian's must have a built in alarm clock that goes off whenever dinner's ready."
Gohan cocked his eyebrow in surprise. "Gravity room?! You mean Vegeta is actually letting Goten train with them?!"
Bulma nodded her head. "Uh-hum. Actually he's been rather insistent on it. This has been going on for a while, I'm surprised Goten hasn't mentioned something to you about it yet."
"No, he hasn't… Vegeta huh? It's probably a good thing he hasn't said anything about it. If mom knew about this, she'd have a coronary!"
In the meantime, a proud warrior fought to hold his body upright against the force of 150 times the Earth's gravity. Training his body had always been relatively easy for Vegeta, hell he was dangerously close to being the most powerful living being on that side of the universe. However, his mind had proved a much more difficult beast to tame. Particularly these human emotions that had infected his soul like the plague, slowly turning him into something that at one time he never thought he could ever be. Human. The mere sound of that made his skin crawl at one time, but now-a-days it truly seemed at times that he was a much human as he was Sayian.
He once was the ultimate Sayian warrior wasn't he? Completely void of all useless emotion, he could wipe all life off an entire planet without a second thought. The end of the world for the people of that planet, but to Vegeta it was merely Wednesday and another day at the office. Now here he was tied down with a family, and one he'd have to admit that he wouldn't trade anything in the universe for. Not even a chance to revive his once proud race that now only consistent of four. Instead of the role of a solider looking to destroy and terrorize, he had transformed into a warrior trying to protect his home. The thing that scared him most was, at that point in time… He just really didn't care anymore.
One thing still troubled him though, or two things if you must be completely accurate. Two emotions he'd been experiencing that no full-blooded Sayian should've been crippled with. What did the humans call them? Remorse… Or guilt maybe? Vegeta had been a destroyer of worlds. The executioner of countless thousands. For the first time in his life he was regretting the planet trade, and almost everything his Sayian race had once stood for. He never cared before, so why know all of the sudden? Why were those old memories suddenly haunting him?
And what about them? Bulma, Gohan, Krillen, and even Kakarot. Why had they all forgiven him so easily? All the lives he had destroyed and taken before their time, and yet they all looked past it like it was nothing. Were they really that weak, or were they merely that strong? How could they forgive him so easily when now he was having difficulty forgiving himself? He was a Sayian damn it! He shouldn't even be the slightest bit phased by these pointless emotions! He shouldn't even care, not one bit! But he did… For whatever reason now he did no matter how hard he tried to fight it. Despite everything, he could see one final chance for redemption. One last crack at atonement. Through the six year old eyes of Kakorot's youngest child.
"It's been forever since the last time you dropped by Gohan," Bulma said leisurely, offering Gohan a drink that he politely refused. "So tell me, how's school been going? Have the other kids been treating you well?"
Gohan sweat dropped. "Well, the survey's still out on that one. I've gotten a mixed reaction for the most part. I'm still new to this type of life, but I've learned pretty quick that the term *dork* isn't a sign of affection. I have made a couple of good friends though. Of course, it's nothing like the relationship you or Krillen had with my dad, but we've only known each other a little more then a month."
Bulma nodded her head with a smile. "Give it time. It takes a while to build trust and friendships, you can't expect it to happen over night. At least the really strong ones anyway. Say… That doesn't include that Ryo boy Vegeta mentioned does it?"
Gohan sweat dropped again. "So, I see Vegeta's talking to you about him… I was hoping he'd forget all about him by now."
"Are you kidding?!" Bulma scoffed, and put on her best Vegeta impersonation. "The idea of a human with that kind of power is preposterous, let alone a child! He's driving me up the wall, I'm telling you!"
"Ha, ha! Well, next time tell him not to get too bent out of shape about it. I'm not sure how powerful he is yet. He's nothing compared to a Sayian anyway, so I don't see what Vegeta's so worried about. Since when was he ever interested in humans anyway?"
"I'm not, never have been, and never will be!" Vegeta snorted as he walked into the kitchen, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. "That's the exact problem! The majority of humans are pathetic weaklings, so if this so-called friend of yours is as strong as you think he is then my guess would be that he might not be human at all! Besides that, I know every living being on this planet that knows how to control their Ki, and I don't like the thought of someone running around that I'm not aware of!"
"Come on Vegeta!" Gohan laughed. "Ryo seems pretty human to me. I thought the same thing at first, but he doesn't seem like a threat to me."
"I think you need to look at things more closely Gohan," Vegeta said, without as much hostility as Gohan might have expected from the prince of the Sayians. "This boy could be planning to sweep this planet out from underneath your feet while your rubbing shoulders and playing all chummy with him. Another thing you need to think about is where did he learn to control his Ki in the first place. It's not exactly an ability you can learn from a self-help tape! Somebody had to teach him, and that means there could be more where he came from that we need to deal with."
"Gee, I never even thought about that," Gohan admitted, drifting off a bit to consider all the possibilities. "But still, I'm getting to know him better as we speak. I'm sure I'll find out all about him eventually."
Vegeta humpfed. "I see. Well, your still young yet. Analyzing situations to the letter is an instinct that will develop over time. I wouldn't wait long for this boy if I were you. If you wait too long he might stab you in the back before you know what hits you." With that Vegeta looked towards Bulma. "And as for you woman! I'm going to the bathroom, and my dinner better be on the table when I get back! I'm starving!"
"Sure thing your highness," Bulma jeered as he disappeared from the kitchen. She smiled remembering how a few years ago he really meant that when he said it, but now a days it was more for show in front of one of the few surviving members of his race.
"Is it my imagination, or did Vegeta almost encourage me?" Gohan asked, shock etched into his face. "If I didn't know any better I could almost swear he cared."
"He does care Gohan," Bulma told him. "He might never admit it aloud, and just might put someone's lights out for suggesting it to his face but he still cares."
"I wonder… I will admit he has changed a lot over the years however. He's still crabby old tough as nails Vegeta, only with a bit of a softer edge to him it seems."
"Yeah, he has changed even after the first few years we were married," Bulma sighed, with a dreamy look in her eyes. "You wouldn't believe how gentle he can be at night sometimes, and with Trunks. It's a side of him he'll only show when he's at home. I'm telling you Gohan you wouldn't believe it. In fact, I think this whole tweaking of his personality started right after the Cell Games…"
Gohan's expression quickly drooped. "Yeah… I guess that day changed all of us in some way… At least for Vegeta in a positive way." Wanting to get the subject off the Cell Games and the thoughts of his father as soon as possible, Gohan smiled at Bulma. "When it all comes down to it, I guess we just have to thank a good woman for all of that."
Bulma's cheeks flushed red. "Oh Gohan, you little flirt!"
"Hey, I'm not flirting, I'm telling you the truth!" Gohan said, as he sat up from the table. "Anyhow, I better go rundown Goten and head home. It was nice talking with you Bulma."
"Same to you Gohan. Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?"
"No thanks. Mom's in the middle of making dinner herself, and there'll be hell to pay if were not home in time to eat it. Besides, I'm pressed for time this evening. Good-bye Bulma."
"You too Gohan." Bulma waved to him, as he left to search for his younger sibling. "Take care!"
Gohan tracked down Goten a ways down the hall, in the middle of playing a rough game of tag with Trunks that would've killed two lesser boys. After an enthusiastic hug of his older brother, in what probably should've been termed as a strangle hold, and a bit of whining by both knee bitters, they wished Trunks adieu and were on their way. On the flight home, Gohan couldn't help but inquire of Goten about the little tidbit of information Bulma had fed him earlier.
"So Goten… What's this I hear about you training with Trunks and Vegeta?"
Goten winced like he had just been caught doing something he shouldn't have. "Please don't tell mom about that Gohan. I don't think she'd like it very much."
"Your dead on about that little guy," Gohan laughed. "Don't worry I won't tell. So… What's it like training with Vegeta?"
Goten's expression brightened, his usual cheerful smile creeping across his face. "It's okay. He can be real cranky sometimes, but he's not all that bad."
Gohan smirked. "I see… I'll just have to take your word for it squirt."
********
Videl calmly snuck along the rafters of the old warehouse, eyeing the meeting going down below her. There were at least a dozen of them, most of them cradling machine guns at their sides. It wasn't much of a surprise, the truck they had backed in to the place was loaded with them. That's why Videl was here checking out the place. It was illegal for anyone other then police officers to own a gun in Japan, let alone enough firepower to take over a small country. Videl counted twelve of them in all. Two men wearing suites stood in the center of the group, apparently the negotiators for each side considering one of the men was holding up a suitcase full of money, and the rest appeared to be body guards or goons of each respective side. Truthfully, Videl thought every last one of them looked like they had walked out of a bad gangster movie. She leaned her head as far over the railing as she could without being seen, and just barely picked up the conversation being shared below her.
"I'm telling you, this is some of the finest weaponry ever to come out of the States," the man bragged, as he endorsed his product. "They might know squat about electronics and cars, but when it comes to guns and things your not going to find any better. Gun laws in the States aren't nearly as strict as they are here. Best of all, the serial numbers conveniently disappeared before shipment, so sadly they're untraceable."
"Sounds good," the man with the suitcase admitted. "But the price your asking is ridiculous! 50 million Zeni for a dozen or so firearms? Unless the bullets are made of gold, I don't see how in the world you reached that asking price!"
"Take it or leave it, that's all I have to say. You could be running this town by the end of the month with firepower like I'm offering here. Even Hercule himself isn't bullet proof."
"Not if I have anything to say about it." Hearing all she needed to hear, Videl quietly crept out from her perch, and glided down from the rafters with catlike grace. By the time she neared the floor, she found herself in the next room, a large storehouse filled with large crates Videl could only guess the contents of, and directly above two thugs who were obviously standing guard while the illegal gun deal was going down in the next room.
Videl hid herself on the railing just above the door the two men were guarding. She would have to act quickly, time was not on her side, and she wasn't exactly the patient type to begin with. The Captain already dispatched an entire swat team that was on the way, but if she could she wanted to avoid the all out shoot out that was bound to break out once they arrived. These didn't seem like the type of crooks that gave up without a fight.
One of the guards tried to snuff out a yawn but failed. "How much longer is this going to take?"
"I don't know. Just give them a few minutes then we can… ERF!" Before the man could finish, something that felt frighteningly similar to a boa constrictor wrapped itself around his neck. Little did he know it was merely the legs of a ridiculously powerful teenaged girl.
"What the hell?!" The other guard turned his head to see Videl perched on top of his partner's shoulders. Or at the very least her balled up fist and knuckles as he received a close up view of them when they slammed into his face, effectively knocking him out cold.
Before the guard Videl's legs were squeezing the life out of knew what was happening, Videl kicked off his back into the air, and planted a hard kick to the back of his head knocking him silly was well. Videl landed perfectly on her feet, and smirked at the sight of the two unconscious men when the sounds of more voices came from just outside the door.
"What was that?"
"I don't know, we better check it out. Get your guns ready just in case."
"Shit," Videl mouthed, looking for a dark corner or patch on the wall to hide in. Deciding the hell with it, she waited by the side of the door for whoever to come rushing in. Of course the first idiot did just that, and all he received was a sudden kick to the mush for his troubles. His gun went flying forward, while he flew backward landing unconscious to the ground in between the other two men Videl had knocked silly. The second goon was slightly more cautious, but not even one bit luckier. Videl quickly kicked his weapon out of his hands, and before he had time to blink landed a hard forearm right into his gut. The man's face bugged out in typical anime fashion, right before Videl smashed the palm of her hand across his chin.
Four down, and apparently these guys never learned. Yet another foolish thug came barreling in, and all Videl had to do was reach out and grab the barrel of his gun and yanked it right out of his hands. Videl fired a fast roundhouse at his head, but that's where the tide changed. Apparently this guy knew a little bit about martial arts. He pulled his arm up quickly enough to block Videl's kick, and the follow up punch she aimed at his face. He smirked at Videl, who seemed no less determined despite her first real challenge of the night. "You must be Hercule's kid. I've heard a lot about you bitch."
"Apparently not enough, or you'd be running for life by now, and you definitely wouldn't HAVE CALLED ME A BITCH!" Videl growled, loading her legs for another swing.
Unbeknown to Videl, she had drawn a small captive audience of one watching her fight through the skylight in the roof. Gohan had tracked her down to that old warehouse via her Ki, which really wasn't all that difficult to do. Gohan had a feeling Videl just might be the strongest person on Earth outside of the Z-senshi and Ryo. His original plan was to help her out, whatever the problem might be, upon his arrival, but almost immediately he noticed his help wasn't exactly needed at the moment. He stuck around for two reasons. The most important was being ready just in case she did need some help somewhere down the road, and two… Well, he was kind of stuck in place practically hypnotize as he watched Videl fight. He had to admit she was good, really good for an ordinary human. She could grow to stand among the best of them, if she only knew how to use her Ki. There was something about watching her fight that was getting to him… He hadn't a clue what to call it, but just about anyone else he might ask could tell him straight out. It was turning him on.
After quickly dropping her first four opponents with ease, Gohan noted the fifth seemed to be giving her a bit more trouble. A small twinge of worry shot through his gut, but it only lasted a second or two when Videl clearly began taking control of the fight. Gohan was so focused on checking out Videl's technique, he almost missed the three pathetically small Ki's appear in the room. He didn't think much of them first, knowing Videl could handle the trio with relative ease. That was until he looked twice, and noticed the three men emerging from the shadows… All armed with machine guns, sneaking up on Videl with her none the wiser.
"Keep your ass down!" Videl growled, giving her adversary a devastating kick to the jaw. He hit the ground with a thud, managing a groan in his semi-conscious state. Videl let her guard down, assuming he was down for the count when he surprised her by giggling like an idiot. "What's so funny dirt bag?!"
"Behind you sweet thing…"
Videl was considering kicking his teeth down his throat for that comment, when she heard a gun cock behind her. Nervously, she turned slowly to find a line of three men all pointing guns at her. "Uh oh…"
Videl swore she saw her life flash before her eyes, but it didn't. It was actually shards of glass raining down from the roof, and a golden streak that flashed by the three men. The trio of thugs couldn't decide what surprised them more. The sudden sound of the skylight window shattering above them, or the fact that they all tried to pull triggers that were no longer there. They looked at each other frantically, trying to figure out just what the hell was going on.
"You looking for these boys? What's the matter, did I steal your toys?" The three hoods turned to their right to find some strange looking boy with golden hair holding their weapons in his arms. Gohan quickly emptied the clips out of each of the firearms, and proceeded to smash them into tiny pieces. "They're all yours Videl."
Videl didn't waste time arguing, or inquiring into what the hell had just happened. Before the goon in the middle knew what hit him, Videl was already in his face, landing two punches into it, sandwiched in between a hard left into his gut. The second and third blows were rather pointless considering he was pretty much out of it after the first punch right beneath his left eye. A bit more resourceful then their predecessors, the two remaining crooks didn't wait around for Videl to come to them. One of the men grabbed Videl from behind, locking her arms in a full nelson type hold, while his buddy barreled towards her to aid him. Videl countered this with a simple back kick to the family jewels, and afterwards flipped herself in the air, drop kicking his partner right underneath the chin. She landed flat on her feet, and watched him stagger backward a bit before passing out. Hearing a grunt from behind her back she simply threw her elbow in to the other man's chest, knocking the wind right out of him and probably bruised a rib or two in the process. He slumped to the ground in a heap, and as they say, that was that.
Or was it. Gohan hadn't moved from the spot he landed in. He had been watching Videl fight, and was practically drooling in the process. Yes, he definitely found something kind of sexy in a woman who knew how to kick a little ass. He remained in his stupor until Videl charged over to him, and in all honesty she didn't exactly look thrilled to see him.
"First of all, I've warned you about sticking your nose in my business mister! I don't need yours, or anybody else's help!" Gohan sweat dropped as Videl pointed her finger in his face. "And second, since you did decide to drop in, why the hell did you just stand there while I did all the work?!"
Gohan smiled, knowing he actually had an answer for that question. "Like you said, you obviously didn't need my help," Gohan replied, pointing out several of the half dozen bodies scattered across the warehouse. "And second I know you don't want my help, so I didn't interfere until I felt I had to. On top of that, to tell you the truth I kind of like watching you fight. You are amazing."
"Don't try to flatter your way out of this!" Videl shouted, merely trying to draw his attention off the blush she knew was forming on her cheeks right then. It was a rather odd feeling, those type of comments usually bounced right off of her. "But I guess… It is kind of a good thing you showed up… Otherwise I might have been swiss cheese by now… I don't know how the hell you flew in from that window, or disarmed those men but… I'll say thanks just this once, but don't get in my way again!"
"Man, you sure have a funny way of showing gratitude…" Gohan started, when his face suddenly hardened. Something didn't feel right.
"What's the matter?" Videl asked, beginning to look around for a sign of anything wrong.
Gohan wasn't exactly sure himself until he saw the small round object bounce into the room, making several clanks against the floor.
"What the?…" Videl's eyes widened once she realized just what it was.
"SHIT! HOLD ON VIDEL!"
Before Videl could respond to Gohan or the grenade, Gohan had already scooped her up and was flying towards the wall at incredible speed. With no immediate exit available, he would just have to make his own. He braced his back, making sure he would take the brunt of the collision instead of Videl, and smashed right through the wall seconds before the bomb exploded. That section of the warehouse lit up in a brilliant blanket of orange and red, blowing out walls, windows, and scattering debris everywhere. The two teens spilled out into the alley, Gohan covering Videl from the debris raining down on them. They laid there with their eyes shut tightly, trying to keep the fast flying dust particles out of their eyes, until the situation finally calmed down. They opened their eyes slowly, and peered into the huge gaping hole in the side of the building. They could now see the flames dancing inside, in addition to already hearing the fire burn and feeling the heat roll off their skin.
"Ack…" Gohan groaned, as he rubbed the back of his head. Something had smacked him in the back of the head while he was shielding Videl. Apparently, the explosion was strong enough to send some piece of debris flying fast enough that it actually inflicted some degree of pain to the young Super Sayian when it made contact with his skull. It wasn't a serious blow, more like an irritating glancing blow. Kind of like the way a normal person might feel after getting whacked over the head a little too hard during a pillow fight. It didn't hurt that much, but it was annoying none the less.
"Are you okay?" Videl asked, checking the back of his head to make sure it hadn't been busted open. Fortunately, his golden locks were untarnished except for some suet and dust from the explosion. Not even a bump or anything else that might tip Videl off to why the heck he grabbed his head like that.
"I'll live…" Gohan removed his hand from his head, and smiled at her. "How about you?"
"Um… I'm fine…" Videl said quietly, almost shyly. She lowered her head a bit, almost as if she was ashamed of what she was thinking. "Uh… Thank you for ah… You know…"
"What was that?! You're actually thanking me?! Your not mad at me for not letting you blow up?"
Videl frowned, and shouted into his face. "DO LIKE THIS BETTER, YOU BIG GOOF!"
Taken back, Gohan smirked. "No, but it's what I'm use too. I'm sorry about the way I said that too… I'm not usually the type to be rude, but you haven't exactly acted warm and friendly towards me either."
"Well you shouldn't be!…" Videl was poised and ready to argue, a retort just raring to roll off her tongue when she noticed something about this boy. Curious, she leaned in close to examine the young man further, they were both still seated on the ground, close enough to where their faces nearly touched. There was something familiar about that goofy grin of his. She'd never seen a pair of turquoise colored eyes before, but still there was something familiar hiding deep inside of them. Something was just flat out familiar about him. "Do I know you from somewhere?"
"Uh… Not that I know of miss," Gohan giggled nervously.
"Hmm…" Videl murmured, still thinking the matter over when her next words left her lips. "So… What do I call you anyway? I have a feeling I'm going to be seeing a lot more of you whether I like it or not, no matter how many times I tell you to stay away. I don't want to keep calling you Golden Boy or the Gold Fighter all the time. You do have a name don't you?"
"Of course I do, but I can't tell you that. That would kind of defeat the purpose of keeping my identity secret…"
Videl frowned. "And why would you have to keep your identity secret? Just what are you hiding?! Tell me!"
"I'm not hiding anything, I swear it!" Gohan tried to back away, but Videl pounced right back in his face.
"Liar! If your not hiding anything, then why are you sweating?!"
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, the building next to us is burning to the ground, and the flames are rather hot." Gohan and Videl both looked back at the burning warehouse. "Speaking of which, it's probably a good idea for us to get out of here before that fire gets out of hand."
Videl groaned in submission. She knew this guy was dancing around the subject intentionally, but he was right. That fire could spread out of control at any moment, and she didn't have the time to sit there and interrogate him for half the night at the risk of being barbequed. She could always do that later anyway… "Alright…" Videl literally growled. "But I'm not finished with you yet! We might want to get out of sight before the authorities show up and think we had something to do with this… Still, I can't believe they'd nuke their own men like that!"
"It's not the first time I've seen something like that," Gohan said, thinking about the time he watched Vegeta destroy Napa after his disappointing performance during his fight against his father Goku. "You go ahead and get out of here. I have something I need to take care of right quick."
Confused, Videl's eyes widened in horror when she realized he was heading back into the burning building. "Are you crazy?! What are you doing?! The place can collapse in on itself any moment now!" Videl thought about going in after him, but hesitated. By the time she finally decided to follow him in it was a mute point. Gohan was already rushing back out cradling something in his arms. Curious, Videl peered in to see just what was so important that this golden fighter would take the risk of rushing into a burning building to retrieve. Gohan loosened his grip considerably, and a pair of fuzzy triangular ears on a tiny head poked out of the little crevasse between Gohan's chest and arms.
"A cat!" Videl chuckled in disbelief. "You risked your neck rushing back into a burning building to rescue a cat?!"
"Hey, it's another living thing isn't it? I wasn't in all that much danger anyway, and this little guy would've been toast if I hadn't pulled him out of the there. There wasn't any decision to make as far as I'm concerned."
"But…" Videl's mouth was open all but prepared to argue that point, when Gohan shut her up by placing the small white and black kitten in her arms. She looked at the kitten, and then up at Gohan, her hard and questioning expression changing into one that was soft and curious. "I guess I see your… You are something else aren't you?"
"You have no idea." Before Videl could get another word in, Gohan had already taken to the air quickly zooming off like a little blur into the night sky.
"WAIT! YOU STILL NEVER TOLD ME WHAT TO CALL YOU!" Videl sighed in defeat, and looked down at the little feline she still held in her arms. The small kitten stared up at her with large eyes, not much different from that of a two year old looking up to their mother for guidance. There was a time in her life when she hated cats with a passion, but all she could do right now was smile at the small bundle of fur in her arms. "Well, I guess I can't leave you out in the cold. I'll take you home for now until I can find a decent home for you."
As Videl would soon discover, the police had arrived on the scene not long after the explosion, the sounds of the grenade going off and the fire had drowned out the sirens, and had intercepted the rest of the criminals involved in that little gun fiasco. It seemed like they finally managed to do their job themselves without having Videl there to change their diapers. However, that was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. Her thoughts were squarely set on the young man she knew only as *Golden Boy*, or the *Gold Fighter*. Stupid nicknames she was forced to use because of his refusal to give her an actual name to go by. Still, she had a fairly good idea who he really was already. She looked down at the little ball of fur in her arms once again, her smile brimming with confidence.
"I guess I'm obsessing over nothing… I'll catch on to him eventually. The only downside I can find is that if he really is who I think he is, then I might have to go easier on him. On the small chance that he isn't, I hate to admit it but I guess he's not all bad… Oh well, let's go home kitty."
End.
