Banality of Human (Saiya-jin?) Nature

"Take fifty of our current proverbial sayings-- they are so trite, so threadbare. None the less they embody the concentrated experience of the race, and the man who orders his life according to their teachings cannot be far wrong."

-Norman Douglas

He hadn't known for how long they had been there. Had it not been for the ridiculously expensive gold wall clock, its jewelry embedded rendition of a bird "chirping" every hour, he would not even be able to discern the time. He could feel the diminutive form in his arms, rhythmically undulating, as she slept peacefully. For all that she had to experience today; her liberation from self-imposed restrictions, her expression of love, and her final acceptance of it, Gohan had thought the rest was well deserved.

Stroking her soft, silky hair, he gently carried her over to the large bed. It still looked like it hadn't been slept in for weeks—probably due to the professionalism of the household servants, who had skillfully eradicated any remnants of disarray in the room. He amorously placed her between the satin sheets, pulling up the covers as the moonlight cast subtle patches of light on her face. In the ethereal illumination, she looked surreal. Of course, Gohan had had many a mental debate regarding the notion if she was human or not, finally concluding that she was an angelic version of a woman. A nymph so to speak, only revealing frustrating glimpses of the true beauty underneath. It was a much more alluring prospect to him, than the many hedonistic whores that gallivant off with equally morally repugnant swine, all for a "night out" and the subsequent bed sport that was sure to follow.

He couldn't quite grasp the concept of it, as incredulous as that might seem. It was totally nonconforming to the stereotype of males in society. Gohan though, was different. He wasn't looking to be "laid" so to speak. He wasn't trying to be friendly, and compassionate, just to reap the benefits of that behavior in the end. He was too naïve to ever grasp the sexual innuendo in most of the flirtatious gestures by his High School contemporaries—the female populace of course. By far though, he wasn't enticed by the lure of the quick relationship, which was generally a lewd implicit agreement before hand between both parties. He just wanted her. And, much to his surprise and delight, she reciprocated those feelings. He had once thought, after that dreadful fire, that he had hit rock bottom and things could only go up from there. Looks like his prayers were answered.

Kissing her soft cheek, he murmured a reluctant farewell and departed from the spacious confines of her room.

"Look man, this has gone far enough." The unkempt man said exasperated. He had enough of this. At first it wasn't so…evil. It was just business, and a man has to put food on his table regardless of how he does it. The world was cruel, and shone its rays of hope on a select few, whilst the others deteriorated in pools of immorality and filth until they could deteriorate no more. Social Darwinism; no one could escape the clutches of Natural Law.

"Whether you like it or not, you cannot have out. Once you're in, there is no turning back. No regrets. This is the life you chose, the seeds you've sown, and in this life you only possess, what you can reap. Your soul has been lost in the sands of time. In exchange, you can garner the benefits from that sacrifice. If you don't, then you've lost both here, and in the afterlife." His stoic demeanor uttered those words with total apathy. It wasn't as if he was threatening the coward, nor was it that he was trying to reason with him. He was stating the universal maxim of organized crime. He was just stating what the other already knew.

"I…I can change…I can be forgiven, I can get it back! I can get it back! It's not lost. No way. I'm getting it back! I must." Blubbering erratically, the semi-delusional thug wandered out on to the desolate street. That statement was using his skull as a resonating chamber, echoing on and on, mocking him. Scoffing. Deriding.

'If you don't, then you've lost both here, and in the afterlife.'

Over and over again. How could he have gambled that? How could he have wagered eternity for the brief success of blood money? If he were to lose now, then he would really be broke. After his brief introspect, he concluded that his most decisive course of action would be cutting his losses now and moving on, instead of riding out the storm and losing in the end. Without further delay, he ran as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

"Kill him."

Android 17 heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, after seemingly a millennia of anxious waiting, the effervescent blonde in front of him had paid for her many items. He couldn't understand why anyone would be compelled to shop at such early hours in the morning. He quickly approached the cashier and handed her a twenty-dollar bill, and then walked along.

"Sir, wait! You have change!"

"Keep it," came the collected voice, not bothering to glance behind him and acknowledge the generous gesture.

He walked briskly out the store and onto the street. He had to get some place isolated, so he could use his usual mode of transport. Problem was, with so many people hustling and bustling along with their lives—the morning pedestrian commuters—spotting a secluded area would require a vigorous search. Before he could deliberate upon his alternatives though, a portly fellow dashed past him knocking quite a few pedestrians over in the process. Right behind him were two men in black suits, hot in pursuit.

After the events of last night, one would undoubtedly expect that the young half-Saiya-jin would wake to a glorious new day that would pave way to a fresher, happier future. After all he had only attained his source of infatuation for several weeks, a goal his massive inferiority complex had dubbed impossible. His morning though, was anything but what was anticipated.

Instead of finding the lively chirping of birds as a bright start to his day, he found them rather annoying to his sensitive hearing. He didn't know why though, because usually he found the incessant chirps to be pleasant early in the day. He had this lurking, pervasive guilt sagging on his shoulders. A responsibility so overbearing that it even surpassed the magnitude of the one placed on him at the Cell games. He had heard, or perhaps read, somewhere of an aphorism bastioned by a comic book superhero. How did it go again?

"With great power comes great responsibility"

It seemed ironic that in the world of make-believe, and the social and psychological instances analyzed therein of persons confronted with that sort of power, had painted a much more vivid picture of his own life then previously imagined. Everyone thinks that stuff that happens in comic books are always too far-fetched to ever actually be witnessed in real life. People though, would love to attain those powers in any which way possible. They never really deliberate upon the repercussions of such a move. They don't realize the responsibility and the duties that become mandatory upon being granted those powers.

Just ask Son Gohan, and he'd say that his only wish—now that the one about his love life has been answered—was to maintain some semblance of normalcy in his hectic life. Would you like to have the weight of the world on your shoulders when you were eleven? Would you have explained to the masses of dead why you had failed to ensure their safety, if your bid was unsuccessful? Most people love the carefree life, the life of least responsibility and one that maximizes fun. Son Gohan too, like any other teenager, wanted to be carefree and enjoy these years of typical freedom.

He had awoken very early because of these issues plaguing his conscience. So early, that even his mother hadn't started preparing his morning meal, and the packing of his enormous lunch. The last rays of sunshine were just making it over the horizon, the orange glow receding into its bright successor. Deciding that he needed to be out in the open to shake these thoughts, he left a small note for his mother and headed towards school. Of course, he wouldn't actually enter the school so early. He had planned to do some early morning rounds of Satan City, simultaneously battling through his conflicting thoughts and also ensuring the civilian protection. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling of impeding doom lurking about on the horizon.

Before he could immerse himself in self-loathing once more, his attention was drawn to some yelling down below. He had been flying for sometime now, perhaps for a couple of hours or so, and was currently somewhere downtown along the harbor. Squinting his eyes, he saw that some fellow was knocking down pedestrians like they were bowling pins. Scowling in irritation, he swooped down low to maintain order once again.

He had just landed on the ground, when he once again was shocked by human nature. The obese fellow dashed over the guardrail and on to the grassy embankment. Without so much as a glance at his pursuers, he jumped approximately twenty feet to the watery depths below. The two men in black had other plans, and retrieved what looked like two pistols. Callously they fired, repeatedly, into the murky Satan Harbor waters. The gunshots rang out loudly, scattering the flock of pigeons nearby, and sending the populace into a screaming frenzy. Saiya-Man, caught right in the middle, had to fight with the strong current of people frantically rushing for cover.

The two men were dissatisfied with the results, but having already seen the caped hero they fled into the mass of people, blending in as much as they could with the mass hysteria. Saiya-Man immediately took to the air, dashing towards the Harbor to discern if they had actually hit the man. He doubted it, not only because of the poor visibility due to heavy water pollution, but also because the water friction would slow the bullet down and render it useless after some time. If the man had swam deep enough, he would be protected. Although, he even doubted the fat guy's ability to actually swim that deep, and in that small amount of time. It was about a fifty-fifty chance of survival. Soon, someone surfaced from the murky depths halting his thoughts, dragging with him a body. The person astonished Saiya-Man by actually flying out of the water and onto the embankment, setting his rather wide load there.

Gohan went over and immediately cringed, seeing six bullet wounds decorating the man's chest. Blood was seeping onto the grass, and the man's complexion was deathly pale. Undoubtedly, he was dead. Looking at the courageous Samaritan who tried to rescue him, he was met with a pleasant surprise. It was Android 17, thankfully no longer hell bent on wreaking havoc, but one who finally settled down as a farmer. Or something of the like, Gohan didn't quite recall the details.

"Hey 17!"

The Android peered at the visor in confusion, and then a knowing smirk soon was plastered on his face. "Gohan…What kind of freakish costume party are you dressed up for?"

Gohan quickly scowled, exclaiming, "Not you too 17! Geez, to think. What the hell would you know about fashion anyway? "

The android just smiled, and then commented rather seriously. "We better leave Mr. Potato-Head here for the authorities. Lets see if we can find the shooters."

Nodding solemnly, Gohan blasted into the sky trailed shortly after by 17. Gohan had a very good hunch that these organized criminals would have some pertinent information regarding Videl's assassination attempt. Casting an eagle eye down at his surroundings, Gohan soon yelled in triumph. Sure enough, both men-in-black were still trying to fight their way through the throngs of people. They finally managed to seek refuge in an alleyway, away from all the frenzied people. Gohan glanced at 17, who also had his eyes trained on the two criminals, signifying that he too had spotted them. Both rapidly descended into filthy alley, systematically blocking of the two exits between the both of them.

"Oh shit, it's Saiya-Man!" The goon whirled around and bolted, only to screech to a halt upon sighting another man. He looked to be in his twenties, long dark hair swaying in the wind, as he stood calmly blocking their escape route. Frantically the thug pulled out his Colt and emptied round after round at the man, managing only to hear the metallic 'twang' as the bullet ricocheted off something. That something was the man's chest, which showed neither signs of pain nor penetration of the deadly projectiles. The goons eyes widened to the size of a Frisbee, shocked at what his eyes were witnessing.

"Wha…Wh…The…Hell?" Obviously, his surprise had affected his language proficiency considerably. Not that he was a well-cultured individual, but whatever fluency he had had in the English language was flushed emphatically down the drain.

Gohan couldn't control his mounting rage, and slammed the blubbering thug on the brick wall. Luckily for him, the thug's shoulder blade had taken the brunt of the impact, allowing him to maintain consciousness. There is no need to elaborate upon the consequences if his thick skull rebounded off the bricks. It would have been disastrous. Not because of the ensuing discomfort for the thug. No, Gohan couldn't care less what happened to this callous slimeball. More because he would lose a valuable source of information, as insensitive as that may seem for our compassionate protagonist.

"Who the hell do you work for!" The visor and helmet did little to conceal his furious disposition.

"T…Th…The—."

"Stop stuttering like a buffoon and answer the goddamned question!" It was apparent that Saiya-Man wouldn't go easy on him, like he had done before to others suffering the same fate.

"The New Mafia Crime Syndicate!" He exclaimed in terror, cringing at the superhero's seething face.

"Who ordered this?! What the hell is this new organization anyway?" He pushed the spineless ruffian harder against the wall, feeling his collar bone snap like a twig.

Howling in agony, the goon forced himself to answer the question. "I…I don't know! Please, don't kill me! I…I just know that all the gangs of Satan City have merged into one. I don't know who is the leader though! Some…Some…new guy! I just was doing my orders, I…Don't know anything! Please don't kill me!"

"You disgust me. You killed that man with such savagery!" The crook's face widened in fear, lips trembling like a small child on the verge of tears. "You didn't care! Why should I care? You killed another man, you don't deserve to live!"

Before Gohan could get carried away with his surging emotions, he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. Seventeen gently pulled the raging teen back, keeping a rigid glare on the mercenary. "It's not worth it. Let a judge handle him."

Gohan looked like he was fighting a vigorous mental battle, but in the end he sighed and relaxed his hands. Seventeen calmly jabbed the thug straight in the jaw, knocking him out of consciousness. Slinging the limp goon over his shoulder, he motioned for "Saiya-Man" to follow him as he took to the air. "Besides, what the hell do they teach you at school? Don't you know anything about the writ of habeas corpus?"

Gohan smiled a little at the Seventeen's attempt to lighten the mood. For a monotonous machine designed to annihilate Son Goku and terrorize the Earth, he sure had a sense of humor.

"Hey, what happened back at the Harbor?"

Seventeen faced turned solemn, as his voice somewhat deepened. "I don't know for sure, but when I dived in, the visibility was poor. Even with my enhanced vision, I could barely see anything over a few yards. I went very deep and still I couldn't see anything. I was about to abandon my search, when I saw a whole bunch of red a little off to my right. From there, one thing led to another, and I knew from all the blood loss that the guy had died." He shrugged his shoulders a bit nonchalantly, mostly indifferent to the macabre scene he had witnessed a few minutes before. Having been programmed to kill had some benefits too you know.

"I see the police up ahead at the crime scene. You better go on home, or wherever you were going, to avoid all the questions." Seventeen nodded to his younger comrade. "I'll take this piece of trash to the authorities." They made the exchange in mid-air, both fighters not feeling any strain at the excess of weight. "I'll see you later Seventeen."

The android nodded once signifying his farewell, and flew off in the great expanse of blue. Gohan watched him disappear amongst the vast maze of skyscrapers that protruded out into the sky, noting that the downtown had a commendable skyline. He approached the several flashing lights, as men in blue swarmed the embankment and its surrounding vicinity, scouring for any evidence.

"Hey Saiya-Man, whacha got there?" One tall cop called out, eyeing the slumped form draped on his shoulder. Saiya-Man dropped him in front of the lead investigator, a stubby bearded detective, who glanced at him warily.

"What's this?"

"That's your murderer," he replied calmly, with the utmost certainty.

"Okay, I trust that you saw him do it?" Saiya-Man nodded gravely, as the detective continued on. "We'll take it from here. You probably won't need to testify as a material witness, I assume most of these people saw him do it as well." There was no intelligence in slaying a man in public. Perhaps the Mafia influence had got to the thug's head, rendering him complacent and smug in regards to the authorities.

"There was another one, but he got away." The detective nodded, telling one of his aides to issue an APB on the suspect.

"Hey Go…er, Saiya-Man," a voice chirped from behind.

The detective gave her a queer look, and then shrugging it off as he proceeded to develop his homicide case. Gohan turned around slowly, acknowledging Videl's presence with a monotone greeting. "Hey."

Videl immediately observed that he looked tired and haggard, even though it was early in the morning and school was about to start in a few minutes. "What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?"

"No not that, something else." He sighed despondently, his lips curving into a melancholy expression. At a disadvantage, for his tinted visor concealed his eyes, she didn't know how depressed he really was. She needed to be in a far more informal, and intimate, setting to discern the full extent of his depression.

"Hey, want to talk about it?"

He shrugged his shoulders, not really paying attention to the flurry of activity around them both.

"Come on, let's go to the school terrace. We'll talk over there."

Gohan reluctantly obliged, as he stepped closer to her and extended his arms towards her waist. She blushed furiously and stepped backwards, glancing nervously at the crowd of people gathered around the homicide scene. "Not here! I'll use my chopper, you follow."

Gohan looked around and just noticed the bunch of people crowding around the main street. Most of them were casting confused glances at the pair of crime-fighters. Feeling a small blush come on, "Saiya-Man" nodded slowly to her and elevated into the open sky. She ran back to her yellow chopper, turning the ignition and took to the air.

The terrace, as usual, was devoid of any human presence. It seemed rather unusual that students would ignore such a calming, relaxing place. They would prefer the hubbub of the crowded halls as a better alternative to the serenity of the terrace. Not that she was complaining of that fact. It gave her the much-needed privacy her newest relationship demanded.

Was she ashamed to be seen with him? Partly, though not because of anything regarding him. She knew that he was probably the object of interest for much of the school's female population. He was like that. She just didn't want the details leaking out, which would eventually end up somewhere on the tabloid front covers. In her first relationship with a boy, a boy she was very much in love with, she didn't need the complications that would arise with publicity. Gohan was a pretty inhibited person to begin with. Yeah, that was right. She was doing it for him.

"Gohan, you don't need to be in that ridiculous costume over here too." Videl smiled genty, keeping her eyes trained on the reflective visor.

"Oh man. Videl! I guess that would be correct though," she nodded a bit, "YOU of all people wouldn't know much about fashion."

Videl's face contorted into one of shock, her eyes widening a bit and fists shaking. "What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"

Gohan stumbled backwards as her outstretched hands lunged for his throat. She missed to say the least, and compensated by grabbing the front of his gi. Both teens tumbled down to the concrete flooring, Gohan taking the brunt of it as Videl used his body as a cushion.

"Ouch! What do you eat? Man, you weigh a ton!" Gohan grinned toothily at her even angrier face. She reared her fist back, and bopped him once on the nose. For Gohan, it was more of a love tap. Literarily and figuratively speaking.

"What do you mean what I eat? You eat so freaking much and have nothing to show for it! You must be as dense as a…well something that's really dense. At least your skull is." She smirked wickedly, as Gohan's face reared back in indignation.

"Ok, that was a cheap shot and you know it!"

"All is fair in love and war." He glanced up at her mischievously, as her petite form still straddled his hips and clutched the front part of his Saiya-Man gi.

"Oh yeah?" Darting up in the blink of an eye, he smothered her in an enthusiastic kiss. As was the desired effect, she was caught in complete surprise, which allowed her guard to drop. She stared at his visor helplessly, feeling the heat rising to her face as Gohan still kept his lips compressed on hers. His hands reached for her torso, fingertips dancing over the smooth skin of her stomach. Her eyes widened even more so, and before she could protest she was giggling uncontrollably in his mouth.

Pulling back and still laughing, she gasped pleadingly at his smiling face. "St…Stop! I can't…take…it" The sentence was interrupted at various times with a mixture of gasping and laughing, all a result of his incessant tickling. He finally halted the devilish behavior, noting absentmindedly that she was extremely ticklish. May come in handy in the future, this sort of information.

She lay on the ground breathing heavily, as she tried to recover from the sudden onslaught on her belly. It was a peculiar position that both of them had ended up into. She still had her legs around his waist, but this time she lay on her back breathing heavily while he sat up. If anyone had walked in on them at this particular moment, assuredly a long explanation was due to convince them from forming any, let's just say, prurient conclusions.

He was grinning goofily at her flushed face, not realizing the extremely suggestive position they were both in. She shook her head, and battling back the tinge of red threatening to emerge on her cheeks once more, she shifted into a sitting position with her back to the terrace wall. Gohan followed suit, sitting close and letting her slump her head on his shoulder. He pressed the button to finally rid himself of the superhero ensemble, and revert back to his school clothes.

"I'll get you back for that, Son Gohan."

"I'm pissing my pants as we speak."

"Your walking on mighty thin ice at this moment, I have half a mind to use your head as a punching bag." She muffled her face in his shoulder more, loving the warm and soft feeling of the cloth. The Saiya-jin teen draped his arm over her small body, holding her tight. It gave him some sort of pleasing satisfaction to have somebody to hold on to, to protect, to call his own. It made it even more gratifying knowing that all those things were reciprocated in her as well, so they both had each other to rely on whenever necessary. He sighed deeply, resting the side of his face on her head.

"Gohan, what was wrong earlier today? You seem alright now, but I think I know better."

"Oh, ah it was nothing Videl. Nothing to talk about anyway." She pulled back and looked up at him. His face had grown a little bit more sullen, and his eyes drooped downwards in a remorseful gaze. Something definitely was bothering him.

"You are the one that told me to tackle problems together, not alone, right?"

After a bit of deliberation, he nodded his head slowly. He knew damned well where this set of dialogue was going.

"Well, I'm here. You're here. Spill it, or else I'm gonna have to resort to drastic measures."

He smiled weakly at her, clutching her form tighter to his chest. "We wouldn't want that now would we?"

"Not come hell or high water."

"Maybe high water, but definitely not hell. I hear that is where all those idiots are, Cell and all. Man, if I have to put up with anymore of his 'perfect' bullshit, I would do him a favor and shoot myself!"

"Wha…?" She looked up at him expectantly, her face set into a perplexed frown. How would he have known Cell anyway? Why would Cell be happy if he had shot himself? It's not like he posed a threat to him anyway, right?

Gohan's mind raced furiously for an excuse, anything, to save him from imminent peril. But try as much as he might, genius and all, his mind drew a blank every time. It seemed rather ridiculous that he would be able to identify the derivatives of deceleration and momentum in mere seconds, but couldn't think of some plausible excuse. Finally, stuttering freely like always, he replied. "I mean…you know, Cell and all his perfect mumbo jumbo! On T.V, remember!?"

Realization dawned to her beautiful features, as she grasped at what he was trying to get at. "But how would shooting yourself help him?" Videl's suspicion had all but completely dissipated. She didn't know why she was compelled to be so intensely suspicious of him. His secret, the whole Saiya-Man thing, was his only secret, she was sure. Right? So how come she had this overwhelming feeling that he was hiding something else? Was falling in love causing her mind to be wary of everything he does, as a sort of protective gesture? She wanted to hold on to him forever, she loved him more deeply than anything she could have ever fathomed. Jealousy probably rears its ugly head in a variety of forms.

"Um…You know…how he wanted to kill everyone…well that's one less person for him to kill!" Gohan was on a roll, and mentally ecstatic that whatever blabber he was spewing forth actually made some sense.

"If he wanted to kill everyone Gohan, then he wouldn't be happy if you killed yourself. He'd much prefer that he disembowel you himself rather than you blowing your brains out with a gun."

"I guess…Hey! What's with all the technicalities!" She grinned, enjoying every minute of tormenting poor ol' gullible Gohan.

"I find it hard to believe that you would figure out how to unlatch the safety catch on the gun, much less fire it."

Gohan grumbled something incoherent, looking away from Videl in an attempt to look angry. She chuckled to herself, and reached up and kissed his cheek, nuzzling her nose in his neck.

"Now tell me what was wrong."

"Nothing."

"Oh come on!"

"Nope."

"You can't be angry at me forever!"

"Sure I can."

Videl heaved a sigh of frustration, still trying to catch the attention of her disparaged boyfriend. She knew she couldn't get him to talk diplomatically, so her satanic brain, living up to her namesake, concocted yet another diabolical plan.

Operation: Compel Gohan to Talk

She authorized herself to use any and all means necessary in reaching that goal, including certain lustful actions.

"Hey, are you feeling naughty?" She moved her hand slowly up his chest, underneath his white shirt, fingertips trailing lightly over his skin. He jumped noticeably, face brightening to a reddish hue. Videl could feel the small prickly goose bumps starting to emerge, as her smooth fingers made patterns on his muscular chest.

"Ah, Videl! Um…Oh man…Don't we have school? Shit, we have five more minutes! Woah! Videl…"

"Yes Gohan," she said, lacing her voice with all the 'sexiness' that she could muster.

"Um…you don't wanna go to first period? We're gonna be late!"

"Not until you tell me what was bothering you."

"We don't have time…woah…" His exclamation was rather high, as he felt her hand caress the sides of his chest muscles. She was driving him insane! At this rate, his mind would revert to a more instinctual, feral state. All rational thought would be suspended until further notice, and he'd be compelled do some things that would have never been possible with his good ol' gullible Gohan routine.

"Ok, ok!" He was desperate, as his mind was on the verge of cracking. Any more of this and he'd take it to her right there, on top of the school terrace. Just think about what the principal would have to say about that, and, oh good God, his mother. He could imagine that, quite vividly too. She would rant on about how he had first been involved in school fights, and then was engaged in more, shall we say, questionable sport. That would certainly be detrimental to his cause, not to mention his love life.

"Good, now spill it. We'll skip first period if necessary." She ceased her lascivious ministrations, and rested comfortably in the niche of his shoulder and chest.

"First period? Oh man, my mother will kill me if she found out!"

"Spill it." She was resolute, and no amount of coercion would sway her otherwise. Not even his puppy dog plea for help would gain much headway, he assumed, because she didn't look up at him. He concluded that she must be avoiding his face for that particular reason, the dreaded puppy-dog.

"Alright." He composed himself, taking a deep inward breath, and then continued. "Remember when I walked into the room, after you had that little confrontation with your father?" She nodded against his shoulder, trying hard not to remember that painful incident in too much detail. "Well, I put on a more agreeable face because I saw that you needed some solace. You will always come before me, no exceptions." She smiled a little, and cuddled into him closer. He could be immensely flattering when he gets into one of these monologue-oriented moods, even if he didn't know it himself. Chalk that up to naiveté. "When we heard of that fire on the radio, I went as fast as I could. Right before I came back, I witnessed something. Something that was as haunting as Ce…I went there to save them Videl, and I tried, I really did." He swallowed hard, forcing himself to continue. "But it wasn't enough." It was barely audible, like a distant whisper.

She wrapped both her arms around his muscular frame, pulling her head back and letting him rest his head on her shoulder this time. "Gohan, it's ok. You can't hold yourself accountable for their death. You went to save them, remember?"

"NO! I was given this power, somewhat like a gift, and what I did I do? I let them all die! Have you ever smelled someone's skin melting? Have you ever heard the screams of the people on death's door? Their screams are still in my mind, still haunting me."

"I know it hurts, I know. But you can't stop everything from happening Gohan. You can't be everywhere all the time, regardless of your powers. You hav—."

"They died. Someone's mother, someone's grandfather, someone's role model, died one of the most violent deaths I have ever seen. I had to watch on, as they screamed frantically of mercy. People were trying to stab themselves with knives! Just so they won't have to smell their own skin being burned off, their own flesh being cooked. It was sickening, to see old people, feeble as they were already, die so cruelly. It was painful to watch. And trust me, I've seen many brutal deaths."

"Gohan?"

He sighed, and was more than ready to reveal it all. He couldn't bear hiding it from her anymore. He loved her, and love cannot co-exist with secrets. He knew that he had been procrastinating too long. No more running, no more hiding. He had helped her, then why can't he help himself? Whether she was ready for this sort of massive influx of information could have been pondered upon further, but he had enough. He couldn't live with this anymore. He had to let it go.

"Videl, I have to tell you everything. I know, because I could feel, that you suspected something was off about me since the start. Maybe you chalked it up to your proactive suspicion. Maybe you said it was about me being Saiya-Man. I really don't know, but I can attest to the fact that a woman's intuition is seldom wrong. I am a miserable pile of secrets, and I just hope you can forgive me for not telling you sooner."

She smiled at him, trying to relieve some of his tension. "It's okay Gohan. Everybody has secrets, and we've just found out our love for each other. I won't be mad, but I am really happy that you decided to trust me."

"I…I am not as innocent and carefree as I make myself out to be. I had a very hectic childhood. That is all because of my heritage, and my family."

Immediately Videl jumped to the most erroneous of conclusions. She soothed his hair and whispered into his ear, overcome with sorrow, "I'm so sorry Gohan. I didn't know that they did that to you."

Gohan looked a little confused, and replied with some uncertainty. "Did what?"

"Um, okay. I…I jumped to the wrong conclusion I guess. I…sorry."

"No it's okay, you don't have to be sorry to me. Ever. But what you were thinking is certainly not the case. Rather, it's the other way around. I was given too much love as a child," and then grinning a little sheepishly, "Still am from one overprotective mother."

All too soon though, that brief ray of happiness in him dissolved, and he sighed forlornly. Too much sighing. A sigh: probably an indication of exhaustion, or sorrow. Or even both. He lay his head on her lap, stretching his body fully, lying down. She still caressed his hair, looking down at him and urging him to continue.

"I don't know what you're going to say, or what you'll do. But I want you to know, that whatever happens, I'll always love you. I can't, and I won't, stop loving the first ever love of my life. It's just too bad that fate seems to hate me, enough to make my life a living hell sometimes."

"Gohan…"

"I…I'm not…My dad, Son Goku, he—," She interrupted him with a surprised yelp.

"Son Goku? You mean to say your father was that kid who whipped everyone at the Tenkai-Itchi-Budoukai? The guy who won it when he was in his teens?"

"Yeah, he was."

"How come you never mentioned that? It'd be so cool to meet him! I mean, I didn't see him at your house, where," she then took a sharp intake of breath, mumbling silent "oh's" and "ah's". The guy in the photo. Goten's larger version.

"I'll get there. But my dad really wasn't from this planet. He was from a planet called Vegeta, and part of a race called the Saiya-jin's. Heh, and look at him now, he still isn't on this planet as well." He chuckled bitterly, eyes becoming a little too glossy. Had this been under different circumstances, she would have undoubtedly jumped up and laughed insanely, or kicked him hard in the shin for lying, but somehow she believed it. An alien. It wasn't so foreign a concept after the Advent of Cell, and his subsequent demise. She knew he would never lie to her, because he loved her madly. Then, she loved a partial alien, a partial Saiya-jin to be precise. Did it change things? Certainly not anything tangible about him. He still was the adorable Son Gohan she knew and loved, he still had that gravity defying hair, and his obsidian eyes were still the object of her affection. What can be said then, about the intangibles? Can she love an alien? She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she couldn't bear to be torn apart from him now. Not after all that he had done for her, and after she had fallen head-over-heels for him. She couldn't just force herself to stop loving him. Oddly, she didn't even feel the need to stop loving him, regardless of his heritage. Even her subconscious accepted that fact with minimal protest. He hadn't done anything wrong. If she held him responsible for something he had no control over, then she would be just as bad as those people who scorn the offspring of persons with stigmata purely on the basis of birth. She would despise herself if she stooped that low.

"I'm…Sor—." Before she could offer her condolences, however late they may be, he interrupted.

"Don't be. In wasn't your fault anyhow, it was mine."

She gasped, and stared at him incredulously. No wonder this was bothering him. He harbored similar feelings as to which she did few days back. He blamed himself, just as she did all these years, for something that wasn't in either of their control. Death is beckoned by nobody; it comes on its own caprice. Just as you don't choose love, but it chooses you, you don't choose death. You weren't asked if you wanted to be born into this world, so fittingly, you won't be asked if you want to leave this world. Human's are always, by nature, afraid of things that they can't control or can't comprehend. Irrationalities, intangibles, all these things are what cannot be comprehended to its fullest extent. All those things are what human's will always be wary of, always fearful.

"My father was the most incredible person that ever lived. He was what the perfect person should have been. He was pure of heart and soul. Always, my father put others before him, regardless of the situation. He would even consider the life of a complete stranger much more important than his own, without a second thought. He was blessed with unfathomable prowess in art of fighting. Probably more so than anybody else who ever existed. Many times, he saved this planet from destruction, without even attempting to take credit for it. You have no idea how many autocratic tyrants decided one day that they would attempt to take over the world. You also have no idea how unbelievably powerful some of them were. Well, maybe you do. Cell was one of them."

She was completely riveted by this tale, believing every word as if it was canon. The mentioning of Cell however, caused her to speculate where this tale was leading. Maybe, just maybe…nah, that was way too much to hope for.

"Needless to say, I had many adventures when I was young. I even had to fight, and I witnessed many morbid scenes as I grew up. The most traumatizing, however, was when my father died." He left out the part about when Goku had died before, on the arrival of Raditz, because he believed that it would stem too many questions that he would quell later on. "My father was the blonde man who stepped into the ring with Cell." Videl's eyes grew wide, as she scoured her memory for that fateful day. She remembered the man, in his orange gi and blazing aura, as he performed some of the most amazing maneuvers ever to have been witnessed. It was like watching a movie, as both him and Cell traded blows. People surmised, and speculated, about the feasibility of those actions. At the urging of her father, who was boisterously propagating the "tricks" they used, many people began to believe it. It was impossible. But after seeing Gohan perform the same kind of "tricks", she had grown very suspicious of her father's claim to fame.

"My father though, decided to give up, even though he blew off the top part of Cell before. He was getting tired, everyone could see. He…He chose me to fight Cell."

"You were the messenger boy!" She blurted out.

"Yeah. And I was getting trashed. I couldn't understand why my dad was confident I could beat him. I soon understood why, as Cell's conceited actions drew out the immense dormant power within me. I toyed with him, played with him. I wanted retribution for all the heinous crimes he had committed, all the atrocities. My dad warned me…he warned me of complacency. I didn't heed it. Cell decided that if he was going down, he would take the rest of us down with him. He activated his self-destruct sequence, not even he himself could stop it. When I had the power, I failed to use it, I failed to adhere to my responsibility. My father, using his teleport technique, took Cell and himself away to a far off place. There, he perished. He died. He died because I failed." A single tear slipped out from his obsidian orbs, running down the length of his cheek and on to her lap.

"Gohan, you can't blame yourself for that."

"Why not! It's true, no matter what they all told me, it's true. If I hadn't acted like that, he wouldn't have died."

"Gohan, listen to yourself. I want you to remember this thing. You said that your father was a great man. Do you think then, that he'd blame you for his death?"

"Of course he won't, but that doesn't change the fact that he died because of me."

"Then what you told me was a lie."

"What? What was a lie?" Gohan couldn't believe that she called him a liar, when he was addressing the most painful memory he had.

"Remember these words: 'Videl, your Mother has died! She's gone, but you live! And she would never want you to live like this!' Did you not believe in what you said to me?"

"I…"

"Do you?"

"Videl, you have to understand. It's hard for me, when I know if I did something different he would have lived."

"You can't change the past Gohan, and mourning over it won't change it either. You don't know what would have happened if you did things differently. What makes you think that if you tried to kill Cell sooner, he wouldn't have activated that self-destruction thing anyway?"

"I…I don't know."

"Exactly. What happened has happened. You can't do anything about it. So if you can't do anything about, then why not move on."

"But, I failed him. Everything that happened, I still failed him. And after that, I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let this happen to anybody else, if it was within my power. I know how it feels to lose some one I loved. Saiya-Man was there, to stop the injustices committed against the innocent. I devoted every ounce of my being to stop these crimes. I was determined to stop the bloodshed, the tyranny, and the atrocities. I didn't want any money for it. I didn't even want recognition for it. All I wanted, was that innocents should not have to feel the pain I did, should not suffer because some person who could make a difference was too lazy to help. But, just as I failed him, I failed again. I let them die, those old folks. They are dead, because I couldn't do anything to save them. I had my great power, but I failed to live up to its great responsibility."

The way he had said that last statement, wasn't the way that the normal Son Gohan would speak. He said it like a battle-worn soldier, weary and tired of the constant fighting for peace. Fighting for peace; that was an oxymoron if there ever was one. Perhaps that is why he said it with such fatigue, like he was exhausted with this futile struggle with evil. Good always prevails in the end? Maybe, but where, or more importantly, when, is the end? How long does one man have to suffer, to finally relieve himself of that burden? Conscience is a very compelling thing. His would never let him find any solace if he abandoned this struggle for the innocent, and decided to live somewhere else where he could start his own family and just live the normal life. It was lopsided really, fate was. Either way, between both alternatives, he could never live in peace. And he was constantly fighting for it, sacrificing his own so others can find some semblance of it. If observed through this light, people who make it hard for themselves to achieve tranquility, engaging in petty squabbles over the most insignificant things, are essentially counteracting what this one man, in the footsteps of his legendary father, is constantly trying to keep for them.

"Gohan! Why can't you understand that whatever you're doing, however valiant and good it is, is still just a very small part of the universal equation? The world has survived countless millennia without you, or your father, and it will continue to do so regardless of what you can do. You can't stop everything. You can't be everywhere every time. Yes, when you see an injustice being committed, you are then obligated to strike it down. That doesn't mean that you are to blame if you couldn't do it. You are helping people Gohan, and if death was inevitable for them, then so be it. You can't be held responsible for helping people Gohan, however much you think that is the case. You didn't kill your father, death did, it always does. What you do now, however much you loathe yourself, and however much you think that you are at fault, must be a testament to your father and all he stood for. Why do you think your father sacrificed himself?"

"To save the world." That was an easy question wasn't it?

"Why did he wish to save the world?" Gohan at this point was starting to feel like a five year old listening to a painfully obvious explanation by a parent.

"So…we can all live."

"Specifically who, Gohan?"

"My family and friends." Gohan was deep in deliberation, and his glazed eyes attested to that fact. He was pondering on the point that Videl would eventually make, and how he lived up to it. Was it possible that he had been wrong in loathing himself all these years? But, it was so obvious that he was the culprit. All the evidence was stacked against him, and he couldn't deny that accusation when it had so much evidence behind it. Could he?

"He sacrificed himself, so you and your family could live. So far, two of them have honored his memory in that way. Do you know who hasn't?"

It was a hard pill to swallow. Realizing that he had probably hurt his father all these seven years by not making use of that sacrifice. His father had made that sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, in vain if his eldest son had refused to honor him and live, like anybody else. What had he done? He had wasted seven perfectly sound years in introspective bashing, when he could have been out enjoying his life without shrouding it with a façade of ignorance. In many respects, both he and Videl were alike. No wonder they loved each other so much.

She smiled as she looked at his face, and all the different emotions that it went through, knowing that she had finally got through to him. Just as he had helped her, she had returned the favor. Not that anyone was counting, she was sure.

"So, are we going to stop sulking and start living?" She asked, with an unusual "chirp" to her voice.

He looked up at her dazzling blue eyes, that were partially covered with curving bangs of silky hair. They were the most beautiful things he had ever laid eyes upon, and he was sure as hell not going to lose it because of some stupid misconception that he once harbored.

"Oh hell yes!" He reached up and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her face down in a fervent kiss. She smiled inwardly at his show of affection. She really couldn't believe that she hadn't hooked up with him sooner, professed her feelings to him sooner. Self-doubt was just about the worst advice anyone could have ever adhered to, for it stifles initiative and growth. It may very well sound more of a business definition, but when conveyed upon the individual, it can be very oppressive.

Not wanting to be outdone by her ecstatic boyfriend, she kissed back with all the passion she could muster. For what seemed like hours, they kept their lips interlocked as tongues decided to venture further into the recesses of mouths. He sat up and took her into his arms, still feverishly kissing her. They both seemed content, mouths interlocked as they battled gently with their tongues, until they felt that constricting pain in their chests. Holding one's breath for more than two minutes is a difficult task indeed. Just ask both these teens.

She reluctantly pulled back, arms clenched tightly around his neck as she gasped desperately for air. Gohan though, was a partial saiya-jin, and also a seasoned fighter that had honed his endurance considerably, and didn't feel the compelling need to 'gasp' for oxygen. Instead, yielding to temptation, he carried on with his frantic kissing spree as he attacked the skin on her neck. Even though her lungs were screaming for oxygen, Gohan's lips placing sucking kisses on her neck caused her to moan in pleasure. She gladly obliged Gohan's repeated requests to allow him to kiss more of her neck, as he kept his path of kisses going up, and she kept straining her neck upwards as well. Eventually though, Gohan ran out of neck to kiss, and instead decided on her jaw line. His frantic pace has slowed down into a slower, deeper process. Cooing softly in obvious pleasure, Videl let him take control of their situation. It wasn't as much of subservience on her part. But rather, she really enjoyed how he kissed her. Perhaps when you're newly in love, you have a more optimistic perspective on many things.

He went up her chin and finally rested his lips back on hers. This time though, they kissed long and deep. This one had more meaning to it. Much more profundity than their previous lip lock that was for sure. This was more a profession of love than it was a profession of lust when in love. Their differences were few and far between.

Before they could continue their magical little moment of love, a shrill noise disrupted them both. They parted, both with a distinct look of exasperation plastered on their faces.

"Damn! I've heard the term saved by the bell, but never the term screwed by the bell!" Gohan exclaimed, a little peeved that he couldn't carry on with his, ahem, extracurricular activities anymore. She giggled a little, equally frustrated at the timing of the bell, but found that Gohan's frustration was much more amusing than her own.

"Screwed by the bell! Things like this can only happen to you, Gohan!" She started giggling a little harder, finding his extremely bad relationship with luck rather entertaining, even if it was somewhat at her expense. She could live with it. She was a woman.

"You find this funny? I feel any and all strands of confidence that I had left in me snapping like a backbone subjected to Vegeta's fist."

Still sitting contentedly in his lap, she moved in closer and kissed his cheek. "Poor ol' gullible Gohan."

"What? Is that my new nickname or something?"

"It's a name that I have so lovingly made for you Gohan, just for you. You should be flattered!"

"I am as flattered as the first monkey who got shot into space," he grumbled, more to himself than to anyone else in particular.

"I bet that monkey was really flattered. I mean, he was a celebrity overnight!"

"Yeah, was that before or after he killed himself of space dementia or got horribly deformed by space radiation?"

"Before…no wait…After. Yes. After, I'm quite positive." He sighed and rested his head on the crook of her neck. He was again compelled to kiss her creamy skin, only because it was so close rather than because he wanted to. Maybe it would become second nature to him soon? He wouldn't mind that one bit.

"Hey, don't you feel weird loving a half-alien?"

"Well, everything points to the way that I should. I mean, it not like everyday that you get to meet an alien, much less fall in love with one. But, I fell in love with you. Not where you come from or who your parents are. If I had become repulsed by you just because you were different, then I'd be as big a bigot as those tyrannical rulers, and most people, of the past. I'd think we've evolved too much in human nature to go backwards and not learn from their mistakes. I love you, it's as simple as that."

"Wait. Let me get a video camera, and you can repeat what you just said. We can make our very own soap opera, or even Hollywood movie!"

She smacked him on the head, but although she tried to feign anger she couldn't help but smile. "Come on lover boy, that was the bell for the end of first period. Second should be starting any minute, and you don't want to be late for that do you?" She reluctantly got off her comfortable seat—Gohan's lap—and pulled him up as well.

"Eh? No way, my mom would have a field day. Think of all the different ways she can torture me with. The horror! The horror!!" Flailing his arms about in a comical fashion, he ran down the fleet of stairs leading into the school, Videl in tow.

"With great power comes great responsibility"—If anyone is wondering, the superhero that constantly thinks of this line is Spider-Man

Habeas corpus—A writ commanding a person having another in custody to produce the detained person before a court.

(A/N- yeah I know, I know. I failed to live up to my self-imposed twice a week update deadline. But it wasn't my fault! Really! I was so goddamn preoccupied, that well, I had to compensate for not updating around Wednesday by making this chapter double in length. Well, as was expected, it took me double the time to finish this. So, consider this as a double update.)

"Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

-Groucho Marx

"I sent the club a wire stating, PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER."

-Groucho Marx