Chapter 1
"HELP!!!!! THIEF!!!!!!!"
The words rang out across the crowded street and vanished into the busy air of the passing traffic. People yelled and cursed as they were shoved aside by the fleeing robber. With his ripped clothes sailing in the wind as he rushed as fast as he possibly could through the streets, weaving in between cars, dodging bicycles, and simply plowing through pedestrians. His appearance gave the impression that this was how he made his living, his home being a dark alley somewhere, burnt rubbish sitting in the bottom of a trash can.
He turned a corner onto a quiet side street and leaned against a pole to catch his breath. As he did, he opened the purse he had just snatched and began to go through its contents. Distracted by his search, he failed to notice the figure slowly descending behind him. The thief's eyes went wide with terror as this new arrival cleared his throat. He slowly turned around to face him and began to step back as he recognized the green cloth thrown over the black jump suit and tied with a white belt, red cape draped from his shoulders down to his heels. The white bandana on his head, accented by the slick shades drawn over his eyes finished the look.
"I believe that belongs to someone else.", Gohan said cool and calm, but maybe too cool and calm.
"Sa...Sa...Saiyaman.", the thief eventually spit out, unable to control whatever sense of speech he had. He was too scared to even try and make a run for it. He simply stood there holding the purse, not moving a muscle as if, for some reason or another, he thought that it would make Gohan go away. The sounds of sirens were drawing near.
"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to give that nice lady her purse back?", Gohan asked.
The thief didn't seem to even have heard the question until he turned his head as police cars stopped at each end of the street, blocking any way that he could escape. It finally hit him like a brick and so he answered.
"Sure! Sure! Here take it, I surrender, just don't hurt me, please!", he was almost on his knees begging as he handed the purse over to Gohan. The cops came over and threw the cuffs on him. As one officer started reading the rights, the other came over to Gohan with a smile.
"Thanks Saiyaman. I don't know what we'd do without ya.", the officer said giving Gohan a firm handshake. "I'd watch out for Videl, though. She might get a little steamed if she gets wind of you stealin' her business."
"Thank you, sir. I'll keep that in mind.", Gohan responded as he handed the purse over to the cop. With all said and done, Gohan took off into the sky. The thief watched him until he disappeared through the clouds, he hadn't even being listening to the cop reading him his rights. He could only focus on Saiyaman. It would be all he thought about for a long time.
As Gohan broke through the top of the clouds, he thought about what the cop had said. He had gotten into some trouble with Videl before, but he figured it would happen every now and then. What he hadn't counted on was that she had her own personal bounty set on his head. She was going to expose him in one way or another. Gohan thought about how to possibly avoid confrontation, but he couldn't help thinking how every time he did have to meet her on bad terms, he almost enjoyed it. He sort of liked to see her flared up and ready to throw down. A smile started to sprout on his face at the thought, until he remembered something.
"Oh man! I'm late for school...", Gohan muttered as the thought ran across his mind, "...again."
* * *
He could hear the late bell ringing constantly in the back of his mind as he dropped from the sky and landed ever so softly on the roof. He pressed a button on his wristwatch and his outfit changed from the Saiyaman costume to his normal school clothing. He dashed through the stairwell door and made his way quickly to his class. He busted through the classroom door as the teacher was in the middle of a lecture. She turned and frowned at the sight of him.
"You're late, Gohan.", she said in a tone that she was obviously substituting for yelling, "Where have you been?"
Gohan's mind raced as he thought of an excuse that would best suit his case. He stumbled into the room and began to make his way to his seat as he sheepishly delivered the lie.
"Um...heh heh...I, uh, overslept.", Gohan managed through a traffic jam of phrases he had prepared ever since school started, and for some reason that was the only excuse that ever managed to come out.
"Again?! Really Gohan, you need to manage your time a little better. Or maybe you just need an alarm clock.", the teacher ranted across the room, "Now take your seat so the rest of the class may continue to benefit from what I have to say."
Gohan took his seat next to Erasa and hid behind his book in cowardice. He didn't even notice at first that Erasa was talking to him until she took his book away.
"So what happened to you this morning? That's the third time this week that you've come in late.", she asked.
"Well, uh, you know, with the long commute and all. I just can't afford to sleep those few extra minutes.", Gohan said trying to cover up any tone in his voice that might suggest he was lying.
"I think you're full of it, Gohan.", the piercing words of the one girl Gohan wasn't ready to hear from came flying at his face. "Everytime you come in late you use that excuse. I think you're hiding something."
"What could I possibly have to hide, Videl?", Gohan asked followed up by a sheepish laugh that should've tipped anybody off that he was trying to avoid telling the truth.
"I dunno. But I'll find out sooner or later, after I'm finished with Saiyaman that is. That's my first priority.", Videl declared.
"Videl, baby, you need to chill with this obsession you have with Saiyaman. It ain't worth it. You could toast his ass in a second, no doubt.", Sharpner said leaning back in his chair, trying to be as cool as possible.
"I suppose you'd rather me turn my obsession on to you, eh Sharpner?", Videl said.
"Well, now that ya mention it...", Sharpner started sitting up to make a play on Videl.
"Well tough luck, bud. You're the last thing I would ever think about so get over it.", Videl quietly yelled.
"Hey guys, quiet down or we'll get in...", Gohan began before he was cut off by the annoying voice of his teacher.
"Gohan, do you have something you wish to share with the class?", she demanded.
"No ma'am.", Gohan replied as he once again sank into the shelter of his book.
* * *
After his first class, Gohan's day pretty much went back to normal. He managed to avoid any other questions from Videl or anyone else that might give away his secret. But every now and then he would notice her staring at him. That iron glare that seemed to go right through him. It made him feel uncomfortable for the most part, but another part of him found himself looking back and almost enjoying the attention, even if it was because he was hiding something.
When school got out, he made his way down the street to where he had left the nimbus cloud. As he was walking he heard her voice again, calling his name.
"GOHAN!!!", she yelled as if it were the only way she could get his attention. "How do you plan on getting home?"
"Uh, I have a car.", Gohan lied.
"Ya know, I've never seen your car. Do you mind showing it to me?", she asked, obviously trying to dig into Gohan's secret.
"Well...uh...I guess I could...but...", Gohan stammered through a lie being made that instant. Luckily he didn't have to go on as the watch on Videl's arm went off.
"Damn, I gotta go. Well, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Don't be late.", she said as she ran off to her hover-copter. The name SATAN was blazed across the hull as it shot into the air and towards the scene of the crime. Gohan wiped the waterfall of sweat running down his forhead as he exhaled the stress he had just been put under. He realized that he had to confront her again, however. He once again donned his constume as Saiyaman and headed off to where Videl was headed.
When he got there he stopped and landed on a building overhead where he saw a circle of cop cars surrounding one man in the middle of the street. The cops were all kneeling behind their open car doors with weapons drawn ready to shoot at the command. But it wasn't that easy. The man standing in the middle of the street was strapped with dynamite and he held in his hand the detonator. He claimed he could destroy the whole city block if the cops didn't give him what they wanted.
Just as it seemed hopeless, Videl arrived in her hover-copter. She stepped out and made her way towards the circle. She talked a bit with the chief and he decided to let her talk to the guy. She stepped forward and carefully made her way towards him. She started talking to him, saying things and asking questions to take his attention away from what he had come here to do. As she did she slowly inched closer and closer. Gohan watched, but stayed clear as to avoid any confrontation that was possible.
"You know you don't have to do this. Everything will be fine if you just stop all of this.", Videl argued.
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!", the man screamed. It didn't look like Videl was getting anywhere with the guy, but she continued and took a few more steps closer. What she didn't count on was the small pothole in the road that her foot fell into. It blatantly accented her footstep and it triggered the guy's reflexes. His bloodshot eyes got wide and he held the detonator high above his head and screamed. Videl could only watch in horror as his finger fell onto the small red button. The next thing she saw was a bright flash and then nothing, blackness.
When she realized she was still alive she opened her eyes and noticed a pair of arms around her body. As she got up the arms left her body and she turned around to be face to face with Saiyaman. He had shielded her from the blast at the last second. The explosion was much smaller than the man had boasted and only left some marks from the shrapnel on the surrounding police cars. She stared at him with a mixed feeling of love and hate. She didn't know what exactly to say to him at that time, but she didn't get a chance to as he turned around and flew away.
"Wow, Videl. You're lucky to be alive. I guess that Saiyaman ain't so bad after all.", the chief said.
"Yea...", she said breathlessly, "...I guess."
"HELP!!!!! THIEF!!!!!!!"
The words rang out across the crowded street and vanished into the busy air of the passing traffic. People yelled and cursed as they were shoved aside by the fleeing robber. With his ripped clothes sailing in the wind as he rushed as fast as he possibly could through the streets, weaving in between cars, dodging bicycles, and simply plowing through pedestrians. His appearance gave the impression that this was how he made his living, his home being a dark alley somewhere, burnt rubbish sitting in the bottom of a trash can.
He turned a corner onto a quiet side street and leaned against a pole to catch his breath. As he did, he opened the purse he had just snatched and began to go through its contents. Distracted by his search, he failed to notice the figure slowly descending behind him. The thief's eyes went wide with terror as this new arrival cleared his throat. He slowly turned around to face him and began to step back as he recognized the green cloth thrown over the black jump suit and tied with a white belt, red cape draped from his shoulders down to his heels. The white bandana on his head, accented by the slick shades drawn over his eyes finished the look.
"I believe that belongs to someone else.", Gohan said cool and calm, but maybe too cool and calm.
"Sa...Sa...Saiyaman.", the thief eventually spit out, unable to control whatever sense of speech he had. He was too scared to even try and make a run for it. He simply stood there holding the purse, not moving a muscle as if, for some reason or another, he thought that it would make Gohan go away. The sounds of sirens were drawing near.
"Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to give that nice lady her purse back?", Gohan asked.
The thief didn't seem to even have heard the question until he turned his head as police cars stopped at each end of the street, blocking any way that he could escape. It finally hit him like a brick and so he answered.
"Sure! Sure! Here take it, I surrender, just don't hurt me, please!", he was almost on his knees begging as he handed the purse over to Gohan. The cops came over and threw the cuffs on him. As one officer started reading the rights, the other came over to Gohan with a smile.
"Thanks Saiyaman. I don't know what we'd do without ya.", the officer said giving Gohan a firm handshake. "I'd watch out for Videl, though. She might get a little steamed if she gets wind of you stealin' her business."
"Thank you, sir. I'll keep that in mind.", Gohan responded as he handed the purse over to the cop. With all said and done, Gohan took off into the sky. The thief watched him until he disappeared through the clouds, he hadn't even being listening to the cop reading him his rights. He could only focus on Saiyaman. It would be all he thought about for a long time.
As Gohan broke through the top of the clouds, he thought about what the cop had said. He had gotten into some trouble with Videl before, but he figured it would happen every now and then. What he hadn't counted on was that she had her own personal bounty set on his head. She was going to expose him in one way or another. Gohan thought about how to possibly avoid confrontation, but he couldn't help thinking how every time he did have to meet her on bad terms, he almost enjoyed it. He sort of liked to see her flared up and ready to throw down. A smile started to sprout on his face at the thought, until he remembered something.
"Oh man! I'm late for school...", Gohan muttered as the thought ran across his mind, "...again."
* * *
He could hear the late bell ringing constantly in the back of his mind as he dropped from the sky and landed ever so softly on the roof. He pressed a button on his wristwatch and his outfit changed from the Saiyaman costume to his normal school clothing. He dashed through the stairwell door and made his way quickly to his class. He busted through the classroom door as the teacher was in the middle of a lecture. She turned and frowned at the sight of him.
"You're late, Gohan.", she said in a tone that she was obviously substituting for yelling, "Where have you been?"
Gohan's mind raced as he thought of an excuse that would best suit his case. He stumbled into the room and began to make his way to his seat as he sheepishly delivered the lie.
"Um...heh heh...I, uh, overslept.", Gohan managed through a traffic jam of phrases he had prepared ever since school started, and for some reason that was the only excuse that ever managed to come out.
"Again?! Really Gohan, you need to manage your time a little better. Or maybe you just need an alarm clock.", the teacher ranted across the room, "Now take your seat so the rest of the class may continue to benefit from what I have to say."
Gohan took his seat next to Erasa and hid behind his book in cowardice. He didn't even notice at first that Erasa was talking to him until she took his book away.
"So what happened to you this morning? That's the third time this week that you've come in late.", she asked.
"Well, uh, you know, with the long commute and all. I just can't afford to sleep those few extra minutes.", Gohan said trying to cover up any tone in his voice that might suggest he was lying.
"I think you're full of it, Gohan.", the piercing words of the one girl Gohan wasn't ready to hear from came flying at his face. "Everytime you come in late you use that excuse. I think you're hiding something."
"What could I possibly have to hide, Videl?", Gohan asked followed up by a sheepish laugh that should've tipped anybody off that he was trying to avoid telling the truth.
"I dunno. But I'll find out sooner or later, after I'm finished with Saiyaman that is. That's my first priority.", Videl declared.
"Videl, baby, you need to chill with this obsession you have with Saiyaman. It ain't worth it. You could toast his ass in a second, no doubt.", Sharpner said leaning back in his chair, trying to be as cool as possible.
"I suppose you'd rather me turn my obsession on to you, eh Sharpner?", Videl said.
"Well, now that ya mention it...", Sharpner started sitting up to make a play on Videl.
"Well tough luck, bud. You're the last thing I would ever think about so get over it.", Videl quietly yelled.
"Hey guys, quiet down or we'll get in...", Gohan began before he was cut off by the annoying voice of his teacher.
"Gohan, do you have something you wish to share with the class?", she demanded.
"No ma'am.", Gohan replied as he once again sank into the shelter of his book.
* * *
After his first class, Gohan's day pretty much went back to normal. He managed to avoid any other questions from Videl or anyone else that might give away his secret. But every now and then he would notice her staring at him. That iron glare that seemed to go right through him. It made him feel uncomfortable for the most part, but another part of him found himself looking back and almost enjoying the attention, even if it was because he was hiding something.
When school got out, he made his way down the street to where he had left the nimbus cloud. As he was walking he heard her voice again, calling his name.
"GOHAN!!!", she yelled as if it were the only way she could get his attention. "How do you plan on getting home?"
"Uh, I have a car.", Gohan lied.
"Ya know, I've never seen your car. Do you mind showing it to me?", she asked, obviously trying to dig into Gohan's secret.
"Well...uh...I guess I could...but...", Gohan stammered through a lie being made that instant. Luckily he didn't have to go on as the watch on Videl's arm went off.
"Damn, I gotta go. Well, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Don't be late.", she said as she ran off to her hover-copter. The name SATAN was blazed across the hull as it shot into the air and towards the scene of the crime. Gohan wiped the waterfall of sweat running down his forhead as he exhaled the stress he had just been put under. He realized that he had to confront her again, however. He once again donned his constume as Saiyaman and headed off to where Videl was headed.
When he got there he stopped and landed on a building overhead where he saw a circle of cop cars surrounding one man in the middle of the street. The cops were all kneeling behind their open car doors with weapons drawn ready to shoot at the command. But it wasn't that easy. The man standing in the middle of the street was strapped with dynamite and he held in his hand the detonator. He claimed he could destroy the whole city block if the cops didn't give him what they wanted.
Just as it seemed hopeless, Videl arrived in her hover-copter. She stepped out and made her way towards the circle. She talked a bit with the chief and he decided to let her talk to the guy. She stepped forward and carefully made her way towards him. She started talking to him, saying things and asking questions to take his attention away from what he had come here to do. As she did she slowly inched closer and closer. Gohan watched, but stayed clear as to avoid any confrontation that was possible.
"You know you don't have to do this. Everything will be fine if you just stop all of this.", Videl argued.
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!", the man screamed. It didn't look like Videl was getting anywhere with the guy, but she continued and took a few more steps closer. What she didn't count on was the small pothole in the road that her foot fell into. It blatantly accented her footstep and it triggered the guy's reflexes. His bloodshot eyes got wide and he held the detonator high above his head and screamed. Videl could only watch in horror as his finger fell onto the small red button. The next thing she saw was a bright flash and then nothing, blackness.
When she realized she was still alive she opened her eyes and noticed a pair of arms around her body. As she got up the arms left her body and she turned around to be face to face with Saiyaman. He had shielded her from the blast at the last second. The explosion was much smaller than the man had boasted and only left some marks from the shrapnel on the surrounding police cars. She stared at him with a mixed feeling of love and hate. She didn't know what exactly to say to him at that time, but she didn't get a chance to as he turned around and flew away.
"Wow, Videl. You're lucky to be alive. I guess that Saiyaman ain't so bad after all.", the chief said.
"Yea...", she said breathlessly, "...I guess."