Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.
::......::-thoughts ~......~-flashbacks ^^......^^-change of time/location
Threats
Chapter Six: Foolproof Evidence
"Goku, where's Videl?" Chi-Chi shouted to her husband, who was in the yard sparring with Goten.
"She's at school!" Goku replied, blocking a punch from the pint-sized Super Saiyan.
"You're supposed to be with her! You don't have to go to the school, but it would be nice if you were in the same CITY as her!" Chi-Chi said.
"Don't worry, Chi-Chi. I'll keep an eye on her energy. If anything happens to her, I'll IT to her right away, okay?" Goku asked.
"Fine, but if anything happens to her, I'm telling Gohan it's your fault, not mine," Chi-Chi warned before going back inside.
Goku gulped before thinking, ::I'll watch her like a hawk! She'll be fine, anyway...I hope...:: He shrugged and went back to his spar.
^Later that day^
"Goku, shouldn't Videl be back by now?" Chi-Chi called over her shoulder. She looked up from the rice she was stirring to her husband. She saw him sleeping on the couch, Goten's head resting in his lap.
She watched the cute scene for a moment, before shaking her head and shouting, "GOKU!" Goku didn't move a muscle. Chi-Chi sighed and shouted, "Dinner's ready!" Goku and Goten both shot to their feet, wide-awake.
"Where's dinner? I don't see dinner. Mom, where's dinner?" Goten asked, looking around the room.
"Sorry, Goten. No dinner yet. I had to wake up your father," Chi-Chi explained.
"What's up, Chi?" Goku asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Where's Videl? You're supposed to be keeping track of her!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.
"She's heading here, Chi! Even sleeping, I would've felt a ki as high as hers get lower," Goku said in defense.
"You're sure she's coming here?" Chi-Chi asked. The Saiyan nodded in reassurance. Chi-Chi let out a sigh of relief when Videl walked in 5 minutes later.
^The next morning^
"Videl, time to wake up, dear. School starts in an hour," Chi-Chi called, knocking on the door of Gohan's room.
"Videl?" Chi-Chi called, knocking a bit louder. She was met with silence. Panicked, she threw open the door, seeing an empty bed.
"GOKU!" she yelled. Sensing his mate's distress, Goku ran into the room, tying the belt of his gi pants.
"Where's Videl?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Not here, obviously," Chi-Chi said sourly.
"But I feel her ki in the room..." Goku said. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out where EXACTLY Videl's energy signal was.
"Goten, can you come here?" he called.
Goten walked in sleepily, and asked, "Was wong? Why's i'so early?"
"Goten, lower your ki for a minute. I can't pinpoint Videl's because yours is too high," Goku said. Though he was very confused, Goten complied with his dad's request.
"Right there," Goku said after a minute, pointing. Chi-Chi followed his gaze to a small metal object under Videl's/Gohan's bed.
Picking it up, Goku said, "It seems to be emitting a ki identical to Videl's. That's why I didn't sense her leaving. Those two guys must know more about ki than we think, or Bulma's been making some pretty advanced technology."
"Is she still alive? Can you feel her energy?" Chi-Chi asked. Goku crushed the button, and the energy it was emitting disappeared.
"No," he said, shaking his head, "But I don't think they killed her. This is probably for ransom or something."
"Ransom from who? Hercule's working with them, remember?" Chi-Chi pointed out.
"Yeah, I kn-Woah! Gohan's power is skyrocketing!" Goku exclaimed.
"He must've noticed Videl's energy signal is gone," Goten pointed out.
"Yeah. I'm gonna go stop him from going berserk on the guards," Goku stated. With that said, he vanished.
^SC Jail^
Goku reappeared on the roof of the prison. He jumped down behind it and ran inside, making his way to Gohan's cell, finding Johnny standing next to it. An actual cell, for once, not Solitary.
"Johnny, Videl's been kidnapped! You have to let Gohan!" Goku exclaimed.
"I know that! But I don't have the authority to let prisoners go, unless they win their case," Johnny replied. The ground began shaking as Gohan nearly went Mystic.
"Gohan, calm down. I know Videl's energy, but I don't think she's dead. They'll probably let you out, since you were in jail when it happened, but blowing up the jail won't help one bit," Goku pointed out.
Gohan took a deep breath and unclenched his fists, his power going back down to normal. Johnny walked off for a minute, coming back with another officer behind him.
"Goku? Gohan? This is Officer McArthur. Basically, he's in charge of pardoning people," Johnny explained.
"Sir, my son, Gohan is in here for attempting to murder Videl Satan. But Videl's been kidnapped, and he was here when it happened. This proves that Gohan's innocent! You have to let him out of jail!" Goku practically begged.
"Please, sir?" Gohan asked.
McArthur studied their faces for a moment, not finding a scrap of deception in their eyes. "Alright, you can go," he said, wondering if he would regret his decision.
"Good luck finding Videl, you guys," Johnny said as he unlocked the cell door.
"C'mon, Gohan. Let's get home. I want to show you something. Then we can look for Videl," Goku said. Gohan nodded in agreement before following his father outside. Once safely out of sight, Goku brought them back home.
"GOHAN!" two people shouted. Chi-Chi and Goten both tackled him with hugs, knocking him to the ground. Once Gohan untangled himself, he looked at the small mound of crumpled-up metal Goku showed him.
"It was emitting a ki identical to Videl's. That's why I didn't notice her missing. I'm sorry, Gohan. I should've been more attentive. At one point, there must've been either two or none of Videl's energy signal," Goku said sadly.
"It's not your fault, Dad. But I do want to find Videl. But I don't really know how we'd be able to that," Gohan said.
"Gohan," Chi-Chi said, "When Bulma, Videl, and I were in Otherworld, before Kid Buu blew up Earth, we were trying to find you, because we thought that you had died, but Videl refused to believe it. She was sure you were live, and very far away. Maybe this...bond...can help you find her."
"I...I'll try," Gohan said, closing his eyes. "I can feel her," he said, "But I don't know where she is. I can't figure out the distance, or a direction. She's just, kinda, there. At least we know she's alive."
"It was a good try, Gohan. Now, come and eat some breakfast. You look like you haven't eaten a good meal in weeks...Which you haven't, I guess," Goku observed.
"No thanks. I'm not really hungry," Gohan replied. The other three Sons stared at him in shock as he went to his room. Gohan wasn't hungry? Bizarre.
^^^^^
Gohan flopped onto his bed, looking around at Videl's clothing and other stuff strewn carelessly on the floor, mixing in with Gohan's mess.
::She's just as messy as me,:: Gohan thought with a feeble smile. He rolled over, taking in the scent that was purely Videl. ::I've gotta find her,:: he thought.
^A few days later^
"Dad, I think I might be able to find Videl. I have a pretty good idea of where she is now," Gohan stated.
"Okay. We'll look for her after breakfast," Goku replied, swallowing a mouthful of pancake.
"Gohan, eat!" Chi-Chi demanded, watching Gohan slide his human-size serving of pancakes around his plate.
"I'm not hungry," Gohan insisted.
"Gohan, we're going to get Videl back. But if you don't eat, you won't be around when we find her!" Goku rationalized.
Gohan grumbled something, and ate about half of his meal.
"There, I ate. Can we go now?" he asked.
"I guess," Goku replied, worried about his son's appetite.
A few minutes later, the Son men were in the air, Gohan trying to determine where Videl was.
::Gohan's energy is too low. He hasn't been eating well for a long time. He may not realize, but it's really hurting him...I know he misses Videl...I may not be able to snap him out of this,:: Goku thought.
They flew for a while, slowly, so Gohan could keep his concentration on his bond with Videl. Goku's concern grew as beads of sweat poured down Gohan's face.
"Gohan, you need to take a break?" he asked. Gohan said no.
::He's really tired...But he won't stop trying to find Videl until he succeeds, or can't take another step...:: Goku realized. He sighed, looking over at his son. But Gohan wasn't there anymore. He glanced down, seeing Gohan hurtling towards the ground.
^^^^^
"No, Gohan!" Videl screamed, sitting up, cold sweat on her face.
"Shut up, girl," Schmitty shouted. Videl shut her mouth, not wanting to anger her captors.
::Something happened to Gohan. I can't...feel him anymore,:: Videl thought. She lay down on the old cot that Van Zant and Schmitty had given her to sleep on. She looked at the steel band attached to her wrist and thought, ::I wish I could get this thing off. Then they'd be able to find me.:: Staring up at the ceiling of the old warehouse, she thought, ::Please be alright, Gohan.::
^Son residence^
Gohan slowly sat up, trying to shake the dizziness from his head.
"I'm gonna keep you safe, Videl. I swear it."
"Huh? Who said that?" Gohan said, scanning the area for any people.
"I'm gonna keep you safe, Videl. I swear it."
::There it is again. Hey, that sounds like me!:: Gohan realized. He heard those same words over and over again, wondering why it sounded familiar.
::Wait...when Videl came over that night. I said that to her,:: he thought.
"'PMPV?' Videl asked. Protect My Precious Videl."
"You didn't protect me, did you Gohan?"
"Videl?" Gohan shouted, hearing his girlfriend's voice, not taking in the words.
"Gohan, you let them take me. You were supposed to protect me," came Videl's eerie voice.
"Huh? Videl, I was in jail! I couldn't help, you know that!" Gohan exclaimed, still looking around for her.
"You couldn't even protect ME, and you call yourself one of the world's saviors."
Videl's words were like a knife to his heart, the handle twisting with every word.
::She's right. I'm worthless. I couldn't protect her from two normal humans, and I'll never be able to find her,:: he thought. He fell to his knees, slamming his fists down onto the ground. Opening his clenched-shut eyes, he saw a shadow in front of him. Looking up, he saw Videl, a look of pure fury on her face.
"You don't deserve to live," she growled.
"I know. I'm sorry, Videl," Gohan replied quietly.
Videl pulled him to his feet by his shirt collar, punching him hard in the face. Gohan flinched, feeling warm blood trickle down his chin.
Videl picked up a rock from the ground, and said, "Goodbye, Gohan," before bringing the rock down on his head. He felt immense pain for a moment, then blacked out.
Then, he sat up, in his own bed. He felt his lip. No blood.
"A nightmare. Just a nightmare," he whispered.
::But Videl was right. I am worthless. I can't protect her,:: he thought. He got up onto shaky feet, leaning on anything he could for support on the way out of his room.
"Why am I so exhausted?" he wondered aloud.
"Because you won't eat anything, according to your mother." Startled, Gohan looked up to see Bulma sitting at the kitchen table.
"Hey Bulma. What are you doing here?" he asked, flopping down into a chair.
"Well, I found an extra dragon radar. Thing is, it will only locate your 4-star ball. I can't remember if I did that on purpose to help you guys find it after we use them, or if it's a programming error," Bulma explained, holding it up and pressing the button on the top. A single, blinking dot appeared on the screen, but it was nowhere near the triangle in the center, which indicated their location.
"Why's it way over there?" Goku asked. Gohan hobbled back to his room, opening the wooden box on top of his dresser. Where the ball should have been, there was a note. He took it out an read:
Gohan,
If you're reading this, something probably happened to me. I've been carrying the Dragonball with me since the day you got arrested. I had a feeling something bad was gonna happen. You can use this to find me.
Love,
Videl
A grin formed on Gohan's face as he thought, ::Videl, you are a genius. But of course, you're getting yourself out of this mess. I've done nothing to help.::
He made his way back to the kitchen, showing Bulma and the others the note.
"So we can use the radar to find Videl!" Goku observed.
"Yeah! So, can we go? Please?" Gohan asked.
"Not before you eat and get some food and rest," Chi-Chi stated.
"But Mom-"
"No buts! You collapsed when you were looking for her with Goku. You're going to be 100% better before I even consider letting you look for Videl," Chi-Chi stated.
Gohan grumbled something he was thankful his mother didn't hear, and thought, ::Not sure when, but I'm coming, Videl.::
In the next chapter of Threats: "You're gonna pay for hurting Videl!"
::......::-thoughts ~......~-flashbacks ^^......^^-change of time/location
Threats
Chapter Six: Foolproof Evidence
"Goku, where's Videl?" Chi-Chi shouted to her husband, who was in the yard sparring with Goten.
"She's at school!" Goku replied, blocking a punch from the pint-sized Super Saiyan.
"You're supposed to be with her! You don't have to go to the school, but it would be nice if you were in the same CITY as her!" Chi-Chi said.
"Don't worry, Chi-Chi. I'll keep an eye on her energy. If anything happens to her, I'll IT to her right away, okay?" Goku asked.
"Fine, but if anything happens to her, I'm telling Gohan it's your fault, not mine," Chi-Chi warned before going back inside.
Goku gulped before thinking, ::I'll watch her like a hawk! She'll be fine, anyway...I hope...:: He shrugged and went back to his spar.
^Later that day^
"Goku, shouldn't Videl be back by now?" Chi-Chi called over her shoulder. She looked up from the rice she was stirring to her husband. She saw him sleeping on the couch, Goten's head resting in his lap.
She watched the cute scene for a moment, before shaking her head and shouting, "GOKU!" Goku didn't move a muscle. Chi-Chi sighed and shouted, "Dinner's ready!" Goku and Goten both shot to their feet, wide-awake.
"Where's dinner? I don't see dinner. Mom, where's dinner?" Goten asked, looking around the room.
"Sorry, Goten. No dinner yet. I had to wake up your father," Chi-Chi explained.
"What's up, Chi?" Goku asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Where's Videl? You're supposed to be keeping track of her!" Chi-Chi exclaimed.
"She's heading here, Chi! Even sleeping, I would've felt a ki as high as hers get lower," Goku said in defense.
"You're sure she's coming here?" Chi-Chi asked. The Saiyan nodded in reassurance. Chi-Chi let out a sigh of relief when Videl walked in 5 minutes later.
^The next morning^
"Videl, time to wake up, dear. School starts in an hour," Chi-Chi called, knocking on the door of Gohan's room.
"Videl?" Chi-Chi called, knocking a bit louder. She was met with silence. Panicked, she threw open the door, seeing an empty bed.
"GOKU!" she yelled. Sensing his mate's distress, Goku ran into the room, tying the belt of his gi pants.
"Where's Videl?" he asked, dumbfounded.
"Not here, obviously," Chi-Chi said sourly.
"But I feel her ki in the room..." Goku said. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out where EXACTLY Videl's energy signal was.
"Goten, can you come here?" he called.
Goten walked in sleepily, and asked, "Was wong? Why's i'so early?"
"Goten, lower your ki for a minute. I can't pinpoint Videl's because yours is too high," Goku said. Though he was very confused, Goten complied with his dad's request.
"Right there," Goku said after a minute, pointing. Chi-Chi followed his gaze to a small metal object under Videl's/Gohan's bed.
Picking it up, Goku said, "It seems to be emitting a ki identical to Videl's. That's why I didn't sense her leaving. Those two guys must know more about ki than we think, or Bulma's been making some pretty advanced technology."
"Is she still alive? Can you feel her energy?" Chi-Chi asked. Goku crushed the button, and the energy it was emitting disappeared.
"No," he said, shaking his head, "But I don't think they killed her. This is probably for ransom or something."
"Ransom from who? Hercule's working with them, remember?" Chi-Chi pointed out.
"Yeah, I kn-Woah! Gohan's power is skyrocketing!" Goku exclaimed.
"He must've noticed Videl's energy signal is gone," Goten pointed out.
"Yeah. I'm gonna go stop him from going berserk on the guards," Goku stated. With that said, he vanished.
^SC Jail^
Goku reappeared on the roof of the prison. He jumped down behind it and ran inside, making his way to Gohan's cell, finding Johnny standing next to it. An actual cell, for once, not Solitary.
"Johnny, Videl's been kidnapped! You have to let Gohan!" Goku exclaimed.
"I know that! But I don't have the authority to let prisoners go, unless they win their case," Johnny replied. The ground began shaking as Gohan nearly went Mystic.
"Gohan, calm down. I know Videl's energy, but I don't think she's dead. They'll probably let you out, since you were in jail when it happened, but blowing up the jail won't help one bit," Goku pointed out.
Gohan took a deep breath and unclenched his fists, his power going back down to normal. Johnny walked off for a minute, coming back with another officer behind him.
"Goku? Gohan? This is Officer McArthur. Basically, he's in charge of pardoning people," Johnny explained.
"Sir, my son, Gohan is in here for attempting to murder Videl Satan. But Videl's been kidnapped, and he was here when it happened. This proves that Gohan's innocent! You have to let him out of jail!" Goku practically begged.
"Please, sir?" Gohan asked.
McArthur studied their faces for a moment, not finding a scrap of deception in their eyes. "Alright, you can go," he said, wondering if he would regret his decision.
"Good luck finding Videl, you guys," Johnny said as he unlocked the cell door.
"C'mon, Gohan. Let's get home. I want to show you something. Then we can look for Videl," Goku said. Gohan nodded in agreement before following his father outside. Once safely out of sight, Goku brought them back home.
"GOHAN!" two people shouted. Chi-Chi and Goten both tackled him with hugs, knocking him to the ground. Once Gohan untangled himself, he looked at the small mound of crumpled-up metal Goku showed him.
"It was emitting a ki identical to Videl's. That's why I didn't notice her missing. I'm sorry, Gohan. I should've been more attentive. At one point, there must've been either two or none of Videl's energy signal," Goku said sadly.
"It's not your fault, Dad. But I do want to find Videl. But I don't really know how we'd be able to that," Gohan said.
"Gohan," Chi-Chi said, "When Bulma, Videl, and I were in Otherworld, before Kid Buu blew up Earth, we were trying to find you, because we thought that you had died, but Videl refused to believe it. She was sure you were live, and very far away. Maybe this...bond...can help you find her."
"I...I'll try," Gohan said, closing his eyes. "I can feel her," he said, "But I don't know where she is. I can't figure out the distance, or a direction. She's just, kinda, there. At least we know she's alive."
"It was a good try, Gohan. Now, come and eat some breakfast. You look like you haven't eaten a good meal in weeks...Which you haven't, I guess," Goku observed.
"No thanks. I'm not really hungry," Gohan replied. The other three Sons stared at him in shock as he went to his room. Gohan wasn't hungry? Bizarre.
^^^^^
Gohan flopped onto his bed, looking around at Videl's clothing and other stuff strewn carelessly on the floor, mixing in with Gohan's mess.
::She's just as messy as me,:: Gohan thought with a feeble smile. He rolled over, taking in the scent that was purely Videl. ::I've gotta find her,:: he thought.
^A few days later^
"Dad, I think I might be able to find Videl. I have a pretty good idea of where she is now," Gohan stated.
"Okay. We'll look for her after breakfast," Goku replied, swallowing a mouthful of pancake.
"Gohan, eat!" Chi-Chi demanded, watching Gohan slide his human-size serving of pancakes around his plate.
"I'm not hungry," Gohan insisted.
"Gohan, we're going to get Videl back. But if you don't eat, you won't be around when we find her!" Goku rationalized.
Gohan grumbled something, and ate about half of his meal.
"There, I ate. Can we go now?" he asked.
"I guess," Goku replied, worried about his son's appetite.
A few minutes later, the Son men were in the air, Gohan trying to determine where Videl was.
::Gohan's energy is too low. He hasn't been eating well for a long time. He may not realize, but it's really hurting him...I know he misses Videl...I may not be able to snap him out of this,:: Goku thought.
They flew for a while, slowly, so Gohan could keep his concentration on his bond with Videl. Goku's concern grew as beads of sweat poured down Gohan's face.
"Gohan, you need to take a break?" he asked. Gohan said no.
::He's really tired...But he won't stop trying to find Videl until he succeeds, or can't take another step...:: Goku realized. He sighed, looking over at his son. But Gohan wasn't there anymore. He glanced down, seeing Gohan hurtling towards the ground.
^^^^^
"No, Gohan!" Videl screamed, sitting up, cold sweat on her face.
"Shut up, girl," Schmitty shouted. Videl shut her mouth, not wanting to anger her captors.
::Something happened to Gohan. I can't...feel him anymore,:: Videl thought. She lay down on the old cot that Van Zant and Schmitty had given her to sleep on. She looked at the steel band attached to her wrist and thought, ::I wish I could get this thing off. Then they'd be able to find me.:: Staring up at the ceiling of the old warehouse, she thought, ::Please be alright, Gohan.::
^Son residence^
Gohan slowly sat up, trying to shake the dizziness from his head.
"I'm gonna keep you safe, Videl. I swear it."
"Huh? Who said that?" Gohan said, scanning the area for any people.
"I'm gonna keep you safe, Videl. I swear it."
::There it is again. Hey, that sounds like me!:: Gohan realized. He heard those same words over and over again, wondering why it sounded familiar.
::Wait...when Videl came over that night. I said that to her,:: he thought.
"'PMPV?' Videl asked. Protect My Precious Videl."
"You didn't protect me, did you Gohan?"
"Videl?" Gohan shouted, hearing his girlfriend's voice, not taking in the words.
"Gohan, you let them take me. You were supposed to protect me," came Videl's eerie voice.
"Huh? Videl, I was in jail! I couldn't help, you know that!" Gohan exclaimed, still looking around for her.
"You couldn't even protect ME, and you call yourself one of the world's saviors."
Videl's words were like a knife to his heart, the handle twisting with every word.
::She's right. I'm worthless. I couldn't protect her from two normal humans, and I'll never be able to find her,:: he thought. He fell to his knees, slamming his fists down onto the ground. Opening his clenched-shut eyes, he saw a shadow in front of him. Looking up, he saw Videl, a look of pure fury on her face.
"You don't deserve to live," she growled.
"I know. I'm sorry, Videl," Gohan replied quietly.
Videl pulled him to his feet by his shirt collar, punching him hard in the face. Gohan flinched, feeling warm blood trickle down his chin.
Videl picked up a rock from the ground, and said, "Goodbye, Gohan," before bringing the rock down on his head. He felt immense pain for a moment, then blacked out.
Then, he sat up, in his own bed. He felt his lip. No blood.
"A nightmare. Just a nightmare," he whispered.
::But Videl was right. I am worthless. I can't protect her,:: he thought. He got up onto shaky feet, leaning on anything he could for support on the way out of his room.
"Why am I so exhausted?" he wondered aloud.
"Because you won't eat anything, according to your mother." Startled, Gohan looked up to see Bulma sitting at the kitchen table.
"Hey Bulma. What are you doing here?" he asked, flopping down into a chair.
"Well, I found an extra dragon radar. Thing is, it will only locate your 4-star ball. I can't remember if I did that on purpose to help you guys find it after we use them, or if it's a programming error," Bulma explained, holding it up and pressing the button on the top. A single, blinking dot appeared on the screen, but it was nowhere near the triangle in the center, which indicated their location.
"Why's it way over there?" Goku asked. Gohan hobbled back to his room, opening the wooden box on top of his dresser. Where the ball should have been, there was a note. He took it out an read:
Gohan,
If you're reading this, something probably happened to me. I've been carrying the Dragonball with me since the day you got arrested. I had a feeling something bad was gonna happen. You can use this to find me.
Love,
Videl
A grin formed on Gohan's face as he thought, ::Videl, you are a genius. But of course, you're getting yourself out of this mess. I've done nothing to help.::
He made his way back to the kitchen, showing Bulma and the others the note.
"So we can use the radar to find Videl!" Goku observed.
"Yeah! So, can we go? Please?" Gohan asked.
"Not before you eat and get some food and rest," Chi-Chi stated.
"But Mom-"
"No buts! You collapsed when you were looking for her with Goku. You're going to be 100% better before I even consider letting you look for Videl," Chi-Chi stated.
Gohan grumbled something he was thankful his mother didn't hear, and thought, ::Not sure when, but I'm coming, Videl.::
In the next chapter of Threats: "You're gonna pay for hurting Videl!"
