A/N: Dear lord I took awhile getting this up didn't I? Well, college finally slammed into me, and three writing intensive classes really put a hurt on my schedule. So yeah, thanks for putting up with the wait. Once water polo ends, I'll have a whole lot more time to write, so hopefully updates will come more frequently. Anyways, thanks go out to all the people who reviewed me. Kane, the funny thing is, I did put thoughts into italics, but ff.net doesn't like italics in *.doc form. Both chapters 2 & 3 have been converted to *.html form to preserve italics.
Massive thanks go out to ShaggyDiz, who is a pre-reading machine, not only for proof reading my fic, but also my english paper. You're awesome man! I'd like to give a nod to Mandy Killmon, a long time friend of mine. I borrowed my metaphor of the city from one of her Swat Kats fics. Anyways, all that being said, it's time for the fic. Love it, hate it, but please review it. Thanks in advance.
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It was Saturday, a day after Gohan's registration for classes. It was currently the early evening and Gohan was just waking up from a very long nap that had occupied most of the day. He couldn't really sleep the night before, as the voice's words echoed through his head. "They will try to kill her." He would shudder every time he thought about it. The voice was real, and it was certain that something was coming. There was no denying it any longer. Gohan left the house at two o'clock in the morning and headed towards a peaceful place to meditate and train. He trained for hours, despite his body's need for sleep. He finally came in around ten o'clock in the morning, bloody, dirty, and absolutely exhausted.
He tried to go straight to bed, but Chi-Chi intervened. She dragged him to the bathhouse and made him clean up beforehand. He agreed and washed all the dirt, sweat, and blood off of his sore body. He even took the time to clean his hair. Once done, he exited and made a bee line to his bed and fell asleep. He only awoke eight hours later to a painfully empty stomach. His thoughtful mom had predicted this, and had prepared a meal large enough for three hungry Saiyans, counting on Gohan to eat a fair deal more than his normal share.
After eating, Gohan was resting in the family room, reading one a novel, when the phone rang. He lazily picked it up and placed the speaker to his ear and spoke into the receiver, "Son residence, this is Gohan."
"Hi Gohan, this is Doug Troutvik, I was calling about psychokinetics class, as well as school in general," replied the older man's voice.
"Well, what about it?" Gohan asked.
"You want to keep your powers a secret, right? Well it isn't gonna do you any good if you tell people that your commuting from the 439 mountain area everyday," the teacher replied.
"So, I'll tell them I'm living in town. Problem solved," the hybrid simply stated.
"First, I'm told you suck at lying. Second, I don't tolerate lying in my class. If someone asks you something about your past you don't want to share, you say 'That's personal', not make up a lie. That would get you caught up in a huge web of lies that will only hamper the class's productivity. Instead I'm offering you a place to live in the city. You can stay at my apartment. I'll be taking you on because you truly are qualified enough for me to board you. Then you can also be close to the other kids in class, and not have to worry about your secret being let out until you are ready," Mr. Troutvik explained.
"Wait! You mean you want me to move out and live with you while I go to school?" Gohan asked incredulously. "Pardon my saying so, but you must be off your rocker! My mom would flip if she heard your idea!"
"What idea?" Chi-Chi asked as she walked into the room.
"One second mom." He redirected his attention back to the phone. "If you want to sell the idea, you've got to sell it to her!"
"Give her the phone," Doug Troutvik replied. Gohan gave the phone over to Chi-Chi.
"This is Chi-Chi speaking," she said in a formal tone.
"Hello Mrs. Son, I'm Doug Troutvik. I work with Bulma Briefs and am one of your son's teachers. I understand that your son doesn't want to be singled out because of his powers, correct?" the teacher asked.
"Yes that's right," Chi-Chi replied casually.
"Well I was thinking about it, and commuting several hundred miles everyday could be construed as suspicious, wouldn't you think?"
"I guess it would. I take it you have an idea to remedy that?"
"Yes. Gohan would be allowed to board with me. Is that alright with you?"
"I don't know. I mean, while I did want my boy to go off to school, I didn't want him to leave home completely," she said a little nervously.
"I understand your concern Chi-Chi, but I've seen for myself the fact that he would be able to come home anytime he wanted. He knows how to handle his psychokinetic powers to a level that allows him to teleport himself. If you wanted, he could be home everyday in time for dinner, so long as he doesn't have company over."
"Well, that does sound a bit more reasonable. You will take care of him right? I mean, he's pretty new to the whole idea of living in public," Chi-Chi replied a little more confidently.
"Ma'am, I'm sure he'll be fine, and if you want, I'll keep an eye out for him,"
"Alright. Are you sure that this is absolutely necessary?"
"Your son's chief concern when he entered this class was that he didn't want to reveal himself to the class until he was absolutely sure they could be trusted. I'm just making sure that his secret is safe until that time comes," he replied.
Chi-Chi paused for a second, then turned to Gohan. "Gohan, how do you feel about moving in with your teacher?"
Gohan thought for a bit, mulling over the pros and cons of this decision. He decided to himself that this class, as well as his identity was important enough to him to keep up this façade. "If it's alright with you mom, I'd like to do it," he replied.
Chi-Chi turned back to the phone and asked, "When should he move in?"
"Move his stuff here right now, I imagine he can bring it here via teleportation. He'll need to move in by Monday though, because that's when we start meeting. I live at 657 Arena Ave. Either look up the directions or search for my psychokinetic energy. It's about 10 times as big as anybody in the city. Just be careful you don't accidentally lock on to Videl Satan's energy, because she has a bit more than most as well," the teacher replied.
"Alright, he'll be over shortly. It was good talking to you Mr. Troutvik."
"As it was with you Mrs. Son, goodbye," he replied as he hung up the phone.
Chi-Chi placed the phone back on the jack and turned to her son. "Gohan, go get all your things situated and take them over to Mr. Troutvik's apartment. Then come straight home. I was thinking that maybe we could do something as a family tonight. Perhaps play a board game together," Chi-Chi said.
Gohan nodded and replied, "Sure thing mom, I'll be right back." Gohan exited to his room, gathered his stuff together, and left.
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Two days had passed since they Mr. Troutvik had invited Gohan to live with him. Gohan had successfully moved into his apartment. The weekend was great, but he could tell that his leaving home saddened his mom. He reminded her that he would come home often, but that didn't help her much. When it came time to leave, it was a truly sad occasion. Chi-Chi teared up a bit and Goten clung to his older brother's leg. After he said his goodbyes, he teleported himself to his new home. It felt weird to think about that. He'd never lived anywhere else than that home his grandfather built so many years ago. He was lying on the bed in his new room when Mr. Troutvik walked in.
"Get up Gohan, it's time for our first meeting," Mr. Troutvik (or Doug as Gohan was instructed to call him in private) said.
"Sure thing Mr. errr...Doug," Gohan said as he jumped up off the bed. The older man turned and began to walk towards the exit, with the teen following him. The drive was uneventful, and quiet. It was ten to six when they got to the school.
They quickly made for the specially modified room, specifically used for this class. The windows were mirrored so you couldn't see in and the door was sealed so no noise could escape. There was a device used to read swipe cards that would unlock a door. "How did you get the school to dedicate a room for this class, and allow you to modify so much?" Gohan asked.
"Bulma pushed a couple hundred grand their way. They really couldn't say no," Doug replied. Doug used his keycard to open the door. He propped the door open and sat down behind the desk at the head of the class, and pulled some papers out of the drawer. "Go ahead Gohan, take a seat." Gohan did as he was instructed and waited patiently. After three minutes people began to come. First was a guy who was a little less than six feet tall. He had long curly blonde hair and a goatee on his chin. Next was a petite oriental girl, about five feet in height, with flowing black hair. A few minutes later Videl walked into the room, followed by Mike, the guy Gohan rescued from the bullies. At six o'clock, Mr. Troutvik began to talk.
"Welcome to our first meeting as a class. As you all know I will be teaching you about the Biochemistry and Physics of Psychokinetics. It seems that we have one member running a bit late, but I'll start without him."
Loud fast paced footfalls are heard coming down the hall and towards the room. Everyone turned towards the door, seeing a large guy stomp into the room. Gohan recognized him from yesterday as the guy he accidentally ran into in one of the hallways. His hair was wet and his clothes were damp. "Sorry about that sir, I just got out of football practice and wanted to get cleaned up fore I came to this meeting."
"It's alright Jake. Please take a seat," Mr. Troutvik replied. Jake sat down in a chair next to the blond haired kid.
"As I was saying, I'm going to teach you all about the science and history behind the practice of psychokinesis. And as much as I'm sure you're all wondering what exactly I mean by that, I'm afraid you'll just have to wait. These two meeting sessions are mainly for getting to know each other very well. You will most likely become very close to each other, as you will need to study together. I'm sure several of you have barely ever studied in your life, being smart enough to get by. That is all about to change. You are the brightest students there are. Yet you still are young, and some of your math and science skills, no matter how much further ahead than your peers, are still deficient when it comes to the level we will be talking at. I will teach you these skills, and then I will expect you to know them." He paused for a second to let all this information to soak in.
"I will also expect you to perform multiple labs, and eventually, a project relating to what we'll learn. You will be working with partners. I've already paired you up with your lab partners for the year. I intend that you will be able to get along. The partners will be Mike and Jake, Gohan and Videl, Stephanie and Andrew. Tonight will be primarily spent on getting to know your partners. I only have a few more clerical things to get out of the way, but I made sure you cleared up enough time to spend some time with you lab partners. Get to know them, as you will most likely be working with them for a very long time."
Mr. Troutvik picked up six packets of information and handed them out to each student. "This is the information for the upcoming weekend. We will be going out into a very isolated part of this region, and there I am going to show you everything that this class is about. That way, we can maintain the secrecy involved with such cutting edge technology as well as get some fresh air. All that being said, you are dismissed. Remember to come back Wednesday with the ability to tell the rest of the class about your partner."
The students paired up with their partners and began to chat amongst themselves about where to go to hang out. Gohan moved up beside Videl and gave her a smile. "Good to see you made it in this class."
Videl looked up at him and nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm pretty happy. I was rather surprised I edged out some of the competition. So, it looks like we're partners for this year. In case I never fully introduced myself, I'm Videl Satan." She offered her hand to him as he was walking.
"I'm Gohan Son," he replied as he grasped his hand. A wave of déjà vu rushed over the two. The words the voice spoke flooded Gohan's mind. The saiyan stiffened a bit, though he was fortunate that Videl didn't pay any mind to it.
"So where do you want to hang out?"
"I don't know… I'm pretty new to this town. Where would you suggest?"
"We could head back to my place. I need to work in some workout time any ways."
"That sounds good, could I get a ride with you?"
"Sure, hope you don't get air sick. I use a jet copter."
Gohan chuckled a bit at the thought of him getting airsick. "No, I've never gotten air sick in my life. Lead the way."
Videl nodded and lead him out of the building. Once outside, she threw a capsule to that exploded into a jet copter. Gohan hopped into the passenger seat and Videl took her place behind the stick. The trip to her manor was quiet. Gohan was busy being in awe of the beautiful overhead view of the city at night. Videl, meanwhile, was busy with her own thoughts. "His name is Gohan, eh? So, he's a brainiac and gutsy. If he's new to the city, then I wonder where he's staying, where he's from. I wonder if he's got any clue what this class is about. Psychokinesis: mind movement. It's gotta be about the mechanics of the brain. I wonder if the scientists over at CC have finally figured out how the brain works. Maybe..." her thoughts were interrupted by Gohan's one personal musings.
"It's really beautiful isn't it?" he asked with wonder in his voice.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"The city. At night, everything's lit up. It's like a place you would hear about in fantasy stories, with magical lights emanating off of a tower. It's so beautiful. Like a beautiful princess dressed in the finest robes."
"Hmph. No, not a princess, that city's more like a whore. Sure it looks beautiful on the outside, but once you get into its depths, it reveals its true colors. It'll take everything you have away from you if you aren't careful Gohan. I should know, it-" she cut herself off abruptly.
"It what Videl?"
"I'm sorry Gohan, but that's a pretty personal matter I don't like to discuss."
"I understand Videl. I understand." Gohan's voice was filled with pain as he thought of the many subjects he'd rather not discuss.
Videl glanced at him with a bit of curiosity, but quickly returned her gaze to the skies ahead of her. Her manor was quickly approaching, and in a few seconds they were landing on the ground. Gohan looked with interest at the size of the building.
"That's a pretty nice place you got."
"Yeah, my father's testament to his glory. Fair warning, prepared to get bombarded by my father's narcissism once we enter the house."
Gohan smiled as he thought of a certain warrior prince. "No big deal. I've had to deal with narcissists on multiple occasions in my life. I've learned to take everything in stride."
"Good philosophy. If we're lucky, we'll get to the training room without any incident with my father. Otherwise, be prepared for the third degree."
Gohan gulped at the idea of getting grilled. "Well, hopefully we can avoid that."
Videl nodded as the jet copter set down. She hopped out and scanned the area. "Shit, father's in the dining room." She quietly whispered to Gohan, "Stay low and follow me."
He nodded, and followed her as she made her way to a side entrance. Once they got inside Videl motioned to him to follow her. Soon they found themselves in a training area.
"Was that really necessary?"
"Yes, my father's pretty funny about guys and me. Part of it's comforting and sweet, but it's also annoying as hell."
"So, where do you think we should begin?" Gohan asked.
"One second, I need to get changed into some workout clothes." Videl replied as she left. Gohan nodded and lied down on one of the padded benches in the room. He took note of the rooms contents. It had some free weights as well as some machines. It also had some sandbags raised up to use as a punching and kicking bag. After a few minutes, Videl came out wearing some tight shorts and a tank top. As a small hint of red showed up on Gohan's cheeks, he mentally noted that she was a very attractive girl, at least in his personal opinion. "So where were are you from?"
Videl began to kick away at the bag at a nice quick tempo. "Orange Star City, born and raised. That is, 'til they changed the name to Satan city. What about you?"
"Always been from good old rural Mountain Area 439. My grandfather built a nice little house that we still live in."
"If you've lived out in the boondocks all your life, how'd you get enough education to get into this class?"
"My mom was pretty set on me getting an exemplary education, but she sorta went overboard. I've taken algebra-based physics, college level calculus, and I've dabbled a bit in calculus-based physics. I also am a pretty quick learner, and being home schooled, I could go at my own pace, which is faster than a public school will allow you to go at."
Videl gave a nod as she increased her tempo. "I understand that. I've never felt truly pressed in any of my classes. Well, my math and science classes at least. Just don't ask me to tell you the implications of homosexuality in Blake's poetry. Never been a huge English person. By the way, where are you staying in the city?"
"I'm staying with Mr. Troutvik as a boarding student." He paused a moment, starring at the way she attacked the bag. "You know, you should probably kick at varying heights. If you get so used to kicking in one spot, it'll get ingrained in your subconscious, thus making you more predictable in a fight."
Videl threw him a glare. "What makes you such an expert at fighting?"
Gohan threw his hands in the air in hopes of calming her. "I've studied martial arts for awhile, so I know a thing or two about it."
"Hmph. Listen Gohan, I know you think you know something about fighting, but I've been fighting extensively for a long time. I can take on armed criminals with nothing but my martial arts prowess."
Gohan let out a smirk. "And you were calling your father a narcissist?"
Videl's eyes widened with fury for a few seconds. Then she calmed down, and gave a smirk of her own. "Your right. Talk is cheap. Let's go, right now. The changing rooms are through that door and to the left." She said as she pointed to a door.
Gohan looked a little panicked. "But..."
"No 'buts', Gohan. Time to put your money where your mouth is. You should find one of my father's old training uniforms in there. He was about your size once. Now get." She pulled him up off of the bench and tossed him into the changing room. He looked around and found a cabinet marked "The Champ's Gi's". He opened the cabinet and found a gi that more or less fit him. He quickly changed and followed the signs towards the sparring area. As he opened the door he found himself at the foot of an arena that seemed all too familiar to the Cell Games arena. As bitter memories threatened to attack his memory, he put them down. He had forgiven himself long ago for the sins of that day. He stepped up to the arena with confidence. He pushed his ki down, to the point where he was primarily using his muscular energy to attack. Videl was waiting on the stage with a smirk on her face.
"I take it there's no way for me to get out of this besides fighting?"
"Heck no! You're going down Gohan! I'm gonna make you eat your words!"
"Alright. Best of three?"
"Sure, you can be defeated by ring out, pin, or knock out."
"Gotcha, let's begin." Gohan adopted his preferred combat stance, while Videl took hers. "She's very offensive…she wants to pound her opponent into submission quickly. Her stance is defensive in the front, but all other sides are exposed."
Videl rushed forward at a quick pace. Gohan readied himself for her attack. "She'll strike hard with her right, and try to knock me to the ground with a quick left. She must take me for an amateur."
As she was about to reach Gohan she sped up much faster than him and leapt into a low flying kick, which connected to his ribs. As he stumbled backward from the blow she landed on her left foot and dove into him knocking him to the ground. She punched once stopping less than an inch from his face.
"You like some fries with those words?" Videl asked sweetly
"Two out of three, remember?"
"You want me to beat you again? You never mentioned being a masochist."
"You never mentioned how cocky you get after one victory either. Don't worry, I kinda assumed it."
"Why you! That's it, you're going down." She flipped up off of him and back into her fighting stance. Gohan hopped to his feet and lowered into his stance. Videl leapt forward towards him but then drew back, hoping to draw an attack. He didn't take the bait, so she quickly delivered a strong blow towards his gut. As she pulled back for the strike, he lunged forward and grabbed her forearm. He planted his feet to the ground and pulled her arm behind her back. He drew her legs from under her and pressed her to the ground. He pounded his free hand into the ground, mere millimeters from her head, signifying his victory.
"It's all tied up, one each."
"Yeah yeah, get off of me already!" Gohan helped her up to her feet. She gave him an embarrassed look on her face. "Listen, that was a pretty good move. No one's ever pinned me in one move. I'd like to apologize for my arrogant comments. I think we got off on the wrong foot here. I can see now that you are a good fighter, and that you may be a good sparring partner. So I'm saying I'm sorry."
Gohan gave her a wide smile. "I'm sorry for igniting this with my comments. I need to think some more before I speak. I hope we can get on a bit better now."
She nodded a bit. "Thanks, now let's go back to the practice room so we can get talk in a more comfortable environment. And Gohan..."
"Yes?"
"Change back to your normal clothes. Dad's gi looks ridiculous on you."
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Gohan had just hopped off of the jet copter from Videl taking him home. After their fight, they managed to stay on good terms, and have a good talk about lives as a teenager from different environments. There were only a few awkward times when they strayed into topics too personal for either person to talk about, but mostly it was a good time. Videl had to admit to herself with a good deal of frustration that she found Gohan attractive. He was smart, kind, sharp-witted, truthful, and physically attractive. Not that she would reveal this to anyone, including herself. Still, other things bothered her about Gohan. The one that stuck out most was his form. His defense seemed to be most concerned about people who would attack from above.
There was definitely something different about him, and she was bound and determined to find out what.
Next Time on Voices in the Dark: Join the class as they venture far from civilization and learn their first lesson in psychokinetics.