Field Trip To CampHercule
--
Previous chapter…
--
A sign loomed above him; Japanese Food "We serve it the way you like it – Fast!"
"Perfect."
A wide grin on his face, Gohan trotted to a nearby alley-way, quickly changing from his Saiyan outfit to his normal clothing, before running back into the restaurant. Who would've known that a Japanese Buffet would've been so close nearby?
His last thoughts before paying at the register and practically sprinting towards the food were quick; I hope I can finish up before we do anything at Camp!
--
Swim Like a Manta Ray, Bite Like a Shark!
--
"Someone tell me just… just one more time why we have to do this bleepin' thing every year!" Videl, face scrunched up in disgust, stomped out of her room decked out in a bathrobe.
Erasa, following suit as she stepped out from behind Videl, grinned widely. "Videl! This is only one of the funnest parts of this Camp!" Flip-flops squeaking, she walked over to the TV room to plop down on the couch next to Sharpener, who was currently admiring his girlfriend in her brand-spankin'-new orange bikini, decorated with white cute flowery things. Actually, it wasn't really the bikini he was admiring, it was the body that was displayed so well that was clothed in it!
"Yeah, it is. Just lighten up! It can't be that bad, now can it?" Sharpener spoke up, still ogling Erasa's swimsuit.
In a huff, the daughter of the infamous Satan himself took her place on the big comfy chair that was a reasonable distance away from the love-birds. Since Sharpener was obviously preoccupied, she figured he wouldn't mind her changing the channel from Pamela Anderson to the Satan News Daily (also commonly referred to as S.N.D.). Taking up the remote control, she flipped it to S.N.D., giving a small mental sigh of relief when Sharpener paid no attention. Normally he would've put up a huge fuss, and Erasa and Videl would have to unite their efforts to drag him to the ground, therefore pinning him effectively, while the other did the easy part.
"… We interrupt our normally scheduled weather coverage to bring you exclusive news of a robbery which is taking place at the heart of Satan City; at Bank Hercule; Jenny Markins, are you there?"
Erasa glanced up from the TW (Teenaged Women) magazine she had been previously flipping through to look to the TV, while, unsurprisingly, Sharpener remained oblivious to the fact that the TV was even on.
"Yes, Steve! This is Jenny Markins bringing you exclusive coverage, live. Right in front of Champion Park, a robbery is taking place. Several con-men who had escaped from prison just recently have chosen Hercule Bank as their target, and are in the process of putting the bags of citizen's money into their unmarked, white truck, while the city's officers stand by watching from behind their vehicles."
"If the cops are there, why aren't they doing anything about it?" Erasa queried, obviously confused.
"Incapable idiots," Videl muttered under her breath. She wasn't exactly in the mood to go save the stupid money, no sir. Then again, perhaps beating the men senseless would cheer her up.
"Our officers are rendered helpless against these thugs, due to the fact that the criminals have taken an eight-year old hostage, who has been identified as Brianna Brown. If the police officers unleash their fire upon the criminals, they may retaliate with a volley of bullets of their own, that would be sure to not only hurt the hostage, but the innocent by-standers who are watching from a distance."
Sharpener, finally realizing that Pamela Anderson was no longer gracing him with a view of her… Well, you know, blinked several times rapidly, before gasping. "Hey, you changed the channel…"
Erasa, in turn, began to roll up her magazine as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Sharpener! How can you be so insensitive! There is some little adorable girl who's being held hostage and you're upset because that stupid lady is not available for you to gawk at anymore?!" she yelled, before running at her boyfriend while wielding the rolled-up TW.
Shrieking in a very girlish-like manner, Sharpener ran from the room as Erasa followed suit, leaving only Videl and the TV remaining.
Rolling her eyes, the raven-haired girl looked back to the television set, and was promptly exposed to something she'd never expected on hearing.
"What? What's this? It looks like our heroic partner of Videlr, the Great Saiyaman, has appeared on the scene!"
Gohan happily pranced out of the Japanese Buffet, licking the tips of his fingers before glancing back at the restaurant.
"I hope I gave them a big enough tip. I mean, even if they ran out of food, it was still good…" he trailed off as he shrugged, heading back down the alley-way to the street. He guessed that from there, he'd have a clear view and be able to take flight without crashing through anymore windows.
Whistling, he strolled out onto the side-walk; right as a bullet whizzed past his head. Pausing, he blinked once, then turned his head to where it came from.
"Hey, you!" A man, decked out entirely in black, waved a machine-gun in the air. "Get your ass back, kid! You hearin' me?" Laughing all the while, the man now fired another shot in his general direction.
Gohan now saw that he was standing relatively close to Hercule Bank. In front of him were rows upon rows of police cars, all with officers hiding behind them. To his right was even more cop cars, basically enclosing the area in a tight circle. And, to his left, was the thug and h is troope of men, along with a small girl… Hey, wait. A small girl?!
Quirking an eyebrow, the teen looked down at his clothing, checking once more that he was fully clothed in his Saiyaman outfit. That security check done, he glanced back at the thug, who was once more waving his weapon.
"Hey, kid! Didn't you hear me? I said move, move, move! Aw, heck… Never ask a kid to do a man's job." That said, he gripped the gun with both hands and began to fire a volley of bullets towards Gohan.
Mumbling irritably under his breath, Saiyaman rolled his eyes. "These guys never learn," before stancing. He couldn't let any bullets go by unless he wanted to risk one of the cop's behind him getting hit.
"Hey, you! You're going to get hit by the bullets, move now!" an officer yelled behind him. "Come on, you may be good, but you're not invincible to… Sweet Kami."
The voices fell silent as Saiyaman's hand snapped out to grab each one of the bullets, taking up each before letting it drop to the ground. After the five bullets had all clattered to the pavement, still smoking, Gohan crossed his arms before his chest in a very Vegeta-like manner as his eyes flared an aqua-marine once. Looking back to the officers behind him, he smirked.
"You were saying?"
"Saiyaman, just recently declared to be Videl's partner in fighting crime, has just walked onto the scene. And… Oh, no! Ladies and gentlemen, the men are firing upon one of our city's fighters. From the looks of it, he's going to get hit unless he can, somehow, dodge bullets that are fired from close-range!"
Videl grumbled under her breath. Declared? By who? By some rumor-spreading jerk, she assumed. After all, she had said no such thing, and she seriously doubted that Saiyaman had the nerve to even suggest it. Then again, he did get kinda weird sometimes. Hardly ever, though.
As the news was being relayed, the screams of Sharpener and triumphant yells of Erasa could be heard from outside, along with several fwaps and smacks of the rolled-up magazine.
"Amazingly, the superhero has survived the attack, and managed to somehow stop each of the bullets that could've hit him or the officers behind him, without even getting hurt!"
Of course he stopped the bullets. He was superman, wasn't he? Man of Steel, certainly. This Satan City Superboy was beginning to get on her nerves.
Stupid annoying, grr… Guy! I don't know what else to call him! She screamed to herself, unconsciously ripping the bathrobe's string-thingy that kept it closed apart.
"Damn Saiyaman!"
Okay, first task done. The one that showed he was capable to go against armed men, at least. His second plan was to now save the girl, which shouldn't be of too much trouble, then kick some butt. And the second plan was going to move into action any second now, just any second…
Launching forward into the air, Gohan neatly executed a perfect spin, then dove straight towards the man who was holding the girl. The criminal gasped, firing several shots up at the dive-bombing hero; when the teenaged-version of superman vanished. Taken aback, the man glanced to and fro, when he paused; someone was tapping him on the shoulder.
Turning, he was met to the face with a vicious punch, enough to put him out of commission for the time-being. He immediately toppled over, dropping the squeaking child, who was taken up by Gohan in turn.
Saiyaman hoisted the girl up, so that he was holding her comfortably against his chest. The girl blinked, then squealed happily, reaching forward with tiny arms to hug Gohan around the neck. Blushing slightly, the hero easily moved out of the line of fire (the thugs were shooting at his back, which explained the little plinks and ding sounds as the bullets bounced off his back) to where he assumed her mother was standing. After all, the woman was bawling her eyes out, and nearly tackled Gohan once he was far enough from the crime scene.
The mother commenced to thank him repeatedly, while Gohan nodded politely to each (his head was starting to get a bit tired after the hundredth thank-you) and while the girl, Brianna, waved her arms about in the air, happily babbling.
After Brianna Brown had been returned to her mother, Gohan was left to deposit of the criminals. His timing was terrible, however; as soon as he walked back to where the shoot-out was taking place, he conveniently found himself directly in the middle of an explosion. Blinking as asphalt shot up around his body, he watched with partial interest as a piece of a car whizzed past his line of sight, while another had the courtesy to neatly thwack him upside the head. Muttering obscenities while rubbing the slightly sore spot, he decided to walk out of the haze that remained after the bursts of little exploded thingies stopped their assault.
Flicking a piece of half-melted steel away from his shoulder, along with a bumper that had implanted itself on his back, he made his way over to the partially stunned crew of cops. "So, did you get the--" he started, when the distant sound of tires screeching over asphalt reached his ears. He blinked onyx-colored eyes, and turned his head--just in time to see the van of the bank robbers crash through several cars, slam on the breaks, then turn sharply to speed towards the highway.
"Uhhh." Gohan stared blankly at the street where the crooks had turned onto, head slightly tilted to the side. He wasn't exactly expecting that, nope, not at all… With a defeated sigh, he trudged sadly after the car.
Finding that van could take awhile. After all, he had been silly enough to forget to check the men's ki signatures, and also had not taken note of the license plate of the car. Then again, getting the license wasn't really his job now, was it?
Oh well. I guess I have a nice, long chase to look forward to.
Videl glowered at the TV, now completely uncaring of the fact that her bathrobe was left in tatters. Her excuse was that when a Satan was angry, no one should get in their way; not even a piece of clothing.
Yes, that was great. It was wonderful. Saiyaman saved some child, and for that she was grateful. But what she didn't appreciate was that he was being called Videl's partner every five seconds by the reporter who was announcing the news on the screen.
In the background, there was a sudden burst of materials and a loud bang, followed soon by a screeching of tires on pavement. The reporter gave a gasp and ducked to the ground, right as a shard of metal sailed over her head. A bit unnerved, but still managing to maintain an air of control, she straightened while dusting off her clothing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that these crooks have no intention of coming in easily! One of them detonated a small bomb, just enough to cause a haze in the clearing and force our law enforcement back! They have escaped in the van, and--Wait, what's this?"
She paused, glancing over her shoulder as someone spoke in quick whispers to her, before returning her attention to the camera.
"It seems that Saiyaman will be pursuing these bank robbers in their van that's heading for the freeway right this moment! If you are currently driving on one of our city's freeways, please take the nearest exit and return home until these criminals are contained."
Well, at least the idiots had remembered to warn the listeners about a possible danger, Videl thought with a snort.
"Also, please report to us if you see a van, white in color, with very little markings! Here's another note about this vehicle; it has a bumper sticker of Satan Videl on the back. But this is no ordinary sticker. Instead of promoting our city's protector, it has a large, red X running through the picture! Now, about the damages done during this robbery--"
Videl clicked off the TV with the remote, eyes nearly blazing with fire. Okay, it was bad enough that those boys had enough nerve to rob a bank with her around, but to insult her as well? That was the last straw. With a huff, she tore the bathrobe from her body, then yanked on a pair of loose denim jeans over sneakers. Screw the fact that she only had on a bikini top and jeans. If anyone had the nerve to stare, she'd deal with them after putting the con-men in their place. Sprinting from the Cabin, she leapt to the side to avoid colliding with Sharpener and Erasa.
"Hey Videl, that swimsuit's cute! Are you going to--Um, Videl… Videl, the lake's the other… way…?" Erasa blinked as her friend bolted past her.
Sharpener rubbed the back of his head where a bruise was forming, looking after the raven-haired girl with a confused mutter. "Where's she going?" he looked to Erasa, only to be smacked upside the head with the magazine again. "Ouch!"
"Okay, white van… White van… Is that it? No, that's a white and blue van…" Gohan mumbled to himself as he soared over the freeway, briefly hovering in one place to check each of the vehicles below before moving on.
The job of hunting down the crooks was a lot harder than he'd expected. It was bad enough that there were plenty of white vans around there, but what really messed him up was that there was so many places where they could be!
Oh, wait! There it was! He was sure of it. As he swooped towards the van, he suddenly screeched to a halt before turning around dejectedly. Well, it was a white van, and it was a plain white just like the description had said, but it was definitely not the same one. It didn't have the giveaway bumper sticker of Videl, and it certainly did not have any criminals within its plating.
With a deep sigh, he floated aimlessly about the freeway, watching with sharp eyes as each car passed by. Surely, one of them would have to be the one that held the people he was looking for. It would come along any second now, just any second.
It was then that a brief flash of red caught his eye; a tiny one, not that of a car but rather of a… sticker. He blinked once, then ducked into the volley of car's to slowly hover up behind it, to avoid a possible sighting in the van's rear-view mirror.
That was it! The Satan Videl sticker was right before his nose, along with the red X that gave the vehicle away. He grinned a little in his moment of triumph, before floating upwards once more. He figured that he'd lift the van out of the traffic, then drop it off somewhere near a police station for an easy capture.
Just as he was about to go on with the task, there was a loud roar above his head, enough to cause him to swerve to the side to avoid a possible collusion.
What in the world…?
Videl! Wasn't she supposed to be at Camp Hercule, doing whatever activity Rob had cooked up? His eyes widened, still with a glint of aqua hidden beneath the wells of onyx black.
Videl tapped the auto-pilot button on the chopper, eyes narrowing as she leaned out the side of the helicopter. It wouldn't be too hard to get on the van's roof, she'd done it before. Besides, this time she wouldn't have to gauge her jump; she'd remembered to bring a portable ladder along.
Shoving it out of the cockpit, she watched as it unrolled all the way down to nearly tap the roof's surface. Nodding her head once in self-satisfaction, she hopped easily out of the helicopter, free-falling for several breath-taking moments before grabbing hold of a ladder's rung before her. Only a few steps away until she'd be on the van--and there, it was done. Crouching as she nudged the ladder away, her bare hands gripped the top of the white van's surface. Now, how would she get the guys out of the vehicle?
Gohan gaped as Videl fell from her jet, and nearly dashed forward to save her from what he thought was to be a painful landing, when she suddenly grasped the ladder before her. Mentally sighing in relief, he shook his head. What in the world was she thinking, risking something like that? He floated forward slightly, cautiously, to get closer. She looked different now, that was for sure.
Suddenly he was in clear sight of her form, and he was taken aback immediately, breathing in a gasp of surprise. What was she wearing?! Not that he had any complaints, that was for sure. He had no idea that she could look so… nice. But why was she wearing a bikini top with loose jeans? That was nearly the exact opposite of her usual baggy shirt with biker shorts.
It was then that he shook himself out of his trance, realizing that Videl was already on the top of the van's roof. He was going to go into action. After all, she did need his help, didn't she?
Jetting forward with a sudden burst of speed, he skidded through the air to stop gracefully before the van, stepping forward to move onto its surface. Videl didn't even notice him, since his movement was so quiet. He figured it'd only be fair if she knew, so he tapped her gently on the shoulder.
"Ack!" Videl shrieked as she spun with both eyes wide, nearly toppling off the car's surface. Gohan placed one hand on her shoulder, the other curling around her waist to steady her as he frowned a bit apologetically.
"Sorry," he whispered guiltily, shoulders hunching up in a submissive manner.
Videl drew in a deep breath of air to calm herself, then scowled. She had no time to lecture the boy for nearly scaring the crap out of her. What mattered was that they were in crowded traffic on top of a van that held convicted con-men.
She mumbled "Forget about it," returning to her original stance. Since he was already there, he might as well help. After all, what could go wrong?
She motioned with a hand to the left, then pointed to herself and the right. Gohan nodded, understanding; he was to go in through the left window, taking out whoever may be in the passenger's seat, while she was going for the driver.
Videl nodded in turn before glancing over the edge of the vehicle to the man beneath. Smiling wickedly, she raised a hand and counted off in silence; Three, two, one. In a sudden burst of movement, both teenagers swung themselves off the side of the van and into the windows, a yell of surprise and obvious pain as the criminals in the front found themselves being kicked repeatedly in the head.
Gohan grabbed both men by the collars and tossed them into the back of the van before leaping after the pair. There was sure to be more in the back, and he figured that he'd better take care of them while Videl drove. After all, he was clueless on driving; he'd never had to before.
Videl grabbed hold of the van's steering wheel with a hand while the other grabbed the gears, shifting instantly as she performed several sharp turns to head for the off-ramp. Tires screeching, she slammed on the brakes once at the side of the road before turning around in her seat to leap after Gohan, fists flying.
There were several grunts and thumps as the beating ensued, followed by silence. Already, police cars had surrounded the white van, guns raised as the officers took their place behind their car doors. They had no idea if the Crime Fighting Duo had been able to handle all five of the criminals alone, in a car running on a freeway…
It was then that the van's back door busted open, several bodies toppling out with a plop to land in a disgruntled heap on the ground. Several groans could be heard from the forms of the criminals, some rubbing bruised heads and already blackening eyes. First Gohan emerged, stepping carefully over each of the bodies with the manners of a gentlemen, then Videl, who leisurely stepped on top of each of the thug's chest with a small happy hop.
Landing next to Saiyaman, she crossed her arms before her chest and flashed a self-satisfied smirk. "So, did anybody miss us?"
It was then that the crowd that had formed burst into cheers, the snapping and flashing of photographer's cameras finishing off the scene.
Gohan groaned, rubbing the side of his head where a small bruise was already forming. Videl had knocked him upside the head when a photographer had asked them to pose together, since they were partners and everything. He had no idea when he had become Videl's partner, and from the looks of it, it wasn't exactly her idea.
Trudging to the alley-way where he had come from behind, he leaned against the brick wall with a sigh. He didn't think she'd ever accept him, or anything like that. He knew she wanted him out of the way, but she needed his help. She couldn't do everything on her own…
"Saiyaman?"
Gohan jerked his head up at the voice. Grinning sheepishly, he scratched the back of his head as a form began to emerge from the shadows. "Hey," he replied, a little curious as to who the speaker was. He did recognize that voice from somewhere.
The demi-Saiyan was surprised to realize that it was Videl who had spoken, and in a tone that was almost out of character; cautious, pretty quiet, and … well, nice.
She clasped her hands behind her back, walking forward with her eyes looking to the ground. Gohan couldn't help but crack a smile. She sure was acting a lot different than normal, and she was still dressed in those clothes that he was beginning to like a lot.
"Umm…" she started, rocking on the heel of her foot, obviously embarrassed about what she was going to say. "Well, I know I've been pretty rough on you."
Gohan nodded, soundlessly urging her on. Whatever she was doing, he was clueless to why. He still had to figure out what she was doing to begin with.
"I mean, I've actually been a jerk if anything. It's just… when you first came around, I saw you as competition. And my dad, he has this thing about," she drew a deep breath, then immediately lowered her voice to mock that of her father's; "No Satan should ever be bested! Don't disgrace the name that I, the Champion, have created!"
That sure explained a lot. Videl had a tendency to freak out in school if she ever got anything close to a bad grade, but she was a lot worse whenever she thought that she didn't fight as well as she was supposed to. He always had wondered about that…
"So… So what I guess I'm trying to say is that… I'm sorry for acting so mean all the time, because I realize now that you're not such a bad guy and I can use the help, regardless of whatever Dad might say. It's not like I can everywhere at once," she finished with a small nod, still staring at the ground.
Gohan blinked, then flashed a very, very big smile. That had definitely just made his day! Unable to stop himself, he took two steps forward and picked Videl up in a hug. "Thanks, Videl!" he grinned, completely forgetting at the moment to drop his voice.
Videl squeaked in surprise as she was lifted off the ground and pulled into a tight hug. Eyes wide, she allowed herself to be held against a very well-built frame (that she just noticed for the first time), and smiled a little on her own. One thing got to her though; wasn't his voice supposed to be lower?
All too quickly, Gohan realized what he was doing and had done, and promptly placed the girl back on a ground, thanking Dende for the helmet that was now concealing his red-tinted blush. Scratching the back of his head in a very Goku-like manner, he took several steps back, laughing nervously.
"Oh, uh, sorry about that," he smiled weakly. "I think I'd better be going, see you later Videl!" With a wave of his head, he turn and bolted into the air.
Videl watched after him for several seconds, hands now resting on her lips while her head tilted to the side. Still smiling, she shook her head and walked to her own mode of transportation. Fortunately she'd remembered to retrieve it after the capture. Hopping into the cockpit, she started the engine, taking to the air.
He's not a bad guy at all.
"Well, this is a bust," Erasa muttered glumly. "Videl's off rescuing some person or something, and Gohan just had the nerve to ditch again! Those two…!" In her frustrations, she smacked the water in front of her, splashing Sharpener in the process.
"Hey!" he whined as he got splashed. "Erasa, it's not all a loss. I mean, look around you; have you ever seen so many babes?" The blonde-haired teen immediately fell silent as he realized that Erasa was glaring daggers at him; "But none of them compare to you, honey!"
Rob, in the meantime, was having fits. He had decked himself out in his fanciest swimsuit, just to look all sexy and handsome and stuff while posing as lifeguard. But what was the point if Videl wasn't around to see?
"My plan! It's all ruined now!" he growled to himself. Well, at least one of the plans was ruined; there were plenty more back ups, but he was ignoring that for the time being.
With a sigh, he began to spend his moments ogling the girls in the lake, occasionally raising his sunglasses to eye a chick more closely.
Meanwhile, back at the Cabin, Gohan had just returned. Zooming into the window he'd left open in his bedroom, he landed with a thunk on top of his bed. Rolling off the mattress, he accidentally slammed into the bed-side table head first, once again smacking the bruise that had already formed on his head. Yelping as he struggled to get his cape off his head, he finally realized there was a much easier way to go about it. Raising his arm, he clicked the red button on his watch, sighing as he his original clothing returned.
He looked around the room before peeking his head out the door, and groaned. Erasa and Sharpener had already left for the swimming he assumed, and he would definitely bed that Sharp thought he had ditched again. Shaking his head while mumbling, he crawled back up onto his bed while grabbing for a book. Since, apparently, he had 'ditched', he might as well make the time worth it.
Within minutes, he was absorbed in the documented 'History of Saiyans', a book written by Bulma with Vegeta supplying the information however unwillingly, when the creak of the door could be heard by his already sensitive hearing.
Pausing, he slowly closed the book and replaced it in his duffel. The swimming couldn't be over already; there was no way that that person was Erasa or Sharpener. Getting to his feet, he crept through the halls towards the door, turned a corner--and found himself face to face with Videl.
Both teens squeaked and jumped back away from each other, Videl taking on an expression of surprised annoyance while Gohan, a look of guilt.
"Sorry about that, Videl," he apologized while rubbing the back of his head.
The girl merely shook her head while sighing, straightening as she walked to her room, closing the door behind her. Gohan stumbled to his own feet, shrugged, then decided to wait in the living room. He figured that she'd be coming out eventually to bug him soon enough.
As he'd guessed, Videl soon reappeared outside her door, jeans and sneakers replaced by a beach towel and flip-flops. Walking to Gohan, she grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him to his feet, shoving him towards his room. "If I'm going to be stuck with swimming, so are you," she notified him, pulling the door shut as he stared at her with wide eyes.
Standing outside his door, foot tapping the wooden floor impatiently as she whistled, she waited for several minutes. Arms folded before her chest, she bobbed her head from side to side as she heaved a sigh, before raising a fist to knock on Gohan's door again.
"Come on, Gohan! All you gotten change into is a swimsuit or something--" It was then that the door pulled open.
Videl eyed Gohan once as he stepped out; he was wearing a loose white tank over a pair of baggy jeans and sneakers. "I swear…" she ran her hand over her head, drawing out of a breath of air as she walked towards the door. "I hope you have your swimsuit under that, otherwise the counselors will get on your case."
Gohan nodded in response to the question-like statement, even though she couldn't see. Inwardly he sighed. So much for hiding the muscles, it sounded like he'd have to bare them for the class.
"Oh, my gosh! She's here!" Erasa squealed as she jumped up and down in the water, clapping her hands excitedly. "Sharpener, look! It's her and Gohan!"
Erasa's boyfriend turned, eyes widening. "Well, I'll be… They actually showed. I thought the suckers were gonna bail on us!"
Videl, with a look that could be described as only grim determination, trudged out of the wooded area towards the beach-like area, ignoring the cheers of all of the single population of males, along with some of those that were already taken. The girls, in turn, cheered for Gohan, though not as enthusiastically since from the looks of it, he wasn't planning on showing up in a swimsuit.
Pulling the beachtowel away from her form, Videl tossed it towards Erasa and Sharpener's items, flip-flops soon following. Biting her bottom lip while looking to the lake, she paused instead of running right in. Turning back, she walked to Gohan and pulled him forward lightly by the front of his shirt.
"Just shed the outer clothes and show the swimsuit. I have to bare it, so it's not like it could be bad for you anything. Besides, even if you don't look your best, the girl's will still love you." Videl said the last part with a slight roll of her eyes--fan girls annoyed the heck out of her.
Gohan eyed her warily in response. It's not that I think I look bad, more like I look too… me! And why are you acting so nice to me? You only apologized to Saiyaman…
Videl was thinking the same, though more to herself than anyone. Stepping away from Gohan, she waited expectantly, hands on hips. Why am I acting so nice to him all of a sudden? I've only apologized to Saiyaman today… Maybe because I still think they're the same person?
With obvious reluctance, Gohan reached for the lower hem of his shirt, pulling it off, jeans and sneakers soon following. A gasp arouse from the class in the pool; the girls had stars and hearts in their eyes, while the guys were nearly growling with apparent envy. How in the hell did the geek get a body like that?
Videl, meanwhile, was staring at Gohan with wide eyes and an open mouth, frozen in place. She'd thought Gohan was worried about looking bad, but now she seriously doubted that was the reason for his attempted avoidance of swimming and, now she could see, tight shirts that would show off any and all muscles. He had never been one to enjoy attracting attention to himself, it seemed, and now she knew why; his muscles were perfect, sculpted, lean--everything that a girl could want, and a guy could have.
"Videl?" Gohan leaned towards Videl, cocking his head to the side as he observed her with a concerned look. "You okay?" He gently reached forward, placing a finger under Videl's chin to close her mouth.
Videl nearly toppled over at the sudden contact, then remembered that no, she was not one of Gohan's fan girls. So, bearing a weak smile, she bobbed her head once in response. "Oh, yeah, I'm just fine," she spoke in a voice she deemed to cheerful afterwards.
Looking at her with obvious suspicion, Gohan nodded slowly. "Right," he agreed subconsciously. Videl sure was acting weird these days!
Motioning to the lake, Gohan nudged Videl forward gently in the back. "Come on, you want to get out of the open don't you?" he grinned teasingly.
Stumbling forward a little bit at the contact, the girl let out a sheepish laugh, and nodded. That said, the pair made their way into the lake, and chaos returned to the beach.
Erasa clambered up to where Gohan and Videl were standing, splashing water all the way as she leapt. "Hey you guys!" She waved again, excitedly. "I didn't know you two would actually show! That's so cool."
Sharpener soon appeared behind his girlfriend, a sly grin on his face. "Of course they'd show. Gohan wouldn't miss out on a chance to see--Umph!" He grunted as both Erasa and Videl elbowed him hard in the stomach. Wincing, he rubbed the sore spot and backed away, hands raised. "Sorry I ever tried to talk," he mumbled grumpily.
Blinking in all his innocence, Gohan shrugged off the brief confusion. The crew then spent several minutes talking about all the idiocy that was Rob, along with who they thought would take the win home for the Baking Contest.
It was then that Rob grabbed up the loudspeaker, voice blaring. "Attention, boys and girls! We are now getting ready for the swimming contest! All who plan to enter, please come to the docks now!"
Masses of teenagers sped past the pair of four, Sharpener soon taking leave to join them. Videl and Erasa eyed Gohan, who just stood there, looking very much confused. He blinked, scratching the side of his head, and looked to each of the girls. "What?"
Erasa rolled her eyes. "Gohan, aren't you going to enter? It's like a tradition for all the guys in the school to enter and see who's the best swimmer."
Videl nodded in turn, in all seriousness. She however cracked a small smile; "Yeah well, it's just basically showing the girl population who's buff and who's not."
"Oh." Gohan bobbed his head once, understanding. He didn't think that he exactly needed more girls on his tail, though… After all, the swimming wouldn't be too hard, now would it? It was then that Gohan realized that he was being dragged, by the two girls, towards the docks. "What? Hey!"
He fought against the grips, but soon gave up. He couldn't get away without hurting either of them from the looks of it and he certainly didn't want to do that. He guessed that he'd just have to go through with the stupid contest.
He allowed himself to be shoved onto the dock, and stumbled briefly before being caught by Sharpener. The teen grinned at him, thumping him on the back once.
"Heya, Gohan! Didn't know you'd go through with it, man!"
With a weak smile, Gohan sighed and slowly made his way to the starting line. He might as well just get it over with, do whatever he had to do. He just wanted to finish the whole thing.
He settled into position, glancing from left to right at the others contending with him. Most of them he recognized as the school's famed jocks, all of which were casting sneers in his direction. They had every intention of leaving him far behind, since he'd had the nerve to steal their girls.
Gohan gulped and looked away, deciding that he'd just look straight ahead for the rest of the race. He wouldn't wanna turn his head right into someone's punch and end up hurting their fist… Yes, it had been tried before, and no, he had never gotten hurt. He didn't need to freak them out anymore at the moment.
It was then when the whistle went off with a loud beep. Each boy lunged into the water, Gohan unfortunately not with them. He looked about, confused, when Videl suddenly sprang up next to him.
"Gohan!" She yelled, waving her arms. "That meant go! Now go!"
"Oop!" With a quick nod of his head, Gohan turned and leapt into the water, speeding forward with several powerful strokes of his arms.
He figured that he might as well finish in a place that wasn't too obvious, not too embarrassing… So, he ducked down under the water and streaked forward, zooming past several bodies.
Gohan continued jetting forward, not bothering to surface for air. After all, he wouldn't need it for awhile. He'd just wait 'till the whole thing was over. Easily weaving between even more forms, he soon found himself in the clear. With a sigh of relief, he sped forward, not bothering to look anywhere except straight ahead.
He curved around the rock that was supposed to be the half-way point, then started back at full-speed. It was in no time at all that he found himself back at the dock. He had taken it easy, and he'd hoped that a few others had finished before him.
Reaching up with both arms, he grabbed onto the side of the deck and yanked himself up, pulling his body onto the wooden surface, then gulped.
He was first by a long shot. The rest of the guys in the race were far behind, just now rounding the half-way point. He looked around, a little embarrassed as all the girls stared wide-eyed. Videl, a look of shock, Erasa, a look of happy surprise, and everyone else, love. Well, obsession, anyways.
With a roar of approval, the girls rushed forward, all crowding around him. He eeped as he was dragged under, covered with screaming, giggling bodies of the female population of his school.
Rob looked up and, with a grumpy mutter, spoke into the loudspeaker. "That kid wins. He gets to meet Hercule at the fights."
Gohan, who didn't even hear the mentioning of the father of Videl, gasped as he attempted to run from the flocks of teenaged women surrounding him. It was getting to be pretty hopeless…
It was then when two arms grabbed his right, and two his left, and yanked him from the dog-pile. Fortunately enough, no one realized his exit, each girl assuming that he was somewhere above or below in the pile of people.
Gohan scratched the back of his head as he stumbled off, smiling gratefully at Videl and Erasa. "Thanks, you guys," he said sheepishly. "They're like wolves!"
Erasa nodded, looking wise beyond her years. "That's what happens when you go to Camp with your fan club, Gohan," she declared, tapping her cheek in thought.
Videl looked utterly disgusted at this revelation, while Gohan looked, as usual, confused. Fan club? Since when do I have one of those? Shrugging it off, he turned his head as Sharpener walked up, fairly stiff. "Hey, Sharpener."
The boy eyed him, then looked to Erasa with disbelieving eyes. "D-did he really…?"
She nodded. "Yup, he did."
At that, Sharpener turned, grabbing Gohan's hand and shaking it furiously while patting him roughly on the back. "Nice, my man!" He said excitedly, all smiles.
Gohan nodded as his hand was furiously shook for several minutes, tilting his head to the side midway. Once Sharpener realized that he should probably stop, he took his hand away, immediately apologizing and changing the subject with a disgruntled snort. The rest went along with the change, as the lake restored to normal; boys running amuck, girls trying to avoid being splashed, the usual.
The conversation was abruptly interrupted however, when a pair of shorts when sailing past Videl's head to land in the middle of the small circle of friends, a shriek sounding from the other side of the lake.
"Pantsed!"
With that word, the entire population currently swimming within the lake broke into utter chaos. The girls, shrieking, tried to run from the boys who were currently attempting to yank their bikini tops off. Some of the braver girls fought back, yanking down several pairs of trunks on the boys before running off on their own.
Videl and Gohan, standing with their mouths agape, looked to each other and then to where Erasa and Sharpener had been standing before, only to see that the pair was gone. "Oh great, we've been ditched," Videl grumbled while folding her arms over her chest.
It was then that Videl heard a whooping behind her. Eyes wide, she leapt to the side, just as a boy fell face-first into the water, hand extended as its original mark, Videl's bikini strap, was yanked out of his grasp.
Gohan stared blankly at the half-drowned boy as he got to his feet, sputtering, took one look at Videl's infuriated face, and trudged away with his head lowered. Scratching the back of his head, the Saiyan glanced to Videl and realized that she was in no way pleased.
He took two easy steps forward (right as a girl plopped into the water behind him, narrowly missing the back of his swim trunks) and tapped Videl lightly on the shoulder.
"What?!" she snapped, obviously irritated.
"Umm," Gohan laughed weakly. "You okay?"
The girl nodded, a little more solemnly this time. "Yeah, I just don't feel like getting my bikini topped yanked off anytime soon."
At this, the boy frowned. "Well, that doesn't seem very nice of them to do that," he muttered. He then concluded that he would keep the scum away from Videl until she said otherwise.
From then on, Gohan found himself smacking away boys with a flick of his hand whenever they dove for Videl. He made sure to do this out of Videl's line of sight, however, so she wouldn't get touchy about him protecting her in a way.
Videl, in turn, was doing him a favor of her own. Every once in awhile she'd drop back and shoot a glare that was sharper than the tip of a dagger at the line of fan girls that had formed behind Gohan, preparing to pounce on their current victim and yank off his swimsuit. They each would attempt to glare back, then would weaken within seconds, slowly making their way back to the other favored jocks of the school's population.
The pair eventually made it to a secluded area of the lake, a small beach-like area covered with the shadows of several trees, small patches of sunlight available for those who preferred the light to the dark.
Stumbling out of the water, Gohan took a seat against a tree while Videl decided that the sand would provide enough cushions. Looking out from the small hide-away that they'd both silently agreed to stay at, they both watched with little interest as Rob ran through the masses, attempting to restore order, while several teens ran in circles around them, one with his trunks down to his ankles.
Videl quirked an eyebrow in the direction of the ruckus, then decided to take advantage of the current situation. After all, how often was she left alone with Gohan with no one else around? Actually, it happened quite often… but she didn't realize it most of the time.
"So, Gohan."
"Mmhm?" The Saiyan remained completely oblivious as he lazily picked at a grain of sand, making little drawings in the sand with the tip of his finger.
"Umm." Videl looked blankly at Gohan, hoping that he'd actually look at her if she stared. Fortunately enough, he did finally feel the look piercing into his back, and turned around with a sheepish grin on his face.
"Sorry about that. What is it?"
"How in the world did you get a body like that?"
Immediately, Gohan's face became incredibly red as he sputtered with apparent embarrassment. "I, uh, I… train," he decided, nodding rapidly.
Videl eyed him skeptically. "Train for what?" She remembered him saying something at the beginning of the year, but she had totally forgotten what it was.
Well, Gohan knew that skipping around the question certainly wouldn't work this time, and he had no plans of lying to her anytime soon. Not when it wasn't necessary, at least.
"Martial Arts," he finally mumbled.
Ah, well. That explains some stuff, Videl concluded. The muscles were definitely something you wouldn't get from any average game of baseball. But, still. Sharpener worked out plenty and had no problem showing it, and still, his muscles weren't comparable to Gohan's. Gohan's were much more muscular in a sense, but still lean, not too bulky…
She snapped herself out of the thoughts with a groan, covering her face with a hand. Videl! Get a hold of yourself! This is Gohan we're talking about here. Since when did Gohan become an interest to the side of Videl that has an appreciation for boys?
"Um, Videl?" Gohan was worried now. Videl was thinking, that much was obvious. But about what? Did she suspect him to be Saiyaman again? After all, the Martial Arts thing was only something that helped prove it to be true.
"Huh? Oh, sorry about that." With a small grin, Videl settled back onto the sand, hands tucked behind her head. She had to digest this new information, and add it to her little library of things about Son Gohan.
It was then that an idea--and a very good one at that, popped up into her devious mind. Tapping a finger on her chin, she grinned. Why not? What was there to lose?
Videl rolled over onto her stomach, hands crossed before her as she eyed him. He nervously returned the look, a little edgy. That glint in her eye, it meant something was up. And he'd bet anything and everything that it had something to do with him.
"Say, Gohan."
"Yes?"
"How about sometime you and me spar? You know, just to get in the training and to test each other out."
Gohan didn't miss the small, scheming smile that was spreading across Videl's lips, but he chose to ignore it. Gulping, he shook his head slowly.
"N-no, that's okay, Videl…"
"No, really! I insist. I'll even go easy on you."
I'm not worried about you beating me, Videl, Gohan thought glumly. I'm afraid that I'd accidentally hurt you…
"Come on, Gohan. You can't be scared."
Well, that certainly did it. Gohan's eyes lit up instantly, almost as if bursting into fire, and a tiny, imperceptible flicker of gold formed around his body. His Saiyan pride had just kicked in.
"Scared?" he scoffed, something that was completely out of character. As he continued on, Videl's eyes began to widen. "Scared of you? I think not!" He crossed his arms over his chest, mouth set in a deep frown, as he glowered at Videl. "It should be the other way around!"
Videl blinked, and managed to restrain laughter. She had no idea that it'd be so easy to get him to agree! Before she could set the time and date, however, yelling from the lake could be heard.
"Hey, Videl! Gohan! C'mon, Rob says we gotta bail the lake and go back to our cabins for a few hours until the Baking Contest. He sounds kinda pissed," Erasa giggled as she walked up to them.
Videl, annoyed that the conversation had been interrupted, said nothing. Gohan on the other hand nodded and followed after the couple, the girl trailing behind. Within seconds, the entire crew of soaked and laughing teenagers was ushered back to their respectable Cabins, several counselors left to patrol the area to make sure none of them snuck out to visit other Cabins.
Sharpener and Erasa, remaining unaware of the tension between their raven-haired friend and a very nervous Gohan, amused themselves by dragging the TV into the boy's room (along with a bowl of popcorn) to watch a movie for some cute couple togetherness. Gohan and Videl ended up claiming the main room for their own, each equipped with their own piece of literature. Gohan had selected the 'History of Saiyans', though he kept the title hidden from Videl, and the daughter of Hercule chose 'The Art of War'.
Gohan managed to keep his nose buried behind his book, not even daring to cast a glance in the girl's direction. Videl, however, didn't care if he knew she was staring. Why was he so nervous, just because she challenged him? When his pride took over, he didn't seem upset about it at all. Just indignant if anything.
It was when the silence became unbearable that Videl spoke.
"Gohan, why don't you want to fight anymore?"
He pretended not to hear. Now a little irritated, the girl placed her hands on her hips and scowled.
"Gohan!" she said in a disapproving tone.
He raised his head a little, nodding it slightly to acknowledge that he had, indeed, heard her.
"Why don't you want to fight me anymore?"
Gohan mumbled his response into the pages of his book, turning one as he did so. He knew that she wouldn't react all too kindly to his real reason for not wanting to fight, but he couldn't lie! Could he? Of course not. That would be impolite.
"Gohan," Videl snapped. "Tell me right now, this instant. You know I won't stop until you tell me."
Oh, yes. He did know. In fact, he knew very, very well. Whenever Videl got going, she wouldn't stop until she had found what she was looking for. Darn it, Videl. You're going to get pissed at me again… or something.
"I don't wanna hurt you."
At this, Videl was left a little more than dumbstruck. That was the first time anymore, save the thugs and robbers who were obviously in over their heads, had said that they were worried about hurting her, not the other way around. She thought it was some silly thing such as that he had gotten caught up in the moment, and really was just blowing hot air when he said that she should be afraid of him. But, from his solemn manner, she could see now that he meant every word he said, though it was said in more aggressive contexts before.
"Well, I never," she declared a bit huffily. Who was he, to be judging her fighting already? She seriously doubted that he'd even caught a glimpse of any of her moves. Well, maybe she was being a bit hypocritical, considering that she'd never seen him fight either. But she was sure she could take him down if she had to, if she really wanted to.
Gohan heaved a sigh of relief into the bindings of the huge book. He thought she'd do a lot more than that, he thought that she'd rant and rave and try to bite his head off. But, no, all he got was a response that showed that Videl was only slightly insulted by the statement.
"Thank you, Dende," he said softly to the air, raising his head a little in acknowledgement. "Now, if only you could bail me out all the time…"
Videl ignored the whisperings behind the book, still very much upset. She didn't know what to say without sounding like a stuck-up jerk, so she said nothing. Instead, she fumed on her own, bottom lip stuck out in a rare pout.
She hoped that Gohan wouldn't see the look of displeasure that she refused to voice crossing over her features. And, naturally, because she wished such; he did. He managed to not burst into laughter. Instead, he chuckled quietly under his breath, a tiny smile appearing on his face.
Videl had no idea why she cared so much about not being a jerk to this guy. She had her reasons for Saiyaman. I mean, he had been there multiple times to bail her out, and was always there whenever she was in deep crap. But Gohan? What'd he done to get her appreciation?
She always thought it had something to do that hung in the back of her mind, always declaring that Gohan was Saiyaman. She had voiced that opinion several times to him herself, but he appeared so against it that she eventually was beginning to give up.
However, finding out that he was into Martial Arts, had such a … well, very nicely built body, and that he had a prideful side kind of nudged her back towards what she had originally believed. Gohan and Saiyaman, two in one?
She decided to shrug it off for now. Replacing the book in front of her, she smiled to herself as she heard a barely audible sigh of relief escape Gohan's lips. Apparently, he had been a little freaked out from her staring. Aw well. Too bad for him!
Rob tiredly trudged into his cabin, closing the door quietly behind him. Kicking off his sandals, he collapsed in a rocking chair that stood next to his bed. He heaved a sigh; Videl had deluded him again.
He was nearly at his wits end. How could he possibly get in the girl's pants if she wasn't ever around for him to pull some moves? He figured that he'd just have to pull a move, one that should shoot him pretty far up in the dating game. No girl could resist it, he was a pro. He was the best. He was superb. He was… all that.
He was your everything, and more.
That little agreement made within his tiny pea-pod of a head, Rob grinned contentedly at his form in the mirror before sauntering off towards the showers. Well, sure. He was going to wait until after the Baking Contest to do anything, he'd rather show his manliness in another manner besides his expertise in cooking. But, until then, he'd make sure that he smelled good.
After all, who could resist the 'Lumberjack' cologne?
"Okay, only a few hours 'till the Baking Contest." Erasa rummaged through the fridge, pulling out assorted items from the fridge. Fortunately for everyone else, Erasa did have some cooking sense, so she ended up making everything.
She didn't let anyone skip out on the work though. Sharpener found himself driving back and forth from the supermarket while they were cooking before, while Videl and Gohan were assigned random tasks, such as stirring and mixing. Something that they had no chance of screwing up.
"There!" Settling her hands on her hips, she smiled very contentedly. Everything was just right. Now, where was the rest of the team?
She looked around with a blank expression, then ventured a cautious question; "Anyone there?"
Videl wandered in from the main room, Gohan in tow, while Sharpener peeked his head out from the boy's bedroom. "Yes, sweet pea?" he said in a slightly sarcastic voice.
Erasa shot a glare at her boyfriend. "Hey, you don't have to get all jealous just 'cause I can cook and you can't," she snapped back. Sharpener muttered something obscene under his breath and sulked off back into the boy's room.
Videl and Gohan looked at each other meekly, then back to Erasa.
"Okay, you guys, since Sharpener is being an ass," She said it in an obnoxiously loud voice, grinning from ear to ear when Sharpener grunted in return; "We'll fix everything up for now. Okay, you guys, get ready to take home the first prize!"
With an enthusiastic snort, both Videl and Gohan went to work, preparing Erasa's creations for the Baking Contest, only hours away.
To be continued…