1Disclaimer - You're all mean...I know I don't own it, don't hafta remind me.
Note - I tried to pep up the boringness that's probably this chapter. I promise (crosses heart) we'll get to more Videl x Gohan action soon enough.
Hotter Than The Sun
Chapter 4 - The Legendary...
Videl was stewing in her seat as they sped down the roads of Parsley, the capital of Vegeta. The other occupants of the car figured it would be smart not to say anything. They knew she had been one-upped by the saiyajin, but if you wanted to point that out...Hey, it had been nice knowing ya.
"Uh, Reba, did you finish the upgrades on the Maxcell prototype?"
"...Yes, Ms. Briefs. Um, The reports should be in your hand Comp."
Both scientists seemed flustered by the pregnant silence, and were desperately trying to defuse it.
"Miss him my ass...Grr, blood...(mumbles). Killing him with bare hands...inflict much pain..."
You could hear a pin drop in the ensuing quiet. Rolling her eyes, Videl reached into the sport bag that Bulma had carried from the port. She pulled out some head phones, slipped them on, and proceeded to forget her annoyances for the moment.
...He had such a beautiful smile. She was being superficial, obviously, but if a girl couldn't get that way once in a while...Well, then the Universe truly was going to hell.
Besides, they only just met, so she didn't know anything else to like about him.
WAIT! HOLD YOUR HORSES, SWEETIE! Don't you mean hate about him? Yes! Hate about him. She didn't have anything else to hate about him.
Yeah. What a prick. With a fabulous ass. (Cough) that she wanted to kick, of course.
Liar.
Videl chucked her player at the back window of their limo-esque transportation. Being calm wasn't helping, she needed her punching bags and a few weights.
"That was expensive you know, Vid."
"...Shut up Bulma."
Twenty Minutes Later
Finally arriving, everyone gazed awe stricken at the magnificent Royal palace. It was red, of course, but not sandstone like the other structures in the city. Instead, it was glass smooth, and had many, almost gothic looking turrets cutting into the sky.
"Wow," piped up one of the guards, "what a place."
All of them nodded, sharing the sentiment exactly. The driver, who they had learned was Third Class Elite Radditz ("everyone should refer to him thus"), climbed from the car and strode toward a pair of monstrous double doors. He didn't give warning, or wait for anyone to follow.
"What a jerk. Are they all like this Bulma?"
"Well, that one you bumped into didn't seem so bad."
"SHUT UP."
"Oh, Vidi, I thought he was a sweet little thing. He must be around twenty, perfect for you."
"Your not going to play 'chirping mama,' are you?"
"Naw, just 'matchmaker sister.'"
"Go screw yourself. What happened to 'ruthless cutthroats,' and blood thirsty savages, huh?"
"That Gohan kid seemed nicer than the average saiyajin."
"...Probably a crock. Must've caught him on an off day."
"OH! You're hopeless."
"Yeah, a hopeless fool for letting you come along."
Bulma sighed heavily, and plowed forward as the head of their group. Soon enough, she'd have to allow her young friend that pleasure. Although, it probably didn't look pleasing to her.
Passing through the doors, Videl noticed there weren't any guards standing at attention for threats. That was a very strange custom. The dignitaries she had contact with on Earth felt it was a show off point to have a bunch of people watching your back.
Then again, none of them had even a twelfth the strength of a saiyajin.
"Hey," one of the scientist's called out to Radditz, "Why do you not have many people about?"
"...(grunt) Most are preparing lunch, for the Royal family and the high class who have business during the day. Only a select few actually live here, besides his highness the King, the Prince, and his two cousins, so there is no need for an abundance of people."
"Oh."
Videl decided to tune out any further conversation, in favor of examining the extravagance that surrounded them. Sharply cut buttresses arched overhead, while tall windows high on the walls let in wisps of steam. The stone used inside was a little rougher, and left a grainy powder feeling on your fingers.
She had to stop for a minute, upon reaching a junction of hallways, to gaze at a stained glass window so large it almost took up the whole wall. Turning, she called out to their unwilling guide.
"Mr. Radditz, sir?"
"Elite Radditz."
"...Right. What is this a scene of?"
He crossed his arms, strode back to where she was standing, and was silent for a moment.
"...If you know anything about our culture, you know we prize strength, skill, and cunning above all else."
Videl nodded her head, as the others shifted to stand a little closer.
"There was a Saiyajin..."
Radditz proceeded with the tale of the Legendary, a man so powerful the Universe trembled, but who ultimately died because of it. He said, 'to achieve that level would be an honor above honors,' and then, 'it was foolish of him to expect pathetic weaklings to understand the depths of such an accolade.' The moment was kind of ruined after that remark, so everyone lapsed into pissed off silence and kept going.
"You will not be formally introduced to the Royal family until tomorrow. Rooms have been prepared for the Ambassador and her Entourage, which is where we are going now. A proper guide will be sent to show you around once you are settled. If you are hungry, ask him and he will take you to the public dining area. Now," he paused to turn around, glaring seriously at the earthlings, "I must enforce on you how important it is that no one wander about by themselves. Even here at the palace, we have dangerous characters running free. It would be most unfortunate, if while in our gracious care, one of you were to die. Or worse."
His inappropriate laughter echoed throughout the area, as most of the group, including some of the guards, shifted nervously. A treaty of peace? What a fucking joke.
Sometime later everyone was left to unpack in their respective rooms. Bulma and Videl had chosen to share for the added security...Well, at least that was what the genius said. Two of their guards were stationed outside, and the other three would trade off every couple hours. The rest of the entourage was to duke it out over sleeping arrangements.
"...It's so strange, this mixture of advanced techiness and rustic structure. There's a Com unit embedded in the wall, yet the floor is stone."
Bulma headed towards the bathroom, and yelped upon opening the door. Videl rushed to her friend's aid, leaping over a suitcase in the process.
"Oh God, what is it Bull?"
"Holy shit," her face split into a huge grin. "That, is the most amazing place to pee I have ever seen."
"...YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK OVER A STUPID BATHROOM?"
Grabbing Videl's chin, the scientist forced her to have a look.
Woah...it was amazing.
Big enough to fit a small apartment, there was a pool instead of a bath tub placed in the middle. Uneven tiles covered every inch, and in the farthest left corner was the sink and toilet, obscured a little by stones jutting from the wall.
"...I feel like I'm on safari, Bulma."
"Yeah? I feel like we're in a potential backdrop for a dirty romance novel scene."
"(snort) You know, that was oddly specific."
"...I need a man."
"Yah, you do."
Bulma punched the younger girl in the shoulder and wandered off to finish unpacking.
"Hey, Vid! Get on the Com and ask after the guide that's supposed to be here."
"Yeah, Yeah..."
Elsewhere
Gohan arrived back at the palace about five minutes before the earthlings did, and had gone in search of food. Hey, a saiyajin doesn't just follow his nose; he follows his stomach too.
"Mother?"
He entered the palace kitchens, where many a worker buzzed about trying to prepare enough for lunch. Dodging a Lizarian burdened with a bowl he couldn't see around, the young saiyajin spotted the woman he was looking for. She was perched over a steaming pot, tail wrapped around a wooden spoon, and currently swearing up a blue streak.
"I told you to get that fucking herb I wanted five suns ago! Jeku, what the hell is the matter with you? I don't ask much of you, but for heaven's sake can't you do one simple thing? Oh, fuck me, get the heck out of here!"
Chi-Chi made a whipping gesture with her spoon, and the scrawny, bug-eyed alien flew past the male blocking his exit.
"Oh, Mother," laughing, he batted at the threatening utensil, "You know, if you didn't quit the Elite to have me, I bet you'd be slapping heads of new recruits right now as a Captain."
"Yes, but slapping you is much more gratifying than slapping hundreds of other foolish cubs."
Gohan bent down, and in a rare show of affection, lifted his mother up in a tight hug.
"I'm sorry I haven't been around much at the house, accept for sleeping and eating."
"Oh, fruit of my loins," she patted his head upon being put down, "I know you've got a lot to worry about. I heard the Prince sent you to do something this morning. What was it?"
"Um, he sent me to welcome an Ambassador from Earth. I suppose they must be looking for our protection, like all the others."
"Mmhm."
Chi-Chi turned back to stirring her pots, checking temperatures, and adding ingredients. Food was like a child, if you didn't attend to it, well, you'd probably end up getting a good swift kick in the ass.
"...I was kind of hoping you could spare a little food, anyway."
"Oh! Gohan," she looked at him angrily, "You didn't eat enough this morning, did you? Err, if you weren't in such a hurry I could have put something in a capsule for you! Boy, if I find out your skipping meals or something because you're busy...Oh, will you be in a world of pain!"
"...Eh, no Mother, I've been eating regular...Um, can I get that food?"
Stomping impatiently, she pulled together a few items, tossed them into a capsule, and threw it at her son.
"Bring some to your father. If I know him," she smacked him harshly with her spoon, "he probably got held up with the Prince, and is dying of starvation now."
"Yes, Mother."
Gohan smirked as he jumped over another Lizarian, who had unfortunately fallen over under a pile of ingredient bags.
The General would most likely be out on the sparring field, getting beat to shit by Prince Vegeta. Even though his father was stronger by a long shot, for some reason, he was apprehensive about showing it. But, then again, so was Gohan.
...They had both been on the verge of achieving something great for a long while now...
The legendary? Gohan wasn't exactly sure, but he knew his own power far surpassed almost everyone on the planet. He still trained though, because his father had impressed at an early age that it doesn't matter how powerful you get, there will always be someone more powerful.
'To protect,' he said, 'one must be strong.'
Gohan couldn't help laughing a little at that. This was the same man who looked confused when pans hit his head. Tossing the capsule in the air, and then catching it, he approached the raised outdoor dais where only Royalty were permitted to spar. He watched as his father took a kick to the head that would have snapped a weaker man's neck.
"General Kakarot!"
He wasn't permitted to call him anything else while in the presence of others. It wasn't by choice, Gohan knew that, because if it was he would have insisted on being called dad all the time. Yeah. It was strange.
Kakarot paused his fist about a centimeter from the Prince's face, and turned at the sound of his name. Spotting his son, he waved, and smiled that moronic smile everyone knew.
"Hey! Gohan! Where you been kiddo?"
He turned back towards Prince Vegeta for a moment to say something, then hurried for the edge of the platform. Hopping down, he grasped Gohan's arm, and would of pulled him in for a hug, had there not been a pair of angry eyes watching them. Blatant displays of affection were to be carried out only in private.
"So, where you been?"
"I had to make a run this morning, and then I went to see Mo-ahem, Chi-Chi."
"Stop it," he looked annoyed for a moment, "You call her Mom got it?"
"...Yes sir."
"Ridiculous etiquette..."
"Anyway, Mom had me bring you some food 'cause she thought you'd be hungry."
"FOOD?"
Gohan laughed at his father's stupid face, you'd think Universal peace had spread they way he carried on about meals.
"Yeah. Will his highness let you go for a few minutes so we can eat?"
"Yes. Even if he doesn't, I don't care. I'm hungry!"
Looking back towards his sparring partner, Kakarot made a few hand gestures, then grabbed his son by the arm, and dragged him towards the pavilioned area that surrounded the ring.
Yup.
His father was a total weirdo.
Note - I wouldn't usually ask this because I don't like forcing people, but for my fragile ego, would you PWETTY PWEASE give me a couple reviews? Hell, say it sucks. I don't care. PEACE!