KunochiDreamer: Thanks for the compliment! I hope you enjoy this chapter.
demi-legend: I'm glad that I got you curious. Hopefully this chapter will have the same effect, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see, eh?
chaosbardock: Umm... thanks for reviewing, however, I'm not going to refrain from using Japanese words. Gomen nasai :)
Samantha B: I'm really glad you like the story so far. That means the people aren't bored! For once in my life I did something right! Thanks for the review and I hope this chapter is just as good as the last.
rimera: Wow! That's really nice saying that you (almost) like this better than Toriyama's version. And thank you for the other compliments in the review!
Kinoha: Thanks for the correct spelling of Earth. I thought it was that way, but I wasn't sure. Now I know. And if I need help on any other words, I'll be sure to ask you. Thanks!
Queen Freaky: You are the only person who offered any criticisms, but I like that (keeps me thinking about how to best write the next chapter). Hopefully this chapter won't bore you outta your mind. I need reviewers like you to keep me on my toes! ;) Sorry you think Raditz is a bit ooc, but that's the way I picture him. My storyline isn't exactly how Toriyama-san's is, so it's rather unrealistic to expect Raditz to stay the same over eighteen years time. Anywho, thanks for the review!
Goku's Mistress: Thanks for the review and the compliment. And I probably have Kakarot spelled wrong, but there's so many ways of doing it, I don't even know what's right. :) I think I'm gonna keep it the way it is unless a bunch of people tell me it's wrong.
GildedSky: Thanks for your review! It was long too. sigh Everyone loves long reviews. You get two thumbs way up for that. :) I'm glad I sparked your interest w/ the Kakarot file. I'm not sure where I'm gonna go with it, but I'll think of something.
GoHan'S FaN GurL: I'm glad you think this fic is gonna be great! That's really nice to say. Thank you!
To all the rest of you who hadn't review but read the story, I would like to thank you as well for taking the time to do so. It's nice knowing that people are reading this. So, thank you all and don't hesitate to review this time. I'd love to hear from you:) Constructive criticism is most welcome.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT. Simple as that!
"What do you think that is, Videl?" the police chief asked.
He pointed to the two gaping holes in the ground that held space pods that much resembled tennis balls. Each white pod glistened in the sun, emitting steam or possibly gasses into the air. On the central part of each craft was a symbol in red, but no one present had any clue what it might mean. All that the spectators could agree on was that the pods came out of the sky. Videl remembered something like this happening when she was a child. Two pods of much the same design and size fell from the sky; the mode of transportation for an abnormally large and muscular man and his surly, spike-haired companion. The taller had blown up the entire city. So far this looked to be a repeat of what happened all those years ago.
Videl turned to the police chief, offering a brave smile despite being a little concerned with the white pods just feet below.
"Well, Rodger, I think they're space pods. Like the ones that landed back when I was a kid."
Rodger visibly stiffened, gasping aloud in shock, "I remember that happening! You don't suppose they've come back for revenge, do you? That Chikyuu Special Forces-whosis group were the ones who fought them before... But, hey! Satan-san could take them on! He defeated Cell, after all, and with your help this should be no problem. I don't know what I was worried about."
"You're right," Videl nodded, "there's nothing to worry about."
But why do I think otherwise?, Videl wondered. Her gut instincts were always right about things like this. And for some unknown reason it was telling her to be wary, but in the back of her mind, Videl wasn't too worried. She was more or less concerned with the people around her than her own well being.
A hiss of air caught the attention of Videl Satan as more steam poured from the doors of each pod. Around her, people screamed and the police chief moaned in uncertainty. Videl braced herself for whatever was to come as the pod doors slowly eased open, screeching in protest much like rusted hinges. So intent upon the thick drama before her, Videl was hardly aware of the nervous sweat accumulating on her brow and the scared shaking of her legs.
The doors came to a halt. Everyone was silent: the police, the bystanders, even the pods no longer made noise.
From her vantage point -the undamaged ground between the two pod-created craters- she could see no movement. Maybe they're duds...
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, a thick leg, it's muscles corded like a fighters, emerged from the left pod, followed by it's other. And all hell broke loose. The silent watchers all began screaming in fear or cheering with excitement. Those excited by the situation surged forward only to be pushed back by the police, yelling at them to "Stay back" "It's too dangerous" "Please remain calm"
The rest of the body slipped from the left pod. Videl could tell he was a tall man even from where she stood. His hair was black and long, outrageously untamed spikes and waves. A sort of body armor covered his thick, fighters frame, yet with the way his emergence from the pod carried out, Videl assumed it wasn't heavy and was quite pliable. He regarded the scene above him with cool disinterest, as if he had seen all of it before. He raised his arm to push something attached to the green piece he wore over one eye, all the while looking around as if chaos wasn't surrounding him.
Chancing a look to the pod at her right -half hoping this one was a dud- Videl gasped at the man who stood outside it. He stared right at her with deep raven eyes, a rather curious expression on his face. This one wasn't as burly as the other alien or as tall, and he seemed a bit more interested in those around him. Unlike the his companion, he wore no armor and no green thing over his eye, opting instead for a navy blue gi and his black hair pulled back into a low pony tail. Even though, by this point, Videl was thoroughly frightened, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was despite the hardened nature he presented. However, that thought was quickly dashed when he effortlessly floated into the air. Not even her dad could do that!
He turned his head toward the other crater, yelling something in his native dialect; a smooth cross between guttural and nasal languages, and Videl found herself entranced by his voice and the words.
Following suite, the taller man floated to join the other. Amazingly, the crowd fell silent as the aliens talked to each other. Videl deduced the taller was to the leader, though by the body language of the shorter man it was something he grudgingly agreed to.
Videl choked on her heart as it leapt into her throat; both of them now looked at her. The taller one chuckled while suggestively licking his lips ( in a rather mocking way); the shorter one still looked at her with mild interest and steely eyes.
"If you think she'll draw them out," the shorter one said.
"I do. Kakarot will take it upon himself to come to her defense, most likely drawing the Saiyan-jin no Ouji out with him. Take her. "
Videl could barely register the shorter one aiming his body toward her, when a sharp pain exploded on her neck, causing her to loose connection with the waking world.
"Fuck, that hurts," Videl groaned.
She sat up, rubbing the tiny lump on the back of her neck that was probably a deep shade of purple by now. Her thoughts felt a little fuzzy, like when one wakes abruptly from sleep, but she tried her best to ignore it. Looking around, Videl noticed she was in a clearing surrounded by pines and maple trees. However, that was all she could see, for this part of Chikyuu was cloaked in darkness, making Videl wonder just how long she had been unconscious.
It seemed she was all alone.
Standing up without much difficulty, Videl decided to try and put some distance between her and her captors by leaving now. She began to run, and all most made it to the tree line when she tripped and fell over something.
Videl hissed in pain as her hands and knees pounded to the ground, twigs and dried grass scraping away skin. Doing her best to ignore the pain, she scrambled to her feet but was yanked back down by a hand wrapping around her ankle.
Light appeared, and Videl flipped over to see who held her ankle. It was the shorter man from earlier, a ball of light hovering just inches above an up turned palm, his eyes hooded with fatigue. The light ball cast dark shadows across his face, making him just a bit more menacing than in broad daylight.
Videl inhaled sharply in fear, her heartbeat increasing tenfold. She completely forgot that she was Videl, daughter of the great Hercule Satan who had defeated Cell and saved the planet. Now, she was the cliché damsel in danger.
He released his grip on her ankle to rub sleep from his eyes -apparently he had been sleeping until Videl stumbled upon him- and immediately she drew her legs in toward her body, cowering like a scared beast. The alien smirked, and if she wasn't so busy trembling and fearing for her life, she might have asked him what the hell is wrong with him.
"Were you trying to get away?" he asked, a touch of humor lacing his words.
Videl gulped and closed her eyes. Truly she was embarrassed about her pathetic display. Her father wouldn't be too proud of her cowering like a weakling, not when he had trained her to be tough just like him. She raised her head, opening her mouth to respond, but nothing came out; just a rattled breath.
The alien sighed as he watched the ball of light float higher into the air. He stood up and reached down to her, pulling Videl up as well -ignoring her recoil, or so it seemed.
"You know," he paused, looking around, "I don't care if you leave, but my friend does. You're just a worthless ningen, and I very much doubt that Kakarot or the Ouji would fight over something like you."
"T-They... I don't know them," Videl managed to squeak out. "My d-dad is a very powerful man. He has influence, being the world's strongest fighter. If I'm m-missing, a planet wide search will begin for me, and no expense will be spared. M-My dad will kill you!"
He looked questioningly at her, brows furrowed, before letting at a hearty laugh.
"If that didn't sound so pathetic, maybe I would be scared, ningen. However, I can only sense two very powerful energies on this planet, and unless your father is Kakarot or Vegeta, I've no reason to fear."
Videl shook her head and tried to pull away from the alien, or at least to suggest loosening his grip. He seemed to catch her drift and let her go, only to say, "Like I said, I don't care if you go; you mean nothing to me. However, it will be terrible for me and especially for you if my companion comes back to find his bait gone. I suggest you stay."
"How terrible will it be?" she asked.
He leaned forward, so close their faces almost touched, and she could feel his warm breath upon her skin. She balled her hands into fists, holding her ground as best as possible. Any normal person in this situation would probably have fainted, but the only thing Videl could think was he looked just as handsome as she remembered from earlier that day. The onyx eyes, the long black hair, the dashing and devilish smile, the perfect bone structure... How can I think this?, she mentally berated herself. But he looked at her so intently, and within those deep eyes Videl could tell he meant her no harm; he was just trying to scare her and quite enjoying himself. Coming to that realization somehow made her feel slightly at ease -however, not about the taller alien. Videl was pretty sure the younger alien meant her no harm, and she closed her eyes...
Goku and the rest of the Z-Senshi intently watched the big screen television in the private quarters of Capsule Corp. The "World Champion" Hercule Satan -the camera cleverly focusing on the raving man's face to evoke the right thoughts and emotions of the viewers- was announcing the blatant kidnaping of his beloved daughter Videl. Apparently, the aliens ( in the words of the great Satan-san) "... knew what they were doing the whole time!" "...the aliens were in league with Cell, and this is revenge." And all of Chikyuu "... must band together to find Videl!"
In all honesty, Goku felt rather sorry for the buffoon, but the aliens worried him a bit more. They had arrived in similar fashion to Vegeta and Nappa all those years ago, yet the only turmoil that had sprang from their coming was the kidnaping. It made Goku rather nervous that they weren't razing every city they came across. At least that way he could keep track of them by the expending of ki as it was used for flying or blasts. These aliens were either incapable of using ki or had the know-how or ability to cloak it. The former option was ruled out when the television screen showed shots of the spacecrafts. His heart sank a bit when he realized they were Saiyan-jin pods.
"It looks like you two aren't the only left," Bulma commented, indicating Goku and Vegeta.
Goku nodded in agreement, "So it seems."
Krillin, in charge of the remote control for the television, turned the large machine off.
"Well guys, let's think about this." Krillin said, tapping a finger to his temple. "In comparison to where we were the last time Saiyan-jins were a threat, I'd say we've come pretty far. This shouldn't be too bad. Both Goku and Vegeta are Super Sayain-jins, something no other Saiyan-jin we've come across can do."
"Nose-less has a point," Vegeta joined in. "The level of Super Saiyan-jin is extremely rare. Kakarot and I are the first in nearly a millennia to achieve it."
Somehow what Krillin and Vegeta said didn't make Goku feel any less worried. He wasn't too sure about the enemy this time, or even if they were a threat. All the major battles he had ever fought in were absolutes: life and death, black and white. This pre battle feeling more or less resided in gray, the unknown, the undecided. And for once, Goku wasn't sure what to feel. Then he remembered what ChiChi had said last week before the big dinner. Something good was going to happen, and maybe the aliens landing and Videl Satan's capture were the catalysts.
Come what may, Goku hoped that he was ready to face the Saiyan-jins.
Okay, I lied. So excluded the Z-Senshi dinner blushes
Next chapter (hopefully): Videl and the shorter Saiyan-jin (Lorz) get to know each other better. The Z-Senshi start looking for the Saiyan-jins. More about the Kakarot file.