"Triple Threat"
Chapter 18: "For the Sake of a Human Life"
"I can't believe Frieza kidnapped Videl!" Yamcha slammed his fist on the table. "Who else would have the nerve?"
"No one but Frieza." Bulma commented as she and Chichi came down the stairs. "Knowing him, he probably waited for Gohan to be too stunned to react. But that doesn't matter now. Gohan went to to rescue her."
-Gohan-
Videl, I'm coming! Gohan sped forward.
-Capsule Corp-
"I don't know why the boy let Frieza get away to start with."
"Vegeta!" Bulma screamed. "Don't you have any consideration to people's feelings?"
"You know Vegeta." Chichi commented. "He only thinks of himself."
"Saiyans should never let their feelings get in the way of their fighting." Vegeta ignored Chichi's comment.
"What are they talking about?" Goten whispered to Trunks.
"I don't know. Grown up stuff. Let's go somewhere else." Trunks led Goten out of the room.
"Saiyans!" Bulma yelled in disbelief. "This is not about Saiyans, Vegeta. This is about human life. Videl could be killed if Frieza decided to show her any of his real strength."
"Not if Gohan gets there first." Yamcha pointed out.
"That's true, but Videl is still a human. She may have been trained in basic martial arts by her father and taught to fly by Gohan, but we all know how powerful Frieza is. Especially Vegeta, Gohan, and Goku. They all taught him. The point is, Videl isn't going to last long in Frieza's hands."
"Can't Vegeta just sense out Videl or Frieza's energy signals?" Chichi asked.
"No." Vegeta answered. "His energy signal is being blocked."
"Gohan's about halfway there." Piccolo spoke from the doorway. He had been standing there since they had come back from where Videl was taken.
"How do you know, Namek, if I can't sense Frieza's energy signal?" Vegeta asked him angrily.
"Before Frieza got too far away, I locked onto Videl's energy signal. Gohan's halfway there."
-Frieza and Videl-
"Let me out of this cage, Frieza!" Videl yelled through her electric prison. She put both of her hands on the bars so she could lean further out, but was immediately forced back.
Frieza laughed. "Stupid girl. Humans can't handle electricity running through their body." He left the room.
Videl looked at the clock. It had been a whole hour. A single tear ran down her face. "Please, Gohan... I need you."
-Gohan-
Gohan stopped mid-air. "Videl, where are you? I can't sense her or Frieza's energy signals. He better not have hurt her!" He sped off even faster.
-Capsule Corp-
"I hope he finds her soon." Bulma paced around the room.
"He will." Piccolo said confidentally. "He cares for her just as much as she does for him."
Nobody asked him how he knew that. Everyone knew that Piccolo and Gohan had a special bond. Piccolo probably knew more about Gohan than Gohan did himself.
-Frieza and Videl-
I love you...
Videl's own words rang through her mind. "I shouldn't have said it. I should have known he wouldn't feel the same way about me. But why would he? I mean, he's a Saiyan, an unknown race. Why would ever care about a lowlife human like me?"
"Talking to yourself?" Frieza entered the room with a smirk. "You're right. Gohan doesn't care about you. If he did, he would have come by now."
Videl gasped and looked at the clock. As much as she hated to admit it, Frieza was right. She only had 40 minutes left to live. "He doesn't love me." Videl concluded.
-Gohan-
When Gohan saw a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, he wondered if this was the right place. He couldn't know for sure since he couldn't feel either's energy signal. He saw a time-aged building in the center, so he decided to check it out.
As soon as he entered the building, he sensed a high power level. "Frieza..." Gohan said under his breath. Then he sensed another - a different energy. It was fading fast, but he could recognize it anywhere.
Videl.
He had arrived.
Two chapters left!