Chapter 139: The Great Saiyaman!
8:00 am, the Capsule Corporation Quarterly Investors meeting...
Bulma finished her presentation on the latest in Capsule Corp expansionary efforts and bowed her head. "Now then, esteemed members of the Capsule Corp Stockholders Society, before we go on to our quarterly earnings report, I have one final presentation that requests your attention. And for that, I turn things over to my colleague..."
Bulma motioned to the side stage and a spotlight glared down on a taller man, his wild mane of jet-black hair pulled into a tight ponytail. He was sweating a little in his green, three-piece suit. Beneath the expensive fabric, his dad bod gave a slight a jiggle as he walked to center stage. The hair on his tail, hidden in the waistline of his pants, stood on end. He was nervous. Bulma smiled. "Allow me to introduce, Son Raditz, the proprietor of Son Family Farms in Mt. Paozu."
Polite applause. Raditz swallowed hard, his throat feeling like a strip of coarse sandpaper. "G-Greetings, and thank you kindly for your time. My name, as I have been introduced, is Son Raditz."
Once again, polite applause. Raditz began to loosen up a bit. "I stand before you here today, a man on a mission. Bulma Briefs has been a close family friend for untold years and has graciously given me the stage to pitch a partnership between Son Family Farms and Capsule Corp. Our goal, you ask? That would be simple..."
Raditz motioned to the projector screen above and behind. "Our goal is to provide fresh, chemical-free agricultural products to all corners of the globe, grown by my family's farm and shipped off using Capsule Corp branded hoi-poi capsules. If you would be willing to lend me 30 minutes of your time, I will lay out our plan in a step-by-step fashion. And I will convince you that this is the direction your generous investments would be spent in!"
Another round of applause, but this one was louder. Randier. It suggested less a polite decorum and more a deep interest. Raditz took a deep breath and an almost confident smile cracked across his lips. "Now... let us begin!"
Orange Star High School...
It was second period math as the clock struck 10:00 am. Gohan, Videl, Erasa, and Sharpner all sat in a row in the very back of the class, a good vantage point for a studious young man like Gohan, and a good place to relax away from a critical eye for his three companions.
Erasa was playing phone mahjong with vested interest. Sharpner was exercising his grip strength with two high tension handgrips. And Videl was reading a manga, not paying attention in the slightest. Gohan turned to the three of them, a nervous smile on his face. "Sh-Shouldn't you guys be taking notes...?"
Videl shook her head. "I study better at home."
Erasa and Sharpner both chuckled and shot Gohan confident looks. He smiled. "Oh, you two think you got this?"
Sharpner chuckled. "Even better..."
Gohan was confused. Erasa placed her chin in the crook of her index finger and thumb, sparkles twinkling next to her head. "Sharpner and I were talking all last night about how to pass without taking notes. And we have a solution~"
Now Videl was interested. "And that would be...?"
Gohan stopped writing. "I'm curious too..."
Sharpner and Erasa smiled at them both, and then spoke in unison. "We're gonna photocopy Gohan's notes!"
Videl fell out of her chair, crashing backwards and landing headfirst into Gohan's lap. She looked up at her friend and blushed bright red. He blushed right back. "Uh... that one caught ya off guard, Videl?"
Videl stammered. "I... I, uh... I-I-I..."
And then Videl's smart-watch gave a loud, rhythmic chime and she sat up rail straight. "Oh, thank god..."
Videl leapt over her desk and went sprinting down the stair, shoving open the door and rushing out. "Career studies! Gotta go!"
The math teacher was left flabbergasted, holding a piece of chalk with his glasses crooked on his face. "That girl. If she didn't have straight perfect marks, I'd give her such a talking to..."
With the math professor distracted, Gohan stood up as well. He made sure that his chair made no noise whatsoever. And then he sneaked to the very back of the room. Erasa and Sharpner both turned in their chairs, looking confused. Sharpner whispered. "What are you doing, man?"
Gohan whispered back. "I gotta go. Cover for me, okay?"
Erasa cocked her head, whispering. "Go where?"
Gohan's face became serious. "I'm headed out to watch over Videl and make sure she doesn't get hurt. I know she's tough and all, but..."
All at once, Erasa completely understood where Gohan was coming from. Her face broke out into a luminous, pink glow. Sharpner chuckled. "You're one weird guy, Gohan. But go ahead, I won't tell on ya. Videl might get pissy though, so stay hidden..."
Erasa smiled. "We've got your notes all under control. Just... keep her safe. Okay?"
Gohan nodded and gave a thumbs-up. Erasa and Sharpner each gave a thumbs-up back. And then, before the teacher turned around and noticed him, Gohan forced open one of the upper windows with a small shockwave, and then did a backflip out. Sharpner snorted. "He's a pretty athletic guy. It's a shame he ain't into sports..."
Erasa smiled warmly, her voice with a slight waver. "He doesn't need to be on a sports team to be one impressive man~"
In front of Satan City Jewelers...
The bound and gagged hostages within Satan City Jewelers all cowered in the corner as their ten, gun-toting captors shouted demands to the police gathered outside. If they didn't have a getaway truck and an open road in 15 minutes, they were going to show everyone the true meaning of blood diamonds!
So taken in by their own posturing, were these brutes, that they did not notice the waifish form of a 16-year-old teen girl falling from a vent up above. Videl looked at all ten of her targets, picking a straggler from the pack and immediately targeting him.
She stopped for just a moment to give a wink to her soon-to-be-rescued friends, and then she slinked into the shadows. As silent as a creature of the night, Videl moved closer and closer, until she was finally able to reach out and grab the straggler by the face. Her hand clamped tight over his mouth so that he couldn't speak, and her elbow dug into the base of his neck before he could properly react. He slumped to the ground and Videl shoved him under a desk so that he wouldn't be noticed.
Videl turned to the hostages and began to count. Twenty people: 4 employees, 2 managers, 5 Elderly, 6 women, 2 men, and a very scared looking little girl with her fearful eyes glued to a stuffed animal discarded across the lobby. Zip-ties and duct tape were the robbers' gifts to these people. Videl sneered and glared at the remaining nine criminal scum.
Gohan and Erasa's doting on her was fresh in her mind and Videl pressed her thumb to her cheek, on the scaly patch of skin where the last close-call had occurred. She promised them she'd play it safe and Videl rarely broke her promises. She needed a diversion to make this work.
Videl turned back to the hostages and motion to a saleswoman on one end of the huddle. Her feet were free and, coincidentally enough, right near a chair ripe for kicking over. Videl quickly signed to the woman, making it clear that she would appreciate the chair clattering to the ground as noisily as possible. The saleswoman seemed nervous, the outline of a fearful frown quite pronounced beneath the band of silvery gray. Videl silently pleaded, motioning toward the unconscious thug next to her.
The teller took in a deep breath through her nose. Just like everyone else in Satan City, she was aware of Videl. And she was aware that this young woman could be relied on to stop criminal scum from having their way. So, screwing up her courage, the saleswoman pulled her legs in, and then kicked them out as hard as she could. The chair clattered over and smashed into a jewelry case, setting off a blaring anti-theft alarm!
All of the thugs were confused, each looking in a different direction. One of them called out. "What the hell is going-"
Videl appeared behind him like a flash, grabbing him into a chokehold and dragging him over a counter. With a quick jerk and a small crack, the robber was unconscious and quickly stowed away beneath another desk. The leader of the gang called out. "Hey! Where are Gansley and Crump?! We lost a couple of guys!"
Another robber turned to the group of hostages and aimed his gun. "What the hell's going on?! Who's doing this?!"
A loud crash came from the rear of the store and the leader of the group snarled. "Goddammit! What the hell was that?! Are these pigs getting any funny ideas or what?!"
He motioned to two of his minions. "Johnson! Nezbitt! You two stay here and guard the hostages! We'll be back!"
The leader took the rest of his men to the rear of the store, ready for a war with the cops. And then Videl was on Johnson and Nezbitt like a flash of lightning, punching one man in the stomach and clocking the other along the length of his jaw with the bottom of her foot. The two of them dropped like sacks of potatoes and Videl was immediately at work, sawing through zip-ties with a piece of broken glass. "To the front door, all of you! Don't take the tape of until you're out, it'll help you to stay quiet! Now go!"
Most of the hostages obeyed, rushing to the door as quickly as they could and with no delay. Only one of them disobeyed, pulling the strip of tape from her daughter's lips and hugging her tight. The little girl seemed shaken up, but was still laser-focused on something else entirely.
Videl breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the store managers scrambled to safety. She took a deep breath and let it out. Then she cracked her neck. "Okay. Enough of this stealth shit..."
And then, she went rushing headlong around the corner and to the back of the store. Coincidentally enough, the criminals were now flocking back as well, only finding a desk stapler thrown through a rear window of the store. Bu, how could someone have done that? Anyone who wasn't on their side in this store was tied up. So, how-
Videl kicked a slightly ajar door off of the hingers and sent it crashing into one of the criminals. His mates called out. "Leichter!"
The rest of them aimed their guns down at Videl and five streams of bullets went barreling towards her almost immediately. Videl rolled into the room to her left as cool as a cucumber. The criminals gave chase, only to discover that she was gone. One of them cried out. "What the hell?! This is an employee break room! Where did she go?!"
The leader pushed his way into the room and looked around. "That was Mr. Satan's daughter! The little headcase thinks she's a crime fighter!"
He looked up and saw a vent on the ceiling was missing. He snarled. "SHE'S IN THE GODDAMNED AIR DUCTS! KILL HER!"
The lot of them fired their guns into the air, perforating the ceiling and thinking they were accomplishing something. Behind the break room snack machine, Videl smirked. And then she shoved the snack machine over and onto the thugs' fearless leader. She jumped on top of it, pressing him to the ground, and then sprang off and dropkicked one of his mates through a window.
The other three were stunned, unsure of how to react. One called to their boss under the vending machine. "Mr. Gozaburo! Are you-"
Videl sent a palm strike crashing into that one's jaw and then grabbed him by the shirt. The other two aimed their guns at Videl, but she quickly threw the unconscious man in his hands between herself and the danger. Both of their trigger fingers froze at the sight of this and Videl smirked again, kicking her unconscious shield into them and bowling all three over.
The two of them threw their unconscious comrade off and stood up, but Videl was already ready for them. She sweep-kicked one of them right back onto the ground and then delivered a second kick that sent their ski-masked head plunging through drywall. And then she lunged at the last one, karate chopping the barrel of his gun out of her face and then delivering the mother of all right hooks right to the center of his face.
The boss, Gozaburo, freshly out from under the vending machine, watched in horror as the last of his men crashed to the ground. He yelped in fear and Videl turned, her icy glare digging into his chest. He shuddered. This little girl was indeed human, but she was the scariest damned human he had ever seen. She had the eyes of someone so determined she would toss her life away without a thought. He had seen those eyes on the streets before... and so he turned tail and ran like nobody's business!
Videl shouted and chased after him. "HEY!"
The boss rounded the corner first, but Videl was hot on his heels. Her boots skidded on the tile floor and she pivoted just in time to hear a gun cock. Videl's eyes focused on what was right in front of her, and her heart sank. It was two of the hostages, the mother and her daughter. The mother was knelt on the floor, her mouth still taped. The little girl was silently shaking in Gozaburo's arm, gripping her stuffed animal. "I'm sorry. I couldn't leave Miss Twinkles..."
Videl's gaze was hard for a moment, but it quickly softened. "No. I suppose you couldn't..."
She stood up straight and put her hands in the air. "Okay. What do you want?"
Outside of Satan City Jewelers...
The police watched in shock and a mother and her child came rushing out of the jewelry store, quickly falling into the waiting and protective arms of the police. Commissioner Akai Tomato knelt down and gave the sobbing little girl a pat on the head. "It's okay sweetheart, don't cry~ We'll arrest those big meanies~"
One of the officers had a bead of sweat rolling down his face. "Commissioner Tomato, your pistol holster has an éclair in it..."
Tomato pulled out the éclair and took a bite. "NOT IMPORTANT! That's the last of the hostages! Now we need to storm the building!"
The little girl cried out, hugging Ms. Twinkles close. "No! You can't do that! They'll shoot Miss Videl!"
Tomato nearly choked on her confection. "VIDEL IS IN THERE?!"
And then the leader of the robbers emerged, flanked by his two goons who Videl had knocked out first and second. They both looked annoyed as the held their guns, the barrels of the weapons aimed squarely at the head of their captive. Videl stood between them, wrists zip-tied and mouth taped shut. She looked angry.
Tomato cried out. "OH NO! VIDEL! MY PRECIOUS VIDEL!"
And now Videl looked annoyed, rolling her eyes and mumbling to herself. "Ymmv gmm bh khm mh..."
Of course, something like this posed no threat to the ever-prepared Videl Hercule. She just needed to wait for her moment. Zip-ties were notoriously brittle and a single jerk of her wrists would snap them like twine. She just needed to wait for a monologue to start. Once these windbags started to make threats or try to ransom her off to her dad, she was going to give them something to scream about. She gripped her wrists, ready to break free at a moment's notice...
... and then a green blur crossed her vision and brought a harsh wind alongside it. Videl and the robbers flinched and Videl cried out. "What the hell?!"
And then she realized that she spoke, looking down and seeing that the strip of tape had been ripped from her lips. "What... the hell?"
And then, Videl stared forward and was met by what she could only call the most bizarre thing she had ever seen. There he stood with a bright green uniform, a flowing red cape, and a garish orange helmet. In each of his hands, he held one of the guns that had been pointed at Videl's head. Gripped between his teeth, was the strip of duct tape that had kept her mouth shut. He spat it to the floor and laughed out loud. "HAHA! EVIL-DOERS BEWARE! JUSTICE NOW STANDS BEFORE YOU!"
Videl's shoulders sagged. Her eyes fell half-lidded and a bead of sweat rolled down the side of her face. "What the hell...?"
The previous week, Capsule Corp...
Gohan beamed with pride at the design that he had personally drawn while Bulma and Vegeta stared at it with mixed looks of disgust and horror. He had been sitting next on the couch next to them since Bulma had agreed to help him with his superhero costume project. And now, they were both regretting that they hadn't just gone to bed.
Gohan smiled from ear-to-ear. "The green represents safety, like Piccolo and Android 16! The gloves and boots are to honor my Saiyan heritage, you're welcome Vegeta! And the orange helmet is meant to reflect my father, who's always on my mind!"
Bulma's eyes were white. "Oh my..."
Vegeta's eyes were also white. "... my god."
Gohan was giddy. "So, whaddya think?! Pretty cool, right?! Right?! Right?!"
He was actually excited about this. He was... actually... excited about this!
Vegeta groaned. "Y-"
He buried his face in his hands. "You're a Saiyan warrior, not a circus clown..."
Gohan seemed to blow this off. He motioned back to his drawing. "Oh, I forgot to mention the red cape! The reason for that is... Grandpa Bardock always wears a red headband. And, if I'm going to do this, I wanna feel like he has my back..."
Vegeta lifted his face from his hand. Bulma sighed. "Fine. I'll... I'll do it, Gohan..."
Back in the present...
The newest hero on the scene in Satan City struck what he thought was a fantastic pose and cried out. "EVIL-DOERS BEWARE! FOR THE GREAT SAIYAMAN IS HERE!"
The goofy costume, the goofy voice, the stylistic desert that was those poses. Videl felt like she was going to be sick. "... what the hell?"
The three robbers surrounding Videl all glared daggers at this new intruder into the attempted theft. Gozaburo scowled beneath his ski mask. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE BUTTING YOUR LAME-ASS HEAD INTO OUR BUSINESS?!"
He turned to his men. "And how the hell did you two idiots let him take your guns?!"
They both shrugged at their boss. "We dunno! They were in our hands one second and then, just... gone!"
Saiyaman called out. "This is your last chance, evil-doers! Surrender, or face JUSTICE!"
Goazburo pointed to one of the other thugs. "Go kick the shit out of that guy!"
He nodded. "R-Right, Boss!"
The thug ran towards the unstylish superhero and Saiyaman wagged his finger. "Tsk tsk. Don't say I didn't warn you~"
He disappeared in a flash and then reappeared right in the charging goon's face. Saiyaman pulled his fist back and threw what he thought was a light punch. "JUSTICE PUNCH!"
The punch connected, and the goon's stomach caved in. His eyes bulged and nearly bugged out of their sockets. He was sent shooting back with the force of a fired bullet, smashing through the door and flying all the way to the back counter of the jewelry store, embedding into the wall and sticking there. A bead of sweat rolled out from under Saiyaman's helmet and he mumbled to himself. "Justice Whoops..."
The criminals, the police, and Videl all stared in shock and awe, the police and the crooks doing a doubletake from the ridiculous fools standing before them to the unconscious criminal stuck deep in a vertical crater. The other thug, only loosely holding Videl's arm, was shaking in his boots. And Videl was happy to take advantage, snapping the zip-ties holding her hands behind her back and upper-cutting the guy to the ground. The leader sneered, pulling a pistol and aiming it at Videl's head. "You uppity little-"
"JUSTICE KICK!"
Saiyaman shot forth and smashed the tip of his foot across the criminal's face. He went spinning through the air and crashed into a streetlight hard enough that bent into the shape of his body.
The jewel thieves were defeated and the day was saved, all thanks to the timely intervention of Videl and the Great Saiyaman!
Immediately, the police rushed through the doors of the jewelry store and began to cuff and detain the members of the thieving bunch. By the time they were done, nine men were dragged from in and around the store and thrown into the police wagon. Akai Tomato cocked her head and she stared in at them. "Only nine?"
One of her officers nodded. "Yes ma'am. One of them got away, we have an APB out for them right now!"
Tomato nodded. "Good. Good. Now then~"
Her eyes locked over at the two heroes of the day. Her precious Videl had her arms crossed, glaring at her would-be savior. The Great Saiyaman, with his broad shoulders and heroic frame, stood across from Videl looking nervous and flustered. Tomato walked over to them with an upbeat, peppy swagger. "What's up, party people! Nice job thwarting-"
Videl snapped, ignoring Tomato entirely. "I hate interlopers bothering me, especially when I have a situation handled! Who the hell do you think you are butting in?!"
Great Saiyaman responded. "I AM THE GREAT S-SAIYAMAN!"
Videl gritted her teeth. "Don't mock me, you jerk! I mean who are you really?! I hate masks so you're already pretty high on my shit list! Tell me who you are!"
She reached up for his helmet, but Saiyaman recoiled back. "I-I merely stepped in because you seemed in a bad spot when I arrived on the scene! Your hands were bound! You were gagged! Y-You looked like a hostage!"
Videl sneered. "I was playing possum so that they'd let the little girl go!"
Tomato, totally lost in her own daydreams chuckled. "You sure did put on a show of saving her, though. The way you pulled the tape off her lips with your teeth, almost like a prince giving a kiss to his fair damsel in distress~"
Videl glared at Tomato. "DAMSEL IN DISTRESS?!"
Saiyan stammered. "K-K-KISS?!"
Videl's face went bright red, she glared over at Saiyaman. Saiyaman's face went bright red, he nervously stammered in a tiny, tiny voice. "My... hands were full... because I took their guns...I..."
There was practically steam wafting out of Videl's ear. She lunged at Saiyaman's helmet with both hands. "WHO THE BLEEDING HELL ARE YOU?!"
Saiyaman quickly leapt into the air. "Uh, good working with you! I look forward to dispensing justice in the future! GREAT SAIYAMAN AWAY!"
And then he took off like a Mach jet, blasting away so fast that a practical tornado of dust and debris kicked up into the air. Tomato smirked. "Ooh! He can fly! Neato!"
Videl snapped at her. "Shut up! No one can really fly! It's all a trick, damn it! A trick!"
Up in the air...
Gohan ripped his helmet off and gave himself three harsh slaps to the side of the head. "STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! COULD THAT HAVE GONE ANY WORSE?!"
The poor half-Saiyan was beet red and totally flabbergasted by the situation he had created for himself back there. He reviewed it all in his head.
His pose? Stiff.
His phrases? Lame.
His super-heroic panache?
He pictured his lips getting close to Videl's. So close with no permission at all. And Gohan experienced a head-to-toe shudder. "You jerk! That was basically a kiss! Damn it!"
Gohan slotted the helmet back over his head and groaned. He had spent the past week watching all manner of super sentai and hero anime and for what? Half-assed results?! Gohan let loose a long, frustrated groan. "Looks like I might have to skip out on Professor Carmine today. I hope he doesn't get mad at me. But... I'm going to need proper mentors for this, otherwise it'll never work..."
He sighed. "Which means I need to bolt to West City after school..."
Back at school...
The next few classes of the day went by without a hitch. At lunch, Videl learned that Gohan had left the room not long after she had, but Erasa was quick to cover for him. Videl was skeptical about the story they gave her, Gohan having stomach pains and needing a long trip to the nearest stall, but Videl had never had reason to doubt Erasa before. So she let it slide with little more than a grumble about hating Saiyaman.
She didn't notice Gohan subtly flinch.
The four of them returned to school after lunch and it was time for them to attend music class. The week of Gohan's eminent dread came up. Now... he had to pick and instrument. It was a requirement for Orange Star High. As a showing of cultural appreciation, each student had to proficiently play a musical instrument before they could officially be declared high school graduates. And for most of the kids, that was easy.
Erasa professed to knowing a couple of instruments, so she decided she was going to spend most of her time screwing around with a tambourine. When the big music final came in a couple of years, she had been playing piano since she was 3 years old. So she would manage.
Videl was reserved, but easily picked up a bass and strummed a steady and consistent line out of it. She sighed. "My mother was a musician and my dad plays bass. This is basically second nature."
Sharpner, who had no prior music experience, found the drums to be an easy and steady choice. He was still rough in some areas, but seemed eager to improve. "Drums are rad~"
And Gohan... sat dejectedly in his chair, his head hung in shame and staring at the pile of instruments in front of him. A cracked flute, a crushed clarinet, a string-bare guitar, a set of blasted out bongos. Each and every one a musical failure. Gohan groaned. "Maybe I can bluff my way through this..."
Sharpner attempted to be encouraging. "Aw, come on, man. D-Don't give up..."
He reached into a cabinet where practice instruments were stored and pulled out the nearest one at hand. "Here! Try the piccolo!"
Gohan grimaced. "N-No. That one feels criminal..."
Erasa poked her finger into her cheek. "The issue seems to be that poor Gohan doesn't know his own strength..."
A suspicious sparkle suddenly gleamed in Videl's eyes, not that Erasa noticed. She grumbled. "Yeah... he really doesn't, huh...?"
Erasa walked up, reaching behind Sharpner and pulling something from the very top shelf of the instrument's cabinet. "Try this one, Gohan!"
Gohan flinched as Erasa placed the weighty instrument into his lap. It was an electric keyboard! Gohan cocked his head. "You think this one will work?"
Erasa nodded. "Sure. As long as you don't get nervous. The only reason all of those instruments at your feet are broken is because you're tense. You need to loosen up and relax. We're here for you, Gohan! You don't have to face this alone!"
Sharpner shot a thumbs up. "She's right, dude! We got ya!"
Videl glared for another solid minute, whatever suspicions she had were fading. Saiyaman was a geeky goon, but he didn't seem nervous during his act to her. If Gohan only really lost control of whatever strength he had when he was nervous, then she had no reason to suspect that he was that overconfident, green prick. Videl smiled. "We can practice together. And if the keyboard doesn't work out, I'll teach you how to play bass. Okay?"
Gohan's face warmed up a bit. He smiled and began to tap at the keys in his lap. "Thanks guys. That means a lot~"
And so, the practice in the music room continued between the four until the last bell of the day rang. Official school was over. It was now career studies once more. Videl sighed and zipped her bass up in its case. "Today sucked. I'm not patrolling the streets this evening. I'm just going to train in the home dojo..."
Sharpner chuckled. "I'm going to go practice my pitch until my babe is ready for me~"
Videl glanced at him. "You're dating someone at the next school over. Right?"
He nodded. "Yup. Me and my babe are going out cruising tonight~"
Videl rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
She glanced back at Gohan. "Hey. Keep practicing. Some of those notes today didn't make my guts churn. If you ever wanna meet up and do some after-hours practice, my door is always open to you three. I just have to introduce Gohan to my dad."
Erasa smiled as she stuffed her tambourine into her backpack. "That sounds fun~"
Gohan smiled. "Yeah. Sounds great..."
Videl was first to go, followed by Erasa, and then Sharpner who shot Gohan finger guns on his way out. Gohan smiled and shot them back. Then, once they were gone, he pulled out his phone and texted Professor Carmine that he would have to miss out on career studies today.
Gohan's phone chimed 15 seconds later.
I am at home repairing my watch. I forgot to inform you. My apologies.-Carmine
Gohan sniffed. "Huh. An apology. I wouldn't have gotten that a month ago. I think I'm growing on him."
Closing his text app, Gohan quickly scrolled through his tabs and closed a never-ending sea of clips from various children's shows. He was reminded of his earlier embarrassment and made his phone go dark. "Stupid..."
"You're not stupid."
Gohan looked up and there stood Erasa. She was no longer dressed in her chic, stylish school clothes, but rather her professional attire for working with Android 18. Erasa leaned against the doorway and smiled. "I figured you might want to talk, so I told Miss Lazuli that I missed my train."
She walked in and sat next to Gohan, studying his face. She smiled. "I appreciate you going out to watch over Videl today. We can trade off every now and again if you want..."
Gohan flinched and looked at her. She smiled wide. "You shouldn't have to be a chaperone every day, but it's still a real manly move to follow her into danger and make sure she stays okay~"
Gohan smiled and scratched his cheek. "Ya really think so?"
Erasa chuckled. "Yeah. You put on the whole passive farm-boy act, but I think there's a real tiger underneath all that. Like, you're ready to go if something is a threat to something you care about~"
The entire Cell Games flashed through Gohan's head and he briefly felt Cumber's aura start to flicker, but he quickly repressed it. "Yeah. Something like that. Heh..."
And that made up Gohan's mind. Erasa was right. He did care. He cared about Videl's safety because she was his friend. And he didn't want to think about his temper going off if something happened to her. He needed to tighten up his game. Saiyaman had to be better. And he could only think of one way to make Saiyaman better. His mind was made up right then and there.
Gohan was suddenly pulled out of that thought by a warm hand wrapping around his own. He looked down as Erasa looked up and their eyes locked. Erasa blushed. "I was thinking to myself that I would be a real fool not to take my shot. That it would be dumb to let a genuinely good guy pass along without at least testing the waters, ya know? You're a sweet guy, Gohan..."
Gohan didn't get it. He was a smart kid with a good head on his shoulders, but he was still very much Son Goku's son, hence social cues were still a weakness. He nervously laughed. "Uh... thanks for the compliment~"
Erasa pushed herself up, the look in her eyes suggesting that her mind was very much made up at well. She looked into Gohan's eyes, seeing surprise but nothing more negative than that. She whispered. "Are you dating anyone right now...?"
Gohan shook his head. "N-No..."
And then Erasa pressed her lips to his, drawing him in for a deep, sweet, and quite passionate kiss. She pulled back, a nervous smile on her face. "D-Do you wanna be my boyfriend...?"
Later that evening, in Videl's home gym...
Videl's foot slammed into the heavy bag so hard that, for a moment, the thing was utterly weightless. Today just wasn't her goddamned day. First that Saiyaman creep butted into her business, then her dad read her the riot act after hearing about what happened at the jewelry store robbery...
...and then he started to cry.
Videl bit her lip and kicked the 200 lbs bag again, making it smash against the ceiling. "Shit! Damn it! Shit! Fuck!"
Videl hated being babied. But she hated it worse making her dad cry. She really, really hated that. As she kicked and punched and struck the bag, not noticing how progressively raggedy it was becoming, and offbeat, almost chill hip-hop song played in the background.
"Yofukashi no uta~
Terashitette moonlight~
Me wo ubatte buruu raito~
Neon sain ga yobu omoteura~
Yofukashi no uta~
Tsuresatte midnight~
Chibashitta redeyes~
Otona tachi no komori uta~"
Videl kicked the bag again and, as it rose up, and even more distressing thought popped into her head: if this Saiyaman freak was a regular fixture now, that might discourage the Golden Fighter from making another appearance.
The next kick sent the bag crashing through the window and down three stories into the pool below.
Videl flopped onto her butt and cracked open a canned electrolyte drink, chugging half of it before she took a breath. She leaned her head back, her silky raven hair pooling over her shoulders, down her back, and atop her sports bra. She absently scratched the rather pronounced abs that streak lines across her tummy.
And then her thoughts fell onto Gohan and she blushed. Videl liked to put out the image of being a no-nonsense, adult young woman. But she was still a teenage girl on the inside. Sharpner had been a no-go for as long as she knew him. She didn't really think she swung the way it would take to be with Erasa, though the though never really left the back of her mind...
... but now she had a boy that she could focus on. Not a Golden figment of her emotionally compromised subconscious. Not some lunkhead her father tried to introduce her to who would "protect" her. Gohan was an even-tempered, polite, caring, and friendly guy. On top of which, he was very attractive and equally well-built.
As he became someone that she had gotten to know, Videl groaned, blushing and narrowing her eyes at the thought. "He's hot..."
She swallowed the rest of her drink and then reached for a bottle of water. She pictured Gohan's face... then the image of that golden boy from 7 years ago flashed through her mind. "He can't be..."
Videl cracked the cap off of the water and poured most of it over her face. She drank the last couple of sips and stood, shaking the damp away and then toweling off. "No. He's not. His hair isn't even gold, you idiot..."
She tossed the towel away. "And Erasa expressed interest in him first, so she has dibs. Would never wanna betray my bestie. I'll just have to..."
She sighed. "...see how this all plays out."
That evening, at Raditz and Launch's house...
The door clicked behind Son Ranch as she pulled the portal to her room shut. She wasn't planning on staying long. There was a bed ready for her at Capsule Corp. She just wanted to grab a book that she'd been meaning to read from her little bookshelf, then it was back to peace and quiet in Aunt Bulma and Uncle Vegeta's guest room.
She could hear them downstairs and the sound of anything resembling happiness in his voice made her skin crawl. Why did he get to be happy?
And that thought made her feel even worse. That was her father. Why was she upset that he was happy down there? It was his big day. And it went well from everything that she had heard. She should be down there celebrating with them. She pictured that in her head for a moment. Celebrating. Happy. She'd go in for a hug, and then...
Ranch quietly marched down the stairs, hoping that she could make it through the front door unnoticed. But of course, she heard Blonde Launch's voice call out to her the moment her dark, gothic little form entered the light. Ranch entered the kitchen and stared at her parents.
She was tall for an 8-year-old. Dressed in all black with spiky earrings, a black skull toque, and midnight eyeliner. In her hair was a persistent streak of blue, an inheritance from Blue Launch. It turned blonde when her emotion rans too hot, but that wasn't often these days. Ranch was a sullen as most teenagers got to be at a much later age. She gripped her book tight and tried to force a smile. She couldn't make her lips move.
Blonde Launch looked worried. She was starting to look as worried as Blue Mom normally did. Dad stared at her, dressed in his suit that Aunt Bulma had tailored, the jacket folded over the back of a kitchen chair. He and Ranch stared at each other with tense, genuine discomfort. Not hate or loathing, just discomfort. Maybe even pain. Like feeling your recovering hand sting after a meeting with a hot stove.
Blonde Launch tried to break the ice. "Hey kid. Y-Your dad's got the deal of the century today! We're gonna be in some good money around here soon, even better than we already are! W-Why don't you congratulate him?"
Ranch was silent, he eyes sunken in and dull.
Blonde Launch turned to Raditz. "O-Or you could tell Ranch all about the deal, Raditz! You were so excited telling me about it..."
Raditz swallowed a lump in his throat. "Y-Yeah. So, Ranch, I... I... uh..."
He reached out his hand, dismayed to see the visible trembles in it. For a moment, things blurred past Raditz's fingertips. Then things became clear and Raditz was staring at Future Ranch, dead on the ground. He felt a hot, almost acidic breath on his ear and heard a voice he'd been hearing in his nightmares for the past 7 years speech in a sadistic, dulcet tone. "Don't you not love your daughter~?"
Raditz was snapped back into reality when his butt hit the stove, sending a pot of boiling water tumbling over. It washed over his hand, but he didn't feel it or even care. He stared down at Ranch, looking positively terrified. And to young Ranch, this look was nothing new. Without a word, she turned and stomped away toward the door. Blonde Launch called after her. "R-Ranch! Wait! Come ba-"
*SLAM*
Blonde Launch's hand dropped, but she didn't have a moment to grieve. A sharp wheeze cracked behind her and she turned to see Raditz balled up on the ground, his face buried in his knees. "I... I couldn't... I didn't... why didn't... why didn't I turn...? Why didn't I turn?!"
Blonde Launch was on her knees, her arms wrapped around Raditz's neck and back. His heart was beating so hard she could feel it on her cheek through his back. She gently, soothingly combed her fingers through his hair. "Raditz..."
Raditz sobbed. "What if Cell was right?! What if I don't... what if she doesn't...?"
Blonde Launch spoke firmly. "Neither of those things are true and Cell is dead."
Raditz simply began to sob, so quietly that one couldn't hear it unless they were right next to him. Launch squeezed him tighter. "It's okay Raditz. This is just a phase. We'll work everything out eventually..."
Outside, standing just next to the kitchen window, Ranch scowled. "A phase. Yeah right..."
She reached up and pulled her toque over her eyes. And then she flew off in the direction of West City.
In the far-off wilderness of Mt. Paozu...
"Giru Giru Giru..."
Giru merrily marched through the grasses of Mount Paozu next to Gohan, two Dragon Balls held reverently in his miniscule, robotic grip. Gohan, holding the other five Dragon Balls, smiled down at his little companion. "Thanks for the help, Giru. I appreciate you coming along. You made this quick~"
Giru was cheerful. "Giru appreciates Son Gohan. Son Gohan is kind to Giru. Giru Giru Giru."
Gohan chuckled. "Yeah. It can't be easy working as Bulma's personal assistant. She seems like she can be a real slave driver..."
Giru nodded. "Yes. Giru's life is hell. Though Giru does enjoy the company of Trunks and Bulla, now that they are not infants. Giru Giru Giru."
Gohan sighed. "I'll... try and have a talk with her."
It had been a busy day for Gohan since leaving school. He snuck onto the grounds of Capsule Corp, lured Giru away with bits of scrap metal as a treat, and then made a quick deal with the little robot for use of the Dragon Radar in his system. This was the perfect day to do it, too. Bulma was in the middle of her investor's meeting and would probably forget that Giru existed in the meantime. Gohan wondered aloud. "I wonder what Bulma's up to right now..."
Giru chimed in. "Past trends suggest that, after such a busy day, Bulma is de-stressing with her husband, Vegeta behind a locked door. Giru Giru Giru..."
Gohan nodded awkwardly. "And that's where we need to stop talking about this. I don't want to think about anything Bulma and Vegeta do behind a locked door. That's their private business."
Giru nodded. "Giru wholeheartedly agrees. Giru Giru Giru."
Gohan and Giru came into a clearing, gathering the steadily flashing Dragon Balls into a pile in the middle of it. Gohan cracked his neck, threw down a bag of high-quality nuts and bolts for Giru to enjoy, and then closed his eyes.
His mother and Grandma Gine were both passed out drunk, living it up on a Friday evening as Grandma Gine often said.
Uncle Raditz was in a miserable sleep with Aunt Launch laying on his chest, also asleep.
Vegeta and Bulma were awake, both physically active in a major way. Gohan politely assumed training a moved on.
Krillin was asleep. Marron was asleep. So that probably meant Android 18 was asleep.
Chiaotzu was also asleep. So were all of the kids: Trunks, Goten, Bulla, Chika, Ranch, and Koriocha.
And Dende and Mr. Popo seemed to be in a deep, deep meditation.
With his father, Piccolo, Tien, and Yamcha essentially dead, that only left 16 and 17 unaccounted for, so he would have to hope they just wouldn't notice or care about Shenron being summoned.
Gohan took a deep breath. Unbeknownst to him, Giru's camera within his eye switched on. Gohan called out. "Eternal Dragon! By your name, I summon you forth! SHENRON!"
The Dragon Balls erupted with mystical energy and, in a flash, Shenron was hovering before him. "You who have gathered the Seven Dragon Balls, speak your wish! Also, hi there, Gohan. You've grown."
Gohan smirked. "Hey Shenron. It's been a hot minute. Nice to see you. I only have one wish today, then you can go back to sleep. Okay?"
Shenron bellowed. "Speak your wish!"
Gohan sighed. "This is probably a mistake, and it's definitely something everyone would yell at my father for doing, but desperate times call for desperate measures and I am certainly desperate..."
Gohan looked up at Shenron. "Shenron! I... I wish the all the dead members of the Ginyu Force were alive and in front of me right now!"
