Last time on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL, Son Gohan had begun his journey as a high school student for the sake of his social development. However, on his way to school, there was a robbery at the bank with innocent bystanders in the way. To combat the situation, Gohan secretly took matters into his own hands and put a stop to the criminals as a Super Saiyan. And because of this, rumors about the "Golden Warrior" had spread so far that they even appear in school where the daughter of Mr. Hercule Satan, Videl, attends. Videl, who's also Gohan's classmate, started to draw a connection between our hero and his transformed alter ego. Now out of options, Gohan is traveling to Capsule Corps to enlist the help of an old family friend while seeking a certain somebody for questions. What will our young hero do to get himself out of the situation he's in, and what are there burning questions that Gohan has? Find out now on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!
Capsule Corporation, West City, Age 774
Once he made it to the front of the familiar large building, Gohan jumped off of Kinto'un and thanked the golden cloud as it flew skyward. Gohan scanned his special ID card and spoke to the receptionist before heading to Bulma's living space.
"Bulma! Hey, Bulma! Are you here?" Cried Gohan, hoping he hadn't visited at an inappropriate time.
"Huh? Well, I'll be darn. Hi, Gohan-kun," Bulma Briefs, the President of the Capsule Corporation, walking out of a hallway.
She was a blue-haired slender woman of average height, wearing a red dress, a yellow scarf around her neck, blue socks, and red shoes. "Where have you been, kiddo? We haven't seen you around for two weeks! You know Trunks has been asking about you lately."
Gohan simply scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Hehehe! Sorry about that, I've been busy. See, Mom has actually convinced me to go to school because I don't have any friends around my age." He explained.
Bulma's eyes widened as she said, "Woah, woah, woah, woah! Hold the phone! You're a high schooler now? Chi-Chi actually sent you off to school?"
Seeing that the President of Capsule Corporation is clearly astonished and confused, Gohan explained everything that happened today before, during, and after school without mentioning the names or sex of certain people.
"Ah…" Bulma said, pulling out a cigarette and lit it up with a lighter. "So…, what exactly do you need from me, Gohan-kun?"
"Well, I was hoping you could create a disguise for me. I'm going to Orange Star High, a high school in Hercule City. And that place is filled with criminal activity. From the looks of it, the police aren't really doing well enough to remedy the problem. But I also don't want people to recognize my public identity or continue to talk about the "Golden Warrior" where there's a chance of the Cell Games being brought up and connections being drawn from there." Gohan said, explaining the problem.
Bulma simply nodded in understanding. Times are different from back to when seeing and Goku were kids. People were more open-minded about magic, ki, and the metaphysical/supernatural. Alas, since Mr. Satan became the supposed "World Savior", things of that nature were viewed in a negative and ignorant light, deemed as simple tricks and mirrors to the common city folk that listened to Hercule. And if people found out, Gohan's new friends and family could be targeted.
"So, you want a costume to wear so that you can be a brand new vigilante? Well, if I had any say in this, I'd tell you that it's not necessarily your responsibility to intervene in handling crooks on a daily basis. Oh well, you're Son-kun's kid, so I know that's impossible for you to ignore." Bulma concluded, already working on the schematics of the device and costume as she took a hit from her cigarette.
"So can you really do it, Bulma?" Gohan asked, wondering if she could pull it off.
"Gohan-kun, you're talking to a person who manufactures state-of-the-art technology that revolutionizes the scientific field and industry on a daily basis. I'm sure a little superhero costume isn't too far up my alley." Bulma concluded, tapping the bud in her ashtray.
"Thanks, Bulma. I owe you one," Gohan thanked with gratitude coming from his voice before looking around. "Say, is Trunks around by any chance?" Gohan questioned, hoping to check on him.
"Oh, he should just be finishing up training with Vegeta," Bulma replies. "Go over and check around one of the chambers in the Gravity Room. They should be in one of them."
"Ah, I see. So he's giving him the child Saiyan regimen early, eh?" Gohan assumed.
"Well, according to Vegeta, if he's old enough to walk he's old enough to train. I'm sure Trunks can handle it. He is our son after all," Bulma replied before walking to her lab to begin designing the superhero costume.
Gohan walked down to where the Gravity Room was, reminiscing on the times he's been through the doors and training nonstop there himself.
Just then, an eight-year-old Trunks Briefs walked out from the main doors of the Gravity Room and grabbed a towel to wipe his face with.
Returning To the present, Gohan greeted, "Hey, Trunks! Long time no see!"
"Gohan!" Trunks cried, wiping his face real quick, and ran towards him with a child's excitement in his blue eyes. "You're here! Where'd you go? It's been forever since you've visited!"
"Yes, brat! Where were you, indeed?"
Both Trunks and Gohan were greeted by another person who had existed from the Gravity Room.
He was a tan-skinned man who looked younger than he actually was. His height was shorter than most men, but that was compensated by his muscular build that was defined in his attire. The man's widow's peak hairline was made up by the flaming dark hair that stood up and had a brown tinge to it, matching with his dark eyes. He wore a blue sleeveless jumpsuit with white gloves and boots.
This was the only living full-blooded Saiyan who just so happened to be the Prince of Saiyans.
This was Vegeta IV, former planet conqueror and former rival of Goku.
"Oh," Gohan said with a lot of intelligence. "Hi, Vegeta! How are you today?"
Vegeta merely scowled at Gohan, saying, "Don't give me that crap, brat! Where the hell have you been for the past fourteen days? We were supposed to be sparring and you missed our Friday through Sunday sessions twice! I demand an answer, boy. Now!"
Trunks, hearing his father getting grouchy decided to tell Gohan that he'll talk to him later and went to his room
Gohan, not wanting to anger the prince any further, told him his explanation. Needless to say, Vegeta wasn't impressed.
"Oh hell! Of course that harpy you call a mother is behind this mess!" Vegeta sighed in frustration. "And now you've reduced our legendary status as a mere cosmetic guise? A complete disgrace."
Gohan simply laughed nervously at his blunder, mirroring his deceased father.
"Ah," Gohan just remembered. "I was wondering if you could help with something...personal."
Vegeta, upon hearing this, crossed his arms on his chest and gave him a harsh glare.
"Why should I care enough to waste my time training for some meaningless random earthling endeavor?"
Gohan then revealed something that caught the Saiyan prince's attention.
"Because it involves Saiyans."
Vegeta, turning his harsh glare to a look of mild interest.
"...Go on."
"Long story short, Vegeta, I am writing notes. Notes about everything Saiyan-related. Culture, technology, history, psychology, biology. You name it. But the issues regarding that stems from a lack of source material and the fact that almost all of them are gone." Explained the hybrid.
The Saiyan Elite formed a rare smirk that was filled with pride, internally pleased that Kakarot's son of all people had taken an interest in his glorious heritage.
"Well I'll be damn," Chuckled Vegeta IV. 'I never thought that you'd care about our race, let alone try to write records about it. Tell me, what led you down this rabbit hole?"
Gohan's face immediately shifted into a serious expression, saying, "...I don't know why. I've just...thus is a part of me. No matter how much it bothers me at times, I can't simply reject my Saiyan blood. And it wouldn't be fair to do so to any kids I would have if I were to settle down some time in the future. They must know where the original Saiyans came from and why it is important not to make the same mistakes they did so history does repeat itself."
Vegeta concluded, "So you came to me to obtain information about our warrior race? Well then. Let's add a condition to our agreement."
The son of Goku nodded.
"I, Prince Vegeta IV, shall educate you about the daily life of Planet Vegeta and the Saiyans on the behalf of our fallen people and my late father. However, I'll only agree to this if you, the first spawn of Kakarot, study under me as my student of sorts. And when I achieve the ascended level of Super Saiyan, you will fight me at full power."
Gohan grimaced, making his mouth become a thin line. He understood what Vegeta was asking of him. He wanted him to have an all-out fight. Using that form.
What most of the Dragon Team didn't know, outside of Piccolo and Vegeta, Gohan hasn't tapped into the power of the second level of the Super Saiyan since his fight with Perfect Cell seven years ago. During that time, Gohan thought back to how he acted within the Super Saiyan 2 transformation that he had grown so disgusted with himself and the form in which he swore never to use it again.
Vegeta, despite feeling a certain way about his own life and purpose as of late, snapped him out of it after Goten was born and grounded him in reality. He said regardless of whether he was not seeking the life of a warrior, there will always be potential conflicts with the planet on the line. A warrior must always be prepared, even in times of peace. Taking that to heart, Gohan decided to be a scholar, and keep up with his training to protect his family and the planet.
"Do we have a deal, brat?"
Gohan looked at Vegeta, who actually extended his hand. The teen didn't want to do this. He really didn't. That form had cost him his mother's husband, his little brother growing up fatherless. Bulma and the others had lost their friend because of him. And yet… he knew that this project was too important to pass up.
"...Deal," Gohan said reluctantly, playing right into Vegeta's hand.
A confident grin formed on the flaming-haired Saiyan's face as he said, "You should feel honored, boy. You're doing a fine service to your kind. Wear that like a crown."
'...What have I gotten myself into?'
-Time Skip, Two Hours Later-
Gohan came back from one of Bulma's personal offices with two books in his messenger bag.
Vegeta had given him a well-detailed background regarding the original planet, Planet Sadala, where the setting of the Super Saiyan legend took place. This was a good start for Gohan's "Saiyan Archive", as he called it.
When he entered the lab, Bulma was waiting for him with his watch in her hand. Trunks was also sitting next to her.
"Bulma, I'm back!" Gohan called.
"Welcome back, Gohan-kun," The scientist said as she held the device.
While Gohan took the watch, he swapped his older watch with the new one on the older Briefs created.
"There you go. Now give it a try, kid," Bulma instructed, watching Gohan's movement.
"Hey, Mom. I wanna get one of those too!" Trunks said with a child's enthusiasm.
"So," Gohan said. "Do I push the blue button or the red one?"
"The red one."
Doing so, the watch surges in a yellow flash, transmitting Gohan a change of clothes until the outfit had appeared. Turning to the mirror the teen (along with Trunks) gasped in amazement.
Gohan's attire was made up of a reddish-orange helmet with a black visor and two antennae sticking up diagonally with each end on the side. He wore a
dark red and green Saiyan Battle Armor over a black jumpsuit with no sleeves. This was accompanied by a red cape, and matching white gloves and boots.
"Wow, this is amazing!" Gohan exclaimed excitedly, looking at his reflection, loving the costume.
"Woah…" Marveled the young Trunks Briefs.
Bulma walks over to her godson, saying, "You like? Believe it or not, it was Vegeta's idea to go for the Battle Armor model. I was originally going to give you a tunic with a belt, but the darn jerk said it looked too hideous on you. Though, when he showed me a model of what he had in mind, we went with it. I just kept the helmet, jumpsuit, and the cape with the outfit."
"Wow, he really did that?" Gohan asked.
Bulma nodded, explaining, "He sure did! And you never guessed where and who he got the design from?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that, Bulma?"
"Gohan-kun, the Battle Armor you're wearing is based on a Saiyan battle captain's uniform. Particularly, this model came from a Saiyan named Bardock. According to Vegeta, he was Son-kun's father."
Gohan was shocked at this revelation.
'Bardock...was Dad's father? My grandfather?'
"This suit, Gohan-kun," Bulma continued. "It's like your rite of passage as a young Saiyan adult. And as an elder, the royal prince, and the last full-blooded Saiyan alive, Vegeta recognizes you as an Elite for your battle prowess over the last seven years."
Gohan formed a smile on his face, somehow feeling happy at the consideration that Vegeta gave him in making the suit.
"Bulma, you're the best!" Gohan said, thankful for the attire.
"It's what I do."
Bulma then felt Trunks grabbing her dress, signifying that he had a question.
"Mom, can I have a cool Saiyan Battle Armor like Gohan does, too?"
Bulma simply rubbed his back, cooing "Only when you're older and when. your father approves, sweetie."
Gohan laughs at pouting Trunks while bidding them goodnight, leaving the building.
-Time Skip, Hercule City, Twenty Minutes Later-
Son Gohan rode Kiton'un in a happier mood. The cloud was flying at full speed, taking Gohan above the normal clouds.
Gohan notices, "Would you look at that, we're going to pass Hercule City,"
Right when he said that, the entire city came into view, showing the various buildings. That's where an idea came into his mind.
'You know, what? It's time to start a new legend! Out with the old Golden Warrior, in with the new hero!'
Holding out his new watch, Gohan pushed the red button, changing into his new persona.
Gohan then said, "I'll race you, Kinto'un!"
Jumping off, Gohan took flight as he charged his ki at the same speed as Kito'un. Counting down, he and the Flying Nimbus started to race in the skies towards the city.
Gohan got closer to the city, leaving Kinto'un behind. He smiled at the sight if the city until he saw a reckless driver in the streets.
"That car's driving is out of control!" Gohan stated before descending down to the streets.
The driver in question was two young adults who were wearing shades and smoking cigarettes.
"Stupid drivers! Get off of my rode!" The driver said without a care in the world as he swerved around on the wrong side of the road.
"Yeah, get out of the way!" The passenger echoed, enjoying the rush.
The masked Gohan immediately landed, shouting, "That's enough!"
The sight of the guy landing in front of them made the two reckless young men scream as the driver immediately stopped the car into a screeching halt.
Gohan had his arms crossed, not particularly amused.
"What kind of bonehead are you? Do you have a death wish or something?" The driver asked, poking his head to see the guy who jumped in front of his car.
The passenger also exclaimed, "Yeah, get out of the way!"
"I don't want to hear that coming from a pair of young men who don't use any turning lights, have their seat belts on, or don't respect any of the rules of the law and other people's safety!" Gohan said with a firm deep, yet heroic voice.
He then pointed at the pair. "Have you no shame!?"
The driver, perplexed at the situation inquired, "What the fuck is this? We didn't ask for a corn ass PSA!"
He and the passenger then got out with the intent of jumping the consumed half Saiyan.
"Who the hell do you think you are, punk!?"
Gohan stopped, not taking into consideration as he thought back to Bulma telling him about Vegeta's involvement with his costume and the history he learned about the Saiyans.
'...Saiyans...Saiyan...Man...Saiyaman? Yeah, that's great! Ah ha! Now to play it cool!'
Still standing upright, Gohan answered in his deep calm but confident tone, "I am the Guardian of the City, Great Saiyaman!"
The drivers simply looked at him with a weirded-out expression, dropping their cigarettes from their mouths.
"Er...the Great…Saiyaman?" Mirrored the driver.
Both men looked at each other with the same face quietly, then laughed at Gohan.
"Ahahahahaha! I don't know what's more stupid, that name or that shitty sci-fi complying outfit you have on!" The driver said, inking the Saiyan side of Gohan's pride.
"Yeah, like what are those antennae from? Old refurbished TVs? Do they come with cable?" Laughed the passenger, joining in on making fun of Gohan.
Feeling the rage fester, he said, "DON'T YOU MOCK ME!"
From there, Gohan, as Saiyaman, stomped on the ground causing it to fissure under the car and make the tire sink into the crack.
"That name is clever and has a lot of meaning!"
The two idiots gaped in fear at the power of the Great Saiyaman. Not wanting to anger him more, the men apologized and complimented his name and outfit.
Saiyaman smirked at this and grabbed the car by the door, lifting it up from the fissure as it returned to the proper side of the road, scaring the men further.
Learning their lesson, the passenger said, "T-Thank you so much, Great Saiyaman!"
The driver also said, "Yeah! H-Have a good day!"
Saiyaman watched as the car drove off under the speed limit.
'Now that's what I call law-abiding citizens.' Gohan thought to himself.
Everybody nearby stared at Gohan's new alter ego in awe. Before they knew it, he waved at them, then flew away.
-Time Skip, Son Household, Mount Paozu, An Hour Later-
Gohan wore his new costume all the way home, loving the feeling of having it on.
When he entered the household, Chi-Chi was in the kitchen cooking dinner.
"Gohan! I was beginning to worry when you didn't come home three hours ago."
"Sorry, Mom,"
"Look at you… I send you to school with those other kids and you're already coming home late wearing silly outfits." She said without looking at her eldest son.
The costumed halfling couldn't help but blush as he wondered if his mother could read minds.
Goten came back after catching an abnormally large-sized trout when he saw Gohan in costume.
"Woah! Now that's a cool costume!" Goten said.
"Thanks, squirt. I knew I can always count on you."
After dinner was finished being made, the family ate, showered, and went to bed for the night.
-Time Skip, The Next Day-
In his sleep, Gohan was tossing and turning in his sleep with sweat pouring down his face. He was muttering words so low, they couldn't be heard correctly. But all he could think about was his past and a haunting reminder loomed over his consciousness.
His failure.
It was a windy afternoon in the middle of a desert. Gohan was ten years old, he had finally snapped and ascended past that of a Super Saiyan. He had been utterly humiliating Perfect Cell, a monster that drained the population of many cities and spread terror throughout the world. And yet, his justice against the overgrown mosquito wasn't enough. He wanted to hurt him.
To make Cell suffer for what he did.
But all of that was in vain now. Cell reverted back to his Semi-perfect state and decided to inflate himself with his power to blow up the planet with everybody else with him. Gohan had failed everybody.
He should have listened to his father, and now the whole Earth was going to pay for his mistakes.
The young Gohan sank to his knees and punched the ground he once stood on in utter self-loathing and defeat.
"...I just did the same thing my Dad and Vegeta do. What is this shit, genetic!? ...It's not fair. Why, why is this happening!? What didn't I finish the job when I had the chance!? I HAD THE POWER! WHY!?"
Gohan would have continued to cry in anger when a sudden presence appeared between a bloated Cell who just stopped laughing and Gohan himself.
It was Son Goku, who had two fingers from his right hand on his forehead while touching Cell with his left hand.
"Hey, Gohan…" Goku greeted or rather lamented.
"Dad," Gohan asked, lifting his head to look at his father. "W-What are you-"
"-...I-I'm sorry." Goku apologized, taking Gohan by surprise. "Fighting is...well, it makes me happy. And I just thought that it would make you happy too. But I was wrong. And I realize that now. I hope you can someday forgive me for what I've put you through all these years."
"Daddy..."
Turning back to Gohan, Goku said, "But I want you to know that the year we've spent in the Time Chamber was the best year of my life. ...Take care of your mom for me, and keep hitting those books."
"Wait, are you-" Gohan asked with concern etched in his tone.
Goku cut him off with a smile as he said to his face, "I'm proud of you, son. Both as a fighter and as a father ...Goodbye, Gohan."
Cell flailing and screaming fell into deaf ears as Goku was whisked away, leaving a horrified Gohan driven to tears.
Gohan, not knowing how to react immediately screamed, "NOOOOOOO!"
The piercing sound of his own scream had cut his vision to black while the muffled sounds of his name began to surface.
'...an...Go...Goh...GOHAN!'
Gohan immediately shot up from his bed, completely drenched in sweat on his forehead. Turning his head he saw the worried faces of his mother and younger brother.
Not knowing what to say, Gohan said, "Uh...good morning,"
"Gohan, are you okay?" Chi-Chi asked, concerned for her eldest son's well-being as she got a towel that she gave him to wipe his face off.
Gohan smiled sadly, asking, "What do you mean, Mom? I'm fine,"
Goten walked over to Gohan meekly, explaining, "But, big brother, when I came to wake you up, I found you moving in your sleep. Then you started screaming, and I got so scared. So I ran to go get Mommy."
Gohan remained silent, reflecting on his dream about what happened during the Cell Games. Chi-Chi got that knowing glance, reading her son like a book. Sighing, Gohan simply got up, saying nearly impassively, "Look guys, I'm fine. It was just a bad dream. It's not real. I need to get dressed and head to school."
The other two reluctantly nodded and gave their family member some space to let the teen strip, shower, take care of hygiene then get dressed. Walking into the kitchen, Gohan was greeted by his mother and brother as they decided to make small talk, cheering Gohan up a little bit.
Once he was done, the teenage Saiyan grabbed his lunch capsule and ran outside.
"Gohan, wait!"
The high schooler turned around to see the two standing by the door.
"Sweetie, if you ever want to talk about anything, we're here for you."
Gohan nodded, "I know that, Mom. I appreciate it,"
Gohan then pressed the red button on his watch, transforming to Saiyaman while a bright smile formed on his face.
Goten, running to Gohan, said, "Wow, Gohan! You look super cool! I hope when I grow bigger, I get to be as cool as you!"
Gohan bend down to Goten's height and said, "Well, Goten, keep being good and helping Mom around the house and you'll be just fine. By the way, Kinto'un is yours now. Take care of it."
"Really? Thanks, big brother! You're the best!"
Giving his family a salute, Gohan flew off to school while his mother told him not to fly too fast and to stay safe.
Goten, now alone with his mom, asked her a question.
"Mommy?"
Chi-Chi stopped waving and turned to her youngest son.
"Yes, Goten?" She answered.
"Is Gohan gonna be okay? This is like the fifth time this has happened. It's been three months already."
Chi-Chi bit her, but kept a brave face, "Don't worry, your brother is very strong. He'll get better before you know it."
Goten bowed his head, "I hope so, and I know he's the strongest in the whole universe. ….But I'm scared seeing him like that."
"I know, Goten. I am too," Chi-Chi admitted.
Orange Star High School, Hercule City, Age 774
Gohan's flight through the city cleared his mind that was shrouded in dark thoughts before. Being in a new setting under a new persona brought a new kind of excitement that he's never felt since training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
After making it to school on time, Gohan sat in through the first period and was on to the second one, which was Physics.
While Prof. Denji, the Physics instructor, gave the lecture out, two geeks spoke a row below where Gohan sat about Saiyaman.
"Hey, where do you think the Golden Warrior runs off to?" Daichi, a red-haired student with glasses and freckles asked.
"Who cares," Yamato, a short wavy brown-haired kid said dismissively. "There's a new crime fighter in town. I heard he could do some crazy stuff like shatter the ground and lift up whole cars."
Daichi said, "I know, it's wild. But they would think it was his name. I think it was something like "Singing Man", or something like that. Weird stuff."
Gohan, hearing this, felt his Saiyan pride kick in again from his persona's name being insulted once more.
"It's Saiyaman, Great Saiyaman! Not "Singing Man"! Gohan shouted in a whisper.
Both Daichi and Yamoto and other kids looked at Gohan in a strange manner. That included Sharpner, Erasa, especially Videl had their eyes set on him.
"Uh, yeah that's it," Daichi commented. "How did you learn his name, Gohan?"
A sudden wave of nervousness fell onto the son of Goku as he answered, "Well, um, I heard I from a civilian who was there when he first...showed up. Hehehe!"
"I see...that's an interesting story, Mr. Son," Prof. Denji spoke in the middle of the side conversation. "Is there any more you would like to share with the class?"
Gohan quickly shook his head and retreated back to his book.
The class proceeded with the lecture for another fifteen minutes when suddenly a small alarm beeped. Gohan turned to hear that it came from a small device that was on the wrist of Mr. Satan's daughter. Looking at the teacher, Videl immediately left the classroom and headed out to her destination.
Erasa, expecting this, said, "And there she goes again,"
"Again? Is her leaving in the middle of class a normal everyday occurrence?" Gohan asked.
"It sure is, Son-kun," Erasa responded. "You see, Videl just got another call from the chief of police. Whenever things get too much for the boys in blue, Videl steps in to handle the problem. She's been doing this since ninth grade."
"Eh?!" Gohan gaped as he continued talking in a hush-like manner. "W-Wait, that can't be allowed! How can a kid our age just jump into a literal crime scene while class is in session?!" Sharpener simply chuckled at Gohan's ramblings.
"Brains, lighten up. I know you're a momma's boy but tone down the mother hen! Videl's the daughter of the world's strongest man and has been training since she was nine years old. Some even say that she is as strong as Mr. Satan himself."
Gohan could only recall the backhand that Cell gave Mr. Satan seven years ago, then picture an image of Videl.
'...That's not helping her case, Sharpner. Now I have to follow Videl to make sure she comes back in one piece!' Gohan thought to himself as Sharpner gave brief but detailed feats of Videl. He casually excused himself as he asked and got permission to go 'use the restroom'.
"Besides, she has a good amount of experience in this field under her belt. She handles guys three times her size in ten seconds flat. So, there you have it, Brains. ...Brains?"
"Uh, Sharpie?" Erasa said before pointing to the door. "Son-kun left to go use the bathroom. He said his stomach ached.
"...That sneaky bastar-, Ow! Quit it, 'Rasa!"
"Then stop being a jerk, Sharpie!"
City Hall, Hercule City, Age 774
Videl Satan. Despite being the daughter of one of the most famous people alive today, may seem like an average girl by appearance, but there was more to her than meets the eye.
For one, she has a fiery spirit. She never liked to show her emotions outside of her dedicated and outgoing behavior. When she wants something, she's going to get it by almost any means. Of course, this leads to her other quality, being the one for having high standards and a moral code. To her, if you are a rule-breaker, you deserve to be brought to justice. Lastly, Videl lives and breathes martial arts. It is in her blood, and she always seeks a challenge to overcome.
And thus, we see all of this in one particular moment.
Videl was currently in a tricky situation. You see, the chief had called for Videl's help due to a tour bus being hijacked by a group of four to five armed thugs who have used the senior citizens as hostages to gain the money from the bank downtown.
Now at first, the thugs seemed to got away with it as they escaped the city. Unbeknownst to the criminals, Videl was in hot pursuit of them in her jetcopter. The gunmen tried shooting at her copter, but Videl moved out of them away.
Saiyaman was not far from the scene, smiling at his progression.
'It's a good thing that I sensed her ki earlier. I better ask Bulma to add a radio and a GPS into my helmet later.'
Flying over the bus, she jumped out of her copter and into the bus. After evading bullets through the roofs, she kicked the window, crashed into the vehicle, and went to town on the robbers.
She gave the first thug a flying kick to the face. And from there, it was all over for the criminals as it became an all-out brawl with Videl as the aggressor. Unfortunately, what Videl didn't account for was her mistake of knocking out the driver.
One of the old men screaming, "Videl, who's driving the bus!"
'Oh no!' She thought as the bus ran off the cliff and fell.
She covered her face, embracing them while silently telling her father that she loved him…
...Only for the fall to slowly stop.
Videl brought her head out of the window, only for her to look in awe.
She was greeted by the Great Saiyaman who smiled with confidence.
Saiyaman took the bus to a safe location away from cliffs. Everybody got out to thank both Videl and Saiyaman while the criminals were tied up and beaten. When the two were at a distance where only they could hear each other talk.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"...A friend," Said Saiyaman with a small friendly smile.
Videl placed her hands on her hips, saying "Really? Well, none of my friends have to hide behind rust buckets over their faces. Even if you saved my life, how can I trust you, a stranger that I know nothing about?"
The Great Saiyaman was at a loss. He didn't know what to say regarding that. He was a stranger, both as Son Gohan and as the Great Saiyaman. Videl doesn't know who he was. So, sure, he saved her. But from her perspective, who's to say that he doesn't have a different motive?
Staying silent for a minute, Saiyaman spoke, "What can I do to get you to trust me? To show you that I am a friend,"
Videl stated the obvious, "Well first, you can start by taking off that helmet and showing me your face. Next, you can give me your name. That can be a start."
Saiyaman turned his back on Videl.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that,"
A fierce scowl fell on the teenage girl's face, causing Gohan to sweat a bit.
"And why not? Don't I deserve to know who I am trying to befriend? Or is the so-called superhero trying to keep something hidden away for nobody to know?"
"It's not like that, ma'am," Saiyaman tried explaining. "I wear this to keep those close to me away from my line of work and from harm's way. Surely, you'd do the same if you weren't famous, right?"
Videl was left awestruck at the modesty of the hero. This was the second person to have taken her by surprise with the sincerity and honor displayed, with the first being her new classmate.
...But that didn't mean she was going to give up.
"Fine! Don't tell me! I'll just have to unmask you myself!" She said, ready to pounce on Saiyaman, only to see him slowly float up.
'Wait, floating! He's like one of those tricksters too! How is he doing that!?'
"You may feel free to try, Ms. Videl. But until then, the Guardian of the city, the Great Saiyaman, shall be watching over you and the rest of the people. Farewell."
And like that, the vigilante took to the skies at incredible speeds whole the elderly cheered. Videl stood as he watched yet another mystery slip through her fingers.
'...Alright then, Great Saiyaman. Wanna do this the hard way? Challenge accepted! Mark my words, I will find out who you are!'
To Be Continued...
Finally, a brand new hero has emerged! Gohan has finally come to his own as a scholar and as a crime fighter. What else will come of his double life? Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z: PRIMAL!
Author's Note: I had fun rewriting this chapter. As much as I didn't like Gohan's second superhero persona, I do see where Toriyama got the idea from. However, despite Gohan's goofy nature in canon, it wouldn't make sense for him in this AU to act that way in his persona only because somebody like Videl could easily detect the body language and compare it to anything or anyone she's encountered before because Videl's an analytical and critical person.
Gohan isn't as slow as he is in canon when it comes to this, so when talking to Vegeta and Bulma about the suit and his lack of identity as a half-Saiyan, it makes sense for Gohan to split aspects of himself into his alter egos; with Gohan being the mild-mannered and meek goofball, and the Great Saiyaman being the confident and strong superhero. This can through Videl for quite a while until Gohan is put in situations that call for him to show more of his Saiyan side or when Videl and the other kids learn of his background, dropping hints as to who he is.
From here on out, this fanfiction will start to have familiar concepts but will deviate from the rest of the series. I already know who's the big villain of the story (and no, it's not Majin Buu), so stay tuned for that. If you like this chapter or have ideas for slice-of-life stuff, please feel free to comment. I'll be seeing you guys later! Have a blessed day!
-DarkShadowGames451