Guess who finally started watching Super? I'm very aware of how late to the party I am, don't bother reminding me lol. I know, technically, this should be posted under DBS, but since I've already got one shots rolling here and it's fairly DBZ-adjacent since it covers the 10 year gap mentioned in the last episode of Z, I figured I'd put it here anyway.
I used the show's version of the events of Battle of Gods instead of the movie. This is just a mish mash of scenes from those episodes with a focus on GhxVi. I did take some liberties with the dialogue, so not all of it matches what was actually said in the scenes.
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super are the property of their respective owners, I'm just borrowing their characters and playing in my sandbox for a bit. I own nothing. Enjoy the read.
Videl swallowed back the swell of fear roiling through her gut as she crouched at her husband's side. He didn't train as much anymore, and she'd already seen Buu, Piccolo, Tien, 18, and Gotenks tossed aside like so much trash by this… this monster, and now her husband had joined that list. Her mind drifted to the doctor's appointment she'd gone to earlier in the week, to the little light growing within her… she hadn't even had the chance to tell Gohan yet.
Gohan cringed at the amount of pain rolling through his body, panting harshly as he trembled from head to toe with it while his wife's hands fluttered over him, unsure of where to touch. Kami, he thought, he's so powerful… but his ki, I can't even sense it, only a dense pressure…
"Gohan," Videl gently cupped his face, "look at me, goober. Are you…" she trailed off, inwardly smacking herself, it's pretty obvious that he's not okay, Videl!
"I'll live," Gohan coughed, grimacing at the pain that reverberated through his chest with the action, "he's so strong… but it doesn't feel like he's giving off any ki signature." He made to sit up, but a blinding pain shot through his skull, forcing him to stay put.
Videl cursed her inability to help him, and glanced around at the other downed Z-Senshi before looking up at Beerus, who didn't even look the slightest bit wounded… This is bad…
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
"The time has come! I will reduce this world to rubble!"
Videl blinked in shock, a myriad of emotions swirling through her gut and making her nauseous. She placed a trembling hand on her lower stomach as the realization that she, Gohan, their precious little bundle, their family, their friends, the entire world was about to robbed of any kind of future settled in. She swallowed thickly, the bitter tang of bile tickling the back of her tongue.
Cold sweat beaded up along Gohan's brow, trickling down the sides of his face as he stared up at Beerus. He couldn't recall the last time he'd ever felt so useless. A shift in Videl's ki briefly caught his attention, but the cat-like humanoid stole it back as he raised a single finger… and scratched at his brow.
"On second thought, maybe I won't," he thought aloud, completely ignorant of the emotional whiplash he was inflicting on the ship passengers below, "Destroying Earth would be quite tragic, in a way. Your warrior here might be pitiful, but your cuisine is another matter. It's some of the tastiest in the universe." he gushed, licking his lips in memory.
Videl looked down at the wood planks beneath her feet, eyes wide with disbelief, I can't believe it… the FOOD might've saved us all? She removed her hand from her stomach and leaned into Gohan's side, still tense despite the possible respite.
Gohan listened as Bulma entreated Beerus further, talking up the other kinds of food the Earth offered, only slightly mitigated. There was no way this was over, not this easily. He glanced down at his wife when she leaned into him, dropping a soft kiss on the top of her head before returning his attentions to the present threat.
"All right! I'll give this planet a second chance!"
The words, instead of providing relief, only sent a wave of dread and foreboding crashing through the scholar's mind. There's no way he's letting us off that easily…
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
The planet's fate… is hinged on a game of ROCK PAPER SCISSORS? Why am I not surprised?
A bead of sweat formed on the back of Videl's head as she recalled Gohan telling her a story about how he, his father, and Vegeta had played the game to see who would get to fight first when they'd infiltrated Babidi's stronghold. She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, quietly edging away from Oolong as Beerus beckoned him to come forward.
I'm not getting caught in that crossfire!
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
Kami, they'd been so… close.
Videl felt her stomach drop to her feet as Oolong threw scissors for the third time in a row, whereas Beerus had thrown rock. She looked down at her lower stomach, still mostly flat, and silently apologized to the tiny presence residing there. She glanced at Gohan's back as he freaked out, inwardly marveling at how much he resembled his mother when he did so, and wondered if she should tell him now since they were about to die.
No, she shook her head, I won't do that to him. It would only hurt him.
Beerus took flight, ignoring the escalating tiff between Oolong and Puar, flying high into the sky, so high even Gohan had trouble spotting him. His… assistant appeared beside him, and they briefly exchanged words before the cat-like humanoid began charging a gigantic, dense sphere of magenta ki.
A deep pink glow washed over the deck, dyeing everything it touched in shades of the same color. Gohan turned to his wife and drew her into his arms, holding her tightly as he watched the sphere expand as Beerus poured more ki into it. Videl hid her face in his chest as the wind picked up and the sky turned a dismal grey with cloud cover.
Videl choked back a sob as the sphere slowly began to descend, only to halt as a familiar voice called out, "STOP RIGHT THERE!" She gasped and whipped around to look at the culprit, as did Gohan and Piccolo, who was standing near them. Kami, I can't believe we forgot about Goku!
A sense of hope, small but steadily growing, formed in Videl's chest as her father in-law made his way down to the deck. We might just have a chance, little one.
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
"You need five-plus-one saiyans, or six if I'm not mistaken." Whis drawled, ever so nonchalantly.
Videl bit her lip anxiously, eyes flicking back and forth between her husband and Beerus as the latter began to glow a sinister dark purple, preparing to wipe the Earth from existence. This isn't the way I pictured telling him… much less EVERYONE ELSE, but here goes nothing.
Gohan did a double take when he saw Videl making her way over to them, and felt a primal surge of protective instincts nearly overcome him as she placed herself between them and Beerus with a soft, "excuse me?"
The Son grabbed his wife, careful of his strength, trying to force her to go back to his mother and grandfather, "No, Videl, go back!"
Videl inwardly smirked at her worrywart of a husband, even though she herself was sweating bullets over the long shot she was taking. She gently extricated herself from Gohan's hold and entreating the deity politely, "It's just – I wonder if the saiyan I'm carrying inside of me might work under the circumstances. At least," she felt her cheeks flush with warmth as she looked down at her barely-there bump, folding her hands over it, "a quarter saiyan."
Gohan froze as Videl's words slowly trickled into his mind. It took him a second for it to dawn on him and, when it did, he, along with his father, brother, and Trunks, cried out in shocked surprise.
"Whoa, Videl! Do you mean that… you're…? I'm…? we're…?" He shook himself, "are we really gonna have a baby? Like, for real, for real?"
Videl laughed softly as she turned to face him, nodding once to confirm that, yes, they were going to be parents… if the ceremony worked and made Goku a Super Saiyan God, that is. She inwardly shuddered, recalling the situation that they were currently in. She couldn't help but smile as Gohan cried out cheerfully, jumping for joy. He went to wrap her up in a hug, only to be elbowed out of the way by her exuberant father who immediately hoisted her up in the air.
Jeeze, Dad!
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
"Well, it's gotta be the unborn baby's fault, huh? Maybe the kid's heart isn't all that righteous."
"Hey, don't say that about my kid!" Gohan snapped, feeling a thrill of protective anger rushing through him for a moment. He knew his father wasn't… all the way there, but the slight to his child got under his skin a little.
"Yeah, it's rude."
"Alright, I'm sorry—"
"Let's just try it again and concentrate even harder this time. Okay?" Gohan cut in firmly before everyone could get off-focus. Everyone snapped back to attention and closed their eyes, concentrating on sending their energy to Goku.
Gohan suddenly felt a pulse of energy coming from his wife, but it wasn't just her ki he sensed, this one felt like a combination of his ki and hers, the presence bright, sunny, and warm. A flash of yellow light bright enough to pierce through his lids made his eyes flutter open instinctively, and his jaw dropped when he saw the bright, sunny glow emanating from his wife's abdomen.
Videl felt a growing warmth spreading through her body, originating from her lower abdomen. She looked down in surprise, "my body… it feels warm…" Her hair began to float, the ends rising and waving around her face as the color shifted from ebony to platinum blonde.
A soft golden aura suffused Videl's entire body, spreading along her arms to Goten and Trunks, Gohan and Vegeta, and finally Goku. The glow from her belly intensified as Goku began levitating, and a soft yellow energy, riddled with what looked like white bits of cotton formed a pillar that reached the heavens above.
It was so beautiful.
Banks of buttery yellow clouds began rolling in, blocking out the bright blue sky as they spiraled around the pillar like it was the eye of a storm. In a roundabout way, maybe it was.
Videl felt her feet leave the wooden deck as she unwittingly began to levitate as Goku was, but she didn't feel a lick of unease or fear. The warmth of her child's ki coursing through her body filled her with assurance and contentment.
Gohan glanced over at his wife, mildly concerned but smiling nonetheless, "sweetheart, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" she smiled softly at him in response, "Mmhmm." I've never felt better.
The soft golden aura around them shifted to a bright, electric blue as a matching glow began to emanate from Goku's body. The golden glow coming from Videl's stomach died away, and a part of her felt morose from its absence.
The pillar slowly shrank back down and vanished, along with the blue glow, leaving all six of them levitating, blond haired and teal, blue in Videl's case, eyed as a stillness settled over the ship. It was almost as if nature itself was holding its breath in anticipation.
A sphere of bright blue light, like a Kame Hame Ha, formed in the middle of their circle, glowing so bright it rendered everyone blind as it expanded, taking the place of the previous pillar. It grew in width, pushing outwards and engulfing the entire ship in its blue-white glow.
Videl glanced upwards as the pillar shrank upwards, opposite of the golden one before it, leaving a gap in the roiling yellow clouds. She bit back an awed gasp when she saw the sky again… or was it the sky? Had the pillar given them a direct view into space?
Stars glimmered in the endless blue-back expanse, too numerous to count. The weather suddenly shifted, and shifted again… and again. Rain, hail, snow… all of it began to fall at once. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled as the spherical view into space shifted rapidly between night and day before settling on a blinding pale yellow glow. It seemed nature was heralding Goku's rise to divinity.
Gohan felt the shift moments before his father was swallowed by a bright, buttery golden glow that encompassed his entire body… before abruptly shifting to a bright pinkish red.
The glow left the rest them, and Gohan bit back a disappointed sigh as the heightened presence of the baby's ki lowered back down to a normal resting level. His feet touched the wooden deck as his hair shifted from blond to black, and he focused on his father. He could no longer sense his ki, but he could feel a dense pressure emanating from him…
All eyes were on Goku as he levitated higher still, suffused in a deep crimson aura that almost looked like flames. Soft remarks, gasps, and titters left the onlookers as they waited for him to emerge.
Videl gasped, suddenly feeling dizzy, and raised a hand to her face. Gohan was there in an instant, a hand at her elbow to keep her steady. The dizziness passed quickly, and she smiled gratefully at him, quietly assuring him that she was fine before he could ask. The red glow around her father in-law flashed a bright white before dissipating, and the couple gasped as they took in his new appearance…
So this is what a Super Saiyan God looks like…
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
Videl sighed as Chichi ushered her over to a chair, sat her down, and began fussing over her. Bulma's mother Bunny hovered nearby, the older woman peppering her with questions about the baby. She decided to grin and bear it, still feeling a bit faint from the Super Saiyan God ritual. Gohan had left in a hurry, intent on watching his father's fight with Bulma and the others, leaving her to face his mother's… exuberance alone.
If I wasn't pregnant, I DEFINITELY would've gone with him.
Videl smiled good-naturedly at Bunny as she asked yet another question she didn't have the answer to, smiling blithely and nodding. I just found out I was pregnant earlier this week, I know NOTHING.
The sound of her father yelling caught her attention, and Videl turned to look over her shoulder with a confused frown, "uh… Dad?"
Hercule didn't hear her, too busy yelling down the line at Gohan… why was he on the phone with Gohan? A shadow fell over the deck, and she glanced up just in time to see the ship Bulma and the others had taken off in grinding to a halt almost a hundred feet above them all.
Okay…?
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
The pale yellow-white light began to spread, whiting out the sky and washing everything out with its glow. Videl raised her hand to shield her eyes as her father tried to place himself between her and the blast…
A white aura kicked up around Gohan as he flew out of the ship, ignoring his little brother's cry, headed straight for his wife. He crouched at her side, shielding her with his body as the blast grew in size. His gaze flicked down to her belly, still flat, and he pressed a kiss to her brow, I'm so sorry, Vi…
Everything went bright white for a time… only to recede.
Gohan pulled away from his wife, shocked to see that the sky had gone back to its normal bright blue, complete with fluffy white clouds. He looked down at Videl, finding her to be just as bewildered as he was. He whispered a soft thanks to no deity in particular, though he supposed his dad now fell under that umbrella, and pressed his forehead against hers, "are you and the baby alright?"
"We're fine." Videl replied softly, threading their fingers together. She could hear Chichi and Bunny cooing quietly over their closeness and felt her cheeks flush hot. She ducked her head under her husband's chin and breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe… for now.
The couple collectively sweat dropped as Hercule went into a ridiculous, though on brand spiel about how he'd deflected the blast with the "power of love".
Kami, this whiplash is stressful!
*~*v*~*V*~*v*~*
"What a day," Videl murmured as Gohan ushered her into their home that night, "Kami, I could sleep forever." She stopped just inside to remove her shoes and slip into a pair of house slippers.
Between the stressful situation they'd been thrust into, the going back and forth over whether or not the world or the entire universe was going to get destroyed, being forced to announce her pregnancy in the most awkward fashion lest the world get blown up, participating in a Super Saiyan God ceremony… the daughter of Hercule was pooped.
"You're telling me," Gohan shut the door behind them, sliding the lock into place, "shower and then bed?" he removed his own shoes, swapping them for a pair of slippers.
"Oh no," Videl shook her head, "I could eat a whole horse, actually." This child is going to have me eating us out of house and home, I can already tell.
"But Videl," Gohan admonished, "we ate tons at Bulma's party…"
"Blame your child, Gohan," the petite brunette huffed, stomach grumbling angrily, "I'm gonna go raid the kitchen." She meandered off, leaving Gohan in the front hall making heart eyes.
She's carrying my baby. Our baby. Oh wow, this is amazing!
When Gohan entered the kitchen, Videl was halfway in the fridge, rummaging for something to eat in its depths. He couldn't help but smile when she emerged, arms full of the makings of a rather large sandwich that she immediately dumped on the counter.
Videl whipped around to grab the bread from the other counter, only to come face to face with her husband, who held the bread out with a smile. She huffed and took it from him, pecking his cheek as a thank you.
"So…"
"So…?" Videl peeked over her shoulder at Gohan, "what?"
"When did you know you were...?"
"Pregnant?" she snickered, "well, I was late. Sometimes I skip," she shrugged, "but this time was different. I've never skipped two months in a row. So I took a few tests this past weekend and they all came back positive," she remembered the mixture of nerves and giddiness that filled her belly with butterflies when the results came up, "and then I called the doctor to set up an appointment. Drug store tests can give false positives, y'know? Then I had to pee in a cup," ugh, the worst, "and they drew blood. The urine test came back positive that day."
"I wanted it to be special," she turned to look at her husband, who was diligently listening, "I was gonna wait until after we came home from Bulma's party but…"
"Beerus happened," Gohan pushed off of the counter and walked over to her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, "I honestly thought we were all gonna die." He stayed there for a few moment, nose buried in her soft hair. He could smell the pomegranate scented shampoo she liked to use.
"I did too," Videl whispered back, stilling her hands for the moment, "when he was going to blow the planet up because you guys didn't have enough saiyans for the ceremony, I didn't think, I just moved. Not at all how I pictured telling you, or us making that announcement but… it saved us." She pulled away to look up at his face.
"It did," Gohan murmured, meeting her gaze with a wide grin, "heh, our kid's not even born yet and they're already a hero."
"It's kind of in their blood, Goober," Videl pointed out, a wry smirk on her lips, "now, let me finish making my sandwich."
"Alright," Gohan kissed her forehead before stepping away, "I can't wait till they're finally here. I'm gonna go ahead and shower, alright?"
"Me either. Go ahead," she waved him off, "I'll be up in a bit. I love you."
Gohan's cheeks flushed a soft pink, "I love you too." He left the kitchen, soft footfalls fading the further away he went. Videl glanced down at her tummy fondly, "you hear that, little one? You're a hero." And we can't wait to finally meet you.
Weeding through what felt like a million episodes and picking the scenes with Gohan and Videl I liked best, and taking all the liberties with them was not fun. Considering it's my first watch-through of Super, I probably should've just watched all the way through and then went back and wrote this on the second go-round. Oh well, it's done and I'm mostly okay with it.
I think, for my next drabble, I'm gonna try to get away from Gohan, Videl, and Pan… because the last few vignettes have been very Satan-Son adjacent, and go back to my roots. When I first got into DBZ, I was a hardcore VegetaxBulma shipper and from there came Gohan and Videl and then Pan and Trunks. I've got some old stuff on paper that I might be able to turn into something worthwhile. We'll see.
*~*CloudSpires1295*~*