Author's Note:
Important update at the end of the chapter.
-Eighteen-
The sky held the tint of the fading setting sun as the android and demi-saiyan cut across it side by side. The teacher forced herself to focus on the scene down below, the clouds appearing almost still by comparison, as well as the many people and buildings down below.
Just look at the clouds, Eighteen. Focus on the cars and the roads below...focus on...focus…
Despite herself, the teacher found her eyes straying back to the young man leading them. Looking at him now, his eyes narrowed, his face concentrated on the flight at hand, Eighteen realized that she was regarding him as a young man now, and not just another student.
Stop it, Eighteen!
She growled to herself, shaking her head free of the rogue thoughts. Regardless of Gohan's age, he was still her student. The teacher found it increasingly frustrating that her mind seemed to struggle with the distinction. In many regards, the android recognized that Gohan was very much still a child. He still lived with his mother—presumably—didn't pay taxes, didn't have a job or rent or any form of adult responsibilities at all—she imagined.
Although, I wouldn't say saving people's lives on a daily basis is normal teenager stuff...
Considering this, the woman stared out towards the young man, the look in his eyes, his expression, even the way he carried himself—they all spoke of a man far older than his years would suggest. The maturity behind the young man's words when they spoke was leagues beyond any of her students, although, considering it, she supposed that made sense. She couldn't imagine any eleven-year-old would be able to stand up to the likes of Cell if they hadn't gone through challenges in their past to prepare them.
I wonder what you've gone through to get to where you are, Son Gohan.
Her eyes narrowed on the young man, her lips forming a line as she studied him. No matter how much she tried, she could not lie to herself with notions that Gohan was no more than a boy. He was definitely a man. She could tell he'd gone through too much to be considered anything less. He was also still her student. She would have to remind herself that both were true, and she would have to live with feeling...conflicted about the young man.
Somehow.
The seconds felt like hours as they crossed to the Northern end of West City. They were going at a comfortable speed, but the evening's events had left the android wishing she could be home instead. The bank robbery had been an excitement she'd long since forgotten, and the incident following had certainly served to stir something inside her.
Immediately, her mind flashed with the memory of his presence against her back, pressed against him so firmly, the outline of his large manhood pressing up against her.
Damn it, Eighteen!
Enraged by her own thoughts, the woman slammed a fist into the side of her own head.
Gohan's eyes snapped back immediately, his face confused as he slowed to a stop. "Did...did you just hit yourself?"
"...No." She lied, looking away uncomfortably. "There was a bug."
"...Right…" Gohan's curious look slowly shifted away, clearly unconvinced by her lie. He pointed a finger. "Well, we're here."
The android's eyes found the large round shape of Capsule Corp. below surrounded by large fields of vibrant grass
"Let's go say hi."
-Gohan-
I feel weird.
It wasn't a feeling he was used to, either. It was this strange mesh between nausea, alertness, and...rage? He didn't understand it. It was like his body thought he was still in a fight, his eyes snapping to every movement and determining if it was a threat or not before moving on.
What is this? Am I coming down with something?
He decided that must be the case. He rarely got sick, so these types of situations were rare for the young saiyan. He'd been feeling it earlier, although it had been so little that he'd chalked it up to nothing more than a grumpy mood or something as simple as dehydration.
But now...
The pair touched the ground just before the main entrance into the building. He turned around to smile at the strange woman who'd just punched herself in the head, gesturing one hand towards the dome. "Pretty huge, huh? You've never been to Capsule Corp. before, right?"
His teacher shook her head. He noticed that she seemed to be purposefully not meeting his gaze. He frowned. Had he done something wrong?
His mind flashed back to their escape from the bank, and immediately his cheeks turned scarlet once more.
Oh.
The young man spun on his heel, his eyes wide and nervous as he began to walk towards the building. "Well, I'll give you a quick tour!"
The pair made their way through the halls of the massive space, Gohan knowing exactly where the woman he sought was probably going to be.
They turned a hallway before passing a propped open door revealing the lab within. Gohan paid it little mind, but noticed when Eighteen paused at its entrance, her eyes taking in the strange machinery and tools with wide-eyed wonder.
Doubling back, Gohan smiled as he looked into the room as well. "Pretty cool, huh? I bet most people have never seen these types of tools before." He stepped into the room, seeing that it was empty before finding a strange device resting on a nearby table. "I mean, what does this thing even do?" he said, rolling the tool around in his hands as he studied it.
"It's for fusing metals together." Eighteen answered much to Gohan's surprise.
"Wait, what?" He frowned at the tool in his hand before looking back at her. "You've used this before?"
She frowned, her gaze casting downward before slowly shaking her head. "No…" She trailed off, looking uncomfortable as she turned to look down the hallway. "Shouldn't we be going?"
Gohan blinked, frowning still as he studied Eighteen. She'd never used it, and yet she knew what it did? And why did she seem so uncomfortable all of a sudden? Had he done something wrong again? What was making android Eighteen act this way?
…! Android Eighteen!
Gohan couldn't believe he'd been so dense before. Of course she'd seen these tools before! He'd only been a boy at the time, but he could still remember Dr. Gero. When he'd been alive, the scientist had been cold and ruthless, a true monster through and through. Gohan could only speculate what it would have felt like to have a man as cruel as Dr. Gero tinker around inside his body. He imagined the experience must have been horrible. Had this place brought back those memories?
Looking at the way the woman had shrunk back away from the door, Gohan realized that it had.
"I-I'm sorry." He began, setting the tool down softly. "I...I didn't realize that…"
"It's fine." Eighteen said, her arms crossed as she continued to stare down the hall. "Let's just go."
Gohan nodded, swallowing nervously before following his teacher out and down the hallway.
Before long had passed, the two found themselves before a door simply labeled 'prototypes'.
"This is where Bulma usually is. She likes to work on new stuff the most."
Eighteen raised an eyebrow. "The Bulma Briefs?"
Gohan shot her a confused look. "Yeah. why?"
"I…" The android seemed taken aback for a short time, her mouth slightly ajar, before nodding. "Okay. So, your friend is the head of Capsule Corp.? What, does she owe you a favor from something?"
Gohan laughed, shaking his head. "No, no. Bulma is a close family friend. She's basically an aunt to me at this point."
Eighteen stared at the young man, before slowly blinking and nodding her head. "Okay. I did not expect that." She paused, turning her attention to the door. "Should we knock…?"
The teen shrugged. "Nah, we should be good to go in." Without another word, Gohan pushed the door open, stepping inside.
The pair found a middle-aged woman hunched over a large metal table, light sparks shooting out from whatever it was she was working on. The room was large, littered with half-finished mechanisms lining the shelves and walls, some even appearing as if they'd blown up in their tests.
Gohan stepped over, Eighteen shortly behind him as he approached the blue-haired woman. "Heya, Bulma!"
The woman jumped in her seat, before spinning around on her swivel chair and revealing that she had thick, round goggles mounted on her face. The woman smiled, before pulling the goggles off and revealing a set of brilliant blue eyes.
"Gohan!" She cried as she rose to her feet, wrapping the young man in a warm hug which he returned. "It's been too long since the last time you came and visited." She said, pulling back.
Gohan rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously. "Sorry about that. I'll try to make the next visit sooner. Where's Vegeta? Trunks?"
"Trunks is having a snack with mom, now. As for Vegeta…" The eye roll from Bulma answered his question before she did. "Training, like always." She sighed. "Sometimes I think the only reason that man sticks around is because I'm the only one he knows who can fix that stupid gravity room." She scowled, crossing her arms before her eyes found Eighteen and her eyebrows lifted.
"Uh, android Eighteen?" Bulma's eyes darted between the android and Gohan several times before asking. "Is something...wrong?"
Gohan let out a laugh, shaking his head. "No, nothing is wrong. I wanted to ask if you could help us with something."
"'Us'?" Bulma repeated, curiously. "You two are working on something together?"
Gohan nodded, gesturing with his hands as he began to explain. "Yes. You see, I've been doing a little bit of…" He trailed off, trying to find the right set of words that wouldn't make this sound especially silly.
"Super hero work." Eighteen added, bluntly. "I saw him flying around, trying out the whole vigilante thing, and decided to help out." She shrugged, her arms still crossed.
Gohan nodded, his hand teetering to either side before continuing. "More or less. The only problem is, we don't exactly have masks or anything to hide our faces, and we've had some...let's call them close calls." he sighed.
Bulma nodded, an eyebrow still curiously lifted as she studied the pair. "I see...so, you want me to make you two some disguises?"
"Yes please." He smiled.
The scientist seemed to contemplate the idea for a handful of seconds before nodding. "Alright. That shouldn't be too hard. Do you have any idea on what you want the outfits to look like?"
"Uhhhh..." Gohan's eyes turned to Eighteen in a panic. "Do you have any ideas…?"
A coy grin pulled at the woman's lips. Rolling her eyes, she answered. "I think I could come up with something."
-forty-five minutes later-
Gohan felt his smile spread ear to ear as he stepped out from the dressing room, clad in a black spandex suit that reminded the teen of this time in the room of spirit and time. On his hands and feet were snow-white gloves and boots—both so comfortable that he could barely tell there were even there. Around his neck was a loosely fitted chalk colored scarf, made so that he could pull the cloth up and around his mouth easily. Around his waist was a similarly styled fold of cloth that masked the tool belt with various pouches and compartments around his waist.
The only aspect of the disguise that confused Gohan was the fact that the mask covering his face—an onyx black piece of fabric—only went halfway up his face, covering his mouth and nose, but leaving his eyes and hair utterly exposed.
The teen turned to Bulma, who had her legs crossed, one hand raising an iced tea to her lips as she lounged on a comfortable looking recliner positioned next to the room. "Shouldn't the mask cover my entire face? Why does it show so much?"
Bulma shrugged. "Hey, I only made them. Eighteen is the one who designed the things."
Gohan nodded, frowning as he waited patiently for Eighteen to come out in her new disguise. Their group had chosen to move to the residential section of Capsule Corp., so as to use Bulma's many wardrobes as dressing rooms. The bedroom they were in now was one of the guest rooms, Gohan presumed by the well made bedding that showed no sign of someone sleeping there recently.
"So...Gohan. You're hanging out with android Eighteen, now?"
He turned, regarding Bulma with a shrug. "I guess so. I didn't really expect it either, but I'm willing to take all the help I can get."
The scientist nodded, a curious look across her expression as she asked. "How did you two meet, again?"
Gohan found himself pause as he acknowledged the coy look Bulma was giving him. What was she on about? "Eighteen noticed me doing some super hero work and decided to help out, remember?" A part of Gohan still didn't want to admit that Eighteen was his teacher, of all things. He figured something like that might make Bulma a little uncomfortable.
"Right…" Bulma trailed off, slowly swirling the ice cubes in her drink with the straw. "So, why do you think she is agreeing to this?"
Gohan blinked. "I'm sorry?"
Bulma's smile widened knowingly. "So, android Eighteen, who as far as I know, has no prior relationship with you, noticed you fighting some thugs, hopped in, and all of a sudden has agreed to help you fight crime?" She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I don't know. Seems pretty odd to me."
Gohan swallowed. He should have known a woman as smart as Bulma would have put two and two together. "We've...worked on a couple of jobs together now. She took interest after the second time." he admitted.
Bulma nodded, wearing an expression that Gohan could not read past knowing that the woman was deep in thought. "So, do you actually know why she's decided to join you? You don't think...I mean, she was against us at one point..." The smile on her lips slowly faded away, revealing a look of concern.
"I'll be fine." Gohan smiled, reassuringly. "I don't think it's anything like that. I trust her. Besides, it's not like I won't be able to handle her if things do go south." He pumped up one arm, flexing the muscle there impressively. "Don't forget who took down Cell." He grinned.
Bulma let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "Alright, alright. If you trust her, then I trust you."
Gohan felt relieved hearing that from his long time friend, just as the door into the changing room opened. The teen turned with a smile, prepared to cast a compliment towards his new partner before his eyes settled on the young android.
He found his words dying on his breath, his eyes wide as he took in the frankly beautiful woman.
Her outfit mirrored his own in many aspects, with black spandex covering the majority of her body, aside from where a similar scarf to his own draped down her neck, covering her chest as well as acting as a mask for her face. She had boots and gloves that mirrored his own, except that her leggings stopped halfway up her thigh where the cloth wrapped her waist behaved like a skirt, hitching to one side, giving the illusion that the woman may not be wearing anything at all as it rode up the side of his teacher's milky white thigh.
Gohan found his mind lingering on that thought for a time, before a voice calling out his name pulled him from these thoughts.
"Hmm?" He responded dumbly, blinking alert.
Eighteen had a hand on her hip now, shooting him a hitched eyebrow. "You were staring."
Gohan frowned, before his eyes grew wide and his cheeks pinkened. "Oh! Sorry! I-I just got lost in thought."
Just beside him, he heard Bulma burst out laughing.
"...Right." Eighteen smirked, shooting him a look that told him that she was unconvinced. Despite this, the woman shrugged, before doing a little spin that made the edge of her skirt flutter out. "So, how do I look?"
Gohan paused, taking in the sight of android Eighteen fully before trying to find the right word. "You look...incredible." He smiled, warmly.
When the blonde spun back around to him, he found Eighteen's cheeks had lit up like a stop light. Gohan's eyes grew wide, realizing what he'd said, and how he'd said it, before quickly adding, "Like a superhero!"
Eighteen's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
"Y-you know!" Gohan blurted out, feeling that same strange feeling from earlier beginning to creep forward once more. "Like, superheroes are. Incredible, I mean. That's why I uh, said that…'' He trailed off, one arm instinctively reaching over to rub the back of his neck awkwardly as he looked away, trying to conceal his embarrassment.
Beside him, he heard another laugh.
"Oh, you're saying that we look like superheroes now."
"Yes! Exactly! We look the part now." He flashed a reassured smile, happy that the moment had finally passed.
"Well," Eighteen added, looking Gohan up and down casually. "I've gotta say, the Golden Warrior has never looked cooler."
Gohan blinked before feeling a heat in his cheeks. A flood of panic raced through the young saiyan's mind as his chest began to pound a mile a minute. What was happening?! He felt like he was about to explode!
"Uh, um—Thank you." He finally managed to stammer out, before deciding that the chair just next to Bulma looked the most comfortable. He slumped into its arms, wishing his body would calm down.
Body, relax. There's no fight here! What are you doing?!
"I'm glad you guys like the suits." Bulma began, rising from her seat and placing her drink on the side table. "Plus, they have a nifty little trick. Here, let me show you." The scientist stepped up to Eighteen, finding the wrist watch beneath the folds of her glove, before twisting the dial.
There was a sudden blur of color all around Eighteen, before a surprised looking android stood in the very same clothes she'd walked in with.
"How the—?" The teacher began, staring down at the small device on her wrist incredulously.
"Capsule Corp. technology, baby!" Bulma cheered with a prideful smile. "Would you expect anything less from me?"
Gohan found his pulse finally beginning to calm down, havin pressed his arm where he could feel a vein. Feeling that whatever that strange sensation was had finally passed, the teen rose to his feet with a smile. His hand went to his wrist, imitating Bulma before he felt the strange sensation of his clothes swapping from the machine, before he was standing in his school uniform once more. "This is incredible. Truly, Bulma, thank you."
Bulma smiled, before walking over and wrapping the young man up in a hug. "You're welcome, Gohan. Anytime."
The two broke apart with Bulma moving to sit at a table where it seemed she'd laid out the schematics to a device with a bowl of fruit beside it. The woman sat down, plucking an apple from the bowl before catching Gohan's hungry eyes.
The scientist let out a laugh, shaking her head as she selected two oranges from the group and tossed them to the hungry teen, who immediately began peeling the fruit.
Bulma paused as she turned to Eighteen, her mouth opening to offer, but finding the question dying in her throat. "...Do you...eat? I've seen your schematics and remember that your energy is self sufficient, but…" She looked down at the banana in her hand. "Would this gum up your gears or something?"
The android let out a soft giggle that Gohan found rather cute, as he noticed the way she liked to pull back some of her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah, I can eat. It just doesn't really do anything for me anymore." She shrugged. "But sure, I'll have one. Been awhile since I've had a banana anyway."
The yellow fruit spun through the air before landing in the android's hand. Gohan nodded, going to eat his own snack when his attention was stolen back to Eighteen.
His mouth went slack as he watched the woman raise the peeled fruit to her lips, her lips, soft and pursed, wrapping around the banana's long shaft before slowly slipping into her mouth even further.
Gohan felt the feeling return with a thunderous force. His heart felt like a pounding herd of bison was trampling through his chest. His breathing began to quiver, his mind racing as a sweat began to form on his brow.
Did it get hotter in here?!
Gohan felt like he needed to be ready, his body straining against itself in anticipation for a threat he knew wasn't here, so why was he feeling like this?!
I need to get out of here!
He began to make his way towards the door, leaving the fruits he'd taken half- peeled on the table behind him. Whatever sickness this was, he didn't want Bulma or Eighteen to catch it—assuming she could.
"You okay?" Eighteen commented, raising an eyebrow.
"Y-yeah." Gohan wiped his hand across his forehead, collecting the sweat. "I...I'm not feeling too great. I think I'm gonna, uh, get going."
-Eighteen-
What is going on with him?
It was clear as day to the android that the teen appeared...uncomfortable, despite having seemed fine mere moments ago. The only things they'd done were try on the suits and have a snack…!
Eighteen's eyes narrowed to slits, a curious thought drawing the android to a peculiar conclusion.
Was it...the banana?
It seemed like a ridiculous idea that her eating something as simple as a fruit would prompt such a dramatic response from the teen. Then again...he had reacted rather...excitedly back at the bank. Could it be that this was the same as that?
Finding her curiosity piqued, Eighteen nodded, pretending to accept his answer before slowly, and this time, sensually, drawing the banana to her lips, pushing its shaft past them as she pretended that she wasn't watching the young man before her.
-Gohan-
Gohan felt like he was about to burst as Eighteen slowly pushed the banana into her mouth, seeming to almost pause as she reached the near base of the snack. Gohan swallowed, feeling his chest pounding like automatic fire.
Why is this happening?! Is it Eighteen?
Just as he began to take a step away from the eating android, the door leading out into the hallway slammed open, revealing a lone figure. Standing without a shirt, a towel wrapped around his shoulders, his hair that rose like a flame lightly dampened by sweat, was Vegeta.
His eyes were narrowed as he took in the room, first landing on Gohan, before seeing Eighteen and Bulma as well. The man frowned, before nodding subtly to himself.
"Well, looks like we get a rare visit!" Bulma exclaimed with a smile, walking over to her husband and planting a small kiss on the man's cheek which he allowed. "Did the training room go down again?"
Vegeta didn't answer at first, slowly scanning the room before his eyes hardened on Gohan. "No. I'm here for Gohan. We need to talk." Without pausing to see if the younger saiyan was following, the man turned and began to walk down the hall.
Bulma raised a curious eyebrow towards Gohan. "You two scheduled something?"
Gohan paused, feeling like he needed to attack something right now. He didn't know what Vegeta was talking about, but any excuse to get out of this room was a good one.
"Yeah, I almost forgot, haha." He nodded to Eighteen and then to Bulma. "I'll catch you guys later. I doubt Vegeta is feeling patient."
Bulma scoffed, shaking her head. "When is he ever?"
Gohan shrugged as he took off into the hallway, wishing he could just blast down the hallway at max speed instead of walking so slowly. The teen grit his teeth as he made his way to where he could feel Vegeta's ki. It seemed the man had gone outside into the gravity room.
The teen was grinding his teeth by the time he reached the door to the chamber, having to take a slow breath as he tried to get control of his emotions once more, and once more, failed.
He pushed open the door.
Immediately, he felt the intense pressures of the room's increased gravity slam against his shoulders and force him into a crouch, before adjusting his Ki to compensate and righting himself. He found the saiyan prince delivering lightning fast blows into the air, his face stern and focused.
"You wanted to see me about something?"
Vegeta's attacks continued, seemingly having not heard the teen.
"Vegeta! On your left!" Gohan growled, feeling his temper rising even more. Was he ignoring him?!
Despite having walked over so that he was just beside the saiyan prince, Vegeta continued to strike the air before him, not even sparing a glance towards Gohan.
The young demi-saiyan felt like his blood was boiling. His fingers curled into fists as he snarled. "What do you want from me?!"
Vegeta's form suddenly twisted, spinning around and slamming a haymaker straight into Gohan's chin with enough force to leave Gohan's mind spinning as he staggered back.
Gohan growled, rubbing his chin as he regarded Vegeta with a loathing he didn't know he could feel.
The prince grinned with a smug amusement, crossing his arms as he said. "Just going to stand there and take it? Or are you going to do something about it?"
Gohan snarled, feeling his ki spike with energy, his hair igniting with a brilliant golden light as his body was wrapped in thrashing flames. He didn't care anymore what Vegeta had been wanting to talk to him about—right now, he just wanted to crack his skull against the ground!
Vegeta chuckled, a sneer on his lips as his form was wrapped in flames, his eyes as teal as Gohan's.
"That's more like it."
Gohan's blood was aflame.
Slipping to the left in a blur, the teen managed to narrowly avoid a fist meant for his jaw, before unleashing a devastating knee that buried itself deep into Vegeta's midsection, forcing spittle from the prince's mouth as he gasped.
Gohan snarled, rearing back a fist before driving it straight into Vegeta's temple, just before the man blurred, his flames flaring around him before Gohan found his arm caught in the prince's grip. The teen let out a started cry as he suddenly felt his arm almost dislocate as Vegeta heaved with a grunt, twisted Gohan into the air. He slammed the demi-saiyan straight down into the floor with such a savage swing that the room's systems began to blink red with alarms, the floor having been ripped through.
Gohan was quickly pushing himself to his feet, the surface of the grass below smeared against his clothes as he let out a growl. Now standing, he found Vegeta's eyes looming over him, peering through the hole his attack had made with a critical stare.
Gohan wanted to tear the man's head clean from his shoulders!
The super saiyan let out a roar as the ground beneath him shook, his golden aura flaring out in a powerful display before he launched straight up, connected a wild uppercut straight into Vegeta's chin that launched the saiyan straight up and through the ceiling of the blaring gravity room. Gohan followed, ripping through the air in a split second before he was above the saiyan prince, his arms raised above his head for a double handed spike.
Still flipping through the air, Vegeta righting himself with a furious growl, his teal eyes snapping to Gohan just beside him as the two arms came down on him. With a spin, the saiyan found Gohan's back before he slipped under the teen's armpits, catching Gohan in a full nelson in an instant.
"No more!" he roared, his muscles flexing as Gohan thrashed in the his grip.
Gohan's rage was like the eruption of a volcano. Immediately, the teen slammed his head back and straight into Vegeta's nose, causing a spray of blood that Gohan felt against his neck as the prince's grip eased just enough for Gohan to rip away, spinning in a blur that ended with a roundhouse kick straight into Vegeta's sternum.
The look of both shock and pain was apparent on the prince's face as he was launched back, his body becoming small as he was sent across the sky, several blocks away.
Gohan snarled, his blood still felt as if it was on fire, and he wanted to finish with the egotistical prick who thought he could disrespect him in such a way!
"Gohan! What's going on?! Is everything okay?!"
Gohan blinked, his brow furrowing as he turned around to find Eighteen floating not far away, eying him with concern.
The teen found his rage dying in his throat, the rush of whatever that feeling had been finally having exhausted itself against Vegeta. Finally, he let the wash of golden energy enveloping him fall away.
What was that?
"...Gohan?" the android repeated, cautiously.
The teen shook himself from his thoughts. "Sorry. Yes, I'm fine. Me and Vegeta were just sparring. I think it might have gotten out of hand…" looking down, the teen saw the destruction of the gravity chamber, and immediately felt bad, knowing Bulma would be the one to suffer for his aggression.
He turned back to Eighteen, his mouth opening to explain further when he heard the subtle sound of something coming from behind him. It was something whistling through the air, like something was coming at him…!
Gohan spun around, discovering the approaching form of a snarling Vegeta before he saw the fist coming straight for his face.
His world went black.
-Vegeta-
This is worse than I thought.
Seeing that his opponent was finally unconscious, the saiyan prince let his hair return to its natural jet black. He let out a sigh, a part of him wishing he had been wrong, another part of him annoyed that Gohan had managed to do as much damage as he had. He could feel a trickle of blood running down the side of his face, and already knew that he'd suffered a cracked sternum from that kick earlier. He turned to Eighteen, feeling a sting alongside his eye as he spoke.
"You can leave. I'll take care of him."
Eighteen's brow furrowed, her lips curled into a frown. "What's going on? That didn't look like training." Android's tone was cold, almost dangerous as she regarded the saiyan prince with a scowl.
Vegeta eyed the woman quietly, his eyes narrowed to slits, before shifting to Gohan. When he'd felt Gohan's energy beginning to spike, the only people around the boy had been the android and Bulma herself. Considering the child had known Bulma even longer than he had, he doubted the woman would have caused what happened. So, did that mean…
"It was. " He finally answered, one arm having wrapped around Gohan's midsection, leaving the teen dangling limply from his grip. "You can leave. I will handle the boy."
He turned to leave, before noting something curious. Rather than turn and leave as he'd expected, he watched the android hesitate, her eyes lingering on Gohan's unconscious form. From the way he could tell she had yet to relax, it seemed Eighteen was unwilling to leave the boy with him.
How interesting…
The last he'd seen of the android, the woman had hardly known the boy, and yet now, she appeared ready to defend him?
He paused, waiting long enough for Eighteen to notice his hardened stare and clear her throat. "I...guess that's fine. I'll leave him with you. Goodbye, Vegeta." With a suspicious glance, the android turned away.
He gave her a simple nod before watching as the android flew off into the sky. Finally alone with the problem in his arms, Vegeta flew down to the compound, before finding a spare bedroom for the teen and depositing him on the bed. The saiyan found a chair across the room to sit before leaning back and crossing his arms, watching the boy like a hawk.
Damn it, Kakarot. Why am I stuck cleaning up your messes?
The saiyan prince growled to himself as he waited.
-Gohan-
When the young man awoke, he found it strange that he felt the softness of a bed beneath him. He'd half expected to awaken with his face planted into the dirt, drool spilling from his mouth. He supposed Bulma must have found him afterward and brought him inside.
Groaning, Gohan pushed himself to a sitting position, wincing as he felt the place where Vegeta's final attack had connected with his skull.
"You're finally awake. It's about time."
Gohan's eyes widened with shock, his head snapping to the corner of the room, where he found a battered and annoyed looking Vegeta sitting in an armchair with his arms crossed.
Did I do that?
The injuries plaguing the saiyan prince's body were numerous and painful looking. Gohan could see the place on the side of his face where blood had eventually dried, and it appeared that one of the man's eyes was swollen. Gohan frowned. He certainly hadn't been trying to hurt Vegeta as much as he had—then again, he hadn't exactly felt like he was in control to begin with.
"I'm...sorry." Gohan began, one arm instinctively reaching back to rub the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to get so carried away. I, uh, think I might be coming down with something, haha…" He trailed off, looking away, ashamed. Sure, he knew Vegeta wasn't the easiest man in the world to be around, but he still considered him a friend, and even when training, he never wanted to hurt his friends.
"You think what happened was due to sickness?" Vegeta sneered, shaking his head. "You really know nothing of your heritage, do you, boy?"
Gohan's brows furrowed as he looked at the man. Heritage? What did that have to do about anything? "I'm...not following."
The saiyan prince scoffed, and a part of Gohan felt almost annoyed at the man for laughing so directly at him. It felt like the feeling from before, the same one that had built up into the blinding rage he'd eventually unleashed upon the man sitting in front of him. Thankfully, for whatever reason, the feeling had calmed to a more manageable state, although he could still sense it there, lingering.
Vegeta's cold, calculating stare studied Gohan for several seconds before he spoke, no longer carrying the air of a snob as he spoke. "Have you been feeling bursts of powerful, almost uncontrollable emotions?"
Gohan blinked, his mouth falling ever-so-slightly open as he stared at Vegeta with wide eyes. "How did you…?"
"You're a saiyan." the prince scoffed, shaking his head. "Or, at least, partially. Usually, this stage in a saiyan's life happens earlier, but it seems your human half has prevented it for a short time."
Gohan's head tilted to the side, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"The Call to War." The words sent a shiver down Gohan's spine, as if something in his blood was responding to the name alone. Across from him, he caught a snicker from the observant saiyan, seeming to catch his reaction. "That's what our people used to call it. It's the time in a saiyan's life when they want—no, need to conquer, to dominate, and most of all, be the most powerful and dangerous saiyan they can be."
Gohan stared at Vegeta with a lost look. "You're joking, right?"
Vegeta's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
Gohan gulped. "Right. You don't do jokes." he nodded, before motioning for the prince to continue while he tried to process what he'd just been told.
The Call to War? The need to conquer?! This is absurd!
"It's a natural instinct, and one not easily resisted. It comes with adolescence, the equivalent of an earthling's puberty. There are sometimes triggers, but usually, it's abrupt, and far less mundane." A cruel grin pulled at the corners of the prince's mouth, his eyes flickering back to a time in his past. "Back then, saiyan adolescents hearing the Call to War would be sent out for the longest and most dangerous missions across the galaxy, keeping them as far away from planet Vegeta as possible. Otherwise…" Vegeta snickered, shaking his head as he leaned back in the chair, reflecting. "Well, let's just say that saiyan adolescents will fight anyone for any reason. A cross look, a perceived slight, a lack of acknowledgement..." Gohan fought the urge to glare at the man as Vegeta gave him a smug look. "If we didn't send the adolescents far enough away to ravage other worlds, then our planet would have destroyed itself long before Frieza did. Back during my Call, I ravaged hundreds of worlds, almost never stopping, almost never feeling the need too." Vegeta's grin was wicked, and evil as he continued. "Most Saiyans would lose themselves fully to the Call when it came—assuming they were warriors." Vegeta scoffed, shaking his head. "Weak saiyans were never an issue."
"...What do I do? I can't just let it...take over." Gohan asked quietly, a tremor of concern in his voice. If this thing was as powerful and dangerous as Vegeta said, then Gohan knew the risks.
Mom, Goten, Bulma, everyone I know and love...if I don't get this under control, I could seriously hurt someone...or worse.
The grin on Vegeta's face disappeared. Silence filled the room for several pregnant seconds before the prince sighed. "The solution on planet Vegeta was to send the delinquents away so they wouldn't cause pointless riots across the planet. Without that…" He frowned, going silent.
"What about my dad?" Gohan suddenly burst out. "He had to go through this, right? He found a way."
Vegeta shook his head with a stern expression. "Your situations are entirely different. I've heard about some of his adventures from Bulma. From what I can judge, Kakarot's Call of War struck him at the usual time in a saiyan's life, shortly after his first decade."
"So?" Gohan began, growing annoyed. "He figured out a way. I'm sure I can figure out something too. I bet he figured out a technique to calm him down—"
"Your father was just as much a saiyan as any other during his time. From the stories I've been told, Kakarot battled numerous bloodthirsty and powerful opponents, each more dangerous and vicious than the last. Not to mention that during his youth, he dismantled an entire army almost single-handedly. That's not a far cry from the domination of planets most saiyans take to."
Gohan felt his mouth grow dry, swallowing nervously as he realized Vegeta's words were right. The teen felt a spike in his emotions, his fingers curling to fists as he suddenly spat out, "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! I could have hurt someone if you hadn't been around!
The saiyan prince scowled. "I had assumed that you had already gone through the process during your time against Cell. That's the normal age for a saiyan to feel the Call. The fact that your blood is half-human must have affected that."
Gohan felt some of his anger bleed away, although he still felt a knot of frustration that would not leave him be. It was as if someone had just told him that he was secretly a bomb waiting to blow!
"How long does this last? How can I prevent myself from hurting anyone?"
Vegeta studied the boy for a long time. "The time it will take for you, I cannot say. But for a full-blooded saiyan, the process takes a year." Gohan felt his heart drop. An entire year?! "As for how you can prevent yourself from hurting anyone…" Vegeta paused, taking several seconds to consider. "Stay away from people who bother you. Avoid things that upset you, as any anger can turn into the Call of War. Above all else: Stay. Calm."
Gohan nodded slowly, feeling almost numb at the shell-shocking reveal he'd just been given. No longer looking at the man, Gohan barely noticed Vegeta rise from his seat. "If you feel yourself beginning to slip to the Call, find me. I'll kick your ass back to your senses."
Gohan swallowed, nodding before his onyx eyes flickered to the man offering what might be the only force strong enough to stop him if this was really as dangerous as Vegeta said. "Thank you, Vegeta. I...I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have someone here to explain this to me."
The man said nothing, choosing instead to grunt his response as he turned to leave the room and Gohan with his thoughts. Before the prince disappeared into the hall, he paused, his back to the teen.
Gohan lifted a curious eyebrow, before Vegeta asked, "You brought android Eighteen here. Why?"
Completely taken aback by the seemingly random question, Gohan stammered as he tried to come up with an answer. He didn't want to tell the man he'd been having such a serious conversation with that he was trying to become a superhero! How ridiculous would that sound to the prideful saiyan prince?!
"I- um, well, you see- android Eighteen is, well—"
"I don't care what your relationship to the damn android is." Vegeta snapped, turning his head to glare over his shoulder at the teen. "I ask because…" The man trailed off, seemingly uncertain. "...the Call of War can take on many forms, Gohan. It is a primal instinct that demands to be dominant, to conquer that which you see as yours. What that is, can be many things" As the last of his words left his lips, Gohan found a meaningful look in his eyes, one which Gohan had no idea the meaning of.
"I'm...not following."
Vegeta turned away, his back to the teen again. "Perhaps I was wrong. Keep a leveled head, Son Gohan. If you were any other saiyan, I'd have you launched out into space for the next year just to be safe. As it stands now, I don't feel I have to do that." The man shot a dangerous glare over his shoulder. "Do not prove me wrong."
Gohan gulped, and nodded. The sound of Vegeta's footsteps echoed down the hall before his voice called out one last time. "Spend more time with the android. Might be a good safety net." A dark laugh rumbled from the elder saiyan as he continued to make his way down the hall.
Gohan frowned, puzzled, frustrated, and most of all, confused.
Eighteen? A safety net? What in the world is Vegeta talking about?
-Gohan, 11:00pm-
The open window to the bedroom of Son Gohan let in a cool breeze that gently tugged at the papers of the book set flat on the desk. There, Gohan sat hunched over the book, his eyes narrowed as he read the same line for what felt like the umpteenth time, unable to concentrate on its contents at all. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting here at his desk, unable to complete such a simple homework assignment. He knew it was unlike him to let something so trivial stand between him and sleep, but this time, it was all he could do to even stare at the page.
Despite himself, Gohan's mind kept returning to the conversation he'd had with Vegeta, and all the terrifying implications of what he'd said.
I could be a danger...to everyone.
The thought left him leaning back in his chair, breathing out a heavy sigh as he considered his options. Should he leave for a year? Disappear into the mountains and wait for the Call of War to become a whisper? He couldn't say for certain that that was the correct answer, especially since Vegeta would have naturally mentioned it as an option if it was one. Considering the man wanted to blast him off into space as the safest option, Gohan figured there must be some issues with trying to be alone during this time in his life.
The young man let out an annoyed growl at the revelation, having to cross off yet another answer to his situation off the list. He tried to redirect his attention to the textbook once more, but found his growing frustration at his situation far too much for him to concentrate on his homework anymore. With an annoyed grunt, Gohan slammed the book shut before tossing it across the room. Letting out a defeated sigh, the demi-saiyan turned his eyes to the window to stare out at the night sky and the stars. He let his gaze linger there for a time, letting his thoughts drift away into the twinkling lights floating within the ocean of darkness that was the night. He found peace there, and, for a moment, he questioned if that really was the answer.
Gohan's eyes began to grow heavier as he leaned back in his chair, staring out into the ether before a flash of movement in the treeline caught his eye. The young man lurched up, his brows furrowing as a frown pulled at his lips. Something had just shifted outside the window, he was sure of it. Had it been the common sabretooth cat or wild dinosaur, Gohan wouldn't have batted an eye, but this had been a figure—he was certain of it!
Gohan rose from his seat, wearing only his shorts and T-shirt as he slowly approached the window, his eyes narrowed to slits as he searched out into the night. The fact that whatever it had been was able to evade his detection now that he was actually searching worried the young warrior. What did it mean that he couldn't detect them, even though he was searching for their ki? Were they suppressing it? And if so, why?
Do they want something from us?
If they wanted to hurt his mom and brother, they had another thing coming!
Now scowling, the young man leaned out of the window, searching even harder for whatever it had been. He would not under any circumstance let whoever or whatever was lurking outside sneak up on him!
"What are you looking at?"
Gohan felt the sliding window crack as he jumped, his head slamming against its lip.
Whipping his head around with wide eyes, the demi-saiyan found an amused looking android Eighteen sitting casually and crosslegged at his desk.
"Eighteen?!" He exclaimed, utterly shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, keep it down unless you want your family to wake up." Eighteen frowned, with a scrutinizing look.
Gohan swallowed, nodding. "Sorry, but, seriously, what are you doing in my room at this time of night?" A number of other questions popped up in his head. How had she slipped by him without him noticing? Why was she sneaking around at all? How hadn't he even heard her?!
A devious smirk curled at the corners of the android's mouth, a look in her eyes that he could not interpret. "What, are you saying that you don't want me in your room?" Her voice was low and suggestive, but Gohan found himself lost as to what.
"I—well, I'm not saying that I don't like seeing you, er- well, I mean that I'm perfectly fine with seeing you—no—that sounds bad—you see—"
"Gohan, shhhh..." Eighteen's calm and controlled voice said as she slowly rose to her feet. It was only then that Gohan noticed what she was wearing. A long sleeve black shirt with white striped sleeves, a denim skirt with tight black leggings underneath, complete with brown leather boots. Gohan recognized the outfit instantly. For whatever reason, Eighteen was wearing the exact same clothes as the day he'd first met her.
Gohan found himself at a loss for words, completely baffled by the situation as he watched his teacher make her way towards him. He didn't know if it was merely that he had never caught it before, but this time he distinctly noticed the way the woman's hips swayed to either side as she took each step, perfectly punctuating her seductive curves. Gohan found his gaze drawn to her form as she approached, each step drawing his stare to a different aspect of her beauty. The way her stunning, ice-blue eyes were drinking him in with a look that made his breath quicken. The coy grin on her wonderfully soft lips that made the young man lick his own without realizing it. The very scent of her hair as she drew closer felt almost hypnotizing as she finally closed the distance between them.
Gohan found himself stunned, unable to act, his mind made foggy by whatever spell this woman had just placed him under. Eighteen had positioned herself mere inches away, so close that he could feel her breath as she pushed her lips to his ear.
"I know exactly how you feel about me, Son Gohan. I noticed the way you were looking at me when I was eating that banana, you naughty boy." She whispered. "And, well, I also felt how you feel about me even before that. Gohan, did you think you were being subtle?"
Gohan's face was as white as a sheet, his mouth falling open in shock. "I-I didn't—I'm sorry, I—"
"Shhhhh…" Eighteen's finger found Gohan's lips a moment later, silencing the panicked young man a second time. "You don't have to be sorry, Gohan. I've been wanting you too."
He let out a gasp. "You have?!"
His teacher nodded slowly, her lips parting for her to lick her lips slowly and sensually, her hungry gaze never leaving his, making Gohan's shorts feel significantly tighter.
He felt her hand gingery press against his chest, her soft fingers resting there as she whispered, "I know what you want, Son Gohan, and I want to give it to you."
Gohan felt a shiver run down his spine, before he was shoved back, and found his bed behind him despite not remembering moving from the windowsill. The young man fell, his legs hanging off the bed as he tried to get his thoughts under control, knowing that this was his teacher, after all—but whatever was happening was too overwhelming, too exciting for him to try and think rationally. His mind felt like it had been intoxicated by Eighteen's very presence, and he didn't think he could stop this even if he wanted to...
...Which he realized, as Eighteen's hands slowly began to run up his thighs, reaching towards where his shorts had tightened, he didn't.
"Have you been thinking about me, Gohan?" She asked in an almost innocent tone, as if she were merely catching up with a friend—while her soft fingers began to slowly rub the outline of his growing member, a devilish smile on her lips.
Gohan shuddered, his eyes closed as he felt Eighteen's hand work up and down his shaft, gently teasing him as he tried to form a coherent answer through the woman's cruel game. "I—yes. I've been—ngh—thinking about you."
"I've been thinking about you too, Gohan." His teacher said as he felt her suddenly shift, and opened his eyes, finding the blonde bombshell on her knees, kneeling between his own. Her hand was still firmly on his manhood as she reached out her other, grabbing the waistband of his shorts. "I haven't been able to get it out of my head." She said, her eyes now looking down at the large shape beneath the fabric with a look so hungry Gohan was almost certain he could see her salivating for him.
Without needing to ask for his permission, Eighteen pulled the shorts away from Gohan's hips, revealing his manhood in its entirety.
The woman pulled back, staring at the member with a shocked expression, and forcing a blush on Gohan's face.
"W-what?" he stammered. "Is there something wrong?"
Eighteen's lips pulled into a coy smile as she shook her head, reaching out with one hand and wrapping her soft fingers around the base of Gohan's shaft. "I couldn't believe how big you are, Gohan. You've certainly become a man, haven't you?"
Gohan swallowed, his eyes half-lidded as he watched Eighteen's hand slowly stroke him, sending trembles of pleasure rippling through his body. Gohan's hands made fists in his bed sheets, his eyes clamping shut as he let out a slow, shaky moan.
"Oh, poor boy...all pent up." His breath caught as he felt the warmth of Eighteen's breath against his shaft. Gohan's eyes opened, his eyes consumed by desire as he watched his teacher approach, her scarlet lips drawing less than an inch away from the tip of his cock. Her eyes locked onto his, her eyes flashing with a devilish glint before she pursed her lips, and blew a tantalizing breath on his quivering manhood, sending shudders through the young man as he struggled through her temptations.
Gohan let out a strained hiss, gritting his teeth as he felt his arousal growing so strong it almost hurt.
"Oh, that was mean of me, wasn't it?" His teacher said in a not-quite-sympathetic tone that told him she was definitely enjoying this. With eyes like a cat that had caught it's prey, Eighteen lowered her head until her mouth was at the base of Gohan's shaft. "How about I make it up to you?"
Gohan's body tensed, his breathing heavy as he felt the warmth of Eighteen's tongue begin to slowly snake up from the base of his arousal, before pausing at the head of his member to lap up the pre-cum that had begun to dribble from its head. Her lips pursed around the tip of his cock, before sliding around the head. Eighteen paused only a moment to watch Gohan's head swing back, his voice shuddering as he let out an elated moan, before greedily consuming all that he had to offer.
Gohan felt like his mind was spinning, the waves of pleasure crashing into him like a raging storm as he felt the warmth of Eighteen's mouth swallow every inch of him. He'd never felt anything this incredible before in his life.
"Oh, Kami, Eighteen! Don't stop!"
He felt her pace quicken as she worked up and down his long shaft, swallowing the enormous member with vigor as she eagerly sucked the length of it down her throat. He could feel her lips kissing the base of his shaft with each return, the warmth of her mouth enveloping him completely as her other hand ran along the skin of his inner thigh. He felt her slender fingers begin to caress his balls, gently fondling them in her hands, the sucking motion never stopping as her head worked back and forth along his shaft.
"That feels too good!" Gohan could feel his mind going white. The bursts of elations coming from his teacher vigorously swallowing him like he was made of honey were beginning to push Gohan to his peak.
"Ngh—Eighteen, I'm getting close!"
Despite his warning, the android's pace did not falter. If anything, he found the woman's desire to devour him only intensified as she pushed herself until she'd completely swallowed his massive manhood. His cock fully enveloped by Eighteen's tight throat, Gohan felt himself explode.
Without thinking, his hands found and clutched the back of Eighteen's head, pushing himself even deeper into his teacher's mouth as he felt an eruption of euphoria, feeling himself blast a white-hot climax that drained into Eighteen's waiting mouth. Gohan felt Eighteen's throat begin to tighten around the most sensitive parts of his shaft as the android swallowed his essence with greedy gulps. The sensation became too much for Gohan to think about anything, his mind going completely blank as he felt the last of his seed coat the inside of his teacher's mouth. His body trembled as he fell back onto his bed, breathing heavily as the last shudders of his orgasm rippled through him.
His mind felt foggy as he lay there. He felt Eighteen's mouth slowly pulled away, pausing when she arrived at his head and used her tongue to ensure she'd gotten every last drop.
Gohan let out a soft groan, his head pushing back into the pillow before Eighteen rose, licking her lips and smiling down at the demi-saiyan.
"Well, that was fun. We'll have to try it for real next time." She winked.
Gohan, still overwhelmed by the earth-shattering orgasm he'd just experienced, took a few seconds to breathe before he realized what his teacher had said.
"Wait, what do you mean by 'for real'?"
-Gohan-
Gohan's head jerked up as he heard the sound of his alarm clock at his bedside blaring. The young man slowly sat up, hearing the sounds of Goten and Chi-Chi in the kitchen, the latter likely already making breakfast.
He groaned, pushing his face into his hands as he sat up and frowned. Just after he did, he stiffened, before shifting a little more, and groaning again.
Hopping out of bed, he supposed he'd been planning on getting changed anyway.
Author's Note:
So, there you have it, the next update for what will likely be a long time. I know that this news will likely come as a disappointment for many of you who wanted to see this story progress, and as much as I wish I could continue this story, I can not. Unfortunately, due to creative differences and different visions for where this story was meant to go, this story is no longer being supported by the benefactor who was doing so before. This was the final chapter that I agreed to complete according to their specifications, and, due to this fact, I will now be focusing on the projects that are completely of my own design for the foreseeable future.
That being said, I genuinely felt this story had potential for the future, and if it gets enough attention or others who care to support it and see it completed, then I'll be sure to return to it in due time.
I am sorry, and thank those who understand.
As always, Ben Thryss was the lovely individual to clean up this chapter, and we all owe him to the fact that this chapter was readable at all lol.
Until next time!