Disclaimer: *sigh* no, I do not own dbz, please stop rubbing it in.
Unraveling
Chapter 3: Risks
Gohan hated risks. The idea of leaving something completely up to chance, while certainly exciting, was horrifyingly entrapping. Complete and total control of the outcome was no longer feasible, and so you would have to wait with baited breath as the consequences of your actions either tipped one way or the other. The anxiety inducing process was something Gohan sought to avoid at all costs, even if it meant spending an extra few hours or even days thinking through or planning a decision, and even if it meant postponing an action he had planned and wanted to do indefinitely. He refused to risk things if he could help it, because in his mind the 1% chance of failure adds up each action, and eventually the hands of fate will land on that 1%, and then your life will crumble before your eyes, and you will be stuck sobbing, suffering with the knowledge you could have prevented this by simply being more cautious.
But of course, as with all things one hates in life, their inevitability persists whether you like it or not, and the world did not revolve around Gohan's likes and dislikes. Gohan grumbled, 'This is a fucking terrible idea I can already feel it.' He was standing outside of the Briefs building of astounding size, Capsule Corporation, contemplating just what naivety and foolishness had brought him to the massive 15 foot tall double doors guarding the entrance. It was too late to turn back now, he was certain Vegeta had long since sensed his energy, and although he had worn his gi as that had been a part of the lie he had told his mother, that he was simply going out for a friendly spar with Vegeta, he didn't know if he could convincingly tell Vegeta he was just there for a spar. He hadn't sparred with Vegeta in the past 4 years, so the likelihood he would just wake up one random morning and decide to go out and do it without notice was absurdly low.
Gohan was still probably stronger than Vegeta, in fact he was almost certain since he hadn't yet sensed another super saiyan 2 being achieved on this planet, and believe me the power surge would have been very noticeable. 'Of course I suppose he could have gone off planet, perhaps keeping any newfound strength under the radar or limiting potential damage to the environment…' ah who was he kidding, he knew Vegeta didn't give two shits about the environment, so the only reason he would have gone off planet to practice his new transformation was if he valued having the edge over Gohan that much. 'Which, now that I say it, seems absolutely like a Vegeta move to pull.'
He knew he was jeopardizing a lot by being here. And he meant a lot. It was a horrible double bind he was in which just the thought of made him scowl. Either A. Vegeta goes through the exact same experience and urges he does, and now there's a person out there who knows he is a murderer, or B. Vegeta doesn't have remotely any idea what the hell he is talking about, but oops he spilled the beans to him so now someone knows something is going on with him, even if he doesn't know the full extent the situation would still not be ideal. 'The whole point is to lay low and bide my time as I gain status, not have a hundred PHD certified neurosurgeons examining me for the next ten years.' He doubted it would come even close to that, but exaggeration and paranoia was a handy tool for the cautious, for the successful.
But the payoff would be huge, and he was pretty sure if he confronted just Bulma about it he minimized the risk of anything damning actually slipping out while gaining a real chance at controlling his urges. Even if he could just slightly mitigate the urge to slaughter, it would help him in his quest a hundredfold. After all he hated risk, and being a mass murderer as a celebrity was about as risky as it got.
And with that thought in mind, he quickly pushed the button for the intercom before he could have second thoughts of wussing out and confidently said, "Hi there! This is Son Gohan, I'm a family friend of the Briefs and would like to speak with Bulma please." There was silence for a long moment and the sound of papers ruffling. 'This guy have Parkinson's or something? What the fuck is taking him so long, just locate my name on a slip of paper which I am certain is alphabetized. What you want me to explain the alphabet for you maybe help you out? See this is why I should have just broken in through a window.' Before Gohan could let out a douchey comment at the no doubt new security guard, a young voice responded, "Sorry about the wait Mr. Son, come right on in, enjoy your stay."
Gohan paused, a million different sarcastic remarks running through his head before he decided on, "Ah no worries man, you have a good one." 'Wow, how witty, quite the clever mastermind you are Gohan.' He told his inner voice to shut up before he strolled casually through the doors as if he wasn't stepping into a room worth more than his entire bloodline. 'Hmm, what a modest woman,' he remarked to himself as he stared at the golden chandeliers studded with diamonds that lined the walkway into the corporation. This was simply the waiting room so to speak, the actual research and production happened elsewhere, deeper into the colossal building. He had toured it when he was much younger, and Bulma had even jokingly, or maybe not, offered him an internship one summer as a researcher. 'Perhaps I should reconsider, could be huge for my career to discover a new advancement to capsules.' Cell had complicated things regarding that internship offer, but yes he should certainly reconsider it.
Before he could even get halfway across the room, and admittedly it was a large room, to reach the office sector, Bulma burst through the doors and smiled widely at him, "Gohan! Oh my goodness it's been so long, look at you.TheGohan strutting through my doors, gracing me with his presence? Man, what's it been kid 4 years? You got some nerve ya know," she teased, only half joking, the kid really should have visited her or at least called every now and then.
He put his hands up as if confessing some sort of crime, of which he had many to choose from if he ever did, "Man if this is the treatment I get maybe I should turn back, and you wonder why I've been awol" he laughed and hugged her before shifting to a more somber tone, "But in all seriousness I am sorry that I haven't at least dropped by. I've just been swamped with academic work, training, helping mom out around the house and with Goten, and just generally to be honest I felt a bit depressed after, ya know, dad…" he trailed off. "Getting out and about visiting friends wasn't on the top of my to do list while I adapted to the change, but in any case that's no excuse, and I am sorry for not dropping in more. But hey, I've missed you! Man look at this place, you've remodeled it well," he said, shifting the topic, couldn't have her harboring any hard feelings; after all, he was about to drop a bombshell of a secret on her, so a relationship repair was certainly in order.
Bulma's face saddened as he mentioned Goku and his decision to remain in the otherworld; she had had Gohan on her mind recently, fully aware of the damage a dramatic change like a father's absence could have on a child. 'Poor guy, I guess he didn't take it well, but then again who in their right mind could have.' "Hey water under the bridge kid, and I'm not free from blame either, I could have just as easily asked Veg to fly me over there. And thank you thank you," she put her hand over her chest, feigning bashfulness, "I wanted to make it feel a bit more professional and like a business as the corporation grew, so I expanded the size of the place as well as the décor."
"Well man Bulma you have quite the eye for interior decorating because as soon as I stepped foot on the premises I already felt like I was here for an interview or some sort of important business that the fate of the world depended on lemme tell ya, so neat and structured, I love it," he smiled at her, "Speaking of which, I've been giving some more thought to that offer you made me a while ago about an internship here, if that's still on the table that is."
She squealed excitedly, "Of course it is Gohan! Someone as smart and driven as you, I would love to have you on my team even if I didn't have a clue who you were!"
'You fucking don't,' he chuckled back at her, "Well man I had no idea I was of that much value, don't get your hopes too high. After all if a PHD physicist can't improve the methods capsules use to operate, I doubt I can. Hell if you can't improve the product my chances are out the window."
"Un un un,"she reprimanded, "Rule one, no negativity at Capsule Corporation! We are optimists, we seek to achieve that which others deem impossible, to build without constructing, to progress without moving, to shine light without a candle!"
Gohan didn't look impressed, "You add a motto to the firm along with the redecorating?"
Bulma laughed, "Man you've gotten funnier Gohan, and no it's just a little speech I like to give my more youthful interns who have the world at their fingertips. It's silly of course, and it doesn't make sense! Building without constructing? What the hell does that even mean?! But, I digress, motivational speeches are never quite sensical, not their intent after all. Whatever gets the job done though right? And Gohan this isn't just simply about improving the product, it's also about understanding the product, making a new discovery in the mechanism that could perhaps help us launch a new product or variation of a capsule, or experimenting with different materials and sizes of capsules so we can truly nail down the science behind how they work. There's plenty for you to do here that would be of use," she said surely as she waved him to follow her down into the office sector.
"I see, well I'd be happy to help out the company, it genuinely seems like exciting and rewarding research, and in all honesty you'd be doing me a much bigger favor than I could possibly return to you. Having an internship with THE Bulma Briefs is quite the resume builder, especially considering where I want to go for my career; connections will be crucial," he smiled inwardly and continued walking forward as if he had said nothing to provoke a reaction. 'There we go, now we're getting the conversation headed in the right direction.'
Bulma craned her head to the side and looked at Gohan curiously, "Oh yeah? And what would that career path be Gohan? I assume its shifted over the years, and I doubt you still want to be an orthodontist, that always seemed more of your mother talking than you."
Gohan returned her gaze momentarily then continued looking ahead as they walked through the office sector, which looked more like a 5 star hotel hallway than an office center. "Well Bulma, whatever career path I chose, I always knew from early on that I wanted to go into something where I could help people. Medicine is good yes, but it is limited in who I can help. The most vulnerable are excluded from my assistance due to a lack of finances, same with a lawyer, and even business owner. The scope and degree to which I can create change is always limited in some way or another. No the true way to genuinely help those who need it is to get back to the roots, to be in a position to address the structural inequities that riddle the system. I have to be in a position where I can fix the barriers that affect the lower class. Go back to square one with me, the laws and policies that cause people to struggle in poverty, to lack quality medical care and legal advice when they need it. Fixing the things that are all encompassing across the country. Not limiting myself to one field, but being somewhere where the things I do extend to all of those fields in a more meta way."
Bulma looked surprised for a moment, "Politics," she said finally, "Gohan I had no idea you were so passionate about this sort of thing, and it's honestly inspiring to hear that you actually want to help people as best you can. Being willing to weather the storm that is the political scene is bold, it's rife with corruption, greed, bribes, you name it it's there. We need more people like you involved, good people who actually would strive for change. Ya know Gohan, you've got the wit and the speaking skills for it, I say go for it! I'm so glad you've found something you're passionate about, the power to do good from where you wanna be is so strong, and I've always fantasized about being able to get some things done around here. More social programs, improved government assistance, better school funding, cracking down on corruption, this city needs some change, hell this world, and who better to do it than a guy like you! Gohan, I'm happy to help you get started in any way that I can, its a pretty exclusive field to get into, lots of entry barriers, but you name it and I'll see if I can help." Her voice cracked a little, "I'm proud of you kid, coming from being that little boy with a bowl cut on Namek to a strong willed young man with good morals and ambition for a better future. You're so mature now; I'm excited to see what you can do."
'Bingo. Help me any way that you can eh? Quite the promising token of support.' "I'm really glad you're supporting my decision in this Bulma; in all honesty, I was worried you'd try to discourage me from entering since I know it's a dirty field. But I'm prepared for it, prepared to fix it any way that I can, to repair the broken system. I have vision for this city. The lack of order, of structure, the failing schools and businesses, the high unemployment rates and poverty, that's not efficient, it's not what the people of this city need or deserve. I'm tired of seeing people suffer each and every day because they were born into a situation they had no control over, and I'm prepared to make it my lifelong pursuit to change things Bulma, I mean that." They had reached her office, Gohan followed her through the door and laid his eyes upon the CEO of the biggest corporation in the world's room.
'Eh, kinda underwhelming.' It looked about how you'd expect any other CEO's room to look. Nice, spacious, homey, well furnished, nothing special or out of the ordinary, that he could see that is. Who knew what secrets this room had to offer? Gohan took a seat opposite her desk as she sat down too. "Gohan, I'm beyond excited to see what you can accomplish, and I want you to come to me and let me know if there's ever anything I can do to help you out with this okay?"
Gohan nodded, "Thank you Bulma, while a bit humbling to admit, I can't deny that I desperately the help of someone like you, no matter how good my politicking skills I'd never make a name for myself without a bit of external motivators. You have power, confidence, connections, wealth, you have all of the things that make politicians drool." 'And those seeking power and control.' Gohan could feel his body tingling as he realized his plan was going much better than expected. He had acquired her support along with access to her vast expanse of resources. He breathed in slowly, bracing himself for what he knew would be the hard part. "Hey Bulma," she perked up at him, and he put on a genuine look of nervousness, "There was something else that I wanted to talk to you about, something pretty serious that's been causing me some issues recently."
"Sure kid, what's on your mind?" she asked, a look of concern adorning her features.
'Okay, it's now or never,' "Well, I don't know if its puberty, or if it's a result of something else, I've got a couple ideas at what could be causing it, but recently I've been having what can best be described as intrusive thoughts, thoughts that I don't want to be having and have no control over. Dark thoughts that I know shouldn't be there. Obviously I would never act upon them, but just the sheer fact that they're there in the first place gives me cause for concern and makes me worried. It's beginning to marginally affect my day to day life, and even if it's only slight, I don't want these thoughts to cloud my mind, my judgement, my reasoning. And so, I suppose the first thing you could help me out with concerning my future career path, is helping me figure out some sort of way to suppress these thoughts, mitigate them, or get rid of them entirely."
Gohan had very deliberately omitted even a hint at what these thoughts consisted of, and he was planning on gauging Bulma's reaction to see how he would continue. If a look of recognition appeared, he knew she knew what he was talking about, and if one of confusion appeared, she was at a loss and this problem was unique to him for some reason. 'It was smart to think ahead like that I suppose, but perhaps it would have been smarter to plan responses to these reactions rather than just planning on observing them. Oh well, guess I'll wing it.'
Bulma stared back at him neutrally, and then a look of solemn understanding appeared. "Gohan...I know exactly what you're talking about. It's not just you I promise, other people experience this exact thing and although it can make you feel like a bad person, I promise you it is normal. When boys reach a certain age they begin to experience new feelings regarding other people, and it is perfectly okay and even healthy to explore these feelings. It's called sex, what that means-" she couldn't hold in her laughter anymore as she began giggling like a child at her little jest.
Alright he had to admit that was pretty funny, he had to smile back at her, "Oh ha ha Bulma, very funny, ya know I oughta make you listen to what my dad said when he explained the birds and the bees to me for pulling a stunt like that. I still have nightmares to this day; I'm convinced even he had no idea what sex was!"
Bulma finally composed herself and said, "I'm sorry it was just too tempting. 'Dirty thoughts I shouldn't be having,' you were asking for me to make that joke. But no, kid, in all seriousness intrusive thoughts are a symptom of OCD and are actually relatively normal. I understand if you don't want to discuss in detail what they consist of as it can be pretty shameful and upsetting, but you need to understand these thoughts aren't your own; you don't want to be thinking about them and you lack control over them. They are in no way indicative of your character or who you are as a person. But, they can be debilitating if they increase in severity and can lead to other mental illnesses like depression or anxiety. I can refer you to a couple of close friends of mine, top of the line psychiatrist, who could prescribe you some stuff for it." She thought for a second, "Oh what the hell, I could probably just get you the prescriptions right now without you needing to visit an intermediary."
'Intrusive thoughts huh? Hmmm, I suppose what I've been experiencing could be labeled as a sort of extremely violent and severe case of intrusive thoughts. But no, this is different. OCD doesn't make a person feel demonically possessed to commit murder. But maybe the medication used to treat them could help me? It's worth a shot, and much better than further elaboration of what these thoughts really are.' "That would be a lifesaver Bulma; I… really struggle to talk about my mental health most of the time, and I haven't even told my mom about this yet; I just felt like I could trust you. You're intelligent and kind, and I knew you'd know what was going on and be able to help. I don't know if I can talk to a therapist or psychiatrist about it...the shame might be too much for me...I'm sorry."
"Hey no, don't apologize. It's not easy to open up about this sort of stuff," 'Especially when you've had to keep it in as long as you have… poor kid' "and so I completely get not wanting to have to tell anyone else about it. I'm proud of you for having the courage to talk to me about it, and I'm super glad you did. Mental health in teenagers is important Gohan...i'll tell ya what! How about I call one of my good friends and let her know I need something for intrusive thoughts I've been having, she can write me a prescription, and voila! Shouldn't take but ten or fifteen minutes, meet me back here then," she smiled at him, happy to be able to help her best friends' son who was struggling.
Gohan smiled weakly, "Thanks a ton Bulma, you're the best. It means the world you'd do this for me you have no idea how much a help this is for me." He stood up and walked out of the office as she dialed the number of her friend.
As soon as he rounded the corner of the door and was out of eyesight he nearly screamed with excitement. This meeting had been everything he had hoped for and more. He had not expected this to go even half as well. He had an internship lined up, a new ally, and treatment for his problem without revealing any damning info. Bulma hadn't even batted an eye, and he had told her he was having murderous urges that he frequently satisfied on poor unsuspecting victims! 'Well, maybe I didn't say it quite that clearly but still, the point remains all the same.' He whistled as he wandered aimlessly around the complex for a couple of minutes, not wanting to go too far lest he get lost.
The sense of relief and ecstatic jubilation that had washed over him upon realizing he was actually about to have successfully executed phase one of his ambitions with zero negative repercussions was enough to temporarily dull his senses, if only slightly. But, all it takes is a momentary lapse in focus to fuck up everything, and as Murphy's law would indicate, his successful actions today would have to come at a cost, a cost which he was rapidly approaching with each passive step. His mind wandered as did he as he rounded corners and thought about what this meeting met for his long term success, and what his next task on the agenda needed to be. Deep in his thoughts and at a high point of introspection, he didn't notice he was walking right towards someone until he bumped into them, falling unceremoniously onto his ass.
Gohan was immediately snapped back to reality and was quick to apologize for his clumsiness, "My goodness, I am so sorry abo-." Time seemed to stop, he was still staring at the tiled floor he was currently sitting on as his gaze hardened and pure panic began to ignite within him. 'Wait a minute; I am not human. I have a power level even when suppressed of well over a hundred times the average human. My skin cannot be penetrated by bullets, and my body might as well be chiseled out of stone with the amount of muscle mass I carry. If I bumped into someone who worked here they should have fallen on the floor, possibly through it, and would be on their way to the ER right now, which means…'
Gohan slowly glanced up, and he didn't have to look far before he found himself staring right into a pair of onyx eyes that might as well have been two tiny pieces of charcoal with the depths to which their blackness seemed to extend. He had known what he was risking by coming here, and the last thing he had wanted was to have a conversation orgod forbid a spar with Vegeta. He didn't have the time for it, and if he wasn't careful a singular slip could cost him all the progress he had amounted in these past few months. 'One step forward, two steps back, isn't that what they say? Be careful.'
Vegeta smiled in what most would consider to be a happy look, but when one realized just what type of things made Vegeta happy, the perception shifted to his smile being one of malicious excitement. "Ah, so the spawn of Kakarot decides to finally grace us with his mighty presence at last. I've been waiting for this day, oh yes indeed," he began laughing between words, "the day on which I can finally test the lengths of my progress, and perhaps reveal to all the lengths of your failures. I know you haven't been training brat." He encircled Gohan, who was still seated awkwardly on the floor, as if looking into the inner workings of his soul, and having come to some sort of conclusion, shook his head sadly, "Tsk tsk tsk, you might as well be human at this point boy, after all, power makes a saiyan. The drive and thirst for power is what has led us to survive extinction, and you are squandering it, how sad."
Gohan shakily stood up, then smiled back at Vegeta, seemingly unafraid, "Well it's certainly good to see you too Vegeta. Man has it really been all that long? I suppose it has been, after all last time I saw you you were about my height, and now look, I could practically use your head as a chin rest!" Gohan smiled with nonchalance, knowing he was really pushing his luck taunting Vegeta, but at the same time not being able to resist such easy mocking.
Vegeta fixed a glare at him but otherwise showed little reaction, which very much surprised Gohan. 'A cheap insult like that would have made his blood boil 4 years ago, why is he not more pressed.' He then really shocked Gohan by shifting his expression to a cocky smile and saying, "You best watch your tongue around me half-breed, after all you know that if things got," he paused for effect, "violent, the only thing you'd be even with is my boot." He threw his head back and guffawed, "Your power that you displayed against Cell all those years ago used to astonish me, and yet look at you now, a waste of potential who only served to fulfill the low class status of his pathetic father."
In all honesty, that comment really didn't hit as home as Vegeta thought it would. Gohan didn't give two shits about his dad, and in fact would probably be very likely to join Vegeta in dishing out insults at the pathetic excuse for a father. And as for his status, blood, and power? Well, Vegeta was really the only one who cared about those things, and what Vegeta thought of him wasn't particularly important to him, so overall he kept his cool. Arrogance, however, did piss Gohan off, as well as general disrespect regardless of the nature of the offense.
Gohan kept his face neutral and said, "Ah, comments about my father, I see you still haven't gotten over his blatant power superiority to you eh?" He put his hands up and sighed knowingly, "But I suppose I'd be holding a grudge too if I were you, a prince of a handful of people who both don't respect him and surpass him in power, I'd persist with the insults too believe me I would. However, insulting a dead man seems a bit classless, wouldn't you say Vegeta? Perhaps Frieza had the right idea stripping you and your father of all authority; after all, supremacy requires one to be the strongest, something you'll likely never know about. Hell, maybe when my father comes back he'll usurp you as king and I'll be your prince, wouldn't that be something?"
Now that comment did compel a reaction from Vegeta, and his gaze darkened, his power flared, and a low growl emitted from his throat as he snarled out, "Only thing you'll ever be prince of is prince of cheap shots and low blows. My height and my past? Such cowardly things to attack. But I suppose I shouldn't put it past you, after all you did stand back and let Cell kill your father, so your cowardice shouldn't come as a shock to me. You are a clown, a joke to the saiyan race. The bloodline has been tainted with such weak willed individuals like you and your father, you know nothing of our race, of pride, of power, of the thrill of the kill which defines us."
Gohan sighed in resignation, realizing this conversations was getting out of hand, and apologetically said, "Alright look, I don't want things to be shitty between us Vegeta. I made a joke in poor taste that escalated to a verbal war in which both of us got offended," 'As fucking if, nothing this bum says or does could ever actually really piss me off,' "and I'm sorry for what I said. It was uncalled for and a cheap shot, real warriors such as ourselves should settle their differences on the battlefield, not with loquaciousness. So how about this, we meet in a couple weeks for a friendly spar not as enemies, but as two fighters from the last of a dying race striving to improve themselves. What do ya say?" And with that he stuck his hand out.
Gohan thought the diplomatic gesture might be completely ignored all together, but then after a while Vegeta slowly nodded his head and shook Gohan's hand in agreement to his deal. "I look forward to it...Gohan. You know I meant what I said about your power earlier; power levels like that do our race proud, and for the first time I finally saw a killer in you when you fought Cell. A sense of hope swelled within me that maybe you wouldn't end up like that bumbling bafoon Kakarot after all, that you would surpass him not only in strength, but in power. It appears my intuition was correct, you're not a weakling like him, you stand up for yourself, and you aren't afraid of things getting messy, in fact it seems you sometimes crave and seek out the messiness of battle. Maybe there is hope for you after all." A look of slight respect for the man Gohan had become crossed over his features before it was quickly replaced by anger, "But don't think this changes anything, you're still a snobby little brat who lazes around while his enemies get stronger, wasting your potential. And know that if you EVER talk about my heritage or father again I will tear you limb from limb with my bare hands and use your intestinal lining as wallpaper! Do you fucking understand me?!"
Gohan smiled, "I wouldn't expect anything less Vegeta. We are saiyans after all, violence is in our blood, and whether or not we want to sometimes our primal emotions override logic, and when the smoke clears all that's left are bloody hands and eviscerated bodies." Gohan got inches from his face and drawled out, "Very eviscerated bodies. Take care Vegeta." Gohan winked at him as he turned to walk away, leaving Vegeta looking contemplative, perceptive enough to know that comment meant something, that it meant something big.
Gohan was smiling on his way back to Bulma's office. 'God damnit I gotta learn to control my impulses. Why the fuck would I antagonize the person I wanna avoid? I suppose it did keep him distracted enough to avoid asking outright for a spar then and there and allowed me to pick the date.' He didn't much mind that he had let that little hint slip that he was no stranger to violent impulse, in fact he kind of viewed it as a fun little game between them; he knew that even if Vegeta did suspect he had committed some atrocity, the odds of him caring were so low, and the odds of him finding evidence that essentially didn't exist to account for these crimes was even lower. Vegeta could be critical in helping him find genuine methods to satiate his urge to kill, so perhaps slowly letting him in on the situation with little clues here and there could tell him whether or not this was a universal experience amongst saiyans.
'Does he even have the urge? Or is it unique to saiyans who have achieved the ascended state? If he does have the drive to murder how the fuck does he get around it. Bulma's no pacifistic weakling, but surely she wouldn't knowingly let her husband murder innocents. Right?!' Gohan thought a little more about the situation, 'Maybe they aren't innocent, perhaps he hunts criminals? Purges planets? SAIBAMEN? God damnit whats he have that I don't?' He doubted Vegeta would be willing to help him if he just told him the situation outright, no he'd find it amusing more than anything. The son of Goku a murderer of the people his father had sworn to protect, had given his life to protect. 'Yeah he'd be in stitches for sure.' But maybe if he earned Vegeta's respect, slowly revealed more to him about who he was, just how saiyan he could be. Yes that would have to be the route he would take with Vegeta, he would show him during the spar what it really meant to have the drive of a saiyan, he just needed time to preapre.
Until then though, whatever medication Bulma illegally gave him would have to suffice. He found it hilarious by the way, that Bulma was essentially committing multiple crimes by giving him prescription medicine that wasn't prescribed to him by a professional; 'but then again what billionaire isn't guilty of a few crimes.'
He kept walking realizing Bulma was probably done with her phone call, deep in thought about his next move. 'How does one gain respect around here? Do I need to know criminals, or does that taint my reputation rather than upholster it? Damn, I need to know how this fucking system works.' He was prepared to steal as many opioids and benzodiazepines as he needed to to make a name for himself as the biggest illicit drug supplier in Satan City. Problem was, if the political scene of Satan City wasn't as interwoven with crime as he thought, then knowing big drug lords did nothing positive for his status. At the very least it would make him money, lots of money. Robbing banks wasn't cutting it. If he stole too much it would attract unwanted attention that could lead to his exposure. 'I can see it now, "Invisible thief strips banks of all cash!" Yeah that surely won't attract any attention.' He rolled his eyes at himself, knowing someone would easily figure out that one of the z-fighters was bank robbing if he ever took too much for it to be a big problem, which would not quite be a good look for him.
'Fuck, then I have the same problem for stealing prescription drugs...Unless I didn't use my powers that is.' He stopped walking. 'That's it! If I just steal shit without actually showing too much supernatural happenings then it will never be a big enough story to make it past a 30 second clip on local news.' He thought about it, wearing all black and breaking into a pharmacy at night would be easy. He would just need to plow a hole through the wall as to avoid setting of alarms, hell he could even use ki to make it look like an industrial grade saw or something had been used.
He made it to Bulma's office with a big goofy grin on his face as he thought about how much oxycontin was about to hit the street, and ultimately, how much cash was gonna hit his pockets once he enacted his so called 'phase 2'. Asking Bulma for cash was fine, but ultimately he couldn't rely on her forever and would much prefer a more steady source of income while also making a name for himself around the city. He just needed to learn, to immerse himself into the circle of politics to truly see whether or not becoming a criminal and being a politician went hand in hand. 'I'm gonna have to go to one of those stupid fucking charity balls aren't I...fuck.' He couldn't risk things anymore, couldn't just chance that blatantly selling drugs undercover wouldn't hurt him.
"Hey kiddo! What's got you so happy?" Bulma asked.
Gohan took a seat and chirped, "Bulma lemme tell you something, I have been smiling for the past 15 minutes, and in all honesty I probably won't stop for another 15 hours! I feel like coming over here to visit has changed my life; I gained a supporter for my future career endeavors along with mental health treatment! What more could you ask for? Man if this is what it's like every time I visit I might just have to stop avoiding the place."
Bulma fake pouted but couldn't keep a grin off her face for long, "Oh ha ha Gohan, very funny. Well, you'll be glad to know that I got a prescription called in for you. Sertraline, SSRI grade antidepressant, 100mg, should last for 2 months or so. It's good for treating OCD and depression, so I think it'll do the trick. It's a higher dose than normal for people first starting out on it, but considering what you are I highly doubt you'll have any adverse reactions to it, so no need to waste our time working our way up."
Bulma handed him the medicine. He looked at the orange pill bottle with a white cap and read the label: 'BULMA BRIEFS / Take once daily at night.' He pocketed the pills, his first real hope for a better life embodied within his pocket. 'Better not lose these…' "Thanks Bulma, you're the best. I'll be coming back in a couple of weeks to spar with Vegeta." He saw the eye roll and head shake from Bulma and continued, "Yeah I know, can't step foot within a hundred miles of this place without him demanding a battle til we're half dead haha. Anyhow, I'll see you around Bulma, call me if you need anything." And with that he hugged the blue haired scientist and began his stroll out of the building as he whistled a jaunty tune, the pills rattling within the bottle in his pockets.
As he stepped out of the building and felt the doors close behind him he knew he had won. He had officially succeeded in doing one of the scariest things in his life, barring probably only his many battles with aliens and androids. He began squealing like a schoolgirl and jumping up and down, full of energy and excitement; he blasted off from the premises to fly around for a quick joyride before heading back to Mt Pazou. He had all day after all, given his 'sparring' with Vegeta usually lasted hours.
He decided to explore the city a bit, flying at high undetectable speeds a couple of hundred yards over the oblivious civilians below. He was so happy; he hadn't felt this happy since he had defeated Cell, lying on the ground knowing that he had saved each and every one of his friends after giving the fight his all, and would soon reunite with his father after they wished him back with the dragon balls. His grin faltered. 'Yeah and we all know how that fucking turned out. Sitting on his ass in the otherworld living lavishly while his son goes through hell and his wife struggles to raise a kid he left behind.'
Gohan squeezed his hand into a fist, he really disliked his father. Blatant idiocy was certainly a dislikable trait, but the dumbass had the audacity to turn his back on his family in pursuit of his own selfish endeavors to be the strongest under the guise of 'protecting the Earth.' 'Yeah, because if you weren't here the red ribbon army wouldn't have shown up, and Pilaf wouldn't have shown up, King Piccolo wouldn't have shown up. Yeah all those people definitely came because of you dad.' He scowled, Earth would have been taken over ten different times had his father not been there to stop it. 'He knows damn well that that's not why he's staying in the otherworld, son of a bitch just wants an excuse for abandoning us to ease his conscious.'
Now Gohan was actually getting upset as his thoughts of his father were let loose; the saiyan had become a master at hiding his emotions and keeping his cool even when on the inside he was seething, but this, this was the one thing that got to him. Nothing got under his skin anymore because he didn't care about anything, but his own father leaving him time and time again and being too much of a coward to admit why, taking the high road and acting all high and mighty while his family suffered, now that pissed him off, it pissed him off a lot.
Gohan tried to push the thoughts down, to clump all of the negative emotions in his mind into a ball and shove it deep inside of him. But the wasteland within him where he had put all of his bad thoughts and depressing emotions was beginning to fill up. He needed a catharsis, he needed to release it somehow. He couldn't keep it pent up any longer, not because a lack of discipline, but because of a lack of space to store it; he realized too late had been doing this too damn much to hide his emotions anymore, and they were all about to come out at once if he didn't do something right now.
He started to panic as he thought about how he would get away with killing someone in broad daylight, and felt his body start to tremble slightly. 'Fuck, no fuck stop it, stop fucking shaking, please don't.' He squeezed his eyes shut and put both hands on his head as if to shut up the thoughts within it.
It was at that moment he heard the screams. Loud, shrill, high pitched wails that made his ears perk up even from all the way up where he was. At first he thought this was the stage of auditory hallucinations, where he would hear the screams of his victims as he urges pushed him to kill, but no, this was real. He craned his neck downward towards the city and saw people sprinting out of a building. Curiosity and the need for a distraction getting the better of him, Gohan quickly flew down and landed on top of the building. He took in his surroundings and was actually pretty surprised, and even impressed, at the sheer chaos of the situation.
Sight: What looked like 30 or 40 men and women were screaming, some bloody, as they sprinted or crawled out of the square brick building he was currently on top of.
Scent: He smelled smoke, and looked over the ledge of the rooftop towards the entrance. 'Or, what used to be the entrance…' The doors were blown off the hinges, hence the smoke, and a small fire had started at the foot of the building. It smelled awful, and the pungent odor of cooking skin hit his nose, and he recoiled slightly at the foulness of it.
Sound: His ears hurt. His ears never hurt, and his enhanced hearing rarely ever backfired on him. But the screams of pain and fear, as well as the bullets firing out of some sort of fully automatic weapon within the building had him reeling.
Taste: Cooked meat hit his tastebuds, and although it wasn't a bad taste, it certainly was an overpowering and uncomfortable one. One that intermingled with the growing smoke, which was forcing its way into his mouth and deep into his lungs. He coughed and stopped breathing, and knew he wouldn't need to take a breath for another 20 minutes or so.
Touch: He could feel the chaos within the building through his feet, the rumble of a thousand feet hitting the floor at once; the shaking of the shingles caused his feet to tingle and then go numb.
After assessing the situation for a couple of seconds, a smile grew upon his features. It would have been quite a disturbing sight, innocents dying on the street as a creepy teen wickedly grins at the whole scene of catastrophe. 'Today, I won't be a murderer, today, I will be a hero.' He chuckled quietly before making a decision. Hiding his power was pointless, and in fact, he could very easily use this as a tool to amass countless supporters and followers. 'Clout chasing while satiating my urges, talk about killing two birds with one stone.'
He quickly hopped down and made his way through the chaos, which was even worse on his heightened sense up close. He easily found the gaping hole amidst the fleeing crowd, and entered the bank. 'Ah I can see it now "Young dashing teen saves city and stops bank robbers with his bare hands." The scene within the bank was surprisingly much calmer than on the outside. Only 6 people were left, two of them appeared to be hostages, while the other seemed to be a wannabe hero who had pushed their luck a bit too far, kneeling down with a gun to their head and tears streaming down their face. 'Tsk tsk, can't be playing hero as a civillian, well, unless you're me of course.' The other three were in masks, one of them watching over the hostages and the defender pretender, while the other two shoveled money into duffels from behind the counters of the bank.
Gohan cleared his throat and casually proclaimed, "Quite the beautiful bank don't you guys think?" His voice echoed around the walls of the bank, and all three masked men immediately pointed their guns at Gohan, who put his hands up in a gesture of peace. "I mean, even after all of the devastation you guys have brought about, it's still such a gorgeous building. The white marble columns, the chandeliers, the ovular structure of the inside, I mean come on this is peak interior design right?"
"Get on your fucking knees and put your hands over your head, right fucking now," one of the men with the duffels said.
Gohan stared back at the man with a look of confusion on his face, as if the concept of hostility in the man's voice confused him. He pretended to think about the request for a moment before he shook his head, "No...no I don't think I will. You see, let's think about this logically. You guys are criminals, bank robbers who blew open these doors to cause millions in property damage and no doubt have injured or even killed people in the fire you started. That, and the act of armed robbery alone could land you with 25-life in prison. Now, I don't give a fuck, don't get me wrong. The money you're taking doesn't belong to anyone except greedy corporate shills who have conned the working class with absurd interest rates and impossible to pay back loans. So, I personally don't give a shit, take every last cent in this capitalistic hellhole. But," he pointed at the hostages who had tears, blood, and mucus running down their faces, "that just can't stand. Now, back to the point at hand. You guys have used a bomb already and are clearly armed to the teeth, so why the fuck, do you think that I would come in here if I thought there was even a slim chance you guys could hurt me? Now that just wouldn't be logical would it?" his voice had taken on a dangerous edge.
Gohan had been pacing around the building as the criminals kept their guns trained onto him. He had gotten closer and closer to them until he was just a few feet from the one with the hostages. "Don't fucking come any closer man, I don't wanna kill no one; I got a family to feed, I got a wife and kids man, please I just need the cash to take care of them don't make me murder you. You said it yourself this money's all dirty anyways."
Gohan looked neutrally at him, and then peered down towards the hostages and the 'vigilante can't be.' They were all trembling, all scared beyond their wits, thinking this might be their last few minutes as conscious beings. "Hmm, I don't think you understand, friend. Why would I be here if I thought you could hurt me? You've clearly proven yourself as dangerous individuals, and do I strike you as a dumb ass? If I thought there was even a chance of even one bullet even grazing me, I wouldn't be here I promise. And you know, consider this a favor. Either way it's a lose lose for you, a shitty existence in a squalid prison for the rest of your lives, or you get away somehow and live with the guilt weighing down on you each and every day, slowly deteriorating any life that's left."
The man was shaking at this point, the barrel of his gun rapidly moving up and down over and over. Sirens began to blare and get louder and louder as cars approached the building on all sides. "The cops are outside. There's no escape for you guys, there just isn't. Those two options I mentioned earlier though, they don't sound appealing do they? No they certainly don't, they don't indeed. Look, we've all got families, and personally," he was inches away from the mans ear now, "I don't give a fuck about yours," he whispered and shoved his fist into the left side of the mans chest.
Chaos ensued. The mans' screams sounded ten times louder and more pained than anything he had heard so far, but they didn't last long, after all it's quite difficult to continue screeching without your heart. The robbers' neurons fired as his brain gave out last ditch signals to clench, to seize up and survive. The result of this was the trigger being pulled, even if only lightly, forcing a couple of bullets out of the end of the gun. But Gohan had already advanced to the other two robbers, who were firing generously at him with terror stricken eyes wide as the sea. The first one he took out with a neck snap, a little over 90 degrees always does the trick, and the other with a stomach punch spilling his entrails onto the polished marble beneath him. He gurgled and tried to choke something out, most likely gibberish anyways, but the blood in his throat limited him as he quickly died.
"Whew, well that was a pretty intense 5 seconds. Alright guys you should be good, I don't think anyone else is in here except us; I'll untie you now, but I suggest you don't sprint out for a bit. Cops are trigger happy people ya know." He smiled at them.
All three of them stared at him, eyes the size of dinner plates, glazed over with shock and terror. The one who had tried to play hero finally spoke up, and through a cracked voice said, "Y-you slaughtered them." And a little more confidently cried out, "You murdered them. You didn't have to do that!"
'In a more technical sense I actually did have to murder them per my instincts, but I suppose I see your point.' Gohan looked at them and furrowed his eyebrows, "They had fully automatic weapons aimed at me and at you all and had already burned alive a couple of people whose charred corpses are right outside the building; Limbs and guts are strewn about the premises from the bomb they detonated to get in, and everyone here will very likely suffer PTSD. I would hardly consider defending myself and you all murder. Justice? Maybe, maybe not, I'm not the one to decide what is just, but certainly not murder." He looked disgusted at the thought of being labeled a murderer, even though he knew damn well those people had non lethal intentions and weren't going to kill anyone.
The accuser stammered for a second before a resigned look passed their features and they looked up and said, "I- I see...Sorry I think I'm just still in shock. The violence of what you did just surprised me I suppose. Being covered in blood and guts of someone makes graciousness not the first emotion to feel, even if the guts are of the one who was holding you at gunpoint. But yes, you saved us. Fuck I thought I was going to die, thank you so much."
They had tears pouring out of their eyes as sobs wracked their body. Their eyes were blue, fuck they were so blue, like how someone expected the Ocean to look if it were clear, clean, and more pristine. 'Kind of like a Super Saiyan…' Gohan mused to himself. "Yeah! Don't mention it; I didn't want to do it, but I figured it was better than risking the deaths of any more people. Anyways, I recommend all of you get serious therapy if you don't already receive it. Ya know my friend Bulma has excellent contacts, I'm sure I could find a very equipped person for it, free of charge of course. Anyways, I will be right back."
Gohan put his hands up and extremely slowly began to walk towards the gaping entrance towards where no less than 50 cop cars were stationed. They began screeching demands at him, most of which he was already complying with. He loudly proclaimed, "Don't shoot please! I'm not one of the criminals, and I am unarmed. I was in there when those guys bursted in with masks, and I was able to incapacitate them. There are three hostages still bound in there, but I'm gonna stay here right now to avoid seeming imposing or threatening."
The cops slowly walked towards him and eventually cuffed him before they all stormed the building, still on high alert just in case this was some sort of ploy or there was still a threat. After a moment of searching each nook and cranny of the bank and witnessing the gory sight of the criminals' bodies, one shouted "All clear," and every single one of them began to visibly relax. Gohan was uncuffed and apologized to profusely, but told he still had to stay to give a statement, which he was all the more happy to provide.
"Quite the tense situation huh officers; I won't lie I nearly shit my pants when that bomb went off." A couple of the officers smiled softly and one even chuckled.
"Yeah we were all scared shitless, and we weren't even in here," what looked like an older cop spoke.
One of the other cops looked offended at the proclamation of harboring fear and said, "Hey speak for yourself old man I was ready to kick some ass."
The veteran deputy rolled his eyes, "Mhmm I'm sure, well looks like this young man did more than enough of that on our behalf. Forensics and paramedics probably have it from here, so let's get you and these hostages back to the station. None of y'all are in trouble obviously, this was very clearly all in self defense, but we would still need spoken testimony from each of you, just for the record."
Gohan nodded fervently, "Yes sir, I'd be happy to give a statement; Ya know I've always wanted to ride in the back of a cop car since I was a kid, seems like such a cool place, shame the only way to get back there normally is to, well, let's just say under normal circumstances I'm not gonna be too thrilled to be back there." 'God I'm so full of shit.'
The cop gave a hearty laugh at Gohans' comments and optimistic positive attitude that practically emanated off of his skin. 'The ability to put other's at ease and make them happy even in the most uncomfortable horrific situations is fucking awesome. Look at this bum, laughing his ass off at my retarded jokes while he's surrounded by corpses, damn animal.' The cop put a hand on Gohan's shoulder, "I like you kid, you're funny, we need more of that, more spirit at the worst points of our jobs. Come on you guys, we'll get you in the back of my cruiser, and I'll take you down to the station. Jimmy! You get two of the hostages, and I'll take the other with the kid."
A resounding yes sir from the rookie, and a small walk outside was all it took before cameras assaulted their eyeballs the moment they exited. At minimum five news trucks were there, reporters giving live updates to the ongoing robbery and hostage situation at Satan city's largest bank. He over heard tidbits of reporter's talking about "Neutralized" and "Deescalated" but realized they otherwise had no clue what had happened here. He smiled ear to ear, 'That won't last long.'
He entered the car after making his way through the sea of reporters and took a seat. "Damn animals," the cop barked out, "can't even get a damn moment's rest to recover from what just happened before they sic themselves on you like dogs. Anyways, you two relax, it's only a couple minutes to the station.
Gohan nodded and looked over at his fellow occupant, who was gazing at nothing out of the window with a lost expression on their face, no doubt replaying the killing Gohan had just enacted. 'Ah, to be a baby scared by gore again. Good times, good times.' He chuckled silently, 'Man what a hell of a day, first I kicked ass at capsule corp, and then I get my fix and am about to be praised for it, what the fuck is my luck right now?'
His fellow passenger seemed to snap out of their trance as the vehicle began moving. Gohan flashed them a sympathetic smile "Hey...It gets easier dude I promise. I can tell that you weren't one of their original hostages, which means you must have tried to fight them. I respect that, that was a scary ass situation and not one I enjoyed being in. You seemed to give them a hell of a fight too if the bruises on them were anything to go by, so kudos. The gore and violence sucks, and you think about all the memories that person had, their families, their life that led them to this point. But always remember, it was necessary. It had to be done. A true pacifist knows that leaving someone like that alive just gets more people killed in the long run, and thus they had to be neutralized. Killing is necessary to preserve the life of those you love, don't let yourself learn that the hard way."
They looked up at Gohan with a blank expression, and then slowly nodded, "I understand. I don't want to kill. I don't want to take someone's life; I don't think I have it in me in all honesty. But I realize the risks leaving the threat alive poses, and I really appreciate you saving me. I can normally hold my own, but three on one isn't exactly fair, but hey! You handled it with ease, that was one of the most impressive displays of martial arts I have ever seen!" They gushed at him.
"Aww, well thank you, maybe we could spar sometime! It's not too often I meet a genuine martial artist who takes the craft as seriously as me and is also my age. I'm Son Gohan by the way." Gohan stuck out his hand in a gesture of greeting.
They met his hand with a firm grip of their own, "Videl Satan."
Gohan's smile reached demonic proportions as his heart thumped at the realization of just who it was he just saved and was shaking hands with. "Well, it is trulygreat and exciting to meet you Videl."
And with that statement, for the first time in a long while, Gohan was telling the truth.
AN: Jesus what a doozy. 10K words yikes; I'm in Costa Rica rn but was able to cram a bit of writing in here and there so yuh. I was thinking about splitting this up between the capsule corp meeting and the bank robbery scene but meh, no need to be pedantic about chapter length. I just felt like this was a good stopping point, and I have no clue what I'm going to have happen next in all honesty. Will Gohan use Videl for her connections and status? Will he fall for her in the process? Will the medication work? Will Vegeta kick Gohan's ass? Find out, on the next exciting episode, of Unraveling. (Feedback greatly appreciated!)
-OG_POW3R :)
