Chapter 5- Man Down
Gohan drove nervously through the gates of the Satan city women's prison. Earlier in the day he got a call from one of the guards saying that Videl had gotten a visit from android seventeen and that they had spoken for nearly 20 minutes.
Officers at the prison knew Seventeen and Videl's relationship very well. The two had been partners in crime for almost 3 years and together, they ran the entire organization. When lead officer Michel Burnham heard that these two criminals were talking he immediately contacted Gohan.
The young Saiyan walked into the prison's holding area and was told to wait in the same well lit room Seventeen did the day before. This was the part of his job he hated the most: interrogating people, even worse now that he had to do it to Videl, his former friend and lover.
She walked into the room solemnly with her eyes to the ground. She assumed her visitor was Android Seventeen again, looking for an answer to his offer but she had not yet decided what she wanted to do. Her two options were weighing heavily on her mind, either die at the hands of the justice system or leave the planet for good with Seventeen. Neither appealed to her, both involved losing the only thing loved. Gohan.
When she looked up and saw him standing before her looking serious as if was about to go into battle, her heart fell into her stomach. He was mad, that much she knew. She'd never seen him so intense before, it was nerve racking.
"Sit down Vi," he said
She sighed heavily and did what she was told. "I'm glad you came Gohan, you weren't returning any of my calls,"
"I'm not here on a friendly visit," he replied with obvious venom in his voice.
"Then why are you here Gohan?"
"What was Seventeen doing here yesterday?"
"That's what you came to ask me? Don't you even care how I'm doing?" she said feeling insulted.
Gohan sighed, he didn't want to be so cold towards her but he had to keep his emotions in check. "I'm well aware of what you must be feeling right now, I have been faced with death many times."
"Gohan please listen to me, I never intended…"
"VIDEL PLEASE! I don't want to hear any excuse or sob story. Just answer my question,"
At this point she couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks; she didn't like seeing him so angry with her.
"Stop with the fake tears Videl and answer me!"
"Gohan, he just. He just came to see me."
"For what reason?"
"To see how I'm doing," she replied
"Just to see how you're doing? You really expect me to believe that?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to tell me what he's planning; I want you to tell me the truth for once."
"Gohan, he just came to see me, that's all."
"Don't act stupid Videl, you know damn well that Seventeen doesn't just 'go see' people without a reason"
"I just gave you a reason! He cares about me okay, and he wanted to see how I was getting along."
"Yeah sure. He loves you so much right? Pffft, gimmie a break!"
"There's nothing going on!" she yelled back
Gohan was fed up, Videl was a stubborn woman and he knew she wasn't going to talk. "Fine then, this is over." He said as he walked towards the door. "Whatever the two of you have planning you'd better think twice. If he hurts anybody I won't hesitate again to take him out."
And with that he walked out of the room.
REWIND 9 YEARS
Videl stood outside the large Mansion debating whether or not to ring the bell. Lorenzo told her that he had information about her father's death, but she wondered if she could she really trust this cold hearted mobster?
Earlier in the day she phoned the chief back in Satan city and to her disappointment they still hadn't gotten any leads on the case. She didn't bother telling him about her encounter with Lorenzo because she didn't want him to worry about her. If she told him, he would be on the very next flight to Central city to stop her.
She wasn't sure what she wanted to do, so many things were going through her head: What if he really had been the one who killed her father and was just luring her there to kill her as well? If that was the case then nobody would know where she was, no one could rescue her. She was swimming alone in shark infested waters. Her martial arts could only do so much.
She may not have liked the way her life was going at the moment, but she certainly didn't want to die, especially in this way.
"Screw it," she finally said to herself. "I have to know," and she rang the doorbell.
She was escorted by one of Lorenzo's body guards through the house. They walked down numerous hallways and went up 2 flights of stairs where she was led to a small grey door.
"Wait out here, Mr. Alcazar will be with you shortly," The guard said as he left.
She waited all of 2 minutes before Lorenzo opened the door. "Ah, Ms. Videl, it's good to see you. Please come in, have a seat," he said as he invited her into the office.
She walked in and sat down before him at his desk. "Okay, so start talking, what do you know about my father's death?"
"I can see you're a 'get to the point' type of girl. No formalities. I like that. I'm not here to waste your time Videl, I know exactly who killed your father and why."
Videl folded her arms, "Oh really, who is it then?"
"Before I tell you any of that information my dear, I need something from you. I am, after all a businessman. I don't give anything unless I get something in return."
"I'm not having sex with you, if that's what you're implying,"
He laughed, "My dear, you are a very cute girl, no doubt, but the whole pig tails and underage thing is not really one of my turn-ons. All I want from you is your time. Like I told you yesterday, my daughters are very big fans of yours and I would like you to spend some time with them, train them."
"And that's all you want?"
"That's it. And of course I will be paying you, so it's a win-win situation."
"Alright, you have a deal. So let's hear it!"
"Good, but before I get started you should know that if you choose to not show up, there will be consequences."
"I said you have a deal, get on with it."
"Excellent. Now then, let me tell you about your father. Mr. Satan was a great man; brave, strong and very determined, but like all men he had his flaws. He was always a rich man; always able to live very comfortably, but he was never a wealthy man and he was not satisfied with that. He tried his hands in the stock markets and in small businesses but they all seemed to lose money rather than gain which is why he started gamble. Like most people, he won some hands and he lost some but in the end everything always managed to balance out.
"After he defeated Cell he was rewarded with a cash lump sum of 20 million dollars which meant he could finally afford to live the lifestyle of a wealthy man. Unfortunately as time passed his greed and laziness took over, he wanted more so he started gambling again, sometimes biding up to 300k on one hand. He was even known to participate in the deadly game of Russian Roulette. Your mother knew nothing about it."
"How do you know all of this?" Videl asked
"I have my sources. Anyway, your father was a frequent visitor at the Adams Family Casino, so much so that he soon became friendly with Cristov Adams himself, the two became fast buddies; bonding over their love for money.
"As time went on your father's losses became bigger and bigger, eventually reaching approximately 10 million dollars. Now, to help pay off his debt Cristov offered to cut the amount in half if your father allowed the family to turn one of his gyms into a drug hideout."
"No way!" Videl said in shock
"Yes, and he agreed. The whole setup worked quite well for some time but after a while the police started catching on and investigating. When your father became aware of this he broke the deal with Cristov not wanting his heroic reputation to be tarnished. Of course this didn't sit right with Mr. Adams, he told your father that if the deal was over then he needed to pay the full 10 million with 48 hours or you die."
"Me! Are you serious?"
"Yes. You see, threaten a man's life and he'll do anything you want. Threaten his family, and he'll do it twice as fast. Unfortunately your father simply did not possess that kind of cash; with all the gambling and bad budgeting his money had dwindled to only a few million. So when he didn't show up with the full sum of money in the allotted time, Adams had him executed. I still don't know why he spared you."
Videl was speechless; she didn't know how to feel.
"But why? Why couldn't they give him more time?" she asked
"That's not the way it works my dear. To run a business like this you must be strict and unfeeling,"
"But my dad was a hero, how could they do that to him?"
"He made a deal with the devil, hero or not."
"That bastard! My father would have paid him eventually!"
"I'm sorry dear, but that's the business your father aligned himself with."
"Such a pointless death," Videl said sadly.
"Cristov had no remorse Videl. Sure your father was a great man but money speaks louder than anything else."
"MONEY! It was all about money!"
"Yes money and power. When you're responsible for the death of the world's greatest fighter you almost become unstoppable."
"That JACKASS! How could he do that! ... Where does he live?"
"Why do you want to know?" Lorenzo asked
"So I can confront him myself!"
"Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"What's he gonna do? Kill me too?"
"Probably," Lorenzo replied bluntly
"I don't care! I want to spit in his face."
"Wouldn't it be better to call the police and let them handle it?"
"I'll call them after I kick his ass! Please tell me where he is."
"To be honest, I can't be sure where he is. If he's still in the city he's probably at his ranch up north. Here's the address," he said as he handed her a piece of paper.
"That son of a bitch," she said as she stood up
"I hope you're not planning on going over there right now."
"Of course I am," she replied
He laughed. "My dear you really think it's wise to go there unprotected?"
"I don't care! I hate him."
Lorenzo shook his head and opened his top drawer. "Alright, if you insist but here, take this with you," he said as he handed her a revolver.
"I don't need that!"
"Yes you do. Take it just in case. You never know what can happen; he's got a lot of body guards. And besides, I'll feel a lot better if you do. Just keep it at your side, no one will see it, you probably won't need to use it anyway."
"Fine," she said as she grabbed the gun. She couldn't deny that he had a point.
"There are four bullets in there, so be careful."
"Fine, can I leave now?"
"Certainly, but please don't forget about my daughters, they'll be expecting you tomorrow."
"Whatever," She said as she walked out the door, leaving Lorenzo alone.
Minutes after Videl left Lorenzo's top enforcer, nicknamed 'Bricks' walked into his office.
"Lorenzo, what was Mr. Satan's daughter doing here? Is it wise to have her around, you know she works for the police right?"
"Bricks my man, sometimes I surprise myself."
"What do you mean by that sir?"
"I think I just got the Champs daughter to do our dirty work for us."
"How so?"
"Details details my friend. Just get my car ready we have someplace to be."
"6787 Millard Road north please," she told the taxi driver. "And make it quick."
She sat in the back seat of the cab staring out the window as the sun was setting over the horizon. Truth be told she had no idea what she was going to do when she got there, all she wanted was to look at the man who took her father away from her, a look at the man who'd changed her life.
Ever since her father's death everything had been turned upside down. On that day not only did she lose her father but she lost her home, her friends, her job and the lifestyle that she'd gotten used to.
Living in Central City she'd become a loner, always indulged in thought, living out fantasy worlds inside her head, always pretending, fake smiling, she felt like an imposture in her own body. The only person she ever really spoke to was Melvin, but he had his own life, outside her.
She didn't even enjoy martial arts the same anymore. Practicing became more of a chore than anything else; doing it reminded her to much of her father. He'd taught her everything she knew about fighting. She remembered their training sessions from when she was just 6 years old; how she'd throw a kick or punch at him and he'd pretend to be hurt or how she'd try to get him in a head lock but her little hands were to small and finally, how her mother would laugh hysterically at their antics.
They were good memories. Memories that she replayed over and over again in her head. Her dad may not have been perfect, but he was still her dad, and she loved the big old fool. In recent years she hadn't been as close to him as they were before but she liked it that way, she enjoyed their small talks at dinner and their occasional public appearances, it was the only time they got to be in each other's company.
Now all that was gone, all that was left was a bitter aunt who wanted nothing to do with her. She was a stranger in the place she was supposed to call home. The only good part about it was that she got her own little space in the basement; the tiny room was her only safe haven, the only place where she could be herself.
"We're here lady, that'll be $38 please," the taxi driver said
"38 dollars! Damn it, so much for budgeting," she said as she handed the money to the driver.
She walked up to the gates of the mansion and rang the bell.
"What's your business here," a male voice said over the intercom
"I'm here to see Mr. Adams."
"Is he expecting you?"
"No, tell him it's Videl Satan."
"Okay, give me a moment"
Videl waited patiently at the gates checking out her surroundings. This area was far more secluded than Lorenzo's place; the nearest house was a good 5 kilometers away.
She hugged her body as the cool night breeze blew; she had only worn her typical white shirt and jeans. As she warmed herself up she became aware of the cold steel revolver on her side, she'd stuffed it in her pants before entering the cab. She pulled it out and looked at it. This was the first time she actually taken a good look at the gun, it was a single-action revolver, meaning the hammer had to be cocked before every shot.
She stared at the gun wondering how mankind could create such a deadly weapon. This weapon destroyed her life. This weapon had ended the lives of both her mother and father. He mother had been shot during a robbery attempt at the supermarket.
The gun was a symbol of her trashed life. Oh how she hated it!
"You may come in Miss Satan," the man said through the intercom.
She quickly pushed the gun back at her side as the gates opened. She walked up to the house where she was met with a short yet buff looking man who wore a black business suit, had his black hair gelled back and a scar on his upper right cheek.
"Good evening Miss. Satan, please do come in."
"Are you Cristov?" she asked firmly
"No, I am his business partner and body guard, Charles. Mr. Adams is in his office, follow me."
She followed him to a large fancy office where a she was met with a tall, strikingly handsome older man playing miniature golf near his desk. He had short gray hair, blue eyes and was medium build. He put down his putter and approached Videl.
"Good evening young lady, may I shake your hand?" he asked as he reached out to her
"Shake your hand? Screw you!" she replied in disgust.
"That's an awful lot of hostility Videl. You might want to be careful. Why are you here anyway, the police have nothing on me," he said as his picked a bottle of wine on his desk. He had gotten use to random police interrogations.
"I'm not here on police business; I'm here to talk, person to person. No police involvement"
"Really? Well, now I'm intrigued. Why on earth would the champ's daughter be at my home at this time of the night? Not that I'm complaining," he said winking
"Don't play dumb, you know exactly why I'm here!"
"No I don't know why you're here. Care for a drink?"
"STOP with the bullshit! Why did you do it?"
He laughed. "Videl, I've done a lot of things for a lot of reasons. You must be specific."
"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! ... You just couldn't give him more time could you? He would have paid you eventually!"
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about my father!" she said as she tried to calm her emotions.
"Your father?"
"Yes, I know all about your deal with him."
"My deal? Sweetheart, no offense but I would never make any deals with the likes of your father. He was a moron."
"Don't you talk about him like that!"
"Listen, I know you must be missing your father a lot and you're looking for someone to blame but I had nothing to do with it. So why don't you go home like a good little girl and play with your dollies."
"Don't patronize me; I know it was you."
He laughed. "If you're so sure that I did it then why are you here? Why aren't the cops here?"
"Shut up and answer my question!"
He sighed and took another sip of his wine. "I told you, I had nothing to do with your father's death. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my game."
"You jerk! You don't even care."
"Yes, you're right. I DON'T care. Mr. Satan is of no importance to me, and neither are you so leave now or you'll regret ever coming here."
Videl grunted. "Fine, I'll leave, but there's just one more thing," she said calmly as she pulled out the revolver.
"You don't know what you're doing Videl, put that away!"
"Shut up!" She said as she cocked the hammer and aimed
Bang. Bang. Bang. Man Down.
"What do you expect me to do
If you're playing me for a fool
I will lose my cool And reach for my fire arm
I didn't mean to lay him down
But it's too late to turn back now
Don't know what I was thinking
Now he's no longer living
So I'm bout to leave town"
-Rihanna, Man down
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