Chapter Eleven
I Regret To Inform You, Mrs. Son
"Lime, please talk to me," called Gohan.
Just like any other day after Eddie the 'L' had been captured and The Gold Fighter had been pardoned, Lime ignored him, storming off in the opposite direction.
It had been a several days, and he would have thought Lime would have calmed down at least a little by now. He had gone to Chazke Village after he had managed to escape the paparazzi, and was relieved to find that Lime had managed to get home safe via bus.
He didn't see her until the day after at school outside the exam hall, as her grandfather had informed him that she had gone straight to sleep. Gohan didn't blame the girl, it had been an incredibly emotional day for both of them.
His mother had been utterly beside herself, the news that King Furry himself had pardoned the golden haired teenager having been televised throughout the world. Chi-Chi had cried and hugged him when he showed her the check, ordering him to put the money away in preparation for university. They had decided they would cash it in Bulma's name. As Capsule Corp. had some very important clients, it wouldn't be too outrageous for them to be in cahoots with The Gold Fighter.
Despite his family's elation, the teenager couldn't help but feel guilty. He wished Lime hadn't gotten involved in the whole mess in the first place, and was quick to approach her at school, yet the girl didn't seem to want to hear anything he had to say.
The young saiyan had been persistent, they had never fallen out before, and he hated to think Lime was cross with him. He followed her back home and knocked at her balcony every night, but she either told him to get lost or ignore him altogether.
He tried to give her some space, but he just couldn't take it anymore.
"Lime! For Kami's sake will you at least look at me?" He yelled at her retreating form, "I don't understand why you're so mad at me!"
It was Friday afternoon, and the fourth years had just had their last exam. The school year was officially over for them, and Gohan and Lime seemed to be the only ones not celebrating. Students were laughing and joking, abandoning their school ties and rolling up their sleeves due to the heat of the day. Everyone was making their way out of the school grounds when Gohan had called his friend back.
To his surprise, the red head turned, angry tears shining in her eyes, "If you don't understand Gohan then thats not my problem! I'm not going to waste my time explaining it to you!"
She turned again, but the young saiyan quickly caught up to her, grasping her by the shoulders and looking her directly in the eyes.
"Lime please," he tried, "I know your upset, believe me no one hates that this happened to you more than me. I wanted to believe your Dad was good, I really did but-"
"Stop it!" she cried, shoving him off, "I don't need a lecture from you!"
"I'm not going to lecture you," he said carefully, "Look, I'm sorry, none of this should have happened, if I would have known for certain, then I would have never-"
"You knew didn't you?" she sobbed.
The young saiyan was taken aback, he hadn't seen her cry for years.
A tear rolled town her cheek onto the steristrips that she had taped to her wound, "That's why you were there, you knew and you didn't tell me!"
"Lime I didn't know," he mustered hopelessly, "Not completely. I didn't want to say anything to you just incase I was wrong! Believe me I wanted to be wrong, I really did. I just couldn't bare you getting hurt again."
"Well I did!" Lime yelled suddenly, the tears now falling freely, "I did get hurt! And you, y-you stand there, with your medals and fame, looking at me with nothing but pity!"
"I don't pity you at all!" he cried, "I understand how you're feeling Lime."
"No you don't! You have no idea how I feel!" she shouted, several student's turned to them as they stood in front of the gates, "Your best friend didn't lie to you! Your best friend didn't do nothing to step in when he had the power to stop it before it happened!"
Gohan stared, as her voice lowered to a whisper.
"Your best friend didn't get your father arrested."
"Lime," he choked, his heart pounding, "It was either that or let the police shoot him! He shot an officer!"
The girl looked torn as she wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt.
"I thought he had changed," she sniffed.
"I know," he said, "I'm sorry."
To his heart ache, Lime shook her head, "It's too late for that, just… just leave me alone."
"Lime wait!" he called, when she barged past him. He stopped her again, a little further away from the gates. "What is it? Please tell me."
Lime stopped, taking a shuddering breath. "I saw the way you looked at him, before you shot the bike…"
Gohan's stomach dropped, Lime loved that bike.
"I heard what you said, you scared him and he left me behind."
"He was going to anyway!" the halfling protested, "He wasn't coming back for you Lime-"
"You don't know that!" she fumed, "He wanted me to join him, he said I was a really good rider and I could come and live with him and Mum. Instead of being stuck in this boring fucking village!"
"You don't really want that do you?" Gohan asked disbelieving, "What about your grandpa? What, your life goal now is to become a bandit?"
"I… I don't know alright?!" Lime spluttered angrily, "I've asked you to leave me alone, the least you could do is stop interrogating me and stop comparing my parents to your own bloody abandonment issues!"
The young saiyan stared at his friend, hardly believing his ears. He suddenly felt a surge of anger towards her as she span on her heel and barged into a couple of second years.
"FINE!" Gohan roared after her, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes, "Walk away! The only reason you won't look at me is because you know your being utterly stupid!"
"Have a nice fucking summer!" Lime called, causing several students to jump away from her path.
The young saiyan ran his hands through his hair angrily. He couldn't believe how unreasonable Lime was being, did she honestly think that her father would have come back to her? Could she not see how better off she would be without Eddie's influence? He had expected her to be a little upset about him not telling her about the proposed heist, but he didn't want to get it wrong and hurt her feelings! Could she not see that?
He paced outside the school gates in agitation, the last stragglers of students had headed out of the grounds by now, but Gohan was too angry to fly. The teenager scoffed, of course she couldn't see that he didn't want to hurt her feelings! She hadn't given a toss when she had made a dig at his father. Abandonment issues?! What abandonment issues?! Lime had started to sound just like the rest of his friends.
The teen let out a yell of frustration before using his foot to kick at the gates, just as Headmaster Shilling strolled out of the main entrance with his brief case.
"Mister Son!"
He winced, as Mister Shilling's shouts were accompanied by the sound of groaning metal. Gohan's foot had gone clean through the bottom of the gate, causing the whole thing to twist in on itself, collapsing to the ground and causing the walls surrounding the entire school to crumble to the ground.
Shilling coughed as the dust began to clear, his furious stare fixed on the young saiyan, "My office! Now!"
Gohan had never damaged school property with his strength before, save a couple of burst footballs and splintered desks. He was always warned by his mother to be extremely careful. He couldn't believe he had misjudged his control like that, and was even more annoyed when Shilling had called his mother to the school.
After a good scolding from both Shilling and Chi-Chi, he had been ordered to wait outside the office whilst they had a private conversation.
He waited begrudgingly in the corridor, leaning with his back and foot perched up against the wall and his arms folded over his chest. He could hear his mother attempting to create an elaborate excuse as to how the wall collapsed, but Shilling wasn't having any of it.
The Headmaster was a stern but fair man, who Gohan generally got along with. The man had always been impressed by his academic records, and deemed the young saiyan to be the smartest student they had ever had to grace the school.
However, he wasn't all too thrilled with the amount of detentions that he had racked up over the years, and it could be argued that he and Lime were the most troublesome students ever to grace the halls of Chazke Comprehensive, something that Shilling was quick to remind his mother of.
"Gohan's record is…. concerning," the teenager heard Shilling muster from behind the office door.
"Straight A's are not what I call concerning Mister Shilling," his mother retorted, "and I thought you called me here to discuss the damage to the wall, which I have already explained that Gohan had been training very hard in his martial arts and probably just got a little carried-"
"Mrs Son, I'm afraid that the wreckage of the wall is just the tip of the iceberg," Shilling interrupted, "I'm very aware of your family's roots ma'am, you and your husband both competed in the World Martial Arts Tournament some years back."
"My Goku won I'll have you know," said Chi-Chi boastfully.
Shilling cleared his throat, "Yes, indeed. But I'm afraid this doesn't excuse your son from damaging the school building. As much as you say he was training, I have reason to believe that he may have done it on purpose as a way of lashing out."
"My Gohan would never-!" The ox-princess gasped, "How can you say such a thing?"
"Mrs Son," Shilling sighed, "Are you aware of Gohan's attendance record this year?"
Chi-Chi was silent, as the sound of rustling papers came from inside the room.
"I'm afraid it is a far cry from the hundred percent he received in the first couple of years he has been at the school," he informed as Gohan heard his mother gasp.
"There's been several complaints of him leaving school at abrupt moments, giving sordid excuses of needing the toilet or school nurse, disappearing for hours on end," the head continued, "This, along with truanting, back chatting to his teachers and numerous detentions. I'm afraid that his behaviour can no longer be overlooked in favour of his grades."
"It's just a phase!" Chi-Chi cried, "I can talk to him, he's just having a rough time. His father-"
"I'm aware of Mr Son's passing Mrs Son and I am truly sorry," said Shilling sincerely, "I understand how hard it must be on the boy. But the school cannot tolerate this any longer. I'm afraid that your son is getting worse, more than any of us can control."
"B-But-"
"He took down a wall, Mrs Son," said Shilling, "I know how difficult this must be for you. But believe me, I know how strong your son is."
Gohan had stood up from the wall as Shilling spoke, listening intently.
"I was there," the headmaster spoke softly, "I was there when that horrid man Borbonne tried to trick us villagers into hiding in that ridiculous shelter. We were all so scared after Cell, most of the faculty have even refused to come back here even still! I saw what Gohan did, he helped us. But I'm not sure that if he flies of the handle here again at school that any of us will be able to deal with it, not to mention pay for the damage."
The old man sighed heavily, "I've been teaching for nearly forty years, I've seen the beginnings of delinquency, how boys lash out when they can't control their emotions. Normal boys, are hard enough. I can no longer allow this behaviour to continue in my school. It's only a matter of time before Gohan goes the same way as the others."
His mother sniffed, her voice thick, "Mr Shilling, what are you trying to say?"
The teenager hovering outside the door inhaled sharply.
"I regret you to inform you Mrs Son, that Gohan can no longer return to school in September. He is henceforth, expelled."
xxxx
"I should have seen the signs!"
Gohan huffed in annoyance at the sound of his mother's wails from downstairs. The newly expelled teenager was currently hanging out of his bedroom window, cigarette in hand, no longer caring if his mother caught him or not.
"Where oh where did I go wrong Bulma?!"
The teenager blew another torrent of smoke out into the air in a huff, watching the wisps of smoke disappear into the velvet night sky. His mother hadn't said a word to him on the Nimbus ride home, but as soon as he had been sent up to his room did she call Bulma and let rip.
"This all started when I found those cigarettes when he was thirteen! I should have been more strict with him!"
He sighed, twirling his cigarette in between his fingers. Lime would be beside herself if she knew he had gotten expelled, knowing her she would come up with some elaborate plan to get herself expelled and to that they could run away together, travel the world or something.
Gohan leaned his arms heavily upon the window pane, resting his chin upon them. He didn't really feel like telling the girl, why would she even care? Lime was acting completely out of order in his opinion, and if she wanted to become a bandit then that wasn't his problem. He was contented with his decision.
The young saiyan immediately brushed away the wetness that appeared in his eyes as a small pair of footsteps thundered up the stairs, his bedroom door flying open and hitting the wall with a loud bang.
"Gohan!" Goten cried, bounding towards him, "Are you okay? Mister Kwillin says that you exploded at school!"
The teenager stared at his little brother, "What have I told you about knocking?"
Goten smiled widely, "Whoopsie, sowwy I forgot."
He sighed, turning to the toddler. Goten had been on a play date at Kami house with Marron all day, Krillin must have just dropped him off as he could sense the man's Ki hovering in the kitchen.
"And I got expelled Goten, not exploded," Gohan added.
"Oh, um…" the young boy pondered,"What does that mean?"
"It means I'm not going to school anymore," he explained glumly, staring out of the window.
Goten's eyes widened to the size of saucers, "So does that mean that you can stay here all day?! And play with me?! We can go on lots of adventures Gohan! We can go swimming and climbing and running and jumping and flying and fighting and -"
"Yes alright Goten," he pressed, his head spinning, "I might have some more time, that is if Mum doesn't make me homeschool again, she's going to blow her nut at any moment now."
Goten blinked, "What does that mean?"
"Means that she's bloody mental," the teen griped, causing the young boy to giggle.
"Mummy won't like you saying that," he frowned, his eyes averting to the cigarette in Gohan's hand, "and she says that your not allowed to do that either, she says that its really really bad for you."
"I'm past caring Goten," he huffed, although he blew the smoke away from him.
"Oh okay," Goten smiled, unfazed, "do you wanna go play superhero's in my room?"
As he had predicted, playing superhero for two hours with his brother did nothing to help him forget his troubles. He could hear his mother and Krillin talking the entire time, but for the life of him couldn't make out what they were saying due to Goten's excitable squeals. He had half expected Krillin to come and have a 'manly chat' with him, but surprisingly, his father's best friend went home without even coming to say hi to the half-saiyan.
In fact, his mother had barely spoken to him when she came up and told them that it was time for bed. Gohan was confused, Chi-Chi hadn't even raised her voice to him. All he could sense from her was an aura of sadness and disappointment, which didn't make him feel any better in the slightest.
It wasn't until morning, when he had been woken early by Piccolo and Vegeta, did anyone attempt to talk to him about the situation.
He and Piccolo were stood a ways off, as Vegeta's rising power flooded their senses. The prince of all saiyans' powered up in the middle of the valley below, the ground shaking from the pure energy he was emitting. The birds and animals had long since evacuated the area, Vegeta's mighty cries having startled them. A super saiyan glow cast shadows amongst nearby trees, a gust of wind rippled through their leaves as Vegeta's Ki skyrocketed.
Gohan watched a few birds fly off in the distance, the tremors Vegeta was creating reaching further afield.
"Are you watching?" came Piccolo's stern voice from beside him.
The teenager sighed, turning back to the valley below, "Of course I am."
His mentor's eyes ran over his frame, "Your thoughts are clouded."
"If it bothers you so much, then stop trying to read my mind," Gohan spat back, he really wasn't in the mood.
Piccolo's cape billowed in the breeze, the sky suddenly getting a little darker from the fluctuating energy. The halfling folded his arms across his chest, casting his gaze back to the power struggle. He didn't really understand the point of him being here, they had been watching Vegeta power up for about half an hour.
"Your mother is worried."
Gohan failed to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Piccolo spoke again, "Had a nice little chat over breakfast before you woke me up did you? Would have thought you'd be over the moon that I got expelled so I'd have more time to spend here."
The Namekian gave him a pointed look, "That's not what I wanted Gohan."
He huffed, turning his head away from the scene.
"Pay attention to the session," Piccolo said gruffly, "You're not concentrating."
The teenager opened his mouth to retort when a sudden shout sounded from below.
"I can hear your domestic from down here!" Vegeta shouted, he had only just realised that the ground had stopped shaking. The prince dropped back to his base from, before flying up and landing in front of them, "What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing!" Gohan said in an exasperated manner.
"Good grief he's worse than a toddler," Vegeta scoffed, sharing a look with Piccolo, "Just how long do you plan on whining for boy? Because you're already interrupting my training."
"Like I care," he huffed.
"Gohan," Piccolo sighed, trying to reason with the teenager, "You've had a face on you all week. I thought we had made progress with your meditation, you were able to focus. Now your being like this again. Vegeta is so close to ascending now, and you're holding him back."
The halfling gaped, "Oh so now its my fault?! Everything is always my fault isn't it? Its my fault you and Vegeta can't reach your power, my fault I can't ascend without blacking out, my fault I got expelled, my fault Lime won't speak to me anymore-"
"What?" Piccolo blinked, "Is that whats wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong! Alright?!" Gohan griped, "Will both you stop trying to bloody analyse me?!"
Vegeta and Piccolo said nothing, but he didn't give them time to say another word.
"You know what, stuff this!" The teenager growled, turning away from them, "You two are on your own."
"Gohan, don't be like that-" Piccolo started, yet Vegeta cut across him.
"Good, it's about time you stopped holding us back," the saiyan prince snorted, as the teen lifted into the air, "and whilst your gone try to find a pair of balls and grow up!"
"Vegeta," Piccolo warned, before shouting up to the retreating halfling, "Gohan! Come back!"
But Gohan did not return to the mountains. He was too pent up with frustration, confusion and a little bit of guilt. Emotions were swirling around his head so fast that they were starting to give him a headache. In a situation like this, the teenager would usually go and see his best friend, but he knew an encounter with Lime would only end up in an argument right now.
Instead, the young saiyan found himself flying over Satan City. He had to admit that the place was growing on him, and it wasn't a place where he was likely to bump into any of the Z-Fighter's. He could certainly do without their pitying looks.
When he was about halfway over the city, he changed into his alter ego, powering up to super saiyan just incase he encountered any trouble. He supposed that doing a few good deeds might help distract him for a while.
To Gohan's surprise and dismay, the city was abundant of any crime. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and the streets hummed with the steady rhythm of shoppers - nothing too busy. He flew slowly, just above the crowds, just out of eyesight. His shoulder's began to relax after a while after he took some deep breaths. He even took the time to stretch out his senses, and was pleased to find that neither Piccolo or Vegeta were following him.
Satan City was always busy, being a tourist town, and Gohan was enjoying listening to the hustle and bustle until he noticed a billboard in the distance. The young saiyan nearly lost his concentration and fell out of the air, when he saw his own face staring back at him.
Well, sort of.
The Gold Fighter, golden hair and shiny visor was grinning up at him from where he floated. Arms folded in a cocky manner, looking out onto the streets below.
Gohan frowned, it was a blown up picture from one of the recent pictures the press had taken. In the corner of the billboard, it read, Satan City's No.1 Superhero - The Gold Fighter!
He sighed, suddenly, the noise of the city had become suffocating.
With that, the young saiyan turned around and headed to a place that he knew would be quiet on a weekend in Satan City.
Gohan felt relieved when he landed on the rooftop of Orange Star High School as there was not a soul to be seen. The young saiyan sat on the wall, his legs dangling over the edge of the building as he swiftly took out a cigarette and lit it.
He was relishing in the solitude when he heard an amused voice behind him.
"So this is what superhero's do on their day off."
Gohan was surprised when he laid eyes on the girl, yet he couldn't help but smile.
Videl chuckled as she moved closer towards him, "Is this seat taken?"
The halfling shook his head, motioning her to join him.
"Want one?" he asked, taking out his pack of cigarettes.
She wrinkled her nose slightly, "No thanks, I don't smoke."
"Suit yourself," he shrugged, placing the pack down next to him and taking another drag, "So what are you doing here? You do know school is closed for summer right? Let alone it being a weekend."
"I like going somewhere quiet," Videl sighed, leaning her head back and letting the warm sun kiss her face, "helps me think."
"Same," Gohan mustered, before raising an eyebrow at her, "So what does the daughter of the world champ come to think about on the roof of a school on a Saturday afternoon?"
She scoffed, "I could ask the same about the world's best loved superhero."
"Fair point," he admitted, offering her a small smile.
Surprisingly, she grinned back, "Unless you're sitting around waiting for a crime to happen or something?"
"Um, yeah, something like that," said Gohan, averting his eyes.
"The Gold Fighter," Videl mused, "You just keep getting more and more complex you know, its making me want to unmask you once and for all."
He smirked, "Why do you always want to take off my clothes Videl?"
Gohan was quickly rewarded with a smack to the arm.
"Speaking of attire," the girl started, looking him up and down, "I forgot to ask you, what's with the cape?"
The young saiyan cringed, "Oh, um, it's just something I'm trying out."
She snorted, "It looks stupid, who do you think you are, Superman?"
"It does not look stupid," he growled, "You're just jealous!"
"Jealous?" She scoffed, "Unlike you I don't need to wear a stupid outfit to make myself look good! You're so sodding arrogant. Take off that suit and what are you?"
"Handsome, genius, half-alien super-being," Gohan stated, causing the girl to gape. "Is there another point you'd like to fail at making Miss Satan?"
Videl glared at him, "You're infuriating."
"You weren't saying that when you were begging for my help the other day," he pointed out.
"I didn't beg," she scowled, "and you were just as infuriating then as you are now."
"Well now you're just teasing," he pouted, "You know how much I love winding you up."
He had half expected her to slap him, but to his surprise, she let out a small chuckle.
"I should get home," she sighed, before Gohan could speak, "My Dad will be wondering where I am again."
"Ah, your family go on a rampage when your out for hours on end too?" he observed, "I know that feel."
"Well, it's just my Dad really," Videl explained, "Mum left a few years back, so its just us now. Seems like everything changed after the Cell Games; felt like she divorced both of us."
Gohan stared at her, his cigarette long forgotten, the ash burning away at his fingertips.
"Yeah, it changed everything," he mustered glumly, though he wasn't sure the girl heard him, her sapphire orbs were cast over the distant skyscrapers and out towards the horizon.
Videl shook her head, averting her gaze from him, "S-sorry, I don't know why I just told you that."
"It's alright," said Gohan, "I should say sorry I suppose, I crashed in on your thinking place."
She let out a dark chuckle, "You crashed in on my city, I'm learning to deal with it."
"Aw, come on," he teased, "I'm not that bad, right? You've tolerated me for almost ten minutes now without screaming at me."
"Get over yourself," Videl said, rolling her eyes as she got to her feet.
The young saiyan watched her walk away, decapsulising her jet copter in a shower of smoke, she turned, and, giving him one last look before she took to the skies, she grinned, "See you around, Gold Fighter."
