Here it is! The Adult Division! Yaaaaaaay! :)
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Adult Division
xxxx
"Well well well, I'd never thought I'd see the day, our little Gohan and Mister Satan's daughter!"
"Suck my balls Krillin."
"Classy."
"Son Gohan will you watch that mouth of yours! I don't know how many times I have to tell you," his mother scolded, whilst Yamcha and Tien snorted into their cereal.
The young saiyan rolled his eyes, pulling the jug of orange juice towards him and pouring himself a glass.
It was the morning of the adult competition and fighters and spectators alike were up as soon as the sun rose over the isle of Papaya. Gohan yawned loudly, helping himself to breakfast and attempting to ignore the relentless teasing of the Z-Fighters.
Apparently they found the fact that he was smitten with the daughter of Mister Satan utterly hilarious, though thankfully it was only Piccolo and Vegeta that knew the full extent of the mess the young saiyan had gotten himself into.
His father had been grinning at him like a madman all morning, and Gohan was getting increasingly fed up of his presence. Later on that day his father would leave them all again for good, so he really didn't feel like cozying up to him for the last few hours like Goten and Gokuto. He wasn't a little kid anymore after all.
Still, that didn't mean that he still wasn't completely weirded out by Shin and Kibito. The thought of Shin's penetrative stare was enough to make his skin crawl. He wasn't sure what their motive was, but he certainly didn't like it.
"So," the teenager spoke in between bites of his sausage sandwich, catching the attention of the table, "I saw Shin and Kibito last night."
"What did they say?" Goku frowned, eyeing him sceptically.
"They didn't say anything," he continued, "They were just standing there on top of this building next to us. Dunno what they were doing, they looked like they were waiting for something, then Shin gave me this creepy ass stare. It was… weird… it was like he was looking into my soul."
The kitchen was silent, as the gang exchanged worried glances. That is, until Piccolo strode over and slapped the teenager upside the head.
"OW!" he whined, "what was that for?!"
"Why didn't you tell us last night?" the Namekian growled, "They could have been up to something!"
"I was busy," Gohan fumed.
"Busy making goo goo eyes and not paying attention!" Vegeta spat.
"Guys come on now," said Goku calmly, attempting to extinguish the sudden tension, "Do you really think those two are that dangerous? They said they just wanted to compete in the tournament."
Piccolo narrowed his eyes, "They said they have travelled very far to be here, for a tournament meant for earthlings."
"So?" asked Goku.
"So," stated Piccolo, "It means that they could have an ulterior motive."
"Yeah, there's something about them I don't like," said Tien.
"But what can we do about it?" asked Yamcha, "We don't know anything about them."
"But they seem to know a lot about us," Piccolo informed, "Particularly Goku and Gohan."
"They were very interested in fighting Goku," Chaiozu quipped, "But then again, a lot of people are."
"We'll have to be vigilant until we figure out why they're here. It would be best if we all stuck together and kept our guard up, who knows who'll be fighting them in the tournament," he informed them, casting a stern glare at the teenager in the room.
"And speaking of sticking together, that includes no sneaking around canoodling and going for cigarettes alone Gohan."
Gohan rolled his eyes, "Yes Mum."
xxxx
The roar of the crowd was almost deafening, as Gohan and the competing Z-Fighter's made their way through the tournament grounds to the temple, where they would be told their places in the tournament. His mother had been gushing at his father all the way from the hotel, recounting the story of how he proposed to her in the ring all those years ago. It seemed the Z-Fighter's held memories of a much more humble tournament, but were excited all the same.
The teenager had to admit he was rather looking forward to it himself, especially when he had bid goodbye to Gokuto and Goten before they made their way up to the stands. Their eyes beheld him in awe as they wished him good luck, Gokuto giving him a big sloppy kiss before he was finally prised away by Chi-Chi.
He couldn't help but feel as though his little family were looking towards him with pride, it was his very first tournament after all. Though there was one who wasn't as impressed with him as his son was.
"Couldn't you have worn something a little more serious?" Piccolo scoffed as the group reached the temple.
"What's wrong with this?" the young saiyan quirked, looking down at his outfit that comprised of his own design. Black gi trousers with a hole cut out for his tail, black training boots and weighted wristbands, along with one of his favourite tank tops that read 'Suns Out. Guns Out.'
The Namekian wrinkled his nose in distaste as he eyed his shirt, "What does that even mean?"
The teenager rolled his eyes, "If I have to explain it then it's probably not worth knowing Piccolo."
"It looks ridiculous."
Before Gohan could open his mouth to retort, Vegeta's angry growl cut across them.
"Will you hens stop clucking?!" he spat, "You're making fools out of yourselves!"
The temple air was refreshingly cool, hidden away from the heat of the sun. The other fighter's were already dotted around the room, eyeing their group as they entered. Gohan, along with Piccolo; Vegeta, Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Eighteen surveyed the area, exchanging a look as they spotted Shin and Kibito standing stoically in a corner.
"Hi Gohan."
"Oh hi Videl," the young saiyan grinned, his stomach lurching as he turned to greet her.
She was dressed in her fighting attire of spandex shorts and a white tank top with pink undershirt. She bore a wide, dazzling smile as she grinned at the teenager, her sapphire gaze settling on his chest.
"Nice shirt," she smirked.
"Thanks."
Piccolo snorted heavily from behind them, drawing the attention of the teenagers.
"Oh you remember everyone Videl," said Gohan.
"Nice to see you all again," she smiled.
"You too," his father gave a cheery wink, "Looking forward to getting stuck in?"
"Are we all here?" barked a voice from the front of the room.
The young saiyan turned, as Mister Alonso coughed loudly in order to address them.
"Good," the blonde haired announcer continued, "Welcome all you lucky competitors! It's good to see some familiar faces along with a few new ones standing before me today! I'm sure you're all itching to start fighting, so our tournament officials have gone ahead and selected the fights at random - please consult the board behind you where you'll find the list of matches! We will give you five minutes to find out who your opponents are and warm up before we start the first match!"
Gohan approached the list that had been nailed to a cork board pinned against the stone walls. Scanning his eyes across the paper, he was surprised as to what he found.
1st. Krillin VS Pintar
2nd. Yamcha VS Tien
3rd. Piccolo VS Shin
4th. Videl VS Spopovich
5th. Gohan VS Kibito
6th. Mister Satan VS Eighteen
7th. Goku VS Vegeta
8th. Yamu VS Jewel
"Bloody hell!" Krillin gaped from beside him, "Goku and Vegeta right from the start? This can only end badly."
There was a murmur of agreement from the Z-Fighters, but it wasn't his father and Vegeta's impending match was concerning Gohan at that moment. Piccolo would be the first to fight the mysterious Shin, and he Kibito shortly afterwards. The young saiyan looked towards his mentor, who appeared to be struggling with himself.
"You alright Piccolo? You're looking a little green," the teenager joked, attempting to elevate the mood.
Yet his mentor wasn't listening, instead, his gaze was fixated on Shin who stood a ways off, seemingly unfazed by the line up. Catching them staring, the purple skinned man all but smirked in their direction.
"Piccolo?" Gohan asked uncertainly, when he was abruptly interrupted by Krillin.
"Wow Eighteen, looks like you'll be getting the first shot at Mister Satan!"
"I'm positively jumping for joy," the android spoke, rolling her eyes at her husband.
"I wouldn't take it too lightly," Videl piped up, her brow furrowing, "My father is a dangerous man, I'd be on your guard if I were you."
Eighteen gave her a pointed look, before walking away to join Vegeta who was leaning against the wall. The prince was positively elated to fight his old nemesis in the first round, as was Goku, who was struggling to stand still, rocking on his feet in anticipation.
"I can't wait to get started," he heard his father call, turning to him with a wink, "I wonder if we'll end up facing off against each other son!"
"Don't get too cocky Kakarot, you'll have to get past me first!" Vegeta shouted from across the room.
"They're a bit competitive aren't they?" Videl whispered into his ear.
"You have no idea," Gohan replied with a wry smile, "Where's your dad anyway? Shouldn't he be here?" He added, realising that indeed Mister Satan was the only fighter absent.
"Oh," Videl smiled, "He likes to warm up in private, said he'll be along to watch my match from his private booth."
"Warm up my arse," Yamcha mumbled to Tien, low enough so the girl couldn't hear, "I bet he's still got a headache from his and Trunks' fight."
"So who's this Spopovich your up against?" asked the young saiyan, "You think you've got a decent chance of beating him?"
Videl's features suddenly hardened, "I know him, he lost against my father in the last tournament. But I have to say that he looks a lot different to what I remember."
A sense of unease emitted from the girl, and Gohan couldn't fathom as to why, until he followed her line of sight. His eyes widened as his gaze settled on the form of Spopovich and his comrade Yamu.
It was clear the two were in cahoots with each other, they had the same hulking oversized muscles that their large veins protruded over. Pale skin pulled tight over the bugling flesh, their contorting features giving the impression that they were in some sort of pain. Their teeth were bared and gritted together, their eyes looked as though they would pop out of their sockets at any moment. Spopovich was the larger of the two, and was staring at Videl with a lustful nature, licking his lips as she stared him down.
Something stirred in Gohan's memory. He frowned, as he recognised the calligraphed 'M' tattooed on their foreheads, and it seemed that Videl had too.
"Eek look at those two!" His father spoke suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts, "I wonder what's got them so angry… huh… maybe they didn't have a good breakfast."
"Yeah that's probably it Dad," said the teenager with a roll of his eyes.
He had half the mind to tell Piccolo about the strange gang he had encountered in Satan City with the same tattoo. However, it probably wouldn't be wise, the strong Namekian was already too preoccupied attempting to suss out Shin and Kibito.
Plus, the young saiyan would only be reprimanded from keeping something from the group again. In all honestly, he was going to tell them about that night in Satan City, but it had slipped his mind as soon as he had dived into bed with Videl. After that, it had completely slipped his mind.
Damn his teenage hormones.
Looking over to Piccolo once more, he found that his mentor was already in deep meditation. He looked calm from the exterior, though Gohan noticed the trickle of sweat that ran down his brow.
The young saiyan frowned, had Shin really gotten under his skin that much? Should he be just as worried about his match with Kibito?
"Alright everyone, the tournament is about to start!" Mister Alonso called, beaming at them all from the centre of the room, "Now to remind you all of the rules just one more time. The match is over if one of you falls unconscious, gives up or gets knocked out of the ring! You will be disqualified if one of you enters the match of another fighter or you unfortunately, kill your opponent!"
The fighter's mumbled their understanding, as Alonso cleared his throat once more.
"Well alright then, let's get to it!" he said excitedly, "The first match will be Krillin VS Pintar. Krillin, Pintar if you'd like to step forwards and make your way to the arena when I announce you to the crowd. Good luck everyone!"
And with that he disappeared through the archway, the crowd erupting as soon as he stepped out into the sunlight.
"Good luck Krillin, you'll do great!" Goku smiled.
"Hey thanks," said Krillin, stepping forwards and stretching his legs.
"So, you're the one they call Krillin?" came a booming voice behind them.
Pintar was a giant of a man, with long black hair tied into a ponytail atop his head. He had a great bulging belly, that his fighting attire struggled to fasten itself over. His shadow towered over Krillin, as he smirked, baring his large yellowing teeth.
"That's me," Krillin nodded, looking towards his opponent.
"Hmm, you are a scrawny little man aren't you?" Pintar jested, pointing an enormous finger in the ex-monk's face, "Hardly a challenge for someone of my stature! HA! You'd better tell your friends to get a brochure and start looking for a coffin, because you will die out there today!"
Krillin sighed hopelessly, "You know, that's exactly the kind of talk I'd expect from an incompetent fighter. Why don't we just save it for the ring, eh big guy?"
"What?!" Pintar growled, "Oh you think you're so tough! Well I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face and prove to you that size matters tiny man!"
"Ugh do you ever stop talking? asked Krillin, causing the large brute of a man to seethe.
"Ladies and gentlemen, fighting fans from all over the globe, I am proud to present to you the first match of the Twenty-Fifth World Martial Arts Tournament! Hold on to your seats folks, it looks to be an exciting round! Let's hear it for our first competitors… Krillin and Pintar!"
xxxx
The first match between Krillin and Pintar lasted all of thirty seconds, twenty-eight of which were spent by Pintar gloating in Krillin's face, followed by the two seconds it took for the exasperated Z-Fighter to knock the brute flying out of the ring with a sucker punch to the gut.
The second battle was much more entertaining to watch, and far less unpredictable. Yamcha and Tien wowed the crowd with a fight that lasted for a solid twenty minutes. Though Gohan would have predicted it to have lasted a lot longer had Tien not have countered Yamcha's 'Wolf Hurricane' with his own 'Tri-Beam'. It was perhaps too harsh of a move to make so early on in the fight, though it was clear that the old rivals were not messing around.
"Cheers mate," Yamcha grinned as he was helped up from outside the ring by a victorious Tien.
"Nice moves you two!" exclaimed Goku, as the pair hobbled back into the temple, "Looks like you've both kept up your training over the years."
"What, do you think we were just gonna sit about and twiddle our thumbs whilst you were gone Goku?" Yamcha winked, "I thought you knew us better that that!"
"Next to the arena is Shin and Piccolo!"
Gohan's eyes snapped to his mentor, whose gaze hardened as soon as his name was called. The Namekian stood slowly, avoiding the teenager's stare as he stepped out into the arena, Shin not far behind him.
None of the Z-Fighter's spoke, not even to wish their friend good luck as they watched intently. It was the first they would see of the mysterious duo's power.
"Well well, this should be interesting, wouldn't you agree Piccolo?" the young saiyan heard Shin say softly, though Piccolo did not respond.
"This is the first time that Shin has participated in the tournament," Alonso informed the crowd, "He's a man of few words so we know little about him, and that could spell trouble for our other competitor Piccolo, someone who, if my memory is correct, came close to turning this arena into rubble nearly eighteen years ago."
The crowd gasped and cheered as the two fighter's entered the ring, though the temple became silent, as all eyes became fixated on the pair.
Gohan frowned, his mentor looked… uncomfortable. He could see that he was struggling with himself as he and Shin stared each other down.
"Let the third match begin!"
DONG.
But neither moved.
The young saiyan thought it was odd, he had expected Shin to have come at Piccolo full force. His mentor certainly wasn't the sort of fighter to do that. No, Piccolo liked to get all the facts, analyse the situation, something he had tried time upon time again to drill into the teenager, but alas Gohan was too stubborn for that. He wasn't one to waste any time when his friends were in danger.
But still, the two continued to stare each other down. Gohan didn't know just how much time had passed, but the crowd were starting to get restless.
"Oi! Are yeh deaf or wha'?! The gong has already sounded you know!"
"Come on, somebody throw a bloody punch!"
"I paid good money to see a fight, not watch these two girls make eyes at each other!"
"Um, hello? You can start fighting now…" said Alonso, but he was ignored.
A bead of sweat trickled down Piccolo's brow, he was struggling with something. Gohan hadn't seen his mentor like this… well… ever. With a quick Ki check, the teenager found Piccolo's energy to be fluctuating wildly.
The teenager's eyes widened - Piccolo couldn't focus. Which was completely unheard of. What on earth was irking him so much about Shin? The purple skinned being hadn't even moved a muscle!
Gohan could almost hear the cogs turning in his mentor's head, his eyes suddenly widening in realisation.
"N-no, it can't be," Piccolo whispered, horrorstruck.
"Ah Piccolo, don't worry yourself," said Shin in a pleasant tone, "All will be revealed soon enough. For now though, let's enjoy our little match."
The Namekian was frozen by the strange man's words. He stared at Piccolo with the same penetrative gaze that he had given Gohan, and the teenager thought he saw his mentor visibly shiver.
"So um, is this going to happen or…?" Alonso asked uncertainly, attempting to ignore the angered shouts of the crowd.
Piccolo turned, defeat in his eyes, "I'm sorry, I can't."
Gohan and the rest of the Z-Fighter's were dumb stuck. The young saiyan had never seen his mentor back down from a fight.
Shin looked somewhat disappointed as Alonso asked, "So does this mean you're forfeiting the match?"
"Yes, it does," said Piccolo, before jumping from the platformed stage and making his way back to the temple, 'Boo's' and 'Hisses' following in his wake.
"Piccolo, is he really that strong?" Goku asked as the Namekian entered the cool shadows of the temple.
"Stronger than you could imagine," Piccolo replied, brushing past them and heading for the back of the room.
"Please tell me you've just got a headache or something?!" Krillin called after him as Alonso announced Shin as the victor, "Because one of us is going to have to go out there and fight him next, not to mention Gohan's up against that other weirdo!"
But his friend's cries were ignored, as Piccolo resumed his meditative pose in the corner of the room, though Gohan could still see the beads of sweat evident on his brow.
Was Shin really as strong as Piccolo said?
"Well then, without wasting any more time, let's get on with the next match!" Alonso's voice bellowed over the stadium, "Videl VS Spopovich!"
At his words, fanfares sounded and the crowd roared in delight. It was clear that Videl had just as many supporter's out there as her father.
"They like you a lot don't they?" Gohan teased, as she looked up towards him, her face alight with excitement.
"VI-DEL! VI-DEL! VI-DEL! VI-DEL!" The crowd chanted wildly, their excitable cheers reaching far beyond the stadium.
Videl grinned back at him, "I hope my dad's watching."
"I'm sure he is," said the teenager, his eyes darting behind him to where Spopovich approached, "Just don't go too hard on the poor bloke alright? He's already ugly enough without a boot shaped dent in the middle of his face."
She chuckled, stepping out into the sunlight and greeting her adoring fans, "No promises."
"I'm sure that most of you already know that Videl here is the daughter of the world Champ, Mister Satan," Mister Alonso spoke into his microphone as the two fighter's made their way up to the ring, "Seven years ago, she succeeded in becoming champion of the junior division and since then she has been working diligently with our boy's in blue, and of course the mysterious Gold Fighter, defending the great Satan City from crime! As for her rival today, Spopovich is here to redeem himself for a loss he suffered in the first round of the last tournament. He's obviously trained hard, and buffed up! I'm sure he'll be a mighty challenge for Satan City's golden girl!"
"VI-DEL! VI-DEL! VI-DEL!" The crowd continued to chant in the girls favour, waving their flashy Satan banner's above their heads.
"Want me to go and get you a 'Videl's number one fan' banner Gohan?" Yamcha teased, "I'm sure she'd appreciate it!"
"Shut up," the teenager growled at his friend, before focussing his attention to the centre of the ring.
Spopovich was panting, leering at Videl as though she was some sort of prey to be ravaged. Gohan didn't like it, he wasn't sure where these school full of weirdos had sprung from, he had thought he had put an end to it as The Gold Fighter. But then again, didn't Jeremy Smithers mention that he had a master?
The way the hulking man was looking at her caused the young saiyan's blood to boil. Yet the brute's haunting stare didn't seem to phase Videl, who slid into her stance; poised, calm and collected, awaiting that all important-
DONG
Videl was upon her opponent in an instant, taking a running jump and delivering a spinning kick straight to his skull.
Gohan winced as the sound of impact ricocheted over the stands. Still, he was glad that she wasn't wasting time, as judging from their last encounter of someone of this caliber, they didn't go down easy.
Unfortunately, Spopovich was no exception.
To the surprise of the spectator's, the brute of a man quickly recovered from the blow, clambering up from where he had skidded across the marble tiles of the ring.
Videl growled, but was undeterred as she sprung on him again, sending a barrage of punches into his gut before firing herself upwards and sending her knee crashing into his chin.
"Yowch!" Krillin hissed, "That's got to hurt!"
"Videl is quite the fighter, wouldn't you say Gohan?" his father chuckled, nudging him lightly in the ribs.
"HA!" Videl roared, sprinting towards Spopovich, who was dazed from the hit, and kneed him sharply in the gut. Spopovich flew backwards, landing towards the edge of the ring in a pitiful heap.
"Spopovich is down!" Alonso cried, as the crowd erupted into cheers, "Looks like Videl overpowered her opponent with that magnificent combo! I'll start the countdown! One…huh?!"
The crowd gasped, as Spopovich rose, baring his teeth as blood and saliva dripped down his chin and onto the tiles. The Satan girl grimaced as the brute licked his lips clean, picking himself up from the ground, his eyes fixated on her.
"Woah looks like Spopovich is back on his feet! Incredible!"
"Wow he's resilient isn't he?" Goku blinked, as Videl careened forwards once more, delivering blow after blow into Spopovich's stomach.
Gohan nodded, "Yeah, they are."
"They?" quirked Vegeta, tearing his eyes away from the fight.
The young saiyan sighed, "Yeah, I encountered some of his mates as The Gold Fighter, they even gave me a bit of trouble."
"You're going down!" Videl's angered cry sounded from the arena, flipping over Spopovich's tall figure and elbowing him in the spine.
Spopovich cried out in pain, toppling to his hands and knees, but the girl didn't let up, and, clasping her hands together did she deliver a hammer fist to the back of his neck, causing him to face plant the ground. Hard.
Videl panted, wiping the sweat that had appeared on her brow before placing her hands on her hips and staring down at her opponent with hardened sapphire eyes.
Gohan couldn't help but let out a low whistle, how come had he never noticed just how sexy she looked when she fought before? It was evident from her Ki that she had gotten much stronger than when he had last seen her. But seeing it all up close was enough for the young saiyan to feel the sudden need for a cold shower.
"Spopovich is up again!" Alonso cried, half amazed, half horrified at the scene that was playing out before him.
Videl's eyes widened as the bloodied brute stood, glowering at her from across the ring. The young saiyan couldn't help but think that Spopovich and Yamu were a lot stronger than the other's they had previously fought. An attack like that surely would have made any of the other's loose consciousness.
It seemed his father had noticed this too, his obsidian eyes hardening.
"Videl should give up now," he said, causing the Z-Fighter's to stare at him.
"But why?" asked Yamcha, "she looks like she's holding her own out there."
"Don't be ridiculous," spat Vegeta, "Don't you see what's going on? There's no way that over sized buffoon should still be standing."
"Yeah you're right," admitted Gohan, "But there's a slight problem with that, the words 'I give up' just aren't in Videl's vocabulary."
BAM
Spopovich had finally started to fight back, his large fist connecting with Videl's forearm as she blocked it. In seconds, she countered the attack, swinging her foot underneath Spopovich's legs and sending him toppling to the floor. Following up in her fury, Videl jumped as high as she could, coming down to meet Spopovich with a hard knee to the sternum.
But where Gohan had expected to hear the sound of his sternum snapping, did the startling sound of malicious laughter reach his ears instead.
"W-what?" The girl gasped from where she sat on top of him.
Spopovich all but gave her a sadistic grin before back handing her across the cheek and sending her careening across across the ring.
"Videl!" The young saiyan cried out in horror as he realised the girl was bleeding.
It was evident that her cheek bone had shattered from the impact, bright crimson blood pouring from the cut in her lip as she began to stand shakily to her feet. She panted, already exhausted from her own onslaught, but bore a fierce determination in her eyes.
Videl didn't have time to regain any strength, as Spopovich ran, faster than expected and made a grab for her. To Gohan's relief, the girl dodged out of the way of his oncoming fists, diving in between his enormous thighs and skidding to the other side of the ring.
Spopovich growled, salivating at the sight of the injured girl.
In a flash he launched himself towards Videl once more, too quick for her to react. In one swift movement, the large brute had grabbed the girl by the pig tails, lifting her high into the air. The girl screamed as Spopovich tugged, before punching her directly in the face over and over, causing blood to spurt unforgivingly from her now broken nose.
Gohan gritted his teeth, fury rising in his chest, but what happened next caused the young saiyan to gasp in horror.
It seemed the rest of the Z-Fighter's were bewildered too, as Spopovich's feet lifted off the ground, taking Videl with him.
"H-He can fly?!" Krillin gaped, as the pair hovered high over the area.
"This isn't good," the teenager heard his father speak, before an almighty roar echoed across the arena.
"NO!" Gohan yelled, as the stadium was suddenly illuminated in a brilliant purple light.
The shouts and screams of the crowd and Mister Alonso seemed distant to the young saiyan, as the energy wave erupted from Spopovich's palm and connected with Videl's body.
Her blood curdling scream intermingled with the combined cry of the Z-Fighter's, as her crumpled form plummeted to the ground from thirty feet into the air.
CRASH
Videl hit the ring with such force that the tiles cracked underneath her. She gasped heavily, tears brimming in her eyes as the wind was forcibly knocked out of her.
"Oh no! Videl is down!" Alonso cried, "Oh well, I suppose I should start the count…"
"It's a good job Spopovich's energy beams aren't very strong," Tien mused bitterly, his gaze fixated on the flattened form of Videl, "The fall has probably done more damage."
"You're missing the point three-eyes," Vegeta spoke to Gohan's surprise, "Spopovich has some source of unlimited power, he shouldn't be this strong. He's toying with her, he knows he'd loose the match if he killed her."
"Vegeta's right," said Goku, before turning to the teenager, "Did you know of anything like this when you fought their accomplices?"
Gohan blinked at the seriousness to his father's tone, "Well yeah, I thought it was odd because the people I fought didn't have those kind of powers beforehand, but unlimited? Do you really think so?"
"For Videl's sake," his father said firmly, "I hope not."
"One… Two…Three- O-oh! Videl! Videl is up ladies and gentleman! She's back in the fight!"
"What?" Gohan gasped.
Indeed, the girl had struggled to her feet, her clothes singed and blooded but a look of fierce determination upon her features.
Spopovich landed before her, his eyes glinting with malice. Videl growled, though still breathless, and launched herself towards the brute once more.
"Damn it Videl stay down!" Gohan yelled, though the girl ignored him, kicking Spopovich so hard in the head that blood spurted from his ear.
Though he was quick to retaliate, snatching the girl's foot clean out of the air and yanking her towards him before connecting his skull with hers in a crippling head-but. Videl cried out in pain, as Spopovich followed up his attack with a sharp jab to her gut and an elbow to her spine, sending her crashing to the floor once more.
"That bastard!" the young saiyan spat, clenching his fists in anger, "That's enough!"
Videl quivered from where she lay on the ground face down, and Gohan was unsure of just how much more the girl could take, when Spopovich stepped up towards her, ginning from ear to ear as he flipped her over onto her back with a fierce kick to her side.
She coughed, blood and saliva escaping her mouth, her eyes scrunched up in pain. Gohan began to shake unbearably as Spopovich circled her like a vulture.
"Gohan…" his father warned him, the teenager knew his Ki was beginning to spike, catching the attention of the worried Z-Fighters.
Then, to the young saiyan's horror, Spopovich raised a mighty foot and brought it down upon Videl's ribcage.
CRACK
The sound of Videl's ribs breaking reverberated off the tiles of the temple, reaching Gohan's ears with a sickening crunch. The crowd gasped from the stands, some even crying out for them to stop the match as Spopovich continued in his onslaught, crushing the young girl's body beneath his feet.
Videl was being tortured.
Her screams and cries of pain was enough to send the young saiyan's heart shattering into a million pieces.
And he would not stand for it any longer.
"Calm down brat!" Vegeta snapped, as the teenager's white aura erupted around him, creating a gust that almost knocked them off their feet.
"Gohan, no, stop it!" His father said hotly, "You're not going out there!"
The young saiyan glared at his father, fury in his onyx eyes, "Just try to fucking stop me."
Goku took a step back, blinking rapidly as the halfling blasted from the temple, Videl's desperate screams echoing in his ears.
It was no wonder Spopovich didn't see him coming, as he shot towards the treacherous brute like a speeding bullet, his boot connecting with the side of his skull.
BOOM
Spopovich was fired out of the ring by the sheer force of Gohan's blow, the kick sending him careening into the steel barricades that surrounded the outside of the ring. They groaned and collapsed inwards, the hulk of a man lay embedded in the debris, scarlet blood pouring out of his nose, ears and mouth. The blow should have sorely killed him on impact, but to the young saiyan's displeasure the brute was merely unconscious, stirring ever so slightly as Gohan bent down to scoop Videl up from the floor.
She too, was almost out cold, her eyes glassy and unfocused, "G-gold Fighter?"
"It's alright Videl, I've got you," he replied, ignoring her confusion and clutching her to his chest.
"S-should I call for a stretcher?" Alonso asked shakily from where he was hovering beside the ring.
"No," said Gohan forcibly, "I'll take her to the medical bay myself."
"YOU BRAT!"
The young saiyan turned, as a bruised and bloodied Spopovich thundered towards him, a murderous glint in his eyes. The tall man towered over Gohan, gritting his teeth, his breath quickening as he spoke, "You will pay for that boy!"
Alonso squeaked, hiding behind Gohan at the sight of the walking, talking Spopovich.
"I'd get out of my way if I were you Spopovich," the teenager glowered, "Before I do some damage that you won't be able to walk away from."
"Is that a threat?"
"Gentlemen!" Alonso cried, clearing his throat, "I-I'm sorry but I have to ask you to settle your differences outside of the arena!"
"Gladly," spat Gohan, his eyes not leaving Spopovich, "Just give me a few moments to get Videl some medical attention and then I'd be more than happy to rip out his spine and wear it as a pretty necklace, sound good big guy? Where to? My place or yours? You name it, it doesn't bother me where I end up beating the living shit out of you."
Spopovich growled viciously, as Alonso sweated nervously at the young saiyan's display. But before anyone could make a move, did a voice sound from near the temple.
"Spopovich," it was Yamu, staring at the scene with clear indifference, his arms folded across his chest, "Stop playing with the children, we have more important matters to attend to."
The hulking man snarled, giving Gohan one last look of malice before kicking off from the ground and following his comrade into the air.
"Thank goodness he's gone," Alonso puffed, wiping the sweat from his brow and lifting the microphone to his lips, "As the match has been interrupted, our tournament officials have had no choice but to make a decision on the outcome of the match… and the winner is… Spopovich! But what resilience from Satan City's golden girl, what a strong athlete we have here folks, let's have a round of applause for Videl!"
The crowd broke out into polite applause, still shaken from the ordeal. Gohan clutched Videl a little tighter, stepping down from the platform as Alonso continued,
"Unfortunately, as Son Gohan entered the ring during the fight, he will be disqualified, meaning that Kibito automatically advances to the next round. I'm sorry Gohan but rules are rules… now, as we are nearly at our halfway point, I think a short interlude is in order. I'm sure you'll agree that we all need it."
Gohan snorted, he knew he would be disqualified for interrupting the fight. Though by his standards it was completely worth it, if he hadn't had stepped in then who knows what would have happened to Videl. She had become badly injured enough as it was, and he couldn't believe he had stood there and let it continue for so long. He was furious with himself.
Brushing past the stricken Z-Fighters without a word, the young saiyan headed out of the temple and made his way to the medical bay, wishing that he had managed to hit Spopovich just that little bit harder.
