Erasa babbled on and on about the latest developments in the soapy television shows that everybody watched and how such and such made out with such and such behind such the back of such and such. Videl however had not watched the television last night; in fact she had hardly left her room. The entire night had been devoted to trying to solve the riddle that was Gohan. What she knew: His godmother was Bulma Briefs, he is strong enough to have taken a hit from Cell and survived after protecting someone, he had an incredible appetite for great food. What Videl didn't know: Everything else. Videl couldn't shake the feeling that she had only scratched the surface of her next door neighbour.

"Hey Videl," said Erasa in a slower voice, more or less a normal paced voice, "I heard you got a new neighbour."

"How the hell do you know that?" asked Videl.

"There was a rumour going around that somebody had broken into the Briefs house yesterday but he never left, so does that mean that they bought the place from Bulma? They must have a lot of money," said Erasa picking up speed.

Videl cut her off before Erasa could go too overboard. "No he's related in a way, he's Bulma's godson," she explained.

"So you met him?"

"Well...yes I met him last night. He's about our age." Here it comes.

"Is he a cutie?"

Bingo. Videl hadn't really dwelled on the topic although now that Erasa had brought it up she remembered his well muscled frame but at the same time how damaged it was from experiences past. She didn't even know how someone could get so many scars and live to tell the tale. The obvious scar was something which she didn't want to bring into the conversation. "He's..." Videl struggled to find a suitable word. "Unique."

"How did he react to you?" asked Erasa.

"In what way?" asked Videl countering Erasa's question.

"How did he react to you being the daughter of your dad?" Erasa explained.

"I didn't actually introduce myself to him," admitted Videl, her voice lowering as she stated this fact.

"WHAT!" screeched Erasa. She then got up and grabbed Videl's arm. "We are going to see him right now!"

"What? No. We can't rock up uninvited," said Videl trying to get out of seeing him.

"You did yesterday," countered Erasa as she pulled out her capsualized car. Erasa pretty much shoved Videl into the seat which reminded Videl just how strong Erasa could be if she was determined. The drive was quick as Erasa showed her handling skills; Videl was convinced that Erasa could be a professional driver if she wanted to with the way she weaved in and out of traffic. Within minutes they had covered the distance and were now parked outside of the dome like building. Videl seriously didn't want to go anywhere near the front door but knew better than to fight with Erasa over this mundane issue. Well, it was mundane in Videl's eyes but Erasa always saw things differently.

Videl found herself dragged to the front door and waited for the communicator to go off. However they waited for a little under a minute but there was no communication. "Isn't there a doorbell or something?" asked Erasa.

The communicator started to crackle as communications were established. "Go away, I'm training," said the voice on the other side of the line before something which sounded like an explosion echoed in the background.

Videl started to get worried; the explosion sounded deadly serious. "Gohan what's happening in there?" she asked.

"I told you I'm training," said the voice followed by a few grunts along with another explosion or two. A brief scream of pain was heard as well which really triggered it off for Videl.

"Gohan you will let me in right this moment otherwise I will give you something to really be afraid of," she threatened.

A laugh sounded on the other side of the line before a final explosion. "Fine, I'll take a break," he said as the doors opened. This time though there was no robot to greet Videl and Erasa as the doors sealed shut behind them. They stood there for a few seconds before a robot rolled into view and signalled for them to follow them. They weren't lead as far as the kitchen but they took a much more complicated route including hopping in an elevator. Videl thought for sure that they would be going up but when the shaft started going down she realised that this place was a lot bigger than it seemed.

The door opened and the sight before Videl and Erasa was shocking; it looked like a warzone. Sprawled pieces of metal littered the ground and the walls were black from explosions. Then there was the one man in the middle, wiping the sweat off his brow with a towel with his one arm. Videl could hear Erasa gasp as she realised the lack of flesh present although since he had no shirt on everything else was visible. Videl was gasping for her own reason and it was the fact that Gohan had been badly torn up all over his torso. Cuts and bruises littered across his upper half and then there were a few cuts across his pants as well. From a certain angle one could easily say that he had just bathed in blood.

"Dear Kami Gohan what happened?" Videl asked as she and Erasa walked forward. If you listened closely you were able to hear Erasa's heartbeat increase as she eyed off the gorgeous hunk of man before her.

"What do you mean? This is my training," he answered.

"This is a form of training!" Videl exclaimed. "I don't care what you say we have to get you to a hospital now."

"Is there a reason you came here?" asked Gohan ignoring Videl's statement which infuriated her.

Erasa spoke up before Videl would yell out at Gohan although her voice was a lot more quite than its usual capacity. "My friend here was talking to me earlier about you and she mentioned that she never introduced herself. My name's Erasa by the way," she concluded.

"Name's Gohan," he said holding out his hand but there was no way Erasa was touching it with all the blood on it. "I guess we'll shake later," he said realising the problem. His attention then turned to the woman who looked like she wanted to throttle him half to death. "And you are?"

"Videl Satan," she said with her hands on her hips. "Now come with us and we'll take you to a hospital."

"I don't need to go to a hospital," Gohan countered.

"I'm siding with Videl on this one Gohan, I've never seen so much blood in my life," added Erasa.

"What makes you think that I need to go to a hospital?" asked Gohan.

"The fact that you're bleeding from everywhere," stated Videl.

"This," said Gohan pointing to the blood flowing from his sternum, "This is nothing. Now if you have nothing else to say I need to continue my training." His tone was flat and harsh, much like that of a commanding officer.

"How can you continue training? If you don't get to a hospital you're going to die of blood loss," said Videl trying to be as commanding as she could. She had never had anybody talk back to her in such a way.

Gohan chuckled slightly. "I've never been to a hospital in my life, not even when this happened," he said pointing to the missing appendage.

"How can you have not gone to a hospital?" asked Erasa. "Surely you've been sick before?"

"Once or twice I think but nothing serious," he said casually. "I've been on the brink of death more times than I can remember though." His tone was so casual that it was hard to this quote seriously.

"I say that you're on the brink of death now and if you won't come peacefully I will knock you out and drag you to a hospital bed myself," threatened Videl. Whatever effect she hoped her threat would have had was thrown out the window as Videl laughed out loud at that comment. "What's so funny? I'll beat the stuffing out of you if you're not quiet."

That only caused Gohan to laugh louder. Erasa thought now would be a good time to add her two cents. "You know you are laughing at the daughter of the world champion! If you're not careful he will come over here and makes those carvings look like paper cuts." Again the effect was lost when Gohan continued to laugh.

"I can't believe that idiot has a daughter who is almost as arrogant as he is," Gohan said with a smile as his laughter subsided. Videl didn't mind the fact that someone had insulted her father but the fact that she had been compared and thus insulted in the same sentence was unheard of. Not even the most daring of criminals dared to do something of that manner. The whole ideal was refreshing yet incredibly aggravating at the same time.

"I'll show you," said Videl through clenched teeth as she struck out at Gohan with her fist. He was still smiling as her fist was centimetres from his face, it didn't even look like he was reacting to the situation at all. Videl expected to feel the reassuring feeling of her fist to another's face but when her hand hit nothing but air she became frightened as the image of Gohan was still in front of her with her fist through the bridge of his nose.

Neither Videl nor Erasa could handle the situation as the image of Gohan vanished without a trace. They turned their heads as a cracking sound could be heard to their left where Gohan was searching through the remains of a robot. "How did you get over there?" exclaimed Videl.

"You want the simple version or the extended version," said Gohan with his back to them. Videl couldn't help but see what looked like a large tattoo imprinted on his back. There was too much blood to see what it clearly was but it looked like a circle or something of a similar sort.

"Why not both?" said Videl as Gohan found what he was looking for.

He got up and walked back over to them, throwing a small bolt to himself as he did. "Simple version: What our father calls a trick. Extended Version: An ancient technique known for hundreds of years and guarded carefully by the master Korin. The technique is known as the 'after image' technique."

"I've never heard of a master Korin," said Videl intrigued by this information. She knew Erasa would believe the simplified version but she wasn't the one to have put her fist through the image.

"Only those who know of him seek him out," stated Gohan as he placed the small metal ring on the ground. "Videl, would you say if you were in a fight with your dad that you would have a chance of beating him?"

Videl was taken back a bit by this question. She had always wanted to compare herself to her father but they had never actually battled inside the ring. "I guess we'll find out this Sunday at the tournament," she said remembering the tournament that both she and her father were entering.

"But you would at least give him a run for his money?" asked Gohan.

"I reckon it would be a close fight; what are you getting at Gohan?" asked Videl.

"Well you saw that metal ring I was tossing around so easily now at your feet, try and pick it up," he gestured. Videl looked at the ring and then back at Gohan; this had to be the stupidest test she had ever come across. She bent down and her fingers gripped the outside edge of the ring and she pulled but much to her dismay the ring didn't budge.

"Until you can move that ring you will never be able to damage me in anyway," Gohan stated coldly. He knew it weighed a couple of hundred of kilograms that was compressed in order to hold the frame of the robot together but she didn't need to know that. He watched as she struggled and brought her other hand to help but still with no result.

After struggling for a few minutes, Videl had no choice but to concede as she straightened her back. "A battle is not just judged on strength," she stated trying to make herself sound stronger.

"Speed is a major factor but if I can move from here to that robot in the blink of an eye do you think you have me covered in that department?" he teased. Videl knew that he was right but she wasn't going to give up this battle of will.

"I've been training in martial arts since I was seven years old by some of the greatest fighters in this city," she stated her claim. Let's see him top that.

"I have been training since I was four years old by the best fighters on the planet," he said but he didn't sound proud of that fact which led Videl to doubt him.

"I don't believe you, name one of your masters that I would know of," said Videl.

"Tien Shinhan," he said with a smile.

"The winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament!" exclaimed Videl. "He's a legend who went missing after the next tournament. How did you train with him?"

"Well for a while he was one of my sparring partners and we've fought alongside each other as well," Gohan said remembering the good old days. Neither Gohan nor Videl noticed or cared that Erasa was now trying her hardest to pick up the ring on the ground. "He's got one of the greatest forms around but it is styled more for defensive counterattacking than anything else."

"Wow, I'd give anything to see him in action," said Videl in admiration.

"Well you might get the chance," said Gohan which threw Videl completely off track. "You said something about a tournament on this Sunday; I'll get in contact and see if he wants a shot at reclaiming his title. Now that I think about it it'll be a good opportunity to get the gang together." He finished by picking up the ring and holding it in his palm

"Wow, it sounds like there is going to be some major competition but do you really think that whoever you call up can beat the man who defeated Cell?"

Gohan's childish mood did a complete one eighty and he scowled at Videl. "I'm going to say this once, get out," he said, his words as cold as ice. Videl saw that he had clenched his fist and a fine powder now escaped from the small cracks in between his fingers mixed with fresh blood. "NOW!" he shouted exclaiming his point. Videl wanted to argue but his cold stare and the crimson blood covering his body simply said don't try anything.

"Come on Erasa," she said grabbing her friend's arm and leading her to the elevator. As she hopped in she took one final look at Gohan who simply stood there staring at the ground. As the doors were closing she watched as he knelt and punched the floor, his fist sinking half a foot into solid concrete.

"What do you think his problem was?" asked Erasa and she and Videl stepped out into the harsh sunlight.

"I think it had something to do with me mentioning Cell," Videl said trying to figure out the situation.

"Why, did Cell do something to him?" asked Erasa.

"Cell was the one who destroyed his arm," stated Videl.

"Well that explains it then," said Erasa.

"Except when he mentioned it yesterday he didn't seem to mind at all."

"Maybe it's just a guy thing, after all he had been training which means he might have had some built up anger."

"That's true Erasa." Videl knew that she wouldn't likely see Gohan again until the tournament and the mysteries surrounding him would remain hidden. What she didn't know was at the moment tears were streaming down Gohan's face.

...

I like writing this so much, it's not funny. Hope you are enjoying it and please review. The Burdened Muse, once again you make me smile with your comments but honestly I don't believe myself to be anything other than a writer. There are better writers out there than me, I openly admit that. Unless anybody wants to review and tell me otherwise?