Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters

Back to the GR

"She was in 23 times normal gravity! Another few seconds and she could have died!"

"I realize that!"

The shouting voices were barely perceptible, swirling around in Videl's head in an incomprehensible, jumbled mess. There were a man and a woman speaking, but the rest was a mystery to her fuddled mind.

"Then why did you leave her in there alone?" the woman asked.

"I don't know. I thought she'd be fine. I told her not to touch anything!"

"And you thought that would stop her? That probably just made her even more curious!"

Videl was beginning to understand more and more of the conversation as she slowly regained consciousness. She now recognized the voices as belonging to Gohan and Bulma, although she still couldn't see past her eyelids that refused to open. Both seemed to be agitated as they talked about…something. Could it be her?

There was a pause before Bulma spoke again.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I am going to train her."

"Without your full power?"

"Yes."

"And what if something happens, like today? As long as that you have that ki suppressor in you, there's not much you can do."

"I'll figure it out."

Ki suppressor? What were they talking about? Videl wanted to know what was going on. She willed herself to move, but her body would not respond the way she wanted. All she got was a slight twitch of her finger, but with that slight movement, she noticed something odd. She seemed to be completely submerged in some sort of liquid with only a mask providing her oxygen. And not only that … yes, she was sure of it now … she was almost completely naked!

That was enough to shock Videl back to full awareness. Her eyes snapped open and she instinctively moved to cover her barely covered form from any potential onlookers. She was surprised to find herself in some sort of pod. The front was completely transparent, but there appeared to be a curtain separating her from where Gohan and Bulma were, much to her relief.

Just as her concerns of privacy were assuaged, she heard the strange machine beep. The distinctive sound of draining fluid drew attention up, where the level of the fluid was steadily dropping.

"It seems she's finished," she heard Bulma say. "I'll go check on her."

A moment later, the curtain ruffled and in slipped Bulma Briefs.

"Awake already, I see," the blue-haired woman said as the tank continued to drain. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You got Gohan to agree to train you, after all, so you must be something special."

Videl couldn't say anything because of the mask that was her only source of oxygen. Still, she blushed, partly because of the compliment and partly because she was in front of easily the biggest celebrity in the world in nothing but her underwear. It could have been worse though—Gohan could have been there. That would have really been embarrassing.

Finally, the chamber finished emptying and the front cover lifted to release Videl.

"What happened?" she asked groggily as Bulma took her hand and helped her out. She was a little shaky on her feet at first, but otherwise she felt quite good, if a bit tired.

"You had a little accident," Bulma explained, "We'll explain everything in a bit, but first, let's get you dressed." She tossed her a set of clothes.

"Uh…right." Videl, pleased to see Bulma had returned her previous set of training clothes, began to get dressed. Pulling on her spandex pants, she asked, "But why were my clothes off in the first place? And what is that thing I was in?"

Bulma smiled kindly and leaned up against the machine, one leg crossed over the other casually as the girl smoothed out her pants.

"This baby…" She patted the contraption lightly. "…is one of my greatest creations. It's a machine designed to accelerate the natural healing process of the human body using a specially designed fluid that can be absorbed through the skin. When fully submerged, you can go from near death to full health within the span of six hours or so.

Videl finished by pulling her trademark oversized white shirt over her head to complete the tomboyish ensemble.

"As for why I removed your clothes," Bulma added, "the details are a bit technical, but basically it allows better circulation of fresh healing fluid to your skin to help speed the recovery process."

"Wow…" a now fully clothed Videl marveled as Bulma wrapped up her explanation. Capsule Corp really had this kind of technology hidden away? It sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie, and yet … here it stood in front of her very eyes. And apparently, it had healed her, though from what she wasn't sure.

Just then, Gohan called out, "Can I come in?"

Bulma glanced at her to confirm she was ready. She nodded the affirmative.

"Yeah, you're good!" Bulma replied.

The curtains were pulled apart and Gohan joined the group. As he did so, Videl noticed for the first time that what she had assumed to be curtains were actually just sheets draped over a make-shift metal frame. They must have set the whole thing up specially, just to give her a little privacy. How considerate of them.

"How do you feel?" Gohan asked politely.

"Hmm…" she hummed thoughtfully.

Indeed, how did she feel? At first, she had been a little groggy from just waking up, but now that that had worn off, she actually felt pretty good. No, scratch that, she felt great! In fact, she felt like she could take on a whole army of criminals right then. It was absolutely incredible. Never in her life had she felt so rejuvenated.

"Pretty good, actually," she told him, bouncing lightly on her toes excitedly. Her words did not do justice to the spectacular energy she was experiencing. Turning to face her new visitor, she stared up at his stoic face and was immediately brought back down to earth. The bouncing came to a stop.

"What happened to me?" she asked, for the first time seriously considering the question. "The last thing I remember was messing around with the controls in that room. I pressed the button and then … and then …" As she replayed the events in her newly cleared mind, suddenly it came to her. "…and then I was smashed down on the floor like a pancake!"

She grimaced and looked down pensively as the memories returned.

"I thought I was going to die," she said to no one in particular, reflecting on how unreal the situation was.

Suddenly, her head snapped up.

"You!" she shouted accusingly and poked a finger into his chest, "You are going to tell me what is going on. Right. Now," She punctuated each word firmly, leaving no room for questions or excuses.

Gohan's impassive face softened slightly.

"Okay," he agreed and bowed his head.

Satisfied, Videl let out a small "hmph" and back off slightly to await his explanation. Sensing their need to be alone, Bulma excused herself, ostensibly because she had an important meeting.

And so, Gohan told her all about Bulma and how she was a family friend who had known his father since they were kids. He told her about his job at Capsule Corp as a sort of permanent intern. He told her about the gravity room and its ability to change the force of gravity. He told her how she had set the machine to 23 times normal gravity and almost died as a result.

It all took less than a minute for Gohan to say, but the significance of his words was tremendous. What was he saying was so fantastical that, had Videl not been standing in Capsule Corp after a near fatal encounter with the gravity machine, she probably would not have believed him. Even as it was, some part of her still thought that it all was a dream and that any minute now she would wake up to her normal world where everything made sense. It would be easier that way. The more practical side, of course, knew that she could not run away from reality, but still … it would take a while before she completely accepted it.

As she continued to think through everything Gohan had told her, a suddenly question occurred to her.

"Gohan," she said.

"Yes?"

"I just thought of something. If the room was set to 23 times gravity, how'd you manage to come in and turn off the machine? Wouldn't you be crushed just like me?"

A slight smile appeared on Gohan's lips.

"For safety reasons, the artificial gravity shuts off when the door is opened. And it's a good thing too, or else …"

The half-smile vanished and was replaced by a look of pain. He didn't finish, but they both knew what would have happened if Gohan hadn't been able to turn off the gravity in time. That thought hung like a cloud over their heads, darkening their conversation. Wrapped up in their own minds, neither said anything for some time. Each stared off into space as if the other was not there.

"Say, Gohan?" Videl eventually asked in quiet voice, still not looking at him.

"Uh-huh?" he responded in the same way.

"How did you know to come save me?" Somehow, she plucked up the courage to look up at his face.

At first, he did not react to her question, nor did he meet her gaze. She knew he had heard her, but he continued to peer intently into the distance, as if somehow the answer to all the world's mysteries lay in that corner of the small room.

When he finally did look at her, his face was a mixture of emotions. His features bore a steely look that spoke of a determination beyond anything he had showed Videl up to that point. At the same time, though, she could sense something wrong. She saw no happiness behind those hard, black eyes. Peering into those dark chasms, she was overwhelmed by a depressive aura that significantly blackened her own mood.

"That is one of the things I will teach you," he said. His voice was flat, almost monotone.

What could be wrong with him? Videl thought. As far as she could tell, there was no reason for him to suddenly be so gloomy.

Gohan suddenly turned and started toward the door.

"I assume you want to see the gravity room for yourself," he said, pausing for a moment before leaving the room.

Stunned as ever by his antics, Videl hesitated slightly, but quickly followed him. Gohan led them back to the same room as before. She now noted that the "GR-01" next to the door must have stood for Gravity Room 1. Did that mean there was more than one?

That thought faded, though, as Gohan opened the door and escorted her back inside the room where she had nearly been crushed to death. She saw the familiar white walls and the central controls. She saw the garish red floor she had been up close and personal to during that little debacle. It wasn't exactly a welcome sight, but she couldn't deny that she was curious about what this little room could do when it wasn't suffocating her.

Gohan wasted no time in approaching the controls.

"I'm sure you want to try it out. Do you think you can handle two times gravity?" he asked. His finger hovered above the appropriate button.

Videl was a bit surprised by his new, almost impatient attitude, but quickly turned to the task at hand. She spread her feet into a stable stance.

"Go for it," she replied, steeling herself just in case.

Gohan pressed the button and she again she felt an immediate increase in pressure. The gravity pulled heavily on her, making it noticeably different to stand upright. If she hadn't been prepared, it was quite possible she would have fallen down from the sudden force. But she quickly noted that the weight was not unbearable. She could still breathe, at least. That was good.

"This is incredible," she reflected, lifting her right arm in front of her and clenching her fist as she wondered at how heavy it felt.

She took one tentative step. Then another. Finally, she began walking around the room, moving her body in every way imaginable as she got used to the increased weight. It was a strange feeling for her body to struggle to move the way it was supposed to. She tried a few experimental punches and almost lost her balance from the unexpected momentum. She had to strain to right herself.

Not one to give up, though, she began to move through a bit of her normal warm-up routine. As she began to adjust, she grew more confident in her movements, even as her body quickly began to tire. Twenty seconds in, she was already sweaty and out of breath, and her muscles just couldn't keep up.

Before she left, though, she wanted to test one thing. Coming to a stop, she jumped up as high as she could. She only got a few inches off the ground before she crashed back down to her feet, jarring her legs painfully in the process.

"Owww," she groaned in pain and she looked over to Gohan, who had been watching in silence as she discovered the effects of the gravity machine on her own.

"Enough?" he asked. She nodded in agreement.

As soon as the gravity went back to normal, Videl collapsed to the floor exhaustedly. Lying on her back, facing the ceiling, she remained there for a full minute recovering from her first experienced in increased gravity.

When she felt ready, she sat up and tried to stand. Her arms and legs protested mightily, but eventually she managed to force herself to get up and walk shakily over to Gohan.

"Is that going to be my training?" she asked, excited at the prospect.

"No. That would be impractical," he replied and pulled out a capsule, which was promptly replaced by a heap of what appeared to be some sort of blue fabric.

"Here, put these on," he instructed as he handed her the bundle.

Curious, she looked down at what she was holding. Two thick wrist bands and matching set for her ankles lay atop a bulky undershirt. All of it was made of the same dark blue fabric that felt unlike any other material she knew. It was incredibly soft yet seemed extremely durable at the same time. What was more, as she dutifully slipped on the bands onto her legs and wrists, she was surprised to discover that it was also astonishingly elastic. They stretched over her shoes with no problem at all and snapped back tight against her ankle as if they had been made that way. Whatever these new clothes were, they were definitely something special.

She paused at the shirt, but in short order donned that as well, pulling it over the white shirt she was already wearing. And with that, the ensemble was complete. She felt somewhat silly wearing what she supposed was some sort of strange training gear, but she ignored it and looked to Gohan, who was looking appraisingly at the outfit.

"Good," he said, his voice still unnervingly distant. "How much do you weigh?"

Videl gaped. Did he really just say what she thought he said? Of all the insensitive things… Didn't he know not to ask a girl her weight? Given, she wasn't your run-of-the-mill high school girly-girl who would consider such things of vital importance, but still! She could hardly believe Gohan would be so bold, borderline rude. She almost expected him to apologize for the remark, but one look into his somber eyes assured her that he was dead serious. There would be not moving past this if she didn't answer.

"104 pounds," she told him unwillingly, crossing her arms in embarrassment caused not so much by her weight, but by having to reveal it in a setting like this.

Gohan, not seeming to notice Videl's discomfort, merely nodded and looked down to his hand, where he held a small remote that she had overlooked before. He tinkered with it a bit and soon had made the desired adjustments.

"Okay," he said and inputted the changes.

Videl waited, but nothing seemed any different. She uncrossed her arms to try to move around, and immediately felt the change. Her arms felt slightly heavier, much as they had before under the increased gravity, although to a lesser extent. A quick jog around the room confirmed that the rest of her body was likewise weighed down.

"What did you do?" she asked Gohan curiously.

"I increased the weight of the training clothes you just put on," he answered. "The bands on your arms now weigh four pounds each, the ones on your ankles weigh six pounds, and your shirt weighs 15 pounds for a grand total of 35 pounds, or about a third of your total body weight."

Videl looked at the relatively plain looking pieces of clothing in shock. Just a second ago, their weight had been inconsequential, and now they weighed more than 30 pounds? How was that even possible?

When she voiced this question, Gohan replied, "It's a similar technology to the gravity room, just on a smaller scale."

"Unbelievable." she said in amazement. That was all she could say.

Unfazed by her interruption, Gohan continued his explanation:

"From now on, you will wear these weighted clothes every day. You may take them off to shower and to sleep, but otherwise, they are to remain on you at all times, understood?"

She nodded.

"Good. For now, then, we are done."

With that, he turned and marched out the door, and once again Videl was left reeling. She let out a heavy sigh of frustration. This was getting really old. What was wrong with Gohan today? He could at least wait for her to follow him before he just waltzed out the door.

There was nothing to do about it, however, so she reluctantly set out after him, having to run to catch up to the swiftly moving boy. The task was considerably more difficult than she anticipated as she felt the constraints of the weights. By the time she pulled up alongside him, she was already a bit out of breath. He said nothing, however, silently leading her through the winding passages of Capsule Corp and out the same door through which they had initially entered.

If Videl thought that the plane ride home would be any different, she was sorely mistaken. Gohan was loath to say more than a few words to her, and the seating arrangement already made conversation difficult. So, the hour long ride back to Satan City was passed in uncomfortable silence which she did her best to endure by attempting to nap. She was worn out from her second experience with the gravity room and quickly found herself drifting off to sleep despite her earlier encounter with the rejuvenating effects of the healing chamber.

For the second time that day, Videl felt herself slipping away into darkness. This time, though, it was not the menacing grip of death but the welcoming embrace of sleep, and she happily surrendered to its warm advances with no fear.

The world and all its cares disappeared beneath a veil of black.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but I don't really know how to fix it and I didn't want to keep you all waiting for even longer. Sorry if it's disappointing! Let me know what you think, though. Thanks for reading!