Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters
The Red Shark Gang
The next day at school went like any other day. Gohan continued to attend classes and listen to teachers lecture him on subjects he already knew. He dutifully took notes regardless. Occasionally, he would even learn something new—that six year hiatus from his studies had definitely set him back. Mostly though, it provided him with a welcome distraction from his problems, of which there were many.
During lunch, everything went as normal. The conversation was dominated by Erasa. For a while, she hounded them about Gohan's visit to Videl's house, but soon gave up when the couple in question refused to reveal anything. Out of unspoken agreement, neither of them mentioned anything about his agreeing to train Videl. They both knew the havoc that would result if that little fact were to get out.
Then it was time for gym. Krillin divided them into groups again. As they paired up, Gohan could sense a difference in Videl. Far from her usual reluctance to sit down and meditate while everyone else was fighting, today, she was on the floor before he was. He understood, of course. After tasting success the day before at his apartment, she was anxious to try again.
She wouldn't get the chance, however. No sooner had she gotten settled than her communicator blared, summoning her for yet another police emergency. Standing up, she glanced uncertainly at Gohan, who was watching her silently.
"Be careful," he warned, giving her his grudging support.
Videl grinned and bolted from the room. Little did she know, as soon as she disappeared from sight, Gohan quickly set off in pursuit. After their argument, he had made a decision. If the impetuous girl would not give up fighting crime, he would just have to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't get hurt.
And so, keeping a careful watch on her ki signature, he snuck out of school and gave pursuit on his motorcycle. Videl had the lead and was traveling on her much quicker jet copter. He would have to be careful not to lose her.
As he rode, Videl's words from the night before kept replaying in his head. I could never abandon the people that need my protection. It sounded just like the kind of thing his father would say. It had shaken him. At that moment, Gohan felt a new kind of guilt. Guilt for turning his back on the Earth his father had given his life to protect. And with that guilt came a growing desire to act, to reclaim his powers so that the people he loved would be safe. That night, he fell asleep with the determination to do just that. If only it were that easy.
That night, the nightmares returned.
Once again, he was forced to relive the horrors of that day. Once again, he watched as his father died because of his arrogance. Once again, he was torn from sleep in a cold sweat, panting for breath. Once again, he was helpless to do anything but wait for the revulsion and suffocating shame to subside.
Now, as he followed Videl, the resolve he had held the previous night seemed like a nebulous phantasm, hidden by the thick veil of fear and pain that surrounded him. No matter how hard he tried or how many times he reached for it, he could not so much as touch it. It was beyond him, and he was left to stumble around in the fog.
Within a few minutes, he arrived at his destination, a jewelry store in downtown Satan City. From the looks of things, it was a basic robbery gone wrong. Now, the desperate criminals were holding the store employees hostage, resulting in a standoff with the local police. So they had called in Videl, Satan City's resident special forces, to attempt a rescue.
Gohan, meanwhile, made his way to the top of a building across the street. The police had cordoned off the area, but it was a simple task to enter and nearby ally and fly up to the top while the crowd was distracted by the spectacle in front of the jewelry store. Once on top, he settled down to observe the scene below, cursing himself for not being able to do more.
"What's the situation?" Videl asked the commanding officer as she arrived at the scene.
The officer turned in recognition and explained, "Three unidentified men tried to rob this store and are now holding the store clerk and manager hostage. One is carrying an AK-47 and the other two have hand guns. They're demanding that we provide them with a vehicle to escape and that we make no attempt to pursue them."
Videl listened silently as she analyzed the situation. There had to be a way to get around these guys and rescue those people.
"Is there not a back entrance?" she asked.
He shook his head. "There is, but they've completely sealed it off. We'd need explosives to get in that way."
"Could we get in from the roof?"
The policeman shook his head again. "There's no access door, and the roof is several inches of solid concrete."
Videl cursed.
"Underground?" she asked as a last resort. The officer just shook his head yet again, not needing to explain further.
That meant the only way in was through the front door. The simplest way would be to simply rush the building and take out the bad guys before they could react. But that would require speed and agility she didn't possess weighed down as she was by her current attire, which meant she would have to think more strategically. That wasn't exactly her strongest suit, but she had to come up with something, and quick.
Come on…think, Videl, think! Brow furrowed in concentration, she racked her brain for a solution.
"That's it!" she exclaimed suddenly. All the policemen within earshot looked over at her expectantly. Unfazed, she explained, "Everyone, I have an idea that just might work."
"Where the hell's our ride?" a burly man of middling height growled as he paced through the jewelry cases. The sound of some sort of commotion could be heard outside. "They're planning something. If we don't make a run for it quick, we're gonna be in some deep shit."
"Calm your ass down, Axel," barked a slender built man from across the room. "We have hostages, remember? They can't get to us." As he spoke, he kept his pistol trained on the clerk and store manager sitting tied up in the corner behind the counter.
"Yeah, Zane? And if Mr. Satan's pesky daughter shows up, huh?" Axel shot back at his compatriot. "What do we do then?"
"Then we pump her full of lead," Zane spat back confidently, "No matter how strong she is, a bullet to the chest is all it'll take"
"Yeah, tell that to all the other guys she's taken down," Axel mocked.
"Don't put me in the same category as those dumb-asses!" The angered man whirled aggressively to face him. "There's no way that little priss will get the best of me. Just you watch, the second she dares to show her face, I'll—"
"Enough." A third voice cut them short. The third robber stepped out from the far corner of the store where he had been lurking. He spoke at a normal volume, but his smooth baritone voice held an unmistakable air of authority. "All you have to do is do what you're told. Let me worry about Ms. Satan."
He grinned sinisterly, stroking the deadly rifle in his hand. The two goons he had brought along ceased their petty squabbling, taken by their leader's confidence. The dastardly man basked in their mix of awe and fear, and the intoxicating feeling of power it gave him. This was what he loved and craved. And he wasn't going to stop until all of Satan City was under this thumb. Today was his first step towards that.
Suddenly, all the noises from outside stopped, enveloping the small store in a foreboding silence.
"Bring it on," he whispered.
A deafening crash of shattering glass tore through the air. Almost simultaneously, an almost imperceptible hiss reached the robber's ears and the room began filling up with a thick smoke. Before they could react, however, there came the unmistakable roar of a fast approaching motorcycle engine, increasing rapidly to near ear-splitting volume. Everyone jumped out of the way as the vehicle barreled through the smoke and crashed against the back wall.
"What the hell?" Zane's voice yelled as the engine sound died and the room returned to silence. The thick cloud of gas obscured their vision, leaving almost nothing visible. The sound of cautious footsteps rang through the room. Zane's voice again. "I know you're there, Ms. Satan! Come out so I can blow the head off your pretty little—"
A painful grunt was followed by the loud thump of a body hitting the floor.
"Damn it," cursed Axel. "Where are you?!" The pounding of frantic steps, the sharp cracks of blind shots into the smoke, and another dull thud signaled his defeat at the hands of the invisible intruder.
With only one of the robbers left standing, a cool spring breeze blew through the building, dispersing the smoke and revealing the aftermath of the conflict. Zane and Axel lay in heaps on the floor. Where the hostages had previously been tied up, there was nothing but a pile of rope. And the in the middle of it all stood Videl Satan, training a borrowed pistol on the leader even as he had her in the sights of his rifle.
They were at a standstill. The tendrils of remaining smoke curled and wisped ominously across the now noiseless battlefield as they stared each other down. One wrong move could mean death, and Videl knew this. She was without a doubt at a disadvantage here, with her weighted clothes and inferior fire power. She had to think fast.
Suddenly, the man started moving. Videl tensed her grip on her gun, prepared to fire. But the man did something entirely unexpected. He tossed his gun aside and let it bang against the floor. Then, he began to clap—slowly at first, but with increasing speed until he was outright applauding.
"Well done. Well done," the leader of the robbers praised. He ceased his clapping and continued in his silky voice, "You used the cover of a smoke bomb to sneak in, and sent a motorcycle through the glass windows with no one on it as a distraction while you freed the hostages. Then you took both my men out with a single blow each. You certainly do not disappoint, Ms. Satan."
Videl shuffled nervously, disconcerted by the criminal's strange behavior. He had thrown away his gun. Now was her chance, but she couldn't bring herself to use a weapon on an unarmed man. Besides, guns weren't really her style. She'd hated them ever since the day her mother died.
As the silence stretched on, the man continued, "What's wrong? No threats? No taunts? Nothing? How unexpected of the police's most obnoxious dog." He practically spat the last word. "No matter. I, Magnus Gray, leader of the Red Shark Gang, will defeat you and your weakling father and make this pathetic dump of a city mine." Stretching out his hands in invitation, he challenged, "Now…come, and let me show you what true strength is."
Videl grimaced at his insults, but refused fall for his baiting tactics. She had learned her lesson from her disastrous fight with Krillin. Getting angry would accomplish nothing, and she needed full possession of her faculties to win while wearing this weighted clothing. So instead, she decided to try borrowing a page from Gohan's book.
Taking a deep breath, she threw the gun aside. Slowly, she slid her right leg back and lowered herself into a solid stance. While being careful to keep her eyes open and alert, she tried to calm her mind like in her meditation. She would pay attention only to the sound of her breathing and the movements of her opponent. Nothing else mattered.
Magnus, clearly irritated that she was ignoring him, let out a growl. "Fine, you arrogant bitch. I'll come to you."
He charged her, clearly intending to finish the fight in one blow. Videl easily read his rage filled movements. With her left hand, she deflected his wild punch, delivered a powerful jab to his gut with her right, and quickly jumped back out of harm's way, leaving her opponent doubled over in pain.
She had no time to savor her minor victory, however. Within seconds, Magnus had recovered and was coming at her again. This time he was smarter, however, keeping his distance while using his superior reach to rain down punches on Videl.
He was both fast and strong—traits which he had likely relied on in many a fight. Slowed down as she was, it was enough to force her back temporarily as she worked to block and dodge his blows. However, she managed to remain calm and analyze his technique. She quickly noticed that he relied almost exclusively on his fists, and his balance would occasionally falter when he threw a particularly powerful punch. All she had to do was exploit those flaws and victory would be hers.
With a plan quickly formulating in her mind, she sidestepped a punch and jumped off to the side to avoid getting stuck against the wall. Then she flashed a condescending smirk that was sure to infuriate the already irritated man.
It worked. Magnus's eyes bulged and he released a menacing snarl. Quickly closing the gap between them, he pulled back to deliver a punch filled with all his fury right to her head.
Perfect, thought Videl as she tilted her head and let his fist go by. He had completely overextended himself and thrown himself off balance.
Before he could throw a second punch, she made her move. Grabbing his arm, she stepped in and swept his front foot out from under him. As he fell forward, she brought her knee and planted it firmly into his stomach. Before he could have time to recover, she hopped back and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick to his head, sending him back several feet where he collapsed on the ground.
It was over. She had taken down the boastful leader of the Red Shark Gang in one on one combat despite her weighted training gear. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to tell the police that they could come clean up when she heard a laugh. Alarmed, she turned to see Magnus rising up slowly from the ground, cackling maniacally.
"You think you can defeat me that easily?" he asked, taking a wobbly step towards Videl. Madness filled his eyes and blood trickled down his face. "I am Magnus Gray, strongest man alive and soon to be ruler of Satan City! And no puny little girl is going to get in my way!"
From his pocket he produced an odd pair of dark glasses. After putting them on, he reached into his pocket once again.
"Let's see how you like the smoke this time around!" he shouted and threw the contents of his pocket on the ground.
The object exploded in a cloud of black smoke far darker than that of the police smoke bomb. In seconds, visibility was reduced to zero. This time, there would be no subtle shadows to use, no confused ramblings to gauge the position of her foe. She was completely blind. Frantically, she turned every which way trying to listen for the sound of footsteps, but could hear nothing. He must have taken cautions to prevent that. He had come prepared with what she assumed to be infrared glasses, after all.
Without warning, something slammed into her chest and sent her flying back before crashing into a wall with a loud thud. Videl groaned, temporarily stunned by the force of the blow.
She had to think. The best thing to do would be to flee and wait for the smoke to go away. Unfortunately, she didn't know which way to run, and she wouldn't get far if he could see her every move. She found herself wishing she could have the sixth sense that Gohan was talking about the day before. Then, maybe she could be able to tell where this guy was. But it had taken her hours to get anywhere close to that last time—and that was in the quiet confines of Gohan's apartment. Still, it was worth a try. She was running out of options.
She consciously slowed her breathing and stood up. Trying to ignore the possibility of being attacked at any second, she worked to calm her mind completely. Despite the fact that she couldn't see anyway, she closed her eyes as in her training. The only sounds in the room were her rhythmic breaths and the soft taps of her steps. She let these sounds wash over her, clearing her mind of competing thoughts.
Suddenly, she had the certain yet inexplicable that someone was behind her. It was almost like she could feel the warmth from his skin, but different somehow. Not stopping to ponder this, she swiftly spun around to deliver a kick to her attacker's side and was delighted when she actually made contact. Not wanting to take any chances of him getting up again, she proceeded to deliver a series of punches and kicks that would ensure he would not be standing up again soon. When she was done, she sat down tiredly on the ground.
It was over for real this time, and she could hardly believe how she'd done it.
Gohan left his perch high above Satan City and made his way back to his apartment on his motorcycle. As he rode, he couldn't help but think back to the fight he had just witnessed with amazement. Just as the things were looking bad for Videl and he was preparing to intervene, she had surprised him yet again. It looked like her training schedule would need to be moved up.
As soon as he arrived home, he set about making preparations for Videl's certain visit once she wrapped things up with the police. The apartment was sparsely furnished, but he wanted to clear as much space as possible for what he had planned later on. The coffee table he managed to fit through the door and into his room. The desk, couch, and kitchen table were too big to do the same without some dismantling, so he pushed them off to the corners of the room.
That should do it, thought Gohan. There was little to now but wait.
Twenty minutes later, he heard her knock on the door as expected.
"Come in!" he called.
The door swung in and Videl walked in hesitantly, but at the same time unable to contain the excitement on her face.
"Gohan! Something unbelievable happened today. I tried what you taught me and…" She trailed off and cocked her head in curiosity as she caught sight of Gohan sitting in the middle of floor with a piece of cloth on his lap.
"What's that?" she asked.
"This," he said, holding it up to reveal a thick blue blindfold, "Is your training."
Hi everybody! This is going to be a long author's note, but please read it all. It will be worth it, I promise. Probably. :)
As always, thank you so much for reading and sorry for the super long wait. School got super busy this last semester so writing kind of fell by the wayside and before I knew it, nearly five months had passed. For those of you that have been with me the entire time, thank you for your patience and I promise to try to be better about updating. I've been writing like crazy for the last couple weeks, so I actually have a little bit in reserve now.
In fact, I have an announcement to make. I am currently planning on finishing this story by the end of this summer. That might be a little bit optimistic, but I only have 3-4 chapters more planned that I still have to write, so if I can stay focused and make the time to write, it is possible.
To keep myself motivated, I'm going to go ahead and post my planned update schedule for you all to see. I'm going to wait a little while after this chapter to update again. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I want to post the last six or so chapters in fairly rapid succession so that you can enjoy the climax of the story without having to wait too long between chapters.
So, without further ado, here's my tentative schedule. Hopefully, I can stick to it.
Chapter 21 - 8/9
Chapter 22 - 8/16
Chapter 23 - 8/23
Chapter 24 - 8/29
Chapter 25 - 8/30
Epilogue - 8/31
That's just about it. I'll post the schedule on each chapter from now on. And as always, if you enjoyed the chapter, or even if you hated it, please let me know in a review. I love hearing from you. It makes the long hours pounding away at the keyboard worth it.
P.S. To the anonymous reviewer Max Peck. I really appreciate your well thought out comment. If you are still reading my story, I'd enjoy hearing from you again. If you have an account or are willing to make one, please contact me. I would love to talk more about some of the points you mentioned, especially when you say some of the deviations from canon feel like they are there just to differentiate my story from others. I don't mind the criticism at all, but I was hoping to get some specific examples so I could see your point better.