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

Redemption

Even on a lazy Sunday morning, Gohan's eyes flickered open before the birds had the chance to begin their morning chorus. No alarm went off. His body was just well accustomed to this schedule. Within seconds, he was springing out of bed with the energy most people would think impossible at such an early hour. He headed straight to the small bathroom. With a splash of cold water on his face, he was ready to face the day. Pulling on a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt, and some shoes and he headed outside for his morning run.

The cool air of the spring morning raised goose bumps on his bare arms. Gohan spread his arms wide and inhaled deeply. The fresh smell of the air, the dim light of the approaching dawn, the uncanny silence of the nearly deserted streets. He had always loved this time of day since he was a child. Now, he appreciated it even more. It was so refreshing. So simple.

After taking a few moments to take it all in, he set about stretching for his run. By the time he finished, the sun was just peeking over the horizon. The first brilliant rays of light fell on a sleepy Satan City as Gohan took off running.

A mile into his run, he had settled into a steady five minute mile pace. The rhythmic pounding of his feet against the pavement was oddly hypnotic, which was helpful when he wanted to focus his thoughts. Today, however, he simply immersed himself in its steady cadence, forgetting all his other troubles as it took him away. It was a great escape, and boy did he need one.

Throwing himself whole-heartedly into Videl's training had not been easy. Every day he spent training Videl drudged up memories of the past that he still couldn't accept. Even so, he refused to give up. Not while Videl was risking her life on a daily basis. If he was too weak to bring himself to actually fight alongside her, he would do everything he could to make sure she didn't get hurt.

Gohan returned from his run tired and sweaty, but feeling somehow rejuvenated nonetheless. After a quick shower to clean off, he still had nearly two hours until 8 o'clock, the time Videl usually arrived. Throwing on some comfortable clothes, he sat down in his living room to meditate. He could not afford to neglect his mental discipline, especially not with the storm of conflicting emotions he had been feeling lately.

Eight o'clock came and went uneventfully. No Videl to be found. This confused Gohan a little bit—Videl was usually very punctual—but he didn't think much else of it. He would just continue his meditation until she arrived. As the minutes ticked by, though, he started to wonder if she had gotten a call from the police. When an hour had passed, he really started to worry. He had become increasingly apprehensive for Videl's safety whenever she was called out.

As the clock struck ten, Gohan decided to take action. He tried desperately not to jump to any conclusions, but he couldn't reasonably stay in his apartment and any longer. He tried to get a lock on her ki, but couldn't sense her anywhere in the city. That didn't necessarily mean anything, of course. There were plenty of reasons he wouldn't be able to sense her. Still….

He had to get going. Running outside, he quickly decapsulated his motorcycle and jumped on the vehicle. Praying Videl was okay and it was all just one big mistake, he set course for the one place he knew to start his search—Satan Mansion. When he arrived, he again had to wade through the ever present crowd of reporters waiting for a scoop. He wasted no time in driving up to the intercom.

"This is Son Gohan. Can I come in?"

For a few agonizing moments, the gate stayed motionless. Luckily, it wasn't more than a few seconds before it swung inward. Gohan hit the throttle, the engine roared, and he accelerated through the still moving gate.

At the door to the mansion, he was once again met by George, the Satan family butler.

"Ms. Videl has not emerged from her chambers, yet," George informed him, "If you wish, I will inform her of your visit and see if she wishes to come down." In the meantime, if you'd follow me. I will take you to a sitting room where you can wait for her"

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd like that, thank you," he responded. He had worried for nothing. Videl had overslept. That was why he hadn't been able to feel her energy. While she was sleeping, it was too weak to be able sense from any distance.

With that mystery solved, Gohan allowed the butler to lead him through the vast hallways of Satan mansion. As he walked, he again marveled at the opulence of the building. Imported tiles, vast hallways, expensive artwork hanging on the walls…. He found it hard to believe someone like Videl came from such a background. She certainly did not come across as some spoiled rich kid.

"You may wait here," George interrupted his thoughts as they reached their destination, a small parlor with a grand piano in the corner, a table, and two luxurious chairs.

He had little interest in the décor, though. He settled in one of the surprisingly uncomfortable chairs to wait for Videl to walk through the door. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps. Assuming it was Videl, his gaze darted to the door. He was disappointed when instead her father appeared, bracing himself heavily on the doorframe. Dressed in wrinkled clothes that he had apparently slept in, Hercule Satan gazed at him, heavy bags under his eyes.

"You again?" he growled, grimacing in pain. He closed his eyes and slowly massaged his temples. When the throbbing subsided, he refocused his gaze on Gohan. Lowering his voice, he pointing a weak finger at Gohan and tried his best to look intimidating. "Look, punk. I don't know what you want with my daughter, but if you try anything funny, you'll have me to deal with. I won't have my little pumpkin dating a scrawny weakling like you."

Unfortunately for Mr. Satan, the hung-over look undermined his best efforts to instill fear in the young man in front of him. Also unfortunately for Mr. Satan, he managed to stoke the fires of an entirely different emotion in Gohan.

"Is that a fact," challenged steely-eyed Saiyan. The fool's arrogant boastings were bad enough, but to think that this man was Videl's father…he was her father and he was spending his nights drinking and who knew what else. The thought infuriated him. Struggling to control himself, he stood up slowly.

Mr. Satan's eyes bulged in disbelief. He obviously was not used to being talked back to. Despite the obvious pain he was in, he threw his head back and planted his hands confidently on his hips and laughed obnoxiously.

"Ahahahaha! Well as a matter of fact it is! Just you try to lay a hand on my daughter and I'll make you regret the day you were born!" he shouted. "Ahahahaha! Aha…haa…ha…haaaa…" He trailed off nervously as Gohan continued to stare him down, his icy glare never wavering.

"And what makes you think…" Gohan stepped forward menacingly. "That you'd be able to stop me?"

When Gohan first arrived, Videl lay sleeping on her bed. Her large bedroom was filled with the muted sounds of cheerful birdsong that managed to filter through the window. Beams of dappled sunlight managed to sneak their way through a gap in the heavy curtains and land on the sleeping figure on the bed. But none of that managed to wake the tired girl from her slumber.

A sudden knock on the door did the trick where everything else failed. Videl's eyes shot open. Quickly realizing she had slept through her alarm, she leapt out of bed.

"What time is it?!" she asked no one in particular, groaning when she glanced at the clock at her bedside. It was nearly ten-thirty, two and a half hours after she was supposed to meet Gohan. She had stayed up far too late the previous night trying to find answers, and to no avail. She could not find anything credible about the mysterious blonde-haired fighters. Everything even remotely connected to the Cell Games was completely overshadowed by her father. The few sites she had actually found were fan sights with little to no information of actual value.

Throwing on a robe, she rushed to answer the door.

"Son Gohan is waiting for you down in the sitting room, Ms. Videl," George informed her.

"What?!" Videl cried in horror.

"Shall I tell him you are unavailable?" George kindly suggested.

"No, no, no. Just gimme a minute. I'll be right down."

Closing the door, she dashed over to her walk-in closet and ripped open the door. Erasa would have cried if she saw how many oversized white t-shirts and black spandex pants lined the racks. But she didn't have time to think about that now. Videl all but tore her pajamas off, threw on a clean set of workout clothes, making sure not to forget the weighted clothing Gohan insisted she wear all the time, and was out in less than ten seconds—a record time.

From there, she went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and splashed some cold water on her face to get rid of the last of her drowsiness. She was about to leave, but as she walked out the door she saw her reflection out of the corner of her eyes and paused. Her long night of sleep had not been kind to her hair. Grabbing her hairbrush, she started to brush out the worst of the tangles. She didn't know why. She had never cared about how she looked before, and she would just be training anyway. And Gohan was waiting for her.

Gohan was waiting for her.

Videl grimaced as she realized the reason for her irrational behavior. Despite all her efforts to suppress her attraction to him, here she was trying to make herself look good—or at least marginally better—because of him. That just wouldn't do, she chastised herself, especially now. She was quickly finding out that there was a lot more mystery to Gohan than even she could have guessed. Besides, she already decided she would keep things the way they were now.

Abandoning her hair, she ran out of room, down the stairs, and through the hallways towards where Gohan was waiting for her. As she approached the last corner, she heard voices.

"…won't have my little pumpkin dating a scrawny weakling like you."

Videl's ears burned. How could her father say something so embarrassing? Not that he hadn't said similar things before—and publicly too—but this time, it struck a little too close to home. She moved to stop her dad before he could say anything worse. Then Gohan spoke.

"Is that a fact?"

The intensity in his voice stopped Videl short. That raw emotion, was that…anger?

She had never heard Gohan speak like that before. Curious, she peaked around the corner to watch the scene unfold. She all but gasped when she saw Gohan take a step towards her father.

Her first reaction was that this couldn't end well for Gohan. Strong as he was, he was not match for her father. Just a few days ago, she would have run in and intervened, but now she knew better. Her father was a fraud and Gohan was a strong, skilled fighter. Just how strong she wasn't sure, but if it came down to it, she suspected Gohan could hold his own or even defeat her father. Plus, this could be her chance to find out more about Gohan.

And so she stayed still to watch events unfold.

One step…two steps…three…

Mr. Satan reeled back from the advancing young boy in front of him. His coldblooded eyes and ominously glowering face sent chills down his spine. It seemed so familiar, and he never forgot a face. But for some reason, he couldn't place it.

When he finally came to a halt, he tried to pull himself together and maintain his dignity.

"W-Who do you think you are?" he yelled. "A puny runt like you wouldn't stand a chance against me! I'm the World Martial Arts Champion! I'm the man who defeated Ce—"

Suddenly it clicked. The Cell Games.

His eyes flickered fearfully between the spiky black hair, rage-filled eyes, and scowling face. There was no doubt. He had seen it all before. He could change the color of his hair and his eyes, but the boy in front of him looked exactly like the kid at the Cell Games. The one who had really defeated Cell…

Fear turned to terror.

"Y-Y-You're…you're him. The kid who…" He took a step back.

Videl watched in shock as her father retreated slowly away from Gohan. His legs were shaking in fear.

"I know I took your credit and all, but I just did what I had to do. You guys disappeared. The public needs a hero, you know? Hehe." He chuckled nervously, trying to reason with the angry demi-Saiyan. Gohan's fierce scowl and piercing stare did not waver. Hercule's voice grew desperate. "Look, do what you want with me, just don't hurt my daughter. She had nothing to do with it," he pleaded.

At that, Videl saw Gohan's face softened slightly.

"Look at yourself. I'm not the one hurting your daughter, at the moment," he said scornfully. Hercule looked visibly stricken. He said nothing as Gohan walked past him towards where Videl was hiding. By the time Videl realized Gohan was about to catch her eavesdropping, it was too late. He rounded the corner and stopped.

Videl was now face to face with the real savior of Earth and probably the strongest fighter in the world. It was hard for her to take in. She had always assumed it had been Gohan's father or one of his friends who had killed Cell. To think that it had been Gohan all along. The same Gohan who was now attending her high school. The same Gohan who had been training her for weeks. The same Gohan who had given up fighting.

She had so many questions. Why had he let her dad take the credit for killing Cell? Why couldn't she sense an enormous amount of energy from him like that guy Vegeta? Why had he stopped fighting?

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Gohan was likewise silent. Not even her father made a noise. The entire house was filled with a silence laden with exposed lies and unanswered questions.

Into that silence, the obnoxious ring of her police communicator brought a call that would change everything.

"Videl!" the police chief's voice echoed in the hallway. "You need to come to the school now. You're friend, Erasa, she's…"

Videl's heart stopped. Not Erasa. She couldn't take it if anything were to happen to her. "What happened to them?" she asked.

"She's being held hostage by the Red Shark Gang. They're demanding you come and face them."

Videl sighed in relief. Now that she knew Erasa was alive, though not safe, all she felt was anger. No one messed with her friends and got away with it. She would protect Erasa with her life, if necessary. She had no time to waste. Turning on her heels, she walked briskly towards the front entrance. Half way down the hall, though, she stopped and turned back to face Gohan.

"Come with me," she invited. Gohan visibly stiffened, but didn't respond. "Please, Gohan. I need you," she begged. As much as she hated the idea of needing help, with her friend at risk, it was worth sacrificing her pride.

Gohan swallowed. His fists were clenched at his sides and she thought she could see a slight trembling in his hands.

"Videl, I…" He looked down at the floor. "I can't. I want to, but I just can't." She thought she could hear his voice crack slightly as he spoke. Part of her felt back for him, but the other part knew that Erasa's life was on the line. She didn't have the luxury of being understanding.

"Fine," she said harshly. "If you refuse to use all that power of yours to help the people you care about, then fine. You keep running, Gohan. You keep running from whatever it is you can't face. I'm going to go rescue my friend."

With that, she turned and started walking away.

"Videl, wait," Gohan called after her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, hoping he had changed his mind. "You should take off those weights. They'll slow you down."

She sighed. It looked like she was on her own, after all. Without a word, she resumed walking, never looking back as she went outside, got into her jet copter, and took off towards the school. It didn't matter if Gohan wouldn't help her. She was going to save her friend if it was the last thing she did.

Gohan stood in the vast halls of Satan Mansion. The by now forgotten Mr. Satan had sulked off to who knew where, the butler was nowhere to be found, and Videl had taken off to try to rescue Erasa…on her own. He had never felt more alone in his life.

Alone, he walked through the halls of Videl's house to the door. Alone, he hopped on his bike and rode through the streets back to his apartment. Alone, he returned to a dark, empty room with nothing but silence to keep him company. Alone, he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

Why hadn't he gone with her? He had wanted to. Truly, from the bottom of his heart, he had wanted to go with her, but he had found he couldn't. If he had just taken one step towards Videl, he would have gone. He was sure of it. But no matter how much he had desired to take that step, his body wouldn't listen to him. He was afraid. Afraid of what would happen if he fought once more.

Why? Why did a few nightmares hold such control over him? But no, it wasn't just the nightmares. It was much more than that. It was the guilt. The oppressive guilt that had lived with him every second of every day for years, squeezing him tighter and tighter until he couldn't even cry for help, leaving him no choice but to suffer endlessly in its cruel grasp. In his desperation, he had run away from everything.

It had worked, at least for a while. He had been able to forget the past and focus on his new life, on school and his studies. But then Videl had shown up and changed everything. She had brought memories of his old life crashing back down on him, but something about her had made want to help her regardless. Even so, there was one thing he couldn't do: He couldn't go back to a life tormented by guilt. Not even for her.

And so, paralyzed by fear, he lay helpless on his bed. He felt weak and lethargic, incapable of doing anything but lay there. Closing his eyes, he sought out the only refuge he could think of: sleep. I'm sorry, Videl, he thought silently as he faded out of consciousness, hoping he wouldn't have to wake up.

Meanwhile, Videl had her back pressed up against the wall of Orange Star High School, preparing to enter the building. Ordinarily, she would never have used the front door on an operation like this, but the Red Shark Gang had evidently said she was to use the front door or they would kill Erasa. It was undoubtedly a trap, but she had no choice but to risk it. She had already removed her weighted clothing as Gohan had suggested. This was one fight she could not afford to hold back on.

Now it was time to test the results of all her training. Taking a deep breath, she extended her senses to find the ki of the people inside the school. She could feel at least thirty people stationed at various places in the building. Ten of them were guarding the front door, obviously with the intent to shoot her down the second she walked through the door.

She wouldn't be taken down that easily. Biting off the pin of a smoke bomb she had borrowed from the police, she swiftly pulled open the door, threw the smoke bomb in, and returned to cover against the wall. Within a few seconds, she could see smoke leaking out of edges of the door. She didn't make her move, however. She waited.

Seconds later, the glass doors shattered as the inside of the building erupted in gunfire. As she had suspected, the leader of the Red Shark Gang had learned a little something from their last fight. He had probably ordered his men to fire blindly into the smoke if she tried the same thing again. This guy was no fool. Fortunately for Videl, his henchmen were not quite as intelligent. They continued to fire round after round until, finally, the gunshots ceased. They were out of bullets.

This was her chance. She dashed into the building before they could reload. The hallway was still full of smoke, making it impossible to see anything. Thanks to Gohan's training, though, that didn't matter. She could feel exactly where each of her opponents was with no trouble. That wouldn't matter much if they unleashed another salvo of bullets, though, so before they could reload, she put on a burst of speed and jumped. It was a perfect plan. Leap over their heads and get behind them. Then take them all out before they realized she had snuck past them. What Videl hadn't planned for was the difference removing those weights had really made. As a result, she misjudged the power of her jump, throwing off her balance as she flew much further past her opponents than she had intended. She landed with a hard thud. She gulped. This was bad.

The men guarding the door heard the noise and turned to investigate. If the smoke hadn't still made it impossible to see anything, she probably would have died right there. As it was, not being able to see her made the guards falter for just a moment. Taking advantage of their hesitation, she shot across the room in a single jump to the closest guard and planted her fist right in his chest. She heard a snap of bones cracking and the man flew back at least twenty feet and crashed against the wall, taking two of his comrades with him.

Videl blinked. Had she really done that? It was almost unbelievable. This strength. This speed. It was way beyond anything she had been capable of before. She never thought wearing those weights would grant her this much power. And yet there was no denying what had just happened.

She grinned. She had finally done it. She had broken through the ceiling she had felt for so long, soared past her previous limits to levels of strength she had previously only imagined. And this was just the beginning. She hadn't even put any ki into that punch. Imagine the damage she could do when she did. And it was all thanks to Gohan. She would have to thank him properly when she got back.

For now, though, there were still seven goons remaining. She jumped to the other side of them before they could shoot and struck again. Using her newly acquired speed, she incapacitated all seven of them so quickly that they had no hope of fighting back.

She had done it. She had successfully infiltrated the entrance of the school. Now all she had to do was make it past the few remaining guards up to the room where they were holding Erasa. She could sense a large group of people around where the science lab was on the second floor. That must be it. Running, she made her way upstairs, taking out the guard defending the stairwell with ease. She could sense several other guards stationed sporadically throughout the school, but she ignored all but those directly in her path until she finally stood in front of the room she wanted.

This was it. There were nearly twenty people in this room, all but one of whom would be aiming guns at her. It would be extremely dangerous, but she had no choice. She couldn't just abandon Erasa. Taking a deep breath, she kicked the door in, knocking it clear off its hinges, and dashed into the room.

Right away, she knew she was in trouble. The leader of the Red Shark Gang had cleverly positioned his men along the back and one of the side walls so that they could easily cover the entire room in bullets without harming each other. The mobile lab stations had all been rolled to one side of the room, leaving her no cover. This was no battlefield; it was an execution. She had to do something quick or she would soon be riddled with more holes than Erasa's logic.

"Stop!" commanded a voice. She looked over and saw the leader—Magnus, she thought he called himself—standing in the far corner holding a knife against Erasa's throat. "Move and I slit her throat," he threatened.

Lightning flashed in sheets across the sky. Dark clouds obscured the sun. Gohan stood, bruised and bleeding, in the midst of the Cell Arena. He felt weak. His hair was black, not the normal gold of a Super Saiyan.

"Go on," Cell jeered, "Show me your true power. Make your father proud."

He tried to power up. With his entire being, he willed himself to become strong enough to defeat this monster and save his friends, but failed. He was at his limit and it was pathetic. There was nothing he could do as Cell proceeded to slaughter everyone he cared about, one by one. He stood helplessly by as the painful screams of each friend—Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, Trunks, Vegeta, and Piccolo—echoed in his ears until only one remained—his father. Gohan looked into his eyes as the last blast headed towards Goku. He saw only love and acceptance as he disappeared in a flash of light.

This was the point, he would normally wake up, but this time, the dream continued.

Gohan was surrounded by the lifeless bodies of his fallen friends. He fell to his knees and cried.

"You are weak," Cell taunted again. "You can't save anyone." A bolt of lightning streaked right behind Cell as he powered up one last blast. There was no one else left. This one would be for Gohan. He resigned himself to his fate. This was the punishment he deserved for failing to protect the people he loved.

Just as Cell released the blast, however, Videl jumped in front of him.

"Get up!" she yelled as Cell's attack shot towards her. "You can't keep running forever, Gohan. Show this guy what you're made of. You can do it. I know you can."

The blast hit her full in the back and enveloped her in an intense white light that forced Gohan to squint. When it finally faded, Videl was gone.

"NOOO!" Gohan tore from his bed. Covered in sweat and heart pounding frantically, he cursed aloud, something he rarely did. His eyes shot to the clock. By his estimation, it had been a little over a half hour since Videl had left for the school.

Hurriedly, he began searching for her ki signature as he prepared to perform Instant Transmission. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

This was bad. She needed a plan, and fast. "What do you want?" she asked, trying to stall for time.

"What do I want?" Magnus repeated. "Isn't it obvious? I want to kill you." His voice carried a hint of madness that hadn't been there the last time she fought him.

"Here's how this is going to work, sweetheart," the madman continued. "You're going to sit there quietly as I personally put a bullet through your skull. Then, once you're good and dead, I'll let your pretty little friend go. And if you get any funny ideas…" Erasa screeched as he pressed the blade of his knife tighter against her throat. Tears began to flow from the frightened girl's eyes. "You so much move a muscle and I'll slit her throat before you can take a step. Then, I'll give you just enough time to watch her bleed to death before my men shoot you where you stand."

Videl's eyes widened in horror. It was obvious, now. From the start, he had never intended for this to be a rematch. It was an execution. She clenched her fists so hard they began to shake. "You're a monster," she spat through clenched teeth.

"A monster?" Magnus let out a maniacal laugh that left no doubt of his madness. "Maybe. But I'm a monster that will soon rule over this city. With you out of my way, no one will question my strength again. I'll take out your buffoon of a father and make the whole world fear the name Magnus Gray. No one will ever disrespect me again, especially not a spoiled, self-righteous bitch like you."

Using his free hand, he pulled a pistol from his belt and took a step forward. Then another. Slowly and threateningly he advanced, obviously wanting to revel in her panic and fear. Even though she didn't want to give him the satisfaction, Videl couldn't help but be afraid. She knew she had to do something quick, or she would very soon be dead. But what? This guy still had Erasa. Even with her increased speed, it was no use. Any attack could cause the knife to slip, and with how tightly he was holding that knife against her neck, that would be fatal. With that realization, she released her clenched fists and let her arms grow limp. There was nothing she could do. She had lost.

"Don't worry about me, get him!" Erasa suddenly shouted, obviously struggle to squeak out the words past the deadly blade at her throat.

"Shut up, bitch, or I'll kill you right now!" Magnus tightened his grip even further, pressing the knife against her skin until a trickle of blood appeared. The threat may have been empty—he needed her alive for his gambit against Videl—but the cold steel against her neck was enough to scare her into submission. When she had obviously given up on saying anything else, he looked back to Videl. "Now, where were we?" he said, raising his gun and pointing it right at Videl's head.

Now was her last chance to save herself. He was no more than five feet away from her. At that range, if he shot, it would mean certain death. But despite that, her body wouldn't move. Erasa may have been willing to sacrifice herself, but Videl knew she couldn't let her. The thought of watching her best friend die before her very eyes was just too much to bear. Even if she did find a way to survive the firing squad Magnus had set up, there was no way she could live with herself knowing she could have saved her, but didn't.

And so, Videl Satan, the fiercest and most stubborn fighter Satan City had ever known, closed her eyes and braced herself for the shot that would end her life.

That shot never came. Instead, the room seemed to erupt with surprised cries laced generously with profanities.

"What the…Who the hell are you?" she heard Magnus yell over the commotion. She opened her eyes and couldn't believe what she saw. There, standing directly in front of her as if he had appeared out of thin air, was Gohan.

It had taken but seconds for him to get a lock on Videl's ki. When he did, he immediately sensed that she was in trouble. She was surrounded by the members Red Shark Gang. Disregarding the possible dangers, he immediately used Instant Transmission to transport himself right into the middle of the conflict, where a man was aiming a pistol right at where Videl stood behind him

Now, he stood face to face with the leader of the Red Shark Gang. With his Saiyan senses and mind that rivaled even the greatest of strategists, he immediately ascertained the situation. This man had threatened to kill Erasa if Videl resisted. The rest of the armed men in the room were merely insurance in case things didn't go as planned.

"Who the hell are you?" The man reeled back, but otherwise was too shocked to do anything.

Rage began to fill Gohan as he looked at the man. This bastard had tried to kill Videl. He would pay. With murder in his flint black Saiyan eyes, he advanced towards his prey.

Step.

Magnus retreated back further. "Don't come any closer! I'll kill her if you do!" he threatened, again pressing the knife against Erasa's throat to prove his point. Gohan focused a concentrated stream of ki at the hand that held the knife. In seconds, smoke appeared and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Magnus yelped in pain and dropped the knife from his burning hand.

Step.

"S-Stay back!" the desperate villain screamed. He pushed his now useless hostage out of the way and used his injured hand to help steady his gun. He trained it at Gohan.

Step.

He fired at Gohan at nearly point blank range. Gohan, having seen he was about to fire, projected a dense layer of ki directly in front of him. The bullet skimmed off his makeshift shield and deflected harmlessly into the wall behind him.

Step.

Magnus's eyes bulged at the apparent miracle. He fired four more shots in quick succession, hoping it had somehow been a fluke, but the only thing he succeeded in doing was filling the room with the deafening reports of the high caliber bullets.

Step.

Gohan now stood toe to toe with the man who had dared try to harm the woman he loved. The previously cocky criminal now stared back at him with eyes filled with terror.

"Don't just stand there!" he ordered his men, his voice quivering with fear. "Get him!"

But his previously loyal subordinates did not rush to his aid. They had watched in awe as this mysterious man had appeared from nowhere and reduced their boss to a quivering mess. Now, they had had enough. They ran as fast as they could to the exit, abandoning their former leader.

As Magnus watched his backup run away, Gohan suddenly slammed his fist right into his gut. He keeled over onto the ground, struggling to breath. The now ex-leader of the Red Shark Gang was now, completely helpless against Gohan. That didn't matter. He needed to pay for what he had done. He prepared to strike again…

"Gohan, no!" Videl's sudden scream stopped him.

"He tried to kill you," he stated softly, anger causing his voice to tremble slightly.

"That doesn't mean you should kill him," she said, "He can't hurt us anymore. Let the police handle the rest."

Everything in his being wanted to kill the pathetic excuse for a human being in front of him. The last time he hadn't killed his enemy when he could have, his father had died as a result. He didn't want to do the same thing twice. Channeling all his rage into one blow, he landed a hard kick right to his opponents head, sending him flying several feet to collapse in a heap on the ground. If it had been anyone Videl who asked, he would have ignored them and ended his miserable existence right there. As it was, he did his best to suppress his disgust and hatred for the man.

Before he did something he'd regret, he turned back towards Videl. She was still standing where she was when he arrived. As his bloodlust faded, he finally remembered why he had come in the first place. Videl was safe. Overjoyed, he rushed to embrace her.

"I'm so glad you're alive," he said with a sigh of relief. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, hugging him back. "How's Erasa?" They both looked over to where their friend lay curled up in a ball on the ground. Reluctantly, Gohan let go of Videl and walked over to her. She was staring blankly at the floor and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She didn't respond, didn't even appear to have heard him. She was in her own world at the moment. He checked her neck as best he could, given her position, and confirmed that the wound was nothing too serious, just a slight cut that would soon heal.

"She's fine," Gohan said, "At least physically. I don't know about mentally. She's had a pretty traumatic experience. I don't know how it will affect her."

"She's a strong girl, despite what she seems like," Videl assured. "I'm sure she'll be all right once she gets over the shock."

Now that they knew everyone was okay, that just left cleanup. Videl radioed in to the police and told them to come up and make the arrest. After that, there was no real need to stay any longer.

"Gohan, can you get Erasa?" Videl asked.

"Sure," he replied. He reached down, trying to find the best way to pick up the traumatized girl.

Magnus opened his eyes. How long had he been unconscious? He tried to move, but cringed as pain racked through his entire body. What had happened?

"Gohan, can you get Erasa?" He heard a voice say.

"Sure," came the reply. He looked up to discern the source of the voices, and immediately the events of the moments just prior came crashing back.

Videl and that damned mystery man. They had ruined everything. Humiliated him like he was just some common criminal. No way in hell would he let them get away with it. He was Magnus Gray, leader of the Red Shark Gang. He had gone through too much pain and suffering to get to this point in his life. Starting from nothing. Bearing the humiliation and abuse of those who had money and power. Rising through the ranks of the Red Shark Gang until he made it to the top. He finally had to strength and power to make sure no one would ever look down on him again. But these two. They had ruined everything.

Summoning all the strength and willpower in him, he gripped his hand around the gun that they had been foolish enough to leave within his reach. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he raised the weapon and aimed it on the person who had brought everything crashing down on him. His aim was shaky, but he lined the shot up as well as he could.

"Die," he barely whispered. He pulled the trigger and passed out on the ground.

After a moment's indecision, Gohan finally settled on picking up Erasa bridal style. The petite girl felt as light as a feather to him as he lifted her up. With his friend in his arms, he started to walk to where Videl was waiting near the door. Just then, he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. That guy was conscious, and he was aiming his gun at Videl! Time seemed to slow down to a stop as Gohan saw him begin to pull the trigger.

Gohan moved on instinct. Dropping Erasa roughly on the ground, he raised his fingers to his head. He had but an instant before the gun went off, too short of a time to reach her all the way across the room in time, but if he didn't do something, Videl could die. He would not let that happen. He wouldn't allow someone he loved die. He couldn't, not again. No matter the cost, he would save her.

He reached her just in time. The instant he materialized in front of Videl, the deafening blast of the gunshot rang out and he felt a sharp pain in his back. He managed to stay standing for a few seconds, long enough to see Videl turn towards him. One look at her face made him know it was worth it. Even now, he could remember the smile on her face that day, the smile that had saved him from himself. He would die a thousand times to protect that smile.

With that thought, he felt his legs buckle and he collapsed onto the floor. Blood was pouring from the wound. He could already see a puddle starting to form around him even as his vision began to darken. Any second now, he would pass out from blood loss.

"Gohan!" he heard Videl scream and felt her throw her arms around him. Despite the pain, Gohan smiled. She was safe. He had protected her. For once, he had been able to save someone he loved. For once, he had done something right. He could die knowing that he had, in part, redeemed himself.

Look, Dad, he thought silently, I saved her, just like you saved me.

A single tear rolled down his cheek as he embraced the darkness, a smile still on his face.

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it. Sorry if there's more typos than usual. I didn't give it as thorough an edit as I usually do. Still, I was pretty happy with this chapter so definitely let me know what you thought. The next chapter will be out tomorrow.

On another note, thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews last chapter. Usually I try to respond individually to each review, but that usually takes a while, so I decided it would be best for me to devote that time to actually writing instead. I did read every one, though. Thank you so much for your support both as I finish this story and as I get ready to go to Japan.

I'll keep it short because I'm exhausted. As of this moment, the epilogue I had been considering is looking very unlikely. The ending will be extended out a bit, though, so there should still be the same number of chapters. I'll let you know more details later when I'm not so dead tired and my brain is functioning properly.