Halcyon Days of High School

by Jrhall2

Following Majin Buu's defeat, Gohan and Videl are reunited at last and decide not to waste any more time. After a dual confession that leaves them both terribly embarrassed, the young couple sets out to enjoy their time together, learn more about each other, and forge their path in life. Where will their love lead them in these peaceful times? (M rating for later chapters).

15. Time to Settle This

Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! And strap in - this is the most dynamic chapter I think I've written for this story yet! I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out and I hope you all have as much fun reading it as I had writing it! It did run a lot longer than I thought it would but I think that's okay too. It's been a little while since I've had a 16K-plus word chapter LOL but I didn't want to shorten any of the scenes; I felt like it ruined the pacing and plot. Otherwise, I don't have a whole lot more to add here or at the end this time; I'll just let the story speak for itself. But realizing the holidays are fully upon us, I figured I'd reassure you all that I'll continue posting as usual! Next week's chapter will still be on Friday and we'll keep going from here all the way till the finale! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy the latest installment! Happy Holidays and have a wonderful weekend!

---

Chapter XV – Time to Settle This

"So, you want me to come over and spar with Videl?"

"If that's okay with you! We'd be happy to come to you or meet you somewhere in the middle, but if you come out to the mountain Mom's already offered to make lunch for everyone." There was a long pause and Gohan grinned; he'd figured food might be just the thing he needed to seal the deal.

"Hmm…Chi-Chi's cooking huh? Okay, you've convinced me; I'm in! Can I bring Eighteen and Marron too?" Gohan grinned as his old friend gave him the answer he'd been hoping for.

"Of course you can, they're always welcome here! Goten would love to see Marron again, I'm sure! And we haven't seen you or Eighteen since Majin Buu."

Krillin chuckled from the other end of the line. "You're right! It's been a long time, hasn't it? Okay, I'll let them know we have some plans on Sunday then!"

"Thanks a lot Krillin, I really appreciate it! You're the best!"

"Hey, it's no big deal! She saved our butts back when we needed to get a hold of Trunks while Goku was holding off Buu. Besides, I miss you guys!"

"We won't train all day; we'll have plenty of time to catch up with each other too!"

"That sounds great! But I'm happy to be the sparring partner Videl needs to get stronger too! I'm excited to see just how far she's come with you teaching her!"

"I think she'll get a lot out of watching how someone else fully human fights. I can teach her a lot but at the end of the day a lot of my problems come down to 'can I transform into a stronger form than my opponent.'" Krillin laughed loudly from the other end of the line.

"You Saiyans sure do push the envelope on that one! But luckily you won't have to worry about that with me; I'd be happy to show Videl what a well-trained human can do!" There was a short pause before Krillin spoke again, his voice accusatory. Gohan could almost imagine his eyes narrowing. "But I swear Gohan, if her hair starts turning gold while we're training…"

Gohan laughed loudly, though he secretly marveled at the thought of his girlfriend transforming the way he did for a quick moment. "I promise she won't surprise you like that!"

"Good!" Krillin laughed, snapping back into his usual jovial tone.

"You can come over any time you want on Sunday, by the way. Maybe after breakfast would be good? I'll have to bring Videl out to Mt. Paozu from Satan City anyway."

"Yeah, that sounds great! We'll make some breakfast at home and by the time we get out to you, you oughta be set too!" Gohan was thrilled that his plan had worked out in the end.

"Perfect! Thanks a lot Krillin, can't wait to see you!"

"Same here, Gohan! See you in a few days!"

---

The remainder of the week practically flew by. Gohan was quite pleased with himself. It had been a random comment from Goku that had placed the idea in his head: "I can't wait to see how quickly Videl becomes the strongest human on Earth!" After the scheme had been hatched, Gohan called up the current strongest human on Earth, his old friend Krillin, and asked him to help Videl spar. Luckily, he had agreed pretty easily. Goten had actually been quite excited too, going so far as to ask if he could invite Trunks over to play with Marron. A few minutes later, he had made a phone call of his own.

Once he had told Videl what he had set up, he was overjoyed by how excited she was at the prospect of sparring with someone a bit more on her level. Gohan sparred with Videl once in a while, but he always had to hold back quite a bit…not to mention he was very hesitant to throw a real punch her way. It just felt too awful to attempt striking his girlfriend like that.

When Sunday morning arrived, Gohan was up with the sun, giddy at the thought of Videl's training for the day. He flew out to Satan City, humming in satisfaction to himself and, after greeting Mr. Satan and Majin Buu, he and Videl returned to the mountain. She was fired up and excited for the chance to really go all out against an opponent who could take it without shrugging her off completely.

Finally, after half an hour of warming up, the telltale sound of a jet copter echoed off the mountainside and Gohan turned his gaze skyward. Sure enough, a large vehicle was descending carefully from the sky and they stepped off to the side to give them space to land. Krillin played with Marron in the passenger seat while Eighteen piloted; she wore a serene smile on her face as she listened to the joyous laughter of her daughter. Setting the jet down with grace and ease, Eighteen and her family jumped out onto the green grass of Mt. Paozu before she returned the giant transport to its capsule.

"Good morning Gohan, Videl," she called to them, sounding as distant as ever. Her warm smile told them she was enjoying herself though, something Gohan was glad for.

"Good morning Eighteen! It's great to see you again," he returned, Videl waving happily from his side.

"Hey Gohan, what's up?" Krillin was grinning enthusiastically, setting Marron down on the ground before ruffling her hair.

"Thanks for coming out, Krillin! I really appreciate it!"

"Of course! It's nice to get away once in a while, right Honey?" he asked, grinning up at his wife. She smirked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you haven't had a good fight in a while, huh?" Krillin chuckled and smiled sheepishly.

"What can I say? I've become so used to fighting people so much stronger than me it's nice to have a sparring partner that won't beat me within an inch of my life!"

Videl laughed from next to Gohan. "You definitely won't have to worry about that; I'm a lot stronger than I used to be but I'm sure you're still in a league of your own compared to me."

"Don't sell yourself short; we all start somewhere!" he called out, his infectious good nature earning a smile from Videl yet again. Gohan was very glad he'd asked Krillin to help with her training; he was such a supportive person that he would never make Videl feel bad about herself, even by accident. And he really could teach her a lot.

"Uh…hey Gohan…you feel that?" Krillin asked suddenly, his eyes widening somewhat. Reaching out with his ki, he pretty effortlessly sensed what his old friend was referring to. Two extraordinarily familiar power levels were closing in on them quickly…only one of whom he'd expected to see today.

"That's uh…that's Vegeta, right?" Krillin managed at last. Gohan nodded.

"Yeah. Goten invited Trunks to come play with he and Marron, but I guess Vegeta decided to come too? Maybe Bulma asked him to drop Trunks off."

A few moments later, they got their answer. Vegeta descended quickly to the ground and, soon after, Trunks landed, carrying Bulma in his arms. She was scowling and looked more than a little ticked off.

"Uh, hey Bulma, hey Vegeta, what brings you two out here? Trunks was coming to play with Goten and Marron, but I didn't expect you'd both come along too," Gohan said, crossing the field towards them with a welcoming smile. Trunks let Bulma down and she rose to her full height, glowering towards Vegeta.

"Trunks mentioned there was sparring going on and Mr. Hothead here just had to come be a part of it!" Krillin instinctively backed up a bit; he had been on the receiving end of Bulma's ire before and rightly wanted to avoid it.

"Uh, well," Gohan began, starting to feel a bit awkward, "this is mostly training for Videl, not for us." Vegeta snorted.

"Kakarot and I can find a different area to train the boys while you're busy," he reasoned in a tone that left no room for compromise.

"Uh…but what about them playing with Marron?" Krillin asked from nearby. Vegeta grinned as if the answer was obvious.

"We won't train all day, of course. After lunch, the boys can rest and relax all they want. That's when Kakarot, Gohan, and I will train!" Immediately, Gohan felt his face fall. Of course that's why Vegeta was here. Personal training.

"Uh, Vegeta? Today wasn't really about my training," he began but Vegeta stared hard at him.

"You've been working with your new transformation for months now; I've felt your power level every morning as you train with Kakarot and your brother. I have to see how I compare to your current strength. I'll make you a deal – spar with me one time and give it everything you've got, then I'll leave you alone for the remainder of the afternoon." Gohan felt Videl watching him, an amused smile on her lips.

"Okay Vegeta, deal," he conceded at last, choosing not to comment on the satisfied smirk that crossed the man's face. "But only once, all right?"

"That's fine; I'll spar with Kakarot the rest of the afternoon then. He'll never turn down a good chance to train, after all."

"Course not!" came the excited voice of Goku as he and Goten ran out of the house. Trunks hurried over to Goten and the two started talking excitedly. Goku strolled over and greeted everyone, a giant grin on his face. What had started out as a relaxed day for training Videl and catching up with old friends had quickly evolved into something much more intense. Gohan couldn't help but sigh.

"Don't worry Darling," Videl comforted him, placing a hand on his arm. "All you have to do is fight Vegeta like you fought your dad back in June one time and then we'll spend the rest of the day together! Besides, I'd love to see that fight!" He couldn't help but smile at her kindness and support.

"Thanks 'Del, you're right. I'll give you a show that'll make you proud!"

"I'm always proud of you," she assured him.

"Oh, you two are just adorable!" Krillin teased, walking closer to them and grinning deviously. Gohan blushed but Videl simply smiled.

"Thanks!" she sang, her eyes shimmering.

"Man, you aren't as fun to mess with as Gohan is," Krillin jabbed, laughing.

"Hey Bulma," Goku's voice echoed out, cutting through the attention of the entire group. "How come Trunks was flying you here?" he asked, a lopsided grin on his face. Krillin grimaced and turned his head away from the sight before Bulma huffed and pointed sternly at her husband.

"Casanova over here said we'd make better time if we flew instead of taking the jet but then refused to carry me!" Vegeta scoffed.

"I told you already; it was a training exercise for the boy! He's not used to flying while encumbered."

"Uh," Trunks's hesitant voice began, "it's…pretty easy to carry Mom while I fly…"

"Shh," came Marron's sudden warning. Gohan stifled a laugh; even she knew that was the wrong thing to say.

"Well, whatever," Bulma spat, glowering at her husband still. "Goku, is Chi-Chi inside? I've had about enough of this muscle-bound stubbornness already!"

"Yeah, she's still in there! You're welcome to go in and make yourself at home!"

"Thanks," she sighed before setting her sights across the clearing. "Eighteen, you coming too?" She considered the offer for several moments.

"Sure, I suspect things will get out of hand here pretty soon." With that, the two women strolled into the Son household where Gohan heard his mother happily greet them. He knew she had enjoyed having Videl around lately and, even though she hadn't said it out loud, she was thrilled to have the other women here for an afternoon.

'It must be real exhausting for her to live with three men…much less three Saiyans…'

"All right Kakarot," Vegeta called out, "why don't we find some space and train with the boys?"

"In a little bit!"

"What?"

"Don't worry Vegeta; we'll get some training in with the boys and just us. But I sorta promised Chi-Chi I'd do the dishes today so she could catch up with Bulma once I sensed you all coming. She does them every other day and I feel bad going back on my word now." Vegeta huffed indignantly.

"You are unbelievable Kakarot; when did you become such a family man?"

"Hey, I've been dead a long time! I probably owe her a lot more than just this!"

"Fine; go attend to your domestic duties and we'll begin our training later."

"Does that mean we can go play with Marron?" Goten called out, grinning.

"Yeah, you kids go have fun!" Goku told him with a wink and a thumbs up.

"Yay! Come on Trunks, Marron, let's go!" With that, the three kids ran off into the forest nearby, Krillin calling after Marron to be careful.

"Well," Gohan began, "now that that's all figured out, how about we get started too?" Videl grinned and nodded.

"I'd love to! I'm ready whenever you are, Krillin!" The shorter man rolled his shoulders and threw a few practice punches.

"Sure thing! I'm feeling good today; hopefully I'll be a decent training partner!"

"I'm sure I'll learn a lot from you!" Gohan smiled and spoke once more.

"I figure I'll just kinda keep watch and let you two go at it. If there's any advice I can give you 'Del, I'll just call it out to you when you hit a break in the sparring, if that's okay." She nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

"That sounds great! I feel like I'll really get the most out of this with you analyzing and Krillin pushing me!"

"Oh, and neither of you have to worry about holding back too much; Dad and I went to Korrin's yesterday and he gave me a bunch of Senzu Beans, so we're totally fine!"

Giving him confident nods, Videl and Krillin started walking towards a more open part of the clearing in front of the Son household. Gohan felt a familiar presence stop beside him and glanced to his right, his eyes falling on Vegeta.

"You don't want to hang out inside too?" he asked with a slight grin. Vegeta grimaced.

"I'd sooner play tag with the children than help your father do dishes. How many has he broken in the past?" Gohan laughed, surprised by Vegeta's levity.

"More than Mom wishes he had, but not as many as you might think!"

"Shocking."

"Videl mentioned you'd given her some advice in the past; she might appreciate your eyes on this match too," he suggested, trying to fight down a grin. Vegeta nodded curtly.

"It's not like I have anything better to do; I'll watch for now and see what I notice." Vegeta seemed to have taken somewhat of an interest in Videl's training, after all.

"Thanks Vegeta, I really appreciate it too!"

"Hmph."

---

Videl threw a few practice punches to make sure she was nice and limber, feeling her heart rate quicken as she stared down Krillin. Gohan and Vegeta, both of whom were watching, had each described him as the strongest human on Earth on multiple occasions and she was eager (and a bit anxious) to see how she compared to him. Krillin made sure he was ready to go too before planting his feet and grinning at her.

"You can't throw your own ki blasts just yet, right?" he called out. She nodded and resisted the urge to frown. The more time went by that she didn't manage to generate a real blast of her own, the more frustrated she became. For now, though, she simply called back across the clearing to him.

"No, but I can block and deflect them now."

"That's awesome! Let's fight without 'em to start, though; Gohan said you two have been fighting those weird guys who can throw artificial ki attacks, so I want to give you a chance to go toe to toe up close with me in a more traditional match, without all the flashy light shows!" She grinned and lowered herself into a combat stance.

"That sounds great to me! I'm ready when you are!"

"Gohan, wanna do the honors?"

"Sure! 3! 2! 1! Begin!"

Krillin blasted off with incredible speed that caught Videl off guard for a moment. She was used to seeing the impossible speeds Gohan and his family moved at but being on the receiving end of it was another issue entirely. And Krillin wasn't even as fast as they were. She threw her arms up in a block and took a flurry of light punches from Krillin, sliding back through the grass before centering her mind and focusing on the battle before her.

When she raised her ki, she had actually been able to follow Gohan's fight with Goku a few months back. Couldn't she do the same here? She drew on her energy and felt the familiar warmth of her ki well up within her. The next time Krillin shot forward, she was able to keep up with his movements.

The shorter man let fly a kick that was coming from her left. She raised her arm to block it and threw a punch of her own towards him. His eyes widening, Krillin blasted off in reverse, dodging the strike. Videl clicked her tongue and grinned. He was good. She wouldn't be able to use her normal tactics of turning the opponent's power against them; Krillin was both stronger and faster than she was. She'd have to get creative with her strategies.

"I figured you'd adjust pretty fast to that little maneuver," Krillin called out, smiling. "I saw you fight in the tournament; you've got great fundamentals! Probably better than a lot of us, honestly! So let's make it a bit more challenging, huh?" Videl's eyes flashed and she grinned in determination.

"Sure! What'd you have in mind?"

"How comfortable are you at fighting while airborne?"

"It's not completely foreign to me but I'm not that great at it, honestly. I haven't really done it that much."

"Sounds like a good time to practice then! You've been flying since before we met; you've gotta be pretty comfortable with it, yeah?"

"Yeah, it's very natural now! Let's try it!"

She grinned at Gohan, who wore a look of pride mixed with nervousness, before she shot up into the sky, Krillin following suit. Once they were in position, she took a deep breath and set her sights on her target…who promptly bolted forward and threw a volley of kicks at her.

Videl blocked them all but felt herself lagging behind his speed. She definitely wasn't used to fighting someone faster than she was. She had to turn the tables quickly. How? He was so focused on offense right now that if she took him by surprise maybe she could break his guard. She waited for him to overcommit to a kick before repelling him, causing him to fall backwards in surprise. As she closed in for a counterattack, he dropped straight down, evading her entirely and smirking triumphantly as he righted himself again.

"One of the advantages of flying during a fight is that you can move up and down at will too! Suddenly there are a lot more evasive options open to you!" She nodded, a half-smile on her face.

"That's some great advice! And that was a pretty slick dodge; I'm already learning a lot!"

"Mind if I add something?" Gohan called up. Videl nodded and gazed at him expectantly.

"Try pushing the tempo a bit 'Del! You're falling into the same trap I did when I fought Dad a few months ago; Krillin's dictating the pace of the match and you're reacting to his tempo instead of being proactive!"

"That's a good point; thanks! I'll give it a try!"

"Got anything to add Vegeta?" Krillin called out, grinning widely at the Saiyan Prince. He was silent for a long moment before he raised his eyes and met Videl's directly. She hadn't felt his piercing gaze since she asked him about Majin Buu and her nightmares.

"You're overthinking," he stated simply. She was a little surprised; she was thinking pretty actively, but he could tell from her movements alone? His gruff voice called out again. "You have the battle senses of a warrior, but your brain is muddying your reflexes. It's good to keep your mind sharp and focused, but you don't want to rely so heavily on it that you neglect your fighting instincts. Trust your abilities and your training more; they'll serve you well when caught off guard and give you a chance to form a plan of attack."

"Got it, I'll do that," she called down to the ground, nodding firmly. She swore she saw a tiny smirk cross his lips but decided to dwell on it later. She had a sparring session with Krillin to continue.

"You know, it's not every day Vegeta gives training advice to someone; he must've really taken a liking to your style!" Videl smiled, genuinely pleased by that.

"I appreciate the help everyone's been giving me; I really do feel like it's making me into a totally different fighter!"

"Well let's keep pushing the envelope then! You ready?"

"Yep! Bring it on!"

This time, Videl blasted off towards Krillin the same way he did, meeting him halfway and letting herself fight a bit more aggressively. She threw a few punches of her own that he deftly blocked with open palms before diving and arcing upwards until he was behind her.

'Trust your abilities and your training more.'

Videl closed her eyes and let the ki beneath her disperse, plummeting towards the ground. She felt her stomach lurch but stayed calm. Spinning in midair, she turned herself upwards, locking onto Krillin and catching the wind around her, slowing her descent before launching upwards towards him as fast as she could. Krillin was grinning widely.

"That's it! Let's get some more room!"

Before she reached him, he rocketed straight upwards and Videl followed. He never went too far from the ground but the height he settled at was greater than she was usually comfortable with. But she was so fueled by adrenaline she neither hesitated nor cared this time.

"You've gotten way faster!" he called to her.

"Thanks!" she answered loudly, darting around him as he tossed a punch towards her.

The two threw volley after volley of rapid punches at each other. Vaguely, Videl was aware of the fact that she was moving much faster than she had been capable of even three months prior. Krillin was still edging her out in terms of speed, but she was closer to matching him. Their punches glanced off of each other, less painful than she'd expected thanks to her increased ki.

As she kept up the stalemate, relying on her instincts, she put Vegeta's other advice into practice – use the time to formulate a plan of attack. She threw a kick at Krillin which he, unsurprisingly, blocked with a quick swing of his forearm, but that was the opening she'd hoped for. Videl threw a punch into the space he'd left and felt her balled fist connect with his cheek. There was a bit more strength behind it than she'd meant for there to be and Krillin went sailing backwards before he snapped to a stop, righting himself and grinning over to her.

"That was a heck of a punch! Nice moves!"

"I'm sorry I hit you so hard! I didn't realize I was getting so carried away!"

"Ah, don't worry; I've been through a lot worse in my life! Besides, nothing a Senzu can't patch up in the end! In fact, come at me with everything you've got!" She was surprised by his willingness to take a full-powered punch from her and just encourage her to do it again. Most of her old sparring partners had been far less serious outside of tournaments or competitions.

"This is how you all train, huh?" she pondered aloud. Krillin just laughed good-naturedly.

"Yep! We're all about as stubborn as brick walls…sometimes as smart as 'em too. But you get some real good training done when you really come at each other without holding back!" Videl laughed at last.

"I think I'm starting to understand why; it's hard to get anything out of these powers if you're holding back the entire time you're using them."

"Exactly! So whaddya say we step it up a bit?" She smirked and raised an eyebrow.

"What'd you have in mind?" Krillin kept grinning towards her.

"I know you can't shoot ki blasts at me, but you can block them! So try getting to me while I'm firing at you! No discs or beams or anything; those are a bit different to block than a simple blast. But this way we can simulate what it'd be like if you ever fought someone who could actually control this power." Videl nodded immediately.

"That sounds so useful, I'd love to take you up on that."

"All right then! How about this? Whoever knocks the other one to the ground first wins!"

"Deal!"

Gohan watched as Videl darted between Krillin's blasts and closed the gap between them, forcing him into close quarters combat with her again before he made some space and tried shooting at her again. She blocked and deflected the blasts deftly before using the open sky around them to close the distance again. She was already changing tactics faster than he had during his fight with Dad.

"She's really something isn't she?" Gohan murmured without realizing it. Vegeta scoffed next to him.

"She hesitates too much. And she's fighting without a complete set of abilities. She can't generate her own ki blasts which leaves her at a disadvantage when fighting an opponent like Krillin. Not to mention the fact that one good beam attack would end this before she ever closed the distance between them again…but yes, her progress is quite remarkable, especially given the timeframe. And she's applied the advice we both gave her expertly; that speaks to her brilliance as a tactician and a warrior." Gohan grinned next to the man.

"Wow Vegeta, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were actually impressed!" came the playful voice of Goku. He was strolling across the clearing, gazing up at the battle raging on in the sky. Vegeta scowled but never looked away.

"Shut up, Kakarot! If you hadn't run off to play house, we'd already be training right now!" Gohan stifled a laugh; he hadn't seen his dad and Vegeta together for months. It was, as usual, pretty amusing.

"Sorry Vegeta! I'm all done now though! We can go grab the kids whenever you like!"

"We'll track them down after this."

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"What is?"

"You're so invested in helping Videl that you're willing to postpone your own training, even for just a few minutes! I'm impressed!" Vegeta tensed up noticeably next to Gohan.

"I swear, you are insufferable."

"Hey Gohan, heads up!" called Krillin from high above. Gazing skyward again, he saw Videl falling towards the ground pretty quickly. Nodding up at Krillin, he leaped into the air and caught her out of the sky, easing them to the ground once more. Videl opened her eyes, evidently having braced for impact.

"But…Krillin won. I should've hit the ground just then; that was our deal."

"He called it out to me…not that I wouldn't have caught you anyway. Besides," he set her down gently, her feet landing firmly on the ground again, "now you hit the ground just like you should've." Videl smiled and gazed up at him warmly.

"Thank you, Sweetheart."

"Always, Love. I'll never let you crash like that on my watch."

"You should be prepared to be driven into a mountainside during a real fight," Vegeta called out, folding his arms and closing his eyes. "You did her a disservice by sparing her the aftermath of that match." Gohan rolled his eyes and grinned before turning away from Videl and facing the Prince.

"Come on, Vegeta; this is just training. She's here to get stronger, not more durable."

"You're too soft to be a teacher; my instructors back on Planet Vegeta would sooner have planted me into the dirt like a Saibaman than break a fall for me."

"Ah lighten up Vegeta," Goku chided with an enormous grin. "You'd have done the same if it was Bulma falling, wouldn't you?" Vegeta's eyes shot open and he reddened slightly, but kept his scowl firmly in place, rounding on his longtime rival.

"That's completely different! She's not a fighter! Of course I'd catch her!"

"Yeah, but even if she was a fighter, are you really telling me you'd let her make a crater on the lawn just to prove a point?" Vegeta stared daggers at Goku.

"Of course not, you idiot!" he spat before turning away and grumbling to himself.

"Nice job up there Videl," came Krillin's voice as he touched down gently on the ground again, his winning smile plastered to his face. Videl grinned back at him.

"Thanks Krillin! You're amazing! I learned more with every move you made!"

"Ah you're just saying that," he waved her off, laughing lightly as his face reddened.

"What do you say we rest up for a few minutes and go for round two?" she asked, her eyes burning with that competitive fire Gohan adored so much. Krillin looked a little surprised though.

"Uh, you wanna do more? Right now?"

"Absolutely! Vegeta had a great point just now – using this to simulate real fighting is a good idea. And in a real fight, we'd keep going until one of us beat the other!" Krillin looked at Gohan in disbelief.

"Dear God, you're dating the female version of Goku…" The three of them began laughing together at once.

"Hee hee, wouldn't that be fun!" Goku's delighted voice interrupted. "Hey Videl, if you ever turn into a Super Saiyan, let me know! We can train together!"

"Sure thing!" she called out, grinning.

"You have a lot of training to do with me before that, Kakarot!" Vegeta had recovered and now eyed Goku fiercely.

"Sure, I promised you we'd train today after all! I'm just saying someday, that's all!"

"There are already four more Super Saiyans than there were ever meant to be; if she becomes one too, I'm gonna need a psychiatric evaluation…" Krillin mumbled to Gohan. Unable to help himself, Gohan broke down in a fit of laughter.

---

The rest of the day went on filled with excitement and energy. Videl and Krillin sparred for hours until lunchtime while Goku and Vegeta took Goten and Trunks and did the same somewhere else on the mountain. Gohan was extremely proud of Videl; she was learning and adjusting quickly. Krillin was an excellent teacher for Videl since their speed was so similar. Though she usually stuck to her preferred style in most settings, it was very interesting to see her be on the offensive a bit more. She was clearly having a lot of fun with her new abilities as well.

Once the boys were busy, Eighteen had taken Marron and returned to the lawn and watched her husband's sparring sessions alongside Gohan. Marron loved to watch her father in action and she was delighted the entire time, laughing and giggling joyfully. Gohan felt the same way as the young girl when he watched Videl but he had to keep up some manner of dignity with Eighteen standing right beside him. For as reticent as she usually was, the two had a nice conversation about Videl's progress and Krillin's ability as an instructor.

Lunch was amazing; alongside Chi-Chi, Bulma had given her a hand and the two had prepared the kind of gourmet spread that rivaled the feasts Mr. Satan had described from the times he had been a guest at the Palace. With five Saiyans, it was almost necessary. Everyone enjoyed the meal, of course, and soon the training began anew.

True to his word, Gohan gave Vegeta a serious match, using his Super Saiyan Mystic form against Vegeta's Super Saiyan 2. They had an intense battle; Vegeta managed to pull so much power out of his form that Gohan was surprised he hadn't managed a Super Saiyan 3 transformation of his own yet. But in the end, he managed to emerge victorious against the Saiyan Prince thanks to his new form and training over the summer. He half-expected Vegeta to be angry about it, but he shot a frustrated grin at him and commended him on the new heights he'd reached.

"This is the second time you've surpassed me. I'd expect nothing less from the man who killed Cell all those years ago."

Unwilling to be left in the dust though, Vegeta and Goku trained for the remainder of the afternoon while everyone else relaxed. Goten, Trunks, and Marron roped Gohan, Videl, and Krillin into a game of tag that was a ridiculous amount of fun. When Marron was it, everyone made it a point to give her a fighting chance at catching them. Well, everyone except Goten. He climbed the side of a cliff like a little monkey when she had cornered him and Marron yelled at him for cheating. When Gohan had agreed and told his little brother to play fair with her, he had stuck to the ground like a good sport. But Marron had made it her personal mission to run Goten down and tag him after that, ignoring everyone else but her target. After twenty long minutes, she finally managed to catch him, much to her delight.

The end of the day saw he and Videl chatting with Eighteen and Bulma about everything that had been going on concerning the Black Gloves. While Eighteen was only marginally concerned about the group knowing of Saiyans, she was quite interested in the fact that their boss had developed ki technology that surpassed what even Bulma had believed possible.

"I'd say there's a good chance their leader is someone who studied with or learned from Dr. Gero," she proposed. "He was the one who created the infinite ki module that my brother and I were outfitted with; he had a pretty extensive background in researching that field."

Bulma nodded. "I thought the same thing. At least we know it can't actually be him. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was a pupil of his or something. Do you know if he had anyone like that?"

"Unfortunately, no. He kept his personal life a mystery to his creations. And I never cared enough to try finding out. But at the end of the day, even one of his students is nothing for you to worry about. Ultimately, Gero was always a failure and any follower of his will only amount to the same."

Bulma continued, airing some theories of her own. "I do find it quite interesting that they managed to make two of those Ki Suppressors this time around, especially when Giju reported that no other transmitters have gone missing. They must have figured out a way to reverse engineer them." Gohan had a sudden realization and his eyes widened in shock.

"Wait! I destroyed the two machines at the bank last week! Did I destroy the transmitter you were using to track them?" He hadn't even considered that. Bulma just grinned at him.

"I don't think so; its GPS location is still being broadcast to my computer! But even if you had, it's been stationary for long enough that I pinpointed where I think their base might be already." Videl spoke next, curiosity purveying her gaze.

"If we know where they are, why not just hit them when they don't expect it? Couldn't we put an end to all this right now?"

"We could probably do that, especially if they were dumb enough to take my transmitter right to their lab," Bulma conceded. "But honestly, I wanted to ask you two a favor before we do."

"Sure Bulma, what's up?"

"Would it be possible for you to bring back one of those new Ki Suppressors? I want to make sure their boss hasn't managed to surpass my countermeasures. If he had, you won't really notice it at first since you have so many Barrier devices on your suits, but I'm still a bit anxious about it. And I'm also curious how he went about replicating my transmitter. We use a specialized synthetic material that we make in-house at Capsule Corp., so the fact that he managed to duplicate it is really impressive to me. And maybe cause for some concern. I can't be sure just yet though."

"Yeah, we can do that for you, no problem. Whatever design modification he might've made didn't affect us last time so I think that's pretty safe to do," Gohan agreed. Videl nodded confidently from beside him and Bulma smiled, thanking them.

"But I do think after you grab one, we can hit their base. At that point, we'll have nothing left to gain from the Black Gloves. Oh! That's right! I figured out basically how those gloves work!"

"We knew you would!" Videl sang, grinning at her. Bulma adopted a proud stance for a moment before continuing on.

"It's pretty much what we theorized – the gloves connect to the user's hand through these small metal appendages that interface with their biological body directly. It forces their ki energy to coalesce in the palm and gives them the ability to fire a ki attack. That's why they can only use one at a time; the gloves have to amass ki from their untrained bodies again from scratch after one blast."

"That makes sense," Videl agreed. "But how come Juzai was able to use them so effectively then? He fired tons of blasts at me back to back."

"That's what I can't figure out still," Bulma conceded, frowning. "I suppose it's possible that he might have had some kind of resonance with the artificial gloves. Maybe he'd trained enough that the gloves didn't have to work so hard to draw his ki out, similar to the place you were at when you learned to fly, Videl. He just never put in the effort to learn how to do it properly and used those gloves as a shortcut. That's my theory, for now."

"I can't shake the feeling that he knew more than he let on," Gohan murmured, remember the large man that had spoken so directly about what his boss did and didn't want. "It was just a feeling…but he seemed more important than the others."

"Well, he's nothing to worry about now," Videl reassured him, placing a hand on his forearm. He broke from his daze and smiled at her, nodding at last.

"You're right. We'll grab Bulma one of their new Ki Suppressors and put an end to all this. Satan City will be a lot calmer without those guys running around and shooting ki blasts at the police."

A short time later, the day came to an end. Eighteen called for Marron, knowing they had a few hours before they got home. Krillin, who had been chatting with Chi-Chi as they watched the kids, collected his daughter and they all returned to the lawn of the Son household. The sounds of Goku and Vegeta training nearby came to a fairly abrupt end and the two Saiyans reappeared.

"I figured you might be leaving, I felt everyone grouping up again," Goku explained, grinning like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Yeah, we have a pretty long flight home," Krillin told him. "But thanks for having us today, everyone! It was great to see you all!"

"Thank you for helping me train today," Videl told him, offering a thankful smile. "I got so much out of it!" Krillin just grinned at her.

"Any time! You've gotten so much stronger since May; let's do this again soon!"

"I'd love to! Next time we'll come out to you, though; that's only fair."

"We'd be happy to have you," Eighteen interjected, a serene smile on her lips.

"We should probably head home ourselves," Bulma added, glancing at Vegeta and Trunks. "I have a bit of work I need to get done tonight."

"Yeah, I'm pretty worn out too," Trunks agreed. Vegeta nodded curtly, his only signal that he agreed.

"In that case, why don't you carry me home, Vegeta?" Bulma shot at him, raising an eyebrow and grinning. Vegeta sputtered for a moment. He really wasn't good at handling things like this in mixed company.

"W-why me!?"

"You heard Trunks; you exhausted him with all your training today! Besides, it'll be a nice way for you to warm down, right?" She was really laying it on thick and though everyone wore subtle grins, nobody dared laugh at the situation lest they set the Saiyan Prince off.

"Fine! Come here!" His face was extremely red now.

Bulma strolled over to her husband with a satisfied smirk on her face as he rounded on Goku. "Kakarot, our training will continue another day."

"I'll look forward to it Vegeta!"

"Now let's go," he said at once, scooping Bulma unceremoniously into his arms. She yelped in surprise as her feet suddenly left the ground but relaxed again once his strong arms had a good grip on her.

"Bye everyone, it was great to see y-" but she was interrupted as Vegeta shot off into the sky, his wife shouting his name in surprise and anger. Her voice rapidly faded into the distance as everyone else finally broke down and laughed. Trunks scratched the side of his head awkwardly.

"Well, uh…I should probably go after them. Thanks for having us! See you later Goten, bye everyone!" They all waved after the young Saiyan as he too disappeared towards the horizon. A moment later, Krillin shook his head and chuckled.

"That Vegeta…he doesn't have a romantic bone in his body, does he?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Videl smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. Krillin's eyes lit up immediately.

"Ooh, wait! Do you know something I don't?"

"I know Bulma convinced him to go on a date with her a few months back," she sang, earning amused looks from everyone.

"Wow, I never would've guessed! Good for her! But, uh…I think it goes without saying," Krillin paused, gazing deliberately at everyone in the group, "that we never tell Vegeta we know that. I'd like to live a long, happy life, thank you very much." Everyone laughed together again, even Goten and Marron, though they didn't truly understand what everyone was laughing for.

Finally, Krillin, Eighteen, and Marron got back onto their jet copter and took off, everyone waving up into the sky as the young family of three flew away. Gohan felt Videl take his hand and squeeze gently.

"Thank you for setting this up today, Darling. It was so very sweet of you and I learned so much!"

"Good, I'm so happy! I really wanted you to get a chance to go all out today."

"Well, I definitely did! I feel even stronger than before!"

"I'll say! You were amazing out there!" Goku interjected, grinning widely. "Told you all it would take is some hard work!"

"All right you three," Chi-Chi chided with a grin, "you've been training all day! Let's talk about something else, like what's for dinner!"

"Ooh! Dinner! I love dinner!" Goten cried, leaping into the air and grinning widely.

The five of them laughed merrily again as they walked slowly back into the Son household. It had been a long day but Gohan wouldn't have asked for it to play out any differently, especially not after having seen Videl's dazzling smile all day long. That was the most wonderful reward he could possibly have.

---

Another two weeks passed quickly and Videl, surprisingly, found herself eagerly awaiting November. It was only a few weeks away now and then they'd be able to wish the memory of Majin Buu away for the public at large. She was surprised by how much she was looking forward to the idea of showing him around Satan City. Back in May, she had never believed she'd want anything at all to do with him, yet here she was, making lists in her head of the best restaurants and food stands to take the pink giant to.

She and Gohan had brought up another point they had to address before then: Sharpner and Erasa. Was it really okay to let the Dragon erase their memories? Most of the bonding they'd done in the last several months was, strangely, thanks to Buu. They had learned to accept Gohan for who he was and what he was capable of because of what they'd seen and survived in May. They hadn't batted an eye when she'd told them that Papa was their savior in name alone. And they were continually curious to know more about the strange world Videl had found herself brought into by Gohan. Maybe there was a path forward that didn't involve leaving them out but instead letting them in entirely. That was more up to Gohan than her, though.

They decided to test the waters. Gohan wanted to offer them a tiny bit of information about himself and see if they were okay with it. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, he had assured her. It was staggering to some people to be confronted by the truth of the world and he didn't want to overwhelm or push them away. Videl agreed with his reasoning and plan and the stage was set to bring Erasa and Sharpner a little closer to the truth.

And so, one Tuesday as they were sitting in class, Videl watched the clock, anxiously awaiting the bell signaling the end of the morning block. At lunchtime, they would put their plan into action. Gohan would tell them about the Dragonballs and what their plan was with regards to the memory of Majin Buu, to start. If they took the idea of a magical, wish granting dragon well enough, then they wanted to offer to let them in completely. On everything. The fact that Gohan was part alien. The fact that Buu was still alive and stayed in Videl's home. But only if that's what they really wanted.

It seemed it would take a little longer to get to lunch than anticipated, though. About thirty minutes before the end of class, an alarm started ringing throughout the school. The teacher stopped midsentence and rolled his eyes. "There's not supposed to be any drill today. Someone must've pulled the fire alarm again."

He placed his notebook down on the desk and started heading towards the door to see if there was a commotion outside but, before he even made it three steps, the PA system crackled to life and a woman's voice shouted into it, loud and panicked.

"Teachers, lock down your classrooms immediately! This is not a drill! The campus is under attack!"

Several gasps resonated throughout the room and Videl turned quickly to Gohan, her heart suddenly hammering in her chest. What was happening? Who would attack Orange Star?

"Let's barricade the door, quickly," Sharpner's loud voice rang out, earning a few timid agreements. He, Gohan, and Videl leaped from their seats and hurried to the front of the room, seizing any object that might help bar the entrance. Slowly, a few others came to join in their efforts and a barricade quickly started to take shape. Gohan, forgetting that he was in a room of his peers for a moment, moved the teacher's desk effortlessly in front of the door by himself. Nobody seemed to notice though; they were all too nervous from the announcement.

"Okay, everyone else, try to remain calm," their teacher called out. Videl had to admit he was doing an admirable job staying collected in the face of unknown danger. Her classmates, however, were not.

"Are…are we gonna die?" one girl managed to squeak.

"I'm too young to die!"

"We've gotta get out of here!"

"What the hell are we supposed to do!?"

"Hey!" Videl shouted, walking to the center of the room and gazing at everyone with steely eyes. All of her classmates fell silent and she took a calming breath and relaxed a bit. "You're not going to die. I know you're all scared right now, but just try to breath and stay as calm as you can."

"H-how do you know that?" one girl called out timidly. She offered them a smile and a thumbs up.

"Have you all forgotten who I am? I'm the daughter of Mr. Satan! I'm not going to let anything happen to my friends and classmates, no matter what!" A soft murmur rippled through the classroom as several sighs of relief sounded audibly.

"That's right, Videl's here."

"Yeah! I can't believe I forgot about that!"

"We'll be okay as long as she's protecting us."

"We should trust her. She's saved so many people; she'll make sure we're okay too!"

Several faces lit up with half-smiles as the tension in the room slowly started to shrink again. Gohan approached her and leaned in close. "You're amazing 'Del, way to calm everyone down!" he whispered. She grinned at him.

"I haven't had to use the 'Mr. Satan's daughter' line in a while, but this is the perfect place for it," she whispered back. Their teacher approached as well and spoke quietly to them.

"Thank you for your help, Videl. Calmness in the face of a crisis is the only way we can make rational decisions."

"Agreed," Sharpner spoke, appearing at their sides as well. The rest of the students that had helped barricade the door had returned to their seats. They had done a decent job, all things considered. It wouldn't hold up against heavy firepower, but it would keep the usual street thugs at bay for a while, certainly enough time for Kaneki and the police to arrive.

"Hey, don't you think it's strange that we haven't-" but she was interrupted as a deafening explosion rocked the room.

It felt as if a bomb had gone off. The barricade they'd just finished was sent exploding outward from the door. Shrieks and screams filled the classroom as everyone ducked for cover, causing Videl's ears to ring even more violently than the detonation just moments before had. She could barely even react before she was wrapped up in Gohan's arms, his back shielding her from the careening debris. Vaguely, she was aware that Sharpner had tackled the teacher to the ground, pulling him underneath the front row of desks. The sound of splintering wood sounded as a chair shattered against Gohan's broad back. She wanted to ask if he was okay, but she knew that was silly. Of course he was. She was more anxious about what was happening.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed as three people entered the room, standing by the doorway. Convinced there were no more errant pieces of the blockade flying around, Gohan released her and turned to face the source of the blast, placing his body between her and their assailants. Sharpner crawled out from under the desk and rose to his feet, eyeing the smoke darkly.

When, finally, the fog had cleared, Videl felt her heart rate spike again. The three men all wore familiar gloves on their hands. One of them still had their arm raised, standing in the hallway. They had used that artificial ki to blast through the blocked door. The Black Gloves were the ones attacking Orange Star High School.

"Okay, nobody make any funny moves and nobody gets hurt." One of the men spoke, a larger one who almost rivaled Juzai in size alone. Videl wondered if he rivaled him in his skill as well.

"What the hell are you three doing up here?" another demanded, eyeing she, Gohan, and Sharpner. Sharpner glowered at them.

"We were building the barrier you just destroyed."

"Sorry about that. If it's any consolation, you were wasting your time from the start," he taunted, grinning. Sharpner was about to retort when Videl seized his wrist and shook her head subtly. If he set them off, there was no telling what they'd do. They were probably here to find she and Gohan. And if the Black Gloves had become desperate enough to attack their school in an effort to find them, that meant their backs were to the wall. They could be capable of anything right now…

The third man, still in the hallway, spoke to the other two. "I'm gonna go help the other groups get in position. You two watch this room and don't let anyone get away. We can't mess this one up."

"Got it," the first man spoke. With only two attackers left in the classroom, Videl weighed her options. They could probably take them down right now. But that meant putting their classmates in danger. If even one ki blast went in the wrong direction, it could seriously injure someone innocent…or worse, kill them…

"Okay, you three get back to your seats. Just cooperate with us and this'll all be over before you know it. Nobody has to get hurt." Videl gnashed her teeth but tugged at Sharpner's wrist. He reluctantly followed her, but Gohan only turned his back to the Black Gloves once Videl and Sharpner were safely behind him. Arriving back in their row, they took their usual seats and Erasa clung to Sharpner hard, her eyes wide in terror.

"Now, here's the deal," the man called out to the room, after he had retrieved their teacher from underneath the desk and told him to sit at the side of the room. "My name's Toji and this is Mino. For the next couple hours, we're your chaperones. See, we're looking for the Great Saiyaman and his partner and we've got reason to believe they're somewhere in this school."

Videl felt her heart sink. She wasn't scared of being discovered; she was scared that the entire school had fallen victim to these monsters. She and Gohan would be fine, but everyone else was in very real danger. They couldn't be too aggressive or overextend themselves lest they risk innocent lives. And not just any innocent lives – the lives of their friends and classmates. People she'd known since elementary school. People who didn't deserve to be caught up in this mess. People she had unintentionally put in danger.

"So just sit tight for a while. We have a special device that's making the rounds to each classroom as we speak. It'll tell us if anyone in the room is Saiyaman or not. And if none of you are, then you've got nothing to worry about. We'll stay here and watch you till we've swept the whole school, then we'll leave and you'll all be free to go home. Just don't do anything stupid and we'll all get outta here alive and in one piece. Got it?"

There were some timid nods but nobody spoke a word. Toji nodded curtly. "Good. Now get comfy. We've only got one of these things and it might take a while."

Videl reached out and took Gohan's hand under the desk, squeezing tightly. He squeezed back. He knew exactly what she did – the device they were bringing was the Ki Suppressor. If they used the different settings and nobody in the room reacted, then none of them were Saiyaman No. 1 or No. 2. But if someone was frozen or paralyzed, if someone fell to their knees, if anyone couldn't stand up or move, then they had their answer. And the problem was…it might actually work.

Bulma's Ki Barrier devices were sewn into the Saiyaman suits directly. They only had one in their watches. If the Ki Suppressor was turned on their classroom, they would absolutely succumb to it. Or they'd have to reveal their identities before it happened. Would Toji and Mino attack recklessly if they did that? Sure, she and Gohan were much faster in theory, but Juzai had surprised them. What if one of these two resonated with the artificial ki as well? Toji looked like he might be able to. And they couldn't fully protect an entire room of people, even if Gohan used his Super Saiyan Mystic form.

"Okay, we're gonna come around and check everyone's bags. Just gotta make sure nobody has anything they can use to get the jump on us, you know?" Mino suddenly announced. At his direction, everyone lifted their bags and placed them on the desks in front of them before the two men started going around the room, looking inside them, starting from the front row. Videl took the opportunity to lean close to Gohan while they were distracted.

"They've got us pinned," she whispered, livid and terrified of the whole situation. She would not be the reason her friends got hurt.

"I know. We can't counteract the Suppressor if we can't transform," he hissed under his breath. He was shaking lightly too. He was just as scared and upset as she was.

"What do we do?"

"…I don't know yet. We've got some time to figure it out; I can sense someone moving between the classrooms right now. They're a pretty long way from us so I don't think the machine will be here any time soon. But we have to figure out what to do before it's too late…"

"Why don't we just tell them who we are? If they get us, they'll leave everyone else alone, right?" she whispered, grimacing. It wasn't the most ideal choice, but if it would save everyone else…

"Don't even think about it," Erasa hissed at her. Glancing over in surprise she saw her best friend staring hard at her. "I know you can handle them. But if they find out who you are, that puts your families in danger! If they know your identities, nobody around you is safe from them anymore."

Videl felt a cold shiver pass through her body. 'Rase was right. She wasn't worried for Papa; he had Majin Buu living in the house with him at all hours of the day and night anyway. Gohan's family was safe too – even if he wasn't there, Goku was. Even Goten would be more than enough for these buffoons. No, what scared her half to death was the idea of Erasa and Sharpner being in their sights. Their two best friends in the world. It was no secret that they were close. And if the Black Gloves found out she and Gohan were the Saiya Squad, they could use their friends against them…

"You're right," she agreed, trying not to let her nerves show on her face. Gohan could feel her hand trembling hard and held it firmly.

"We'll figure something out," he promised her.

A few minutes later, Toji made his way to their row, glancing in Videl's bag and finding nothing of note. He rifled through Gohan's briefly before he found the small bag of Senzu Beans he usually carried with him.

"Hey Mino, I found some snacks," he called out, bouncing the bag in his hand. "You don't mind if I take these, right?" he asked Gohan, pocketing them before he could ever answer. Gohan's grip on Videl tightened. He continued down the row and, once he was out of earshot, Gohan cursed under his breath.

"I hope we won't need those but…I hate losing them in this situation…"

"We'll get everyone out of this," she promised him. "It won't matter that he took them."

"How? They're bringing the Suppressor closer and closer. It'll probably be here in twenty minutes…"

"The Suppressor's that machine that paralyzed you, right?" Sharpner whispered to him. Gohan nodded curtly. "Shit…"

"All right, thanks for your cooperation," Toji called out as they returned to the front of the room. He glanced at his phone and nodded to Mino, who peered into the hallway before returning to his partner's side. "Looks like everything's going according to plan. We'll be out of your hair before you know it."

Videl was grinding her teeth and her grip on Gohan's hand had tightened considerably without her even noticing. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb absentmindedly, but his heart wasn't in it. Whereas the motion was usually deliberate and gentle, today it was robotic and rhythmic; his mind was as focused on the task at hand as hers. They had been pinned so expertly it was hard to believe this was the same group of idiots that had tripped over themselves at the bank when the Suppressor hadn't worked.

Videl finally noticed something on her wrist; her watch was flashing red, an urgent signal from Kaneki. It seemed they had finally been able to mobilize the police force to Orange Star. But it wouldn't be enough. The Black Gloves were too much for the police alone and she and Gohan were in no position to help them.

"Maybe Kaneki can come up with a plan," she whispered to Gohan, trying to convince herself that the police presence was helpful.

"Maybe. He might be able to negotiate with their leader at the very least, clear out some of the classrooms that have already been tested…"

"Hey! What the hell are you two talking about up there?" Videl's eyes darted upwards and saw Mino staring up at them suspiciously. Toji eyed them carefully but didn't seem to feel threatened. Even so, Mino walked up the steps and stopped by their desk.

"You look familiar," he muttered, staring hard at Videl. He considered her for several moments before turning back to Toji. "Hey, doesn't she look familiar?"

"Of course she does, you idiot; that's Videl, Mr. Satan's daughter."

"That's why I recognize you!"

"Yep, that's me," she admitted, her face stony and her eyes unwavering.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay? You don't want any of your classmates' blood on your hands today, right?" He grinned darkly and Videl bit her lip hard.

"If I was going to do anything stupid, I'd have done it a long time ago."

"Smart girl." He was about to turn and leave when his eyes caught the motion on her wrist. "Hey, why's that watch of your blinking red like that?" Videl froze for a moment, her core turning to ice. There was no way he could know it was a signal from the police, but it put their sights on her, which was the worst thing that could've happened right now. She couldn't let her friends get hurt…not by them. Not when she was the reason they were here…

"It's a heart rate monitor," Gohan explained immediately. She was so grateful to him that she could have cried. He knew the stakes; his friends were in danger too. But even when she'd frozen, he came to her rescue and had her back, just like she always knew he would.

"It's a bit weird that Mr. Satan's daughter would be so nervous right now, don't you think? You've fought all kinds of criminals before, right?" he asked her, scowling down at her wrist.

"I have; believe me, I'm not scared of you," she began, trying to deflect a bit. "But I'm terrified you'll do something to my classmates. That's why I haven't done anything. And that's why I'm so nervous."

"Heh, guess that makes sense," he conceded. "But still, why don't you let me hold onto that watch for safe keeping. I'll take good care of it till we're done then you'll get it back." Her heart plummeted into her stomach.

'If he gets this watch…I can't transform, I can't protect myself from the Suppressor, I can't communicate with Kaneki…if he starts pressing buttons he might accidentally reveal the suit. Or open a line with the police. What if he brings it back to their boss and he figures out Bulma's Ki Barrier? Gohan would be in danger again too…"

Videl was at a total loss. She truly had no idea what to do. Slowly, she started to bring her hand down to her wrist in an effort to buy some time, but she couldn't hand this to the enemy. Maybe it was time to blow her cover. Maybe it was the only option she had left. She could put Mino through the wall right now. Gohan would cover her and take care of Toji. Maybe if they acted quickly enough, they could stop the rest of the Black Gloves before they learned their identities. Before Sharpner and Erasa were put in any more danger. Who really cared if their classmates figure out their secret at this point?

"Not so fast!" came a bombastic voice from nearby. Videl was shocked to hear what sounded like Gohan's Great Saiyaman voice. He was still right next to her though. Then…who…

She snapped her head to the right quickly and saw Sharpner running across the top of the desk and landing on the opposite side of the classroom, spinning and holding up a finger. "I can no longer sit by and let you harass my classmates!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Mino asked, stunned. It took him a moment to start connecting the dots. Even if they were wrong. "Wait a minute…are you Saiyaman!?"

From his spot leaning against the blackboard, Toji's ears pricked up and he turned his attention to the muscular blond that stood across the room and several steps above him. Videl felt her heart thunder in her chest. There was no way he knew what he was getting himself into.

"The one and only! Now, if you want me, you'd better leave my classmates alone and we'll settle this ourselves!"

Gohan's grip on Videl's hand was tight and trembling. Her heart was pounding in her ears. If Sharpner wasn't prepared, all it would take was one of those blasts to hurt him badly. She understood what he was doing; he was trying to draw them away and give she and Gohan a chance to make something happen before they were put in danger. But he was in far more danger now…

"You know, he's about the right build to be Saiyaman, actually," Mino considered aloud. Toji just watched with interest, his eyes never straying away.

"I wasn't planning to out myself today, but you've left me no choice, I'm afraid!" Sharpner's voice, dripping with confidence, echoed across the room, much to the shock and surprise of their classmates.

"Well, in that case, guess our little plan worked after all! Glad to finally meet you Saiyaman!" Mino called out, grinning deviously as he turned his attention away from Videl. "Now be a good little boy and come back with us, okay? We still gotta find that partner of yours."

"Not until I know my classmates are safe from you! We'll settle this outside!" he called out, turning and sprinting down the stairs towards the door. Toji's eyes flashed and he pushed himself off the wall as best he could, having been taken by surprise. Sharpner made it to the door and slipped out into the hallway, taking off as fast as he could run.

"Dammit! Mino, watch the room! I'll go after him!" Toji called out, dashing into the hallway and vanishing around the corner.

"Got i-"

Videl rocketed from her chair and kicked Mino as hard as she could, her foot colliding with his face. He flew backwards and smashed into the wall, an enormous dent appearing in the bricks as a result of her unchecked strength. He crashed to the ground a moment later, out cold.

It was as Gohan leapt to his feet that her eyes finally fell on Erasa. Her best friend was distraught, nearly in tears at Sharpner's display. She knew the kind of danger he had put himself in. He probably hadn't told her his plan before he'd gone through with it; she would have tried to talk him out of it. She would have been right to. It was far too risky.

As Gohan tore down the aisle to the opposite side of the room, Videl put a hand on 'Rase's shoulder. "We'll save him, I swear!" Without waiting for an answer, she raced after Gohan, calling over her shoulder before she hit the hallway, "tie that guy up! Take his gloves off!" She knew she could leave the rest to Erasa.

Entering the hallway, her eyes fell upon several destroyed lockers. It seemed like Toji had tried to shoot Sharpner as he ran but it clearly hadn't worked. He was one of the fastest in gym class so his natural speed had probably helped him quite a bit. The lack of total destruction also led her to believe that the man couldn't resonate with the artificial ki the way Juzai had.

Gohan called out to her as they ran. "There are a bunch of them after him right now, I can sense them! About ten! He's leading them towards the field!"

"We don't have time to be subtle about this; we have to find whatever cover we can and get going, now!"

"There, on our left, that hallway! Nobody's around!"

She and Gohan slid around the corner and glanced both directions quickly before mashing their watches. In seconds, their Saiyaman suits materialized around them and the two blasted off down the main hallway again, flying as fast as they could. The carnage that had destroyed the lockers got worse the further they went, a sign that more had indeed joined the chase. Videl felt nervous energy boil within her as they came to the back exit of the school and found the doors dangling from their hinges.

"You won't catch me!" They heard Sharpner's voice before they saw him, but Videl's trained eyes picked him out quickly. He was indeed being pursued by ten members of the Black Gloves. They were shooting at him, albeit slowly and staggered, so he could still manage to dodge for now. He was moving too slowly though. The same way Videl used to.

"Ichi-gō, let's hurry!"

Before they could close the distance, though, a dark ki blast collided with Sharpner. He cried out in pain before crashing to the ground and sliding through the grass several feet. Videl felt her heart stop. He would be okay. He had to be. He was tougher than most anyone. That hadn't been enough to severely injure him. It hadn't been enough to…

To her absolutely shock and horror, the other nine leveled their gloves at him and began charging their artificial ki blasts. Videl's mouth fell open and she tried to understand. Gohan called out to her quickly.

"They think he's me! One of those would never be enough to take me down! Get back!" Videl responded immediately, putting on the breaks and stopping short. Gohan raised his hands and roared, firing an incredible volley of ki blasts of his own at their backs, blanketing the entire section of the field they stood on. Before they could ever generate their own attacks, his golden energy crashed into each and every one of them, cries of surprise and pain echoing across the field. When the dust cleared, all ten were down on the ground, unmoving.

Videl shot forward and hurried to Sharpner, who was still down for the count. She reached him and rolled him over onto his back. He was unconscious and clearly had taken a bad hit from the blast but was still breathing. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding onto. He was alive. She wasn't sure how injured he was, but he wasn't gone. They could fix anything else with the…Senzu Beans…

"Dammit!" Gohan cursed, punching the ground. She turned quickly to him and saw him lifting the disintegrating remains of his bag of Senzu Beans from Toji's pocket. They had been destroyed in the volley he'd had to use to save Sharpner. Changing targets, Gohan hurried to her, worried for his friend too.

"He's alive," she assured him, "but he looks pretty banged up."

"And I just destroyed the Senzu Beans…"

"You had no choice Love, if you hadn't done that they might've killed him. Even you couldn't have gotten in front of him in time."

"I know you're right but…"

"Don't worry. He's alive; that's the important part. We have to deal with the rest of this mess and then we can get more Senzu Beans for him. It'll be okay Darling." Gohan took a deep breath and shook off his guilt for the moment.

"You're right. Let's get him back to safety and deal with the rest of the Black Gloves. They'll be sorry they ever came here."

---

Gohan and Videl, still in their Saiyaman suits, returned to their classroom. Gohan carried Sharpner in his arms and Videl covered him as they moved quickly and quietly down the hallway. Evidently, the commotion on the field hadn't drawn everyone out. They had probably split up on purpose, one guarding the rooms they were assigned and the others giving chase at Toji's call for help.

Entering their homeroom, they were greeted by several gasps and cries of surprise from their classmates. Erasa came sprinting down the steps, so fast she almost tripped and fell, but Videl caught her arm and steadied her. Gohan placed Sharpner on the ground, propping his head up with a nearby bag.

"Is he okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"He'll be okay 'Rase," Gohan promised her softly. Erasa all but collapsed to her knees and grabbed Sharpner's hand, watching him nervously while choking back tears.

"Can't you…give him one of those…bean things…?"

"They're gone for right now," Videl explained and Erasa started crying softly. "But we'll handle this quickly and my partner here will go get more just as soon as we do. He's going to be just fine."

"O…okay…"

Clip, surprisingly, rose from his seat and approached them. "Saiyaman No. 2, we think we've secured the man keeping us hostage. Is that good enough?" Videl glanced up towards the dent she'd made in the wall with Mino's body and saw that he was tied up with straps from several different bags. Probably way too many bags, but Gohan was glad he wouldn't Mino moving freely again.

"Yeah, that'll definitely work. What happened to him anyway?" she asked, probably hoping to throw the others off their identities somewhat.

"Yo-, uh, Videl almost kicked him through the wall and she and her boyfriend went after the guy you just brought back. Did you see them out there?" Gohan rose to his full height again.

"We did; we sent them to get some help from the police and brought your classmate here for his safety. But for right now, we have to go settle this. Stay here and barricade the door as best you can. We'll handle the Black Gloves as quickly as possible."

It was a halfhearted attempt to cover their tracks. He didn't really care anymore, though. It was his fault his classmates were in danger. But he and Videl, together, would be the force that protected them now.

Turning on his heel, Gohan began to head back into the hallway and Videl hurried after him, raising her watch and pressing the button that would connect her to Kaneki. By the doorway, she stopped and waited until the speaker crackled to life.

"Saiya Squad!? Is that you!?" Kaneki's panicked voice sounded.

"Yes Chief, this is Great Saiyaman No. 2."

"Thank goodness, we've got a terrible situation!"

"We're aware," she interjected quickly. They couldn't really afford to take the time to be briefed on it. "We're on site at Orange Star High School already. We've infiltrated the building and are about to dismantle the remainder of the Black Gloves."

"Um, excellent Saiya Squad, thank you. What do you need from us?"

"Be ready to take everyone into custody after we're finished," she said simply. "And call in a few ambulances. There's at least one student injured. It doesn't appear to be grave, but he's unconscious. I'll debrief you later."

"Understood, we'll get right on it. Give us the signal when we should come in."

With that, Gohan and Videl returned to the hallway and he cast his ki sense across the school. There was one guard stationed in each classroom aside from theirs for a total of fourteen other rooms. Additionally, there was the man with the Suppressor who was wandering from room to room. A few of the classes that weren't between theirs and the back doors still had both guards – Toji's shouts hadn't reached them.

"There's about twenty of them left in total, Ni-gō."

"Let's split up then; you take the front and I'll take the back."

"Agreed. Are you alright?"

"For now, yeah. I'll feel guilty later. Right now, let's just beat this scum into the dirt."

"Let's. I'll come find you as soon as I'm finished. Be careful, okay?"

"I will be. And if I finish first, I'll come help you. Don't worry; I'll be able to find you."

---

Gohan tore through his portion of the Black Gloves like wet paper. With each room he found, he flashed through the door quicker than anyone could see and knocked out the guards unceremoniously. He wouldn't give them a chance to fight back or endanger anyone else. Eventually, he found the one carting the Ki Suppressor around and, after introducing him rather violently to a nearby wall, he took the machine, hoping it might be of some value to Bulma, especially with the group clearly growing more desperate.

He could feel Videl taking down the remainder of the Black Gloves with swiftness and grace. She had channeled her anger and fire just the way he had. The fools never stood a chance against her. And, a few minutes later, she returned to his side, a triumphant grin on her face.

"That's the last of them."

"Great," he sighed, finally allowing himself to smile a bit. "Let's get Kaneki and the police in here to wrap up and I'll head to Korin's Tower. Will you hang onto this for me?" he asked, lifting the Ki Suppressor towards her. She took it immediately and nodded, radioing the Chief.

Minutes later, the Satan City Police Department swarmed through the front entrance of the school, pouring into each and every classroom. Satisfied that their classmates were safe, Gohan nodded to Videl. "Okay, I'm gonna head out and get those Senzu Beans for Sharpner. Will you handle things here, please?"

"Of course, Love. I'll let you know where we wind up for sure, but I expect he'll be taken to Satan City Hospital. I'll meet you there and tell you which room we're in."

"Thank you, Angel. Be careful."

"You too."

Gohan kissed her on the cheek before he turned and hurried towards the front entrance. He saw Kaneki who gestured towards him and Gohan flew over quickly before hovering in place for just a moment.

"What happened in there Saiyaman?" he asked nervously.

"The Black Gloves took the school hostage. I'm sorry though Chief, I have to go get some of those Beans I asked Videl to give you back in June. My partner's inside, she can explain everything else." Without waiting another moment, he blasted off, tearing through the air as quickly as possible.

Once he was far enough from civilization, he pressed the button on his watch, returning to his normal clothing and pouring his energy into flying as fast as he physically could. It didn't take him very long to get to the Lookout as a result. Sharpner's condition might not be that serious, but he wasn't willing to take any chances. Especially not after his friend had all but sacrificed himself to protect his and Videl's secrets.

When he finally touched down and explained quickly to Korin and Yajirobe what had happened, they happily handed him a large bag of Senzu Beans. Thanking them, he turned and was about to blast off towards Satan City again when a familiar energy signal popped to life in front of him.

"Dad?"

Indeed, Goku stood directly in front of his son, a look of muted concern on his face. "I sensed you flying to Korin's as fast as you could and I was worried something had happened. Everything okay?"

Gohan quickly explained the situation to his father too, who nodded his understanding. "Don't worry too much about your friend," he told him warmly. "One blast like that wouldn't be enough to cause permanent damage, even to a regular person. He probably just got knocked out from it. But give him a Senzu and he'll be good as new. Here, let me take you back with Instant Transmission!"

Gohan sighed in relief and smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"Absolutely! Where are we headed?"

"Just take us to Videl, that'll be perfect."

"Hmm…seems like she's in a building. Want me to drop you off on top of it?"

"Yeah, that'd be great!"

"Here we go then!"

Offering Korin and Yajirobe his thanks again, Gohan placed his hand on his father's shoulder. Goku drew two fingers up to his forehead and focused. In an instant, a familiar sensation of weightlessness enveloped Gohan, the feeling that always accompanied his father's Instant Transmission. Seconds later, they stood atop Satan City Hospital. Gohan silently wished he could learn that technique too. It was incredibly useful.

"Thanks a lot Dad, I really appreciate it."

"Any time Son! Should I stay and help out?"

"Nah, that's okay; things are pretty much over now. You should go tell Mom what happened so she isn't so worried."

"Yeah, she had an idea of what was going on once Bulma called her. It was all over the news and she's been watching ever since. Even though you're the strongest person on Earth, she still worries!" Gohan chuckled.

"I'm very lucky she does."

"All right, I'll go calm her down. Good luck with everything here!" And with that, Goku vanished from view again, as if he had never been on the rooftop to begin with.

Gohan jumped from the rooftop and descended easily into the alleyway behind the hospital before hurrying towards the front as he checked his phone. Sure enough, he had a message from Videl. Sharpner was in room 402; she and Erasa were there with him and he was awake now. The young Saiyan breathed a sigh of relief and hurried through the hospital.

Once he arrived, his eyes fell on Sharpner, who was lying in a hospital bed hooked up to several machines. His eyes were fogged over with exhaustion and a grimace of pain was plastered to his face.

"Took you long enough," he joked, shooting a half-grin at Gohan. He chuckled a bit; at least his friend was feeling well enough to joke around.

Videl and Erasa were sitting beside the bed. Erasa still looked distraught, her eyes glassy and damp from tears, but Videl was holding her hand and reassuring her. His girlfriend looked up at him curiously. "How'd you get back so fast, Sweetheart?" she asked.

"Dad came and met me," he explained. That didn't quite explain the situation to the others in the room, but Videl understood. He wanted to avoid overwhelming Sharpner and Erasa for the moment. Crossing the room, he fished a Senzu from his pocket and handed it to Erasa.

"Here, why don't you give this to him?"

She sniffed loudly and nodded, standing and leaning over her boyfriend before pressing the small bean gently between his lips. He chewed and swallowed it and immediately the color returned to his face and his eyes cleared. Sighing in relief and comfort, Sharpner sat up in bed, rolling his shoulders and stretching lightly.

"Damn, those things really are magic," he laughed, grinning up at Gohan.

"Sorry I couldn't get one to you sooner. I accidentally destroyed the ones they took protecting you earlier." He cast his gaze towards the ground and Videl rose to her feet and took his hand. Sharpner just smiled and shook his head.

"Videl told me all about it; don't even sweat it, man. You probably saved my life doing that. I'll take a few hours of pain over being dead any day. Thanks Gohan."

"Thank you…for saving him," Erasa managed at last, fresh tears welling in her eyes.

"You're my friends, 'Rase; I've always got your backs."

"Sorry I worried you so much, E," Sharpner told her softly, guilt clearly present on his face. Erasa looked torn by so many emotions. She was probably struggling most with anger that he had endangered himself and relief that he was alive and in perfect health. Before she could speak though, Videl's stoic voice sounded from beside him.

"Hey, we're gonna give you a little time together, okay?" she began. Sharpner nodded but Erasa looked curiously at them.

"Where are you going to go?"

"We have some unfinished business to take care of," she said, her voice darkening. Gohan nodded firmly, the fires of anger alighting his heart once more. Videl continued, her grip on Gohan's hand tightening just a bit.

"Don't worry; we'll be back before the sun goes down. If they discharge Sharpner before we're done, let us know where you are. We'll meet back up and explain what happened today." Erasa nodded but Sharpner just shook his head.

"You don't owe us an explanation. We're in your corner, no matter what. But we can talk more later. Go do what you've gotta do."

"We'll be back before you know it," Gohan assured them. They made their way to the door before Sharpner's voice called across the room to them.

"Oh, and guys? Give 'em hell for me."

---

"I'm just glad you're both okay; I never expected the Black Gloves would attack your high school," Bulma told them over the phone.

"Neither did we. Our friend Sharpner gave us an opening to act but things weren't looking good for a while," Gohan explained.

"We did manage to get their Ki Suppressor for you, though," Videl added. "I left it at my place for now, but we'll bring it to you sometime soon."

"Oh, you didn't have to worry about that on top of everything else! But thanks, I'll do my best to get something new and useful out of it."

"It really wasn't a problem; we just took it at the very end. But that's not exactly why we called."

"I figured; I already have the coordinates for their base right in front of me," she told them, her triumphant grin clear even in her voice. Videl managed to laugh at last.

"Thanks Bulma, we can always count on you. Can you send it to my watch?"

"Already on it! You two be careful and put an end to this!"

"We will!" With that, the line went dead.

A moment later, the coordinates for the Black Gloves' base pinged onto the display and she and Gohan set out, back in their Saiyaman suits. As they flew north of the city, Gohan spoke gently to her.

"I'm sorry Videl." She was a bit surprised by his words.

"For what?"

"I never realized how dangerous these people really were. Our friends and classmates were all at risk today, mostly because of me. They wanted a Saiyan from the beginning…"

"Stop that," she chided lightly. "This is as much my responsibility, too. I've been fighting criminals for years and I never thought this group would be brazen enough to attack our school either. Besides, they were searching classrooms for me too; it's not like you were all they cared about. It kinda seems like they want revenge on us now, honestly."

"It does. There's no great explanation for why they went so far otherwise."

"I guess if we've really backed them into a corner, this might have been the only way they saw to get out."

"Yeah…well the important thing is that everyone's okay. What happened after I left?"

"The police evacuated the students, 'Rase rode with Sharpner to the hospital in an ambulance, and I stayed behind to sweep the school with the police. We had taken everyone down just like we thought so they started restraining the Black Gloves. I told the Chief what happened, dropped the Suppressor off at home, and went to meet Erasa at the hospital. That's about the time you got back; I was a bit surprised by how fast you were, but it all made sense after you mentioned your dad."

"Sorry I left you to deal with all that," he grimaced. Videl just flew closer and took his hand.

"Don't be. You can fly so much faster than I can; I was a lot more worried about Sharpner than anything else. Thank you for making him your priority."

"I couldn't let my friend be hurt trying to protect me…"

"I felt the same way," she admitted. "I was so terrified earlier in the classroom. Not for us, but for Sharpner and 'Rase. I knew if they figured us out that our best friends would be in danger from now on." Gohan nodded, a somber expression on his face.

"I know what you mean. It shouldn't have come to this point. None of our classmates deserved to be caught up in this, but especially not those two." Videl nodded, squeezing his hand.

"Well, luckily, we're going to put an end to this today. They went too far and I'll be damned before they have a chance to pull something like this ever again."

"I'm with you, Doll. This is the last time we'll ever have to deal with the Black Gloves."

They closed in on their destination over the next twenty minutes. It was a bit further north than Videl had expected, leading them into the mountains. Finally, they drew close to their target, setting down on a nearby summit and peaking over the side, spying a simple cabin.

"Is that it?" Gohan asked softly. She double checked her watch, but it was clearly pointing to that small building. There was nothing else in the vicinity anyway.

"Looks like it. Maybe it's a front and there's a secret entrance to an underground facility or something. Didn't you tell me Gero had a secret basement that Cell was in? If this guy's his student, maybe he did the same."

"Yeah, that's definitely possible. It seems too quiet…but I guess they did lose almost thirty people today; they're probably short on manpower." Videl and Gohan watched the building patiently for the next five minutes before conceding that nobody was guarding the entrance.

"Should we go check it out?" she suggested at last, anxious to put a stop to their enemies at long last. Gohan studied the cabin intently for a moment more.

"Yeah. But…I'm not sensing anyone."

"Nobody at all?"

"Nobody at all," he affirmed. "Maybe they abandoned the facility after things went south today."

"Or maybe that was everybody but the boss who attacked the school?"

"Could be. Either way, let's get down there and find out."

The couple descended to the ground, landing near the cabin. Counting down, Gohan rushed forward, Videl right behind him, and he kicked the cabin door open. Sure enough, the log building was entirely deserted. They checked the open spaces before allowing their guards to lower, convinced they were really alone. They split up and started looking for anything that might help them figure out what was going on.

Gohan had disappeared into the back room and Videl was rifling through a closet. She hadn't found anything but dusty old coats and sweaters. "So…this is really the place Bulma's GPS showed her?" Videl called out. She was confused and couldn't quite see how an organization with as many people as the Black Gloves had used this as a base.

"Yeah, it's definitely the right place; come here," Gohan called back, a sober tone to his voice .

She made her way deeper into the cabin until she found the small room he was in. There was a long, metallic work desk in the middle of the room and on it sat an all too familiar device: Bulma's transmitter. It was delicately placed on an instrument stand, polished and neatly taken care of. And below it, on the desk, was a simple note written on a scrap of paper. There were only two words written on it:

'Nice try.'

Videl felt her temper rise like an inferno immediately. She ground her teeth hard and stepped forward, seizing the transmitter before turning and thrusting it into Gohan's hands. He grabbed it and she spun around, letting a violent shout escape her as she kicked the table as hard as she could. It was lighter than she'd expected and it flew across the room, smashing into the log wall and folding in on itself, the grating sound of metal on metal screaming through the room.

"Goddammit!" A second later, Gohan's arms wrapped around her from behind. She was shaking from rage.

"I know, I feel the same way. We won't let them get away with this, though. I promise."

"Who the hell is he? How was he ahead of us again? Isn't there anything we can do to stop this?" Her breathing was ragged, the feeling of hate and anger clouding even her eyesight.

"Easy, Angel. This isn't over, not by a long shot. I'm as frustrated as you are though; I get it."

Videl took a few calming breaths before she finally managed to see straight again. Their plan to track the base by GPS had been a failure. The boss had seen right through it. Fine. That just meant they'd need to change strategies. How could they trap him? What did they have to work with…? Maybe…

"Gohan…how many Senzu Beans do you have right now?" she asked suddenly. She could sense his confusion but he answered all the same.

"I think there are fifteen in this bag, minus the one for Sharpner."

"Can I have one?"

"Of course! Did you hurt your leg kicking that table?"

"No; it's not for me. I have an idea…" He waited patiently for her to continue.

"The Black Gloves don't have many cards left to play, right? They lost thirty men during their attack on the school today. The Ki Suppressor doesn't work on us anymore. They're clearly feeling pressured to take drastic measures. In fact, the only things they really have is the money they stole from the bank three weeks ago and the ability to duplicate Bulma's transmitter."

"Right…?"

"We found this place because we flipped one of their cards to our side, yeah? Reed?"

"Yeah, he's the one who sent them this bugged transmitter."

"Then we just need to take another card and play it against them." Gohan was silent for a long moment before he finally answered.

"I'm sure whatever you're planning is brilliant…but I honestly have no idea what it could be," he admitted. Videl turned slowly, raising her face towards his.

"What do you say we pay our old friend Juzai a little visit?"

---

12/23/2022