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).

21. Second Chances

Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! I have a bit to say at the end this time, so let's just get right into it! As always, thank you all so much for the kind words and the support, it really means so much! I genuinely think the reason I'm able to write this story so consistently every week is because I know people are out there enjoying it and I'm thrilled if even one person comes back each week! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

---

Chapter XXI – Second Chances

"What!?"

Erasa's words caught Videl completely off guard and the volume of her voice rose much more than she meant it to. She grimaced as she felt Gohan come back to reality, shifting against her and breathing heavily.

"I know, I was surprised too," her best friend assured her. "Just turn on the news, they'll explain things a lot more clearly than I will. I don't even know what's really going on still. I just wanted to call and make sure you knew something was up." She took a deep breath before responding.

"Thanks 'Rase, you're the best. We'll handle it but, until we do, stay inside and stay safe, okay?"

"I will, don't worry. Call me later, okay?"

"Promise."

Videl hung up her phone and shifted quickly, turning and reaching across Gohan, noting that he was somewhat awake now. His eyes were half open and he was watching her curiously, a tiny smile on his face. "Good morning, Love. What's going on?"

She took the rarely used television remote from her nightstand and flipped the TV on, scrolling through the channels quickly. "That was 'Rase – she says the boss of the Black Gloves is back and we should turn on the news."

Gohan became alert almost immediately, his eyes focusing as he rose up onto his elbows. "Where is he? If 'Rase knows about him, he's in the city, right?"

"Seems like it," she agreed, finally landing on the right channel. The local news was displayed on the screen and the sight was quite perplexing. At least nothing was on fire.

Sure enough, the news cameras were turned atop the largest building in the city and, standing on the edge of the roof, was Boss himself. His sharp black suit was accented by the pristine lab coat he had worn over top of it last time, his long, dark hair tied back in the same ponytail as last time. The headline on the bottom of the screen read, "Mysterious Man Threatens Satan City!"

"What is he doing?" Videl hissed, glaring at the television. Before Gohan could even offer a guess, the anchor's voice sounded through the speakers.

"If you're just joining us, moments ago an ultimatum was issued by this mysterious gentleman! Please, take a look at this footage captured by our cameras at approximately 8:00am this morning."

The scene swapped. Instead of the wide shot of Boss, the angle was much closer and he was speaking, his voice carrying clearly through the sky. His voice was smooth and commanding. "Attention, citizens of Satan City! I am searching for the Great Saiyaman No. 1 and No. 2. Though I have no qualms with the rest of you, I must, unfortunately, use you to draw them out. Therefore, I am giving the Saiya Squad until 9:00am today to meet me here at the city's center. If they refuse, I will begin destroying buildings at random, one for every five minutes they refuse to appear after the designated time; any number of you may perish, I'm afraid. As proof of this possibility, please take note of the empty vehicle below."

Boss lifted his hand and fired a bright ki blast. The energy seared through the air before colliding with the aforementioned car and it exploded into thousands of tiny pieces, smoke billowing from the remains of the vehicle. Clearing his throat and lowering his arm again, the man continued.

"Do not be inclined to act hastily, though. If the police attempt to make a move against me or if any of you try to evacuate from the city, I will be forced to take direct action against you. I do not wish for any loss of life to occur here today; I simply must use you all as hostages to get what I want. I will wait patiently for the next hour. So if this message of mine reaches your ears, Great Saiyaman No.1 and No. 2…please do not keep me waiting for too long."

The broadcast blinked back to the previous wide shot of the man standing atop the building but Videl wasn't paying attention. Her hands trembled with rage. How dare he come back now and hold the city hostage? Put her friends in danger again? She had thought it was all over once they annihilated the Black Gloves' base back in October. It looked like they had one more fight until they settled things entirely. He wouldn't be getting away this time.

"Let's go, Gohan," she said, her voice steely. "We can't let him threaten innocent people because he's trying to draw us out. The sooner we get there, the sooner this is all over."

A pair of warm hands settled on her shoulders and she looked over. Gohan had sat up fully now, meeting her eyes unwaveringly. "You're right, but we should still take our time."

"What? Why?"

"He gave us till 9:00, right?" She chewed her lip a bit.

"Yeah, but…"

"Something I've learned from my dad over the years, but especially where Cell was concerned, is that you'll only do well in a fight if you're properly prepared for it. You just woke up not five minutes ago, right?"

"Yeah…"

"There's no way either of us are prepared to fight right this second, then. We still have forty-five minutes before his deadline; let's take some time and make sure we're awake and prepared to put a stop to this, okay?" Videl took a calming breath, shaking off the residual guilt she felt. Boss hadn't broken his word before, even if that word had never been used for anything decent. He wouldn't start randomly attacking people now before the appointed time.

"You're right. We should give ourselves the best chance to end this once and for all. If we don't, we're just going to be taken by surprise again." Gohan gave her a warm smile.

"Exactly. Besides, this guy has stepped on our toes three times too many now; I think it's high time we return the favor."

---

Gohan and Videl flew through the air, clad in their Saiyaman suits, towards the heart of Satan City. It was now 8:50am and, even having taken their time in preparing themselves mentally and physically for the confrontation with Boss, they would be there with time to spare. It was a short flight from the Mansion, after all – not even five minutes. The young Saiyan couldn't shake how odd an action this was for their adversary to take, though, and the thought stayed with him no matter how much closer they drew to him.

"It's strange, don't you think?" he began, thinking aloud. Videl glanced at him curiously.

"What's strange?"

"Boss's actions. He's been so careful up until now; he's never moved without a scheme or a small army to carry it out and he's been one step ahead of us too many times. But now he's just putting himself out in the open, forcing us to come to him."

"I was wondering the same thing; it really is against his M.O., isn't it? I guess we did destroy his entire operation, though. Maybe this is all he has left to fall back on."

"I just wonder why he wouldn't disappear and try again another day." Videl shrugged a bit.

"Who knows? Maybe he just hates us enough that he wants to take us out himself now. He was stronger than I gave him credit for last time."

"And he was slipperier than I expected. We'll be ready for him this time. He won't take us by surprise again. Besides, you've been training so much and you're way stronger than even the last time you met him."

Slowly, the center of the downtown district came into view. There was a news jet copter circling the building from a distance, a large camera trained on the spot their enemy stood. Aside from that, the city was silent and still. Not a car moving anywhere in the streets, not a soul walking on any sidewalk. He really had taken the entire population hostage. As they approached, Gohan's sharp eyes settled on the man in question.

He hadn't seen him very well back at his base in October, but he had to agree with Videl – Reed's description of him had been perfectly accurate, despite not being able to give any specific details beyond his height and hair length. He was fairly non-descript, otherwise. Though, even this morning, under the overcast cloud cover of winter, he wore those same sunglasses. Maybe there was something worth hiding behind them.

They came to a stop near the building, outside of striking range for either party before Videl called out to Boss. "You got what you wanted; here we are."

"Indeed," he conceded, offering a polite bow, his right arm raised across his chest. "A pleasure to see you again, Great Saiyaman No. 2. And you as well, Great Saiyaman No. 1. You have both saved me the trouble of destroying this peaceful city to draw you out."

"You know, you could've just revealed yourself without all the threats. You didn't have to go to the trouble of scaring everyone in the city; we would have shown up no matter what," Videl chastised him, her mouth settling into a frown. Boss laughed, a rather good-natured sound.

"I suppose you might be right. I could not run the risk of my message falling on deaf ears, however. Rest assured; I fully expected and trusted that the two of you would show up before I would have to take any drastic measures. Those threats were mostly for theatre's sake, in that regard."

Gohan cleared his throat before speaking at last. "Would you object to us landing on that roof with you? It's tough to have a conversation from this distance, don't you think?" The man smiled, not a hint of a cunning scheme behind his gesture, motioning to the space next to him.

"By all means. I would welcome the company, in fact. We have much to discuss, the three of us."

Warily, Gohan and Videl touched down several yards from the man, keeping their guards up just in case. They had already activated their Ki Barriers on the flight over; they had no way of knowing if he'd trapped the area. He seemed wholly disinterested in schemes today, though. He turned to face them and spoke, his voice resonating effortlessly around them.

"I do believe this is the first time we have had the pleasure of meeting, Great Saiyaman No. 1. The last time our paths crossed, it was during a rather shameful escape on my part. Forgive my rudeness those months ago." He bowed gracefully again. Gohan was very confused by his demeanor. Was he always like this? It was almost as if he were having fun. He decided to humor him a bit.

"I've had to live to fight another day once or twice in my lifetime; I can hardly fault you for the same. But yes, this is the first time we've met, Boss."

"Ah, I see Ni-gō shared my preferred title with you as well."

"That's my codename for her."

"My apologies, then. I was not aware the designation had any special meaning to you. Perhaps I should simply refer to you each as No. 1 and No. 2, respectively."

"That's fine by us," Videl agreed, nodding at him. He paused for a long moment before offering a polite smile.

"Of course, I could also refer to you by your names, as long as that is acceptable to you." Gohan felt his heart drop. Had he truly figured out who they were? After they had tried so hard to hide it? To protect their friends? But if he knew, why was he here talking to them instead of using Sharpner and Erasa to threaten them?

"You're bluffing," Videl challenged, her voice low and tinged with frustration. Boss merely shook his head.

"I am afraid not, No. 2. Though I would be loathe to use your given names in front of that news camera circling us. I imagine that would end up as the most shocking headline of the day, even compared to my actions this morning."

"If you actually know who we are," Gohan began, eyeing him closely, "then of course we wouldn't want the news cameras to pick up our identities." He couldn't get a read on Boss at all. Those sunglasses blocked everything he might be able to use to figure out if it was a bluff or not.

"Perfectly understandable. Perhaps we would be better off without the intrusion then." He raised his hand and took aim at the jet copter. Gohan's eyes widened and he tried to call out for him to stop.

"Wai-"

But it was too late. A golden blast of ki rocketed from the man's hand and flew through the air. Gohan prepared to rush forward to intercept it. But something wasn't quite right.

Boss's trajectory was off. Way off. The blast exploded near the copter but nowhere close enough to cause actual damage. The vehicle lurched and began to fly away; clearly the pilot wanted nothing to do with that. Gohan and Videl breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

"There, that should remedy the issue," Boss announced calmly.

"You fired a warning shot?" Videl asked, incredulous. He nodded as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"But of course. As I said on the broadcast earlier, I have no interest in taking innocent lives today. I simply wanted to make them flee."

"Color me surprised. I figured someone like you would have no problem killing them just because they annoyed you." Boss chuckled, a shockingly genuine sound.

"What ever do you take me for? Nobody has died as a result of any of my operations thus far. Why should today be any different?" Gohan considered his words for several moments. It was true. No matter what hostages they had taken, no matter what the situation, nobody had ever been killed by the Black Gloves. Injured, yes. But even when the police had been involved, they had never harmed anyone. Their focus had always been on the operation at hand…as well as he and Videl. And while Videl had nearly been killed by Juzai…he hadn't succeeded either.

"Now that I think about it, that's actually true," Gohan conceded. Videl never let her eyes stray from their adversary.

"Maybe I judged you a bit too early, then."

"I appreciate your deference, Videl."

The silence that fell across the rooftop was deafening. All uncertainty about his knowledge vanished as quickly as the night had. He knew her identity. Which meant it was highly likely he knew Gohan's as well.

"Congratulations, you did your homework," Videl spat, scowling across the rooftop. "How did you find out who I am? Did Juzai tell you after all? It wouldn't surprise me if a snake like him went back on his word." Boss shook his head again.

"No, Juzai never revealed to me who you are, though we did meet briefly following his release. I cannot fault him for choosing his freedom over his loyalty; in fact, I agree with his motivations and decisions. It wounds me that I cannot rely on him as an ally any longer as a result, but I must commend you for your tenacity; turning Juzai against us was no easy task, I am certain."

"You're right about that. So how did you find out who I am then?"

"Please allow me to correct one small misunderstanding first: it is not only your identity I have learned, Videl. I am fully aware that the original Great Saiyaman is Son Gohan."

There it was. Gohan sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. He had tried so hard to keep his identity a secret. Maybe he had tried too hard. Telling people they weren't allowed to know something was often an excellent way to ensure they tried everything they could to find out. And especially with how far they had pushed Boss, it made sense that he had sought the information out with a fervor.

"So you found me out too," Gohan conceded. Videl stepped a little closer, not sure how worried she should be. For now, Gohan decided there was no cause for alarm, not if he wasn't threatening the people closest to them. "How did you learn that?"

"You know, I was a bit surprised myself by how easy it was. Even after our attack on Orange Star High School, their security measures were so woefully lax. It was a simple matter, really. I entered the school as a maintenance person during the holiday yesterday and accessed the student registry. It was quite effortless to deduce the answer once I saw the family name 'Son' written before my very eyes. Only Son Goku's oldest child could be the Great Saiyaman, given that I already knew of your Saiyan heritage."

"Why did you think to double check Orange Star?" he asked, curious now.

"A hunch, really. Based on my understanding of the attack that day, your response was both too slow to have been from another school yet too conveniently timed to have been anywhere but there. Likely, you were looking for an opening in which to act. Not to mention the fact that you retaliated the very next day and took down my organization entirely. It felt as if I had 'poked the bear,' so to speak."

"Well you certainly did," Videl agreed. "But how did you find me out?" Boss just chuckled.

"That, too, was simple. Once I knew Son Gohan was the man beneath the orange mask, it became apparent that his most beloved was certainly the woman under the white mask. And that information was presented to me on a silver platter; Son Gohan's school counselor saw fit to note whom he was dating in his student profile."

"Shihan…" Gohan sighed heavily. He thought he felt Videl almost laugh next to him, but maybe he was just imagining it.

"However, upon realizing that the two of you were romantically involved, everything began to add up. When I shot the ceiling above you in our last encounter to escape, rather than chase me down, the Great Saiyaman saw fit to protect his partner. With her superhuman strength, why would he do that, if not for the fact that she was his love interest? Once I understood that much, every report of my men's interactions with the two of you made much more sense. And leant credence to my theory that you, Videl, were the Great Saiyaman No. 2."

"So that was all the proof you needed huh? What if you'd been wrong?" Videl challenged, frowning.

"Then I would have looked quite the fool. But with Son Gohan's name before my eyes and the proof that the Great Saiyaman was in fact a Saiyan, I felt there was no world in which I could be mistaken. Perhaps I was wrong about your identity, Videl, but that was less worrisome to me."

"Well congratulations, you finally sniffed us out," she called to him, even giving mock applause. "But in that case, I think you owe me an answer from our last meeting. You do know my name now, so what's yours? Who are you, 'Boss?'" He sighed lightly.

"Alas, it is rather complicated to answer that question."

"Why's that?"

"Because," Gohan interrupted, earning both of their gazes. "If he tells you his name, it'll betray what he really is." Boss seemed to watch him with interest but made no attempt to interrupt.

"What do you mean, Darling?"

"I was wondering about it for a while. Why was his ki control so flawless that I couldn't even sense him out in the mountains? Why did I never detect him with you when you found him in the hallways of the base? Even today. We've been standing fifteen feet from him and I can't feel his signature at all. In fact, the only time I can sense this man is when he fires a ki blast, like that warning shot earlier. Why? And the answer is because he's not a man at all. He's an android."

Boss began giving Gohan a very real round of applause, smiling in amusement, while Videl just watched him with her mouth agape. "Brilliantly deduced, Son Gohan. The truth is as you say." He reached up and, at last, removed his sunglasses, revealing a set of bright blue eyes. Impossibly bright. Mechanically bright. It was as if Gohan were looking at two LEDs, shining from within a computer.

"I am designated as Android Twelve."

"Yet another creation of Dr. Gero's, I imagine?" Gohan returned.

"Indeed. My father, Dr. Gero, is the man who gave me life many years ago." Videl spoke suddenly.

"But wait, I thought Gero scrapped every android model before Sixteen…"

"You'd be surprised how often that's turned out to be a lie," Gohan sighed. Even Twelve himself saw fit to laugh.

"I can only assume you have run into many of my father's creations then. Yes, the truth is that I am the oldest model android that he created that still retains its existence, despite the rumor he spread to the contrary."

"Are you sure there aren't more?" Gohan demanded, eyeing him incredulously. More good-natured laughter met his ears.

"I can guarantee it, in fact. I was meant to serve as a replacement for my father in the event of his untimely passing. As such, I was kept secret from everyone, including the other models. I have all the knowledge he ever accumulated in his lifetime within my own memory banks. So do believe me when I say there is no Android Eleven or lower."

"Fine, I'll believe that for now," Gohan grumbled.

"I don't understand," Videl began, gazing across the expanse towards Twelve, "if you're an android, shouldn't you have been strong enough to fight us on your own? Why go to the trouble of creating the Black Ribbon Army at all? Why build the Paralyzer or the Manifest Gloves?"

"I see you have done your own research into me as well, Videl. Allow me to first ask, if you will, how did you learn the name 'Black Ribbon Army?'"

"There was a logo at the top of the Orange Star invasion plans we took from the base. We inferred from your expertise with ki science that you probably had a connection to Dr. Gero so when we saw the logo, we made an educated guess that it probably meant 'Black Ribbon Army.'"

"I see your detective work is every bit as stellar as my own, perhaps more so. Indeed, you are correct. Though I never formally announced it, my group was the Black Ribbon Army, the successor to my father's Red Ribbon Army. After we accomplished our ultimate goal, I was going to make the announcement to the world."

"Your goal being to kill Gohan's father," Videl supplied dryly.

"But, of course. Son Goku destroyed my father's Red Ribbon Army. He took everything from him, forced him to create a series of androids to do his bidding and accomplish his revenge. I must see this mission through to the end for the sake of my late father."

"You know, you don't have to," Gohan offered. When Twelve looked incredulously at him, he continued. "Eighteen made her own path in life years ago. Not only does she not want to kill my dad anymore, she came over a few months back and spent the day with my family." Twelve's eyes widened.

"How novel. Seventeen and Eighteen were quite the anomalies where my father's android projects were concerned, though. I'm afraid their biological components made controlling them quite difficult. I, however, am a machine, through and through. I have no basis on which to object to my programmed directives. As such, you are wasting your time attempting to persuade me."

"It was worth a shot," Gohan said, shrugging lightly.

"However," Twelve continued, "I am afraid I have lost the original intent of your question, Videl. You asked why I had not taken care of things myself if I were an android. The answer is simple: I am not a combat android. I was built to carry my father's intelligence and knowledge to the future in his stead. That is why I needed the members of the Black Ribbon Army to do my bidding for me."

"Then isn't it a bit dangerous to call us out here like this?" Videl asked.

"That would have been true were things still the same as they were back in October," he stated matter-of-factly.

"I'll bite; what are you talking about?"

"Are you not the least bit curious why I have not appeared before you for more than two months?"

"I get the sense I should be," she conceded.

"I have been undergoing a system upgrade since my escape in the mountains. Allow me to present the results of my patience; I am now fully equipped for battle. And the two of you will be my first opponents."

"Uh…but I thought your directives told you to kill my dad," Gohan asked, confusion overtaking him.

"Indeed, that was true," Twelve admitted. "But much the same way your father took away everything from mine, the two of you have taken everything away from me. Did you know that even an android is capable of adding necessary goals to a directive if they believe it will help them achieve it? I was unaware of that truth prior to meeting the two of you."

"I can guess where this is going," Videl muttered.

"As such, eliminating the two of you is my highest priority at the moment. Only in doing so can I guarantee my success where ending the life of Son Goku is concerned. And so the reason I have called you before me today is to settle the score between us. I will overwhelm and execute you both before this day's end."

Videl snapped into a combat stance and Gohan caught the fiery smirk that stole her lips. "Oh yeah? Wanna bet on it?"

"Hang on," Gohan called before things could get out of hand. Both Twelve and Videl gazed at him curiously. "If we do this in the city, the damage will be enormous. There might even be casualties. You said yourself, Twelve, that you don't want any loss of innocent life today, right? So let's take this someplace else. Then we'll be happy to fight you."

The android nodded. "I concur. I am in no rush personally; lead me to any battlefield you find acceptable and there we shall bring this rivalry of ours to a graceful end."

---

Videl found the present situation to be quite strange. Not as strange as Majin Buu living with her had been in the beginning but approaching the same level of absurdity. She and Gohan were flying along near Boss, newly revealed as Android Twelve, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Gohan led the group slightly and she had deliberately stayed to his left while Twelve left some distance on his right. It was odd that he had been so polite and amicable all morning; she expected him to be much more aggressive for how he had promised to kill them both before the end of the day As long as he was in a talkative mood, though, she had thought of a few questions.

"Twelve, do you mind explaining something for me?" she called out, turning to look towards him.

"At this point I see no reason to refuse. What would you like to know?" She couldn't get used to how receptive he was towards her. It was different than any other enemy she'd ever gone against. As if his programming rather than his disposition was responsible for his actions.

"At the base, when I mentioned Goku had killed Majin Buu, you seemed confused. Like you didn't know who Majin Buu was. Do you?"

Twelve laughed a bit. "I must admit, I was taken aback by that. I remember that exchange well and I will tell you that I do not know of this Majin Buu myself."

"But…how? Everyone on Earth knew about Majin Buu."

"Odd, that. Curiosity got the better of me yesterday and I asked several citizens. When I brought up the name 'Majin Buu,' however, nobody seemed to know it at all. So either they were being dishonest with me or you are now."

"That's actually our fault," Gohan interjected. "We used the Dragonballs to remove humanity's memory of Buu back in November."

"Ah, that would explain the discrepancy then. I have been undergoing my upgrade since the end of October and have been asleep for two full months. I would have missed the Dragon being summoned."

"But," Videl continued, "that still doesn't explain why you don't know about Buu from May."

"I regret to inform you that, though I awakened on May 8th, I still have no knowledge of this Majin Buu."

"Why did you awaken on May 8th? Was there something special about that date?"

"I am afraid I do not know the answer to that, either. According to my containment unit, I was actually meant to awaken once the supercomputer that oversaw all automated processes had not received communication from my father for three months. However, by all accounts of his uploaded memories, his life ended in the year 767 at the hands of the twins, Seventeen and Eighteen. Why the computer failed to awaken me properly is a mystery."

"I'm afraid that's our fault, too," Gohan admitted. "My group destroyed that supercomputer when we killed Cell before he could be completed."

"So even Cell was a failure in the end."

"Not completely," Gohan added. "The one we destroyed was, but another one came to this timeline from a different one. He almost succeeded in destroying everything."

"Time travel, you say…how very fascinating. Obviously he failed in the end, it seems. Regardless, that does explain things from my perspective. My containment unit was in a secret location, removed from the lab's basement. And without the supercomputer to report to that unit, the automated process to awaken me could not begin. So I lay dormant until May 8th, for whatever reason."

"I think I can guess the reason, actually" Videl offered. Twelve glanced towards her and raised an eyebrow, curious it seemed.

"I would welcome your theory, if you are willing to share it." She just couldn't understand why he was so amicable. She was almost enjoying talking to him…as if they weren't flying to a battleground to fight to the death with him.

"Majin Buu destroyed the Earth on May 8th. It was wished back with the Dragonballs and everything was restored to the way it was before, including the people. Maybe that reset your containment unit and activated it? Once it was restored, the activation process might have just begun automatically."

"Hm, that would explain my sudden awakening as well. This Majin Buu destroyed the entire planet, you say?"

"He did," Gohan said, nodding. "It took a lot of people working together to undo the damage he did and make things right."

"Interesting. Why, then, would you remove humanity's memories of the destroyer of their planet?"

"He's still alive and watches TV in my living room," Videl deadpanned, earning an amusingly surprised face from Twelve.

"I…am afraid I find myself at a loss. Why would you harbor a creature of that nature?" Suppressing a chuckle, Videl just shook her head.

"It's an incredibly long story, but the one I know is a different version of himself. He's good now and wants a peaceful life. So we took away humanity's memories so he could live alongside us."

"How very…illogical. Though it is hardly my place to offer judgment. Regardless, I thank you for clearing up the mystery of my return to this world. I trust that answers your original question, Videl?"

"It does…thanks."

"Think nothing of it. Although, I wonder if the two of you might answer a question of my own."

"Sure, I don't think it can hurt," Gohan conceded. Videl nodded her agreement.

"Just how did you manage to circumvent my Paralyzer? I am confident it worked the first time, were it not for the malfunction that caused it to overheat. However, my men reported that you were entirely unaffected by it in subsequent encounters. I assume Bulma Briefs played a role in it, but I have been unable to figure out exactly how, despite months of attempting to solve this mystery for myself."

Videl deferred to Gohan. He was the one who understood these types of enemies better and she didn't want to overshare, just in case. Sensing her silence had meaning, he offered an answer moments later.

"Well, you're right that the Paralyzer worked the first time. And yes, it was Bulma who figured out a way to get around the effects. She made a device to counteract and cancel out the ki amplitude that the Paralyzer broadcast, which left us unaffected."

"Most impressive," Twelve conceded. "She was able to reverse engineer my technology that accurately? My sincerest commendation to her for achieving such a feat with nothing to reference but her own intelligence."

"Yeah, she's pretty brilliant," Gohan agreed, grinning.

Videl just couldn't get over how strange this atmosphere was. Their enemy since May was flying along next to them, having a casual conversation with them. She idly wondered if Gohan had done this before for how relaxed he seemed about the situation. Though she had to admit, his lack of aggression made the conversation surprisingly interesting. Both parties were solving all the mysteries that had plagued them for months now. It was a little cathartic.

Finally, just as Videl was wondering how long they would fly for, Gohan gestured to a large, empty expanse of land. "How's that look?"

"I take no issue with it."

"How about you, 'Del?"

"Me? Yeah, it looks fine."

The trio descended, landing in the center of a grassy plain. There were no hills or mountains anywhere within sight, but they had flown for so long that nobody would ever discover them here by accident. Twelve had touched down several yards away, facing them intently. It seemed their casual conversations with him was over.

Gohan lifted his helmet from his head and unhooked his red cape, setting both down on the ground next to him. Videl, realizing it didn't matter anymore, did the same, both now standing in their Gis, prepared for a fight with no distractions.

"I finally see your faces at long last," Twelve noted. "It feels as if I am being greeted by old rivals. Alas, we will no longer have call to refer to each other as such after today."

"I have to ask first," Videl called out across the expanse, "you seem incredibly confident that you can beat us. What makes you so sure?"

"Another simple question to answer. My father gathered plenty of data on the Saiyans and their friends. Even knowledge of Goku and Vegeta's Super Saiyan transformations was uploaded to my data banks from his last confrontation with them. As a result, I feel confident that, with my new upgrades and combat prowess, I will be able to eventually overcome even the two of them."

Videl grinned. "Did you account for the fact that their power might have increased over the years you were asleep?"

"But of course! Even with those projections, I feel relatively confident that my increased stamina would still overcome them." She heard Gohan chuckle a bit next to her.

"Guess we'll have to find out! Unfortunately for you, you're not gonna be testing your strength against a Saiyan."

"What do you mean?"

"Your first opponent is Videl, not me."

She turned quickly towards Gohan, her eyes widening in surprise. "Me? You want me to fight him?"

"Of course," he answered, smiling at her as if it made perfect sense. "What better chance to test your strength than on a real opponent you don't have to hold back against?"

"Well…yeah. It just seems like an android might be a bit more than I can handle right now," she admitted, grimacing a bit. Gohan just shook his head.

"You held your own last time just fine and you were caught off guard. Even with his upgrades, he had no fighting experience and you have a lifetime's worth. I think you can beat him. And even if you can't, I'll be right here to tag in if you need me to."

Videl considered him for a moment. She was actually pretty nervous about facing down the kind of opponent he and his friends were used to fighting. She had to admit, though, it was a perfect opportunity. Even when sparring with Krillin, she knew it wasn't the same as a real fight would be. And she really did want to see what she was capable of after all the training she'd done since their last encounter. She had a score to settle, after all.

"Okay Darling, I'll take him on," she agreed, grinning up at him. Gohan smiled and nodded. As she stretched lightly, she continued. "But if I feel like I'm overwhelmed or I can't win, I'll tap out and you can take it from there. I won't be so proud that I can't see when I've lost."

"I trust you, Angel. Besides, I think you've got this. Don't forget, though, you won't be able to sense his ki unless he attacks with it; that's one of the differences between fighting an android and most other beings."

"Got it, I won't forget."

"Excuse me," Twelve interjected, frowning slightly, "but I do believe you might be using me as a training opportunity."

"I guess it depends on how you look at it," Gohan admitted, his smile unfaltering. "Videl has gotten a lot stronger since the two of you faced off and I know she'd like to get even for last time. What do you say? A one-on-one fight sounds fair, doesn't it?"

"Very well," he conceded. "Though I take no responsibility for how much stronger I am."

"We'll see about that," Videl called, the familiar fire of competition igniting in her heart at last. Her nerves had finally dissipated. She wouldn't be in any life-threatening danger with Gohan here. Knowing that, she could focus entirely on the fight at hand and truly test herself and her new abilities.

Stepping forward, she closed the distance between them a bit, stopping about ten feet away. Twelve brought his right arm across his chest and bowed politely once more, his neatly pressed lab coat billowing in the wind. "Then, let us begin, Videl."

She centered herself and called forth her aura, something she was much better at now than even the last time they had fought. "Ready when you are," she called back, lowering herself into a combat stance. The air around them seemed to stand still for several moments. Her mind cleared of everything but the task at hand. The first real fight she'd had since Juzai in the factory. And it was against the being that had been responsible for all of their hardships the last several months. This was it; their final battle with the Black Ribbon Army.

Almost at the same time, Videl and Twelve rocketed forward, their arms colliding against each other, a crack of energy sounding out like a gunshot. Videl threw a kick from the right and her leg collided with his side, faster than he could react. His robotic eyes widened and he went sailing away, struggling to correct course. She didn't let him, though, blasting off after him and kicking him again after she caught up. Taken by surprise again, Twelve bounced across the ground and skidded to a stop, dust kicking up all around him

"Nice one, Doll!" Gohan's encouraging voice rang out.

"Thanks!" she called back before returning her whole focus to the task at hand. She was a bit surprised with herself, but pleasantly so.

As Twelve struggled to his feet again, she felt a confident smirk cross her lips. For all the trouble he had given them over the last few months, all the threats to herself and the people she loved…that had felt amazing.

"I must admit," he called out, spitting dirt from his mouth, "you surprised me, Videl. You are significantly stronger than I gave you credit for. I would be wise to take you seriously."

"You sure would."

"Right; let us begin round two, then. I promise to be a better opponent this time!"

---

Gohan swelled with pride as he watched Videl fight Twelve. In the short few months they'd been training, she had grown so much stronger it was almost frightening. Her natural talent as a warrior was nearly unmatched. Perhaps only his father and Vegeta would be able to outpace her when it came to speed of progress and desire to improve.

Admittedly, Gohan had been a bit nervous when he suggested Videl fight the android alone. He really did believe in her and her progress and wanted to show her he trusted her strength, but a small part of him was scared of seeing her hurt. He didn't want her to be in pain and certainly didn't want to see it. She wouldn't have any knowledge of her opponent's techniques or abilities, either. But for how easily she was running circles around Twelve at the moment, he almost felt ridiculous for having worried at all.

Twelve blasted forward with a burst of speed that would have caught most people off guard, but Videl caught on immediately, ducking his attack and plunging her fist into his abdomen, his own momentum carrying him into the blow brutally. The android sputtered and backed off, Videl giving chase. A volley of punches connected across his upper body and a spinning kick (a flourish Videl had become quite fond of since learning to fly) sent him sailing across the expanse again, crashing hard into the ground.

For all his talk about being able to wear down a Super Saiyan, Twelve was already on the ropes. It wasn't because Videl was as strong as a Super Saiyan, though. No, the truth was likely that Twelve didn't know how to gauge power levels in any way, having never been in a real fight before. His data was likely all he had to fall back on, with no experience to apply to it. That could explain why he was being tossed around like a ragdoll by Videl.

Twelve rose shakily to his feet before taking a calming breath. "Impressive, Videl. When last we met, I was convinced you were far weaker than you have proven yourself today."

"I wasn't fighting anywhere close to my full strength last time," she explained, never leaving her fighting stance. "Wanna give up yet?" Gohan could only imagine the way her eyes flashed at him as she said those words.

Twelve laughed. "I am afraid not. I promised that you and Son Gohan would not leave here alive today and I intend to keep that promise. The two of you took everything from me and I shall return that favor tenfold!"

The android fired a blistering ki blast from his hands, gold and pure, directly at Videl. Once upon a time, Gohan's heart would have sunk. He would have been so scared to see her on the receiving end of an attack like that. But these days, he barely batted an eye. And neither did she. Drawing her arm back, she deflected the blast directly back towards Twelve, blasting off and chasing behind it. That was a clever move.

Twelve couldn't dodge in time and braced for impact, the blast exploding against his arms as he blocked. Through the golden energy that still obscured his vision, however, Videl appeared, leading with her fist. Roaring loudly, she connected, her powerful punch slamming into his cheek. Caught off guard yet again, Twelve found himself on the receiving end of a blistering volley of punches and kicks. Videl seemed to be taking out her frustrations with the Black Ribbon Army these past few months on their leader all at once. And Gohan grinned in amusement the entire time.

Finally, Twelve managed to block a kick and landed a punch of his own, Videl rolling with it and leaping away "Not bad, you finally got me!" she taunted, grinning devilishly. The android stared at her with a look that landed somewhere between disbelief and annoyance.

"I do not understand…how a normal human can go toe-to-toe with me and match my strength," he admitted, catching his breath. Gohan wondered for a moment why a fully mechanical being needed to breathe, but he was no robotics expert.

"'Match your strength?' That's a strange way of saying 'beat me into the dirt again and again,'" she called, her eyes never leaving him. For the first time, Gohan saw the android bristle. He had finally taken exception to her words.

"I am afraid I have been too cordial for too long," he began, but Videl interrupted immediately.

"Uh huh, this has everything to do with you not taking this seriously and nothing to do with the fact that you're just not very good in a fight."

"I am going to make you regret your taunts, Videl," he cautioned her. The raven-haired girl just bounced lightly from one foot to the other, prepared to resume at a moment's notice.

"Ready any time! My sparring partners land more hits on me than you! Maybe this really is training!"

Twelve launched forward, his own voice roaring across the plains as he approached. Videl leapt into the air and flew straight upwards and the android began to chase. Gohan was curious what her next move would be but she wasn't going to leave him hanging for long. After several seconds, she turned and shot directly down towards her opponent, taking him a bit by surprise. He drew his hand back and fired a quick ki blast but Videl simply kicked it away (something Gohan hadn't actually taught her how to do) and zipped around behind him as he dodged.

Threading her fingers together, she swung both arms like a club, slamming Twelve in the back and sending him careening downwards into the ground again, an explosion of dust and dirt flying up around him. Videl stayed floating in the air, waiting for him to resurface. When he finally did, his lab coat was in tatters and his eyes were alight with anger.

"I thought you were done playing," she called out. Gohan almost wanted to warn her against taunting him any further, but the damage had already been done; Twelve was clearly frustrated with her and not saying more wouldn't change that fact. Besides, she did some of her best fighting while tearing down her opponents verbally as well. And so far, she had taken one lousy punch compared to the numerous times Twelve had all but literally eaten dirt.

"I have had enough of you, you arrogant brat!" It seemed she had finally gotten under his skin and, at long last, his calm demeanor started to crumble. The hunger that flashed through Videl's eyes was telling; she had clearly wanted to set him off and break that amicable façade since they'd begun fighting.

"Then let's settle it!"

Twelve blasted off again, rocketing straight up this time. He didn't aim for Videl, but instead climbed high above her. Curious what he was up to, she watched him, staying on guard. Finally, he stopped and aimed both hands towards her. With a loud roar, a torrent of ki blasts erupted from his palms, all flying at various angles towards Videl's general location. Gohan was a bit worried about this attack but, seconds later, found he had no reason to be.

Videl pitched and rolled, darting between several blasts before righting herself and speeding forward. She moved between the blasts with incredible precision, at one point dodging so quickly Gohan actually lost sight of her as she blipped from existence for a brief instance. He felt himself light up with pride at the sight; she had wanted to fight more like he and the other Z Warriors for so long and she was really doing it.

Videl appeared again, finishing her ascent through the rainstorm of ki blasts, and landed a powerful kick on Twelve. He careened through the sky before righting himself and glowering at her, his teeth gnashing together. Videl grinned at him and winked, and finally his composure all but evaporated.

"Why won't you just die, you horrid little witch!?"

"Die? You've barely even hit me!"

"Then allow me to remedy that!"

"If you can!"

The fight continued in much the same way for quite a while longer. Videl would taunt Twelve, he would get increasingly angry, she would land several vicious hits on him – occasionally taking one or two attacks in turn – and then send him careening to the ground again. This repeated for nearly twenty minutes before Gohan finally noticed Videl slowing. She was wearing out.

It clearly hadn't been Twelve's plan; he was absolutely enraged and couldn't see the signs that she was starting to become exhausted. But here, watching objectively, Gohan could tell. She needed to finish him off quickly or at least swap out with him. Now that he thought about it, though, he wasn't sure she actually had an attack to end this with. The android was, unsurprisingly, very durable, so it was unlikely she would kick a hole through him or remove his head or anything like that.

After another volley of punches was exchanged, Videl taking a few more shots than she had so far, she finally managed to launch him downwards yet again before sighing heavily and trying to catch her breath. She slowly began to float back to the ground as Twelve picked himself up from the dirt yet again. Her feet met the grass once more and she took a slow breath.

"Well…for all my talk, it looks like I can't win," she announced. Gohan was a bit surprised but very proud of her for another reason; she was never one to bow out of a fight and he knew it took a lot for her to do it now, especially after her taunting and rightfully earned confidence.

"What are you talking about?" Twelve spat, unclear as to her intent.

"You're a lot more durable than I am. I don't think you have that infinite energy source the way Eighteen does, but your ki runs a lot deeper than mine. Your body is sturdier too. And I'm running out of stamina. I give up. I can't beat you. Not with my strength being at the level it is."

"What do you mean 'you give up?' Weren't you going on about how I should show you my power? I won't stop until this is finished!"

"Oh, the fight isn't over," she assured him, grinning. "You'll just fight Gohan now. And if you thought fighting me was rough, you haven't seen anything yet."

"I don't think you understand the situation," he intoned, suddenly quiet. He stepped forward and stared her down, unblinking. "This fight ends when I say it ends! You aren't in charge of the situation anymore!"

Twelve blasted off and rushed straight towards Videl but he'd never get there in time. Gohan hurried forward, blinking into the space between them, and kicked Twelve straight down into the dirt beneath him with meteoric force. A crater appeared in the ground this time, the android lying motionless at its center.

"Neither are you," he called out before flying over to Videl and landing next to her.

"Thanks, Sweetheart," she told him, her eyes shining up at him.

"Of course. I told you I'd have your back if you needed me."

"I never doubted that for a second."

"You were incredible! I'm so proud of you! I've never seen you move like that before; it was amazing!" Videl smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks! It helps that I have such a brilliant teacher! But still…I couldn't finish him off. I'm not strong enough yet…"

"Don't beat yourself up," he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a warm gaze. "You're fighting an artificial being; the fact that you could run circles around him the way you did for so long is just fantastic! But to gauge his strength against yours so accurately without even being able to sense his power level is really impressive too!" She smiled up at him, her eyes starting to shine again.

"You really mean it?"

"Of course I do! When I said you should fight him, I knew you'd be fine, but I didn't expect you to put him in the dirt so many times!" She giggled lightly.

"You're the best, Love. Thank you."

"Always."

"Now, why don't you put an end to this for me? I think we've played around long enough with Twelve, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think you're right. Give me a little space, okay? I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

"Good luck, Darling!" she sang, floating up and pecking him on the cheek before heading back to where they'd left their helmets and capes. Gohan turned towards the crater again, gazing down into it.

"You still alive in there?"

Twelve managed to lift himself up from the impact site and floated out of the hole, landing near Gohan, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"You…you are far stronger than Son Gohan should actually be…"

"I am? What are you basing that on?"

"The data I have, of course. According to my father, you have moments of incredible strength, but your consistent power level is significantly lower than the other warriors you surround yourself with. Even with my projections, you should not be this much stronger than back then."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but Saiyans tend to defy the odds a lot," he explained, offering a smile. Twelve's rage had been tempered by Gohan's attack, it seemed, and he had returned to his natural curiosities. Perhaps the shock of his opponent's power had done more to snap him out of his anger than anything else, though.

"Explain that to me; how exactly do you mean?"

"Super Saiyan isn't the strongest transformation we're capable of anymore. And it's not even close to the pinnacle of my own power these days." The android's eyes widened.

"Y-you? But the data I have suggests that only pure-blooded Saiyans can manage that transformation!"

"There was a time you would have been right. Back when Gero was still running around, I couldn't manage it myself. But I learned how shortly after that. And funnily enough, it's Cell's fault I found a power level beyond that."

"Then…what I just experienced was only a small fraction of your powers?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Y-you must be bluffing…it is simply inconceivable that my projections and calculations could be so inaccurate…"

Videl called out from the sidelines, a wide grin on her face. "When you spend enough time with Saiyans, you start to realize that nothing is that simple! And that they'll defy your expectations a lot!"

"She's right," Gohan admitted, laughing.

"Then…I suppose I have no hope against you, do I?" Twelve asked carefully.

"No, I'm afraid not. But I do have one last thing to share with you."

"What might that be?"

"The real reason your Paralyzer failed the first time." The android's eyes widened in confusion.

"The…real reason?"

"Your original design never had any flaws that caused it to overheat. I heard you say that earlier and just let it go, but I figure I'll set the record straight now."

"Then what happened to it? If it was successful in paralyzing your Saiyan biology the way I predicted, how did you escape it?" Gohan's eyes flashed.

"You told Juzai to kill Videl. And when he tried to do it, it awakened a greater power than I've ever known. That power fried your machine."

"I…that cannot be…"

"Wanna see for yourself?"

Gohan drew his power forth quickly and deliberately, raising his arms to his sides as he let out a roar. Seconds later, his hair flashed and stood straight up, the familiar golden aura blazing to life and enveloping him. The earth beneath their feet shook for several seconds as he called forth the enormous strength he had tapped into that day. As the ground stilled again, the incredible power of his Super Saiyan Mystic form surged within Gohan, filling him with confidence and calmness. Twelve's eyes were the exact opposite, however.

"W-what…are you? This power is more than my sensors can even fathom…"

"Ironic, isn't it?" he asked, dispelling his aura and staring unflinchingly at the android. "If you hadn't told Juzai to kill the woman I love, I probably wouldn't have discovered this power. If you'd just let her go, you had me trapped. But this power is what saved both of us." Twelve blinked several times before falling to his knees, still staring up at the young Saiyan.

"And our actions unknowingly gave rise to it…"

"Exactly."

Twelve began to laugh dejectedly. "You are correct, Son Gohan; the irony of this situation is suffocating."

Gohan relaxed and let his transformation disappear, returning to his normal state. "My turn for one last question. When you said you could beat a Super Saiyan, were you planning to outlast our stamina, the way you ended up doing with Videl?"

"Indeed. Based on my projections, the Super Saiyan form wouldn't be enough to wholly destroy me before outlasting the user's stamina. But alas…my miscalculations seem to have been innumerable. I doubt I could have survived that long against a Super Saiyan in the end. I hope that answers your question adequately."

"It does."

"Very well. I have no ability to stand against you, Son Gohan. Unbeknownst to me, my defeat and destruction were assured from the moment I called the two of you to the city center today. I only ask that you make my death as quick and painless as possible. In the end, I, too, failed in my mission." Android Twelve hung his head and closed his eyes, resigning himself to the end. Gohan lifted his hand and pointed it at their adversary. They had reached the conclusion at last.

His eyes took in the sight of the defeated android. It made him feel a pang of sadness. For as much as he and Videl had struggled against the Black Ribbon Army since May, the sight of their leader accepting his failures and surrendering himself to destruction at Gohan's own hand was enough to shake the young Saiyan's anger. Did he really deserve to die for the things he'd done? If he let Twelve go, though, he endangered not only himself, but his best friends, his family…and his Videl, the most important person in the world. Gohan wasn't a killer; this kind of thing had never, in any way, come naturally to him. But…there was still merit in what Sixteen had told him all those years ago: "it's okay to kill a monster to protect the people you love." But there was a sense of guilt he just couldn't shake…was Twelve really a monster? Should he really do it? He'd probably never get another chance…

"I have one last question too," came Videl's strong voice, suddenly right beside him. Gohan snapped from his reverie and glanced towards her. Twelve's dejected eyes opened and shifted to her as well.

"By all means," he conceded.

"Can an android that's already updated their directives defy them completely?"

Gohan couldn't help but grin over towards her; she was surprising him yet again. His hand lowered to his side once more.

---

"I…am afraid you have me at a loss," Twelve admitted, eyeing her in confusion. Videl smiled, a gentle smile this time instead of the taunting grins she'd thrown his way earlier.

"I'm asking you if you could ignore or delete your directives. What if you gave up this quest for revenge? It's not what you decided for yourself, right? This is the path Dr. Gero chose for you. So what if you followed your own path?" She saw Gohan giving her a warm look. He approved, too.

"Well, I suppose it might not be impossible…"

"It can't be that hard; you've basically done it once! Gohan and I weren't in your directives originally but you altered them so that eliminating us was a priority, right?" Twelve blinked several times.

"You…are correct. I still did not manage to defy my original directive, though I was able to alter it. But why would you want to afford me the opportunity to forge my own path?" Videl smiled serenely.

"The way I see it, despite everything we've had to deal with because of you and your Black Ribbon Army, nobody ever died, just like you said. Sure, I came the closest, but I'm the one making the offer; I think that's more than fair. I guess I just don't think you deserve to die when you didn't kill anyone to further your own goals."

"But…my ultimate goal was to kill Son Goku. Everything I did was with the express intent of ending his life." Gohan spoke up next.

"And you didn't, right? Besides, you'd be shocked how many of our friends tried to kill him once upon a time!" Gohan began to chuckle and Videl laughed easily right alongside him. Twelve simply looked on in amazement and confusion.

"Humans are so very confusing to me. Ah, allow me to amend my words; humans and Saiyans."

"Yeah, we don't really operate under perfect logic, do we?" she conceded. "But still, I don't actually think you're all that evil. The only time you really got aggressive was after I goaded you for half an hour, but otherwise you've always been very polite towards us. I think your disposition alone speaks to the fact that your directives are what drive you to do the things you do, not a desire to actually destroy and kill."

"Perhaps you are correct. I wonder, though. Free will for a machine like myself seems so unattainable."

"I know Gohan told you Eighteen is still alive, but would it change your mind to know that she has a family now? She married and had a child with her husband and has her own life that she's very happy with!" Videl offered. Twelve laughed to himself.

"The twins always were quite the anomalies. They were human to begin with so their ability to defy their programming came much more naturally to them. I cannot see myself having the strength of motivation to defy that programming in the same way for very long."

"Hmm…well, you seem to be very interested in ki science, right? And you're very good at it! Bulma was extremely impressed by your inventions! Maybe you could focus on doing something with that? That might be enough to do it!"

"While that does sound quite appealing, I worry that should you allow me this second chance, my own programmed limitations might spoil it before I have the chance to adequately make use of it."

"Why not get Bulma to help us out then?" Gohan suggested. Videl watched him with a smile but Twelve spoke up again.

"Bulma Briefs is a brilliant woman, but does she have experience with androids like myself?" Gohan gave him a thumbs up.

"Yeah! Back when Cell was running wild, we took in Android Sixteen and she and her father patched him up after a pretty bad injury. She was able to access all of his programming and learn about him and even removed the bomb implanted in him."

"I never cease to be impressed by her prowess and intelligence," the android conceded. "Then you are suggesting she might be able to free me from my directives…to allow me an existence in which I may forge my own path forward?"

"I think it's certainly worth a shot!" Twelve let out another derisive laugh.

"I simply cannot fathom why the both of you would want to help someone who is, at present, your greatest enemy."

"Maybe we're just naïve," Videl offered, laughing as she did. Gohan chuckled next to her before taking her hand in his. It wasn't quite the same with their gloves in the way, but it was still comforting in a way nothing else was. She continued a moment later, a calm smile on her lips.

"But actually, I think it's a lesson I learned from Son Goku, believe it or not. He believes in giving people a second chance, even those who don't deserve it. He did it for Vegeta and he did it for Majin Buu. Buu has become a very close friend of mine since then…and he destroyed the entire planet and killed every human on it before that. If a being like that can be given a second chance, then I don't see why you can't be given one, too."

"I couldn't agree more, 'Del," Gohan told her, a twinkle in his dark eyes.

"So, what do you say?" Videl pressed him, extending her free hand towards him. Android Twelve considered her for several long moments before slowly reaching out and grasping her hand. Videl smiled and pulled, helping him to his feet easily. The android bowed deeply to them.

"If that is the case, then I would be more than happy to learn if this course of action is feasible or not. Though I feel quite conflicted at the moment, I must admit the prospect of freedom is vastly preferable to the prospect of annihilation. Even if it flies in the face of my father's wishes. Perhaps it is the fear of death that all living beings can relate to that drives me to defy my programming at this time."

"Well, whatever the reason, we'd be glad to give you the chance to defy it from now on," Videl assured him. Twelve straightened up and offered them a shockingly genuine smile, his piercing blue eyes seeming to soften in a way that reminded her of herself. She had gone from cold and unapproachable once to being much warmer and more open with the people in her life. Maybe even a being like Android Twelve could do the same if he were given the proper chance.

"Well, I think that settles it!" Gohan began, grinning widely. "We should head over to Capsule Corp. and see if Bulma and her dad can help us out again!"

"I must first offer you both my gratitude. I have been awake for less than a year and already I have caused much havoc. I only hope that I might be able to remedy some of those mistakes if this is indeed successful." Videl just smiled again.

"Like we said – a lot of people who have done far worse than you have were given a second chance and they've changed completely! I'm sure you can do the same. Sometimes you just need a fresh start to get things right. I got one too, in a different way."

"You did?" he asked, curiosity in his mechanical gaze. She nodded and leaned into Gohan.

"I did. I wasn't always warm to the people around me, even those most important to me. It took getting a second chance at life to realize that I should just be myself, completely and unapologetically. And you know what? Things are so much better now than they used to be. Give us and Bulma a chance and we'll show you that you can have the same thing."

"I must admit, I have no argument against that. Very well; I shall entrust myself to you, Videl. And to you as well, Son Gohan. Thank you for your kindness in the face of all that I have done."

---

It had been a surprisingly eventful flight out to West City. Gohan had first called Bulma and explained the situation to her, convincing her quite easily to help them. Next, he called Eighteen and asked if she would meet them at Capsule Corp. as soon as she could, explaining that there was another android with them. She had agreed immediately upon hearing that news and promised to meet them there as quickly as she could fly out. He figured having another android might help calm Twelve's hesitations.

On the way past Satan City, Videl, fully equipped with her helmet and cape again, peeled off from the group and returned to the city proper, making the announcement on the news that the threat was gone and the citizens were all safe. On her way back out of the city limits, she called Erasa to reassure her that things were okay again and promised she'd explain everything later before next contacting the Chief with her watch and doing the same. Rejoining Gohan and Twelve, the three flew the rest of the way to West City without further interruption, though the android seemed somewhat conflicted for the remainder of the trip.

At last, Capsule Corp. appeared on the horizon and the trio touched down by the front entrance, Bulma meeting them at the door. Her eyes fell on Twelve and she sized him up at once, a frown on her face. "You've given me a lot of headaches, you know? It took me months to figure out that Paralyzer of yours!" she scowled, earning laughter from Videl and Gohan. The android simply lowered his head.

"My apologies for doing so, Dr. Briefs. I have heard many a tale of your brilliance and I must commend you for your ability to counteract my technology so completely. I am in awe."

Bulma's cheeks actually turned a bit red and she turned away, huffing. "Call me Bulma, Dr. Briefs makes me sound so old," she grumbled before turning to Videl and Gohan. "Where did you two find this guy? And why is he so good at flattery?"

"He's been doing that with us since the beginning too," Videl explained, grinning. "Though that's not the first compliment he's given you today."

"W-well, anyway! You three come down to the lab; Eighteen is already here and Dad's almost finished setting up."

Bulma led the three through the building towards the all-too-familiar room. Videl half-wondered if they'd run into Vegeta on the way and whether or not he'd have a problem with their decision, but the man was nowhere to be seen today. She tried reaching out with her ki and thought she sensed him training, but she couldn't be entirely sure. It might be Trunks. While she could feel stronger ki signatures much more easily these days, differentiating them was still a bit of a struggle for her.

Arriving at the lab, the chrome doors slid open to reveal Dr. Briefs finishing the set up of some equipment and Eighteen leaning against a nearby wall. When her neutral gaze fell on Twelve, her eyes actually widened and she pushed off the wall and approached. Videl was curious what this meeting might be like and stepped back deliberately as Bulma crossed the lab to help her father finish setting up their equipment.

"So, you're Gero's oldest android?" Eighteen asked, her voice as steady and direct as ever. Twelve drew his arm across his chest and bowed lightly.

"Indeed. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Eighteen. Though we have never met, I was granted all of our father's memories. It feels as if I've known you for years." Eighteen scowled.

"That man was no father of mine; all he did was kidnap my brother and I and turn us into this."

"My apologies for any disrespect I may have caused you. I am programmed to hold my father, Dr. Gero, in the highest esteem and regard. However, I spoke without considering your feelings." Videl grinned over at Gohan. Was it his programming that made him so polite and cordial as well? Or was it just his natural personality shining through?

Eighteen let her face relax and shook her head. "No need to apologize; I reacted a bit too aggressively anyway. Besides, if my life hadn't gone the way it has, I probably wouldn't be where I am right now, nor as happy as I am. So in a strange way, I suppose I owe the man a small thanks."

"Ah yes, Gohan and Videl mentioned that you have a family and a purpose of your own these days. Might I ask – do you feel satisfied with your life? Has having your freedom come with any negative feelings or experiences?" Eighteen blinked several times before recentering herself.

"From what I can tell, you're not human-based, are you? You're entirely mechanical?"

"That is correct."

"I understand the question then. My brother and I were never subservient to Dr. Gero. He had to threaten us to get us to obey him. So when we were free to do as we wished, it didn't feel any different than the rest of our lives had. For you, though, all you know is following your programming to the letter. I can't say for sure if you'll have as easy a time with freedom as I did, but I can assure you it's far more preferable to being enslaved by the ghost of a dead man."

Gohan grimaced nearby. Videl understood; Eighteen had a way of being painfully direct, much the same way Vegeta did. And Twelve had incredible respect towards Gero. If he were offended, however, the android showed no signs of it. Instead, he offered a nod and a light smile.

"I believe you may be right, Eighteen, even where I am concerned. Were it not for the kindness of my former adversaries, I would not exist at present. So even if the path forward is uncertain, I feel I must give it my best effort to honor their consideration." Eighteen smirked at last.

"These two really do have a way of surprising you, don't they? But then, I guess Gohan at least takes after his father with that desire to offer second chances."

"What's my excuse then?" Videl asked, grinning at the blonde. Eighteen laughed lightly before meeting her gaze.

"You love Gohan and didn't want him to have to kill Twelve. Simple." Videl felt her face heat up as she smiled and averted her eyes. Gohan closed the distance between them and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Eighteen's eyes were shimmering with amusement as she spoke again.

"Hey, I never said it was a bad thing. In fact, if it weren't for your group's penchant for offering second chances, I'd probably be dead right now. Besides, it's worked out quite well for Goku, hasn't it? Why should this be any different?"

"Okay, we're ready!" Bulma called from across the lab. The group wandered over and Videl watched as Twelve studied the machinery. He was less anxious now. Perhaps his conversation with Eighteen had helped as much as Gohan had hoped.

"This is quite advanced for someone who does not specialize in robotics. It seems very similar to the technology my father used in his own labs." Bulma grinned.

"I based the designs off of the blueprints we took from him back in the day. I trust you're happy with it, then? This is the same equipment we used to patch up Sixteen years ago, just with some minor upgrades and modifications." Twelve offered a surprisingly genuine smile.

"I am quite pleased, yes. When Son Gohan and Videl mentioned your expertise, I was not aware you utilized machinery I would find so familiar. I must admit my hesitations are significantly lowered as a result."

"Well, I'm glad it helps some! But before we get started, as a scientist I can't just ignore my own ethics. So I have to ask you a few questions, Twelve."

"By all means."

"First, I'm not going to be altering anything physically as far as your body goes; just some of the programming you've been given. Is that okay?"

"I would greatly appreciate that, in fact."

"Great. Now, for the more important questions. Dr. Gero clearly gave you directives to kill Goku and your own experiences amended them to include Videl and Gohan as primary targets. Is it alright if I delete those directives completely? I'll only remove the ones that seem to supersede your own will."

Twelve considered her question for several long moments. He took in the faces of those around him, particularly Eighteen, before nodding firmly. "I find that not only acceptable but desirable as well. My actions have thus far been dictated by forces outside of my control. I would very much like to honor the kindness my former adversaries have afforded me by removing all limitations my father placed on my free will." Bulma smiled.

"Great!"

"I do have a pair of requests of my own, though, if I may be so bold."

"Go right ahead."

"First, I would ask that you leave untouched the admiration I have for my father. I realize that his actions have caused naught but harm throughout much of your lifetime, but he is still the man who created me and gave me life. I wish to view him as someone deserving of my respect." Bulma nodded immediately.

"Aside from any directives that might lead you to harm someone, I won't touch anything pertaining to Dr. Gero. We may not have the best memories of him, but that doesn't mean we should force those feelings on you either. That wouldn't be any different than your current circumstances."

"I thank you for your understanding."

"And your second request?"

"I can surmise that my knowing of Son Gohan and Videl's secret identities would lead to trouble. Their actions dictate a strong desire to protect those closest to them, whether that be by protecting their real faces and names or by removing obstacles that threaten them. Therefore, as a direct answer to their kindness, I would ask that you write one simple directive into my programming during this process."

Videl watched him curiously. What was it that he wanted? Bulma nodded again, a grin on her face. "Sure! What would that directive be?"

"I am not able to reveal the identities of the Great Saiyaman No. 1 or No. 2 to anyone who has not already been made aware."

"That sounds easy enough to me!"

"I don't think you really have to go that far," Gohan began but Twelve shook his head.

"Being the artificial being that I am, I cannot know for sure the limits of freedom with regards to my actions. I would like to ensure that your kindness in sparing me is not met with disrespect in any way, especially when it pertains to the safety of your friends and family."

"I think that's very gracious of you," Videl assured him, smiling. "If that's what you want, we'll accept it! Right, Darling?"

"Yeah, I have no problem with that," he agreed. "I just didn't want you to feel forced into anything."

"Rest assured, Son Gohan; I propose this course of action using all the free will I can muster at present." Gohan grinned at last.

"Then I guess it's my turn to thank you! But please, you can just call me 'Gohan;' you don't have to use my family name."

"Very well. If that is what you would prefer, I would be happy to oblige you, Gohan."

"Okay, then!" Bulma announced, clapping her hands. "Looks like we're ready to go! Eighteen, do you wanna stay here with us and make sure we're doing everything right?" The blonde shrugged.

"If you'd like. I can't say I know much about processes like these, but I understand enough that I might be a little helpful."

"We'll get out of the way then. Thanks again for helping us Bulma," Videl sang, taking Gohan's hand and heading towards the doors.

"I must offer you my thanks again for your deference today," Twelve called after them. "I intend to reciprocate your kindness in any way I am capable of following my reprogramming."

"We'll look forward to it then!"

---

During the several hours that Videl and Gohan waited for Bulma's procedure to be finished, they each made a few calls to assure their families everything was fine. Videl called her father and Buu first and was surprised – Papa had known about what was going on but hadn't been concerned in the slightest, telling her that between she and Gohan, he knew there was nothing to panic over. It made her quite happy that her father had grown to trust her strength so much, but even happier that he trusted her judgment.

After that, she and Gohan together called Kaneki and explained that the leader of the Black Ribbon Army was no more. It wasn't entirely untrue – the android that had gone to such lengths to kill Goku was being freed of his maker's shackles as they spoke. But nobody really needed to know that he was still alive after threatening an entire city. Kaneki thanked them for wrapping up the final loose end and thanked them as always for protecting the city before wishing them a happy new year and signing off.

Finally, while Gohan was talking to his own family, Videl decided to call Erasa and let her know what happened earlier that day. The last time they'd talked had been extremely short and all she had said was that everything was over now. After one ring, Erasa excitedly answered.

"Vi! I was waiting for you to call!"

"Hey 'Rase! Sorry I couldn't chat earlier; there was a lot going on. It turns out the leader of the Black Gloves was actually an android and we beat him! But we decided to give him another chance and now Bulma's reprogramming him so he isn't driven to do bad things anymore. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Tell me why Gohan was asleep next to you at 8 in the morning!" Her voice was high-pitched and excited, the words pouring quickly from her mouth.

Videl felt her entire face go beet-red, ears and neck included. She had forgotten Erasa had learned that little detail before all the excitement had happened. Luckily, Gohan himself was distracted with his own phone call and Videl turned away, speaking rather quietly. "D-don't you wanna…I dunno, hear about my fight with an artificial being and how we saved the city…?"

"Nope! At least not yet! I'm sure you were amazing, though! Tell me about this morning!" She was completely undeterred.

"I, uh…I'm not really home right now. Or alone. C-can it wait till tonight?" There was a long, unsatisfied silence from the other end of the line before her best friend sighed heavily.

"Fine," she whined, clearly pouting. "But at least answer this, yes or no only! Did you two…you know?" she insinuated. Videl could hear the playful smirk on her face. Blushing even worse than before, she managed a tiny answer.

"Y…yeah…"

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Okay, you don't have to tell me more for now! But you have to call me again tonight!" Her excitement was insatiable.

"Um, uh, 'Rase, I don't…really feel super comfortable talking about that just yet…"

"Oh come on, you know I won't ask you things that are, like, way too personal! But I've gotta know some of it! Please? Please?" Videl managed to calm her raging embarrassment just enough to answer one more time.

"F-fine. I'll tell you a little. Just a little though. Okay?"

"I can live with that!"

The girls finished their chat shorty thereafter and Videl collapsed onto the couch with Gohan, thoroughly exhausted from her conversation with Erasa. She wasn't looking forward to the next one they had planned. Nestling into his side, Videl curled up onto the couch with him.

"The new year just started and I'm already exhausted," she grumped. Gohan laughed and nuzzled her, kissing the top of her head.

"It's been a long day! And it's barely past noon…hey, are you hungry? We didn't actually have breakfast today." Videl considered herself.

"Now that you mention it, yeah, I'm pretty starved. Guess I really wore myself out with that fight earlier."

"You were amazing again, Angel. I couldn't be more proud of you!"

"Thank you, Love!"

"I think we should set up that training session with Piccolo sometime soon! That'll help you push yourself towards your next big step with ki!"

"That's right! Yeah, I'd love to take him up on his offer! Why don't we see if he's free next Sunday?"

"I'll ask him tonight!"

Gohan, being much more familiar and comfortable with Capsule Corp. than she was, led her upstairs to the kitchen where Mrs. Briefs was sitting with Trunks. The two excitedly greeted them and, after explaining to Trunks what was going on, the four shared lunch together. It was surprisingly relaxing, especially after the intimidating feeling Videl had experienced the first few times she'd been here. A short time later, Vegeta wandered into the kitchen and began collecting some food for himself. At the news that she and Gohan had brought in yet another stray android to their group, Vegeta just rolled his eyes and muttered something about their quota for villain rejects before joining them.

A few hours later, Bulma emerged from the lab, calling she and Gohan back. Vegeta and Trunks decided to tag along and the four entered the lab. Twelve was standing by the device Bulma had used on him, his eyes shining that same artificial blue color they had before. His lab coat had been replaced, Videl noted. The one she had all but destroyed was gone and this time a Capsule Corp. branded one rested atop his dark suit. It fit him well, somehow.

"Welcome back," Eighteen greeted, a satisfied smile on her face. "Everything went quite well, I'd say."

"I should agree," Twelve chimed in, a smile on his face. "I have never experienced existence without some outside force commanding my actions and desires. It feels…odd. As if I have no clear goal or direction."

"At least the beauty of that is now you get to decide for yourself what you want," Eighteen reminded him. She seemed to have warmed up to him a bit.

"You are correct, Eighteen. And I thank you deeply for your advice and honesty earlier." Eighteen just nodded at him, though her smile was softer than usual.

"Have you thought about where you want to go?" Videl asked, curious. The android furrowed his brow and considered her for a moment.

"I suppose I have no place in particular to go. I do not have a place of residence, personally. I have always stayed at the base in the mountains. Where should I go?"

"I think the better question is where do you want to go?" Gohan spoke up, an easy smile on his face. Twelve considered him for several long moments.

"Well," he began hesitantly, "I recall Videl's words from earlier – I am quite fond of ki science and using my knowledge to craft new inventions and technologies. I wonder, Bulma, if I may make a proposal." Her eyebrows raised but she nodded all the same.

"Sure, what're you thinking?"

"Would it be possible for me to stay here and work with you? I have long been impressed by your brilliance and I feel we might be able to teach each other quite a bit with regards to our respective fields of mastery."

Videl was surprised but grinned up at Gohan as well. For how much Twelve had been worried about living freely, he certainly seemed to be taking to it quite well. Bulma was a little stunned but recovered after a few moments.

"Well…I suppose I don't really know much about ki science, all things considered. I only reverse engineered the Paralyzer because you used my components in it. And I was quite impressed with your work!"

"I would not be imposing then?"

"You can't live here," Bulma cautioned him, "but I'd love to have you work here with me and the rest of the team!"

"I am not opposed to that at all! But…where shall I go in the interim then?" Bulma laughed lightly before waving a hand.

"We have an employee dorm pretty close by; I'll get you set up with a room there if you like!"

"You would offer such luxury to me?"

"It's not a five-star hotel or anything, but we made it pretty nice! Besides, this whole time we've been telling you to live as you see fit once you were free from your programming. If this is what you want to do, I'd love to have you! We could do a lot of good together, I think!"

"I would be honored to take you up on that offer, then!" Twelve agreed, smiling in such a way that Videl couldn't believe he had ever viewed himself as their enemy. He seemed so…excited. Almost the way Buu had looked when he'd first come home with she and Papa.

"That is," Bulma amended, strolling across the room and smirking at Vegeta, "if my husband is okay with this too. You never directly threatened me, but you were the cause of some pretty big worries of his for a while there."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I think you're overselling how worried I was. But I have no objections. If he tries to harm you, I'll just destroy him." Bulma was a bit annoyed by his response (particularly how emotionally unavailable it was) and Trunks shook his head in embarrassment, but Twelve simply offered a bow to Vegeta.

"I would never dream of harming Bulma or anyone else here! In fact, I feel that using my gifts for peace and good is the most impactful way I can honor the kindness Gohan and Videl have shown me today."

"Hmph. Whatever you say."

"Well I'm glad things worked out so well in the end," Videl said at last, a smile lighting her face. "I know I was pretty aggressive with you earlier, Twelve, but I've learned a lot about letting the past go since May. So welcome to the team! We're glad to have you here!"

"There's always room for one more who wants to do good," Gohan said, nodding his agreement.

"I am truly grateful to have been afforded this opportunity. I will not waste it."

"Speaking of opportunity," Bulma began suddenly, crossing the lab and approaching Twelve with intent, "you have a pretty unique opportunity here as well! I can fix your naming sense!" The android's eyes widened in surprise.

"My…naming sense?"

"Frankly, your naming sense sucks. You called the device that paralyzes people 'the Paralyzer' and the gloves that manifest ki the 'Manifest Gloves.' Come on! You can be way more creative than that! Even I came up with 'Ki Suppressor' and I didn't know anything about the technology at the time!"

"Ah. I…was not aware names were of such import…"

"Well you have a lot to learn then, Twelve! And I'd be happy to teach you from scratch! Consider yourself my protégé from now on!"

Videl leaned into Gohan's side and laughed at the situation unfolding before her. If someone had told her this morning that the leader of the Black Ribbon Army would be having an amicable conversation with Bulma about his naming sense by the late afternoon, she would never have believed them. And yet, here they were, another misguided soul given a chance to make amends by their little group.

"We made the right choice, Angel," came Gohan's calm voice from just above her head. She felt a smile spread slowly across her lips and tilted her face up towards him.

"I think so too, Sweetheart. Your dad was right all along; some people really do deserve second chances. They might just surprise you."

---

2/3/2022

---

Post-Chapter Note: So there you have it! The conclusion of the Black Ribbon Army! I have a lot of thoughts I want to share about the characters and their motivations and such so if that's interesting to you, just keep reading! And if you'd rather not, thank you so much for reading the chapter and I hope to see you back next week!

Obviously, the first thing to talk about is Android Twelve. I've actually had this character (and his reveal) planned since before the first encounter with the Black Gloves at the warehouse, probably all the way back to Chapter 5. I wasn't sure exactly how it would end, but I knew who the villain was. I tried to drop little hints throughout the story so you could figure it out without being so obvious there was no surprise at all. The biggest one, of course, was that he was connected to Dr. Gero in some way, though there were some smaller hints in that Gohan couldn't sense him and he was surprisingly strong despite his appearance. The fact that he didn't know Majin Buu wasn't so much a hint at his identity as it was a hint that something was off with his knowledge of the world. I also wondered if the name 'Black Ribbon Army' gave too much away, but I don't think it ultimately did. Did you get it early? Let me know!

The next thing to talk about is his conclusion. Originally, when I planned this part out way back during the early chapters, I thought Gohan just destroyed him in the end. In my first plan, Twelve was just another heartless DBZ villain who forced the heroes to kill him. But the way I wrote him throughout the rest of the story seemed to dictate the opposite. He never just used his men and threw them away when they failed (unless they were arrested, which...most were). He never harbored ill will towards anyone who put themselves first (Reed and Juzai). He looked down on their intelligence somewhat (Koyo) but never to their faces and mostly as a result of Gero's programming and influence. Even when he threatens the city in this chapter, he never really has real intent to hurt anyone but his targets. And he was pleasant and cordial at the very least to Videl and Gohan every time they met, even respecting them as his rivals. His inner monologues were fun to delve into as well, the two times I chose to. But all of that redefined him as a character to me. He wasn't just a one-note villain character; he was surprisingly complex with some depth behind him. So I decided to really lean into that this chapter and make him extremely multifaceted instead of another faceless monster to blast away in the end.

To me, it made the most sense for Gohan and Videl to spare him for several reasons. Gohan hates killing and it didn't seem realistic to me that he would just destroy Twelve unless Videl's life was in real danger. But I also thought this was a great opportunity for Videl to flex a little against a strong opponent who just doesn't have the same knowledge or experience she does. Another reason I wanted them to spare him was that Videl has spent basically the entire story coming to terms with Goku's decision to spare Majin Buu and even gaining a friend out of that choice and her acceptance of it. So it made perfect sense to me that she would be the first one to offer Twelve a second chance. And, ultimately, it felt like Gohan would do the same, given his natural hesitations to resort to violence as well as Goku's influence on him.

I actually hadn't planned to spare him in advance; that was something that just naturally happened as I wrote this chapter. But now that I've seen it through to its conclusion, I can't imagine it playing out any other way. I became quite fond of the character as well! Writing his overly proper speech habits and mannerisms is hilarious to me when juxtaposed against two flippant young superheroes who just want to get this over with and go home. Writing him finally getting angry at Videl was fun, too. (That's the only spot in the entire story he speaks in contractions, a sign of his sophisticated demeanor being lost to anger - everywhere else, he always uses full, proper English). So I hope you enjoyed the reveal and conclusion of Android Twelve's story as well! He'll be back, but in a much smaller role going forward.

One other thing I really liked was Videl's and Gohan's individual feelings about fighting changing to reflect their growth through the story. I loved Gohan sending Videl to fight Twelve as a show of trust in her strength and ability, especially when their first big argument was because of the fear that she'd be hurt or killed. And Videl knowing when to admit defeat is a huge moment for her character, even more so than Gohan's. Part of the fun of writing these two has been evolving them from their Z selves and I think those little moments speak more for them as fighters and characters than paragraphs of me explaining that they've changed ever could. (But of course Gohan still worries and Videl still hates to lose!)

Anyway, this has gone on far too long, but I figured I'd share some thoughts about it since this is basically the big sub-plot conclusion at last! We still have four more chapters to go - one more month! I'm very excited to finish this story and share the finale I have planned with you all! I hope it'll be to everyone's liking in the end. But for now, thank you all so very much for reading and I'll see you again next Friday with Chapter 22! Have a wonderful weekend!