Yes, those mushrooms haven't kicked in yet, I'm really updating. I know it's been a few months, and I'm sorry for that. I truly enjoy writing this story, I really do. I've just had a lot of compounding factors going on keeping me from working, between a bad case of writer's block, stress, school, and family, I basically didn't type more than a sentence for a good two months (a good half or so of this won was done in early May).
But, anyways, I'm back, I'm on break, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to write a lot more now. So, let's get back to it!
Chapter 7 - Escape from the City
There was a quiet sucking sound as the jet copter reverted back to its capsule state. Grabbing the small object off the ground, Videl planted it in her pocket before turning around to face the tent. Standing out front, the police chief awaited her alongside a short, round man in expensive indigo clothing.
"I got here as fast as I could, chief" Videl said, walking up to the man in charge of the division. "Anything you didn't tell me over the communicator."
"Afraid not, Videl, you know everything we know for now" the chief said.
"I want to take a look at the crime scene" Videl stated.
"Roger that" the chief nodded. "Mr. Musuka, please lead Videl to where you were keeping the dragon."
"Yeah alright, she'd better find something though" Musuka huffed, turning around and walking off into the tent.
Starting off after him, Videl felt a twinge of annoyance at the man's attitude. Right off the bat, he came off as super abrasive, demanding results. They served the people, they weren't their maids.
The circus was still going on inside, so Musuka lead her through some back passages, eventually coming to a stop a good ways from the main arena. It was a rather large enclosure in the tent. She could see where chains had been nailed to the ground, and a low ring on the floor surrounding them, presumably where the dragon had been limited to.
Brow furrowing, she walked ahead to examine the area. Several ropes, chains, and the like, laid severed on the floor. But what really caught her eye was the way they were severed. Picking up the end of one chain, she noted how perfectly smooth the cut was.
"Now that's strange..." she muttered. No matter what tool used, there should have been some sort of mark. Warped metal if the chains were burned through with a blowtorch. Jagged or uneven spots if it was cut through by anything else, and the cut wouldn't line up so symetrical if the chain was just broken.
It wasn't a clue, at least not a real one, but the circumstances certainly were strange. She couldn't think of any tool or tech capable of such a perfect break. Standing up, she began to look around the rest of the area. She saw scuff marks leading across the earthen floor, leading to the edge of the tent, where they stopped by the wall.
She looked back at the small man. "How big would you say your dragon was?" she asked.
"We didn't have no exact measurements, but probably abouts nine feet tall, standing up, a good four or five feet across, without its wingspan, and probably close to twenty feet long" Musuka said.
"Not gargantuan, but too big to fit under the tent" Videl summarized, studying the wall. Noticing a faint odor in the air, she tried to pinpoint it. It almost smelled like… Burnt rubber?
Feeling the wall of the tent, she could tell that it wasn't just cloth, but rather, a sturdy woven plastic. She started feeling along the tent, and came to a stop when she felt a discrepancy. Her idea confirmed, she nodded.
"Well, I think I know how they got away" she said, tapping the tent. "It's only a hunch, but they probably cut an opening in the tent large enough to fit your dragon through and sealed it back up, probably using heat to seal the material." She gave Musuka a look. "Any idea on how they smuggled the dragon out, though? Something tells me that a dragon wouldn't just go with anyone quietly."
"My man that was here got knocked out" Musuka said. "The hooligans who did this probably had some sort of sedative to knock 'em out, both the dragon and my man."
"Sedatives, huh?" Videl asked. It wasn't a bad idea. It explained a lot. Yet dragons weren't exactly common creatures. Maybe not quite myths anymore, but far from an everyday animal. Knowing the proper dosage could be tough. However, she didn't know the resources the criminals had at their disposal.
Lifting up the tent flap, Videl made her way to the other side of the way that had been fused. The tracks soon disappeared in the grass, but there were marks on the dirt out here as well. "This is where the trail goes cold…" she said dejectedly. She loved a challenge, but losing a trail so early on was always disheartening.
Raising her watch to her wrist, she called the chief back. "Chief, we need to set up a watch around the city" she said. "All officers be on the lookout for any semis or vehicles with comparable storage space, and search them. We'll probably find our dragon being smuggled out that way."
"Did you find a lead, Videl?" the chief asked.
"I found out how the dragon was gotten out of the tent, but not much else" Videl said. "We need to find the way the dragon is being moved out of the city, though. After all, it's not like a wild dragon is just going to follow whoever took it of its own free will."
Gohan darted through the trees of the city park, Icarus bounding along behind him, smile on his face. The grass did much to pad the sounds of Icarus' heavy body running through the woods, and luckily, the park seemed empty.
Floating around another tree, Gohan turned back in the air to make sure he wasn't losing his friend. Icarus galloped through the trees, only slowing to avoid crashing through them. Satisfied that he was keeping up, Gohan turned back around, only to slow himself as they neared a clearing. Coming to a stop, he lightly dropped to the ground, Icarus slowing behind him.
Scanning the area, he couldn't see anyone in sight. On an energetical level, he couldn't sense any human energies here either. Satisfied, he began to run across the clearing, but he found himself slowing down as Icarus started falling behind. Looking behind him puzzledly, hd saw that Icarus was seeming to be moving a bit tenderly.
He landed back on the ground by his friend, eyeing him carefully. Icarus looked up, eyes appearing to display what looked like a combination of fatigue and fear.
He willed the energy within his body to flow to his hand, which he laid upon Icarus, and let it flow out. The light glow began to light up around the dragon, and his labored breathing began to fade a bit as Icarus' energy was restored.
"Are you feeling better now?" he asked Icarus. The purple dragon looked at him and nodded. "Good, then we need to keep moving."
Gohan began to walk away from Icarus, yet found himself stopping yet again as Icarus became hesitant to follow. The dragon took a step forward, then pawed at the ground, moving back and hanging his head low.
Thinking as hard as he could, Gohan tried to analyze the behavior he was witnessing. Icarus seemed almost scared of the clearing, and it couldn't be that he was tired, because he just helped restore the dragon's energy himself.
Icarus looked across the clearing, sniffing at the ground and the air before looking behind him, back from where they came. Gohan's eyes widened. It might have been a bit of a longshot, but maybe…
"Maybe this was where they caught you…" Gohan muttered. As strong as his friend was, he probably needed to rest after a flight as long as the one from Mount Pazou to Satan City. "Icarus, did you set down here, and then those people with the circus came at you?"
Icarus locked eyes with him, and he could tell from the body language that he must at least be on the right track. He didn't know how they would have known about Icarus, or just had the means to capture him on hand, but he supposed that would have to wait. For now, they really needed to make it out of the city as quick as possible.
"Icarus, listen" Gohan said, removing his Saiyaman helmet. "As long as I'm here, I won't let a single person hurt you. We've been friends ever since we were both just little kids, do you really think that if there was something trying to hurt you, I'd just let it?"
His words appeared to have the desired effect as Icarus looked back up at Gohan, the fear vanishing. Icarus took a less hesitant step into the clearing, then another, and was soon bounding towards Gohan again, who turned around and began running ahead of Icarus. They cleared the clearing in no time, and kept moving swiftly through the woods. Gohan tried to remember the overhead view of the city, and guessed that they were getting closer to the edge of the park, maybe about ten minutes away. Then would be the tough part. There wasn't much city left after they made it that far, but they'd still have to make it through the urban area.
"It'll be difficult, but no one is taking Icarus away again on my watch!" Gohan swore. So focused he was, he didn't notice he was falling until his face hit the ground.
"What the-" Gohan nearly shouted in surprise. Quickly sitting back up, spitting grass out of his mouth, he rubbed his head. The impact jarred his mind more than anything. "How did that happen…" he muttered. Rubbing his foot, he remembered the sensation of tripping in the back of his mind. He sighed and stood back up. "Stupid, Gohan, you're supposed to focus, you're supposed to foc-"
As much as he wanted to focus, what he saw next had him more than distracted. Looking at the spot where he tripped, a small object was sitting there. A perfectly smooth and round grey stone sphere, about the size of his fist, laid in the middle of the path.
"No way…" he said in disbelief, looking up at his dragon friend, who was looking at Gohan in curiosity. "No way!"
Reaching down, he picked up the stone ball and let it sit in his hands. It felt like normal stone, but it had a faint aura about it, and no normal stone in the wilderness was this completely smooth. He let out a laugh. "I don't know whether you're just good luck, Icarus, or if actual dragons have a knack for these things, but either way, hah hah!" He pocketed the stoney Dragon Ball, smile refusing to leave his face. "Come on, sorry for that, but we need to keep going." Hovering a foot or two off the ground so that he wouldn't trip again, he began flying through the forest, making their way out.
"Right, we're sorry for taking your time."
As the trucker got back in his vehicle and drove away, Videl growled in frustration and turned back to her jet copter. The force had just pulled over the upmteenth semi in the past half hour, and they hadn't gotten any closer to finding their culprit. Hell, they could already be long gone out of the city, and they wouldn't know any better.
Slamming the door shut, Videl took back to the air, looking up and down the streets. It didn't matter what the possibilities, as long as there was a chance that she could catch the thief, she would patrol until she dropped.
She turned the corner around Satan Tower, the largest office building in the city, and flew down the new street as her phone went off. Without taking her eyes off the sky, she reached down and hit a button on her dash, connecting her call to the sound system. "You've got Videl" she said.
"Videl, are you seriously still out on that call?" Erasa's voice came on through.
"Sorry, we're dealing with professionals today, this isn't the sort of thing I can deal with over the course of a couple minutes" Videl answered.
"So does that mean that the dragon is still missing?" Sharpner asked, also on the call.
"Yes, but they aren't getting it out of the city if I have anything to say about it" Videl said sharply. "They're good, but they won't get past us."
"We know that no one's better than you, Videl" Erasa said cheerfully.
"Well, speaking of that, is Saiyaman out there helping?" Sharpner asked.
Videl scowled as she turned another corner. "Not a sign of that dork's green costume all day" she said bitterly. Normally, she hated when he barged in on her work, but not only was she on a time-crunch today, she still needed to find some hard evidence linking Saiyaman to Gohan, which was easier said than done when neither of them had made an appearance.
"Come on, the one time he could be a real help, he doesn't show?" Sharpner grunted, the sound of a facepalm audible over the connection.
"You're telling me…" Videl muttered.
"How does someone even steal a dragon, let alone make off with it in the middle of a city?" Sharpner asked.
"No one on the force can figure that one out so far" Videl said. "We're searching all the cargo trucks leaving the city, but not one of them have turned up a lead. There's no other way to move something that big through the city without anyone noticing…" Videl slowed down. "Wait… maybe there's another way that they're movi-"
Her communicator began beeping loudly, distracting her thought process. "Sorry guys, it's the chief, got to go" she said a hurried goodbye before switching over to her communicator. "What is it, Chief?"
"Videl, sorry to bother you while you're out, but we've got a bit of a situation" the chief replied.
"Situation?" Videl questioned.
"Nothing major. However, we have a rookie officer who believes he could help in the case if he got access to the crime scene" the Chief answered. "Me and all the commanding officers of the precinct are too far away and on patrol as it is. We can hold down the streets, can you go see what this guy can offer."
Videl huffed. "He'd better have something to offer…" she muttered. "I'm on it" she replied, switching off the communicator and altering her course back to the circus tent.
It only took her a couple minutes to make her way back across the city and land on the grounds again. By this time, a crowd of reporters had gathered, and were barely being held out of the gate by the team stationed there. Several circus staff, a few officers, and Mr. Mizuka were all outside of the tent.
Climbing down, Videl capsulated her ride and walked over. "The chief called me over" she announced. "Who wanted a look at the crime scene?"
One of the officers glanced at her. "Oh, hey Videl. That's why you're over here again?" he asked. At her nod, he shrugged. "Don't see it turning up anything, but I guess it can't hurt. The newbie is waiting over there."
Jerking his head to the side, Videl got a look at the policeman off to the side of the group. He was rather small in stature. He wore a yellow uniform and a white helmet was fastened to his head.
"He even looks like a rookie…" Videl muttered, walking over. She noticed he was tapping his foot impatiently on the ground as she drew near. "So, you're the one that called me off of my patrol, huh?"
The tapping stopped, and the man looked up. "Well, I wouldn't need anyone if they just let me back there" he said. "I'm as good as any officer here, surely I should have the same clearance as someone still in highschool."
Videl glared. "Want to say that again?" she threatened.
"I didn't mean any offense" the man said. "I'm just saying, what makes this crime scene different from any other?"
"High priority" Videl answered simply. She crossed her arms. "So what makes you think you can see something we didn't?"
"Let's just say I tend to have a really good instinct and some fairly sharp senses" he answered. "If I could get a look, I feel like I could find something the others missed."
Videl was tempted to say no, so that she could get back to work faster. But, she remembered how difficult it was to get cooperation from the rest of the force when she started, even being the daughter of the World Savior. With a resigned sigh, she made up her mind. "Make it fast" she said.
The short man grinned and nodded. "Thanks" he said, running inside.
Videl blinked a moment, surprised by how fast the guy moved, before dashing after him. For a short guy, he was pretty fleet on his feet. By the time she arrived back at the dragon's pen, the officer was looking around the enclosure.
She saw him lean down and pick up one of the chains off of the ground, looking at the cut end. He stood up and backed away, glancing around the room. "Now that's odd…" she heard him muttered.
"What's that?" Videl questioned, approaching him.
"Huh?" he asked, turning around. "Oh, sorry, I was just noting the odd way the chains were cut. Really symmetrical."
Videl raised her eyebrows. "Sharp eye, I noticed the same thing" she commented. "Anything else?"
"Well, I've got a hunch, but nothing solid yes" he answered.
Videl sighed. They couldn't devote resources over the hunch of a rookie officer. "We can't do anything about that, but if you think you can tackle your lead solo, go right on ahead. If it turns up something, then that's great, but without an actual lead, we can't offer support."
"Understood" the man nodded. "I'm fine handling this solo anyways. Thank you for letting me back here."
Once again moving shockingly fast, he dashed past her and began to move back outside. "Hey, wait a second!" she called after him. "I never got your name."
"My name?" he asked, having halted. "It's Krillin" he answered, before running off.
Gohan floated backwards, retreating back into the shadows the trees cast. Sighing, he scratched the back of his head. "Now, we've got the hard part" he said.
It didn't take them much longer to finish making their way through the park, now they were at the very edge. Icarus was laying down 30 feet back, feeling winded from the distance they had travelled. And just in front of Gohan, the foliage turned back into urban architecture.
The streets weren't as busy as they could have been, but they were crowded enough that moving a large purple dragon through them undetected would have been impossible. Since Icarus' wings were out, there weren't any options left for them at the time.
Gohan darted between the trees, making his way back over to Icarus in a flash. The dragon glanced up at him when he approached, eyes looking hopeful. Gohan chuckled, once again seeing little difference between this large dragon and a puppy. Grabbing his water bottle, he opened Icarus' mouth and poured some of the liquid within inside. Icarus accepted the drink readily. There wasn't nearly enough, considering the small size of the bottle and the large size of the dragon, but it helped nonetheless. Setting the empty bottle aside, he patted Icarus comfortingly. "We'll be hanging out here for a while, buddy, so try and get your strength back, okay?"
Icarus let out a low groan in response, heading falling to the ground and eyes closing. Satisfied that Icarus was getting some rest, Gohan floated up into the tree right above and sat in the branches. "You know, when Dad comes back, I'll have to see if he can teach me Instant Transmission too" he thought out loud. "That would have really come in handy right about now, for getting us out of here safely."
Striking a thoughtful pose, Gohan closed his eyes and extended his senses, until he felt his brother back home. He frowned slightly, Goten's signal a bit stronger than he remembered. Raising his fingers to his forehead, he focused every fiber of his body on the energy he felt. After several long moments of intense focus, however, he felt no different. Opening his eyes, sure enough, he was still in the exact same spot.
"Not like I expected that to work" he chided himself for feeling disappointed. It took his dad almost a year to learn that trick. It wouldn't be this easy for him, especially without a teacher.
A warning suddenly flashed across his mind. Body going on high alert, Gohan floated up silently, hiding himself in the thicker branches of the tree as he felt someone approach.
"This isn't good, if someone sees Icarus, things get a whole lot harder" Gohan thought worriedly. He wouldn't hurt anyone who came his way unless they were out to hurt Icarus or himself. Not that anyone could hurt him, but Icarus was still in a very weak condition. "Maybe a Ki Overload would work."
A Ki Overload was a simple trick that almost anyone practiced in energy could accomplish, but didn't often have uses in a fight. It was a simple matter of charging a source of ki in a calm manner, as to not form any damaging move, but not so weak that it was a mere energy transfer, and plunge it into the opponent. The sudden rise in ki could then overload the victim's nervous system temporarily, and knock them out for a bit with no side effects.. While it was dangerous if too much is pumped in, for those untrained with ki manipulation, only a small amount would be enough. For more powerful targets, the move would have very little use to begin with.
Gohan let a small portion of ki flow down his arm and gather into a pale white ball in the palm of his hand. He felt the person approach, and just before they reached them, leapt out of the branches towards the target.
The person he had aimed at leapt away, easily escaping his range, surprising Gohan. He was even more surprised when he heard complaining. "Kami, Gohan, what was that for, jumping me like that?!" a very annoyed voice asked him.
"Wait, Krillin?" Gohan asked, stupefied.
The short man stood up, brushing the dirt off of his knees and taking his helmet off. "Yeah, it's me. I'm more surprised you're the one out here, though."
Krillin scratched his head as he looked at Gohan. "And what's with that costume? It's the end of summer, not Halloween yet."
Gohan looked down. "Oh, this is just my Saiyaman suit" Gohan explained, taking off his helmet. "I wear it to protect my identity when I'm helping fight crime."
Krillin cocked his head to the side. "Oh, you're the Saiyaman guy running around the place? Yeah, the guys back at the precinct told me about you. Some of them love the help, some of them just want to lock any vigilante crime fighter up no matter the good they do."
"I see you took a job on the police force here?" Gohan questioned.
"Yeah, it was high time I got a real job. 18 and I bought a house here in the city with the money Mr. Satan gave her, but it won't last forever. We've got bills and stuff, now that we're not living with Roshi anymore" Krillin explained. "And it looks like we had similar ideas about what to do in this place."
"Heh heh, yeah, I guess so" Gohan chuckled.
Krillin laughed a little with him, before turning to the elephant… er, dragon, in the room. "So, this is Icarus, huh?" he asked.
Gohan nodded. "Hey, wait, how'd you know it was Icarus?" he wondered.
Krillin rolled his eyes. "How many other purple dragons that you'd be willing to commit crimes to help do you know?" he asked.
"Oh…" Gohan said, laughing nervously and feeling stupid. "Yeah, Icarus got captured because I asked for his help with something, I couldn't just leave him."
"What I don't understand is how a giant fire-breathing flying tank like him is supposed to be captured by a couple fat-cats in a circus" Krillin noted.
"Well, best I could figure from Icarus, he landed in the park to take a rest from his flight home. I had him dropping Buu back off at Mr. Satan's place after we sparred. While he rested, they must have jumped him" Gohan explained, anger growing as he went on. "His wings are pierced, keeping him from flying, and he's got some other injuries that crippled him a bit."
Krillin's face betrayed pure disgust. "You know, I'm a human too, and I must say, sometimes, I'm ashamed to be a part of this race" he muttered. "I mean, the Saiyans went around destroying planets, but at least they aren't anymore."
"Humans aren't always bad, but some of them make my stomach turn" Gohan agreed.
Krillin nodded, before looking back to the dragon. "So, if he can't fly, how are you going to make it out of the city?" he asked. "It's not far, but it's all urban through there."
"I was working on that" Gohan said. "I think it's just going to come down to waiting for nightfall when no one will be around."
It seemed a logical plan, but Krillin shook his head. "Sorry Gohan, but that won't work" he said. Looking him in the eye, he explained. "Apparently, you're taking Icarus back is the equivalent to an multi-million dollar heist. The entire force is combing the city, and I'm guessing that they'll search the park before it gets dark too."
Gohan frowned. "Not good" he muttered. Worried, he looked up. "I can't carry Icarus, his wounds wouldn't allow it. And I doubt we could just barrel down the streets without hurting Icarus or someone else. I don't know what to do."
Krillin crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Yeah, this is a tough one" he nodded. He shrugged. "Well, here goes nothing."
Looking upwards, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to the sky. "HEY, GOKU, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, YOU THINK YOU COULD POP DOWN HERE FOR JUST A SECOND AND HELP US OUT?!"
Krillin's voice echoed through the woods, nearly causing Gohan to panic. He settled the longer time went on without sensing any other people approach, however. A minute passed, and Krillin lowered his hands. "Well, it was worth a shot, I guess" he muttered.
"Even if he heard, I wouldn't want him risking it" Gohan said. "Dad flew in to save me from Bojack that one time, and he nearly got a really harsh punishment for doing that, when it lead to saving the galaxy."
"And saving your pet dragon probably isn't on the same scale" Krillin finished. "Yeah, good point." He snapped his fingers. "Hey, I have another idea!"
"It doesn't involve yelling again, does it?"
"Well, maybe a little bit, but not that way" Krillin said, grinning. "This is where it pays to have friends on the force. Remember when you said you couldn't exactly just barrel down the streets without somebody getting hurt?"
Gohan nodded, wanting to see where Krillin was going with this. "Well, I could set up a traffic block. I'll get back out there and find a short route out of town for you guys to take, then set everyone on a detour to clear the streets. You two can run through, and no one would be in your way."
"You can really do that?!" Gohan exclaimed.
Krillin waved his hand. "I mean, it's really easy. Only the criminals don't listen to the guy with a badge, you know?"
Gohan laughed. "Krillin, that would be awesome! Like, seriously awesome!"
"Well duh, don't you know me?" Krillin laughed back. "I'll be back once I've got a path in mind, alright? You just stay here with the dragon and wait for me to… Hey, do you hear that?"
Gohan stood up straighter. "I heard something…" he said. "What is it."
The city noises were distant around them, people chatting, cars honking and rushing past. Then, over the tumult, there was one clearly audible sound that didn't belong.
"Roooooaaaaaaaahhh…"
Krillin blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, now I'm either crazy, dreaming, or I just heard another dragon roar" he said.
Gohan played back the sound in his head, before groaning. "Oh no… Oh no no no…" he groaned, jumping into the air, Krillin following him.
The two of them stopped right above the treetops, and Gohan groaned again. "How? I mean, how did they even get here?"
"Wait, it really is another dragon?!" Krillin yelped.
Far into the distance, almost blending in with the afternoon sky, a large, light blue dragon was soaring through the air, almost aimed directly at them.
Gohan nodded. "Yeah, I saw her earlier. She's Icarus' mate, and she was looking for him back in the mountains. I mentioned Icarus, and she smelled him on me. She must have followed me here looking for him!"
Krillin sighed. "Only us, Gohan, this could only happen to us" he said.
Looking down below, Gohan realized something important. "Krillin, we have no time now" he said. "Me and Icarus, we have to move." Krillin looked at him as if to protest, but Gohan cut him off. "We'll have to make sure to be careful and not hurt anyone, but if we don't move, then everyone will be in danger. Icarus has to be out of the city before his mate gets here, otherwise, I have a feeling things aren't going to turn out well."
Krillin gulped, before nodding. "You're right, Gohan. I'll come with you to hel-"
"No Krillin, you go pretend to be on patrol" Gohan said. "There's no need for you to risk your career here, I can handle myself and Icarus."
"Gohan, are you sure about this?" Krillin asked.
"I'm sure, Krillin, just move before you get into trouble" Gohan assured him.
Krillin nodded. "Alright, be careful then, Gohan" he said, before dashing back through the park.
Nodding, Gohan dropped through the branches of the tree, landing on the ground and placing a hand on Icarus. "Come on, buddy, we've got to move, now!" he said, speaking low but quickly. Pushing a small ki boost into his friend to jog him awake, Icarus was up and looking around curiously in moments.
Narrowly dodging a large lick, Gohan shook his head at his friend. "Icarus, I'm sorry, but no time now" he said. "Your mate is flying here, and if we don't get you out, people might get hurt." Seeing a flicker of understanding in his friend's eyes, he nodded. "Come on, we've got to go fast" he said, placing his helmet back on and rushing through the trees, Icarus bounding behind him. No longer concerned with stealth, this was now a race against the clock.
Bursting out of the edge of the park, Gohan ran across the asphalt that paved the streets, Icarus emerging right after him. There was no one where they emerged, but up ahead, people were beginning to see the large dragon running down the road, and panic began to take hold, as people began swerving and sprinting to the sides of the street.
Gohan cringed internally as he began to hear cries of "is that Saiyaman?" and "he has the dragon!" fly from the bystanders, knowing that after today, there was a good chance that his reputation was shot. Not dwelling on that, he continued to run, carefully making sure to avoid anyone in the way, Icarus doing the same.
"Roooooooooaaaaaaahhhh!" the roar sounded much closer, and Gohan swore under his breath. He could see the last of the buildings just a few blocks away, and began to have hope. The streets were relatively clear, and it was a straight shot.
As the last roar faded, however, another new sound took its place, the shrill ringing of sirens. In the glass of some of the buildings, flashing red and blue lights began to appear, and two blocks ahead of them, a line of police cards streaked across the street, stopping and completely barricading the path. Policemen jumped out of their cars and began pulling weapons out towards them. The telltale "freeze" rang out from the line of cops, but Gohan knew he couldn't do that.
"Sorry guys" he muttered. The two of them neared the cops. Fifty feet, fort feet, thirty feet…
Seconds before they reached them, Gohan turned back to Icarus. "Close your eyes" he warned, before turning back forward and raising his hands to his head. "SOLAR FLARE!"
A blazing white light streaked out, and by the many cries of shock he heard, he supposed that he had just blinded the entire blockade. Smirking, he took the last few steps and jumped, sailing over the line. Picking up the speed, Icarus galloped as fast as he could, jumping over the line himself, and cracking the ground on impact, never breaking stride.
The exit to the city was just two blocks away. Grinning at Icarus, the two picked up the pace, as much as Icarus could, and began to dash for the finish line… Only to skid to a halt as a yellow jet copter dashed in front of them and sat down right in their path.
"No, no, why now, WHY NOW?!" Gohan ranted internally as Videl leapt from the capsule vehicle. As she walked towards him, he couldn't help but notice the odd expression on her face, a mix of disgust, triumph, and anger.
"So, the truth will out" Videl said as she approached. "You know, no one has seen you all day, and most of us feel like that was really odd. I mean, a big incident like this, and no sign of the caped dork? At first, we thought it was because detective skills weren't your area of expertise, and you only showed up when a fight was going down. But now we know why." She pointed an accusing finger at Gohan. "You're nothing but another common criminal!"
Gohan blinked beneath his visor, feeling oddly stung by Videl's words. "Miss Videl, I can assure you, this isn't what you believe it to-"
"Save it, Saiyadork" Videl cut him off. Frowning at him, she continued. "You know, I was starting think you might be a decent guy. But all you tricksters are the same. Tao, Cell, all of you are cut from the same cloth."
Even for the situation he was in, Gohan felt a surge of anger at her words. She had just compared him to Cell, the monster that took his father away all those years ago, and blamed it on the techniques he and his friends were ridiculed for.
He took a deep breath and tried to steady his ki, which was on the rise. "I promise you, I am nothing like them" he said. "And if you would give me a chance to explain, you might understand that I'm doing this for the good of the city!"
Videl raised her eyebrows, then shook her head. "You really think I'd fall for that?" she asked, stopping and staring right at him. "Oh believe me, I know exactly how smart you are" she said with an ominous tone. "Given the chance, you'd probably be able to come up with a story that good get you out of anything." She stretched her arms above her head. "Which is why I'm going to take you down and drag you in myself!"
"What? Videl, I'm not going to fight with you" Gohan exclaimed, waving his hands in the air.
"Good, then this'll be easy" Videl said, charging forward.
Gritting his teeth, Gohan raised his hands to his head. "SOLAR FLARE!" he shouted, the blinding white light streaming out once again. He lowered his hands and prepared to run with Icarus, when Videl jumped at him from the side, a kick aimed at his head.
Yelping in surprise, he dashed backwards, putting some distance between the two of them. "But how?" he asked, pointing at her.
"You don't think I saw that trick you did on the other men on my way here?" Videl asked. "I knew what was coming, so I covered my eyes."
Gohan blinked, lowering his finger. "Wow, she's really smart" he realized.
Videl ran towards him again, unleashing a barrage of quick attacks. Quick for a human, anyways, as Gohan swiftly dodged each one. No matter how many he dodged, however, she kept going, a smirk forming on her face. "You know, when I drag your can in, the first thing they're gonna do is take that trash can off of your head, so the whole world can know who the Satan City vigilante truly is" she said.
Gohan parried her last blow and jumped away, trying to lead her away from Icarus. Hopefully, the dragon would know to run while he had the chance. He could make it on his own if Videl wasn't in his way.
"You know, it's a shame" Videl commented, circling him slowly while catching her breath. "I was really hoping you'd turn out to be a good guy. It would have been nice to have another friend. Too bad."
"Videl, I am your friend!" Gohan protested. "You don't know, the reason I was trying to save Icarus is because of-"
"I don't know where you got that name from" Videl cut him off. "The dragon's name is Rocko."
Gohan clamped a hand over his mouth. "Crap" he thought. "Yeah, the reason I was trying to save Rocko is because his being here is putting the city in danger."
"That dragon was under enough guard that it couldn't have caused much trouble if it wanted to" Videl said. "The danger started when you set it free to roam the streets."
Gohan let out a growl of frustration. "You aren't listening to me!" he shouted. "If we don't get Icarus out of the city right now, then everyone here is going to-"
He stopped suddenly as a shadow moved over their heads. "Oh no…" he muttered.
"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the large blue dragon roared, voice vibrating the very ground beneath them. Windows on either side of them shattered, littering the sidewalk with shards of glass. Sounds of panic rang through the streets around them.
Gritting his teeth, he looked at Videl. "I was trying to keep this from happening" he said.
Videl gawked at the massive animal flying above them. "But… How could you have-"
"I've known this dragon since I was just a child myself" Gohan said. "I knew that he had been poached when I saw him appear on TV. His mate is also much more aggressive than him, from what I've seen. I came to see why Icarus was here, and when his mate showed up, I made it priority to get him out of the city before she showed up and started posing a danger."
Videl looked at him in shock. "And, but getting in your way, I let this happen…" Videl realized.
"We all make mistakes, Videl, but now's not the time to dwell on them" Gohan said. Ki charging through his body, Gohan took to the skies, flying after the blue dragon. Somehow, she hadn't seen Icarus down in the street, so he had to get to her before she did anything.
His all too finely tuned senses heard the telltale click of a gun below him. A chill entered his blood as he looked down and saw the entire barricade they had leaped was pulling weapons and aiming at Icarus' mate. Giving a silent apology to the team, he raised his hands to his head for the third time that day. "SOLAR FLARE!"
Feeling guilty at the shouts and curses coming from the line below, he turned and charged after the dragon. "HEY!" he called as he drew near.
The dragon's head turned back with a snarl. Gohan barely had time to react as she let loose a burst of fire at him. Rolling to the side, he drew level with her as she stopped flying away and began hovering. Only at this point did Gohan notice the smaller dragon on her back, and suddenly didn't feel so guilty about keeping the police from firing.
"Listen, don't do anything else like that!" he exclaimed. "I found Icarus! You can follow me to him!"
The dragon's snarl remained, but she perked at the mention of Icarus. He drew closer and stretched out his hands, and was met with a low growl.
"She doesn't recognize me in my disguise" he realized. The dragon was being quite violent, so the only way he could figure calming her down was for her to see who he really was. "Oh, Kami, I hope no one can see me right now" he prayed, before lifting his helmet up.
The scowl on her face was quickly replaced with confusion, and her eyes sparked with recognition. Hoping that that was enough for the raging reptile, he placed his helmet back on and flew off, waving her after him as he flew back down into the streets.
The policemen were more angry now, aiming again at the dragon, and also at him, believing that the dragon was coming in for another strike. He gathered ki in his arms, preparing to make a barrier to protect them, but never had to.
"Hey, hold your fire, HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Videl's voice rang out. He locked eyes with the raven-haired girl, the two nodding at each other.
Gohan dived across the street, rounding the corner and coming to a stop right near where Icarus laid. Looking up behind him, he saw the female dragon catching up and Videl sprinting back over, after having made her way to the barrier to save Gohan the trouble of stopping the gunfire.
Gohan let out a sigh of relief. They may not have gotten Icarus out in time, but besides some shattered windows and scorches on the sidewalk, everything was unharmed. Hell, Videl even saw what was going on. Things could hardly have gone any better.
CRACK
Louder than a glacier shattering, Gohan cringed as the loud noise completely disoriented him, and became aware of an irritating pressure on the side of his head. The sound of a scream entered his mind, and he stumbled backwards, trying to shake off the disorientation.
He reached up to clutch his head, then pulled his hand back in shock when he felt himself. Himself, not the material of his helmet. Opening his eyes, he realized that a chunk of it was missing, a long triangle-shaped piece above his right eye, as well as a piece of the visor it connected to. He looked around at the scene. Icarus was lying on the ground, looking fearfully towards Gohan as his mate stood near him, seemingly searching him over. Videl had her hands cupped over her mouth, her eyes wide. Was it her that screamed? He looked at the ground and saw a piece of orange and black, the piece of his helmet. And embedded in it? A bullet.
Looking at the direction he felt the pressure from, he felt shock when his eyes fell on Mr. Musuka, aiming a gun right at him, still smoking.
"Did yous think you could just take ma' property and I wouldn't fight fo' it?" Musuka shouted. "Yeah, I'll bet yous not feeling so good now, eh?!"
Gohan groaned and clasped his head. "No, I'm really not, that thing gave me a headache" he said. "I mean, geez, what, did you put the whole barrel of gunpowder into that case?"
Mr. Musuka's angry and confident expression slipped away in surprise and fear as the gun slipped from his hands. "B-b-but, I shot yous! Why is yous still talkin?"
"Please, it'll take more than a bullet from some round business man to put me down" Gohan said, head clearing.
"I, I, uh…" Musuka stuttered, turning to Videl. "Hey, you! This is the guy who stole my dragon. Do your job and arrest his sorry keister!"
Videl's face turned downright murderous. Losing all sense of shock she had from when Gohan had been shot she stomped towards the small man. "'Do my job?!'" she shouted. "You are the last person who wants to be telling me that!"
"Wait, what?!" Musuka exclaimed.
"Let's list them off, dimwit" Videl hissed. "One, you poached a dragon! Two, you led a dragon to attack the city through number one! Three, after you know what you've done, you still try and keep said poached dragon! And finally, let's wrap this all up with assault with intent to kill! You attacked a city hero while he was doing his job of keeping this place safe! So you know what?!"
Jumping the last step, Videl swept his legs out from under him, forcing the man to hit the asphalt hard, and in seconds, had his hands bound behind him in a set of handcuffs. Musuka, having been knocked out cold from connecting with the pavement, didn't resist arrest.
Standing up, Videl waved a couple of the policemen who had been drawn towards the scene over. "Take him downtown" she said with contempt, clearly resisting the urge to kick him while he was down.
Gohan reached down and grabbed the piece of his helmet off of the ground. Placing it back in place, he allowed his ki to superheat his hand, fusing the thin piece back to the rest of the accessory. Tapping it a few times, it seemed to be steady.
He looked up as Videl turned away from the retreating policemen and walked towards him. She came to a stop in front of him, staring at the ground. Gohan turned his head to the side, confused by her behavior.
Videl took a deep breath. "Listen, Saiyaman, I just want to say… Thank you" she said. She had trouble speaking to him. Her anger abated, she began to feel guilty. "And… I'm really, really sorry for what I said to you before."
Looking up at him, she noticed that he had replaced the piece in his helmet. Part of her was disappointed that she missed the opportunity to catch a glimpse beneath his helmet, but, to her surprise, she was mostly just grateful that he was unharmed.
Saiyaman reached up and rubbed the back of his head. "It's no problem Videl" he said. His voice, cheesey as always, was a bit more genuine this time. "Your drive is what makes you great at your job, after all."
"Maybe, but today, I'm not so sure" she admitted. "I've got such a thing about bringing anyone who's guilty in, and I'm sure my annoyment with you didn't help my perception of the situation. Because I held you up, I put the city in danger of a dragon attack." She pulled a face. "Not something I expected to say when I woke up today."
A deep laugh came from Saiyaman. "Oh, things like this seem odd, but the more they happen, the more they begin to seem normal."
"Do I really want dragon attacks to seem like everyday occurrences, though?" Videl pointed out.
"Fair point" Saiyaman shrugged. He looked around at their surroundings. "I'm sorry for the mess here."
Videl followed his vision. While nothing serious happened, there was a fair amount of damage done to the street, between cracked pavement, shattered glass, and burnt buildings. She shrugged. "Most of this isn't your fault, besides, my dad lives in the city. Repairing this damage is nothing to him, and he's usually glad to help out with these things, if nothing else for his image."
Saiyaman chuckled. "Hey, I know your dad seems like a bit of a blowhard sometimes-"
"Understatement of the century…" Videl muttered.
"-But he's still a hero at the end of the day" Saiyaman finished.
"Yeah, I just wished he didn't have to be so showboaty about it" Videl conceded. She looked up at Saiyaman. "So what about you? What's your father like?"
"My father?" Saiyaman asked. "Well, he's a great role model, I guess. Even when things get tough, he always is in a good mood. He loves a challenge, but he's also lots of fun when he's not looking for one." He shrugged. "I mean, he's really great. I can't wait to see him again."
Videl smiled. "Why do you say that?" she asked.
"Well, he's been gone a while, but he's going to be done in a few months and be coming home" Saiyaman answered.
Videl's smile grew. "Oh really?" she asked, stepping closer.
Saiyaman took a step back as she approached. "What?"
"Nothing really" Videl said. "I've just got this friend. His dad is his hero too, and is coming back from a long trip soon too."
It was entertaining to watch his sudden shift in posture, going from a relaxed form to suddenly nervous and shaky. It was almost better than having him outright admit it.
"REALLY, heh heh heh!" Saiyaman laughed nervously. "Er, yeah, um, strange coincidence. Well, I've got to go now, Icarus needs to rest so, um, BYE!"
Saiyaman flashed out of existence right in front of her. She barely had time to watch him load the dragon from the circus onto the other dragon's back and take off all together. Videl looked down at her watch. It was past 4, almost 5. It was probably about the time to head home.
She walked back over to where her jet copter sat. It had some minor debris on it, but nothing that would impair its performance. She hopped in and took back to the air, setting a course straight for home.
"It really is Gohan, isn't it?" she thought. It seemed impossible, and even less likely the longer she thought about it. The boy from her class was a little nerdy and shy, in a cute way. "Wait, cute?"
She shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "If that really is Gohan, I wonder why he wears a disguise, or for that matter, acts like the complete opposite of what he's capable of whenever he's around anyone else. I mean, who would deliberately try and act in a way that gets them picked on when he is capable of defending himself, at the very least."
Of course, it could be a matter of his Saiyaman style being using light tricks. At least, that's what she always heard them be called. The more time she witnessed Saiyaman's feats, the less they seemed like a trick. They always look convincing on tv, but when they were happening right in front of her…
"That'll be a question for Gohan once I prove who he is" Videl decided. Just another thing to add to the list of interrogations she planned to apply to the youth as soon as she unmasked him. She was getting close, and she was sure she was on the right path. At this point, it was not about if she could do it, it was a matter of when it would happen.
And Videl wasn't one to go into something without going all in.
Gohan landed on the lawn, letting go of his hold of Icarus' mate and letting her land herself. The youngest dragon alighted down beside him, while Icarus did his best to climb off of his mate's back, still moving tenderly.
Finally having his hands free, Gohan reached up and clicked the button on his watch, his superhero disguise phazing away, leaving his regular outfit behind. He took a deep breath of the mountain air, glad to be back out of the city. The day had been more hectic than he had cared for it to be, so it was just good to be done.
Floating over, he helped Icarus the rest of the way down, making sure he was steady before letting go. Seeing his long time friend in such a pained state was nearly as painful to him, but he was sure that he wouldn't take long to recover from his injuries. After all, the guy had taken attacks from Saiyans and stronger when he was just a baby. He was resilient.
Hearing the door open, Gohan turned away from the dragons in time to see Goten running towards them. "Big brother, you're back!" he said happily, skidding to a stop when he reached him, hugging him around the legs.
"What, did you think I wouldn't be?" Gohan laughed, leaning down and hugging his brother back, picking him up on his shoulder.
Goten gave him a toothy grin before looking up at the dragons. "Wow, there's a lot of them" he said in awe. "And Icarus is really really big."
"Yeah, but you saw how big he was on the tv, right?" Gohan asked his brother.
"Well, the tv made him look smaller" Goten said.
"Heh heh, fair point, Goten" Gohan chuckled. He let his laughing peter out, before he looked back over. "Hey, Mom didn't come back while I was gone, did she?"
Goten shook his head. "No, she's still out" he said.
Gohan nodded. "Okay, good, I'm not sure she would have let me get away with going on a dragon heist on a day where I'm supposed to be missing school to rest" he breathed in relief.
Goten jumped off of his shoulder and ran over towards Icarus, petting him on the side of the neck before being viciously licked by the dragon, causing him to laugh. After surviving the impromptu bath, Goten looked over at the other two. "So who are these guys?" he asked.
Gohan smiled. "Well, the big light blue one is Icarus' mate, and the small dark blue one is his kid" he said.
"Whoa" Goten said. "What are their names?"
Gohan shrugged. "I don't know. Icarus only had his name because I found him when we were both just babies and needed something to call him. He liked it, so that's what he wanted to be called."
"So, can I name them then?" Goten asked.
Gohan chuckled. "Well, Goten, they aren't exactly our pets. I'm sure they already have their own names."
"Oh…" Goten pouted.
"Heh heh, come on, Goten, we'd best leave them be" Gohan said, picking his brother back up. He took a last look at the family of dragons. "Hey guys, maybe you shouldn't go too far for now. If Icarus needs help, it would be easier for us to do that if you were nearby. I'm sure there's a cave or something you could use."
Icarus and his mate exchanged looks. Icarus stepped forward and gently pressed his snout into Gohan, giving him a clear message through his eyes. Nodding, Gohan reached up and stroked Icarus' neck. "It was good to see you again, buddy" he said.
Pulling away, Icarus gave one last big lick to Gohan before turning around and trotting away. He and his family made their way towards the trees, Icarus in between the two.
"You guys make sure to come visit!" Gohan called after their retreating forms. "Make it as soon as you can!"
Icarus looked back at Gohan and let out a rolling growl in what could only be his own goodbye, before he and his family entered the forest line and faded from sight. Gohan smiled sadly. It had been ages since he had seen his friend. The last time had been some time before the Cell Games, where the two had played together. They had both grown so much since back then.
Luckily, it was not nearly the last time he'd be able to see him and his family. They lived not far away, even if they wouldn't be staying close to them. Icarus was sure he'd be fine back at where they lived, and wanted to go back. He may not have been able to speak with him, but after the time they spent together, they understood each other almost subconsciously.
Gohan smiled. Icarus had to be one of the best friends he ever had, even if he was an animal. Looking down at Goten, he ruffled his little brother's hair. "Say, Squirt, you ready to head back inside?"
"Yeah, Gohan, I sure am" Goten said, nodding and beginning to walk ahead.
"Cool" Gohan said, frowning. "But first…"
"Huh?" Goten asked, looking at him confused.
"Come on, Goten" Gohan said, staring his little brother down. Crossing his arms, he did his best to look intimidating. "Spill it."
"Spill what?" Goten asked. "I didn't do anything, promise!"
"Boy, I'm sure you have a lot of fun with Trunks last night" Gohan said knowingly. "So much, in fact, I doubt you could do it all in one night." He saw that Goten was beginning to look nervous. "So, Squirt, are you going to tell me?"
Goten looked down, biting his lip. "Okay, big brother…" he said quietly. "Me and Trunks weren't playing, we went into the Time Chamber and we trained together…"
"That's what I thought" Gohan nodded. He chuckled. "You know, you've got to be more careful if you want to get away with something like that. You're power was higher today than it's ever been, and you were moving way too fast to catch me earlier. You've got to suppress yourself if you want no one to see."
"Oh, I didn't know that" Goten said. "But, I guess that makes sense. Trunks said his dad made him train extra hard for no reason today."
"Vegeta probably sensed the same thing as I did" Gohan nodded. "Now tell me, Squirt, how long were you guys in there for?"
"Well, the clock thingy inside the room went about three hours when we left" Goten said.
"Three hours, huh?" Gohan said. "Let's see… 24 hours, twelve months in a year, each hour outside is half a month, so three hours…" He looked down at Goten. "A month and a half? Geez, Goten, I think mom might notice this one. That's a really long time for a kid like you."
"What!?" Goten exclaimed.
"Just, don't do anything to draw attention to yourself, because you might end up growing a lot a bit earlier than Saiyans usually do" Gohan said. "You already spent a few weeks trying to fight Buu, so maybe you can say that if she brings it up."
"Wait, you're not going to tell Mommy?" Goten asked hopefully.
Gohan shook his head. "I won't rat you out, just promise me to not go sneaking off for such large amounts of training, okay?"
"Okay!" Goten chirped.
Gohan nodded. The sun was beginning to dip down in the sky, as the blue began to slowly be tinted orange, Gohan decided it was time to move inside for the night. "Let's go, Goten."
Chi-Chi came home about an hour after Gohan did. To his relief, it didn't seem like she knew anything that happened. She made dinner for the two bottomless pits before they all went to wind down and watch a show together. After a while, Gohan decided to go to bed early. He needed to rest up after his day of 'rest.'
Retiring to his room, Gohan slipped into his pajamas and jumped into bed, but not before making sure he still had a hold on the fossilized Dragon Ball. Still shocked at his luck, he sat it down inside his drawer, where hopefully it would be safe. Bidding his mom and brother goodnight, they finished up their night while Gohan tried to relax. Something was nagging at the back of his mind…
"Nothing really" Videl said. "I've just got this friend. His dad is his hero too, and is coming back from a long trip soon too."
"Oh crapbaskets" Gohan facepalmed. "She's found a link between us." If Videl managed to find solid proof… His life was basically over. He wouldn't be able to return to school, not if his secret got out. Bad was the light way of putting it.
He was glad that Videl seemed to be acting civil towards his alter ego (at least when she was apologetic), but he still wanted it to remain just that, an alter ego. Saiyaman was supposed to be who Gohan could become to do what he wanted to do without interfering with his social life. He didn't want either to change, he wanted Saiyaman to still be able to help the world while Gohan could still just be Gohan.
He rolled over. "Not to mention, Videl would probably shun me, Erasa and Sharpner too, because of what I can do." While the lack of publicity was great for them, it meant that their talents were mocked, scorned even, when public. Videl in particular seemed to be very vehement towards people who used 'light tricks.' It wouldn't be good.
"Why do I care so much about what Videl thinks of me?" Gohan wondered. The two of them were friends, kind of, but Videl seemed to spend more time trying to grill his backstory out of him than anything else. He didn't want to lose Erasa or Sharpner either, no, but what was his fixation with her?
Gohan closed his eyes and tried to shut his thoughts out. He was going nowhere fast and was likely just keeping himself from falling asleep by dwelling on them. Pulling his covers up, he willed his mind to go completely blank, and let sleep come. Moments passed, and he slowly lapsed into sleep.
The city was crumbling around them, the smoke and fire pouring from the buildings lighting up the sky crimson, in some freaky blend of the Earth and Hell. Corpses lied everywhere, and right next to him, a bloodied Videl kneeled, gasping, seeming to be attempting to catch her breath.
Gohan looked around, furious at the carnage. What had caused it? Why was it happening?
Within the smoke, an even darker force began to take shape. All around him, the area's energy distorted, and the smoke blew away. Strange rifts were forming, with shadowy figures emerging from them, surrounding them.
Gohan looked around. He couldn't make out who they were, and he couldn't sense them, yet they seemed familiar. None of them seemed to move at all as Gohan studied them.
Videl stood up beside him, getting into a fighting stance. He tried to tell her to not fight, that she couldn't do anything against whatever this was, but he couldn't speak.
A searing heat washed over them. Like the gates of Hell themselves, a pillar of a dark, fiery power erupted from the middle of the street, and another figure silhouetted within. Curved horns, long body, and the only part of the creature that was visible, a long, glowing purple blade held to the side. And as he looked, the blade lifted, and pointed directly at him.
At once, the shadowy figures around them converged on them, completely encasing them, blocking out the world entirely. Gohan tried to fight, but they didn't seem to even recognize his attacks. He heard the scream of Videl, and a bone-chilling, mad cackle in the distance, before he finally succumbed to the assault…
Gohan shot upwards, body wrapped in a cold sweat. His heart was pumping a million miles a minute, and he clutched the sheets, trying to steady himself. Breathing hard, he rubbed his eyes and looked around. His eyes fell on the clock, it was just past five in the morning.
He sighed. The nightmare he just had, it had seemed so short, yet he had slept the entire night. Well, most of it, anyways. This one had seemed so vivid as well, even more so than the last one…
It was the same creature, but it was different. That thing didn't attack, but, it pointed at him. Just the memory made his adrenaline start pumping, dispelling the last of his grogginess. Shaking his head, realizing he wasn't going to be sleeping any more that night, he stood up quietly, as to not wake Goten.
With a sigh, he began to get ready. It didn't take him long. He didn't feel very good in the house, and felt like he needed to get out. He wrote a short note to his mom that he was heading off early. Part of him was worried he was missing breakfast, but he didn't have much of an appetite that morning anyways.
Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he jumped out the window and took to the skies, still mostly dark, dawn but a faint smudge on the distant horizon. Not in a rush, he decided to fly slowly, using the crisp, cool air to help clear his mind as he flew towards Satan City.
"Once I get to school, I can focus on my work" Gohan muttered to himself. "I ought to feel better after I've done some."
Kicking up his energy, he decided to fly a little faster, the sound of his acceleration filling the sky, disguising any other noises that might have been heard otherwise.
"Alright, let's move it men, this machine isn't going to clean itself."
The hoard of grumbling ogres continued to work diligently, draining the machine of the black substance that filled it, setting the bottles off to the side.
The supervisor nodded. "Hey, that means all of you" he said, directed at a younger ogre who was goofing off.
"Huh?" the young one asked. The supervisor pointed at the machine, and he sighed. "Fine…" he said, moving towards it.
"Good" he said. "Let's kick this into overtime boys! Majin Buu's spirit is coming through here in just a couple hours, and soul has too much darkness for us to comprehend. We need to make sure it's as clean as possible to prevent anything from going wrong, got it?"
"YES SIR!"
Any self-respecting Dragon Ball fan can probably tell where we're headed here. I hope you guys enjoyed this twist on the episode with Chobi, and once again, I'm sorry for the long wait.
Now, I'll go ahead and respond to some of the reviews I've gotten since last time.
Werewingwolfxx - well, Icarus' mate didn't do anything, but Videl really laid into him this time, so I hope that was satisfying too.
Oracle-sama - I'll include Lime, if I can think of a way to incorporate her into the story. I won't just put her in for the sake of her being in it.
Guest - I guess we'll have to see as time goes on if gohan has learned his lesson 0.0
inFamousSlyMonkey - I'm not changing the past besides the parts of the Buu Saga I altered, so I will say that the figure from Gohan's dream wasn't Cooler
Jalen johnson - glad you're still liking it. About Joined Worlds, the writer's block I've had here? Twice as bad for that story. Sorry, but I think at this point it's on unofficial hiatus :(
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm hoping to be getting back into the groove soon, and until then cya guys later.