Hi there!
I'm glad that my previous chapter was well received. Hope this one as well. Sorry for the long wait (especially to kclinda & SSJ2 G0H4N 15 B35T).
I've been quite busy and I have to divide my free time between writing, drawing (I picked up my old hobby! Yaay!) and the gym (yeah, I found it hypocritical to write about getting Gohan in shape while I was sitting on the couch all day - so to speak). Anyway, the pace of chapters getting out might be a little slower lately, but remember, we're still 7 chapters ahead of schedule ;). Also, I've signed myself into 2 DB-writing events and I'll focus on them first before continuing this story. This means I'll skip the upload in February and move it to march instead. Hope you'll forgive me. But for your patients, you'll get 8 one-shots if everything works as planned ;)
Important note:
There's a slight change regarding the previous chapter. I couldn't remember why I wanted Videl to be abducted in her Saiyawoman clothes so I finally decided it was much easier to write her wearing her normal clothes instead. The thing is, I now do remember why… So I have to re-write the chapter a little bit so she does. It's just a minor change. I have to admit I haven't done it yet, but before the next chapter I will. Now, I'm just glad this chapter is out ;) and I hope you do too.
Furthermore:
I'm really excited! I've waited 12 goddamn chapters to finally come to the core-idea of this story.
That said: Have a good read!
Chapter 12: Rage
The afternoon sun was burning on his skin, yet his body shivered; not only the guy next to him, but this whole situation he found himself in was frightening. His nerdy classmate - who he recently discovered had some crazy Superhero powers - had just sneaked past some heavily armed guards and had disappeared into this weird-looking place in the middle of the desert.
He glanced at the guy standing not that far from him, crossing his arms and with that permanent serious frown on his face. Looking at him more closely, some oddities stood out. His hair was long but strangely enough it stood up straight, defying everything Mr. Butsuri had taught Stapler about physics.
Come to think of it, didn't Gohan's spiky hair have similar traits?
Stapler raised a brow as he began to see some similarities with the two. The hair was one thing, but they both could fly and he hadn't forgotten the threat this guy had given him earlier, claiming he could kill him with just one finger - something he had seen Gohan do to that wounded man in the shed earlier today.
Was this guy his father?
No. Stapler shook his head. Gohan's father was dead. He'd gathered that much knowledge from the hallway incident; a day he would never forget. It was the day he'd learned the hard way not to push the nerd's buttons too far.
But he was always a hard learner and he always had the bad habit of starting to talk before thinking, just to ease his nerves - a habit he could no longer ignore, despite his better judgment. Stapler cleared his throat and spoke up, "Shouldn't you go and help him?"
Silence.
Hearing his own words out loud, his nerves made way for genuine concern, "Dude! He might die in there! What kind of adult are you?!"
A small chuckle escaped the man's lips and a smirk appeared on his face.
"What's so funny!" Stapler demanded to know.
"These weaklings can only wish that they could hurt Risot, let alone kill him."
Again Stapler raised an eyebrow. Besides the arrogance, the guy sure seemed confident about his statement. But how come? Were Gohan's powers that great? Or was he simply indestructible?
He looked back at the entrance Gohan had entered. The armed guards suddenly rushed inside and as the door was held open, gunshots were vaguely heard from the inside together with an alarm that was going off. A heavy feeling came over the jock; Gohan was caught, wasn't he?
Stapler's worried look shifted from the scene back to the guy next to him. It looked like this hadn't even bothered him one bit. The man just observed everything without any worried expressions whatsoever. The jock's eyes trailed back to the entrance; could it be that Gohan was this strong?
But how?
Gohan was the godson of the greatest scientist after all, Stapler remembered. That might explain a thing or two. Maybe he got his powers from one of her secret experiments, like how Spider-Man got his powers by being bitten by a radioactive spider. Or like Captain America; being injected by some Super-Soldier serum-shit. Maybe Capsule Corp. was working on inventing a real life compound V - creating superheroes by will.
And this man next to him probably had undergone the same treatment.
"What are you exactly to Go-, uh, Risot," Stapler asked, not able to fight the urge to keep the conversation going, "His uncle?"
"Tsk," Vegeta let out a disapproving sound, "Don't insult me like that! I'm his prince."
An eyebrow was raised yet again, "Wait, don't tell me you guys are from a cult of some sort…"
"A cult?!" This was the first time the guy had looked at him since they had landed and the look Stapler received was terrifying, "You're pushing your luck, kid." The tone of his voice was icy and Stapler knew right away he could get in serious trouble with this man if he kept going. Why did he always have to talk so much?
A sudden change in the features of the guy's face startled Stapler. Was that fear? Disbelief? Shock? Whatever it was, It made him nervous, "W-What's wrong?"
"The girl… she's gone."
Did that guy's voice tremble? "W-What do you mean, gone?" Stapler was nailed to the ground. "Y-You mean she died?!" His eyes grew in fear.
"All I know is that she has suddenly disappeared; vanished from this w-" he abruptly stopped and looked in fear at his feet.
"Shit!"
It all happened so fast. First, a sudden earthquake caught them by surprise and Stapler's feet lost grip on the surface. He was almost certain that he was being sucked down by the moving ground, but soon he felt a nasty pull in his stomach and the next thing he knew, he was suddenly far away from their original place, dangling in the air.
From his newfound bird's eye view, he got a glimpse of the sand, rocks, and boulders swirling down into this massive pit that was once where the entrance of the building - that Gohan had entered - had been.
Seconds later: an ear-deafening explosion.
The shockwave that came with it sent both men further into the air, ripping Stapler's shirt out of Vegeta's hands. He couldn't make sense of what was up or down while tumbling through the sky and Stapler shut his eyes tightly as the ground came closer and closer.
This was it.
This was how he would die.
Again he felt a pull and he suddenly stopped spinning. He felt his body being put down on the ground in a controlled manner. When he dared to open one of his eyes, he understood that the always-angry guy had saved him. "T-Thank you," he mumbled almost inaudibly. Now fully on the ground, his body still shaking, "W-What happened?"
But before Stapler got an answer, the ground rumbled again and a column of bright light shot through the sky, followed by a figure who was also shrouded in a radiant glow. His blond hair seemed to move on its own, and Stapler watched him throw his head back.
A cry.
One filled with grief and sorrow; one that traveled through to the bone - a sound that was carried on for miles. Everyone who heard it instantly felt what the guy was going through: a broken man who just had lost everything he'd cared about.
The sound faded out and for a second there was complete silence. Stapler now got a closer look at the blond glowing figure; did he wear the same clothes as Gohan… Was that… That was Gohan, wasn't it?!
"What the…"
The man in the sky engulfed himself in yet another wave of light, pushed his hands alternately forward and screamed that thrilling scream again, yet this one was filled with pure rage rather than sorrow. Every time his hand was stretched out completely, a large ball of blinding light was formed and shot downwards, scorching the earth below as the explosions touched the ground at a fast pace.
The Earth rumbled again.
"If I can give you any advice," Vegeta began to engage the conversation for the first time, slightly mockingly referring to the first conversation the two had shared, "Never come between a Saiyan and his mate."
Stapler looked at him confused; why was he always talking about 'Saiyans'? What were they? Was this what they called their superform of some sort? The name people were given if they'd gone through that Capsule Corp. experiment for becoming one?
But before he could ask any of those questions out loud, one of the blasts exploded not that far from them. A rock came soaring through the sky, straight at Stapler's face. His body paralyzed in shock and he was unable to move out of the way. However, it didn't hit him. Instead the rock bounced off an invisible shield. It was probably that guy's doing, he thought, and getting some control over his muscles again, he finally managed to ask instead, "Y-You got the same powers, right? Shouldn't you do something about this?"
"Let him have his moment," the guy gruffed, "It'll do him good to let out all his rage for once. He has a nasty habit of bottling things up and pushing the urge away, pretending it isn't even there."
"But what about the people inside?"
Vegeta glanced briefly at the brown-haired teen and looked back ahead, "Their fate was already sealed by the first explosion, and even if they survived that, there's nothing we can do for them now. They are ten miles deep. Besides, they brought it on themselves; they shouldn't have taken the girl in the first place."
The sound of explosions faded. Confused, Stapler looked back up to the man he assumed was Gohan. He had pulled his hands at his side, cupping them as a small blue light formed in between, as he started to scream the syllable 'KA' for some reason.
"Tsk," the man next to him let out disapprovingly, frowning deeply, "What is that fool thinking?! If that hits the ground this whole planet might explode!"
"You are joking, right?!" Stapler looked at him with wide eyes. 'That wouldn't be possible!' He looked back at the figure in the sky - who was now yelling '-ME' - and a nasty feeling crept over him. 'That couldn't be true? Right?'
"-HA"
"Alright, enough!" Vegeta said as he gritted his teeth, "I'm going to put a stop to this!" and with that, he burst into the air as the sound '-ME' echoed through the desert sky, leaving Stapler all alone.
Speeding up, Vegeta grabbed Gohan's shoulders and pulled him down; redirecting the Kamehameha-wave just in time before the streaming, powerful beam would leave his hands. The bright blue column of energy now shot through the sky, away from the Earth and faded out far away outside the ozone layer.
"Risot! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Vegeta spit out, facing the teen. Seeing his face however got him off guard; he'd expected the tears, but the emptiness and rage in Gohan's eyes was new - not only that; it was frightening.
Without a warning, Vegeta was kicked with full force into the ground nearby where Stapler was hiding. The impact caused the rocks to shatter. Pain struck the teen and Stapler reached for his cheek. He looked back at his bloodied hand; apparently, one of the smaller pieces still managed to hit him and the damn thing had made a serious cut. His body shivered; at this rate his cheek wouldn't be the only thing that would be injured. If he wasn't already, the jock began to feel hopeless. He couldn't protect himself and the one he needed to rely on was probably lying dead in that crater.
Stapler could hardly fathom getting up this morning and just going to school. Now he was in the middle of a desert with a freaking flying guy who caused a rain of explosions.
He swallowed thickly. What if he would die here? Would his body be found? If so, what would the police make of it? That his body had traveled all this way in such a short time? And his parents… what would they handle the news?
He shook his head as he didn't want to think of that - not now; not later; not ever!
A grunt was heard and - to Stapler's shock - the short guy had managed to get back on his feet; his hair color changed instantly before he flew straight back at the guy above. First, Stapler was perplexed to see him alive at least, but then another thing struck his mind: 'So they could change their hair to blond!' He looked at the two - now fighting - individuals. This could only mean that the other guy was indeed Gohan. But why would he have done what he did? Why kill all those people inside that underground building? This wasn't like the guy he used to go to school with: that humble nerd from his class. What made him be like this?
'The girl… she's gone.'
The words came back echoing through his head. It was because of Videl, wasn't it?! Stapler felt instantly nauseous and for a moment he became totally numb while tears welled up in the corner of his eyes; what had happened to her? Was it that bad to make even Gohan go berserk?
Again something got slammed into the ground not that far from him. This time Stapler was able to cover his head from the scattering debris. After the dust had settled, Stapler coughed and, while catching his breath, he glanced back up. Gohan was again alone in the sky and placed both hands in front of his head, the palms facing forward, already forming a ball of blinding light. Yelling 'Masenko Ha', he released the bright white wave in the direction of the crater the other guy still lay in - straight at Stapler.
He inhaled sharply, almost understanding these were his last moments alive. He didn't have time to think about it and he just watched as the beam shot his way. But somehow, it suddenly changed course.
"Oh great, now the Namekian is here," he heard a weakened voice say. Turning to the sound, Stapler saw the man again, looking up; still blond, but now holding his right shoulder and it looked like he was in pain. How was he still alive?! "Tsk, I'm never gonna hear the end of this."
Following his gaze, Stapler saw a green demon-like creature clothed in the same Gi as Gohan's, his white cape moving in the wind. His arms were stretched unnaturally long and wrapped tightly around a struggling Gohan. 'What the fuck was going on?!'
Flying up to the Namekian, Vegeta heard him talk to the half-Saiyan, "Gohan, snap out of it!"
"It is no use, I already tried to reason with him," Vegeta gruffed, "He's blinded by rage. It's not that unusual for a Saiyan in these circumstances, but it normally happens under the influence of the Ōzaru."
Struggling to hold the half-Saiyan in place, the Namekian growled, "Is this your doing? What have you said to him this time? Threatened to kill him again?"
"Give me a break!" Vegeta gave him a nasty look while wiping some blood out of his eyes, "It's because of that mate of his. Something happened - I don't know what - but she is gone. He didn't take it lightly."
Piccolo's eyes shot wide, trying to sense the girl's Ki in vain. His surprise, however, made him loosen his grip a bit, of which Gohan took advantage. He pushed away Piccolo's constricting arms and flew up, ready to throw the two other fighters a Ki-blast. Vegeta followed him in his tracks and appeared behind him, ready to throw the hybrid one instead. With a quick maneuver, Gohan had turned however and both blasts collided up close and exploded in their faces. Both men tried to recover as they were pushed away due to the explosion, but Gohan was pushed into one's body that grabbed him tightly. With his still free arm he planted his elbow full force into the guy's face.
A loud cracking sound.
A paining growl.
"P-Piccolo?" Gohan mumbled confused. For the first time since he had seen Videl disappear he'd snapped back to reality. Looking over his shoulder he saw the Namakian holding his nose; purple fluid dripped between his fingers. Gohan immediately dropped his Super Saiyan Two form, "Oh sh-, I'm so sorry!"
Without any warning, Gohan was smashed in his back and sent into the ground. Piccolo glanced at Vegeta, "That was uncalled for."
"Hmf," Vegeta shrugged, "He deserved it. Let this be a lesson for him not to let his guard down at any time. Besides, he should've been able to dodge that." Looking at the ground he saw that the Saiyan-hybrid had landed on his feet and was looking at his hand, "So you think we're good with the boy?"
Piccolo, who'd followed Vegeta's gaze, growled, "It seems like it."
"You know he's beginning to become a problem…"
"I'll talk to him."
"Not before we have a talk first. We both are responsible for him getting back into shape, so he is our responsibility. This cannot happen again."
The Namekian nodded, but before he could say anything, Vegeta had already flown down. Landing beside the half-Saiyan he inspected the boy. The hand he'd looked at was full of blood and after a moment he spoke up, his voice cracking, "W-What happened?"
"You tell me," Vegeta countered.
Still staring at his hand, "All I remember is that she disappeared in front of my eyes… her Ki… it's…" He swallowed thickly, unable to finish his sentence. After a moment of silence he shook his head, showing his bloodied hand reluctantly towards Vegeta, "What did I do?"
"Let's say you handled things like a true Saiyan Warrior," Vegeta answered truthfully.
"You mean…"
Vegeta nodded in acknowledgment. "I should be proud," he replied after a moment with a half-hearted smile, crossing his arms, "It's in your blood, you cannot deny that. Though, we both know you're better than that. This is not who you are and certainly not what you want to be; you need to control that anger."
Gohan glanced at the Saiyan Prince and noticed his wounds, slowly dawning on him that he was probably the cause of that too. He sighed, he'd really lost it, hadn't he? He felt so hopeless and empty, a feeling he hadn't had in seven years.
A heavy hand that was placed on his shoulders pulled him out of his thoughts. Looking at its owner, Gohan received a compassionate look, "We'll figure it out kid, you're not alone in this." Piccolo studied his apprentice's face, "You don't remember what happened?" Gohan shook his head, answering Piccolo's question. The hand tightened a bit, "Give it time, it'll come back."
Gohan's gaze fell on something glittering not far from them, distracting him from the situation he was in. "C-Can you excuse me for one second," he mumbled while removing the hand from his shoulder, "I'll be right back." The two other warriors looked at each other confused, yet they let him pass knowing it was best to give the confused teen some space.
With a heavy feeling the young hybrid approached the object on the ground. He knew what it was, but he wasn't really ready to be confronted by it. He stopped and stared at it for a couple of seconds before finally picking up the white and pink helmet. It was damaged; the visor was broken and the whole thing was dented and scratched. Gohan let out a defeated chuckle; Bulma sure knew how to make her material Saiyan-proof, didn't she? The fact that he was holding something that still resembled a helmet was an accomplishment in itself.
"Oh Videl," he heard himself thinking out loud as the realization sank in, "I'm so so sorry…" Silent tears came streaming down his cheeks as he stared at the object. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have been in any danger at all. She would have gone through the day as usual and probably would have led a normal, happy, and above all, a carefree life. And then he came along and ruined it all. He knew he shouldn't get involved with someone; the stakes were way too high. It was selfish, he should have known better. His father knew… He knew that the best way to protect your loved ones is to stay far away from them. Evil will always find you.
But Videl… Videl made it sound so convincing that it would be okay. That when evil would appear she rather be at his side for whatever happens; that was the place she wanted to be; it was the safest place in her mind since when he was gone, the world was doomed anyway. She told him it was okay to be together. But here they were: there was no real threat - no fate of the world that was at stake - and she was gone. They were after him, not her, and she paid the price to simply be involved with Saiyaman… be involved with him…
Suddenly anger crept over him once more. He was angry at himself for letting this happen. He was there! He could've prevented it! He should've prevented it from happening!
But… prevented what?
His confusion took over his anger. What had happened exactly? He knew it had triggered him, and by the looks of it not in a good way, but he couldn't remember what it was. It was all a big blur.
It was something that-that woman said… What was her name again? Carmine? Yes, Carmine! And that heated conversation with her was why he'd snapped. Something about…
His eyes shot wide.
Something about a gun!
He looked down and found a gun shoved into his obi. He sighed, relieved that he still had the shrewdness to keep it safe even after he'd snapped. He put down the helmet and took out the gun. He remembered that after Carmine shot Videl with it, she simply vanished. Gohan looked at it intently: it had all kinds of wires, buttons and a display that was set on '0706789'. This wasn't a normal gun - that was for sure - it was rather a device of some sort and it was probably the only way to get answers of what had happened to Videl - assuming that asking Carmine wasn't a possibility anymore - and he needed those answers quickly!
Gohan made a resolute decision. He shoved the gun back into his obi and kneeled beside the helmet. His gaze fell on the heart-shaped ornament and reached out to it, breaking it off the helmet. Videl hated the stupid thing, but it was all he had left from her. After wiping it clean with his wristband he looked more intently at it and vouched, "I'll do whatever I can to get you back Videl, I promise." Whatever it takes…
He placed the heart-shaped ornament into a small inside pocket within his Gi, near his heart, and turned around to fly to the others. Before he even landed he said with a demanding voice, "We need to go to Bulma, as soon as p-" He stopped abruptly; he'd all forgotten about Stapler. His classmate's shirt was ripped, his left cheek had a fresh deep cut and the look he gave Gohan was that of pure shock. Blinking in surprise, the half-Saiyan asked without thinking, "What happened to you?!"
"W-What the fuck do you think?!" he stammered back, giving his classmate a look of disbelief.
Right, that was probably a stupid question. Gohan scratched the back of his neck, unsure of how to deal with this awkward situation. Even though he didn't remember much of it, looking at his surroundings said enough. Stapler'd probably witnessed everything and even got caught up in some of the blasts by the looks of it. "A-Are you alright?" He didn't know what else to say, he felt terrible.
"Am I alright?!" The jock balled his fists firmly and held them stiff aside his body, "You tell me! I've been kidnapped, dragged though the fucking sky to the middle of nowhere, witnessed you fucking kill someone with only your fucking finger!" With that Stapler stepped forward and pointed his own finger angrily at Gohan, who recoiled a step. "Then you apologized; I was even thinking I'd deserved it all because - you know - Karma's a bitch. You cannot imagine the relief I felt when you promised me I could go home - alone - after a visit to West City - a city I need to remind you that is located at the other side of this fucking planet!" Now Stapler was as close to towering over the now cowering half-Saiyan. "Then your ever-frowning idolator comes around and I'm being kidnapped - again - and the whole fucked-up circle starts all over!" Gohan tried to take another step back but failed, tripping over his own feet and fell with a dull thud on the ground. He looked up to the raging jock, who'd now grabbed the front of his Gi, and swallowed thickly. "And if that's not enough, you decided to go berserk and throw all these - whatever it is - light-bombs and rocks at us for no reason! I'd be dead if it weren't for frowny-face over there!" Stapler pointed at Vegeta for a moment - who frowned even deeper - before he continued, "So you tell me! You think I'm alright?!"
"Are you done?" Piccolo growled, crossing his arms.
Stapler, still breathing heavily, glanced at the Namekian and turned back to Gohan, almost whispering with the same firm voice, "And when I started to think it couldn't get any crazier… a green ugly mother fucker comes out of nowhere and casually stands next to us right now like it's the most normal thing in the world… It fucking freaks me out!"
Vegeta noticed Piccolo's right eye twitch in irritation and let out an amused snicker, "What's the problem? This is exactly what you want right; Risot making new friends? This is how you taught him to…"
"Risot?" Piccolo looked at Vegeta in question, "I'm not calling him 'Trống cơm' am I? Let's keep his name as Gohan, okay frowny-face?"
Vegeta gave the Namekian an icy glare and before it was going to escalate, Gohan sighed, "It's fine Piccolo…" He then looked back at Stalper, who had let go of his Gi in the meantime, "Look Stapler, you have no idea how sorry I am… for everything… to everyone. It's been a really bad day for all of us."
Seeing the tears welling up in his classmate's eyes, Stapler's heart dropped, forgetting his anger immediately. "I-Is she…?"
"No," Gohan answered resolutely, wiping the corner of his eyes - there was no time to be emotional. "She isn't… I'm sure of that… But we need to go to Bulma to know what really happened and how we get her back."
"Her Ki is gone, Gohan…" Piccolo tried to warn him, afraid he'd kept his hopes up without reason, "And so are the Dragon Balls."
Gohan shook his head violently, "She is gone, yes, but she isn't dead. I haven't figured everything out yet, that's why I need to go to Bulma as soon as possible." He looked back at Stapler, who nodded and offered his hand to help him up. Apparently the outburst was just his way to deal with his emotions, and luckily it seemed the jock didn't hate him. Gohan sighed somewhat in relief and took his hand.
"Did you find her though?" the brown-haired teenager asked with a heavy heart.
"Yes, I did, and considering the circumstances she looked really well. They'd held her in confinement with not many resources, but she was the same old Videl we know: untamed and fierce." Gohan led out a small chuckle as he remembered watching as she put her hands on her hips and sarcastically introduced Carmine and Gohan to each other. She wasn't afraid one bit. Kami, did he love her…
"Alright, let's go," the half-Saiyan said to everyone and gestured to Stapler to jump on his back. The jock hesitated, but when he realized the choices were probably between staying here, a piggy-back ride with Gohan, or being dragged to the sky by that frowning man, he didn't need to think about it for one second. Reluctantly he hopped on and the four men headed to West City.
"So…" Stapler started after a while, not able to keep silent, "Who's the slug-man? Also a friend of yours?"
Gohan eyes shot to Piccolo, who clearly was offended, and sighed, "Yes, his name is Piccolo. And he isn't a slug-man, he's a Namekian."
"Isn't that basically the same thing?" Vegeta grinned widely, enjoying himself, "You know, I'm beginning to take a liking to this kid."
"Let's increase our pace; the sooner we get to Bulma, the better," Piccolo growled and speeded up. He was clearly trying to keep himself in check.
After a while they landed on one of the balconies of Capsule Corp. Stapler had taken the hint and remained silent during the rest of the flight - that, or he was struggling with the wind. After he had put his classmate down and went inside, Gohan checked the building for Bulma's Ki. She was with her father in the courtyard, he concluded, and gestured everyone to follow him, leading everyone through the building. Vegeta, however, went without a word in the other direction. Gohan assumed he was going to take care of his shoulder and shrugged it off.
Bulma looked up from the conversation with her father when she noticed the remaining group approaching. Studying them intently, the blue-haired scientist noticed their wounds, ripped clothes, and sour faces. But what stood out most of all: Videl wasn't among them. Her heart dropped, she really had expected them to return with her. What had happened? Was she…?
"Bulma, I need your help," Gohan said when in hearing distance, not wasting any time, "Do you know what this is?" He reached out to his obi and took out the gun-shaped device and handed it to the scientist, waiting in anticipation as she studied it closely.
"It isn't a normal weapon, that's for sure," she answered after a while, "There are too many functions on it." She gave the device to her father while continuing the conversation, "What else can you tell me about it?"
"Videl was shot by it. There came a bright yellow beam out of it and when she was hit by it, she disappeared completely. No trace whatsoever."
"Hm," Dr. Brief hummed while he turned the device in his hand, "There are two displays on it. The numbers on the display at the bottom are clearly latitude and longitude coordinates."
Bulma jerked her head, "You mean Videl could be at that place? Like a teleport-transport device?" She quickly rushed over to the table both she and her father were sitting at before the group arrived, and opened her laptop. The bluenette entered the coordinates her father read aloud from the display and a location popped on the screen. She turned the screen to the others, "Does this ring any bells?"
"Yeah," Piccolo shook his head, "That's the same place we were at."
"That doesn't make sense…" Stapler spoke up, "Why would someone set coordinates on a device to transport someone back to that exact location? If it were such a device, shouldn't it be set to different coordinates?"
"Sweetheart, take a look at this," Dr. Brief pointed at some mechanics, "Don't they look awfully familiar?"
Bulma raised an eyebrow, "That's ours…" The scientist took the device from her fathers hand and studied it with a shocked expression on her face.
"What do you mean, ours?" Piccolo frowned, not liking the sound of it.
"I mean it's technology we invented, but we haven't brought it onto the market since we are still working out the patents. Nobody knows it exists except me and my dad."
"Wasn't there a break-in some time ago? I heard you say something like that at dinner about a missing Dragon Ball the other day." Dr. Brief said, his cigarette in his mouth moved as he talked, "Maybe they'd stolen things related to this device too?"
"Maybe," Bulma sighed, "Some papers and blueprints were stolen as well, but I need to check what exactly."
"What about that other display?" Piccolo pushed on, getting impatient as the two were trailing off-topic.
"It's a seven number code. Could be anything"
They all were discussing the possibilities for a while, but since there wasn't much progression and as the exhaustion from the events of the day came crashing in, Gohan reluctantly called it a day. It was already starting to get dark and Stapler was away from home long enough. Since he was a wreck, Gohan let Stapler borrow a shirt after he'd taken a quick shower. Bulma attended to the cut on his cheek, which needed to be stitched, and after they'd both said their goodbyes, the duo headed to Satan City.
For the first time since they'd started the search for Videl today, Stapler remained silent the whole journey. It wasn't necessarily an uncomfortable silence between the two, but one of mutual grief. The only thing they'd shared were the directions Stapler gave Gohan to find his home. They'd landed in a nearby alley and walked the remaining couple of streets together. When they'd almost arrived at their destination, however, Gohan felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked aside and was met with a half-hearted smile by his classmate, "Come on, it's gonna be alright. If anyone can help her, it's you and your crazy-ass crew." His look saddened, "I'm really sorry I put you in this situation. If only I could take it all back…"
"If someone is to blame, it's me, so…" Gohan answered with a heavy heart, "They wanted to get to Saiyaman and used Saiyawoman to do so. It's just a coincidence that you tipped them off and Saiyawoman just happened to be Videl. They weren't after her."
"I know, but…"
"Don't beat yourself up about it, okay?" He realized that they'd stopped walking and Stapler's hand was still resting on his shoulder out of compassion. "About what happened today…"
"Yeah, don't worry, I won't tell. They already think I'm crazy and a liar because of that hallway incident," Stapler brushed off.
"That's not what I wanted to say, but I appreciate it nonetheless," Gohan gave him a soft smile, "You're seeming to take it quite well considering what you've been through… Why aren't you afraid of me?"
The brown-haired teen raised an eyebrow, "What's there to be afraid of? If you wanted me dead I'd be dead by now; if you wanted me gone, you wouldn't have taken me home. Look, you are a good guy, Gohan, just… one with freakishly immense powers… who can potentially destroy the world…" he sighed, "I think it'll all sink in later on, but for now I'm just glad to be home. Alive."
"You probably have a lot of unanswered-"
"Questions? No shit…"
Gohan scratched his neck, "As long as you keep it for yourself, I think you have the right to know… so…"
"Yeah I have a couple," Stapler let go of Gohan and crossed his arms, "Can I be one of you? Like get that serum-shit or however the fuck it works?" Gohan looked at him confused and he added, "You know, get those powers you guys have."
Finally understanding what his classmate tried to say, he laughed, "I'm sorry, I can't help you with that." He paused for a second to study the jock's disappointed face, and a little reluctant he explained, "My powers… They are genetic. You see, my father…"
Stapler's eyes shot wide, "He is a Saiyan! And you, you are a - a half-Saiyan!"
Surprised, Gohan asked, "Did Vegeta tell you?"
"Who?"
"The guy you kept calling 'frowny-face'," Gohan chuckled, "Which was hilarious by the way. I would never dare to say such things to him."
"Ah, your 'prince'," Stapler remembered.
Gohan's deadpanned, "Of course he told you that."
"Tell me, is he really? And if so, prince of what?" Stapler leaned against the wall of his house and a smirk appeared on his face. "Or is the guy just delusional?"
"He's the prince of all Saiyans," Gohan said, "But there isn't much to be a prince over. It's just him, and if you count all the half-breeds, you can include his son, me, and my little brother."
"So what's a Saiyan then?" Stapler asked. "A human with genetically crazy powers?"
"Well, the last part is correct," Gohan admitted reluctantly, unsure if it was wise to share, but he knew he couldn't leave him in the dark about it - Stapler already knew too much.
"Soooo…" the brown-haired teen raised an eyebrow, "A non-human with genetically crazy powers?" Gohan nodded in acknowledgement, surprising the jock, "Wait, what?! You mean you guys are aliens?!"
"I was born here on Earth, so that makes me an Earthling," Gohan corrected him, "But yeah, my father wasn't, and neither was Vegeta. They came from a different planet, but it got destroyed."
"Please don't tell me you guys are here to take over the planet…"
Gohan chuckled, "No, not at all. If it weren't for us, the world would've been a goner anyway." Stapler's face relaxed immediately, and Gohan continued, "But, please, I've told this to nobody except Videl. It has to be kept a secret." His voice was firm yet pleading.
"Noted," Stapler said.
"And I don't want to ask this of you, but Monday at school you have to show up and act as if this all never happened. No one can know we found Videl and what we've learned about her disappearance so far. The things we normally deal with - people don't understand. Also, I'm still the prime suspect for her disappearance by the police and I absolutely cannot risk being kicked out of school either."
"Don't sweat it, you're still the nerd and I'm still the jock if I have a say in it," Stapler jokingly said, but with a serious tone he continued, "The chief knows, right?"
"Yeah, and I'll inform him on Monday. Hopefully we know more by then."
Stapler nodded, "Well, I guess it's time to go inside. Not looking forward to lying to my mother, but - oh well."
"What are you gonna say about the cut on your cheek?"
The jock shrugged, "I'm on the boxing team, guess I landed hard on some metal after a nasty blow during practise." There was a moment of silence where both teens just stared at the ground, not quite sure what to say to one another. It had really been a crazy day… Then Stapler spoke up, "Can I give you my number? So you can keep me in the loop?"
Gohan nodded and as they exchanged their phone numbers, Gohan reached out, "I know from experience that these things - the things that happened today - aren't taken lightly. So when the events of today sink in and you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you. Feel free to call me anytime."
"Thanks, take care."
"Yeah you too."
After a simultaneous nod, Gohan watched the jock go inside. It was odd, the half-Saiyan thought; before today Stapler had always seemed so hostile to him; a bully who couldn't digest the fact that this 'nerd' got the attention of his love interest. But now - after saying goodbye to him - it almost felt like they were on the same page. He let out a small chuckle as he blasted off and headed to his apartment; maybe Vegeta was right, maybe he did make a friend today.
Exhausted, he pushed the sliding door of his humble penthouse open. He hadn't instructed it, but he was glad that his two blond friends didn't lock the door. He dragged himself to the couch and flopped on it. It was late and Erasa and Sharpener were probably already in bed.
His eyes fell on a sheet of paper that lay on the table and picked it up, reading:
'Dear Gohan,
I hope all is well and that you came closer to find Vi. You must be starving so I prepared you a meal, you can find it on the counter. If you need anything else like a hug or someone to talk to, feel free to wake us up! Lots of love
- 'Rase' & Sharpie
The half-Saiyan couldn't contain a soft smile, Erasa was such a heartwarming person. He picked up the pen next to the paper and wrote 'Thanks, you're the best'. He wasn't hungry though, just so goddamn tired. He lied down, dragging the sheets Erasa had put beside the couch over him, and after some tossing and turning he finally fell asleep.
Gohan'd sunk into a deep restless dream where he was following Videl's voice. She led him to a pharmacy, down a basement and through a tunnel that led to a door. It got dead silent. Not knowing what to do, he pushed the door open, revealing an endless plain of sand. He hesitated, but soon felt someone push his back while laughing, "What are you looking at nerd?! Go take a swim!" Gohan couldn't correct himself and fell forward into a sea of sand. He desperately tried to keep his head above the swirling sand and searched for the entrance of the tunnel so he could drag himself out of it again, but both the guy and the tunnel had disappeared. The only option he could think of to easily get out of his situation was to fly, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't.
Starting to panic, all Gohan could do now was swim upstream, fighting desperately not to get sucked under. Suddenly something heavy came against his body. He turned his head to see what it was and to his horror it was the lifeless body of a biker. Not much later another one bumped against him and it soon dawned on him he was swimming amidst floating corpses. Again, one came awfully close, but this time it turned, opening its eyes and grabbed Gohan by his shirt. His weak voice whispered in his ear, "Please, let me put you out of your suffering."
The extra weight of the corpse was too much for Gohan and slowly he was dragged under the surface and not much later everything became black. There was no light; no sound; no nothing. Only his own heartbeat gave way that he was still alive, and as he was pulled deeper and deeper, he lost all hope of ever getting out of this situation.
Suddenly he fell into a free fall. With a thud, he landed on a hard surface in a white room, his eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness of his new surroundings. As things began to take shape he noticed two figures standing not far from him. He blinked, vaguely seeing Videl being held by a woman with a dark bobline, dressed in leather jeans and a red blouse. "You come for your damsel in distress?" she mockingly asked, giving him a foul but challenging look.
Gohan stood up, frowning deeply, "Let her go! This is between you and me."
"As you wish," she said, releasing Videl.
"Gohan!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him. He opened his arms, but before he could embrace her, she vanished.
"Oops," he heard the woman say as he stumbled back a couple of steps in confusion. Looked back up, Gohan was met with a self-righteous grin, "I meant to hit you both… but I guess I like this outcome better." She kept staring straight at the half-Saiyan as she blew the steam from the barrel of a strange-looking gun.
"W-What did you do?!"
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see each other again if you're patient enough," her grin widened and she looked briefly at her gun before saying so.
"If you mean Other World, I'll kill you!" He felt his anger rising rapidly through his body.
"No, no, I haven't killed her," she replied, "I wouldn't dare."
"Then what have you done to her?!" Gohan yelled as he began to stride to the woman with balled fists. She aimed her gun at him and pulled the trigger, yet nothing happened. Realizing the gun was empty, she threw it at his head as a last resort before trying to flee. With a swift movement Gohan caught the device out of the air and secured it safely in his obi - it was probably important. He then rushed to the running woman, grabbing her and pinning her against the wall. "I ask you again, what have you done to her?!"
"Be patient," she barely could speak from the pressure Gohan was holding her, "In fifteen years you'll understand." She reached out to a remote in her pocket and pushed a button - a remote that she cleverly added to the blueprint and made come along with her wish.
An alarm came echoing through the room they were in. It was an odd alarm, not one that was made to point out danger, but a more softer tone - a very familiar melodious tone. He raised an eyebrow, "What did you do?"
"Gohan, wake up…"
Another woman's voice interrupted the two, irritating Gohan. "Not now, I'm in the middle of something," he spat out before focusing his attention back at the woman in his hold.
She grinned, undisturbed as she hadn't heard this other voice, "Ever heard of a self-destruct button?"
Gohan's eyes shot wide, "You wouldn't!"
"Gohan, your phone is ringing!"
"I don't care!" He shouted to the mysterious voice, before looking back at the woman he now recognized as Carmine.
"I know when I have lost," she said, again ignoring the voice, "And if I'm about to die, I'm gonna drag you with me!"
The loud explosion that followed wrenching her body from his grasp and bloodied his hand. He quickly used his Ki to shield himself from the rest of the blast and not much later nothing but darkness followed.
"Gohan!"
A smack in the face awakened him and he looked confused at Erasa's worried face, "Gohan, Bulma is calling for the third time now. I thought it might be important," she handed over a still ringing phone, "And are you alright? You looked like you were having a nightmare."
Still drowsy, he nodded to her and answered the phone.
"Took you long enough," Bulma said irritably.
"I fell asleep," the half-Saiyan answered curt, "Any news?"
"You'd asked me for an update before I went to bed, so here I am. I made an inventory of what was stolen from me alongside the Dragon Balls which are a few notebooks including some blueprints - none of which have a relation to a gun specifically. When looking closely at the gun, they indeed have incorporated our not yet published technology, though somehow it looks even more advanced than that. I doubt someone could build such a complex device in such a short time, so maybe Shenron had a hand in it. Other than that, I'm still in the dark. Like, I haven't figured out what that seven digit number means."
"Seven digits…" Gohan repeated, "It might be a date." He remembered that the password of his electronic tag - which was Videl's birthday - had 7 numbers as well. "What was the number again?"
"0706789," the blue-haired scientist answered, "I've taken a date into consideration, but then it translates to six July, age 789. It's now 774, so that's probably not right."
"In fifteen years you'll understand."
The words echoed through Gohan's head as the heavy feeling he already had became even heavier, "No wonder her Ki is gone…" Gohan mumbled, feeling the panic rising in his body, "The coordinates on the device are the location they'd sent her to, but the reason she wasn't there is that she doesn't exist in this timeline anymore. They've sent her to the future!"
Hi there!
So… well… the word is out (mostly) and I'm damn nervous what you guys think of it. As I said at the start: I've waited 12 chapters to finally reach this point. I'll already reveal that the next chapter will be called "Six July 789" (or just "789"). :)
If you want to be kept in the loop of all the DB stuff I'm doing (including messages about the progress of my story/stories, but also drawings) you can follow my twitter: Kipke_
Don't have twitter yet interested to see my drawings? You can find them on AO3 (Doodles, Sketches and Drawings) or on DeviantArt (Kipke)
Have a lovely weekend!