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DRAGON BALL HARDCORE

THE BUU SAGA, part 1

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Planet Earth… one of the most remote places in the universe. It sits there on the far outskirts of North Galaxy; neighbor to a couple dozen empty desert planets and hundreds of useless solar systems. The technology seems basic, but sometimes they pop off beyond the scale. This little planet was the ground of many battles that changed the course of the universe. It is the home of legends; actual myths and godlike beings. But there aren't that many of them anymore. It's hard to believe that the strongest warrior in the whole galaxy is a high school teenager.

It has been six years since Cell was defeated, but of course all the credit went to Mr. Satan instead of Gohan. He sunk himself into fame and riches, while Gohan continued to live a peaceful life with his mother. Although now he had a little brother to look after; little Goten. He is just as dumb and lovable as Goku was as a kid, probably because of his somewhat normal childhood. At just five years of age he is a better fighter than most people in the galaxy, and was born with the duty to pass down the haircut of the family. Not to mention, but as any Saiyan he came out with a tail. A very, very persistent one.

Gohan lived the last six years of his life all the same. Get up early, warm up in the woods, help with the farmlands, eat, study for the rest of the day, and train for a little of the night. But near his adult life, he and his mother discovered something drastic. Turns out that you can't be home schooled your entire life and become a doctor or professor; he needed to attend education publicly. There were a bunch of different places he could attend to, but he was convinced to try out the best academy in the world.

Orange Star Academy was hard to enter, but it wasn't much of a problem for Gohan. It was far off in the continent at Satan city, but Gohan could just fly there. The test required to enter is said to be hard even for the professors who made them, and Gohan aced all of them. And finally there was indeed an entrance fee, and for once he had no way around that. His grandpa Ox King's pockets have gone dry with the decades, and the farmlands of his family were small; just enough for them to live in modesty. If he wanted to pay that fee he would have to take a job.

And a job he got, no problem. He found work on an empty highway in a gas station. His boss would just sit in his office and sleep all day while Gohan would stand there at the counter for 8 hours; every day for the next 3 months. Throughout his entire time working there he interacted with no customers whatsoever. After the first week he just started bringing his books to study, since there was nothing else to do. Months passed and so he thought to have this on the bag. Just one more day and he would get his final paycheck to finish up paying his entrance fee.

But I kid you not; in the closing hours of his final day, he found himself in a situation.

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Satan City was having a little problem. Some thugs on a jeep managed to rob a popular bank with little effort, and were escaping out of the city through the highway. There were about a dozen cop cars on their tail and a helicopter. It seemed they had no escape, but they had a trick up their sleeve. The jeep was packing a rocket launcher, and they struck the helicopter out of the sky with it. It fell right on the highway, blocking all the cop cars from moving further. The robbers were going to get away.

The cops tried rescuing the people inside the chopper but they were unsuccessful due to the fire and broken door. But they were saved by the arrival of a certain hero. A teenage girl with long black hair on pigtails and blue eyes arrived at the scene on her bike. She was "Satan's daughter" as they called her, but her name is Videl. With superhuman strength she ripped off the broken door of the helicopter and quickly pulled off the pilot and the news crew from inside. Thanks to that roadblock the rest was incapable of following the criminals. So she went off alone, riding her bike faster than any motorcycle or car.

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The thugs were counting the money on the fly, not caring how much it was lost in the wind. They were set for life, but soon realized that they were running out of gas. Luckily they happen upon a lonely gas station on the abandoned highway. They figured they should rob the place as well; their boss gave the thumbs up and so they barged right in. All they found was some cheap snacks and drinks, and a cashier who was too occupied with his book to see them right in front of him.

Gohan grew to be nonchalant with time, and that got the thug a little mad. His fat friend went to the office in the backrooms, and he tried to grab Gohan's attention by putting a bullet on his skull; works every time. But something strange happened.

The bullet was fired but didn't penetrate him. It got stuck to his forehead, mushed like a tack, and fell to the table without leaving any mark. The boy slowly put his book down, looked up with a frown, and he said, "Sir, we don't allow guns inside."

The man was confused, and pointed his gun to shoot again. However, the barrel of his revolver was now comically bent upwards, and the gun jammed. He couldn't understand what happened, it was left like that one second to the next. Then his fat friend came out of the backroom with Gohan's boss on his arm as a hostage. Gohan wasn't taking it easy so he had to shoot him. But when the fat guy pointed his gun at Gohan it ended just like the other one; bent upward from a millisecond to the next. Angry, the goon tried to slash Gohan with a huge knife he had hidden in his pants, but it also didn't work. The moment the blade made contact with his face it shattered to pieces; again, no scratch. Gohan thought it was time to throw out the troublemakers.

The two criminals simply busted out the front door, sent flying by a single punch. They hit the side of their jeep, almost flipping it over. Gohan slowly walked out, saying that they will have to pay for all that fuel. Their response was to grab an assault rifle and shower Gohan with bullets, but he just caught all of them in his palm like it was mosquitoes. The fat guy got scared, and was about to blast the entire station up with his rocket launcher. Gohan saw that he needed to act now before he pulled the trigger, but then something got in the way.

Videl in her bike came flying from the left, and she kicked the rocket launcher out of his hands; exploding far away in the sky. The criminals immediately recognized her and panicked. Gohan didn't know what was going on, and Videl shouted at him to stay back. The goon unloaded his assault rifle on her this time, but to Gohan's surprise she dodged all the bullets really well. Videl dashed at them faster than what they could see, and she knocked both out in one hit. The last one was their boss, who finally woke up at the back of the jeep. An aged man with red hair, packing no weapons; he looked depressed. "You can escape the army, but you can't escape useless henchmen, I guess…" he mumbled.

Videl recognized him as Silver, a wanted criminal from the old red ribbon army militia. She was eager to meet him, since he was noted to be quite a strong fighter. He said, "Aren't you too young to die?"

And so they begin to fight. The two reached a super human level, far above what normal people can see. For Gohan it was weird to see someone away from his old group reach such a level. Videl seemed to be getting the better of the man; she fought with a mixed style of grappling and karate. In her advantage she got arrogant and decided to head on against Silver for a last strike. But Silver had a last trick to pull; a hidden knife popped out of his sleeve. She was caught off guard; Videl put up her guard just as the knife was about to slash her arms. However… it never did.

For a split second, Videl saw a faded figure appear and disappear behind Silver, and when it did, the knife was gone from his hand. Even Silver looked shocked, and Videl took the opportunity to chop him at the back of the neck, knocking him out.

Videl had won, but she did not let go of her guard. She looked around, expecting that figure to come back. She kept frantically looking around until Gohan started clapping, "that was awesome! You're pretty good!" Gohan said.

"Uh… thanks?"

The cops arrive just in time to arrest the robbers and congratulate Videl. She wanted to check if Gohan wasn't hurt, but then she saw it; the knife that almost got her in that fight was now lying behind his feet. She kept staring at him as the officers surrounded her, but before she could give any more thought to it she realized she was gonna be late for something. She takes on her bike and rides off super fast into the horizon.

Gohan walks inside the gas station to see his boss. He was still sleeping when Gohan shook him awake. to keep it simple; they were almost robbed, everything is fine now, and the cops will probably want a word with him. That woke the man real quick; he can't have cops meddling around his business. "Gohan, why don't you take the rest of the day out, okay? I have some 'papers' to file, you know. I will see you tomorrow," he said.

"Mr. Laundrey, today is my last day. I have to attend school from now on; I just need my last paycheck to pay for the entrance fee."

"Sure!" Said his boss, running inside his office for a second and then throwing a briefcase full of money to Gohan. "Consider that an extra! Get rid of it for me, okay? Have a good life kid!" And so he slammed the door shut. Gohan now has a lot of mysterious money and the cops are outside. He ran for the backdoor and flew out before he was caught up in this.

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Chi-chi was really thankful for the gift his boss gave them; now they have way more than enough to pay. She had a surprise for Gohan. Today they had something of an entrance ceremony to attend tonight; it was essential that they go. He should've received the letter a month early, but mailing sucks when you live on a mountain. Chi-chi and Goten were coming along, it's important after all.

Once they are dressed up appropriately, they fly on their yellow nimbus all the way to Satan City and get to the school by jumping a good 50 feet down to the ground. The other families and students are startled by their bizarre arrival. Chi-chi got really emotional all of the sudden, seeing her baby boy is finally becoming a man or respect. Goten himself has barely seen a modern city in his life, and was bewildered by the fancy hallways. It was walking through these corridors that Gohan was surprised by a girl that came running from behind and bashed against him.

It was Videl once again, and they both immediately recognized each other. They got to formally meet this time around, and now she immediately remembered that fight, and that knife by Gohan's feet. She stuck it to the back of her mind. "You own me one for that, okay?" she said, and Gohan helplessly obliged. They decided to walk around to see the place with the crowd since they are both freshmen.

Videl quickly realized how meek and strange Gohan is. He didn't have the most normal childhood, and he himself doesn't know how people his age talk or how they act. Nevertheless they are stopped when a suspicious tall guy in disguise, who absolutely wasn't Mr. Satan, showed up to talk with Videl. She scolds him for showing up, but he insists that he's merely here to support her. "You better keep your voice down! I don't want to see you turn this into your personal glory parade again," she said. He then scoots up to Gohan's face and gives a mean look before leaving.

Gohan was really surprised she was Mr. Satan's daughter; even a country bumpkin like Gohan knew it was him, so that disguise is utterly useless. They eventually joined parents and masters at the gymnasium, heard the entire boring speech, and finally they were on to the important stuff. When they sorted out the classes Videl and Gohan ended up together. To her it was like a sign from the universe telling her that this weird kid will need her around. This weird friendship that they developed would remain that way for months to come.

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Videl, as well as everyone else in this school, quickly realized that Gohan was no normal guy. In sports and fitness he accidentally broke a few world records without realizing. In studies he had more knowledge than college graduates. And every single day a terrible misfortune would befall him, and he would get out without a scratch. People tried to bully him, but with Videl around, it proved to be a terrible idea. Even as he gets beaten without fighting back, there is never any sign of damage on him. Gohan was doing his best to be a normal person; he wanted to fit in, but it wasn't working. In fact, Videl began suspecting him more and more every day. She was rude but in a carefree way, but now she was acting rude to him on purpose. He had a secret; she figured out that much since he is a terrible liar. It all came down on a particular day, when she decided to take a different route to school and caught a glimpse of Gohan flying through the skies. She thought she was daydreaming for a moment, but it was true. As a martial artist, she knew such a thing as the flying technique. Her father told her it was all made up, and special effects; but she never bought it. It was time to bring about the truth of Gohan.

But, being reckless as she normally is, she decided that the best way to test Gohan was by picking up a fight with him in the middle of recess. She knows a fighter when she sees it, she wants Gohan to show her what he's capable of. However, Gohan didn't like fighting for scraps. He knew that if he did the least as dodging her attacks it would only make her suspect him even more, so he just lowered energy and took the beating. It dragged out so long that Videl actually started to feel bad. Everyone was watching around them, and Gohan wasn't fighting back. "Damn it Gohan, I don't want to hurt you! Just fight back already!" she said, holding him by the shirt and shaking him. Eventually that got the attention of the hall monitors and Videl was sent with Gohan to the principal's office for a talk.

Gohan got scolded a little more than he deserved, and that made Videl mad. She knew the principal was only scared of her father and the bad rep for expelling his daughter, and so Gohan was gonna take all the blame. However, the only person this man should be scared of right now is her. She gave him two choices: it was either letting them both slip, or filling their expulsion letters from the hospital bed. The principal chose wisely, so she picked Gohan by his arm and dragged him along to the exit. He was genuinely frightened; this girl has a tone worse than Piccolo's.

She kept dragging him until they were alone in the street somewhere. She just wanted to talk it out, since plan A didn't work well. Gohan asked if she wasn't worried about getting expelled, but she truly wasn't. Heck, she's pretty sure she didn't pass the entrance exam, and it's only here because she's "Satan's daughter" and can't be defied. She hated it. People just look at her as a symbol for something and not a person. Gohan asked what she wanted to talk about, so she was straight and simple: "Gohan… Your father is Son Goku, isn't it?"

That sent a shock through Gohan's skin. "How do you know?!"

"You two have comically similar names… AND the same last name."

"Oh… wait, how do you know my dad?"

"Gohan you bone head, he was once the strongest martial artist in the world before my father. He was a runner up in the finals for two editions, and won the third time he participated, then never came back. How could I not know him?" she said.

Apparently Videl knew a lot about this stuff. Ever since childhood she wanted to fight in one of the tournaments and come out as the winner. She heard stories of the fights that once took place there; people jumping really high, disappearing into thin air with their speed, and shooting light out of their hands. When her father became the champion there was none of that anymore. It was a dream of her to one day reach that level, and fight like the greats once did. However, push ups, weights, practices; not even fighting criminals daily was doing her training any good. After all, she just wants to get stronger, and she knows Gohan can help her.

Gohan didn't have much to think about. She was a friend and he owns her. He decided to help her train, and what's more? He'll teach her how to fly and shoot light out of her hands if she wants. They had the weekend free, and told her to come over by morning. After that they went their separate ways. Videl looked blunt, and waited just for Gohan to leave before she started jumping around in excitement.

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The next morning, things started off sooner than Gohan expected. He told his mother a girl would be coming, and they would be out training for the entire day. Chi-chi couldn't believe this; just four months into high-school and a girl is already trying to take him away from his family. She wouldn't buy it. Never. Not before seeing this girl for what she really is.

Videl had to go in a flier, she couldn't believe how far away his home was. It was surprising to think Gohan had to go so far only to receive some boring lectures, but then again she remembered he can fly. Eventually she spotted the little house sitting there alone in the heights of Mount Paozu. The moment she landed, Chi-chi was already there to confront her. Videl immediately recognized her; she knew about the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament and the bizarre battle between Goku and a mysterious woman that proposed to him during their quarter-finals match. This must be Son Goku's wife; "It's an honor to meet you, miss." However, Chi-chi was not welcoming. She saw Videl as an intruder and told her to get lost. Videl thought this was a test of some kind, either way she was ready and they began to fight.

Despite being 18 years since her last fight, Chi-chi didn't lose her pace at all. To be fair, having to raise Saiyans requires a lot of training, patience and focus. Videl was almost caught off guard, and by a sleight of hand she didn't lose immediately. If this house wife was keeping up with her, how strong must Son Goku be? Their heated scrap was stopped once a little boy in orange gi came out of the house, and told Videl to stop bothering his mom. The kid looked like the spitting image of Goku in most of his public photos; he even had a tail. Not only that, but there was an ominous feeling about this kid; Videl could feel it in her gut, it made her back off.

Lastly Gohan came out to defuse the situation. After calming down his mom he turns to see Videl, who was red like a tomato. She never realized it before, but Gohan was buffed as all hell. He looked much more intimidating and taller than he normally looks, just because he was wearing a dark-blue gi with red sashes. He rocked that look so much, like he was born to wear it. To put it simply, he looked hot and she wasn't prepared. It was so early that Gohan figured that Videl probably didn't eat, and invited her over for breakfast.

Now that they had the opportunity to talk, Videl and Chi-chi get along quite well, especially after Videl foreshadowed how rich she was. After that Chi-chi was already asking when Gohan pretended to marry her, making him spit out his food and Videl choke on hers. She quickly dodged that question by asking where Goku was. He should be eating with his family, right? Gohan looked over to Chi-chi and she gave him a nod.

He explained; his dad was no longer with them. He was suffering from a heart problem a few years back, and didn't really have that much time left. Last thing he wanted to do was defeat Cell, but it didn't work out so well. He didn't win that time… But Cell was defeated anyway, and they figured they should thank Videl's father for it.

Videl's smile turned to regret. She looked down, lost in thoughts only she had; a mix of shame and shock. Videl's mom died with her birth, and she grew up with only one parent. She couldn't even imagine what it must be like to lose one you already had. Perhaps this is why Gohan doesn't like to fight. She really wished she could've met Goku.

Gohan cut off the mood, stating that after a short rest they should move out on their training.

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Gohan tells Videl to prepare since they would go very far. All of the sudden Chi-chi realized it might be a terrible idea to leave two teenagers alone for a whole day. She had a backup plan and told Goten to go along. He had training scheduled with his friends and master, but Chi-chi insisted that today was an exception. His mission was to stop them from doing stuff. "What kind of stuff?" he asked, but Chi-chi realized he wasn't old enough to know. "Anything that you wouldn't do it yourself, darling."

Now that Goten was coming along, Gohan quickly scooted up to his little brother and said, "Goten, I need you to keep your energy at a minimum for now, okay? Match it to her." He didn't understand why, but Gohan promised to spar with him later if he did.

For starters Gohan proposes that instead of flying they should run to their training grounds. Videl thought it was a neat idea; she herself could run faster than a speeding car if she tries. And so the three run off into the forest.

Together they dodged the trees, sprinted through the green plains and leaped across rivers. Videl could manage it all but it was becoming too tiring already. She asks for a moment to rest, and Gohan stands there skipping beside her. He explained that the purpose of this part is to train her resilience. No matter what she can't stop chasing improvement. If she can run as fast as a car, then today she'll try to go as fast as a jet. If she can run 20 kilometers without stopping then today she'll set out for 40. Every day there is a limit to be broken, and that will be their goal throughout their training.

That motivated Videl to continue running. After a good hour more they finally arrived at the wastelands to train at. Although Videl managed to keep up, she was now almost dying out of breath. Gohan thought that while she recomposed it would be a good time to explain the fundamentals. There was a lot to unpack there.

As normal humans they can only go so far without knowing a few things; that's why Videl feels like her training has grown stagnant. They all indeed reached a super-human level, and the only way to go beyond that is through learning to manipulate ki; to manipulate the energy inside their bodies. And no, he doesn't mean the chemicals, he means the actual spiritual one that comes with your soul and mind. There are many ways to train it, but the most simple way to start is with the belief it can be done. Videl didn't quite get it, but then Goten exemplified by using a ki bullet to blow up the nearby rocks. That small demonstration got Videl bug eyed, but she got herself together as soon as Gohan told she could do it as well.

He told her to hold both her hands together, and try to focus her will into it. She has to believe it can happen first, but she was not buying it. She always thought there was a big secret you must learn; a ring you have to wear, or even a mystical liquid you have to drink. Gohan insisted she could do it. It is mostly through skepticism and doubt that some warriors can never reach new levels. Controlling ki is all about giving voice to her instincts and imagination. After that she was excited to try.

They stood there for dozens of minutes as she silently held her hands trying to focus. The hardest part was overcoming her sense of reality, but once she got past that… she had done it. A minuscule ball of light appeared between her hands, and it mesmerized her. As soon as she lost focus it disappeared. Gohan told her to keep on trying; she had the mission to make a bigger one, and sustain it. While she was busy with that, Gohan brought Goten along to somewhere a little farther away, just so they could train together.

Goten improvements were insane; matching Gohan's at the same age. He was powerful enough for the need of severe mindfulness, because it might blow up the continent if he misses a strong attack. Despite that he remains childish in a way. He sees fighting as nothing more than fun; like a game. One day he would have to mature, and understand there's more to fighting than he thinks. And to top it all off, the most prominent thing about Goten was his tail. No matter how many times Gohan cuts it off, it will always grow back much faster than any other tail Gohan ever had. It was just minutes before it sprung out again. He's worried that his brother might one day become a Great Ape and accidentally destroy the world. It's only because of Yamcha that he doesn't need to worry about it. Back when he fought Cell, he accidentally chopped a big part of the moon, and it could no longer be a full moon from Earth's angle. Gohan and Dende planned to keep it that way until Goten gets old enough for his tail to disappear forever, but they are not sure it will be the case. Gohan doesn't really know anything of his own people.

Goten asked if there was any technique Gohan could teach him. There were a good few but he's not old enough to use most of them, and neither he had the control to wield them. Goten mentioned the Instant Transmission, and Gohan demonstrated it to him. He can teach Goten the basics later. Just as their fight was getting good, Videl shouts for them.

She did it. When they flew over, she was juggling a ball of energy from hand to hand. She simply couldn't believe it was gonna be this easy. Now she wants to know what to do with it, and Gohan tells her to let it go; point it somewhere and order it to go with her mind. Suddenly the ball of energy shots right out of her hand, and it exploded far away in the sky. Videl was hyperventilating with joy; almost looked like she was going crazy. She jumped at Gohan, "What now? What's next?!"

Now they take a break and eat lunch. Videl didn't realize it but she took a few hours doing it, it was noon already. Gohan sat along and wondered if she should try flying next. It was a hard one to pull off on the first day, to do it requires a lot of practice but it will grow easier with time. All she had to do is to focus her energy into a constant but weak stream all over the body. That didn't make any sense for her; how do you focus something all over your body? That's dumb. Gohan tried to explain it in a way that makes sense but it wasn't working, the nature of this technique more unbelievable than the other. Eventually Videl told him, "Gohan, why don't you teach it to me in the same way they taught you?"

Gohan looked pale and serious, he's not sure if he should do it, but she insisted. She was willing to take on any challenge, and so Gohan told her to follow. They were training near a cliff, and the view was pretty fantastic; they were way high up in the mountain. "What do you want me to see, Gohan-"

Before she could even finish, she felt Gohan pushing her off the cliff. Videl froze up as she entered free fall. She screamed, but she wouldn't hit the ground for a good two minutes. She was going down too fast, but then she saw Gohan falling right beside her; arms crossed and a mean look to his face. She yells at him for help, but he wouldn't move a finger. "If you want it to stop, then make it stop. It's all up to you."

Videl spread her arms and legs to slow her descent, trying to think of anything to do but she couldn't. Out of the raw emotion to stop the fall she put her arms forward and involuntarily shot out a blast of energy out of her hands. That slowly stopped her from falling until the force was strong enough to send her back up a little. When it stopped she twirled around in the air and grabbed the side of the mountain in its small cracks and edges. Her energy blast continued going until it hit the ground far below, making the mountain shake.

When she got her bearings and turned her head to see Gohan flying behind her with a smirk. "I'm gonna punch you so hard when I get out of here!" she shouted.

"Well, then… get out of there. I'm not gonna help you. You either use your own strength to climb up the top or you learn how to fly. Either way you'll become stronger in the end." Gohan said, with a tone that probably belonged to someone else. Videl slowly tried climbing her way to the top as Gohan taunted her every move. Her hair would keep getting on the way, she was tired, and her clothes were starting to get trashed and thorn. She asks who was the demon who trained him like that, and Gohan simply says that it was a good friend.

After some time Videl couldn't go any further. Her muscles were failing and it wasn't even halfway yet. When she told him that, Gohan simply said, "Good. If your body is too broken to continue, then now you can focus solely on your mind. Remember how it felt when you shot that energy out? Do it again, now with your whole body and not just your arms. Mind and body need to become one."

Videl tried to do just like he told. If raw emotion is just as good as concentration, then she'll take the challenge. She let go of her grip and focused all her pent up anger into the desire to not fall. That desire was running through every cell of her body and exiting through her breath and fingertips. Gohan could finally feel her energy rise.

When she opened her eyes again, she was giggling around in the air, drifting aimlessly but it still counts. Gohan held her hand so she wouldn't fly away accidentally, and she stabilized. "Good! You're doing it! Now, don't look down, don't be desperate. Focus on going up."

They both slowly levitate to the top of the mountain where Goten was just eating a picnic that he bought for them. Videl almost fell to the ground when she landed but Gohan kept holding her hand. Despite her clear injuries Videl faintly asks, "so what's next?" Gohan just points to the sky, and she realizes it's getting dark. They spent 16 hours training and she didn't realize it, but that's a good thing; it means she's truly working hard. All that was left for today was going home.

Since Videl couldn't even stand straight, Gohan decided to give her a lift and told Goten to head out home. He was so excited that he accidentally blasted off at full speed; one of the things Gohan specifically told him not to do. Videl was with her jaw hanging, but Gohan promises she'll manage to do the same… eventually. And so he puts her on his back and flies away into the night sky.

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Gohan was pretty proud of her; even for him it took a whole week to learn the flying technique, and he fell down the mountain several times. She asks how old he was, and he unenthusiastically mumbles that he was five years old at the time. She asked, "how did you survive this kind of training when you were so little?"

For him it was a bad couple of years. He genuinely didn't wish anyone else had to go through what he did to become stronger, but he's thankful for it. It's because of this training that he got powerful enough to protect those he cared about. Videl wondered why he keeps training if he doesn't like fighting at all. It's true, he doesn't like fighting, but he knows one day he might need to.

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"Gohan… you're much stronger than my dad, aren't you?" she asks. Gohan didn't know how to answer, and maybe didn't want to. "Look, I've been training most of my life; me and my father y'know. I know him all too well, and that's why… that's why I don't think he defeated Cell. I know he can't do all this stuff you showed me today. I'm sure it was all a lie."

Gohan didn't have anything to say, so she continued. "The fame and money was really all he wanted back then. We were really poor, and my dad couldn't get a job anywhere. I guess that's why he did it, so then we could have a better life. But now I just feel bad for it… Every single day, being pampered by things I don't deserve. If only I could get stronger and help people for real; maybe then our legacy will be something more than lies."

Once she finished, a calm silence was left between them. Videl never told this to anyone else, but she thinks Gohan will understand. It was a huge load off her chest. "I still love him. Even after the lies, I just don't want to break his heart. But I can't be in the dark any longer. Gohan… it was your father, wasn't it? He defeated Cell, right?"

"…Can we talk about something else?" Gohan said with an irritated tone that she never heard from him, and immediately realized how insensitive she was being. Gohan told her the truth that morning, even if it is a water-down version of it. The past doesn't really matter anymore, all they have to look forward to is the future. For now, Videl's future is about planning an excuse for showing up so late, taking a bath, and finding a witchcraft to fix up her hair. Videl didn't like long hair, but she feared that cutting it short would make her less ladylike than she already is.

"Well, short or long doesn't make you any less cute" he said, completely oblivious to how much game he just pulled. Videl was silently blushing, but then he ruined it by saying, "that's what my mom used to say."

She clobbered him on the head, "That's none of your business!"

…

Eventually they arrived at her mansion in Satan City, and Gohan left her at the front gate. She seemed exhausted, so Gohan told that whenever she was ready for another day she just needed to call him.

"So, same time tomorrow?" she asked, and Gohan was surprised by her persistence. He nodded and turned away, and the moment she looked back he was no longer there. This guy is just too much.

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The next morning, Videl showed up at the same time but in a very different fashion. For one, she arrived by flying on her own; feebly and slowly, not getting too high up from the ground and not going so fast. It was far but she managed, it was a good warm up. Second, she had a lot of bandages and band-aids covering her arms and legs; still recuperating from yesterday, yet motivated to continue regardless. And most shocking, she cut her hair short; so poorly and simply that she probably did it herself against a mirror. When Gohan asked why, she said it was a long-time coming.

While he was dumbfounded by her new look, she took the initiative and ran off towards their training place without him. "I'm gonna get there first, slowpoke!"

And so, Gohan and Goten ran off after her. Such energy coming from Gohan, Chi-chi hadn't seen him like that in years, almost as if he got part of his youth back. She speaks alone as if Goku is right there beside her. Their son is finally back in action.

…

With time, Videl would grow stronger and stronger. They would train through the plains, the mountains, the sea and the sky all over the world. Planet was interesting for its wide variety of ways to achieve power. He took her to Korin Tower, where she chose to climb her way up instead of flying like a cheater. They also went to Baba's palace, where she would fight bizarre creatures for the opportunity of having her luck blessed. He took her far into the clouds where they saw a flying temple, where she was taught a bit by a strange tubby fellow called Popo. She even got to see a short green little guy who was the cutest thing, and apparently he was a guardian of sorts. She didn't take anything he said seriously.

Gohan allowed her to meet people of legends, and told her stories about the past. She wouldn't believe any of it so Gohan just told her to read "Angel Cubes" by O. O. Long and that would be enough.

Every day a new limit would be broken, and Videl's preconceptions about reality were being destroyed. This strange world that she found herself in; this world that she was sheltered from is finally showing up to her. It will give her power, but in turn, she would have to use it wisely. For in the near future, a new threat would arrive.