A/N: Thank you so much for everyone's well wishes and words of kindness. I am so glad you are loving this story so far. This chapter was quite difficult to write as there was a lot to get across and I didn't want it to get boring! I hope I have achieved that! I am working so hard on this story and its so nice and amazing to see that its paying off with such amazing reviews and over 550 followers! I mean wow. I know I say it every time, but it really means a lot, especially when you guys GET when I'm trying to get across with the characters, and most importantly am making you LAUGH! xD Thank you so much everyone, I hope you continue to love this as much as I do. Hopefully the next chapter won't be too long away! ;) ES x
Chapter Ten
Legacy of The Delivery Boy
xxxx
Peace and quiet.
The mere notion had been lost on him for a very long time. For he was always ready for the next adventure, barely finishing one before he was on to the next. Everyday he was training relentlessly, pushing his body to reach new heights with no time for rest. He faced death defying battles, one after the other, ready should the next one to appear on the horizon needed his help. Even sleeping in had become a distant memory…
"You can sleep when you're a God!" Lord Beerus had told him once when he had whined about the continuous early mornings. "Or dead!"
"But I am dead," a fifteen year old Gohan huffed with a roll of his eyes from where he was wrapped in his bed linen like a cocoon.
"I mean non-existent!" The God of Destruction had snapped from the bottom of the winding staircase, "Which you will become if you don't drag that sarcastic pubescent behind of yours out of that cesspool you call a bedchamber!"
Whether it be a deity shouting in his face or an abundance of exploding sand-timers that did the trick, Son Gohan had long forgotten what it was like to rise from dreamland naturally. The morning sunlight tickled his handsome face as it shone through the curtains, the sound of chirping birds drifting in through the open window. He sighed in contentment, relishing in the peace that his first morning on Earth had brought him.
Though sadly, it didn't last.
"WOOF!"
"ARGH!" The teenager cried, as the labrador landed heavily on his stomach, proceeding to lick his face for all it was worth.
"Geroff!" Gohan growled, trying to push the excitable creature off him as gently as he could.
"Bee! Get down! Sit!" he tried again, but it was no use.
With a sigh, the young saiyan snapped his fingers so that the dog levitated off his torso and flew to the other side of the room, where he landed on the armchair across from him with a loud yelp. He wasn't hurt by any means, Gohan had been particularly careful about that. Though it had certainly startled the lovable pup, who had immediately quietened down, his tail no longer wagging.
"Look, it's nothing personal," said Gohan, sitting upright, "It's just that your breath is just as bad as Beerus' in the morning."
Bee whined, though the resumed wagging of his tail told the teen that he hadn't upset him too much.
"Are you talking to yourself again?"
He looked up suddenly, as Videl stepped into the room, sipping a mug of coffee. Good timing, he reasoned, as if she was a millisecond earlier he would have had to explain how her dog had managed to fly himself across the room.
"No," he grinned back, the playful look she was giving him causing the butterflies in his stomach to attack, "Bee and I are bonding."
"Woof! Woof!"
The girl rolled her eyes in amusement, "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine," the young saiyan lied. In all honesty it was the worst nights sleep he'd had in a long time, Videl's sofa was a definite downgrade compared to his comfy double bed on Beerus' world. His back ached from the uncomfortable position he'd slept in, and his legs cramped from where he'd had them scrunched up all night due to the fact that he was too tall to stretch out completely.
"Good," she smiled back, before looking down at her wristwatch, "Oh shit, I'm going to be late for work at this rate. Let's get going Bee."
"Work?" the halfling quirked, as the labrador obediently jumped down from the sofa and bounded over to the front door, awaiting his master's next command.
It was only then did Gohan get a good look at what she was wearing, too focussed on those distracting eyes of hers. She had mentioned that she worked for the police when she had brushed off her father's worrying yesterday, and her attire most certainly confirmed it. The Satan girl was wearing a deep blue police uniform, complete with a crisp white shirt and black tie. Her long raven hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, in order to fit the matching blue hat upon her head. The shiny gold badge on her chest read OSCPD which Gohan guessed translated to Orange Star City Police Department. A chunky black belt held several holsters in which guns and handcuffs were nestled inside, a pair of black army boots completed her attire, along with fingerless gloves. The teenager couldn't help but notice how her uniform clung to her figure in all the right places, and especially how tight those trousers were as she bent over to pick up her rucksack.
Swallowing the lump that had appeared in his throat, he felt the sudden need for a freezing cold shower.
"Wowee! There's nothing like a woman in uniform!"
Though before Gohan could offer a retort to the perverted relic, he felt a disturbance in the air around him. Whirling around faster than lightening, the young Destroyer caught Videl's keys right before they hit him in the face.
"Nice catch…" Videl blinked in shock from where she was standing in the doorway, grasping tightly onto Bee who was now on a lead. Evidently, she had been calling his name for quite some time.
"Quick reflexes!" he laughed, putting his hand behind his head in a nervous gesture.
"I should think so too, you seemed really out of it for a second there, did you not hear me talking?" she replied, her brow furrowing slightly as he bashfully shook his head, "I was just saying that you can lock up after me, you seem innocent enough. I mean, you haven't robbed me during the night."
He grinned at her, as she continued, "Help yourself to breakfast, you can have a shower if you like."
"Thanks," Gohan yawned, giving a good stretch and getting up from the sofa, the blankets falling off him, "I think I'll have a shower before breakfast, where did you say your towels were again?"
He was confused when she didn't answer, and even more so to find that her mouth was hanging open, her blue eyes fixated to his exposed chest. The teen saiyan felt heat rise to his cheeks, he had forgotten for a moment that he wasn't living on a planet with two male deities anymore, especially ones that had seen him starkers numerous times when his clothes were torn or burnt off completely during battles. In hindsight, perhaps walking around in his boxers in front of a girl he had only met yesterday wasn't the most appropriate thing to do. Though in his defence, she shouldn't have given him such tight clothes to sleep in, else he wouldn't have had to strip off during the night for want of not suffocating.
Thankfully, Videl was able to find her voice before he could, "I-In the airing cupboard. Just help yourself."
"Thanks, I'll get right on that," he said in embarrassment, walking towards the bathroom, when she stopped him.
"Oh and why don't you go and explore the city today? It might help to jog your memory," she said with a wry smile, her eyes still undressing him - though there was very little to undress at this point, "I'll be back around six anyway."
"Alright," he laughed nervously, "I'll see you in a little while!"
Her grin widened, before she disappeared over the threshold and snapped the door shut.
"In a little while?" Gohan berated himself, hitting his head off the door frame of the bathroom and causing a crack to appear in the wood, "What the hell was that Gohan? You idiot!"
"Heh, smooth."
Mental was the only word he could think of to describe it. Utterly, completely mental.
It wasn't too bad on the city outskirts, for Gohan could see that not much had changed in the years since he had been dead. Of course, clothing and hair styles had changed, vehicles and technology had upgraded and there were more skyscrapers dotted about the place - it was a given, some things were bound to move on in nearly a decade.
He was horrified to find however, that people certainly didn't move on, especially fanatics. And simply hadn't moved on from the battle that had quite literally shook the planet eight years ago. He didn't know whether it was because the anniversary of The Cell Games was tomorrow or if the Earthlings' obsession was this great twenty-four seven. Either way it was unnerving, he thought, as he stared disbelievingly at the golden haired action figure clutched in his palm, clad in it's very own purple gi and white cape.
At first he had caught sight of a small child wearing a t-shirt with a golden haired caricature emblazoned onto the torso. He brushed it off, it could have been anything after all, some sort of trending cartoon as it were. However, he then saw another, then another and then another one of those blasted t-shirts. Children, adults, babies - even somebody's cat was wearing a t-shirt which celebrated the cartoon depiction of the eleven year old saviour of Earth. The young saiyan had started to sweat, and instead rounded the corner onto the street that housed the main shopping district, where to his horror only made it a hundred times worse. At first he saw the billboard. The giant fucking billboard with his face on in all his super saiyan glory which read 'Celebrate the Life of Son Gohan, The Golden Boy Wonder, Saviour of Earth!'
Golden Boy Wonder? He had snorted, was that seriously the best that they could come up with? Evidently it was, and Gohan had spent the last hour or so walking around the city, similarly horrified by what he found. More billboards, posters, life-sized cardboard cut outs, mugs, coasters, clothing, lunch boxes, cereals, energy drinks and even a comic book series, all dedicated to him, the boy that had defeated Cell. He didn't even want to think about the number of children he saw dressed in his replica gi as he walked the streets.
The teenager sighed in distain, glaring at the offending action figure before putting in back on the shelf. How could his mother and father have even allowed this to happen? Though he reasoned that they might not have had much of a say in the matter. The Earthlings couldn't just forget about a little kid saving the Earth so readily, and the fact that he had died in the fight had probably only added to the mania. Still, Gohan wasn't too happy about it, and it made him feel extremely uncomfortable. It was as if the people of Earth were admiring him as some sort of martyr, which he most certainly wasn't.
Though as he was contemplating destroying the merchandise shop he was standing in, which seemed to be the mass producer of this nightmare, he felt a slight tug on the trouser leg of his sweatpants.
"S'cuse me Mister, can you pass me one of those dolls please?"
It was a little girl, around four or five years old by his reckoning. She was dressed in a little purple dress with the symbol for 'peace' on the front and green dolly shoes, her wispy blonde hair falling about her face as she looked up at the young saiyan with wide dark eyes.
"It's not a doll, it's an action figure," he replied with a low growl, finding himself defending the offensive toy and folding his arms across his chest, "I refuse to be in the same league as a little girl's damned barbie."
"Huh?" the girl blinked, causing Gohan to sigh.
"Why do you even want one anyway?" he spouted in annoyance, "he's nothing that special." He nearly got the Earth destroyed, not saved it, he added in his head.
However, his words seemed to anger the child, as she gave him the coldest glare he had ever seen on a little girl before.
"He's a hero!" she positively snarled, "My daddy told me so himself!"
"Alright kid calm down!" Gohan mustered, holding his hands up in defence as her outburst caught the attention of several nearby customers, "I was only joking."
"Well it wasn't very funny," she huffed, turning away from him, "You're mean."
"Scathing," the halfling retorted with a roll of his eyes, "As if I haven't been called mean before."
"Wow you're really good with kids. No really, it's a wonder why people don't ask you to babysit more often."
"She started it," the teenager hissed.
"Real mature," scoffed Z.
The ancient relic was concealed much like his halo, though it rested on his back. He could have just banished it for safe keeping, though what with being back on Earth with no one knowing who he really was he felt somewhat comforted about having it close by. Though he was quickly starting to regret his decision.
"Why are you whispering to yourself?" asked the girl suddenly, jumping him out of his thoughts.
He frowned, "Why are you so nosy?"
To his surprise, the little blonde-haired imp giggled, "You're funny."
"I like unicorns," she said again, her eyes practically sparkling up at him.
"Good for you," said Gohan indifferently.
"Do you like unicorns?" she asked again.
"No."
"Then why are you wearing a unicorn shirt?"
Gohan closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath for want of not destroying the observant little brat on the spot. He'd had a rather testing twenty-four hours after all, it was only natural for him to be agitated. Still, he would need to keep his temper in check, it was quite unusual for him to think about destroying something so many times in one morning.
"Look little girl, where are your parents?" he griped, "I'm sure they're looking for you."
"Probably," she shrugged, "Mummy was looking at some pretty clothes across the road but I got bored so I thought I'd come and look at the shiny golden shop."
The young saiyan sighed to himself, a lost child on his hands was all he needed.
"But don't worry Mister," she told him proudly, lifting her chin in the air, "I can handle myself - look!"
The teenager quirked an eyebrow, as the little girl thrust her arms forwards in a series of rapid punches. However, she was a bit too enthusiastic for her own good as one of her fists accidentally collided with the display in front of them, causing the glass to shatter and the metal encasing to groan and twist in on itself before the whole lot collapsed in a heap, merchandise and all.
"Whoops," the girl squeaked, biting her lip as though she was about to cry.
Gohan gaped, as the dust from the destruction lifted into the air. This was certainly not a normal human child.
"Oi!" the burly shopkeeper sounded from behind the counter, as all eyes were suddenly upon them, "You'd better pay for that mess you ruffians! Stupid punk kids! What's the meaning of this-?!"
The man thundered towards them with a furious expression, his face reddening with every step as he continued to rant. Though Gohan wasn't listening, as something was clearly amiss. Everyone was clearly too distracted by the unfolding scene in the middle of the shop to notice. Though the junior Destroyer's training had taught him many things, including how to recognise a sudden shift in the air, the way the tension would grip hold of the particles as if slowing everything down for but a moment. The calm before the storm.
He felt it so suddenly that there was barely time to react, or warn the shopkeeper who was spitting profusely as he shouted in their general direction. There was a split second of complete silence as the man paused to take another breath, when it happened. The moment came in the sound of an explosion from outside, a whistle of splinters from a breaking window frame, a suffocating smell of powder. Gohan reacted instantaneously, grabbing the shop keeper and little girl by the waist and throwing them to the ground. The girl screamed, as the onslaught of sound reached their ears, though the halfling had unleashed a protective shield around the entire complex to protect them from the aftershock.
The young saiyan got to his feet with an angered growl, his onyx eyes sweeping the surrounding area as he let his shield down. It was utter pandemonium, as the occupants of the shop were suddenly in uproar, loud screams reached his ears and several bangs and scrapes could be heard as people scurried around in panic. There was a commotion outside, accompanied by blood curdling screams. The overwhelming smell of petrol fumes reached his nostrils, telling him that a car bomb was no doubt the source of the explosion. It was difficult to tell through the thick black smoke, but he was positive that no one was injured. He had certainly reacted quick enough. Despite this, it was utter chaos. He could hear the little girl whimpering from behind him, though judging by her Ki she wasn't by any means hurt, just scared. However, he didn't get a chance to offer any words of comfort, as the smoke began to clear, revealing several figures dressed head to toe in black with rubber masks hiding their faces.
"Alright listen up!" One brawny brute shouted, raising a large pistol in the air and tapping the register, "Put the money in the bag and no one gets hurt!"
Gohan's jaw dropped as the thieves stepped into the light, not quite believing his eyes. He blinked, and blinked again, as the rubber masks they were wearing depicted none other than cheap renditions of the Z-Fighters. Vegeta, Krillin, Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, the future Trunks and to his horror his father all stood before him, guns in hand, and barking orders at around a dozen terrified shoppers whom they had forced to the ground.
He knew that bumping into his family and friends might be inevitable whilst he was on Earth, but this was just ridiculous.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" A rather deformed Piccolo spouted, tapping his gun on the counter once more as a sobbing shop assistant fumbled in her attempt to open the till, "Get a move on bitch, we haven't got all day!"
"Yeh," an overweight, less articulate Vegeta griped, "If I even gerra whiff tha' use lot called the fuzz then yeh'll be findin' a bullet in yeh noggin'!"
In all honesty, Gohan would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.
The closest gang member to them, Yamcha, snickered as the crowd began to whimper, "This is going to be some haul. What with the amount of money people spend in the run up to the anniversary, were going to be living like kings from now on!"
"Quit your jabberin'," Piccolo growled, grabbing fistfuls of money and aggressively shoving them in the sack that a more orange-haired super saiyan Goku was holding out for him, "It ain't over yet, we've still got the merch shop in East City to do over."
"Aw why did you have to go and give away the game for?" griped Trunks, his sealed mouth unmoving as he aimed his gun towards the quivering customers, "Now we're going to have to make sure they don't go running their mouths to the police."
"I wouldn't worry about that," Tien chuckled sadistically, pulling a dagger out of his jacket. He had one eye instead of three. "It'll be hard for them to grass on us with no tongues."
The young saiyan sighed, and prepared himself to step in when an abrupt shout sounded next to him.
"You leave them alone you big bully!" the little girl growled, hot tears in her eyes as she balled her hands up into fists.
At the sight of the brave youngster standing fiercely before them, the gang members shared a look before roaring with laughter.
"Ooh well what do you know boys?" Yamcha snickered, glowering at the child as he approached her, "A volunteer!"
This only made the brutes laugh harder, as the imposter continued, "Why don't you run along and play with your dollies little girl, before you get what's comin' to you."
"I'm not scared of you!" she cried, lifting her chin in defiance.
"Is that so?" said Yamcha with a sadistic smile as he leered towards her, "Well you should be you little blighter-"
WHAM!
Gohan's eyes widened, as the thug dropped to his knees with a howl of pain, clutching himself between the legs in agony. The girl's outstretched knee came back to rest, and she glared at the man on the ground as if daring him to make another move.
"You b-brat!" Yamcha's voice shook, before another wave of pain hit him and he began to sob.
At once, the rest of the gang surrounded the girl, and the fake Vegeta pointed a rather hefty machine gun towards her, his flame like hair twisted and saggy due to the awful quality of the rubber. It even flopped about his head as he spoke.
"Yeh've got guts girly," he snarled menacingly, as the crowd around them gasped with horror, some of them calling out to them to spare the girl, "Allow me to show them to yeh."
Though to the man's surprise, he couldn't move, as in a flash a hand had wrapped around his wrist stopping him in his tracks. He blinked up at the teenager who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, he didn't even see him move!
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Gohan warned, his onyx eyes harding, his grip unwavering, as though he held the man's arm in a vice.
"Oh yeah pretty boy?" Vegeta growled, glaring at the tightly dressed young man, "And just what are you gonna do abou' it-?"
Though the words quickly died on his tongue, and the thug suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom, as a rather sadistic smirk crept over the teenager's lips.
Orange Star City Police Station, Orange Star City - One Hour Earlier
'Data not found.'
She frowned in confusion, tapping her fingers on the desk impatiently.
They say that curiosity killed the cat, but Videl Satan was certainly no pussy cat. The young woman was well known by her family and friends for her inquisitive outlook and stubborn attitude, after all, the events surrounding The Cell Games had always left Videl questioning the way that she perceived the world.
Life had always been fairly simple up until then. Sure, her mother had died of an aggressive heart virus when she was nine years old which only intensified her fathers protectiveness over her, as well as fuelled his obsessive desire to be the strongest under the heavens. But what was life without a bit of tragedy? Looking back, maybe her father thought that by gaining such strength, that he would be indestructable to things like diseases that had took her mother away from them. He had explained to Videl that all of his nights spent training and away from her would be worth it, that he would win The Twenty-Fourth World Martial Arts Tournament and she would never want for anything again. True to his word, he won, and Videl herself was proclaimed champion of the junior division of the WMAT. But alas, all the fame and fortune from winning had gone to her father's head, and he tried to fill the gaping whole left by Miguel Satan with money, big houses, flashy cars, adoring fans, women and booze.
It was no wonder that the headstrong girl had taken it upon herself to watch The Cell Games from the sidelines. It would have been the most time that she had spent with her father in months. Though neither she nor her father knew what he was up against, and Videl had watched with utter horror and disbelief as her father, the strongest man under the heavens, was brutally knocked out of the ring with a single slap. The small feeling of hope and relief that began to fill her heart when she found out that he was still alive was soon stifled as the blonde-haired man stepped into the ring.
It was frightening, as though living in a nightmare, as she came to realise that these people weren't normal. The man and Cell were moving so fast that it was as though they disappeared into thin air, though the tremors that shook the Earth was a sure sign that a tremendous battle was waging above her. Then suddenly, it was over, and Videl couldn't believe that a boy around her own age had taken the man's place. It had actually angered her, when the idiotic news reporter had dubbed him a delivery boy. No, delivery boys did not wear a fighting gi, and from the look in his eyes Videl knew he wasn't about to ask Cell about pizza toppings. At first she thought that the man must have been crazy, who would willingly send their son to fight such a monster?!
But then it became all too clear. The boy was even stronger than the man. Stronger than Cell himself even, as she watched him dominate the evil bug to within an inch of his life. And then Cell quite rightly panicked. Videl remembered how the boy's gut wrenching screams rocked her entire being as he called out for his father, as he and Cell vanished from the realm of the living forever. Though the monster was desperate and unforgiving, and he returned to Earth with a vengeance. Now, the young Videl could not sense power levels, but she could feel that. The overwhelming presence of the vindictive brute whose cruel fuchsia homed in on her naively hiding behind a bolder - as if that would shield her - and aimed a white hot blast towards her.
And then he was there, his strong but gentle embrace shielding her from the blast that was about to send her to the grave. He was a bundle of nerves and heart and tears and blood, that came speeding towards her without question or hesitation, saving her life and turning it upside down in that one moment. Videl couldn't believe her eyes, as she saw him in all his grandeur up close. It was as though he was on fire and being electrocuted all at the same time, his emerald eyes as hard as steel. Those eyes, they told so much. Guilt, regret, fear, loss, determination, pride, duty, honour. But then, through the hardened mask she saw a softness, a gentleness about the boy who gave her a goofy smile as she managed to find her voice and breathe out a 'thank you'. Though it was gone with the moment, and so was he. Cell had taken his life, but not before Gohan had summoned the last of his strength to take him to Otherworld with him.
Her father had held her tightly that night, and refused to let her out of his sight for about a fortnight after they had watched the young saviour of Earth die right before their eyes. To her surprise Hercule had stifled all rumours that it was he that had defeated Cell, though it took a while for the Earth to truly believe that a little boy had saved them all, instead of the Champ. Soon after, Z-TV released a documentary of The Cell Games, which had told the tale and had similarly researched the origins of this Son Gohan. His family and friends, though well-known martial artists themselves, had chosen to abstain from commenting on the short film, and as such had distanced themselves from the spotlight. Though that didn't deter the world from paying their respects to the young boy and even them, marking the site where he had died with a grave. Slowly but surely, and much to Gohan's families distain, what began as small tributes evolved into an all out marketing craze. The Earthlings had gone Son Gohan mad, which peaked every time the anniversary of The Cell Games rolled around, and turned into an all out festival.
Videl had enjoyed the anniversaries at first, and had celebrated with the rest of the world. Life had seemingly gone back to normal, though she could never forget about the boy who had saved her life, and in turn given his. That, coupled with the fact that she had seen powers like no other had fuelled her desire to protect to world that Son Gohan had left behind, she felt as though she owed it to him. At the time, her best friends Erasa and Sharpener had teased her about her obsession with the golden haired preteen and suggested that all of her late night training sessions was merely an excuse to practice snogging her pillow should the young warrior suddenly reappear, just like all those slaughtered by Cell had mysteriously come back to life.
Oh yes, Videl wasn't stupid, she knew that there was something more out there, that lay beyond her mundane life, outside the imposing walls of her high school, far out of reach of her peaceful little bubble. She had seen for herself that there were beings out there of unfathomable power, entities capable of bringing the dead back to life, acting powers of the universe that she couldn't quite comprehend. Meeting the Z-Fighters at the next tournament only confirmed her suspicions. They were quite surprised when the curious teen had introduced herself as the little girl that their friend had saved at The Cell Games. After meeting Gohan's family and friends, her life had changed forever, and now she was well aquatinted with a world full of aliens, magic, warriors and more. She had stared death straight in the face in the form of Majin Buu, been to Otherworld and back again, and come out the other side. She'd thought she had seen it all, overcome every challenge she had ever faced.
And then she met Beerus.
There was no doubt that he was a strange young man, although it could be argued that Videl was even stranger, what with taking in a lost boy with amnesia, a weird name and even weirder clothes. But the Satan girl had never cared what other people thought of her, had never succumbed to the conformist society that she was often faced with in high school. Videl, being the daughter of the world champ, had been in the spotlight since before The Cell Games and as such much was expected of her. She quickly grew sick and tired of the rules and games of the school yard, fed up with the sycophants that followed her just for the recognition. She was ridiculed and taunted of course, when she stuck two fingers up to the world and decided to do things her way. She turned down invitations to swanky parties, dumped boyfriends who were only with her for fame, and cut off friendships that were nothing but lies and fake smiles. But Videl didn't care, she needed nobody but her fists, her father and her two best friends after all. She had followed her dreams, graduated from high school and got a job as a police officer, something she was immensely proud of herself for.
Her job as an officer had challenged her in new ways, and despite only passing her exams last year, she was quickly working her way up in the department. Which was why no one minded or questioned her when she asked her superior for access to the main database frame, whereby she could analyse the record of every single person registered on the planet.
It was the only logical place to start looking, she had thought to herself as she sat herself at her desk, Bee snuggled up by her feet on the floor. Though as she set up her computer she cursed under her breath, realising that she should have asked Beerus his last name. It would make it a lot easier to find an address after all. Still, she had shrugged, just how many people were called Beerus anyway? It was certainly an unusual name.
However, to her frustration and annoyance, there was nothing.
'Data not found.'
Videl's blue eyes narrowed at the screen, data not found? It didn't make any sense. She knew for a fact that the database had been updated not long ago, yet there seemed to be no one called Beerus on the entire planet.
Not one to be defeated, the determined Satan began to type in the teen's description. She sighed heavily, the results were still inconclusive, there were thousands of people in the world who were around six foot with dark eyes and dark hair. Why hadn't Beerus told her his last name? Was his amnesia that bad that he didn't remember? She frowned, why was he even let out of the hospital if that was the case? Come to think of it, there weren't any hospitals for miles near Son Gohan's grave! How did he even get there? He couldn't have walked surely! The terrain was far too treacherous.
Videl sighed again, closing off the database and scratching a snoring Bee behind the ears. Call it a gut feeling, but something didn't add up. Maybe Krillin had better access to the databases than she did? He had been an officer much longer than her after all, albeit in South City, maybe he could help.
"Still nothing?"
She blinked, turning to her phone with an apologetic smile. She had forgotten that she was in the middle of a video call.
"Nope, nothing, nadda," Videl replied in annoyance.
"I still cannot believe you took in some random boy off the street!" Erasa said disbelievingly, shaking her head. Like her, she was at work at her office job, dressed in a smart yet feminine two piece suit, the rest of her pristine office could be seen from where she had placed her device on her desk. "And you're telling me that he's sleeping on your sofa?!"
Sharpener was framed next to her on the screen. Being a model he didn't work nine to five, and as such was currently lounging on his bed in his dressing gown, a towel wrapped around his head as he filed his nails.
Their video chats were a common weekly occurrence, as it was rare that they all had time to meet up what with their busy schedules since leaving school.
"Come on E," he said with a roll of his eyes, "You know Videl wouldn't do that if she didn't have an ulterior motive."
Erasa gasped suddenly, "Ooh is he hot?"
Videl felt heat rise in her cheeks immediately, as she attempted to get the image out of her mind of the adonis standing in the middle of her living room.
"That's not the point," she stated awkwardly, clearing her throat, "He's got amnesia, I'm only trying to help him."
"So he is that good looking!" The blonde haired girl practically squealed, "Oh my Kami, you just have to get a picture of him!"
"I am not getting a picture of him for you to gawk at!" Videl hissed, "That's weird stalker behaviour!"
"And running a background check on him isn't?" Sharpener scoffed, rolling on his belly to get closer to the camera.
"For your information Sharpie I was seeing if he had an address so that he could get back to his family," she positively glared at the boy, "But there's nothing! It's like he doesn't even exist!"
"Knew it," he sighed dramatically, "It's been so long since she's had a boyfriend that she's started hallucinating."
"I am not!" Videl retorted hotly, as Erasa snorted with laughter, "Believe me, he's real. But I think he's forgotten what his real name is. That, or he's hiding something."
"Honestly Videl," the girl said in an exasperated tone, "Must you be so sceptical of every guy that you come across?"
"You're joking right?" she retorted, "Men are all the same. They think no means yes and get lost means 'take me I'm yours'."
"Amen sister," said Sharpener.
"Not to mention that every boy I've ever dated has only been with me for fame and fortune," she continued haughtily.
"Poor you," Sharpener spouted sarcastically, "Ms I-have-too-many-men-fawning-all-over-me-and-my-Z-list-celebrity-status Satan."
"Oh shut up Sharpener," Erasa scolded, "You know that Barry Khan only went out on a date with her to get close to Mister Satan!"
"Ugh don't remind me," Videl shuddered, the thought of that pompous two-bit actor was enough to make her skin crawl. He had spent the entire date talking about himself, before trying to stick his tongue down her throat. Though all he had gotten in return was the check and a broken nose, as Videl had walked out straight afterwards without a word. And he still wouldn't stop sending her flowers.
"You know, for once it would be nice to meet someone who was more interested in me than my dad or his money," she sighed, causing her friends to look towards her in sympathy.
"Don't worry Vi," said Erasa with a kind smile, "You said it yourself. You've got your career to focus on. You're too busy being fierce and fighting crime than to deal with pigheaded boys!"
"Yeah you're right," she grinned back, "Thanks E."
"And besides," quirked Sharpener, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "If you play your cards right then mystery boy might just graduate from the sofa to the bedroom, if you catch my drift."
The Satan girl flushed, opening her mouth in an angry retort when her walkie talkie sounded and a serious voice crackled through the speaker.
"Cccrrk …. Attention all available officers! Cccrrk…There has been reports of an explosion in the main shopping precinct! Cccrrk…Casualties unknown …Ccrrk… The Red Shark Gang are thought to be behind the attack…Cccrrk… I repeat, all available officers report to the City Centre immediately! Ccrrk!"
"Shit," Videl swore, leaping up from her seat and gaining the attention of Bee, who jumped up beside her immediately, "Sorry you two, duty calls!"
"Be careful!" Her friends chorused, their eyes widening before she switched off her phone and bolted from the room.
It didn't take her long to reach the main shopping district, she had decided to run with Bee rather than drive or fly, as the police station was already situated in the city centre. Though when she arrived it was utter pandemonium. Crowds of people were running away from the main street that ran through the middle of the city, clouds of smoke filled the air and there was a glow of amber fire casting shadows over the high rising buildings. The sound of firing bullets filled the air, and Videl wasted no time in running towards the epicentre, where an all out shoot out was taking place between the police and members of The Red Shark Gang.
The gutsy teen leapt in between them without hesitation, disarming the biggest brute with a flying kick, causing the firearm to clatter to the floor. The man growled, launching at her before he quickly fell to the ground in an unconscious heap, curtesy of her outstretched fist. The rest of his comrades followed suit, though Videl was more than ready, whirling around and delivering a fast uppercut to one of the thug's jaw, causing him to crash straight into another, knocking them both out on impact. Bee was right behind her, growling as he ran another criminal down before his jaw locked around his arm and he was able to drag him kicking and screaming to the ground.
"You're going to have try do better than that," She smirked, as the cool steel of a gun pressed against her temple, and the sound of ragged breathing reached her ears.
In a flash, the headstrong girl backhanded the gang member, parrying the gun out of harms way where it fired into a nearby building. The man howled in pain, holding his broken nose as blood poured unforgivingly down his face. He stumbled and fell backwards, as Videl pressed her boot into his chest so that he couldn't move.
"Alright tubby," she snarled at the large brute, as her fellow officers clapped and cheered behind her, "Where's the rest of the Sharks? I know there's more of you."
Though before he could muster a pained answer, did her walkie talkie sound from her belt.
"Cccrk… we have a hostage situation… Ccrrk… at the Golden Boy merchandise shop…Cccrrk… thieves are armed and dangerous… requesting back up! Ccrrk!"
With an angered growl, Videl quickly handcuffed the man below her feet, before calling Bee to heel. She ignored her colleagues who were shouting after her, warning the girl that it was too dangerous. She huffed as she left them to deal with arresting the rest of the thugs, sprinting down the street with the excitable labrador in tow, did they not know her well enough by now?
Skidding to a halt as the merch shop came into view, the teenager swiftly analysed the situation. Car bomb, detonated, though surprisingly no casualties. This was used as a distraction to get inside, and sending the rest of the gang further up the street to infiltrate police officers ensured that they could get away with the money. There were three police cars, and ten officers waiting on the outside. Barricades were up, ambulances standing by. She could see several shadows moving inside the shop, though with the blackened and shattered windows caused by the explosion, it was difficult to tell just how many hostages and gang members were inside.
"Videl!"
She whirled around at the sound of her name, and was surprised to see a beautiful blonde woman running up to her.
"Eighteen?" she blinked, as she realised her friend's icy blue eyes were widened in panic, "What are you doing here?"
"Shopping," Eighteen replied quickly, "But that doesn't matter, Marron is in there!"
Videl's mouth dropped open in shock, her gaze drifting to the half destroyed Golden Boy Merch sign, "Marron?!"
"I thought she was right next to me!" the woman explained, "She must have wondered off. I was looking for her but then the explosion happened and there was people everywhere -!"
"It's ok," said Videl, swallowing her fear. She knew that Eighteen was blaming herself, but it wasn't her fault that the android couldn't sense Ki, Dr Gero had not equipped her with the sensors to harness that ability. She felt her helplessness, as she had only just gotten the knack of it herself.
"I can sense her, she's fine," the girl continued, causing the android to sigh in relief, "Now what do you say we go and bust some heads open?"
Eighteen raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I knew there was a reason I've always liked you."
"Lets go!" Videl cried, ignoring the exasperated shouts of the officers as she and Eighteen leapt into action, jumping over the police cars that closed off the road to the public. They were ready to fight that was a given, no one threatened little Marron and got away with it.
Though just as they reached the other side of the pavement, the door opened, and out stepped around a dozen patrons who looked rather shook up, but uninjured and very much alive. They were met by cheers by the small crowd outside, and taken safely beyond the barricades to receive medical attention. Videl and Eighteen shared a confused glance, where was the gang? And Marron?
Without a moment to loose, and determination in her eyes, Videl crossed the splintered and damaged threshold, her gun raised ready to threaten the gang into submission, Bee hot on her heels. However, her gun immediately came to rest by her side at the sight that greeted her. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened as the rest of The Red Shark Gang lay unconscious at her feet, a brute in a cheap Vegeta mask lying face down with a gun painfully sticking out of a rather intimate place.
"You just had to ask didn't you?" a young man said with mild annoyance, standing in the middle of the devastation, though his arms were folded triumphantly across his chest.
"Beerus?" Videl quirked disbelievingly, her suspicions that he was hiding something only growing when the teenager jumped, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
"V-Videl?" he practically squeaked, his onyx eyes darting about him, "I, uh -"
"What happened?" she demanded, though her eyes were still widened in shock.
Though before he could answer, Eighteen rushed forwards, gathering Marron into her arms and holding her tightly to her bosom.
"Oh Marron!" she cried, nuzzling her nose with hers and causing her to giggle, "Are you alright?"
Videl eyed Beerus with a frown, who seemed to have let out an odd squawking sound at the sight, his jaw practically on the floor. How strange…
"I'm fine Mummy," said Marron happily, "Mister unicorn man protected me!"
At once, the two women looked at the teen beside them, who seemed to sweat under their penetrative stare.
"Oh really now?" said Videl, her eyes narrowing.
"Well," Beerus gulped, "All I did was shout at them a bit. The fumes from the car bomb must have caused them to pass out… we didn't get that close to it so I suppose me and Marron here must have been okay."
The Satan girl continued to stare, though there was something in his explanation that she couldn't help but believe. There didn't seem to be a mark on the unconscious gang members, except…
"How did that gun get there then?" Videl pointed at the fake Vegeta, giving Beerus a disbelieving look.
He shrugged, "Must have fell on it."
She glared at him, before turning to the little girl in Eighteen's arms, "Is that true Marron?"
"I didn't see anything," Marron replied, "Mister Unicorn was shouting at them and then they all fell down!"
Suspicious, she thought.
"Well thanks for looking after my daughter," said Eighteen, though her features remained as stoic as ever, "Whoever you are."
"This is Beerus," Videl explained, "We met yesterday, he's got amnesia. I'm trying to help him get back to his family so he's staying with me for a while."
The android nodded simply, her icy blue eyes surveying him, as he spoke with a charming smile.
"Yeah I was just exploring the city to see if it triggered my memory when I ran into your daughter," said Beerus, "She's a firecracker by the way, got one of them right in the nuts before they passed out."
A ghost of a smile played on her lips before she turned to Videl, "Thanks for your help Videl, we'd better going before Krillin has an anreyiseum. You know how my dear husband can be."
The girl laughed, though she couldn't help but notice how Beerus' jaw dropped again, "Good to see you Eighteen, I'll see you tomorrow?"
"You got it," she replied, as Marron tugged on her sleeve.
"But Mummy, I wanted a Wonder Boy toy!"
Eighteen shook her head, making their way out of the shop, "Maybe another time kiddo, you know how Aunt Chi-Chi feels about those."
"You're right, I don't want to make Auntie Chi-Chi sad," sighed the girl, before turning around to wave behind her, "Bye Videl! Bye Bee! Bye Mister Unicorn!"
Videl waved, chuckling as a vein in Beerus' temple started to throb. It didn't look like she was going to get any straight answers out of him, whether it was due to the amnesia or not, and what with her results having come up inclusive so far, she had only one more idea left to try.
"Splendid work PC Satan!" a booming voice cut across them, as her boss made his way through the broken window. He was a portly man, with greying hair and kind eyes. He grinned widely, nodding at the unconscious Red Sharks in approval.
"But Sarge, I didn't-," she started, but the moustached man interrupted her.
"Nonsense my girl!" he chimed, giving her a wide smile, the glasses her was wearing sliding down his nose as he spoke, "The lads told me how you took down those ruffians in the middle of that shoot on Orin street! And then I get here to congratulate you and you've taken out the rest of The Red Shark gang single handedly! At this rate Videl, you'll be promoted Sergeant in no time!"
Videl couldn't help but laugh, heat rising to her cheeks, "Don't be silly Sarge, you know I wouldn't dream of sending you into early retirement."
The Sergeant chortled happily, before the young man standing next to her caught his eye, "And just who is this Videl? I don't think your father would be too happy knowing that you're hanging around boys who wear such tight clothes."
"He's just a friend Sarge," she told the man, ignoring Beerus' scowl.
"Well I'll leave you to it in that case PC Satan," he laughed, clapping her on the shoulder, "Why don't you take the rest of the day off? You've earned it. And give my best to my father you hear? Tell him I'll have to arrange another poker night."
"Oh I will, and thank you Sir!" Videl grinned, turning to her new mysterious companion with triumph, for now she would have ampule time to execute her plan, "Fancy going for a coffee Beerus?"
Oh yes, Videl Satan was no pussy cat, and the enigma that was Beerus was not going to best her. Erasa and Sharpener were wrong. It was her duty as a police officer, as a protector of the planet, to help out the weak and needy after all. It certainly had nothing to do with the fact that he was stark raving, schoolgirl-crush worthy, greek-godly, downright insanely bonkers madly stop and throw-your-knickers-at-him good looking.
Right?
9th September, 2018.
A/N: so we had a bit of a change in POV in this chapter, I did this as I really wanted to get a good grasp of Videl's character and what she's all about. Her motives behind helping Gohan and how she perceives the world. I think it came across as well as I wanted it to! But what is this plan of hers? 0.0... until this next time!
Reviews:
Guest: thank you!
NinjaFang1331: thanks! I'm glad you liked the interaction between Gohan and Videl :)
X3runner: Thanks for your review! Im glad you like the GxV pairing even though you don't like Videl as a character. As for the U6 vs U7 it may not fit into my story. However I do aim on introducing the other universes in an exciting way! ;)
dspendragon125: exactly. I went with the amnesia thing because of how silly and rubbish of an excuse it is! As you can see from this chapter Gohan is really not very good at lying and making up good excuses!
romanovascap: thank you! Awesome that you enjoyed Gohan's reintroduction to Earth. Yeah I didnt go down the high school route as I feel like it has been so overdone. Gohan is too old for high school in this fic as he is now 19. I thought it would be more interesting to explore more of Gohan and Videl's young adult life, theres really not that much about fanfic wise!
KaiserUltima: aw thank you so much! Yeah this is a GxV ship, and you will see more changes with Videl too from the way the story has turned out. I get where you are coming from with GohanXAlala as I loved that cuteness too. But I will be exploring more of that relationship as the story continues I hope you will be happy to hear!
Super Cyrax : sorry but I dont want to spoil any part of my story so you'll have to wait and find out how the Z-gang react to Gohan!
Iwik: Yay! So happy you enjoyed the GohanxVidel intro! Yeah I wanted Gohan to remain as cool as possible, but lets face it, he is still a completely hopeless goofball when it comes to Videl ;) As for Goten or a sibling... well I wish I could say but I'm going to be good and stay quiet! xD
Robthekiwi121: Lolz
memmek10k: This story is totes Gohan centric so I wouldnt worry too much about Goku stealing the spotlight. And Videl already is significantly stronger than her Super counterpart - more will be revealed soon! You will be getting fierce Videl, I absolutely hate the fact that she became a wife and mother and lost her personality, her fiestyness and is now a housewife. They did the same to Chi-Chi. It is SO frustrating. Especially as a woman myself, the only woman of any significance is basically Bulma! Who is awesome lets face it. But it would be nice to see Videl come back again. I'll stop ranting now! :')
duskrider: Thank you! I have ideas for Vegeta's reaction. Hopefully you wont be disappointed!
TheRangerBoy : thanks!
victor0606: thank you :)
MadmanJrs : thank you so much! I cannot wait to develop their relationship further! eek!
Naite-Laef: thank you!
Reactef: Gohan is certainly the trouble-maker...;)
Lightningblade49: thank you :) I'm glad that you loved Gohan's reintroduction to Earth! I hope this chapter has also answered some of your questions in regards to who knows he defeated Cell. Poor Gohan!
777torn777: 0.0!
Beta117: Impossible. DBZA 60 is increds.
HKGlenstid: aw thanks so much!
Mayonaka Yue: hell yeah!
Guest: thanks very much, glad you like the GxV love!
Luke : thank you!
DarkLordInc : glad you didnt have to wait too long in that case!
Guest : Gohan DOES sense that Videl is stronger than the average human, but is just starting to put two and two together ;) and as for Vegeta hearing of this Beerus... I hope I don't disappoint!
Thomas-The-TMC : Glad I made you laugh out loud! Hope I continue to do so!
i'm iam : thank you :)
PhoenixFire100 : aw thank you, I cant either!
HOLLOWTGH : haha you got me. What a line though!
ulesSOD27: glad I could help! :)
Ace : aw thank you so much!
memmek10k : thank you
Gelid: glad you are enjoying Gohan's character development. Of course he will act a little differently to the original show because of his life experiences as a destroyer (or death experiences lol) though I still want to stay true to his character, I just hope I'm getting that balance right! Look out for introduction of the other universes ;)
LEO LOVER 2016 : haha I'm so glad you liked it! I love that people are finding it funny! xD Gohan and Goku (hopefully) will be blooming monumental. stay tuned ;)
x2leoj: The writing on Gohan's grave was indeed taken straight from Lily and James Potter's gravestone in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. I am a huge HP fan also, and it was a good nod to that, whilst also showing that the Z-Fighters recognised Gohan's death as non-permanent. Also, Gohan thought it was ironic seen as his role was effectively death itself. DEEP! no? :') and there is much to Gohan's power left unexplored!
Dramak: aw I'm so happy I have you hooked! Thank you so much :)