Chapter Text
The earliest memories that Videl had were centered around her parents’ apartment: it was a small place, an office building that had been converted into apartments awkwardly, hallways almost nonexistent between rooms, the walls a bland beige and the whole bathroom made of brown tiles larger than her head, but there had been large windows in what was the living room where her mama used to plant purple flowers in the windowsill boxes and used to be a hub for all their friends despite its meager size. Both of her parents in those days hadn’t achieved the wild success they would later so money had been tight, candles lit and blankets layered to save on electricity in the winter and windows opened wide in the summer. Regardless of their frugality, they had been wonderfully happy, especially Videl, who had never known anything else.
She had wanted nothing more than to return to that apartment when they had moved into a new house, young enough to think that it was change of household that had caused the problems that made her family fall apart at the seams and while the mansion that she and her papa had moved into afterwards was luxurious, it was never home.
For that reason, when Videl had gained Gohan’s agreement to share an apartment in East City, she had sent the real estate agent her papa employed to find a place for them that had character instead of getting some cookie-cutter apartment like those that often surrounded college campuses. The idea of recapturing the feeling that her first home provided was intoxicating, particularly because it was Gohan who she would be sharing a place with. They didn’t need anything special to be happy but it certainly would give things a more magical feel to have a place that was as unique as them.
So when they walked up the stairs to the fourth floor of the third apartment complex they had toured, it only took a few steps inside for Videl to feel like she could easily carve out a home for them. It was an old building, squat and stately on the brick outside, but the inside had been renovated, improved with new fixtures and updated to current codes, yet the character of the place remained: brass lamps illuminating the hallways, carved staircases on the interior, stained glass in the transom window above the building’s entryway.
The unit was a two bed-one bath, with shiny oak parquet floors, a short foyer with two steps leading down into the combined kitchen and living space, with a hallway branching off opposite to the foyer, leading to the other rooms. All the appliances in the kitchen seemed fairly new, complete with a long marble island that could serve as a bar table. Arched windows dotted the wall that opened to a small balcony, and there was plenty of space in the lowered pit-area for whatever furniture they wanted and a skylight above the middle that let light flood in from above. There was even built-in shelving on the wall that was supposed to hold a television, rows of large shelves that would easily display Gohan’s books and Videl’s knickknacks.
The bathroom was quite large with small black and white tiles studding the floor, double sinks partnered in a long marble counter, a small glass-walled shower tucked in one corner and a free-standing tub opposite. One bedroom was bigger than the other, with a larger walk-in closet and a few more feet worth of space but the difference wasn’t too broad; both bedrooms were spacious, with white walls, crown molding and cream carpet that gave underfoot.
Videl was sold the second she stepped out onto the balcony, getting to admire the rows of brick buildings that marked East City’s historical district and feel the rush of energies, noises, sights and smells that made up an inter-city residential area. She could easily imagine finding a place among all the crowds, building new routines and exploring what was available, the edge of the university's campus not five blocks away.
Gohan had liked it just as much as she had, enough that they went back the same day after looking at another two places to sign the lease and put down the security deposit. During the months preceding the move, they had been so excited at being able to live together, to claim a space of their own and get to make of it what they wanted.
Standing there now, with all the boxes covering the parquet floors, Videl only felt overwhelmed.
It had been years since she had moved- her papa had bought the mansion only a few months after the Cell Games when the immense stardom had called for extra layers of physical separation- and she had never been the one in charge of the act of establishing a new household.
Their families had helped them transport all their stuff inside and put things in general where they were supposed to go, but those extra hands were gone now. Videl seemed to have seriously underestimated the labor that went into the ordeal and she knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until she at least worked through some of the mess.
Gohan was of the same mindset, if the aggrieved pinch to his face was anything to go by. Without discussion, they both turned to the kitchen which was by far the easiest to deal with. After all, there were only so many ways one could agonize over the placement of dishes. They unpacked boxes full of cooking ware and new dishes, debating what should go into which cabinet and why. It was a tedious task, but they did so in good spirits, working to set up a flow that made sense for the both of them- which meant nothing too high in the cupboards for Videl’s sake and nothing that was frequently in use down in the below counter cupboards for Gohan’s.
It had been late when they started on the kitchen and even later, when they started working on the living space- moving boxes around to make space to arrange the furniture how they wanted - so it was well past midnight by the time they were both too worn out to do anything more, deciding to leave the rest of the mess until the morning.
They bid each other good night, only to run into each other when they tried to go to the bathroom at the same time, which made them fumble over themselves for a moment before breaking into laughter, coming to brush their teeth at the double sinks, then Gohan bowed aside to let her use the bathroom.
She knocked on his door when she was finished to let him know the bathroom was vacant, shuffling into her bedroom- the larger one, kindly conceded by her boyfriend on the principle that she had more clothes, though barely. She was too tired to even attempt dealing with the absolute state her room was, shimming into the first pair of pajamas she stumbled upon and haphazardly dressing the new mattress in black satin sheets and the black and gray floral comforter she had picked out.
Turning off the overhead light, she crawled under the covers, though it wasn’t until she closed her eyes that she realized how noisy it was, the sound of traffic passing by below much louder than the sleepy neighborhood of giant estates that her papa’s mansion resided in. It wasn’t excessively loud truly, but it took her a while to get used to the sounds; eventually however, she managed to drift off.
It was past ten when she woke up the next morning, and for a minute, she didn’t remember where she was, staring dazedly at the unfamiliar crown molding and her life packed into boxes before her mind caught up to her surroundings. Grinning at it being the first full day of living in their new apartment, Videl hopped out of bed, hurrying to dress into a t-shirt and linen shorts so she could venture out into the hallway in her slippers.
They had gone for neutral furniture and had only bought the bare necessities so that they’d be able to infuse their shared taste together over time with smaller touches. Instead of a dining table, they had gotten four backed bar stools to slide up to the marble island, had a low brass and glass coffee table seated in front of the couch made of soft tan fabric that seemed to give like an oversized marshmallow around you.
Gohan, dressed in a pair of athletic shorts worn soft over time and a tank top that showed off the delectable expanse of his chest and toned arms, looked comfortable as he rummaged through boxes, his hair still sleep-tousled. With the morning sunlight from the skylight above illuminating his face, he smiled at Videl by way of greeting, hefting books into his arms as he moved them to the built-in shelves. They had agreed the night before to split the display, giving them each two open shelves and one enclosed shelf to decorate how they wished though they alternated who occupied which so it seemed more harmonious.
Videl would join him in working through the boxes still left in the living room after she was caffeinated. She had brought her own single cup coffee maker, which she had unpacked the night before, but for the life of her, she couldn’t find the coffee beans she had packed anywhere. She swore they had unpacked all the boxes that were labeled for the kitchen and even saw the bag of blue corn tortilla chips that she had grabbed from her papa’s house before she left, but she couldn’t find the coffee beans.
Frustrated, she retreated into her bedroom, doing a cursory search in those boxes though it wouldn’t make any sense before stalking back out into the living room. “I can’t find my coffee anywhere.” She announced to Gohan, crossing the floor to open the fridge to search for something else, “Do you have anything to drink?“
There was a bottle of half-drunk apple juice inside and a block of cheese for some reason, neither of which would fulfill Videl’s need for liquid caffeine to go searing through her veins.
“I think I have some tea somewhere.” Gohan hummed, stretching his arms over his head as he straightened from bending over another box, “I know I’ve got four jars of preserves. And a jar of homemade seasoning.”
“Guess we didn’t think that through.” She muttered, closing the door to the mostly empty fridge with a sigh since she knew the pantry was in a similar state.
“Let's just go out for breakfast.” Gohan shrugged unconcerned, coming over to press a kiss to her cheek, his breath warm and minty fresh against his skin, his arm cording around her waist to squeeze her close, “Then we can get groceries on the way home.”
Videl could’ve beat the sun with the force of her smile, at him calling their apartment home, delighted entirely because it was their home, new as it was. Twisting in his grasp, she pressed herself against his chest and threw her arms around his neck to kiss him. They kissed each other languidly because they had all the time in the world, no real obligations or outsiders to stop them, moving to lean against the edge of the marble counters until Gohan’s rumbling stomach drew them apart.
He changed into some jean shorts while Videl brushed her teeth, and they both threw on tennis shoes, running combs through their hair to give them some semblance of being put together. Then they were locking the door behind them, almost skipping down the four flights of stone stairs to burst out onto the street, full of excitement to explore their new neighborhood. East City seemed to be more dense than Satan City, as the metroplex was older and thus had gone through multiple epochs and subsequent revivals, buildings being torn down or converted often, history packed tight on every block.
It didn’t take Gohan long to sniff them out somewhere nice to eat a block away, an absolutely tiny place that dished up hot sandwiches served on thick slices of sourdough shokupan. Videl had a classic bacon, egg and cheese while Gohan went for the Triple S- spam, seaweed and a sunny-side up egg- another with grilled flank steak and roasted tomatoes, and one with fried chicken and a runny egg. They ate sitting at a narrow patio table perched on the sidewalk, getting an up close view of the pedestrians walking by.
Though the sandwiches were great, the pre-brewed coffee that was offered was not up to Videl’s desires so they ventured out to find a coffee shop. They got distracted by an artisanal mercantile along the way, popping into the shop to marvel at the assortment of hand-made goods, buying an arrangement of roses that were crafted out of softened wood and some succulents to adorn their coffee table. They chatted up the shop attendants, getting recommendations for various other stores in the area, among which the location of a cafe that was highly liked by residents.
The cafe, only around the corner of a few streets, was lively, even for a Tuesday around noon, large tables scattered around to give space for study groups and plush-looking furniture for those looking for a more relaxing time. Most notably, it smelled so richly of coffee that Videl could feel it seeping into her pores, huge storage vats of coffee beans awaiting orders to be freely ground and brewed. They settled into matching armchairs, a side table tucked between them with their steaming mugs, enjoying getting to stretch their legs and flip through a community-guide that had been given to them by the cafe workers when they learned the couple was new to the City.
She got an iced mocha, the layer of chocolate sauce on the bottom, fresh milk in the middle, with the espresso and cocoa powder on top all singing in harmony. The darker roast and chocolatey nutty tones were more pronounced and further enhanced by the coca powder, making it more robust. She would have been content with just the coffee but Gohan, sipping on a matcha latte, ordered fruit turnovers, sharing the bundles of crispy fried dough filled with sweet ricotta and blueberry jam with her, the raspberry sauce and powdered sugar on top making their fingers sticky as the taste of summer coated their tongues.
Gohaninsisted that she buy some of the dark roast beans to take back with them and it didn't take much for her to agree, confident at least she’d be able to make coffee at home the next morning. They scoped the neighborhood next for the best place to buy groceries: Videl would have gone for the closest thing to them, but Gohan was insistent about finding the best deals, a habit drilled into him by his mother. It was the first bit of dissonance that came to light in their living styles- Videl opting for convenience where Gohan would do extra work if he thought it’d give better results- which lead to the first concession- her assenting to his wishes since she didn’t really mind looking into five different markets and supermarkets only to settle on the fourth choice. She trailed after Gohan down the aisles, charmed by the intensity in his expression as he evaluated various options for produce and dry goods; if anything, she was happy for the opportunity to argue, only for the further opportunity to prove that they were compatible, even in their contrasts.
On the way back to the fourth store, they brainstormed what they were going to buy, thinking of meals that were within their skill sets. They had dabbled in cooking when their parents were absent, but neither of them had too much experience with feeding a household which required more careful planning than their usual haphazard combini trips post-training. It took over an hour before they were checking out, though Videl would attribute it to having to familiarize themselves with the aisles and pausing for deliberation over what they needed for various meals.
Upon returning back to the apartment, with the kitchen set up in place, they were able to put away the groceries with relative ease, the pantry and fridge filling up in a satisfying way. Gohan determined there were a few more things that they needed to make the kitchen more functional, so they put those on the list for later.
Gohan had finished with his side of the living room, beginning to work on the storage space under the bathroom sink that was his, while Videl started on her bedroom, leaving the door open as she put on music. She mostly remembered what she put in each box once she opened it, meaning it was easy enough to sort through the items, working to move clothes into the closet, stationary to her desk drawers, and other assorted decor and sentimental goods placed around the space. She found the coffee beans she had brought stashed in a box full of jewelry of all things, which she somewhat recollected doing, swiping the items sitting on her dresser at the mansion into the box, hurriedly trying to complete her packing the night before they moved.
It was mid-afternoon by the time she was satisfied: hanging clothes arranged by weather, folded clothes stashed in a white dresser that matched her bed frame and nightstand. She had found a gray metal desk with a matching chair at a vintage store when she was searching for furniture that she positioned by the window, thinking it would be a nice place to study once the semester started. The only other piece of furniture she had was a tall stand with open shelves which she stashed baskets in to hold various makeup items and other accessories, and put a tv on the top, facing it across from her bed so she could watch while lounging in bed.
Since she wasn’t one to read often, she moved her own small collection of books to the shelves in the living room, putting a few little knick knacks out as well to complete the space, including some of her favorite too-pretty-to-burn candles. The living room and the kitchen were mostly unpacked by now, the space still a bit bare but that only left room for them to decorate how they wanted. Curious, she peeked into Gohan’s room, wanting to see what progress he had made on his space. Unlike her, he hadn’t bought as much as he brought things that he already owned, which meant the desk that was settled in the middle of the room was from his parent’s place, along with his chest of drawers. His bed, which was a new addition- a full-size mattress and daybed frame that had drawers under it- was shoved into one corner; it looked like it would be a little cramped for someone his stature in Videl’s opinion, however some people enjoyed feeling closed in when they slept. There was a new large bookshelf tucked close to the bed, serving as a nightstand, a space cleared on the middle most shelf for whatever he needed, and another older bookshelf was pressed nearby, both already full of worn books. (Gohan had confided to her that he was glad to be moving out from his family home, if only to give Goten the chance to have a bedroom to himself like the elder brother had in the years before the younger was born.)
Heading into the bathroom, Videl sorted out her side, using a two tiered organizer under the sink to store her usual hair and face products and a shower caddy for her bathing items, fully intending on taking a shower later. With that finished, almost everything was fully unpacked, which was pretty good for less than forty eight hours after moving in if Videl did say so herself. There was still work to be done- more rearranging to do as they established habits and additional decorating to do- and lots of boxes that needed to be broken down and recycled, but the hardest part was done; they could relax in the remaining two weeks they had before school started.
Management had given them a bottle of white wine, leaving it on the counter upon move-in which they moved into the fridge earlier in the day so they popped the cork, pouring each of them a glass to sip at while they made dinner.
She made a medley of romaine leaves with spinach and kale, tossing it with thinly sliced spring onion and cherry tomatoes. They had gotten marinated chickpeas, an oiled feta and a lemon dressing at the store, so she added that in as well. Gohan had tended to the rice maker, brand new and shining silver chirping away happily on the counter, spooning fresh rice onto their new cream pasta plates, the curved lip containing the rice along with shawarma spiced chicken that they had gotten from the store easily with the salad. A bit of lemon juice and chopped parsley on top to finish it, then they were seated at the bar, conferring about the need to buy patio furniture so they could enjoy eating outside when the weather permitted.
Leaving the dishes in the sink, they went out to soak up the cooler air that the evening brought, wanting to see more of their new neighborhood. They went opposite the direction of the university, since they’d have plenty of time to explore the area lying between their apartment and campus later, wandering around. They ducked into boutiques and emporiums, talking with shopkeepers and attendants more than they bought anything. They did however buy a 3D model kit of a hot air balloon, made of interlocking wood pieces, deciding it would be a nice project to work on together.
Pausing at an ice cream parlor that had the best ice cream Videl thought she ever had, they got paper cups to carry as they continued walking though they stopped soon after at a plaza where there were several restaurants. Sitting on a bench under a tree listened to a live band playing on one of the outdoor stages, they ate their ice cream, which for Videl included a cherry cheesecake flavor that had whole slivers of cheesecake in it, swirled with a cherry jam and a delicate honeysuckle flavor that had chunks of a spiced cookie mixed in which were both almost sinfully delicious.
Sitting with Gohan pressed up against her, offering her bites of his chocolate brownie or mango caramel ice cream, with the sounds of warbling joyful singing and the laughter of others puncturing the night air, Videl was inordinately happy. It wasn’t too far off from how she had felt all day, but sitting still, she could finally acknowledge the way that it made her feel, her bones almost buoyant with the state of her light emotions. It was something that she thought she could get used to, the pleased contentedness that came from the simple pleasures of living, a serenity that she thought she would never achieve, adrenaline junkie that she was.
Upon returning to the apartment, she took a bath, enjoying getting to stretch out in the tub with warm, bubbly water that had eucalyptus oil mixed in and candles flames’ dancing on the wall, their flickering light the only one in the cool space since she had left the overhead lights off. With the taste of cherry still lingering on her tongue, feeling Gohan’s reassuring energy as steady as a mountain in his bedroom nearby, she could have fallen asleep right in the tub. She managed to remove herself from the bath, rubbing a towel half-heartedly through her hair as she dressed into pajamas, calling out a goodnight to Gohan before she was tucking herself under the covers, turning the tv on to some cooking show so the audio would fade into the background of her dreams.
She woke up to Gohan’s distress over his inability to confidently operate her coffeemaker, wanting to have a cup waiting for her when she ventured out of her bedroom with the rest of breakfast, which had led to him to successfully filling water into the reservoir but had loaded whole coffee beans into the machine- which hers wasn’t equipped to handle- causing the machine to give off loud warning beeps. Touched by his consideration and amused by his struggle, she showed him how to grind the beans in the mechanical grinder then pour the grounds into the proper spot, pointing out which function was her favorite and frothing milk with a wand to make a simple cappuccino.
Videl had been given a waffle-maker by someone as a graduation present and Gohan had taken box mix that they had bought the day before to make waffles for them that had chopped walnuts folded into the batter, which they slathered with the preserves his mother had given him. She was satisfied with just the waffles and coffee but Gohan ate some fruit and leftover chicken from the night before as well.
Deciding to stay in for the day, they worked on the model kit together sitting on the floor at the coffee table, following the instructions to slot laser-cut pieces of wood together while music played from one of their phones.
Things were going smoothly until after their lunch of sandwiches and assorted snacks, when Videl had gone to wash the dishes. She had already loaded the dishwasher, messing with the placement until she got all the dishes to fit, looked for a second for the place to pour the dishwasher soap into, closed the soap cap and the door then stopped, realizing she wasn’t sure how to get the machine to start. She peered at the settings, trying to figure out which one would do what she needed but wasn’t confident, prompting her to ask, “Do you know how to run a dishwasher?”
“No.” Gohan came out from his bedroom to stand beside her, blinking at the controls, “Do you?”
“No.” Videl frowned at the machine, nudging it with her foot, “It couldn’t be that hard though.”
They both stared at each other for a moment then looked back at the dishwasher and what seemed like an awful lot of buttons.
-
“How is it that you two don’t know how to use a dishwasher?” Krillin admonished, once he had finished admiring their apartment, having been summoned by Gohan to aid them in their plight.
Gohanfrowned at the reproach, though continued dandling Marron from where she was cradled against his hip cheerfully, “You know my parents don’t have anything like that at the house.”
Krillin made a vague assenting noise, looking over at Videl with a raised brow, “What about you? What’s your excuse?”
Seated on the countertop, she shrugged, perfectly unbothered, “I’m rich. We had maids to do household cleaning and stuff.”
“Good for you.” Eighteen commended, from where she was snooping through the bookshelves.
Krillinshot his wife an aggrieved look, then scolded the young couple lightly, “Well, now you’re both adults running your own home so you’re going to have to learn to do it yourself. Unless you were planning on hiring a maid.”
Videl glanced over to Gohan, since it wasn’t the worst idea she had ever heard, “I mean, we could.”
“Show me how to do it.” Gohan said determinedly, placing Marron on the couch to come over to the dishwasher. Videl watched as well as Krillin displayed how to use the lever to lock the door in place and which button to push to adjust the setting and which one to start the wash cycle.
With the machine swishing away, Krillin nodded satisfactorily, “Just leave it on that setting. It’ll be fine for most dishes.” He glanced at the two of them amusedly, “Do you need me to show you how to use the washer and dryer too?”
Gohan perked up at the thought eagerly, though grew confused, looking at Videl for reassurance, “There’s one in here?”
Videl remembered that the unit had an optional one available for use, that they had selected to be installed before move-in. She hopped off the counter, moving to one set of doors that was located off the side of the entry hallway, “Isn’t it this one?” Pulling the doors open, she frowned, because the large cylindrical vat that she was looking at was definitely not a washing machine, “Oh, wait, no.”
“Huh,” Gohan commented, looking over her shoulder, “So that’s what a water heater looks like.”
“Oh, boy.” Krillin sighed while Eighteen chuckled, settling onto the couch with their daughter for what would probably be a long lesson, “I guess we should get started with programming the AC.”
—
With Gohan’s careful notes to review the next time they needed it, they managed to figure out the more complicated bits of modern dwellings. In all things, they slotted together what skills they had, divvying up the work that went into keeping a household running.
Videl hated doing laundry yet Gohan was overjoyed to have machines to do it, happily switching loads from washer to dryer, using an iron on clothes that needed them, hanging or folding the ones that didn’t. (Videl reserved her undergarments from the laundry hamper of clothes she gave him each week, washing them separately and hanging them to dry in her bedroom.) He didn’t have the patience however for cleaning the floors, the way he had to stoop to hold the vacuum or mop made his back hurt after a while so she took over that task. They alternated which one of them cleaned the bathroom each week and who did the dusting in the living space. As far as the kitchen went, they normally would cook every meal together, so they cleaned together as well, though that might change when school started and they began to be more active.
They filled the last few days of summer with more exploration, jaunting around the city to visit museums and markets, going on miles-long walks to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. They even did some hero work, making their debut in the city in their personas and introducing themselves to the local police force, much to the latter’s and the press’ interest. They expanded the circle of their patrols to the other towns in the areas, wanting to dissuade anyone from clueing in on their home base, popping over to Satan City and North City to further confuse people.
It didn’t take long to figure out their personal tastes- Videl preferred darker hues in colder textures and Gohan was a bit more neutral, lighter-toned with a preference for more raw materials- and clue in on what accents tied in their styles the best meaning if they saw something that would work well in their apartment on their excursions, they bought it. Before long, a brass clock and copper hanging racks adorned the entryway to match the coffee table, a small wood table with matching chairs came to live on the patio, a vintage lamp that’s yellowed glow was like the pages of old books sitting on an end table by the couch. Gohan had a green thumb so plants started popping up in dark ceramic pots scattered around the apartment and plenty of candles thanks to Videl. The last bit of items needed for the bathroom and kitchen fell into place, making the spaces complete.
Gohan tended to go to sleep earlier since he was a natural morning bird, but he had struggled in the beginning having lived most of his life on an isolated mountain with only family. He was unused to the energies of others being around, especially at night and living now in an apartment with over two hundred occupants and well-trafficked streets below, the excess of movement of energies constantly seemed to prickle his senses. So most nights, he would retire around ten, only to be stirred awake during the night by one thing or another. Sometimes he would be able to roll over and go back to sleep yet other times he rose from bed, restless from a feeling like ants crawling under his skin. Videl took to staying out late in the living room for those occasions when he ventured out of his bedroom, high strung in his exasperated exhaustion, so her presence could be a soothing balm as they watched tv or read a book together. By two o’clock most mornings, everything would be quiet enough for him to drift off, which he did a few times on the couch curled up by her side. She would always run her fingers through his hair to rouse him, corralling him to his bed with dulcet tones before heading off to her own bedroom.
By the time the start of the semester rolled around, two weeks after they moved in, they were both comfortable with the routine they had settled into. Though, of course, school threw a wrench into the lazy sprawl of days they had developed, which while not unexpected, still felt jarring after living entirely out of each other’s pockets for the past fourteen days.
She and Gohan had completely different schedules, since as freshmen they were the lowest on the totem pole when it came to signing up for classes. They didn’t choose what classes they wanted as much as they scrambled to get into what classes were still available that fit into their degree plans. They had managed to sign up for the same world literature class held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, which served as a literature credit they both needed as part of the common curriculum.
When the first day came around, Videl was nervous that she would get singled out quickly but as the week progressed, she found that the concern was unfounded as three of her six classes were so big that roll wasn’t even called and the other three classes were small enough that last names were only used when there were multiples of a first name- which never happened in her case. If her professors noticed her name among the registered, they didn’t seem to feel the urge to call her out as long as she turned in her assignments and participated in class. She had been right in the belief that distance away from the city named after her papa would help her shrug away his legacy since among her peers, the only time people commented on her eyes was to tell her they were pretty, and only asked after her last name to get her school email.
She found out quickly that university was simultaneously better and worse than high school: the course load was heavier but the scattered times of her classes allowed her space to regroup, instead of having to muscle through eight hours straight day in and out. Professors didn’t care if you failed due to lack of effort, though they were willing to help once asked if you were genuinely struggling. For the most part, the other students were engaged in the classes, since they had selected the major they were pursuing and were paying good money for it, however there were still a smattering of individuals that Videl honestly wondered why they were attending university if they were so intent on not doing any work or showing up to class. The lack of regulation or accountability when it came to meals, breaks or extracurriculars meant that each student was free to do with their time what they wished, which worked for her mostly, though she had to remind herself sometimes to make sure to pause to grab something to eat during the day.
Her classes were a mix of common curriculum and introductory courses to her college of health and human development. The only class she had that was specific to her biokinesiology degree was the mandatory freshman seminar which was run by the major’s advisors and would feature numerous guest lecturers from alumni as a way to show the different careers that could be achieved with the degree. Getting to be in a class with the ninety other students that were trying to get the same major was enlightening as she became fast companions with her peers and learned more about their personal history and ambitions. There seemed to be an even split between her classmates who wanted to go into the more educational side of the major and those who wanted to push further into the scientific side of the career. Videl would never proclaim herself a scientific mind but if she was ever going to pursue something, it would be in a subject so applicable as the human body.
Gohan’s schedule was pretty packed because on top of his six academic classes that each met twice or three times a week, he had an additional course tacked on for being a part of the honor’s program. It seemed bogus to Videl, since he wasn’t even given a real grade for the course- despite having to do all sorts of projects and papers, being forced to attend various other guest talks given around campus and networking events- and Gohan agreed, as it was common knowledge among the honor students that the course was thinly veiled way to weed out students that were deemed ‘incapable to handle strains’ by the faculty from the program, but he refused to not excel, cheerful stubbornness bred into his bones.
Their shared literature class was the only time they got to spend together during the daytime, their free time between classes never overlapping for more than fifteen minutes until both of them were done for the day. Sitting by each other in class with old book placed between them made it feel like no time had passed at all since they had met, though having to kiss goodbye as they both heading off to their next class across campus only reinforced that they were living in a totally different way, a new life that always led them back to each other.
They had both gotten lucky enough to avoid the truly late classes which meant most days they were both back at the apartment by five. There were some exceptions between the events that Gohan had to go to and the meetings of the two clubs which Videl had joined. It had been Gohan who had thought they should get involved in campus outside of academics, making them go out to various clubs introductory meetings during the first weeks of school and yet it ended up that Videl was the only one who ended up participating in two of them.
It hadn’t been totally intentional on her part, she and Gohan had both gone to a club that compared books to their movie adaptations but Gohan hadn’t been able to attend a meeting since it only meet once every month though he read the books and made sure to share his thoughts to Videl to pass along. As for the other club, it was one that ran the house crew for the traveling shows that came to perform on campus in one of the two theaters. It took an awful lot of planning in her opinion for what essentially boiled down to showing people their seats and handing out playbills; however it meant she got to watch the shows for free. In reality, she could have bought tickets, but she was missing having Erasa around to hang with and was sorely lacking in friends of the female nature. The Arts Council provided an excuse to get her out on Thursday nights and some Friday and Saturday evenings too, and forced her to be sociable.
As the weeks went on, they got further entwined in social circles, going with each other’s newfound friends on dinner dates, study dates and parties, camping out on the lawn to watch movies projected on the side of the health building and going to see various sporting events. As for their own exercise, they both frequented the campus’ large recreation center, Videl in particular liking the lap pool while Gohan liked to join in the barbell class though he was careful to keep the full depths of his strength under wraps. Most Saturdays, they’d head to the mountain to train, enjoying the early morning weather while they sparred with Goten and Goku, followed by lunch with his family. For her part, Videl made the effort to have dinner with her papa at least once every two weeks and hung out with Erasa just as often. She and Gohan continued to explore East City together, going on long walks in the evenings that often ended with coffee or food or shopping, but always was full of laughter and warm palms clasped together, swinging along with every paired step.
There were moments when it felt like a teetering act, Videl struggling to balance the large adjustments to her social and academic life, being one half of maintaining a household, and her fulfilling her duties as a girlfriend but she made it work, juggling her responsibilities with the grace of an acrobat learning how to walk a tightrope- wobbly at times yet moving forward steadily. It helped that Gohan was such a wonderful partner: always willing to collaborate on their literature assignments or parallel study in the evenings and on the weekends, his steady patience helping her focus on her schoolwork like he had in high school; never cross when it came to the tediousness of chores, even when it seemed like dishes would never stop populating in the sink; and every night when she fell asleep to his gentle strength draped over their apartment like an overlarge blanket or heard his voice calling out a welcome when he returned from classes, she felt a warmth suffuse from the top of her ears to her toes, a budding sensation of home.
The first semester seemed to start and finish in the blink of an eye, so much so that Videl really wasn’t sure where the months had gone. Just as soon as she was getting accustomed to what her days looked like, it was time for finals and once those were completed, those classes were done forever, to be replaced with an entirely new set once school recommenced after the new year.
She and Gohan had agreed to spend the month-long holiday at their respective family’s homes, though that meant that they were still less than a half-hour’s flight from each other and able to see each other often. (Plus Videl jaunted back once a week to take care of the plants.) It was a welcome break, getting to sleep in as long as she wanted without concern of falling behind on schoolwork, having a chef to make her meals and maids to take care of the cleaning, yet at the same time it felt weird being back in her old bedroom and she kept trying to turn on light switches that weren’t where they were supposed to be.
She was more than happy to return back to East City to their cozy apartment and slipping pieces of her life into place like some messed up-colorful jigsaw puzzle. Her classes were around the same lines as the semester before, and she and Gohan were able to get another class together, this time being an intro to political science course that was a part of the common curriculum. Getting to spend those fifty minutes with him every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning made her feel wildly at ease, even though she had never considered the workings of political science as interesting before. At the start of the semester, before things got too hectic she finally managed to corral him into going to a meeting for the movie-book club that he had insisted they join, watching with a sense of secondhand pride as he dazzled the other club members with his mix of intellectualism and charm.
She was constantly enamored with him and the life they were building together, their progress marked in the growth of the plants on the balcony, in the amount of places to try crossed off the list taped to the fridge, and little adoring love letters addressed to her that Videl kept on her vanity. So bright and wonderfully cozy was their life that she had almost forgotten the pressures on which she and Gohan had founded their relationship on, nightmares of dark days washed away with dreams of golden sun and smiles, and the feeling of adrenaline flooding through her veins coming from the rush of delight rather than of icy terror.
But, of course, a long lasting reprieve from craziness in general was too good to be true, especially when one was immersed around those that seemed to be magnets for trouble.
It had been an early spring, warm air buffeting the region in a way that it certainly didn’t feel like March. Late as it was on Monday afternoon, Videl was comfortable sitting at a picnic table in a pair of white shorts and a yellow sweater, sipping the last dredges of a latte as she flipped through her notes while she waited for her astronomy class to begin. She was only taking the class to fulfill a required earth sciences category but she was finding it far more complicated and boring than she expected and often got distracted in class by imagining all the countless worlds out in space and the infinite lives that were contained on them and wondering if any of them were suffering too in an hour long lecture about astronomical constants.
She was thinking idly about oblateness when her watch started to chirp a dispatch, alerting her to an armed robbery that was occurring in uptown; already three people were injured and more collateral was predicted as the getaway car went speeding out of the police’s grasp. Cursing under her breath at mindless idiots, she looked at the time, did a mental calculation, cursed again, gathered up her notebook into her backpack, tossed her to-go cup away and started running.
Shifting from fighting under her own name to as Saiyagirl allowed her to exist in her day to day life without the pressure of people expecting her to swoop in and save the day, but it also meant now she had to join Gohan in being discreet and crafting excuses to get away when the need arose. Thankfully most professors didn’t care if you slipped out of class as long as you were quiet about it, but Videl hated having to beg classmates for notes afterwards since it was never the same as actually being in class. It couldn't be helped though, some things were too much for the regular police force to handle and she could never relax when she knew people were in trouble.
On this day, she hurried to the most secluded area she could find, then jumped as fast and as high as she could to escape sight, launching herself several hundred feet in the air. She kept afloat even as she angled herself towards where the dispatch was directing her to and as she donned her costume on.
There was only twenty minutes before her class was going to start which meant she’d have to be fast about it, following the sound of screaming tires and roaring motors as she descended, gunfire and the screech of metal on metal providing a clear pinpoint on the trajectory. Dropping her backpack on a building top to return for later, it didn’t take much to get on top of the getaway car, zooming about a hundred feet above the ground, that was what was helpful about cars, even hover ones, they stayed on roads, and roads were oh so predictably flat and mostly straight. She had to admit that the driver was experienced, watching as he executed a hard turn, his back end barreling into a flower cart but kept enough traction so that he was able to peel out and start zooming in the direction he came from. The hover cop car chasing close behind him wasn’t so lucky, a lack of ground contact meant the vehicle went crashing sideways into a parked car. She dropped quickly from the heavens, ripping the door of the hover car off so she could help the police officer climb out, the man shaky but mostly unharmed. Once the officer was standing on his own two feet again, Videl was poised to dart after the robbers, but there was no need, the screeching of tires coming to a crescendo then an abrupt halt.
She normally was far more tuned into his presence, not his ki per se, because he was exceptional at masking his energy, but his spirit burned brightly in close proximity and she usually could feel him buzzing under her skin when they were close. She had been preoccupied with the thought of finishing things quickly and had believed that because Gohan was supposed to be in class, he simply wasn’t coming so she had missed his swift approach.
Dressed in swaths of vibrant green, black and white, like shadows of the forest come into flesh, Gohan had a foot planted firmly on the car’s front bumper, acting as a personification of Newton’s first law, almost wildly indifferent to being the immovable external force to the car’s velocity. When one of the passengers shot at him, he dodged or caught the bullets without much thought, still as nonchalant as a cat stalking aimless flies, dropping the bullets he caught onto the car. Then in one swift move he brought his foot down hard on the hood of the car, making the whole vehicle go vertical, its’ trunk pointing skyward and tipping all three of the robbers ass over end.
Videl felt her pulse flutter at the sight, filled with a rush of delight to watch him so effortlessly take care of the trash, to see his confident grin, and she leapt without thinking, sailing over the whole encounter to land in front of the sprawled out thugs. She pulled her sunset-colored cape around her form, feeling Gohan’s gaze draw over her like the rippling fabric, the intensity of his attention even from fifteen feet away, jibing at the criminals, “You boys should really learn to wear your seatbelts.”
One of them, who had an eyepatch, cursed at her, drawing a long knife as he ran at her, which was laughable honestly. In a quick move she dodged the knife thrust, slamming her knee into his torso hard enough she felt ribs crack. Tossing his body aside, she ducked away from the bullets the former driver shot at her, kicking the gun out of his hand and shattering the bones along with it, spinning in a whirling crouch to drive her elbow into his stomach inches above his belt. She did it with enough force that the man staggered away from her before dropping to the concrete in a dead faint.
She scoffed slightly, watching as the third robber, a true hulk of a man, aimed a gun almost as long as she was tall at her, but Gohan appeared swiftly, bending the metal of the gun’s barrel unnaturally to point at the holder. The big man gasped, falling backwards in fright, stuttering out, “Who are you?!”
Videl almost laughed, because those were the magic words as far as Gohan was concerned, and he launched into their introductory spiel. She fell into step alongside him, just like they practiced in their own sort of fusion dance, a give and take between them complete with words and movements. When they were finished, the robber regarded them dryly, “That was lame.”
“See!” She snapped to Gohan, barely able to contain her laughter, even as she felt her cheeks flame with embarrassment, “Even the lowlifes agree!”
Gohan pouted, looking put-out by the criticism after he put so much care into planning out how to make them look cool although he perked up when she tilted her head to kiss him- she still thought he was a dork, but he was her dork.
When they parted, they both asked in the same breath, “What are you doing here?!”
They blinked at each other, absorbing the other’s words before Gohan pointed out quietly so they wouldn’t be overheard, “You have a class that’s starting in ten minutes.”
“Your class wasn’t supposed to end for another fifteen.” She shot back at the same volume, because she hadn’t missed class yet, and he had definitely skipped, though now that her boyfriend’s hand was cording around her waist, she didn't really want to go to astronomy, “Guess we’re both not very good students today.”
“It’s for the greater good.” Gohan purred, bending his neck to kiss her again. Missing the tail end of a class would be nothing for him, however missing a whole class for Videl probably wasn’t the best idea, except she had a brilliant boyfriend who she could sucker into helping her if she batted her eyelashes prettily enough.
“I think I liked the posing better.” The robber grumbled dejectedly, attempting to crawl away.
“Shut up.” Videl drawled, looking over to him lazily; she could hear sirens approaching from police reinforcements, so it wouldn’t be long before they were freed of their unruly charges. Reluctantly, she pulled away from Gohan, coming to step on the man’s leg which was as thick as a tree trunks, effectively pinning him down. He yowled at the pressure, trying to squirm out of her grasp, but when she forced her foot down harder threatening to break his leg, he stilled, knowing he was caught.
The police came shortly after, collecting the three robbers and heaping praise on the heroes for their work, which she and Gohan waved off. They retreated skyward to collect their book bags, though they didn’t get far, only grabbing Videl’s before their watches chirping out another dispatch, this time for an old man threatening to jump off the top of a tower. Despite his sunglasses, Gohan met her eyes seriously, his expression clouding at the situation, “I can handle it myself.”
“It’s fine.” Videl assured, tossing her bag back onto the rooftop and moving skyward already, “We’ll be fast.” There was no way she was going to let Gohan deal with something that potentially grievous on his own. They had only encountered scenarios like that twice before and both times it had rattled them both, able to keep the person in question alive but unable to make them want to keep living, passing them along to hospital staff, wondering in the aftermath if the people they had saved were doing well.
They shot towards the tower, its impressive height leagues above the other buildings in midtown to find a small old man with oddly reddish pink skin and bushy white hair clutching to the side of the tower and rattling on about despair, “My mind is made up! I’m going to jump!”
“That’s fine.” Gohan coaxed calmly as they floated up to the man, his tone assuring yet firm, “Just take my hand first, okay?”
Call her insensitive but it only took Videl a second to suss out that the situation wasn’t nearly as serious as they had originally imagined. She knew intimately what it looked like when someone had lost hope in living, had felt the dredges of it cling to her own soul once before. This man didn’t have that haunted look in his eyes at all; in fact, he seemed almost conniving.
The old man fumbled in the face of Gohan’s kindness, biting out, “Get back, I want to die!”
Deciding on a path of action, she crossed her arms over her chest, floating backwards with closed eyes, taunting in an annoyed voice, “Then what are you waiting for?”
“Hey!” Gohan gasped out, spinning to face her, “What are you doing?”
“Well, go on!” She snapped at the old man, placing her hands on her hips, grousing, “We don’t have all day!”
“Fools! You’ll see!” The old man retorted, taking up the challenge for what it was. Clutching his robes, he gave a short scream as he jumped away from the tower and plummeted downwards.
“He actually did it!” Videl exclaimed, surprised to be wrong even if it was out of spite.
The old man went kicking and screaming the whole way down, crying out desperately, “Help me!”
Gohan swooped down in a flash, scooping the old man up under the arms, much to the delight of the distressed crowd watching from the ground. He kept flying, moving past the office buildings of midtown and Videl came alongside him, tilting to fly diagonally to the ground to stare at the old man with reproach, “You can open your eyes.”
The old man blinked in surprise to find himself rescued, then he was kicking and screaming again, though this time in anger, “What were you waiting for?! I could have been killed! I should sue!”
“You’re welcome.” She grumbled since Gohan wasn’t going to ask for any thanks.
Speaking of, Gohan looked at her, brows furrowed together, chastising, “That could have gone bad.”
“Trust me, I know a fake when I see one.” She co*cked her head at the old man, “So, did you just want attention, or what?”
The old man stuttered, “W-well, I-”
“See!” Videl pointed out for the second time in ten minutes, which pissed the old man off.
“Alright, alright.” Gohan placated, if only to stop the old man from thrashing in his grip even more. He landed them in a park nearby, placing the old man down who introduced himself as Hoi, a connoisseur of mystical arts and legends.
Videl still wasn’t convinced of the old man’s intentions, shoving the visor of her helmet up to look at him closer, hopping up along the edge of a stone fountain then hopped back down, trying to dispel her energy. Crossing her arms across her chest again, she listened as Hoi regaled Gohan with a fantastical tale, the two men sitting on the edge of the fountain, “You mean you’ve never heard of Tapion the Brave? He was only the hero who single handedly saved Planet Konats of the South Galaxy a thousand years ago. What do they teach you kids in school anyway?”
Gohan made an interested sound and Videl scoffed, placing her hands on her hips, “Speaking of which, we should be getting back.”
“My classes are over for the day.” Gohan retorted cheerily, turning back to Hoi, “You think I could meet him?”
Crossing her arms over her chest with a huff, full of amused betrayal, Videl resigned herself to missing class since she wasn’t going to leave him with Hoi, who replied smoothly, “Of course.”
“So where is he?” Gohan inquired, perpetually curious when it came to a chance to experience something new.
“I thought you’d never ask. I just happened to have brought him along.” The old man held up a white and brown antique looking box, “Unfortunately, he’s been confined in this mysterious music box.”
Gohan tilted his sunglasses up to regard the music box closer, “Isn’t he a hero? Why would he be confined?”
“A conundrum that beckons to be solved.” Hoi enticed, offering the music box closer.
Gohan narrowed his eyes, growing tired with the other being’s evasiveness, scolding in a flat voice, “You know more, old man, tell me.”
“It’s true that Planet Konats was spared, but the same crisis now threatens Earth!” Hoi clutched the music box to his chest, decreeing with all the melodrama of an operatic actor, “An evil will ravage the Earth, then the universe, consuming all! There’s nothing you can do to stop it. Only Tapion will save you now. That’s why I’ve come, that’s why I’ve spent the past thirty years looking for this music box!”
“Then why haven’t you opened it yet?” Videl growled, wishing not for the first time that she had more prehensile ears so she could pin them back to her head in warning.
“Don’t you think I would if I could?!” Hoi snapped back, his own ears pricking up in agitation.
“So you can’t open it?” Gohan asked befuddled, since the music box looked perfectly normal, “Why not?”
“He was sealed inside, I lack the strength to break the spell.” Hoi offered the box up again with a cloying tone, “But you, a warrior of your power, might be able to.”
Thinking back to how Spopovich and Yamu had practically sucked the life out of Gohan to try and awaken Buu, Videl felt a surge of protectiveness flare up, determined that he wouldn’t fall victim to someone else’s scheme. “Nope!” She interjected, grabbing Gohan by the arm to pull him away, “Mysterious being locked in an object held by a man who looks suspiciously like an evil alien wizard. No way, I’m not going through that again! Not happening!”
Gohan barely moved, a tree swaying mildly in the breeze under her force, always fearless in the face of evil, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“The world could blow up again. My papa could get another roommate.” She hissed, jostling his arm in her grip, “Either option is a no for me.”
“It’s fine, right?” Gohan insisted, placing a calming hand on top of hers, “Buu was bad, but this guy is supposed to be a hero and if there is some great evil coming then he could help us.”
Videl felt her resolve waver in the face of his optimism, wanting to believe him even though the rational part of her brain railed against the thought, she pointed at Hoi in disgust, “And we’re gonna take the word of this weirdo alone?”
Gohan flashed her a grin, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he declared, “Nope.”
-
“That’s a binding spell all right.” Goku hummed with interest, passing the box off to Bulma after he tried and failed to open the box with brute force, “South Galaxy, you say? Never heard of Konats but there’s tons of planets out there. And if he’s been stuck in this box for a thousand years it makes sense that he wasn’t in the Realm of Heroes.”
Bulma took the music box, placing it inside a glass dome to start up a sort of x-ray machine, her lab going dark as a red laser scanned methodically over the cursed object, a series of whirls and clicks the only indication of data getting sent to the formidable wall of computers that Bulma was sitting at.
Videl had refused to touch Hoi, so Gohan was forced to carry the old man and she was the one to call his father for help, who directed them towards West City, wanting to rope in Bulma to see what the scientist thought of it. Goten had tagged along with his father, along with Krillin and Master Roshi, who had been visiting the mountain, and Trunks had obviously come to investigate, wanting to see what all the fuss was about which rounded their motley crew out. They had managed to grab their backpacks though and let their costumes revert back into their watches, so Videl at least was comfortable in her shorts and sweater combo as she frowned at the shriveled alien that had ruined her afternoon.
“You don’t trust him, so you bring him here?” Krillin questioned, wholly unimpressed by the situation, like any rational person would be.
“It was Gohan’s idea.” Videl defended, since she still wanted nothing to do with the old man and his little antique, “I was just gonna let him hit the ground.”
“Good or bad, we have to know what’s in that box.” Gohan placated, placing a hand on Videl’s shoulder to calm her animosity, while the boys ran from one side of the room to another, thoroughly giddy by what was going on.
“Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant.” Hoi stuttered out, looking like a mouse pinned by a snake caught in such a close proximity to the mighty saiyan that was watching him with fathomless steely eyes, “At this point, evil is at your doorstep and unless you find a way to release Tapion, all of mankind will be laid to waste.”
“Nope.” Bulma huffed, shutting down the sequence that brought the lights back up, the glass dome retracting from around the music box, “The scans are inconclusive. Whatever’s in that box won’t be revealed until you open it.”
“So science can’t figure it out, huh?” Goku teased, always delighted to get something over the genius, “Looks like magic is getting the win.”
“Magic?” Trunks asked eagerly, his excitement bubbling in a vicious feedback loop into Goten, who hopped up and down, “You mean Sh-“
“Shenron!” Hoi cried out, drawing the surprised attention of the others back to him, “Summon the eternal dragon, ask it to use its mighty power to free Tapion, I beg you!”
“So that was what this was about.” Gohan mused with a touch of reproach, while Master Roshi made an understanding sound, far too used to the greed of man when it came to the ancient being.
Hoi bowed lowly, simpering, “I didn't mean to deceive you but I knew you were my only link to Shenron. Please, introduce me.”
Videl placed her hands on her hips, feeling vindicated and wanting to smash the old man’s face in, “I knew he was trying to con us.” She felt her lip curl upwards, tsking, “Guess it’s true, there’s a fool born every minute.”
“Some never grow up!” Hoi brushed aside with a tittering laugh.
“And they rot in hell all the same.” Goku finished nonchalantly, picking up the music box, “But no, I don’t think we’ll need Shenron.”
Hoi waffled at the sentencing even as he blinked in confusion, “But the spell is unbreakable.”
“Maybe for you.” Goku shot back cheerfully, more than content that the wizard in their midst could be handled easily if needed, “A strong spell takes a strong will to break it. Wouldn’t you say so, Master?”
Master Roshi nodded sagely, “Yes, no need yet to get him involved- magic cast by one mortal being can normally be overruled by a more powerful one, and no one’s stronger than Goku. We might want to take this outside though, not sure what’ll happen when we do crack it open.”
“Fine.” Bulma sighed, shutting off the computer and ushering them all out of her lab.
“Aw.” Goten complained to Trunks as they headed outside, “I wanted to go hunting.”
“Well, I’ve had enough of it for my lifetime.” Krillin grumbled, thinking back to the days where they had to traverse the earth by foot to find the mystical orbs.
“I’ll tell Shenron that; see if he revives you next time.” Bulma teased, shooting a wink towards Videl.
“Why do you think I’m gonna die?!” Krillin cried out, quailing at the thought, “I’m stronger than you!”
“But I’m smarter than you.” Bulma retorted haughtily, “I run away from the bad guys.”
“That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.” Gohan remarked under his breath, which made his father laugh uproariously, both of them probably thinking about countless incidents in the past that negated the scientist’s assertion.
Bulma tugged on Goku’s ear with all the scorn an older sister could manage, narrowing her stormy blue eyes at Krillin and Roshi sharply when it seemed like the other men were going to start laughing as well, though all three of the boys giggled behind her back anyway, knowing all about the woman’s lack of self-preservation in face of discovery.
Hoi seemed conflicted over the idea of the eternal dragon not being summoned but he hurried along when he felt Videl’s scalding gaze upon him, thinking he might find safety among the others; it was like a wildebeest retreating into a river to avoid a lion, heedless of the fact that crocodiles lurked in the water surrounding it.
Standing out on the lawn with the others, Videl wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to forcibly breaking a spell. Goku had done things in the past that, while fantastical, had seemed like conceivable skills in regards to Ki-manipulation, something that was beyond Videl’s reach but not out of the realm of possibility, nothing mystical or wizard-like.
Holding the music box for a few moments with his eyes closed, Goku didn’t seem to do anything special but then, the box seemed to crackle in his grasp, like a build-up of static electricity, and tiny green chains began to wind all around the box, or perhaps they had been there all along and now they were visible to the eye. The box stayed right where it was, floating chest-high even as Goku removed his hands, moving them to the side of the box before closing his fists around nothing but empty air in one moment and in the next, he was holding tightly to a multitude of golden strands. The strands glowed brightly, thin as spider’s silk and twisting into the links of the chain, grabbing each segment in a million different directions.
He pulled his hands in opposite directions, forcing the chains to bend under the pressure of the strands in dozens of angles. A low hum started to build, a vibration that started to get louder as Goku made the strands thicken, glowing more furiously as he infused them with energy. It appeared like there was a stalemate, neither the strands nor the chains giving way then all at once, the chains around the box shattered.
Goku gasped in shock, his entire body flinching backwards with a recoil that seemed subconscious, the music box falling lightly to the ground as the magic holding it aloft dissipated.
So shaken the saiyan seemed to be that Gohan surged to his father’s side, worriedly demanding, “What was it? What did you feel?”
“People died.” Goku muttered back, his eyes trained on the music box, expression serious and something haunted flickering in his gaze.
That was an ominous statement if Videl had ever heard one and she exchanged a concerned glance with Gohan. There wasn’t any time to discuss further because there was a series of tiny clicks that emanated from the music box, causing the handle that had previously been locked up to start to crank on its own.
Music started to play waveringly, the kind of tune that had the lilt of a lullaby, a twinkling noise produced as the mechanisms churned together, making Bulma breathe out, “It’s so beautiful.”
Videl frowned, the melody chiming some distant chord inside of her, “Actually it sounds sad to me.” She had spent hours in her youth, sitting in plush velvet seats of a theater while her mama rehearsed with her company, listening to passionate arias and opera serias in languages she didn’t understand or sometimes watched whole scenes with only accompaniment. She could hear clearly the sort of faint tremor in the music, the tragic notes, like the last bird singing in a felled forest. One could only wonder what kind of soul caused music like that to play.
“He’s coming!” Goten and Trunks chirped in unison, as the lid started to open, sending out puffs of smoke and a gust of energy.
In mere seconds, the smoke started to billow out far beyond the capacity of the music box, whipping the air into a wind that buffeted the area around them with the sudden force of a tornado, the smoke taking on a blue glow as it started to spiral upwards. It condensed on itself into a whirling column, thickening with energy that had a shape forming, a murky ink-blue shadow in the distinct figure of a humanoid being.
“Dad, you’re feeling this too, right?” Gohan’s eyes wide in the face of the whipping wind.
“Amazing.” Goku murmured in response, every fiber of his being locked fiercely on to the swirling being that was taking shape before them.
There was a weird humming sound, like a glass full of water hitting a vibrato, sawing a dissonance into Videl’s ears except she swore her hearing was playing tricks on her next because it suddenly didn’t feel like the music was coming from the tiny mechanisms of the music box but seemed to permeate through the air, taking on a new intensity and tenor, like the layering of instruments on top of each other. It wasn’t a simple tune recorded and painstakingly punched into a metal cylinder but something that took life of its own, swelling like a wave to shore or an orchestra tuning up, brimming with energy, canceling out the wavering pitch.
The music box shuddered once, like it wasn’t able to contain itself anymore then shattered abruptly into pieces, causing a brighter blue light to flare up as more energy was dispelled, causing the onlookers to shield their eyes. The form of the man in the smoke seemed to solidify, fully freed from the spell that had bound him, the inky blue slowly gaining and losing saturation to create more colors until a quite average looking alien appeared. He was tall and lithe, with skin that was as white as porcelain, and a stock of red hair, his layered clothing more practical than ornate though a golden circlet ringed partially around his head. He had an almost peaceful countenance as he played a small wind instrument, an ocarina if Videl’s instincts could be trusted, floating down breezily like a leaf freed from a tree’s branch until his boots touched the ground and the wind died down.
“Hoi was telling the truth. His hero does exist.” Goku remarked, able to gauge in a moment the character of the new man’s soul and Trunks took a step forward, breathing out, “Cool.”
Hoi advanced towards the warrior, smiling placidly, but in a move so fast Videl didn’t think she saw it truly, the tall alien drew the sword that was hanging on his right shoulder to place the lethal tip inches away from the old wizard’s throat, snarling a warning, “Stay back!” He blinked bright green eyes at all of them, looking confused and shaken, but most of all, angered, ”Was it you who revived me?”
“You’re most welcome.” Hoi cooed, still grinning inspidely, “Nice to have some leg room after a thousand years, isn’t it?”
“You old fool,” The swordsman growled, demanding in a voice that was rusty from disuse, “Send me back!”
“Not an option, now that the music box has been destroyed.” Hoi replied cheerily, looking far too pleased in Videl’s opinion. She knew that he was far more conniving than he pretended to be and even if the freed warrior wasn’t a threat, she was certain the wizard had something sinister in the works.
Sensing the need to diffuse the situation, Goku came forward, smiling a welcome, “Hi there, I’m Goku! I know this must be confusing but you’re here on the Planet Earth in the North Quadrant. We had some trouble getting you out.”
Tapion let out a sort of rasping hiss, not unlike the warning of a rattlesnake, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Well, do you?” With a huff like they weren’t worth his time, he pulled his sword away and turned on his heel, muttering darkly over his shoulder, “I don’t know if I can stop him this time.”
“What do you mean?” Goku questioned while Videl and Gohan exchanged another more worried glance. Tapion didn’t bother giving them an answer, walking away from them and jumping agily over the fence that roped off the section of the lawn they were on.
Trunks’ eyes were glowing with awe, glittering with the prospect of an adventure, “I wanna be just like him!”
“Take it easy, Trunks.” Bulma chastised, narrowing her eyes disdainfully at the warrior’s retreating form, “We know nothing about that man, except that he has trouble saying thank you.”
Regardless of the unknown, Trunks leapt forward to follow Tapion, with Goten hurrying after him like he always did, both eager to see what fun the new person would bring them.
“Boys.” Goku called after them, the commanding steel in his tone halting them almost mid-step and turning towards him with the kind of obedience that was trained into every martial arts student, no matter how colt-wild they were. Smiling slightly at their stilled excitement, Goku reprimanded lightly, ”Mind yourselves.” It was a gentle-veiled warning for them to remember their training and keep their guards up, to not get themselves into trouble following after an unknown alien. He left it at that though, nodding his head in the direction of the retreating warrior with an encouraging smile, assured that they weren't going to get into any real danger.
Grinning at the implicit permission, Goten and Trunks scampered away and Goku bumped Bulma’s hip with his own, reassuring, “They’ll be fine.” He tilted his head to the side, lips pursing together in worry, “Though he did look kind of troubled.”
“Wouldn’t you be, if you were brought to a strange world after a thousand years’ sleep?” Krillin pointed out while Videl’s attention snapped towards Hoi, who seemed to be retreating away from them.
Gohan followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes at the old man, “What’s the matter?”
“Hoi is hiding something.” She replied tersely, not sure if she was pleased to have him leave or if she wanted to punch his face in for leaving as soon as he got what he wanted from them- he barely seemed to attempt to pretend anymore that he wasn’t conniving.
Gohan nodded in agreement, and while it might have been smarter to keep him close and in sight, neither of them felt the urge to follow after the wizard at the present. They both had a feeling however, that the freeing of Tapion was only just the beginning of what would happen.
All of the reading Videl had done in the past two years wasn’t lost on her, her mind making the connection between the new warrior and book tropes, with his fair skin and pointed ears, he seemed to fit the archetype of a fantasy elf perfectly, complete with graceful movements and instrument-playing abilities. Deciding she had enough of speculation for the time being, she clasped her hands to her chest, remarking teasingly to Gohan, “Tapion certainly was handsome. Dreamy even.”
“You’re being so cold today.” Gohan pouted, wrapping an arm around her to pull her close and dipping his head down to have his breath steaming against her ear as he purred, “Be sweet to me.”
She gasped a bit at the jolt that raced up her spine and gasped more when the arm he had hugged her to his body with, slipped around her hips to pick her up and start to carry her across the lawn back towards the main house.
“Gohan!” She protested, disgruntled at being handled like a piece of luggage tucked against his side under his arm, but unable to stop herself from laughing because he was laughing. Deciding she didn’t want to be manhandled anymore, she pressed her left knee against his lower back and slipped her right leg in between his knees. She crossed her ankles quickly, wrenching her legs to the right in a fluid motion that sent him collapsing in a heap when she took out his right knee.
Goku laughed at their tangled mess of limbs, watching their antics with a fond grin, “Since you’re both my students, I’m not sure who I should be proud of.”
“A healthy rivalry among pupils is good.” Master Roshi advised sagely, though he certainly hadn’t dealt with his pupils being romantically involved.
“Is that what kids are calling rivalries nowadays?” Krillin snorted, as the adults continued walking back indoors.
Gohan chuckled richly, his affection for her having grown strong enough that he was unphased by the teasing, twisting his torso so that he could kiss her. He untangled his long legs from hers, hefting himself to his feet with a bounce and extended a hand to help her.
With a huff, Videl took his hand to pull herself off the ground, brushing at her white shorts, “You better have not gotten grass stains on me.”
“That’s what you get for wearing white.” Gohan retorted though he scampered close to his father’s side when Videl leveled a warning glance in his direction, smiling innocently as she informed to Goku, “Your son is cheeky.”
“Where do you think he got it from?” Bulma countered, to which Goku shot back immediately, “Oh, like you’re any better?”
Rolling his eyes, Krillin directed his attention back to the young couple, “Shouldn’t you two be heading back to school?”
“Our classes are finished for the day.” Videl answered for the both of them, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly when Gohan shot her a fake scandalized look, since she was supposed to be in her astronomy class currently.
“Then you can stay for dinner.” Bulma said with finality, looping an arm through Gohan’s, drawing him to her side and off towards her laboratory, “I haven’t been to East City in years but Dr.Koro used to be a classmate of mine, tell me the truth- she’s miserably behind my research, isn’t she?“
Gohan tried to avoid the question, never one to speak bad about others, and Goku turned to look at the remaining others, uninterested in listening to gossip, “Wanna go to the atrium and play cards?”
“Sure.” She agreed while Krillin shrugged, “Why not?”
The atrium was Goku’s favorite place on the grounds, the place where he spent the most time whenever he was visiting his extended family and Videl could understand why. It was a marvel of innovation, a grand array of microclimates that kept all of its wild inhabitants happy but despite the vast differences in temperature and precipitation needed Videl’s hair remained fairly untouched by the humidity. Bulma’s father joined them in their games: cards, poker chips and stories being tossed about while brightly colored birds flirted above their heads and gentle giants grazed nearby.
Near dinner time, Bulma had her staff whip up everything needed for a barbecue, which happened to be one of the easiest ways for saiyans to be fed, everyone making their own skewers of vegetables and meat to roast on a long charcoal grill out on one of the many patios. Goten and Trunks had scampered back for the meal, sneaking out plates to bring back to Tapion presumably, which all of the amused adults decided to ignore.
It certainly wasn’t how Videl had planned to have spent her late Monday afternoon and evening but it was a nice break from the little bubble of college that she and Gohan often found themselves in and his father’s friends were always fun to be around, the motley bunch they were. As the evening grew darker around them, they couldn't ignore the time anymore, since it was a school night, gathering their belongings to leave.
Giving Gohan’s arm a squeeze and shooting a bright smile in Videl’s direction, Bulma ugred, “Come by again soon.”
Goku rose to his feet to say farewell, a fond smile on his face. They saw him two days ago and would see him on Saturday for training but he folded them into a hug anyway, his arms big and loving enough for the both of them, squeezing them in a way that made them both huff out breathless laughter. He chuckled at their delight, dark eyes dazzling in the quiet night, “Be good now.“
“As if, we’d do anything else.” Gohan replied, giving his father a final hug before drawing away, his hand coming to wrap around Videl’s.
As they flew away, they heard Krillin inquire, “So are we drinking or what?” Prompting the other adults to laugh and the young couple to shake their head and smile, as they propelled themselves into the sky.
It was nearing nine in the evening when they got back to the apartment, which wasn’t too late from Videl's perspective, but they had both had work that they needed to do which they had intended to do earlier in the day. Gohan was always ahead of schedule so he didn’t have anything pressing but Videl who normally waited for the day before a class to do the assigned reading, had forty pages of her psychology textbook to power through.
Kicking her loafers off, Videl flopped onto the couch, dragging her backpack into her lap to pull out her textbook and notebook. She had taken psychology to fulfill a requirement but had been pleasantly surprised with how much she enjoyed it. It was tedious reading through case studies and different diagnosis however the field was fascinating, far more so than what she imagined it to be. Still, she much rather have been curling up with Gohan on the couch to watch a movie or read a book together, than having to take notes while he sat at the kitchen island, working on some homework for one of his engineering classes that included far too many numbers.
It was closer to midnight than eleven, when Gohan suddenly jumped up from where he sat and Videl followed a moment later, both of them drawn to the feeling of a large violent energy flaring up. That was about the time when a massive explosion sounded off in the nearby proximity, causing their windows to rattle. They both ran to the balcony, gaping at the sight of a huge black cloud of smoke staining the evening sky, the same as many of their neighbors but then Gohan was turning and sprinting for the front door, Videl hurrying to follow after him.
They sprinted down the stairs, slamming the front door of the building open as they went to an alleyway close by that they knew from experience was almost always deserted. Under the anonymity of darkness, they donned on their costumes, shooting into the air to head towards where the energy source was coming from.
It was alive, that much Videl could tell as they approached, massive and full of a raging malice within the likes she hadn’t felt since Evil Buu was terrorizing the planet two years ago. By the time they got to where it was in the financial district, the local military had already mobilized using tanks and helicopters to try and contain the destruction. They could hear the screams of people running away down below but thankfully due to the location, which featured predominantly office buildings, it was mostly deserted in the late evenings/early mornings as there were no housing options in the immediate vicinity. That meant that the people in the area were passersby going through the district and not people blissfully unaware in their sleep which saved an unknown amount of casualties.
Videl hadn’t seen anything like it in her life, massive amounts of dense smoke billowing skyward, while multiple large fires raged, some skyscrapers practically in half, while others were nothing but bits of crumbled ruins and others still tilting dangerously to one side. Unlike Ki blasts that carved paths of disintegration into cityscapes, this was more like the city had been trampled by a wild beast much too large for the density of the area. Her speculation was confirmed by the thudding of footsteps that was followed by the sounds of wrecking buildings.
They dropped down to the ground since the smoke was so thick in the air, unable to get a good view of what was the cause of all the wreckage. They didn’t have to wait long until there was a shattering rumbling sound as what was apparently a massive tail started to sweep through the city, shearing through layers of reinforced concrete and steel with an ease that was alarming. She gasped, trying to figure out what was going on, but Gohan didn’t pause for a second, grabbing her by her hand to jump skyward, pulling them both away from the whiplike destructive lash of the tail.
She dangled from his grip for a moment, too stunned to do anything else as its form was illuminated by the fires it caused. It was massive, standing on two legs with three-pronged feet that had horrible talons on each toe, longer than a bus. It had a sort of bug-like reptilian appearance, a segmented lower abdomen and scaly skin with spikes jutting out of it, every aspect of it primed for attack. Its tail seemed like a mix of a bludgeoning tool and a sword with a flared spad-esque spike on the end, but most horrifically, it just stopped above the hips and it, it didn’t… there wasn’t-
“Where’s its f*cking head?!” Were the words that bubbled up hysterically from Videl’s throat, the only thing her mind could currently wrap around, because there was some sort of mysterious red smoke cloud surrounding the area and holy sh*t, that was only one half of whatever it was. There was no torso or head and that only meant that its missing pieces were somewhere else.
Videl was used to the multitude of beings that populated Earth, some of whom were really strange and not very humanlike at all, but she didn’t grow up with the supernatural or superhuman or alien. Her experience with such were men who could transform into giant ape-like creatures and change their hair color, green peace-keeping beings who could reproduce by spitting up an egg, a realm full of dead alien heroes, and a djinn that had killed her and blew up the planet but was now her papa’s roommate. So the sight of what was very clearly an alien monster, which was missing a massive chunk of itself- the part of which that Videl was positive you needed to survive up until that point- and looked like something that had leapt out of a storybook as the main antagonist was triggering every fight-or-flight instinct she had, “This thing, do you think that this could be what Tapion and Hoi were warning us about? The one that destroyed his planet!”
“It certainly qualifies as evil.” Gohan remarked, looking shaken at the sight of the monster as Videl, though he was always one who was moved to action, his calculative gaze already scanning for potential weaknesses.
Summoning her courage, she let go of his hand to hold herself aloft, “Alright then, let’s stop this freak show!”
“Right!” Gohan dropped back to the ground since the smoke was still too dense for them to properly breathe in, and Videl followed him. The monster continued to stomp through the city, but it had seemed to sense them, angling itself towards them with malicious intent. Gohan gaped up at the monster, his brow knotted in a befuddled furrow, “Wait, if it doesn't have a head how is it orienting itself?”
Before they were able to speculate further, they both had to lunge out of the way of the massive foot, scattering in different directions as the mass came down. It made buildings rattle and the street buckle, sending Videl to her knees as she jumped to the side, her helmet knocking loose from the impact. Shaking bangs free from her eyes, she scanned the area for her boyfriend and the monster in equal measure, not wanting to get trampled underfoot. She spotted both in short succession- Gohan nearby, likewise on his knees with sunglasses dislodged, and the monster towering over him, its foot raising for another step- and scrambling to her feet, she called out a warning, “Gohan! Get out of there!”
He flipped himself neatly into a crouch then jumped high in the air to avoid the crushing move, his sharp reflexes making him as agile as a cat. The monster lashed out with its tail yet Gohan twisted midair to avoid it, striking out with his own foot; however the monster proved faster than it looked, its impressive bulk dodging away.
Frustrated somewhat at being unable to end the battle swiftly yet with blood that was singing for a challenge, Gohan grinned, “It looks like you want to do this the hard way, huh? Fine!” His Ki launched itself into the stratosphere, causing the air to shudder and the nearby building facades to crumple at the sheer breadth of his power. He shot skyward like a blur, dodging the swipe of the tail to deliver a powerful kick to the ribbed abdomen causing the monster to stagger backwards from the force of the blow but it kept its balance, regaining its footing. The monster reared up and it really was a terribly odd thing to see, the red cloud swirling around the cut in the torso almost seeming to emit a noise, like a distant echo. Without giving it a reprieve, Gohan shot a blast of energy at it that connected to its abdomen and the monster fell backwards into an office building with an astounding crash of shattered glass and crushed concrete.
In the midst of the falling debris, Videl saw a dart of movement, like a school of minnows huddled together in a pond and her stomach dropped at the realization that there were people still around, probably stragglers passing through that hadn’t made it out to safety amidst all the clamor. She didn’t even recognize she was moving, so instinctive was her reaction, traversing half a city block within moments.
She would never compare to the raw power of the saiyans, but these days her strength was superhuman, so when hundreds of pounds of structural beams and reinforced concrete came hurtling down in what was a sizable chunk of the right corner of the building, she caught it. It was a tentative grasp, smaller blocks of concrete dropping free to the ground but the mass of it was contained in her grasp, the people she had just saved still cringingly hunched over- some of them out of fear and others having to do so from necessity, as she was only barely able to get under the wreckage, holding it aloft a mere six feet off the ground.
She could feel blood beginning to drip down the back of her hands from where the weight of the beams were trying to shear through her resistance, slicing through her thick gloves to cut deep into her palms and fingers. She would break before she would ever buckle though, absolutely refused to lose anyone, but it would be futile to save them from a falling building only for them to be trampled by the monster. Hefting the bulk upwards further by floating herself a few inches higher, she urged the seven individuals, jerking her head in the direction of the nearest underground entrance, “Go, get out of here, head to the subway tunnels!”
With a nervous clamor, they hurried to follow her instructions, most clinging to one another as they ran across the street. At that moment, another large pillar came hurtling down, having been ripped free from a nearby building as an effect of the monster’s whipping tail and Videl knew she wouldn’t be able to jump clear of the ruins in time to save them, “sh*t!”
Concentrating her strength into her left arm to hold the ruins up, she was able to free her right arm, shooting a blast of ki to hit the pillar, blasting it into pieces. A few larger chunks still fell to the ground with jaw-rattling thuds but the civilians were safe for the time being, hurrying quickly to the underground tunnels. The monster didn’t seem to have the weight to crush through the street level, meaning that a cave-in wasn’t as likely as getting crushed above ground.
Fed up with her entrapment, she replaced her right hand onto the corner of the building and gathered her Ki, pushing upwards as she shot out energy from her palms, thousands of bursts breaking the wreckage up. She darted out from underneath the crumbling remains in a singular leap, her boots skidding against the ruined pavement thirty feet away from where she had previously stood.
Gohan had been battling the monster the whole time, trying to contend with its ability to whirl into mist and disappear before reappearing in various spots, keeping him on the defense and making his offense mostly ineffective. He was drawing the battle higher, floating in the air to direct the monster’s attention skyward, wanting to avoid causing more destruction from spreading outward.
As Videl watched, the monster disappeared away from Gohan’s strike then reappeared in front of him, wanting to trap the hero against the side of a building and stabbing out with its tail. The halfbreed was far faster and was able to easily dodge the strike that pierced into the side of the building, using his much smaller form to slip past the monster’s bulk and fly high in the air again. Enraged, the monster pulled its tail out, ripping a chunk of the building with it and swung the heavy weight like a flail. Gohan dodged that strike too, darting through the darkened sky like a swallow, however the building piece was dislodged from its tail and flew towards another building. Not wanting any excess damage, she leapt up, twisting mid air to unleash a sickle of ki that sliced the large hunk of building in two neatly, dropping to the ground in a crouch as the building pieces fell like stones to the pavement.
Almost a year ago, during their second summer training together, Goku had enlisted Krillin’s help to teach her how to manipulate energy into more tangible, rigid forms because just as the saiyan predicted, the method had been easier for her to conceptualize and master. She had been practicing at it, with stationary and moving targets but she had yet to use it in an actual fight before, since it wasn’t the kind of technique that got pulled out in a spar or against petty criminals. Against a giant monster though, it would be pretty effective.
Gohan glanced in her direction, seemingly worried about her and the other people in the area, prompting her to call out, “I’m right behind you!” Within those words were countless other sentiments, encouraging him to be at peace because she was with him, urging him to focus on the fight ahead and she would take care of the rest. Gohan turned back to face the monster, knowing everything that she meant and more.
She watched him fight the monster from the edge of her vision while she scoured the area for any other people caught in the crossfire. She freed a couple from their wrecked car and pulled two military men out from a helicopter that had crashed onto a rooftop, ushering them down to the subways. She was returning her attention fully to the fight, satisfied that everyone in the vicinity was evacuated when Gohan called to her, “Videl, it has a weakness! Its flesh is vulnerable the moment it attacks!”
That was all the encouragement that she needed, positioning herself on a nearby rooftop for the opportune moment to intervene. She got it soon enough when Gohan feinted the monster out, leaving its flank open, allowing her to shoot out another sickle of energy that arched into its right ankle giving Gohan the ability to topple it.
Another resounding crash, another crater carved into the ground and another chance for Gohan to dart away when the monster clambered to its feet again, its great tail lashing through the air in anger. She wasn’t sure how they were going to defeat the monster without the destruction branching further, if they didn’t start making some real headway.
Gohan evaded the first few swipes of the tail and landed on the ground, seemingly having a plan for when the monster raised a leg to crush him underfoot. In the moment before the leg came crashing down, he jumped up, evading the blow and delivering a powerful punch to the abdomen again, causing the flesh to concave. Gohan dropped back down to the ground, spinning in a whirl to kick its right ankle, the one Videl had already weakened, knocking the leg straight out from underneath the monster to make it fall backwards.
The tail wriggled and writhed like a worm cut in half for a moment before the spear tip of the tail stabbed itself into the pavement, using the stiff appendage to heft its body upright. Videl grit her teeth at the sight, thinking she would attempt next to take one of its legs off completely since there were no vital organs to hit.
With a growling yell, Gohan shot a massive burst of ki at the monster, continuing to power the blast once it hit the monster to force it off its feet and and backwards a couple hundred meters, slamming it into a building. Not wanting to give an inch, Gohan propelled himself skyward for a better angle and shot blast after blast at the monster.
The explosion grew with each hit until all Videl could see was golden light, staggered by the way the whole world shuddered with the force of the blasts until Gohan was satisfied. He landed back on the ground and Videl came up beside him, panting quietly, “Do you think you got it?”
Gohan watched the lingering smoke with hawk eyes, his voice low over the sound of crumbling buildings and wailing sirens in the distance, “This isn’t over yet.”
Before she could say anything back, music started to ring out into the night, the sound delicate and lilting for all that it cut through every other noise. Videl recognized it immediately, feeling the energy that surged with it, “That melody…”
The music floated through the cityscape, and for all it was lullaby-like and sonorous, there was an undercurrent of power that whirled and swelled like a hurricane coming to shore as the notes played. After a minute the song came to an end, silence overtaking the area with the reverent hush of an audience not yet released to clap, waiting with bated breath to see the outcome of the fight. When the last of the smoke cloud dissipated, they both gasped because where there had been a behemoth, there was nothing but a crater. “It vanished!”
She scanned the rubble around them but Gohan’s surprised sound drew her attention to where the monster had just been and they both watched as a sword-wielding form retreated, the cut of sharp green eyes that flashed over a shoulder as it withdrew.
“Gohan, look!” Videl cried out when her eyes caught on something in the distance, pointing to a veiled figure that was standing on a nearby skyscraper, too far away to see clearly but the height and the aura was unmistakable.
Videl snarled, shooting out another sickle of energy arching in the direction of Hoi but he vanished in the second before the blast connected, the Ki slicing through the empty air. She hissed in disappointment and Gohan seemed to echo her sentiment, concluding darkly, “Well, we’ve accomplished one thing: we know who the bad guys are.”
(Neither of them saw a third figure, like a shadow itself, trailing after the wizard with a hum of wind.)
Now that their enemies had vanished, Gohan had a pinched expression to his face, his sharp gaze scanning the ruined streets with a mix of regret and worry; this was the first time that they had suffered anything that couldn’t be qualified as an absolute victory, and while no one had been killed, there was destruction on a large scale. Not to mention that the way that the battle concluded meant that their fight almost certainly wasn’t over, the return of the monster was going to loom over them as long as it was still potentially out there. What a mess.
With the rush of adrenaline and its induced tunnel vision fading, Videl noticed for the first time that Gohan was injured, the black fabric of his leggings was darker than normal on his left leg, rusty crimson staining the white material of his boot though he didn’t limp at all, seemingly impervious to the pain. She reached out to place a hand on his arm concerned, but halted when she realized she would only be getting more blood on him, her own white gloves a shredded, bloody mess.
A police officer, having returned to the area now that the fighting was over, questioned in a warbling voice, “W-What was that?”
“A monster. It’s gone now.” Videl answered simply, though the question of where still lingered.
“We’ll remain vigilant.” Gohan assured in the commanding tone he often took with authorities, “We’ll leave the rest to you.” With that, he drifted skyward and Videl followed suit, feeling a sick feeling rise in her throat as they flew over the ruined city blocks. Once again, she was thankful that the monster had appeared in the financial district, dismayed over the idea of it smashing through any of the more residential areas, or worse the college campus.
Since the excitement of the attack had died off and sent their neighbors back indoors, it was dark enough that they were able to slip into their apartment via the balcony, as opposed to trekking themselves through the front door and up four flights of stairs and risking one of their neighbors seeing them all dirtied and bloodied. They both knew their place so well that they didn’t bother turning on a light, leaving their boots on the balcony as they headed to the bathroom.
The lightbulbs in the bathroom were more golden than white in hue, which meant that their eyes weren’t too scalded when Gohan flicked the light on. It seemed odd to bring their bloodshed in their bathroom, which often smelled like eucalyptus and was a cluttered mess in the mornings when they were both rushing to get to class in time. To drip blood on the black and white tiled floor, to stand amongst their towels and toiletries with bodies still ravaged by adrenaline, to look at her disheveled reflection in the mirror was sacrilegious in Videl’s eyes.
They both had dozens of spare costumes to use, so Gohan had no qualms sitting on the edge of the bathtub and using a pair of specially-made shears to cut his leggings, peeling the bloodied fabric away from his injured leg. His hybrid regenerative abilities had already stopped the bleeding naturally, though it had bled a lot if the rusty stain was anything to go by. He seemed fine however, in the resolute way he always muddled through his pain, so she focused on fixing up herself.
Standing in front of her sink, Videl peeled her gloves off, wincing when the thick material caught on her torn up palms, dried blood making it stick to her skin. She flexed her hands carefully, testing to see if the multitude of bones and joints were still intact. Nothing felt out of place; her fingers were sore, and the flesh was ripped and raw but she hadn’t pulled anything or yanked anything out of place. She doused the wounds with antiseptic, hissing slightly at the sting but it was nothing compared to when the pain had actually happened.
Uncaring about anything except for getting out of her sweaty and dirty costume, she got into the shower and started it, turning the spray to the hottest temperature available. Once the steam fogged up the glass walls enough to veil her form, she stripped out of her gear, throwing the sodden fabric out of the shower and onto the tiled floor. She spent a few minutes just lounging under the stream of water, twisting this way and that to work the kinks out of her back and shake the tension out of her muscles. Using her loofah, she cleaned the sweat and grime off, careful not to let her tattered palms touch the soap suds, though the hot water made the cuts sting anyway. There were a few other cuts and bruises that littered her body, but besides a decent gash on her elbow from where she had gotten knocked down, she was fine. (Honestly, Goku had done worse to her in the name of training, trying to build her endurance up. She didn’t have the luxury saiyans did to receive exponential leaps in power after suffering injuries but even she couldn’t deny she had gotten stronger in the brutal process of destroying and rebuilding herself.)
Once she felt thoroughly cleaned, she reached out the shower door to grab her towel, pulling it into the shower with her before she turned the water off. Wrapping the towel around her body, she left the shower’s confines, dripping on the bath mat. Gohan had continued to clean his leg up, using bursts of water from the tub spout to rinse away the dried blood and antiseptic to disinfect the wound. He kept his eyes averted from her, always demure when it came to her body, even though they had both been pretty scantily clad in the times that they sparred in the ocean and had pressed up to each other close enough when kissing to leave much to the imagination. She respected his deference, grabbing another towel to wrap around her hair, alleviating the water dripping down her neck and shoulders, heading to her bedroom in a few quick steps.
She dressed hurriedly into a pair of pajamas, pulling on a hoodie so nothing would show through the thin material of the overlarge faded t-shirt she had on. With the towel still wrapped around her hair, she went back into the bathroom where Gohan was filling up the tub with warm water.
His leg looked bad, two parallel gouges that crossed from mid-calf to upper thigh from where the edge of the monster’s tail had cut into him, effortlessly tearing through the thick material of the armored fabric and his hardened skin in a way Videl hadn’t seen before. They were clean slices however, not too far off from when one made a mistake with a knife and cut themselves, going deep through layers of skin and into muscle but the flesh wasn’t ripped apart or torn out.
Videl had to look away, feeling slightly sick, but that could have been from leftover adrenaline. She had seen Gohan bloodied and battered before during the course of their training but it unnerved her all the same, to see his steely hands and how unflinchingly he tended to his injuries. She hated thinking about all the times that he had been wounded before, how he had built an endurance to such grievous pain or how he was so desensitized to medical treatment.
She stepped close to the tub when Gohan beckoned her near, taking their first aid kit to wrap her hands up. She could do it herself but it would be a tricky thing and he wanted to do it, full of innate care and devotion. He slathered a poultice onto her torn palms and fingers- which she knew from experience would harden up while she slept, helping the wounds scab up- placing gauze on top to keep everything in place before he wound clean strips of cloth around the whole of her hands.
When he finished, she flexed her hands, testing the secure yet not too tight bindings, “Thank you.”
“Anything for you.” Gohan murmured with tenderness, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.
Feeling as flustered as a victorian maiden at the gesture- though in reality she was verging on blacking-out from the combination of exhaustion and dehydration- she left the bathroom again to give him some privacy. In the kitchen, she drank two glasses of water with the desperation of a woman rescued from a desert, then grabbed a strawberry popsicle from the freezer which she ate leaning against the island. The sugar helped her head stop spinning, however she still felt moments away from falling asleep at any second. Feeling duty-bound, she filled another glass of water, grabbing a second popsicle to carry both into the bathroom.
Gohan had stripped and submerged himself in the water which was cloudy with oils, leaning against the edge of the tub with his eyes closed. He and his father were like reptiles when it came to warmth: they could spend hours basking in the sun or luxuriating in a steaming bath, absorbing all the heat into their very bones.
Feeling a touch of mischievousness, she placed the wrapped popsicle against his neck which made Gohan jolt with a surprised hiss, his eyes popping open at the sudden frigid sensation. With water splashing out onto the floor from his movements, Gohan swiped at her for the popsicle and she gave it to him laughingly, watching as he ripped the plastic packaging open with his teeth.
Placing the cup of water within his reach, she gathered up their ruined costumes, tossing them into the hamper that housed their often bloody and overly sweaty workout clothes. Pulling out a spare clean towel, she folded it to lay on the edge of the porcelain tub so that Gohan’s neck would have something softer to rest upon. Bending over, she placed a kiss on his temple, her lips cold and sweet against his warm skin, “I’m going to bed, you need anything?”
“Nah, I’m going to soak for a while longer.” He leaned up slightly to kiss her back, before relaxing back into the water, “Turn the light off?”
“Course.” Flicking the light off as requested, she headed down the hallway with a soft, “Good night.”
It was a relief to shuck off the hoodie and climb under her satin sheets, to let the stresses of the day and the hectic night fight fade away, resolving to worry about halved monsters, evil wizards and homework when the morning came.
-
It was a testament to how tired she was from their midnight escapade that she didn’t wake up when a formidable energy entered into the apartment. It wasn’t until her fourth alarm sounded off, which normally was the last resort, that she managed to rouse herself from the loveliest lure of slumber.
She would have rolled over and just said screw it to her morning classes and kept sleeping till noon but she had woken up just enough for her Ki-sensing abilities to alert her that a titan was standing in their kitchen which had her dragging herself out of bed. She pulled the discarded hoodie back on, since she didn’t feel like putting on a bra, tugging the hem of her sleep shorts down as she shuffled out of her bedroom with a yawn.
Goku was sitting on the kitchen island, his legs dangling off the edge while Gohan sat on one of the barstools, the father and son enjoying breakfast they had gone out to get- there were about seven boxes of assorted doughnuts scattered around the island, four of which looked like they had already been cleaned out. Seeing Videl approach, Goku held up his to-go cup, crowing happily, “They said it was a red velvet latte and I didn’t believe them but it’s good!”
“I already told you that it wasn’t real red velvet cake, it’s just a mocha with red coloring.” Gohan stated, looking worn out but amused all the same as he ate a strawberry doughnut, “And red velvet cake is just chocolate with dye, buttermilk and vinegar.”
Goku gave Videl a look that clearly implied that he thought his son was being a buzzkill, sipping his red latte with a roll of his eyes, “Guess you two had some fun last night.”
“And where were you?” Videl retorted, since she was surprised he hadn’t shown up, knowing from experience how in tune he was to the goings-on in the world, especially when it came to something that threatened humanity. She picked up the latte that Gohan pushed towards her encouragingly, pleased when smoky maple and roasted hazelnut danced on her tongue, plopping down in another one of the bar stools and plucking a cinnamon roll up.
Goku was unbothered by the thinly veiled accusation, devouring a glazed doughnut in a few swift bites, “I was still in West City. The boys were hanging around Tapion when we felt the energy spikes. I got us to East City, he took care of the monster; I went after the wizard, though he managed to get away.” He blew his bangs out of his face with a huff, “That’s the problem with wizards, they don’t get to be that old without having a few tricks up their sleeves.”
“Did Tapion explain to you how he was able to make the monster disappear?” Gohan inquired, always one to question the unknown and challenged when things didn’t go according to his carefully constructed perceptions.
“No. But it’s like a cat, if you grab it outright, it’ll scratch you. You gotta wait for them to come to you.” She and Gohan chuckled slightly at the analogy, as it seemed to fit perfectly to the prickly, evasive alien. Goku cracked a smile that had a soft edge to it, “He’s troubled but I haven’t sensed any malice from him.” Hopping off the island, he grabbed one of the doughnut boxes, “I’ll keep searching for the wizard. You two keep an eye out here.”
Gohan sighed when his father popped out of existence in their kitchen, “And just like lightning, he’s gone.”
“At least we got breakfast.” Videl shrugged, popping a chocolate doughnut hole into her mouth with a hum. It wasn’t the first time that Goku had shown up out of nowhere to regale them with an amusing story or share a meal with them before vanishing just as abruptly. Gohan had told her that his father hadn’t learned that technique until he had come back from Namek and she wondered how freeing it must have been to travel around the universe in an instant, to have the desire to see the ones you loved and to just be there with them in moments.
Gohan leaned over to press his shoulder against hers, their height about the same thanks to the bar stools, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.” She pulled the bindings around her hands free, her fingers stiff but not hurting anymore, skin stained a light green from the poultice that had dried overnight, the cuts having scabbed over. It was probably going to be a bitch holding a pencil but she had never been one to complain, “How’s your leg?”
“Just a scratch now.” He mumbled, kissing her with a breath that smelled of sugar and lavender, warm as the morning sunshine.
“Stupid alien genetics.” She groused because it wasn’t fair at all, making Gohan laugh against her lips as he reminded, “We gotta get to class.”
“I didn’t finish my psych reading.” She grumbled, her notebook and textbook still lying on the rug by the couch from where it flew off her lap the night before.
“It’ll be okay.” Gohan reassured, splitting an eclair in half to share with her, “We’ll order pizza and catch up on everything tonight.”
Videl dearly wanted to catch up on some sleep, but the sugar managed to propel her through getting herself ready and attending her first class. A second coffee helped her suffer through her second class and the time between her third class where she had a quiz over the chapters they had been assigned for the week which thankfully Videl had finished ahead of the day prior. Technically she could have worked to finish her psych notes in the break before class but she deemed it more important to eat a salad, chug a bottle of water and put her head down on a desk in the library for twenty minutes, her exhaustion from the night before dragging on her eyelids enough to make any attempts to keep them open useless.
She jolted awake five minutes after her class started, cursing as she ran to the right building to slam into her seat in the third row from the back, hurriedly flipping her notebook open to a new page. The adrenaline spike of racing to class was enough to keep her awake for the rest of the period, jotting down scratchy notes with the tumultuous grip she had on her pencil, and then she was done for the day. Usually she would stay on campus to get some homework done, since she often got distracted whenever she tried to study at the apartment but today, she trudged back straight away, unable to keep herself alert for any longer. She threw herself down on their plush tan couch, kicking her shoes off haphazardly and turned the tv on, letting the noise of daytime talk shows lure her into sleep.
She woke up when it was nearing sunset, dim light coming into the room from the skylight, blinking groggily and sitting upright, a blanket that hadn’t been wrapped around her when she had fallen asleep, pooling around her shoulders. Gohan was moving around the apartment soundlessly, carrying a small water can to provide their plants with the moisture they needed. There was a bouquet of fresh cut flowers sitting on the glass coffee table in a vase and Videl could hear the churn of the washing machine; she gazed over to her boyfriend in amazement, “How are you always so productive?”
“It’s a habit.” Gohan shrugged, spritzing the air plants hanging in the kitchen, “Plus, I skipped my first class to go back to sleep.”
“You did not!” She gaped, because she would have loved to have done the same, and would have if she knew that he was doing so.
“You skipped your last class yesterday.” Gohan chided with a slight laugh, ”Besides, I’m three chapters ahead, I’ll be fine.”
“Who are you?” She gasped out in a scandalized manner, even though he probably could have skipped every class and still made perfect marks. Gohan only laughed in reply and Videl buried her face in the flowers he brought her with a groan, though she laughed herself a little.
As planned, they ordered pizza, sitting at the island together sharing garlic knots and red wine while they did their assigned work, including their political science homework for the next morning. Gohan took her astronomy textbook and guided her through the chapter the class was on, helping her catch up on the material she missed and in return, she graded the practice test he did for his mathematics class, unable to figure out the problems herself but able to circle what was marked as right and wrong. Their watches remained blissfully silent throughout the evening of any police dispatches of note and they didn’t feel any spikes of energy to indicate a fight was being held somewhere else. Wherever Hoi and the monster had disappeared to, they seemed to be laying low for the time being which was probably smart on their part.
There was a part of Videl that worried, as they got ready for bed, that the monster would rear its ugly- well, not head, so - ass in the middle of the night, that, of course, reminded her of the fact that they had only been dealing with one half of the monster and where the other half was compromised a whole other mystery that she wasn’t capable of thinking about at the moment.
Knowing that Goku was out there keeping a vigilant eye out helped Videl ease into sleep, however that didn’t mean that she didn’t dress in an athletic set, ready in a moment’s notice to hop out of bed if the situation called for it.
-
Wednesday morning saw Videl more alert than the day prior since nothing woke her up during the night, humming a variation of the song Tapion played to herself as she made espresso to go with the leftover doughnuts. Her hands had healed more overnight, allowing her to flex her fingers with better dexterity though they remained scabbed.
She and Gohan went to their political science class together, sneaking notes to one another throughout the period, or more precisely Videl kept writing in the margins of her notebook and pushing it towards her boyfriend, who very sternly tried to pay attention to the professor before his curiosity gave in and he read her note, scribbling something back quickly for the cycle to start all over again. They both had a lull between their next classes so they went to one of the cafes on campus for a second coffee and breakfast respectively, which they normally did, legs tangled together under the table as they perused through their notes, before it was time for them to part for the day.
Now that her exhaustion and the distraction her boyfriend’s company provided was firmly at bay, Videl felt like a more productive student, her mind able to focus more clearly on the happenings of her classes during lecture. Wednesdays were an early day for Videl meaning she was done by three in the afternoon, trekking back from campus to their apartment where she could lounge in the comfortable environment while pouring through the pages of her assigned readings and assignments with the kind of drive that often shrouded her on the tail end of the weeks, full of the desire to finish what she needed to so that she didn’t have to do a ton over the weekend.
She was taking a break to dust the living room, attempting to bring a semblance to their household after the past two off days when she felt a presence show up at the front door. She had been keeping a feeler out for any malicious energy but hadn’t tuned into what was familiar so she was surprised when there was a knock on the door.
Unlocking and opening the front door, she blinked down in confusion, since she couldn't remember the last time that this guest had shown up on their doorstep alone, “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I was looking for Gohan.” Goten replied, moving up and down slightly on his toes, dark, wide eyes beseeching as they regarded Videl.
“He’s at a lab until 7:30.” Wednesday evenings for the current semester saw Gohan in a chemistry lab for two hours in the evening which normally meant that Videl was the one to prepare their dinner so it was ready when he got out of class. (It was the reverse for Thursdays when Videl was at her Arts Council meetings.)
“Oh.” Goten mumbled, looking dejected at the thought that his brother wasn’t going to be available for another three hours.
Feeling her heart tug at the forlorn look on the boy’s face, she mentally said ‘screw it’ to her plans to seclude herself in her work, deciding that this was more important than doing some homework on a Saturday, “You know, it’s such a nice day, I was going to head back over to campus. You could come with me.”
Goten looked a mix of intrigued and reluctant at the offer, “For a class?”
Videl could understand his hesitance at being subjected to sitting quietly through a lecture and sweetened the offer, “Nah, I was just gonna pick up a book from the library. Maybe get a snack. There’s always a lot of things to do.”
“Okay.” Goten nodded, waiting patiently while Videl gathered up her backpack again and locked the door behind them, skipping down the steps of the building eagerly. He was nine years old now, still a little short for his age but apparently his father had been as well, slipping his hand into her grip when it came time to cross the street even though Videl was sure a car would probably be the loser if it came between his well-being and its.
Videl hadn’t been lying about it being a nice day outside, the unseasonably warm weather buffeting the area while trees bloomed with fresh buds, so the walk to campus was pleasant. Goten stared at the passing adult students with fascination, which struck Videl when she realized that he hadn’t ever visited the university before, much less during a school day, only venturing into their apartment sometimes when his father brought him or when he and Trunks decided they wanted to harp on Gohan and Videl for a two-on-two match. For all his adventurous spirit, he seemed to cling to the others around him, tagging along when the opportunity arose yet stayed near the confines of his family’s home, but then again, he was only nine- Videl certainly hadn’t been able to fly across the countryside on her own at that age and while Gohan was incredible, his beginning years of independence weren’t something that should be replicated.
Videl smiled at his excitement when they entered the main library on campus, a massive six storied building that was home to almost three fourths of the university’s five million books. It had different levels of noise for the students to choose what environment suited them best so Videl instructed him to stay quiet as they rode the elevator to the third silent floor, using the self-service kiosk to find the book that Videl needed to get for her psych class- though not for another two weeks but she wasn’t telling her little companion that. Once the book was secured they went back down to the first floor which was a buzz of activity and included a coffee shop that was one of the busiest in the entire city, serving students at a breakneck pace.
While they waited in line, Goten craned his head to look at the chalkboard menu, asking cautiously, “Can I get a coffee?”
“I don’t think you’ll like it.” Was her only reply; at his age, she was much more enticed by the smell and idea of coffee than the taste of it.
“But how will I know if I don’t try?” Goten pointed out with the kind of smile that always seemed to get him out of trouble.
Not able to argue with that logic, Videl conceded, “Fair point. But I’m ordering for you. And don’t tell your mom.” She added, knowing that the formidable woman might have some opinions about Videl giving her youngest offspring something of the sort, but Chi Chi wasn’t there to find out, was she?
“Kay!” Goten agreed giddily which Videl was only seventy percent sure meant that he wouldn’t forget and babble about it excitedly later. Damning the consequences, Videl ordered for the both of them and when their order was ready she carried it out to the extensive veranda that surrounded the building, preferring to enjoy their afternoon treat outside.
Goten took his first sip of a small mocha latte with eyes that widened at the strong notes of chocolate and a dark roast, his brow furrowing much like his brother’s whenever he tasted Videl’s coffee as the tannins hit his tongue, bitter enough to cut through the sweetness of the chocolate and milk. Videl chuckled to herself, pushing the plate that had a slice of coconut almond cake towards him, knowing that the sugar would help reorient his palate.
Regarding her companion, she drank her butterscotch cappuccino placidly, “What were you doing looking for Gohan?”
“I wanted to see if he wasn't busy.” Goten licked white chocolate frosting off his fork, “Trunks has been hanging out with Tapion even when he doesn’t do anything.”
“That’s okay, right?” She hedged quietly, cutting a bite of the coffee cake she ordered, the brown sugar topping crumbling onto the plate.
“I guess. But then I don’t have anyone to play with.” Goten huffed, kicking his heels against the legs of his chair.
“What about your parents?” Goten gave her a look that clearly said that parents were no substitute for his best friend and she conceded the point, since she wouldn't want to hang out with her papa in replacement for Erasa. “Well, why do you think Trunks likes hanging out with Tapion?”
“I dunno.” Goten mumbled, daring another sip of the mocha, “Cause he’s cool.”
Videl smiled slightly at his petulant mood, debating, “I bet he’s just happy to have someone around to play with all the time. I bet he’s jealous that you have an older brother to hang out with.” She sighed softly, feeling the breeze brush through the veranda’s columns, “I know what he’s going through, being an only child myself.” She had been lonely more often than not in her life, watching as her classmates skipped around happily with siblings after school only to go back to an empty house by herself. How often she had wondered if things would have been different if her parents had another child, and despite herself, she envied the relationship the two brothers had, so clearly adoring to one another.
“But Gohan’s not around all the time anymore.” Goten rushed out, his lip wobbling into a downturn, “What if Trunks doesn’t want to be around me either?”
Videl felt her throat tighten in response to his misery, feeling a bit out of her depth; she had been around Goten for almost three years now but rarely alone, and never when he was upset. He was also so happy and carefree, it pained her to see him grieved, enough that she dared to reach out, brushing dark bangs out his eyes so he looked at her, “Goten, honey, you and Trunks are two halves of the same whole, you’re always going to be in each other’s lives. That doesn’t mean though that you won't go through seasons where you’re not as close.” She titled his chin up, smiling reassuringly, “But just give it some time, the newness will wear off and you’ll be back to getting sick of each other.”
Goten nodded, stubbornly blinking back his worry and smiling back at Videl, “Yeah.”
Videl’s hands came to rest in her lap, feeling even more unsure what to do at the present and fumbling for a way to lighten the conversation, scanning the people walking out of the library, she pointed out one, “What do you think his major is?” Goten blinked at her in confusion so she speculated, “I think he’s studying archeology. Look how beat up his shoes are, he must love old things.”
Cluing into the game, Goten singled out a young woman hurrying past, “What about her? She’s got a space pin so I bet she’s trying to be an astronaut!”
“And that guy’s jeans scream tortured art major to me.” Videl countered, eyeing said man’s acid-wash black denim with a mix of disdain and envy.
They continued the game while they finished their drinks, breaking off into laughter often as they came up with more and more ridiculous stories for passersby, constructing whole personas out of the tiniest details. Afterwards, they went to the archeology building where there was a preservation project going on for a ship found sunk off the coast, the remains on display along with a timeline explanation of how the project had come about and the progress that had been made in the three years that the remains had been moved to the university grounds after being brought up from the surface and gone through the initial preservation process. It was an interesting exhibit and Videl was sure that Goten was getting all sorts of ideas of looking for lost ships on his own, thankfully he had a strong set of lungs.
She took him on a tour of campus when he wanted to see one of her classrooms, showing him the rec center where she had some of her kinesiology classes and the large engineering building that had all sorts of weird features, the alumni architects who had designed it having gone wild with fun things for the current students to marvel at. They stopped at the fountain the seniors jumped into at the end of graduation, petted dogs that students were walking around and visited the astronomy building, looking at different space rocks that had been brought back to Earth. It was the first instance that Videl had actually taken the time to visit some of the interesting attractions that the university had to offer, so focused she usually was on simply going to and from classes and places to eat and study. She might have gotten a better opportunity to do so if she had lived in one of the dorms but she would choose to live with Gohan over all the cool things in the world. Not for the first time, she thought about what might happen if she and Gohan stayed together, and how she might not be an only child in the end.
When seven thirty rolled around, they were sitting on the steps of the chemistry building, continuing their game of ‘guess the major’ when Gohan came strolling outdoors. He said a farewell to some of his lab mates before coming to stand on the step above them, co*cking his head to the side, “What’s up?”
“Hi!” Goten piped up, jumping to his feet to hug his brother.
“Just hanging out.” Videl added, conveying with her eyes to Gohan that they’d talk about the real reason later.
Understanding her implicitly, Gohan offered a hand to Videl to help her rise from the stone steps, “Wanna get dinner?”
“Yeah!” Goten cheered, jumping up in excitement and floating mid-air for a little longer than was normal before he remembered they were in public and hurried to let gravity bring him back to the ground, much to the amusem*nt of the young couple.
They ended up at a local restaurant that was the definition of a hole-in-the-wall, but was very generous with their portions, sitting at a tiny table laden full with dishes, stuffing crispy rice pancakes with all sorts of toppings. There was thinly sliced pork or bits of ground pork or small shell-on shrimp for the protein with mung beans, oyster mushrooms, and snap pea sprouts. They dipped the pancakes into a sweet and sour garlic fish sauce, using little forks to scoop out pickled carrots and radishes to top bowls of steaming rice.
Back at the apartment, they turned on a movie and started working on the latest puzzle that Gohan had bought, sorting the thousand pieces into colors as they tried to assemble a countryside scene. They finished off the rest of the box of popsicles and by that Videl meant that she ate one popsicle while the two brothers ate the other twenty, but honestly she had seen them down worse to less so she merely added it to the grocery list.
Goku kept tabs on his sons, even if they were halfway across the galaxy, so there was no reason for them to call or to send Goten home early. It wasn’t much trouble at all for him to crash in his brother’s room for the night, since a later start time for Gohan the next day would allow him time to chaperone his brother back to the mountain.
Wanting to give the brothers some alone time, Videl went to the bathroom to get ready for bed early, though she remained in her day clothes not wanting to change into her pajamas while the young boy bounced around.
Once Goten was safely tucked in the shower with a bundle of his brother's clothes to change into, Gohan found her in the kitchen, filling up a water bottle to bring to bed, “What’s up?”
“He was just feeling left out, with Trunks hanging with Tapion.” She answered simply, not wanting to leave anything hidden from her boyfriend, “I know he misses you now that you’ve moved out.”
Gohan frowned worriedly, distressed to have hurt his younger brother, no matter how unwillingly, “Well, thank you for entertaining him.”
“Of course. As if I’d turn him away.” She declared, because there wasn’t anything in the world that would stop her from trying to put a smile on the boy’s face. Kissing Gohan a goodnight, she sauntered off to her bedroom with a wave over her shoulder, “I’ll leave you to your slumber party.”
Turning her tv on, she climbed into bed after changing into a pair of longer shorts and a dark overlarge t-shirt, clicking on her bedside lamp to start reading the fantasy novel Gohan had lended to her. It was comforting to hear the murmur of laughter echo down the hall even over the audio from the tv, drawn into a world of dragons and magic, where elves flirting through forests and knights were joined in sworn brotherhood.
-
Videl awoke to screaming, the kind of bone-chilling sound that would have jerked anyone into motion, much less someone who was trained to be a hero. Her heart lurched into her throat as she jumped out of bed, legs tangling in the slippery sheets in her haste. She slammed into the wall of the hallway, feeling wildly uncoordinated as sleep continued to blur her eyes, fighting instincts screaming at her as the frantic yelling continued.
She nearly broke the door to Gohan’s bedroom as she threw it open, looking for a threat yet finding none, “What is it?! What’s wrong?!”
“Trunks is hurting!” Goten wailed, eyes wild and not all there, seeing something that was hundreds of miles away, awoken in a cold sweat because his fusee was in pain and in trouble.
“It’s okay!” Gohan assured, having thrown himself on his knees on the carpet to try and desperately contain his hysterical brother, holding on to Goten’s ankle to shove his foot into his shoe, knowing better to get in between a halfbreed and his instincts but wanting to make sure that his brother didn’t go into battle barefoot, “It’s okay! Put your shoes on, we’re going.”
Goten managed to hold himself still long enough to get his shoes on but then he was rushing down the hallway towards the balcony, heedless of how he was swamped in his brother’s clothes. Gohan hurried to put his watch on while Videl sprinted back to her room to grab her own, their costumes taking the place of their pajamas though both of them forwent their headgear due to the dark.
Closing the door behind them, Videl leapt over the balcony railing to join Gohan in the sky. Goten was already streaking through the air like a shooting star, a blur of panic and energy barreling towards West City and Videl waved towards Gohan, “Go! Don’t wait for me!”
With her permission, the older brother shot off after the younger, both of them reaching speeds she couldn’t hope to match though she certainly tried her best.
She arrived only a few minutes after them, gasping as she got closer at the sight of a large hole ripped through Capsule Corp, like some being had crashed through it then back out. The building’s lights were flickering, illuminating the wreckage of what seemed to be one of the auxiliary workshops, the floors surrounding it angled dangerously.
There was blood darkening Trunks’ lilac hair as the ceiling of his bedroom had come crashing down in the collapsing of the building but he was otherwise fine, looking worried yet murmured reassuringly while Goten clung to his arm. Bulma, though disheveled, looked no worse for wear, fretting about what had gone wrong, “I just don’t understand! I had the chamber perfectly emulate the frequency the music box gave off, it should have mimicked the magic and allowed him to keep control even in his sleep. It shouldn’t have malfunctioned!”
“It might’ve worked on its own but if Hoi’s dark magic is influencing the monster then it might have grown too strong.” Goku supplied, dressed in a rumpled gi like he had slept in it, ready to launch himself into battle at a moment’s notice.
There was a soft shifting of rubble that drew their attention to the gaping hole in the outer wall before Tapion, looking even paler than usual, staggered into view. Gohan and Trunks hurried to catch the warrior when he faltered, holding him upright and Goku strode forth, extending a hand to infuse strength into the other man, “What happened to you?”
Grabbing Goten’s hand to keep him from crowding in too close and overwhelming the injured man, Bulma hovered nearby worriedly, “Did the monster get out?”
“No, it tried to escape but I stopped it in time.” Tapion panted out, his bright red hair falling limp and damp on his sweaty forehead, “We’ve got another problem though, the lower half is free and it's heading this way, attacking those who are caught in the middle.”
“What?” Gohan gasped, exchanging a worried look with Videl and his father- if the lower half was out and about there would be pandemonium, especially since they were all preoccupied.
“The closer the halves are to one another, the stronger they become. I don’t know how much longer I can fight it-!” Tapion cut off when something tore inside of him, causing his body to seize and slump listlessly.
“He’s hurt!” Trunks exclaimed, while Goku and Gohan lowered Tapion to the ground, placing him on his side.
Bulma jumped close, going immediately into crisis-mode, “He needs medical attention! Videl, start the jet!”
“No!” Tapion croaked out, his eyes fever bright, halting Videl from where she was about to start running for the newest hanger, “I can’t hold it, it’s too powerful, kill us now before it escapes!”
There was that weird humming sound again, the one she had heard when Tapion was first being freed from the music box, a see-sawing vibrato that no one else seemed to hear, except for Tapion who convulsed more and Videl, who clasped her hands over her ears, though that didn’t stop the sound from piercing into her eardrums. Tapion groaned, pleading desperately as his control shuddered, “Kill me!”
“Don’t touch him!” Another voice scathed, making Videl’s hackles raise even despite the headache that was blooming behind her eyes, and Goku growl in annoyance. Hoi, who had appeared out of the night, thrusted an arm out to the side causing a blue circular void to manifest in thin air, prompting a massive foot to come smashing down as the lower half of the monster sprung to life. More of Capsule Corp threatened to shake apart as the behemoth came into shape, its large form looming over the circular building which was looking more like an apple with a bite taken out of it when the surrounding area lost the tumultuous grip it had on the wrecked structure and crumbled.
Tapion, having risen from the ground through sheer willpower alone, went to bring the ocarina up to play but Hoi shot it out of his hand, the instrument clanking across the concrete floor.
Trunks lunged after the instrument, picking it up though quickly had to dodge out of the way of more of the ceiling that came crashing down, throwing the ocarina back to Tapion resolutely.
Tapion caught the instrument, bringing it to his mouth to play but was unable to do so, bowing under the strain of the piercing whistle. Videl thought her eardrums were going to burst, keeled over much like the warrior, whose body seemed to ripple like a mirage in a desert, colors bleeding out of him like watercolors blurring on a canvas. The scream that came out of Tapion’s throat was aching, turning into animalistic roar as the beast freed itself from its captor, causing the warrior’s body to drop in a dead faint.
The watercolors slipped from the prone form to rise into the sky, swirling together in the dark sky with a crackle of lightning that formed another blue circular void in the air, torrents of lightning reaching from the heavens to the earth like the tendrils of a poisonous vine, crackling over the entire cityscape. The lightning concentrated itself on the lower half of the monster as the upper half materialized and for the first time in over a thousand years, the monster was complete. It was even worse than before, the upper half packed with spiked muscles, two massive arms and a skull-white head that roared triumphantly, massive canines gleaming in its open maw; the additional bulk made it larger than most skyscrapers, the flail-like tail whipping through the air in agitation.
“Our problem just got a lot bigger.” Gohan remarked, craning his head back to try and take in the new size of their foe, “Suggestions, anyone?”
“You’re the heroes.” Bulma stuttered out, clinging to Goku’s arm, knowing that the saiyan would never let harm come to her.
Hovering midair, Hoi issued commands for it- Hirudegarn- to kill humanity, so with a bellow and a gleam of glowing red eyes, Hirudegarn smashed a fist down on Capsule Corp, causing them to scatter, Goku grabbing Bulma while Gohan hurried to pull Tapion away, all retreating back onto the lawn. Goku flashed away for a moment before he returned without Bulma, probably having moved the scientist halfway across the city so she would stay safe.
Rousing himself, Tapion lit on top of one of the auxiliary buildings and began to play his ocarina, the sound causing Hirudegarn to come charging towards them with earth-shaking steps. Unlike before, when the lower half was forced away from the melody, Hirudegarn only seemed to grow more angry, its huge tail driving through the ground and slashing the auxiliary building in two, startling the warrior enough that Trunks had to grab him and retreat skyward.
“That relic won’t save you anymore than it did your brother.” Hoi laughed sinisterly, extending his arms out like an overlord, “Now witness the true power of Hirudegarn!”
Growling, Goku led a charge towards the monster, dodging the angry swipes that Hirudegarn made but when it seemed like he was going to land a hit, the monster faded into mist, whirling away and reforming right on top of Goku, slamming its fist straight into the saiyan to send the man hurtling hundreds of feet into the ground.
Goten and Gohan hurried to their father’s side to guard him though Goku was hefting himself up quickly, doing a handspring to right himself. Shaking his dark hair out of his eyes, Goku jumped back into the air, which his sons followed, going after the monster head on again. Hirudegarn, who seemed to have gotten stronger and faster now that he was whole, disappeared before they got close enough for the hits to connect, then reappearing in places that had the warriors scrambling to reorient themselves and avoid the powerful blows.
Videl watched their fight with Tapion and Trunks, trying to analyze its movements to see if there was a weakness that could be exploited before Trunks grew tired of standing by, leaving Tapion to join in the fray.
Realizing that there might be another way to end the battle, she opted for another approach, following the trail of evil energy to a nearby rooftop. Alighting on the half-demolished structure, she hissed, “I really should’ve let you hit the ground.”
“You insufferable woman!” Hoi seethed, waving his fists in the air. His facade of being a senile old man was completely vanished and overtaken by dark robes and a more agile physique but he was still a brat, “I’ll have Hirudegarn rip you in two!”
“I’m not afraid of your monster.” She took a slow breath, allowing herself a moment to recenter her energy, “I know how this story ends. Now,” Pressing her hands together, she drew them apart, a thin line of ki blazing brightly in her grasp, “Let’s see if you’ve got any bite of your own or if you’re just all bark.”
Hoi summoned ki to ball around his fists, using it to shoot two blasts at her that automatically replenished around his fists again. She dodged the first one by lunging to the side and she twisted the blade of ki in her grasp to slash at the second blast as she leapt high into the air. The blast exploded into fragments that scattered through the air like the whizzing trails of a firework but she was already in the clear, thirty feet in the sky.
She hurried to get behind him, attempting to fire a blast at him but it ricocheted off some invisible energy barrier, almost shooting back at her. She dodged her own energy, cursing at the slight shimmer of his own energy that protected him.
“Ha!” Hoi barked out, “As if your pathetic earth magic could best someone like m-!” That was all he managed to get out before her fist slammed into his face, having decided to chance it and see if his shield was impervious to old-fashioned physical attacks and it wasn’t.
Snorting slightly in laughter, because how many times now had she caught a ki-fighter off guard simply because they forgot about all the other aspects that went into a fight, she lunged after his body rolling in agony on the ground.
Attempting to gore him in two, she drove her hand down with a blade of ki surrounding it, but he seemed to slip out of reality itself with a whoosh of air, as if the space he had previously occupied had folded into itself like a book slamming close, causing her hand to drive into the roof. Jumping back to regroup, she scanned the surrounding buildings even as Hirudegarn’s footsteps made the whole world shake on the attack against the collection of saiyans. If the battle didn’t let up soon, there wouldn’t be much left of West City.
Shaking her head to refocus, she felt Hoi’s energy to the right of her and darted leftwards to avoid his next blow, shooting a blast right back at him before she even got her footing again, “You should have stayed hidden.”
It only took two more failed attempts for Hoi to realize that he wouldn’t be able to catch her off guard, he tried to warp away from view again but she had latched onto his Ki-signature like a dog to a scent so she was always only moments behind him whenever he reappeared. All of her time training with Goku had certainly paid off, giving her an edge as she was used to having an opponent that disappeared and reappeared at will.
They shot through ruined and subsequently emptied buildings, each trying to use the shifting structure to ambush the other which led to a lot of near misses and a lot of rubble but not the satisfaction of a real hit. When the tumultuous shifting of the interior of the buildings was too volatile for any real headway, they ventured out onto the rooftops again.
One of Hoi’s blasts managed to pierce into her shoulder when her concentration slipped in response to the sound of Gohan screaming in pain. She dropped to her knees with a pained hiss, the ki shot like a bullet burying into her flesh, except it was searing hot to the touch, scorching through her armor and skin. She could care less about her own injury though, feeling her heart stutter in her chest to see how Gohan was grasped in one of Hirudegarn’s fists and was being crushed.
She probably would have gotten herself killed by monster or wizard in a desperate attempt to free her boyfriend except she didn’t have to come to his rescue, a ki shot coming to hit Hirudegarn’s hand as a voice called out, “Hey, you! Over here.”
Like the breaking of the sunrise that was dawning over the city, Vegeta had emerged and was raring for a fight, practically seething in anger, “I was enjoying my first day off in over a month until some flat-footed mutated behemoth stepped on my house!” His energy roared to life, causing the structure of the building he was standing on to crumble in its intensity, “You are going to regret that, you freak, all the way to the grave!”
Videl felt a feral grin cross her face as the saiyan prince dove into the battle, turning back to face Hoi, who was fuming about miserable little cretins that kept messing up his plans. Deciding to repay him for the shot he got on her, she arched a small sickle of energy towards him, the sharpened edge catching him in the right side and sending blue blood spilling onto the rooftop.
Despite the blood that streamed down her right shoulder, she was more than ready to take down Hoi once and for all but then Hirudegarn was breathing fire, letting loose a scorching inferno that she could feel hundreds of yards away, igniting the city block like a dragon setting flame to wooden viking ships. Vegeta was lost somewhere in the blaze and Videl gasped in horror, watching as the fire spread and the giant stood untouched.
“You see!” Hoi triumphed, his white hair whipping in the heat, “He is destruction! He is the end times, you won’t ever win!” He yelped when she shot another blade-like stream at him, barely throwing up his shield in time to protect himself from getting cut into two, calling to Hirudegarn, “Her, kill her!”
The monster turned, his tail swinging with agitation to start moving in their direction, though not nearly fast enough for Hoi’s tastes, “You horrid beast, hurry up, why won’t you!”
Seemingly fed up with being ordered about, Hirudegarn’s red eyes gleamed with malice and Videl jumped away hurriedly, her body buffeted by the displacement of air that occurred as the monster’s foot came down on the wizard, crushing him to death.
Whatever pleasure she felt watching Hoi’s death was marred as the building came apart under the force of the monster’s weight, massive chunks of the structure falling down around her. Barely able to avoid the wreckage, she flew low to the ground away from the monster in case it really did think about coming after her.
She caught her breath a few hundred yards away, watching as Gotanks barreled through the air, trying to corral the monster away from the populated area before unleashing a torrent of blasts like a hail storm, pummeling into the monster without respite.
It was always incredible for her to see the power that the two kids wielded when they were fused; on their own they were powerful but together they were almost ridiculous. They were still mischievous and over confident but they normally had the power to back it up, full of sharpened instincts and a type of creativity that most opponents could never match, resilient beyond their years.
It looked like the attack might have been successful as the smoke cleared, Hirudegarn’s form having stiffened into a hardened shell like he was fossilized. They realized all too late, as a green light started to erupt from its back that it wasn’t a petrification, but instead was a cocoon. Now in shades of gold, purple and red, with horns that extended more than a hundred feet towards the heavens, Hirudegarn unfolded large wings, launching himself into flight.
Gotanks attempted to take down the monster but Hirudegarn was even more powerful than before, hitting Gotanks hard enough that he ceased being one person, separating into the two boys, knocked unconscious from the force of the blow.
Their older brother rushed to their sides diligently, but Hirudegarn materialized in a flash, wrapping its tail around Gohan, constricting around him a boa and crushing him before the monster threw Gohan aside like a broken toy.
Unwilling to stand by anymore, Videl positioned herself above the monster and unleashed a series of blasts in a parody of the attack Gotanks issued. The amount wasn’t nearly powerful enough to pierce through its armor, but even a thousand bees could bother a bear so sure enough, Hirudegarn’s massive head swung in her direction, roaring in annoyance and unleashing a torrent of flame at her.
Releasing her grip on her powers to have gravity take control, she let herself plummet down to the earth, feeling the heat flick past her form as she fell. A few feet before she hit the ground, she reengaged her ki, aiming to shoot past its feet and try to draw it further away from the felled warriors, but she had miscalculated, it moved so horrifically fast for something so large and its’ tail slashed through the air with all the sound barrier-breaking speed of a whip.
The flat of it, thicker than three of her combined, caught her in her torso, batting at her like a wayward fly, sending her hurtling into the side of a building where she collided with the unrelenting structure with a sickening crash, sending her into darkness.
—
Through the shadows, delicate humming carved its way past marble columns and gilded molding, rich as velvet for all it was quiet. Every now and then, words were added to the tune, bits of phrases practiced for the best enunciation before the humming resumed, the melody always carried along idyllically like the bobbing of a leaf down a stream.
In the only stream of light in the space sat a woman, tucked on a small stool with the bulk of a brown dress falling in opulent folds to the wooden floor, waiting patiently as the angle of the light shifted almost imperceptibly across the upturned face, illuminating more perfectly the soft angles of the statuesque figure.
With a flutter of long eyelashes, dark eyes turned towards a small form secluded in the shadows, a pair of mauve colored lips pulling into an encouraging smile as one hand raised in a beckon. Tiny ballet-slippered feet pattered like raindrops on a window across the glossy floor, eagerly coming to stand beside the woman. A small hand reached out to touch reverently the jet black hair spilling like waves over the bare expanse of a shoulder, the pearls studded into the wavy tresses catching in the light.
The humming broke off for a moment for a laugh to twinkle out, mirth sweeping through the air like wind chimes as two arms reached to press the little girl close for the two to giggle together. After a moment, the woman began to hum again, a prompting look in her gaze as words overtook the instrumental until another smaller voice joined along, tumbling somewhat on the tricker parts but pushing along with sincerity. The two voices sang together, the more mature one weaving through the younger one with expertise to create a harmony that bloomed like new buds on an ancient tree, encompassing the rebirth and joy of spring. Eventually the song came to an end, the tune trailing off with the gentleness of a lullaby, hushed and tender.
Matching smiles beamed at each other when the unseen crowd watching broke into light applause, a mauve-colored kiss pressing into a rosy rounded cheek with prideful delight. The light finally decided on its rightful spot and clicked off, the woman rising up in a swoosh of skirts to sweep off to the next scene, the little girl standing alone in the shadows.
—
The sound of music, lilting and somber, had Videl opening her eyes but her thoughts were hazy, slipping through her mind’s grasp like sand through her fingers as her head throbbed. The distant echoes of crashing sounded out in the eerily quiet area, except she couldn’t pinpoint the direction of the sound. Feeling like she would be in danger if she stayed still, she stirred, not remembering exactly how she ended up on the pavement though attempted to get her knees underneath her. Her legs felt limp and listless prompting her to try to raise herself up with her hands only for her right shoulder to flare in pain making her gasp. It was the wrong thing to do apparently, her entire middle shouting in agony, tightening her lungs so she sort of sagged back to the pavement, her breath puffing out in a series of swallow pants.
Her stomach twisted and she almost threw up, squeezing her eyes shut though that almost made the pounding in her head worse, slamming against her temple like a war drum. A pulsing pain was radiating throughout her torso, from her ribs and spine simultaneously, making it hard to draw a proper breath without feeling like she was going to pass out. She couldn’t pass out though, she shouldn’t, there was- and she, she had to… She couldn’t get her mind to focus on anything or remember how she had gotten to this point and that caused her to panic, a sort of prey-like terror of being vulnerable.
Summoning every ounce of stubbornness she had, she attempted to get up again, propping one forearm roughly against the pavement and tensing her neck to try and keep it level when she lifted her shoulders from the ground, gritting out, “Don’t let it end, not like… this.”
Her body twitched involuntarily as something seemed to break loose in her head, rendering her unable to rise from the ground. She collapsed back down, pain flaring up in a million places at the harsh treatment, and at the crescendo of her misery, the pounding of her temple caused darkness to crowd out her vision, forcing her back under.
—
The surface of the water rippled larger when she moved, rippled smaller when the french horn began its obbligato, the vibrations traveling through the bathtub’s contents much like she did. The ballad coming out of the CD player’s speakers situated on the marble countertop was a pale imitation of the real thing, lacked the power that a voice could swell through a room but it was something. It was akin to the ruins of an ancient temple, the beauty was still there even if the life was not.
There was the sound of distant arguing coming from down the hallway just like it had for the past few hours now, a frenzy of frantic voices debating endlessly. They had been going in circles, a merry-go-round of misery and speculation and fear; there was no end in sight and she couldn’t take it anymore. She reached out to turn up the volume knob on the CD player trying to drown it all out, her fingers slick from the water.
Her fingertips had long shriveled up, turning into approximations of the gnarled bark of an ancient tree, though she was barely able to make out the details etched into her skin. It was dark inside and outside of the bathroom, since she had elected to leave the light off and it was well past dusk.
She pulled her knees to her chest, shivering and not just because the bel canto was picking up in intensity. The water had been scalding when she had first drawn the bath but it had slowly lost its warmth, steam that had once risen upwards had dissipated, leaving behind a sort of chill that seemed to seep into her bones.
She ached for a touch of heat again, to hear a beautiful voice like sunlight itself dapple and drape around her but the contralto had gone quiet and she would never be warm again.
Crystalline tears slipped down to meet the water’s surface, as the ballad continued its wailing and outside, the world was waiting to end.
—
The ground shaking was what brought her back to the present, buckling underneath her like a deck of a ship on a stormy sea; it was unnatural, since she wasn’t on a ship last she knew and the ground wasn’t supposed to move like that as far as she was aware.
Blinking her stinging eyes, she managed to turn her head to the side, gazing at a rapidly darkening sky, the likes of which confused her because she was sure that the sun had risen and it couldn’t have been nighttime again. The rumbling of the ground made pain pulse through her, and she had the idea to lift herself up so that it wouldn’t be so jarring to her head. Bracing her hands against the ruined concrete, she pushed herself upwards, her right shoulder protesting the movement but she persisted until she was sitting upright.
It was slightly easier for her to breathe, the pain in her back and ribs still present but lessened somewhat now that her weight was pressing down on her airways. Her head felt heavy and it canted to one side without her approval, something sloshing and sluggish in her comprehension of the world around her. It felt like a volcano was erupting, the very earth shaking with the sky darkening in response to a cataclysm of power being unleashed, a heat that permeated the air, an electricity that she could taste on her tongue.
Despite the fog that was clouding her brain, she knew the source of the energy intrinsically with a sort of assurity that was etched into her bones. She would always know that power because for all of its boundless ferocity, it was light itself, with purity in its strength. Her eyes focused on a beacon of light that was dwarfed only in size by the giant monster that loomed over it.
Shining and golden like a raging sun, Goku stood at the feet of the behemoth, his hair falling in cascades down to his ankles, however he didn’t stay still for long, launching himself into the air to start a counterattack. She couldn’t keep up with the fight, her understanding too sluggish to track the movements of beast and man but she could tell Goku was gaining the upper hand, his power beating against the monster’s defenses with all the relentlessness of a waterfall beating against a stone.
With an abrupt blast of flame, a massive dragon appeared out of nowhere, as long and as powerful as the eternal dragon yet it seemed to be made of pure gold, glittering in a light it created as if it shimmered with power.
Music began to play, quietly at first but it built in intensity, amplifying itself like an orchestra adding piece by piece until a whole symphony was playing, power swirling through the air with the intensity of a hurricane. The monster seemed affected by the melody, its movements slowing for all its agitation seemed to grow, and the dragon wove around the monster’s attacks with an agility that belied its’ lengthy form.
With a roar that rattled the heavens, the dragon bored itself straight through the monster’s middle, its whole body alight with fire. The monster screeched in pain but the dragon was unrelenting, wrapping and twisting itself tighter around the monster, before the world exploded.
She was pushed to the side by the force of the blast wave, hitting the pavement harshly, her body erupting into waves of pain from the impact. By the time the looming darkness cleared from her vision and she was able to squint in the direction of the two mythical creatures again, the monster was nothing but ash.
The sky had lightened to a bright blue again, the golden dragon twisting itself in the air as it roared its victory, shedding scales like sparks that fell down to the ground in a shimmering display. Peace reigned over the city and she drifted away to the sound of music, smiling to herself.
—
There was a record player warbling, its cheery tune spinning through the space and dancing with the sunlight that pierced the glade. The air was cool and fresh, filling the lungs with the taste of summer as a soft breeze moved through the trees, causing leaves to rustle together in a susurrus.
Laughter flirted through the trees, nearer than it was far but out of sight, leitmotifs of happiness that all played together, shadows that seemed to spring to life moving like the wind itself in a chase.
She laughed quietly but with no small amount of joy, the feeling of grass soft under her bare feet and tickling her legs from where she was sitting, her legs crossed to hold a book in her lap. A hand reached out to flip the pages, scarred, crooked fingers running daintily over the words embossed on the yellowed paper, before dropping down to skim over the delicate lines of her ankles. She inhaled slightly at the sensation of warm skin trailing against her flesh, as ticklish as the grass yet it stirred heat inside her.
She brushed her hand in response against the arm that caressed her, strong muscles hidden beneath thick skin, the words like honey on her tongue when she read them to him. The smile directed at her was the sun itself, suffusing her like a flower absorbing the light and it caused a fondness to blossom within her, coloring her cheeks and sparkling in her eyes.
Like hummingbirds passing, laughter flittered above them, causing their gaze to draw skyward, watching as shadows darted through the treetops, one blazing after another in a perpetual game. Their laughter joined the others’, delighted as they wrapped further around each other, the press of their skin together like a symphony.
—
She wasn’t all there when she was roused again, only half conscious with a mind that was eons away and a body that was reacting sluggishly to too much stimuli. She wasn’t sure exactly what had pulled her back to the present but it was hard to breathe, hard to think. She shivered horribly, tried to curl up into herself, feeling horribly cold even despite the fact that her head was hot and wet.
“Hey, it’s okay.” A voice soothed, familiar and comforting, “It’s okay, here, see. You’re okay.” A hand came to rest on her stomach, and it was warm and strong while another cupped around her neck, the heat of which seemed to dull the ache that was radiating from her spine and ribs simultaneously.
Her eyes attempted to focus on the voice but it was too bright and she had to squeeze them shut, gasping slightly when her head radiated pain. The hand on her stomach pulled away, though it returned quickly to press an object against her lips.
She tried to turn her face away but the hand around her neck turned to steel, holding her in place as the thing was forced more adamantly between her lips. A taste of dirt flooded her mouth once she cracked whatever it was between her teeth, her head being tilted back until she had no choice but to swallow.
All it once, it was like frigid water dumped over her body, her nervous system jolting awake, as her head cleared from the water logging it down. Videl blinked into awareness, feeling her heart seem to kick back to life, pounding in her chest and sending blood anew to the rest of her body.
“There you are.” Gohan breathed out in relief, blood streaming from his nose yet with eyes that were sparkling nonetheless. He tried to kiss her cheek succinctly but she turned her head to capture his lips, wanting fervently to know that he was alive and well too.
There was the sharp copper tang of blood, and it bloomed from his mouth to hers but she couldn’t care less, deepening the press of their lips as she tilted her head, diving into the sharp touch of his canines and his hot breath. She could have kissed him forever, except he pulled away, asking, “How do you feel?”
“Fine.” She replied, panting slightly and chuckling a bit breathlessly, bewildered at their collective situation, surrounded by a sea of rubble and golden flakes that continued to fall like snow to the ground, “Mouth tastes like sh*t, but better. Not concussed anymore.”
He couldn’t laugh, so brittle with worry that he was, but he helped her sit upright with less tension stiffening his movements than before. She leaned into his chest, her strength returned, however there was lingering dizziness that was sloughing off, but not fast enough that she felt comfortable sitting upright by herself. It was always such a weird thing to be healed through supernatural means, her body responded to the treatment yet her mind was still chiming warning bells, remembering clearly the pain that had been inflicted upon her, putting her soul into discord as a result.
Gohan seemed content to hold her as long as she needed him to, reluctant to let her go even though he was still bleeding, having prioritized her health over his own. She fisted her hand into the fabric of his green tunic, making it so that he had nowhere to escape, “Do you have a Senzu for yourself?”
“I’m alright.” He brushed off, placing his hand on top of hers, “Nothing a hot bath won’t fix.”
“Somehow I doubt that.” She huffed, pushing herself out of his arms so they could both get up. She still felt a little shaky but she kept her arms steady, not letting herself yield under his weight when he rose to his taller height.
He leaned on her for a moment, probably allowing himself a few seconds for the blood in his head to reorient to being upright, before he drew himself fully upright, his sharp gaze scanning the ruined cityscape around them. In the distance, they could hear sirens blaring but their immediate surroundings were very still, the people around having long abandoned the area and the wreckage stationary now that Hirudegarn wasn’t stomping around.
“You two alright?” A familiar voice called out to them, a jovial sound that swooped over the city block, prompting both of them to smile in response, relieved to hear from the older man even though they weren’t able to see him.
Starting to pick his way over the rubble holding Videl’s hand, Gohan called back, “Yeah. You?”
“We’ve had worse.” Goku replied casually, which was the understatement of the century. It didn’t take too long before they were able to see the two saiyans standing by each other in the shadow of a half crumbled building.
Videl felt Gohan’s energy swooping over her when he extended his senses outward, scouring for familiar energies as he asked, “You seen the boys?”
“With our hero.” Goku answered, jerking his head in the direction of the others, “They’re all fine.” He appraised the both of them as they got closer, his face a complicated mix of relief, worry and slight amusem*nt, “Think you two need a shower. There should be enough of Corp standing. Bulma’s gonna be pissed though.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time it’s been collateral.” Gohan pointed out, wiping blood from his still bleeding nose, careless of dirtying his already ruined outfit.
“Nor with our luck, will it be the last.” Vegeta added with a long-suffering sigh; he seemed to have been the recipient of a Senzu bean as well which made Videl wonder how badly he had gotten hurt if it was elected that it be given to him. Especially compared to Goku, who seemed physically alright- at least when it came to his standards- yet had a wan look to his complexion and a haggard gleam in his eyes. Even after over two years of training, he rarely ever used the super saiyan 3 form, the drain on his spirit and physical endurance too strong to use often. However he, much like his son, would always put others before his own needs and if they had limited Senzu beans, he would be the last to take one, despite probably needing a recovery boost the most.
Goku lifted a hand in greeting to the three souls that were making their way to them, “Good to see that everyone made it out alright. Though it’s definitely a mess. And all before breakfast.”
Now that she wasn’t actually concussed, her memories of the end of the battle came back, some things still blurry but she remembered how Tapion’s song had weakened Hirudegarn in the final moments, remarking, “Guess music really does soothe the savage beast.”
There was a smattering of laughter, the sort of breathless, vaguely hysterical kind that only came from being truly exhausted, which all of them were since most of them hadn’t slept well over the past seventy-two hours. She exchanged a glance with Gohan, pleased to see his smile and finding his own adoration mirroring hers.
The lot of them flew back to Capsule Corp’s grounds, the lawns all torn up from the fight and half the buildings too, though the atmosphere of the company was unmarred, the diligent staff already at work to pick through the rubble. It was all under the dictation of its heiress, who had returned to her home with such speed it was as if she had never left at all. “You!” Bulma declared, pointing at Goku, “I lost over half of my R&D Department, you’re at least giving me my bone sample.”
“You’re gonna have to knock me out, because I’m not sitting still for it.” Goku replied simply, too tired to start an argument but still willing to swing his youngest son up in his arms when the boy looked like he was moments from falling asleep.
“Fine.” Bulma consented, waving him off, “I’ll put it in your food, go eat.” Glancing over the rest of them, she furrowed her brow, “And take some time to clean up, the Eastern Wing is still intact.”
Looking simultaneously more tired than any person had a right to and also more free than he had ever been, Tapion bowed slightly to them, “I’m so sorry for the trouble caused.”
“Don’t worry one bit about it, everything’s captured on the cloud, we’ll get the printers going and have this all fixed by lunch tomorrow.” Bulma chirped, unphased by the ruins of her house around her since it had happened time and again, “I've been wanting to expand anyway.” Vegeta grumbled something under his breath at that but his wife merely tugged his arm and kissed his rust-colored cheek in a manner that made him sulk off like a cat, listening to their son cheerfully recount the fight as the boy chased after him.
Still carrying Goten in his arms, Goku led them to the intact area of the building which was operating perfectly thanks to the underground generators, showing Tapion to a suite that he could use before guiding the rest of them into another one. Passing Goten off to Gohan, Goku nudged her gently towards the bathroom, “You should go clean up.”
She blinked, surprised that she’d be given priority, “Are you sure? I’m fine now, but you’re all still hurt, I don’t mind waiting.”
“Honey,” Goku urged, something painful flashing in his eyes yet smiling nonetheless, “Just go. I’ll get some clothes for you to change into.”
Slightly cowed by his insistence, she headed into the bathroom, though she quickly realized why it might have been necessary. Unlike when Dende healed someone, which seemed to entirely erase any sign of injury, the Senzu beans only healed what was damaged meaning when Videl looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she was alarmed by the staggering amount of dried blood that coated the back of her head and neck, matting down her hair. She knew that she had hit her head hard when Hirudegarn had knocked her into a building but it was no wonder everyone had been looking at her worriedly, her skull had been essentially cracked open.
Stripping quickly out of her sullied clothes, the second costume she had ruined that week, she hopped into the shower, turning the water to a mild heat to not overstimulate herself. She let the stream rush over her, twisting her neck so that the dried blood started to come off in copper rivers, spiraling down the drain in a way that made her feel dizzy secondhand, imagining having lost all that blood.
After washing her hair twice, working her fingers thoroughly through the short strands to make sure there was nothing left behind, she scrubbed herself with a washcloth before exiting the shower. She dried herself off with a fluffy towel, dressing in the green shorts and pink Corp logo tank that had been placed inside. Kicking her uniform to the side, she scrubbed at her wet hair with a towel until she was content that it wouldn’t drip anymore, feeling much more relaxed now that she wasn’t grimy with sweat and blood.
Noticing Goku’s absence when she re-entered the main room, she announced to the brothers, “I didn’t use all the hot water.”
“I don’t think it’s possible here.” Gohan chuckled, nudging a sleepy Goten to the bathroom with a bundle of Trunks’ clothes, “Go on, squirt.”
Striding across the suite, she placed her hands carefully on his hips, not wanting to agitate any of his injuries but desiring to touch him still, “Are you alright?”
“My dad deadened my pain, I’ll be fine.” Gohan shrugged, used to soldiering through wounds that would kill normal men.
Knowing that it was pointless to try and press further, she moved the conversation along, “Where’d he go?”
“To Bulma.”
Thinking back to what the other woman said earlier, Videl furrowed her brows together, mildly concerned, “What does she want from him exactly?”
“Oh, she’s been studying Dad and Vegeta for years.” Gohan answered flippantly, like it was normal for people to be used as lab subjects, “For some reason super saiyan 3 causes bones to shift like the Great Oozaru so she’s been wanting to do an analysis over it but he’s always refused to turn just for a sample. It uses too much stamina.”
The only kind of bone samples Videl knew about were bone marrow biopsies, which sounded excruciating, so she banished the mental image to focus on the implications. It was still mind-boggling to her, thinking about how saiyan powers morphed into physical transformations, intrinsically altering their beings on the quest for greater strength. Speaking of- “Did he actually turn into a dragon?”
Gohan co*cked his head to the side as if he hadn’t thought to consider it, “I don’t know, I've never seen him use that technique before.”
Whether it was real or some kind of illusion, it had been one of the most breathtaking displays of power that Videl had ever seen, “It was incredible!”
“It is cool,” Gohan conceded, dropping into one of the armchairs with a barely there wince, analyzing the attack with stern tactical perception, “Though it’s not always effective since your opponent could evade a bigger body more easily.”
“But against a giant monster, it’s the perfect move.” She gushed; the sight of the dragon twisting through the air would probably wind its way into her dreams sooner than later, “He’s amazing!”
“He’s a person.” Gohan corrected, looking vaguely exhausted as he propped an elbow on an armrest to place his chin on.
She shook her head, countering as she came to sit on the opposite armrest, “No, see, you don’t see it because you know him so well.” He had grown up with his father, of course he would be used to watching the older man do jaw-dropping things, so he didn’t appreciate it fully anymore.
“No, I see beyond it, because I know him so well.” At Videl’s confused look, Gohan elaborated in a sort of hushed, hurried tone, “Look, when I was younger, I used to think my dad was invincible. Even when he lost, it never took away from this aura he had. I thought it was because he was an alien but it’s more than that. And the more time I spent alone with him, the more I got to see who he really was, beyond the veneer.” Gohan breathed out slowly, shoulders wide under the weight of knowledge he carried, “Yes, he is power itself, and a titan, and he always does his best but he makes mistakes.” He picked up Videl’s hand tenderly, voice tightened with secondhand pain, “And there are parts of him that are deformed and broken, things that will never be fixed.” Gohan’s dark eyes were imploring and assured in equal stride, “He trusts you to see all that he is.”
(And on that day, Videl swore to herself that she would do anything to keep that trust.)
-
The day slipped through their fingers, busy as they were with trying to clear rubble from the wrecked portion of Capsule Corp and into the nearby cityscape, they stopped for meal breaks and to chat but mostly they worked diligently, wanting to help everyone return to their normal lives as quickly as possible- without the use of the Dragon Balls. Videl got to spend some time talking with Tapion about his ocarina and the song he played as they worked, curious about how the magic was infused into the melody, though that quickly devolved into less about magic and more about music theory.
They were all fading by the time night had fallen, worn out from the missed sleep and the battle fought. The suite they had used earlier had three bedrooms though boys had quickly secluded themselves in Trunks’ room, which had been quickly reconstructed after having the roof partially cave in that morning, meaning that the three adults were both able to have their own bedroom. Goku had stayed behind to speak with Tapion a bit more so it was just Gohan and her who wound down the halls back to the spare living quarters.
In the large utility closet that served as the catch-all for the suite, they both chose another set of clothes to sleep in, taking turns changing and using the bathroom, brushing their teeth and washing their faces with spare toiletries that were available. She was thankful that their hostess was so used to having company that everything was already prepared because having to ask for things when you slept over at someone’s place was always awkward.
Selecting the first bedroom for no reason besides it being the closest, she walked inside without turning on the light, peeling the bedding back to climb into the bed, one of the softest she had ever felt which was saying something. Gohan had lingered in the doorway, shuffling his feet idly as if he was reluctant to go to another bedroom, to let her out of his sight.
“Just lay down.” She ordered, not wanting him to leave either but feeling too embarrassed to offer outright in case he rejected. It was easier for both of them if it was issued as something that wouldn’t be up for debate.
Quickly complying, Gohan closed the door behind him and kicked off his slippers, clambering into the bed that was large enough that they didn’t need to be touching, yet he scooted close to her. Almost hesitantly, he placed his hand in hers, which she curled her hand around immediately, soothed by the feeling of his warm skin and worn fingers pressed against hers. She wondered how it must have felt for him, to have held her in his arms when she didn’t recognize him, how his panic would have swelled inside, his anger and his desperation but then again her heart had felt the same when she heard him scream, crushed within the monster’s grasp.
The pad of his thumb rubbed against the back of her hand, tracing mindless, soothing circles and she fell asleep, feeling his pulse best against her’s.
-
She stirred awake when the light from the hallway came sprawling across her face, blinking at the abrupt brightness though it faded quickly into the slightest sliver as the door was carefully closed to a crack. Goku moved as silently as a shadow to the bed, tucking the covers more firmly around Gohan’s legs then hers to make sure they were both well covered, swift in his gentle care. When he noticed her eyes following him, he smiled apologetically, whispering so as not to rouse Gohan, “Sorry, go back to sleep.”
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping too?” She whispered back, since it must have been past midnight by now.
“Ah, it’s hard to come back down from the adrenaline after a fight.” Goku admitted, rubbing a hand through his hair. Wound up from the events of the past few days, he had done the only thing he could think of to assure his restless spirit and came to ensure that those under his charge were taken care of. He must have checked on the boys as well beforehand, sleeping in Trunks’ room.
She shifted slightly, her neck propped up by the pillows to look at him better, “You were amazing.”
“You weren’t too bad yourself.” He complimented in turn, looking threadbare in a pair of sweats and tired lines around his eyes. It would take a few more meals and much more rest before he would bounce back fully from the fight.
“Are you kidding?” She scoffed, voice coarse still from sleep, appalled at the comparison, “I didn’t stand a chance.”
“In your defense,” Goku argued, voice remaining whisper-like, but cheery in its consolation, “I only taught you how to fight humanoid aliens, not monster aliens, so blame your teacher.”
“You blame your teachers for your losses?” She shot back lightly, already knowing the answer. Goku made a soft sound but didn’t say anything, his reluctance to neither confirm nor deny only proving her point. When it came down to it, no one was responsible for the outcome of a battle except for the individuals fighting it. No matter what training had occurred before or had much preparation occurred, the only thing that mattered was the outcome. He knew that intimately, he shouldered the responsibility of personal victories and losses solely, and she had always endeavored to do the same. Not wanting to dwell on the negative, she inquired, “Can you teach me how to turn into a dragon?”
Taking the out for what it was, he laughed a bit at her enthusiasm, soft and flickering as candlelight, coming to sit on the edge of the bed, “I don’t actually become a dragon. It’s more of a physical manifestation of my soul’s energy.” He extended his hand in front of him, letting some of his energy flare to life and she watched his skin shimmer with golden scales before the light faded. Gazing at his restored hand, he murmured wistfully, “More tricks of the dead. It’s weird, there’s chunks of time where it feels like it never happened and everything from the Afterlife was a dream but then, something happens and it all comes flooding back.”
In the time that she had known him, Videl had often thought about what it would have been like to have been dead for seven years then be brought back to life, yet was unable to fully comprehend what it truly meant: to have been parted from your family for what you believed was forever, to have resigned oneself to a life among the dead, to carve out a space for yourself in a new community then to be sucked back to the life you had lived before with a spirit that was willing to reach new heights but a mortal body that couldn’t obtain them. He had learned things that had no place among the living, reached limits that mortals couldn’t, and every day he had to reconcile and redefine what it meant to be a titan. Thinking back to what Gohan had told her earlier, she shuffled back down so her head was flush with the pillow, tucking the hand that Gohan still held to her chest so both of their hands were resting on top of her breastbone, “Will you tell me about it?”
Goku heaved a long sigh, coming to place a hand near her knee as he leaned his weight on it, his warmth penetrating even through the blankets that separated their skin. He was a sun, radiating fiercely in the dark room, close enough to see plainly yet millions of miles away, replying in a tone that was distant as it was fond, “Where to start?”
Between Videl’s hand clutched in his and his father’s gentle looming strength, Gohan barely stirred, only smiling slightly in his sleep as they continued to talk long into the night.
-
She woke up vaguely sweaty but mostly comfortable, practically buried up to her nose in the covers. Yawning, she stretched languidly, feeling her spine pop and shoulders pull satisfyingly from the exertion of the day before. She had lost Gohan’s hand sometime during the night but that was fine because he was still right beside her, curled up on the pillows somewhat while he read a book. When he saw her movement, he smiled a greeting, nodding at the direction of their feet.
Videl followed his prompting and smiled in kind yet refrained from saying anything as well, because there, laying sideways across the foot of the bed, tucked on one side and on top of Gohan's ankles where they lay underneath the blankets was his father dead asleep.
She had seen the saiyan quiet and meditative often, and napping sometimes- though even then, he always seemed moments away from springing into action- but never sleeping outright. He was always up with the sun or earlier despite how late he would stay awake the night before, as constant as the morning itself. Yet there he was, plainly off guard and exhausted, his chest rising and falling in slow, steady draws.
Neither of them wanting to rouse Goku, they bent their heads close together to whisper to each other, “How are you feeling?”
Gohan’s nose was a mess of mottled bruises though it didn’t look out of place or seem to bother him much when he smiled again, “Not bad, a few twinges here and there still but better. Do you have a headache?”
“Nope.” Shifting on the mattress, she laid her head on his shoulder and he tilted the book so she could read along, catching her up on the story with a few sentences.
They read together in silence until thirty some pages later, when in one moment Goku was asleep and in another he was blinking awake and sitting upright with an overhead stretch. Shaking his dark mass of hair out, he grinned toothily at them, hopping off the mattress in a fluid movement, “What are you two waiting for? Let’s get breakfast!”
“You were laying on my feet!” Gohan argued, finally able to move his legs after an indiscernible amount of time.
“Well, kick me off next time!” Goku chirped in reply, flouncing out of the bedroom, barefoot and effervescent as a sprite. He wasn’t aware that doing so would be akin to moving a cat that was asleep, a taboo strictly unthinkable.
When Gohan sighed lengthily, Videl leaned over to kiss his bruised nose, giggling as she drew herself out of bed; she definitely wouldn’t turn down the opportunity for coffee. There was a veritable feast laid out in the atrium, the structure and wildlife inside having escaped damage in the battle thankfully, and Videl thought eating a yogurt parfait while a doe-eyed calf nibbled at her sleeves was an experience that she wouldn’t mind having again, slipping the animal pieces of apple that it lapped out of her palm with a rough tongue. Everyone was livelier as a result of sleeping through the night without an attack or fear of one, so it was a meal that passed with lots of laughter and various recountings of the events that had happened in the past few days, gaps getting filled in the narrative of how everything had gone down.
When most of the dishes had been cleared, they left the atrium to go outside. Bulma had spent most of the night working, putting together a Time Machine for Tapion to use to get back to his planet which made Videl’s spin to think about timelines and variations and how the whole universe didn’t unravel at the seams. The scientist had used a hover crane to set the machine out of the laboratory’s confines onto the outer grounds which still was a bit of a mess.
Tapion, sitting in the co*ckpit while waiting for Bulma to finish final adjustments to the machine’s course, blinked down at the gathered others docilely, “I enjoyed breakfast.”
“At this rate, you’ll enjoy lunch.” Gohan remarked with a titter, and Videl rolled her eyes, nudging her hip with his in a reprimand; it would benefit neither of them to incur the scientist’s wrath, especially since she alone had pulled another all-nighter.
“Look,” Bulma instructed, directing Tapion’s attention to the controls, “Be careful with the thrusters and don’t fire them until they hum, okay?”
“Got it.” Tapion affirmed, as Bulma adjusted a few more settings to her satisfaction.
“Hey, are you sure this can fly?” Trunks questioned, tilting his head to the side, “I think it’s leaning.”
Bulma hopped down from the ship, coming to stand beside the rest of them, “That’s not the ship, son, that’s everything else.”
“Oh, right.” Trunks giggled, crossing his arms behind his head.
“Trunks,” Tapion beckoned, pulling free the sword that had been hanging along his back and tossing it down with a smile, “Here.”
Trunks caught the sword in both arms, holding it with eyes alight with excitement, “For keeps?”
“Yeah, it’s yours, brother. I think it always has been.” Tapion answered with an indulgent smile to which Trunks gushed, “Thank you!”
“Goodbye everyone, and thank you again.” Tapion farewelled, the top part of the co*ckpit closing around him as the engines roared to life, propelling the vessel off the ground.
Trunks went chasing after the ship until it disappeared from sight, heading off into the distant past. For a long moment, everyone else watched, thinking about the departing hero, before the spell was broken and life was moving again, a whole host of issues still awaiting West City and Capsule Corp in the process of reconstruction. Bulma and Gohan immediately began conferring about logistics of restoration as they strolled back to Capsule Corp, with Vegeta trailing behind.
Watching Goten run after Trunks, she remembered how the boy had come to her two days before, looking for his brother in his loneliness. Deciding there was no better time than the present, she hedged an idea to Goku who had been walking beside her, “I think you should consider putting Goten in public school or some sort of program.”
Goku turned his head towards her but she kept her gaze directed forward, not wanting her nerve to desert her by seeing his reaction, “It’s not fair to him that he doesn’t have any friends his age besides Trunks, or to Trunks for that fact. Goten’s different than Gohan. He has more energy, he’s more social, he’s not as disciplined with his school work.” She raised her hands in concession, thinking back to her own fray in public school systems, “I’m not saying that he won’t face a whole other host of issues being in standardized education, but there has to be some sort of happy medium where he can be around more people his age.”
“We’d have to work more on his energy regulation. He’s still a bit reactive.” Videl drew her eyes to meet Goku’s, surprised at that being his first thought but then quickly not surprised at all since it was in his nature to accept things easily, “And you’re right about him not being able to study like Gohan does, but then again, few people can.” He co*cked his head to the side, his demeanor open and trusting, “But it’d be good for him to have more friends. You think he’d be happy?”
“I think so. I mean I complained a lot but he’s got a better temperament than me.” She had certainly made things harder for herself by being so standoffish with others and while Goten might encounter troubles with the coursework and discipline, he was a perpetual joy to be around, “Shouldn’t be hard for him to make friends at this age and I’m sure the teachers will melt for that patent Son Smile.”
“Only until he finds trouble.” Goku paused for a moment, considering the idea before amending, “And maybe even then.”
“Definitely then.” She corrected in a deadpan, since she had been on the receiving end of that smile from three different directions at once and it was almost impossible to hold onto one’s anger.
Goku laughed uproariously, knowing at least six different instances of where her perspective came from, concluding, “I’ll talk to Chi Chi about it. He’s still young so there’s time to think about it.”
Content that the idea would at least be discussed, Videl left it as it was, since it really hadn’t been her business to begin with. She hoped however that something might come of it, observing the happy way that Goten and Trunks played together while the adults speculated about what Tapion would do upon returning to his planet. She got dragged into the conversation as well, and relished the outlet, wondering about worlds in the far off realms of the universe.
It was almost two in the afternoon by the time she and Gohan returned to East City, having used their strength again to help clear the rubble from the city before they did enjoy lunch. Technically both of them had later classes that they could have attended, but it was two o’clock on a Friday and neither of them could be bothered to drag themselves to campus. Videl made a mental note to be a better student after a weekend of rest, since her regular five day school week had ended up being only two and a half, but she had helped to save the world, so that had to count for something. Of course, with how she and Gohan hid their identities, it wouldn’t count with their professors who they needed mercy from, but there was some good karma in there somewhere that would manifest eventually- hopefully in the form of no pop quizzes in the foreseeable future.
Sighing with exhaustion, she dropped into one of the barstools at the island, prying her boots off her feet and curling her toes once they were freed from their confines.
Gohan, ever restless, started filling a kettle with water to give himself something to do, “Want some tea?”
“Sure.” She would have preferred coffee, but if tea was being offered then she would drink tea, if only because she didn’t feel the urge to make anything herself and she wouldn’t burden him with making another drink just to suit her tastes.
Gohan pilfered through his stash of tea, trying to determine what flavor he wanted to indulge in, musing, “That was crazy, even for us.”
She rubbed a hand through her hair with a sigh, slightly amused at how the whole thing had turned out, “Yeah. I don’t even think I could have imagined a situation like that ever.”
Gohan laughed a little at her tone, since she had freaked out in the past when things had gone more abnormal han normal, not entirely used to every aspect of the world of magical. He brought a mug over for the both of them, the loose tea leaves steeping still in little tea balls as he sat in the barstool beside her, a fragrant balmy scent wafting into the air. “You know that’s the first time we’ve really fought together.” He uncurled and recurled his fingers around the base of the mug, “I mean, we’ve trained together a lot and we’ve dealt with petty criminals but we’ve never fought anything that serious together.”’
“I guess you’re right.” She hummed; it had been the first real threat that had occurred since Buu, or at least the first one that Videl had gotten pulled into, since who knew how many problems Goku took care of in his patrols around the quadrant.
“There were parts of me that were scared, but I wasn’t afraid. Because I had you, and Dad and the others.” Gohan tugged at the tea ball from its metal chain, bobbing it in the mug before he pulled it out, setting it aside on a napkin, “I don’t know, it felt different.”
“I know what you mean.” She had been worried and scared throughout the confusion, but despair had never touched her heart, not like when Majin Buu had been attacking. None of them were invincible, yet together, she had felt like they were undefeatable, like there was no possible way for them to lose, not for good.
They sat in silence for a while, drinking slowly from the camomile tea he had made until Gohan made a quiet hmm, his eyes fixed on the steam wafting from his mug.
“What?” She questioned, nudging his bare calf with her foot imploringly.
Gohan shrugged slightly, a tip of a smile on his lips, “Just reminded me of a poem.”
“Well, don’t leave me in suspense.” She teased gently, though she didn’t expect Gohan to rise from his stool to go into his room and return with a book, flipping to a certain page and pushing the book over to her to read. She pushed her mug aside to pick the book up, absorbing the lines written on the page.
“Outside the sky is light with stars;
There's a hollow roaring from the sea.
And, alas! for the little almond flowers,
The wind is shaking the almond tree.
How little I thought, a year ago,
In the horrible cottage upon the Lee
That he and I should be sitting so
And sipping a cup of camomile tea.”
She skimmed over the next stanza, her eyes drawn instead to the words he must have been thinking of,
“We might be fifty, we might be five,
So snug, so compact, so wise are we!
Under the kitchen-table leg
My knee is pressing against his knee.
Our shutters are shut, the fire is low,
The tap is dripping peacefully;
The saucepan shadows on the wall
Are black and round and plain to see. ”
There wasn’t a fireplace, nor an ocean, and the shadows cast were from daylight not darkness, all stars banished from the sky due to the sun’s radiance, but her knee was pressed against his and there was a sense of peacefulness that pervaded their apartment. She smiled, the lingering taste of flower on her tounge and a feeling like honey in her heart, sweet and thick.
The tea had done its intended purpose, making her eyes feel heavy, her body begging for another chance at rest which she didn’t have reason to ignore, already decieding to push off all responsibilities to the next day. Standing up from the barstool, she placed her empty mug in the sink, shuffling down the hall, “I’m still tired. I’m gonna take a nap.”
“Sleep well, Videl.” Gohan wished quietly, his own visage tired as well.
Something in the way he spoke her name made her pause in the doorway, turning back to watch him washing their mugs out in the sink. There was a desire that swelled within her, not for the first time, but more strongly felt thanks to all of the intense emotions that she had endured in the past few days. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to ignore herself anymore.
“Gohan.” He looked up at her call, something yearning flickering in his gaze and she beckoned in a voice as soft as it was commanding, “Come to bed.”
Leaving the mugs to dry, he followed her into her room, his bare feet padding quietly first upon the wood floor then were muffled once he stepped on the carpet. She stepped backwards when his larger form entered the doorway, guiding him further inward to where her bed awaited, the afternoon sunlight dappling warmly across the plush surface.
Without further words, she pulled back the covers, slipping onto the mattress and he joined her, taking place on the opposite side. It probably would’ve been best for them to change out of the clothes they had been wearing but she could always wash the bedding later. Right now, the only thing that mattered was how Gohan’s arms came to wrap around her as they huddled under her satin sheets together, perfectly at peace with each other and the world.
