After Zangya was done giving the half conscious Gohan mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the woman slowly broke away from the teen and spent the next few seconds catching her breath. Once her body fully registered to the pounding in her chest, the fuzzy feeling in her stomach and the warm, pleasant glow radiating from her face, the Hera then rested her arms over the boy's shoulders and whispered, "You won't believe how long I've wanted to do that with you."
Gohan was, to put it in layman's terms, speechless. "Uh… guh…?" Those were pretty much the only two discernible sounds to leave his mouth.
Giggling at the baffled expression on her friend's face, Zangya flicked her hair around and playfully poked the boy on the nose. "What's the matter, Gohan? Alien-chick caught your tongue? Because it sure as hell felt like I did."
Biting down nervously at the woman's remarks as blood rushed to his face, the demi-Saiyan cleared his throat and smiled, "Well, umm… you could say that…" He then laughed a little at the end, making a sound that was a cross between pleased and terrified. "Then again, I probably may have swallowed it by accident… among a few other things."
Honestly, what was going on right now? Sure he knew Erasa and Kana had a thing for him, even though they were well aware of the fact that he and Videl was already a couple. It didn't even occur to the Saiyan that Zangya was also into him… at least, not in a profound sense.
This was probably because he was so preoccupied with not only building a relationship with Videl, but also working out a solution to compliment Erasa's feelings and dealing with the various conflicts that extended beyond his social calendar that he was unable to respond to other matters accordingly.
Well, sure, in his dreams he may have fantasized and teased the idea once… twice… several dozen times over a span of a couple of years, but he always chalked these occurrences up to growing pains and hormonal fluctuations. Even though the two of them got along with each other like best friends, spent most of their free time with one another, trained with each other, complimented each other, and lived in the same home across from the other's bedroom, that didn't mean any feelings could've developed between him and-
…
Stopping his train of thought on that little tidbit of information, Gohan quickly figured out how things ended up the way they had.
Memories of his talk with the not so delicate Vegeta and the wisdom given to him in confidence by the far more compassionate Aphrodite slowly began to return to him one chapter at a time. Once they did, the teen soon came to understand how deep this whole thing actually went.
He then swallowed anxiously, as he figured that he too had a similar connection and fondness for the Hera.
Seeing the boy's mind working like clockwork behind his startled gaze, Zangya giggled in amusement and tilted her head at the teen fondly. "It's funny, isn't it? Ever since you and I became best friends, the thought that I'd ever end up falling in love with you never crossed my mind. Since you were just a scrappy young kid and I was a former space mercenary on the path to redemption, the idea that I'd wind up forming a bond with someone like you was just some whacked-up pipedream." At that, her expression deepened and her gaze on the boy strengthened. "But it seems like that's no longer the case."
Taken aback by the woman's words and the look that she threw him, Gohan remained standing in place, staring back at her in surprise. Sensing the warmth and sincerity in her remarks, the teen felt his chest swell as he was effectively overwhelmed and disarmed by a tidal wave of emotions crashing down on him at once. When his mind was finally able to work out the key segments of information needed for him to fully grasp what she was saying, all he could do was take a deep breath and whisper, "Zangya…"
The Hera, pressing home her advantage, made sure that her next words rang clear and true with the man of her dreams. "I know this may seem a bit sudden for you… but… I just wanted to let you know how I really felt. Besides, since you already have Videl and the other girls competing for your heart…" She then beamed brilliantly at the teen, "What's one more?"
Hearing this little point of fact from the alien female he regarded as his closest friend, confidant and partner in crime, the teen then allowed a smile to cross his lips as a warm glow to fill his own face. "Hey, I-"
"WAIT JUST A DAMN SECOND HERE!" a loud scream suddenly bounced off of the walls, scaring the daylights out of the two warriors and drawing their gazes over to Videl, who they saw was staring at them with a red face and wide eyes. Having obviously recovered from her shock ahead of Lime and restarting her train of thought, it was now becoming glaringly apparent that she was in the middle of a ridiculous freak-out. "Where in the world did this come from?! Huh?! Who gave you permission to kiss Gohan?!"
Blinking in confusion, Zangya slowly developed an intrigued gleam in her eye and, with a cheeky grin coming into play, wrapped her arms around the demi-Saiyan's neck, and clung to him possessively. "Come on, Videl. It's not that bad." She added to this by rubbing her cheek against the confused Saiyan's face affectionately, all in an effort to tease her friend. "All I was doing was letting off some steam and confessing my love for him. There's no reason for you to get all bent out of shape over something like this."
"Only if the person making the confession decides to make out with him first!" the raven haired fighter continued shouting, all the while her two girl friends and a couple of the other people behind her were grinning in amusement. Stomping up to the Hera, the human fighter then jabbed a finger at her in a lecturing manner, "Kissing comes after the confession, not the other way around!"
To the other people listening in on the conversation, this seemed like something that would be the least of her concerns.
"Says the person who made hers on the first date several days after they kissed," Zangya retorted with a persistent, irritating smile.
"That's because we were in a very delicate and emotional stage in our relationship! We couldn't help it!" the flustered teen attempted to argue, yet failed miserably. "Plus it was during a time we were all recovering from a really tough battle!"
"Yeah? Well… so is this."
Becoming a little bit concerned, Gohan raised a hand to intervene, "Uh, girls?"
Growling as her cheeks glowed a hot red, Videl then grabbed hold of Gohan's arm and began shaking him, along with the Hera who was still firmly attached to him. "That doesn't matter!" the girl half-whined, half-cried. "As his partner and girlfriend, I simply can't accept this!"
While the demi-Saiyan's head was rattled from side to side, the highly amused Hera continued grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Why not? Gohan doesn't belong to you. In fact, he doesn't belong to anyone. He has the right to do whatever he wants, same as the rest of us." She then giggled and latched on even tighter to the boy in question, who was so besieged by what was happening that all he could do was panic and try to keep his head out of the line of fire.
Gohan's face then lit up like a thermometer when he felt Zangya hug him even more so. "Uhh… lady parts… touching places…" These were the only intelligent things he could say in regards to this crisis.
The two female warriors continued to ignore him.
"Besides, considering what's at stake here, I wouldn't mind messing around with you and the other girls if it means having a piece of him." Zangya then leaned towards the raven haired girl, giving the baffled teen a mischievous smile. "Why don't we take a few pages out of Kana's book and…'explore' our options a little? What do you think?"
Blushing to the roots of her hair at the rather dirty comment, Videl gulped and leaned away from the alien girl, who was now coming in a little too close for her liking. "H-Huh?"
Zangya, deciding to take advantage of the situation, then winked at the stunned teenager playfully, "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I think you're pretty cute too, V-chan."
Like the wire on a guitar string, the chord inside Videl's head representing the elements of sanity and restraint finally snapped, compelling the fighter from Satan City into immediate action. "THAT'S IT!" She then took a swing at the grinning Hera, who effortlessly dodged the punch and began a long and very joyous run around the room. The frustrated and embarrassed Videl, who was unable to do anything about the redness in her face, then started a merry chase of the orange haired woman, who merely laughed and cackled at the girl's efforts as the two of them proceeded to run laps around Gohan's position. "When I get a hold of you, I'm going to shave off both your eyebrows and mop the floor with your hair, you perverted, alien, demon-girl!"
"Whatever floats your boat," Zangya sang back. She was so confident in her ability to stay out of reach of the girl's terrifying fists that she was practically skipping as she ran, which only served to infuriate her friend even further. "Oh, Videl. I just love the way your skin sparkles when you sweat!"
"Shut up and stop running!"
"Make me!"
While Gohan had a little laugh at the odd display of bickering, over by the rest of the group, Erasa and Lime were watching the scene play out with great interest and amusement. Smiling away as the performance ticked on, the pair was then approached by the intently observing Bulma, who slid up alongside the country girl and whispered cheekily into her ear.
"I bet you can't wait for him to come around, huh?"
A sly grin formed across Lime's lips at the impish question. "Oh my Kai, you don't even know," she whispered in a mischievous and shameless manner. It was only a few seconds after she uttered her response that the brown haired teen realized what she'd just admitted and, looking up with a start, turned to Bulma with her hands over her mouth. "No, wait, I didn't say that! That's not what I meant!"
Laughing along with Erasa, the president of Capsule Corp looked across at Gohan and, after seeing Zangya and Videl lap him again, spoke up loud enough for him to hear. "Between the frisky tomboy, the childhood friend, the blonde bombshell, the hot demon girl with the long hair, and the cute alien traveler that glows in the dark, you've got a pretty nice harem, kid." She then winked at the demi-Saiyan, "I'm so jealous."
When Gohan chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, a still present Vegeta groaned and looked away.
"Ugh. Give me a break," the Saiyan prince grumbled in annoyance.
And so the antics of the group opened up the gates to a brand new day, setting the stage for many more things to come. By the time the Z-fighters got around to stopping Videl from potentially maiming Zangya for her teasing jabs and Gohan was able to settle things between the pair, Piccolo, Kana and Paprika finally rocked up to the scene to join in on the festivities. After seeing Gohan was back on his feet and doing just fine, each of the newcomers that'd arrived at the GR walked over to express their relief and share in the celebrations, saying they were glad to see their friend was alright. This really only applied to the Seirei and the Namekian, the two of them hugging and patting him on the back respectively, whereas the boy's Makyan rival merely nodded to him in a show of momentary respect.
In fact, the former of the trio was so happy to see Gohan was up and about that the moment she stepped into view and saw him speaking with Videl and Zangya, she practically threw herself at the boy.
"GOHAN-KUN!" the Seirei practically squealed, teleporting directly in front of her crush and knocking him flat onto the ground. The demi-Saiyan balked in bewilderment as the girl rubbed her cheek into his, nuzzling him with the affection only an excitable alien like her could express. "You're awake! You're awake! I'm so happy!"
Gasping under the woman's rather explosive gestures, the demi-Saiyan chuckled and placed his hands against her shoulders, "Th-That's great, Kana. I'm… really happy to see you too." He did his best not to blush at how close the woman was, since she was practically lying on top of him, but there were only so many things he could do at once.
Acting like a cat, the glowing haired woman relinquished her arms from around the teen's neck and beamed at the boy with a sparkle in her eyes, "So, so? Are you feeling all better now? Is the heart virus completely gone?"
"It definitely feels like it, yeah."
"Sweet." Hair flickering behind her like a flame, the excitable alien giggled and straddled the boy's waist, all the while completely ignoring the surprised looks on the rest of the gang's faces. "We really need to do something to make up for lost time. Wanna go out to Nimbus 5 or Zalu 1 to celebrate your recovery? My treat."
Hearing her spitfire question loud and clear, Gohan stared back at the girl nervously and spoke, "That would be awesome, Kana. But… I think… going up into space to party at an alien nightclub after just recovering from a virus might be a little too much for me right now. Maybe… next weekend or something?"
Deflating a little at the teen's response, Kana then exhaled and gave the boy a sincere look in kind, "Oh. Okay then." She then levitated off of the spiky haired warrior, while simultaneously helping him to his feet. "Given your race's biology, you're probably still a little winded from your ordeal. Better let you catch your breath first before doing anything too extreme. After all, you are an earthling before anything else."
"Yeah. It's a really nice thought though, Kana. I'll be sure to let you know the next time I'm available." It was then the cheerful alien once again caught him by surprise by playfully wrapping her arms around his neck and hanging off of him like a balloon, drawing a lighthearted chuckle from the teen.
Once all the commotion and talk over the teen's return to form had died down, the group soon retired from the Gravity Room floor and pulled into the dining hall for breakfast. Though Gohan took a couple of extra minutes to get to the rendezvous point due to an overwhelming need for a shower, all the members of the Son and Brief families soon found themselves sitting at the dining table, surrounded by their comrades and best friends, and sharing a meal together under the same roof. Mrs. Briefs even went to the trouble of cooking up something really special for her domicile's guests, in honor of this wondrous occasion. The Saiyans at the table certainly enjoyed the pancakes, waffles and the feast of egg based foods, which came to them by the truckload.
Needless to say, it was the best breakfast any of them could've asked for, and Gohan was glad to be able to share it with all the people that he treasured most in the world.
OOO
(Meanwhile)
High up in space, in an area well outside of earth's orbit, Halley's Comet could be seen drifting through the vacuum along its predestined course. Having remained completely undisturbed in its short orbital path of the Solar System, the astronomical object cut across the blackness like a brilliant knife sent by the Kais, leaving a trail of ice, rock and space dust with every parsec it managed to cover.
Seemingly acting as nothing more than one of the many pieces of debris blasting across the cosmos, it continued on its route between planets unhindered; with its ultimate destination unknown.
However, just as it was well on its way to making its next orbital pass, a shadowy figure from a distant world suddenly teleported directly into the giant rock's path. Revealing herself to be none other than Alter-Videl, the blonde witch from a now extinct universe, complete with oversized hat, eye patch, and black, skimpy, one-piece suit, the diminutive humanoid then summoned a large blue staff from out of nowhere, pointed it towards the approaching ball of rock and, without any effort whatsoever, stopped its flight with a psychic push. The comet slowed its course before stopping altogether, along with the debris floating around its hot, glowing form.
Scrutinizing the ball of fire and ice carefully, the one-eyed witch then narrowed her gaze upon its surface and, after sparing a curious glance to another part of the Solar System, quickly turned it back to the comet.
It was at that moment a bright glow began emanating from her eye as she visually began deconstructing the comet, right down to its very core. Upon several seconds of scanning the piece of debris, when her piercing red eye finally arrived at the flying object's heart, she found the very entity that she'd been searching for.
Sprawled out between the icicles and walls of the impenetrable diamond prison, Alter-Videl saw the unmistakable, eerie silhouette of a massive, muscular creature of ancient origins with grey, ivory skin, a long tail, claws, and bones protruding from several parts of its hulking body. Furthermore, on top of having a length of ghostly white hair hanging behind it, through the shadows of its face, the teenage phantom saw its eyes shoot open and stare right back at her, seemingly detecting her presence and revealing a pair of hollow, blood red eyes.
These weren't just the eyes of a monstrous animal. They were the eyes of raw, unbridled hatred, which burned hotter than the brightest quasar in reality.
The glow in her iris fading, the one-eyed witch frowned deeply at the monster now floating in her grasp. "The power contained inside this prison is far greater than any other element in existence; the embodiment of both rage and destruction. Not even the Gods of this world could completely destroy the entity sealed within this crystalline shell." Upon uttering these words, a very dark thought then crossed her mind, prompting an evil smirk to appear across her lips. "Let's put it to the test."
Through use of her blue staff, the one-eyed Alter-Videl conjured up a thick mist, which she manipulated with her lance and directed to the area directly alongside her. A split second later, the blonde in the skimpy suit created an exact duplicate of the comet she was now keeping at bay, with the same weight, girth, atomic composition and appearance to its predecessor.
Since she knew Whis's powers like the back of her hand, Videl knew exactly how to fool him and take advantage of his weaknesses. Using the same skills he taught her in her previous universe, she could effortlessly block his Divination abilities and put up an impenetrable cloak to her actions. This meant that even with his seemingly unlimited foresight, he wouldn't be able to tell that the comet containing the most powerful monster in existence had been rerouted.
As soon as the enchantress had finished creating the dummy object, the foreign fighter then floated out of the copy's way and sent the doppelganger meteor rocketing along Halley's previous course. Once the decoy had been set, she then turned her attention back to the original comet, which she continued to admire from a safe distance.
Her one eye then twinkled with obvious excitement, "You may stand against me, you may defy me, you may try to fight me… but in the end, Gohan… all of your efforts will lead you to one inevitable outcome… the complete and total destruction of your universe." She then brandished the giant rock like it was her greatest asset. "This beast will herald the end of this world, carrying my swift and terrible sword to every corner of the cosmos. Then, when the dust finally settles, the only thing living in this world… will be darkness." With one last inspection of the comet's specs, the floating woman then pointed her spear in another direction and sent the ball of fire hurtling towards the distant horizon. As she watched the glowing object fade away into the distance, her dark smile widened considerably. "Death is the fate of all things that exist in this reality… and it will be I, Orthros, who will guide its merciful hand across the eternal plains of creation."
One way or another, this world was going to meet its end, and the monster she'd just sent towards the earth was going to make it happen. However, it wouldn't be a quick ceremony. The creature would bring death to all, one planet at a time, and there wasn't a single person in the universe that could stop it once it was unleashed…
Not even her.
After seeing the comet vanish along its assigned path, which would bring it into direct contact with the earth and deposit its lethal cargo gently upon its surface, the Videl from an alternate universe, Orthros, then turned her sights to another part of space. When her eye locked onto the stars hanging beyond her reach, a smirk once again spread across her lips.
"Let's see what happens from here."
Then, without a second thought, she vanished in a flash of blue light, teleporting to parts unknown.
As of this moment, her plan to upset the balance of this world had been set in motion.
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