When a Hero Disappears

The search

Chapter 6: The search

"No way... Brains?" Sharpener stared into the distance, his voice weak.

"Please tell me this is a cruel joke," sniffed Erasa. "That poor boy, he wouldn't just disappear for no reason, would he? To me he always seemed like a real mama's boy, I don't think Gohan would just leave her without telling." Erasa looked at Videl, who was staring at her table, "Maybe he got in trouble with some bad guys, you know, like they always trick the innocent into doing stuff they don't want to do." Since Videl didn't respond, she tried again: "What do you think happened to him, Videl?"

Videl got up so abruptly that Erasa flinched. "I...," she wanted to give her an honest answer, but she didn't have the heart. She clenched her fists and fought away the tears, "I have to go."

Even though her history lesson wasn't over, the teacher didn't stop Videl as she left the class. She took a quick stride to the nearest bathroom and rushed inside. There she turned on the sink and with both hands she caught the cold water to wash her face. The raven-haired teen looked in the mirror and studied her wet, dripping face.

She was a mess. Even though her black eye had diminished greatly, the bags under her eyes had gotten worse. She grabbed the sink on both sides and hung her head. Why did all this happen? She closed her eyes and tried to picture Gohan's friendly face. How could she not have known? She had to admit that she had her suspicions at first, but ruled it out as a possibility for him to be Saiyaman due to his innocent nature. She really didn't know her friend at all, did she?

Videl sighed deeply and got up to dry her face with a paper towel. She left the bathroom behind and walked up the stairs to the second floor. As she passed a group of third-year students, she heard them talking excitedly about none other than Bulma Brief, who had apparently passed them a moment ago. Videl ignored them and made her way to the door at the end of the corridor. She hesitated, but after taking a deep breath she knocked.

"Yes, come in," the voice of the principal came through the door.

Videl pulled at the door handle and let herself in. The principal's office wasn't very large, containing only a bookcase wall and a mahogany desk with a small tv, which was muted. Behind the desk, the principal sat in his office chair, briefly brushing his mustache with his fingers.

"Ah, Videl! Have you come with any information about Son Gohan?"

Videl looked across the room. There stood Bulma Brief with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall as she looked out the window. Her face was set in resigned sad lines. When the principal announced Videl's presence, the scientist turned her attention from the window to her. She remained silent, waiting for Videl to speak.

"Miss Brief, I -"

"It's Dr. Brief, but please, call me Bulma," Bulma said and straightened her posture.

"Dr. Brie-, I mean, Bulma... I think I was the last person who saw your godson at school last Tuesday," she began hesitantly. "I'd hung back after class was over and Gohan came back because he'd forgotten something. We chatted for a bit and left the school together. He offered to bring me home, but I declined. That's where our ways parted." Videl looked at Bulma and continued, "But nothing seemed out of the ordinary."

Bulma turned her head back to the window, "Thank you for sharing this information with me."

"You know, Gohan isn't the only one who has gone missing," Videl tried her luck. She herself was convinced that Gohan and Saiyaman were one and the same person, though she didn't know who else knew. She didn't want to screw up his secret identity to tell the wrong person. Not to mention, the principal was still in the room, too, so she had to be careful with her words. "Saiyaman has disappeared as well."