When a Hero Disappears

Opening Doors

Chapter 18: Opening Doors

"You'd better take that back..." Gohan had clenched his fists and trembled as anger rose inside him. The draft in the hallway intensified as he turned to Stapler.

"Why? What's a loser like you gonna do about it?" Stapler dared, but at the same time took a few steps back, feeling uneasy at the sudden change in the nerd's demeanor.

Gohan walked over to his hostile classmate and grabbed his shirt, "He died a selfless death. So I ask you again, take it back." He scowled his eyes even more, "final warning."

"Gohan, he's not worth it," Videl tried to intervene, but Gohan didn't hear her. There was just him, Stapler, and his father's pride, nothing else mattered right now.

Stapler swallowed and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he wasn't about to give in. "N-No."

" TAKE IT BACK !"

There was a loud bang and the glass exploded from their frames and the lights burst, sending tiny flashes of lightning across the darkened room. A gust of wind swirled around the arguing teens, knocking Videl off her feet and further down the hall.

The sudden rush in his body awoke him from his inner rage. This feeling, the feeling he hadn't had for weeks, felt electrifying. His Ki was back! At the same time, his eyes grew in shock, knowing full well that he had let his anger take the better of him, and in an instant everything calmed down. He looked around and was confronted by a ruined hallway, where a spherical imprint was visible from where they stood, whether it was the stone walls, the ceiling or the lockers, everything was polished away. Then he looked at the pale expression of a trembling Stapler, who had apparently peed his pants in sheer terror.

"Okay, Okay, I-I'm s-sorry!" the brawny bully stammered, "I-I'll take it b-back! P-Please don't hurt me!"

"You'd better be," Gohan said, but his voice was filled with guilt and he let go of Stapler's shirt. "Now, leave, and let's forget this incident."

"Y-Yes s-sir!" The guy got up and ran as fast as his feet could carry him. Gohan followed his movement and noticed Videl scramble herself off the floor.

"Videl! Are you alright?" Gohan exclaimed worriedly and ran to Videl to help her up.

"W-What happened?"

"No time to explain, we have to get out of here, people are coming!" he grabbed her wrist and tried to run away from the hallway's dead end. He cursed himself when he realized they wouldn't make it in time and as a last resort, he opened a random door and rushed in, dragging Videl with him, and closed it in the nick of time. Videl tried to speak, but was shushed by Gohan as he followed the Kis of people passing their door. His senses were working overtime, sensing each and every individual.

After some time, he let his body relax a little. There were still people in the hallway, probably taking note of what had happened, but they didn't have to be so quiet anymore because the hallway was filled with an excited buzz. For the first time they'd entered the room, he looked at Videl, and man, she was standing very close to him.

"You had to pick the janitor's closet, didn't you?" she whispered, giving him a disapproving glare as she tried to stand well in the small space. He giggled nervously as he ran a hand over the base of his neck. She sighed, he was too darn cute when he did that, "Care to explain what just happened?"

"I got angry," Gohan sighed.

"No shit Sherlock, I meant what happened to the hallway."

"Like I said, I got mad," Gohan looked into her uncomprehending eyes. "Sometimes when someone really pushes my buttons, I lose control," he began explaining, "It rarely happens, as I have quite a bit of self-discipline, but well, my father's death is indeed a sensitive subject." Gohan looked away in shame, "That explosion, so to speak, was a sudden release of Ki. I haven't been able to use it since I was poisoned, but apparently Stapler triggered it again."