VII. Metal

"Man," she said, "if I had a zenni for every time that happened, I'd be-"

Erasa cut her off mid-sentence.

"You wouldn't be any richer than you already are, silly. Now come on, lighten up, girl! It's your birthday! You're supposed to get surprises from your friends!"

Videl furrowed her brow and sighed. There was no arguing with Erasa about this.

"Oh, alright..."

Erasa giggled and thrust the fistful of red balloons and a handmade card into Videl's hands.

"It had better be alright! Happy birthday!" she said, wrapping her arms around her best friend. Videl blushed.

"Yeah babe, happy birthday," Sharpner said, leaning back in his chair.

"Ugh," Videl grunted, red-faced. She was already embarrassed enough with everyone in the classroom filing in for the morning, staring at her and her bunch of balloons. Sharpner's pitiful advances were the last thing she needed. "I don't think Gohan would appreciate it if he heard you calling me 'babe,' Sharpner."

"Whatever, the kid doesn't have an ounce of spite in him. So what if he's a thousand times stronger than I am? He wouldn't do anything about it."

"Well, why don't you ask him what he thinks about it, because here he is," Videl said with a smirk, pointing to the door, where Gohan had just entered.

Sharpner sat up abruptly and buried his head in the nearest book he could find, not at all intent on having some one-on-one with Gohan before the day even began. Erasa laughed at him.

"Figures. Your bark has always been bigger than your bite," she teased.

Sharpner just grunted as Gohan ascended the steps to his seat.

"Morning everyone!" he said, taking his bag off of his shoulder and placing it on the desk.

"Hey there," Videl said, smiling at him.

"And happy birthday," he said to her.

"Thanks," she replied.

"Well well well, Gohan. Slacking off, I see," Erasa said, shaking her finger at Gohan.

"Huh?"

"You don't have a present for your girlfriend on her birthday? That's a big faux pas, you know."

Gohan's face lit up and he scratched the back of his neck like he always did when he was embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah, well, about that," he said. "Videl, could you come with me to West City this afternoon?"

Videl looked at him, puzzled.

"Sure. I don't see why not," she replied.

The remainder of the school day passed in very normal fashion, except for Videl's comically large bunch of balloons, which created some awkward situations in the crowded hallways and resulted in her popping all of them and throwing them away before lunch.

Gohan remained very quiet and reserved for the rest of the day, much to the confusion of everyone else. When Videl asked him what was going on, he replied with a simple 'nothing,' and went right back to being steely and distant.

That afternoon, after Videl called into the police department and told the chief she was taking the afternoon off, the two flew to West City together. Gohan was still silent even when they were alone, and Videl's second attempt to find out what was wrong was met with the same answer as before, leaving her completely clueless and rather frustrated. She didn't speak again until West City was on the horizon.

"Where are we going when we get to the city?" she asked.

"Capsule Corporation."

Videl considered the possibilities for a minute, and then had a sudden realization of what was going on.

I bet I know what he's up to. They're having a surprise party for me there.

Well that's just great. That's just what I wanted, another surprise. Man do I ever get tired of stupid stuff like that. I get 'surprises' all the time, for no reason, and it ruins the fun. I never do anything to deserve them, either. I just get showered with presents and false affection because I'm famous and wealthy, and it's all meaningless.

Well, for Gohan, I guess I'll tolerate it. I know that everyone there will mean well. I'll just have to let him know later that I don't really like things like this.

For the brief remainder of their flight, they were both as cold and solid as stone, silent and stoic.

When they descended from the city skyline and touched down at Capsule Corporation, Videl looked around the scene suspiciously. If there was indeed a surprise party here, it was well hidden. There was nothing at all out of the ordinary going on, no suspicious cars, and no signs of activity.

Gohan led her silently into the main lobby of the building and asked the receptionist for Bulma, who told him that she would be with them momentarily. The couple loitered in the lobby in silence for a few minutes until the blue-haired woman they were looking for appeared, dressed in oil-stained coveralls, a huge wrench sticking out of one of her pockets.

"Hey Gohan! Hey Videl!" she said as she walked toward them, waving and smiling.

"Hey Bulma," Gohan said with a nervous half-smile.

"Hello," Videl said.

"And happy birthday to you, Videl," Bulma said to Videl, putting her arms around her. Videl blushed and returned the gesture, feeling a bit awkward.

How does Bulma know it's my birthday? I didn't tell her. And the hug is nice and all, but this is embarrassing, out here in the lobby...

"Thanks," she replied halfheartedly.

"So," Bulma said, turning to Gohan. "I bet you're looking for the lab key, aren't you?"

"Mhmm, I am," Gohan replied, nodding.

"Well, kiddo, here you go," Bulma said, pulling a key ring from her deep pockets. "It's this one, the old, faded, bronze-colored one."

"Thanks," Gohan said, taking the ring from her and flipping through it to get to the key Bulma described.

"Alright then," Bulma said, placing her hands on her hips. "I better get back to work. Sorry I have to run like this. I'll be sure to catch up with you kids sometime soon."

"That's alright Bulma, we'll see you," Gohan said as Bulma turned and returned from the direction in which she came. Gohan then turned to look at Videl.

"Okay," he said. "Let's go."

Videl glared at him as they left the lobby and turned right down a hallway.

"Gohan, what's going on with all this secrecy? You're acting so strange! You haven't told me what's going on and it's like I've been trying to talk to a wall all afternoon! You're really aggravating me."

Gohan looked down with a withdrawn and worrisome expression on his face. He spoke softly.

"I'm sorry, Videl. I promise you'll find out in just a minute. I didn't mean to act like this today, but I just can't help it," he said apologetically.

Videl's eyebrows creased in frustration and she pinched the bridge of her nose as they descended a few flights of stairs. The rest of their walk passed in silence.

Gohan stopped when he reached a door labeled 'Auxiliary Laboratory 2-C'. He fumbled with the key and placed it in the lock, gently turning it.

Videl felt a pang of worry as she watched Gohan unlock the door.

What? His hands are shaking! What's going on? What is he up to?

Gohan walked rigidly into the pitch black room and beckoned for Videl to follow.

"I'll get the light," he said in a dull monotone.

Gohan disappeared into the darkness, leaving Videl in the doorway. She cast an elongated shadow from the light flooding in through the opening. A few tense, quiet seconds passed. Then, there was a click, a buzz, and a flickering of many lights as the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling lit and came to life, slowly illuminating the room.

"You can come in now," Gohan said. He walked over to a stainless steel table in the center of the cavernous room.

Videl assumed that he intended for her to follow, so she took a few tenuous steps into the eerie lab. It felt creepy inside. The lab looked like an abandoned workshop. Chains, obviously once used for suspending vehicles in the air to allow people to work on their undersides, dangled ominously from the ceiling. Nameless apparatus and pieces of equipment were festooned on the walls and perched on top of empty metal cabinets backed into corners.

Almost immediately, she felt a chill run through her body. It was cold in there. She rubbed her exposed arms while she slowly walked over to where Gohan was standing. Her footsteps clicked on the floor, resonating and echoing in the silent room.

Gohan stood like a statue at the side of the work table, staring down at its shining, metallic surface. He seemed deep in concentration, and deeply troubled.

"Gohan?" Videl called for him, concern evident in her voice.

He turned his head and looked at her.

"Over here," he replied, nodding solemnly.

Videl approached the table and noticed an object sitting on it. It was a small box. It seemed oddly out of place to her.

Is that a jewelry box? It looks like the sort of thing a ring or a bracelet comes in.

Wait a second.

She was jarred from her thought as she noticed a flicker of movement beside her, and then stopped abruptly and turned to face it, on guard. She didn't feel like taking any chances in this creepy place.

She found she was staring herself in the face. The movement had been her. A full-length mirror sat a few feet off to the side of the table.

Videl put her guard down and turned to Gohan.

"What is all this?" she asked him.

Gohan scratched the back of his head shyly and looked down at his feet.

"Well, it's, uh, your birthday present. From me."

Videl felt her jaw slacken and her eyes widen as she stared at Gohan, who was blushing intensely.

"You mean that?" she said, pointing at the box on the metal table.

"Y-yes..." Gohan said, gently picking it up. Very slowly, he walked around the edges of the table and sat the box on the corner nearest Videl.

Videl stared at him, agape.

"If you wouldn't mind," Gohan said, "I'd like you to close your eyes."

"But... Why?"

"Please, Videl. Just do it."

"Well, okay."

Videl shut her eyes and waited anxiously for whatever was about to come. She heard Gohan open the box and pull something out of it. Then, he took her left wrist and held it up. He undid the band on her communicator watch and removed it, setting it down on the table with a metallic clink.

Then, she felt something very cool and smooth encircle her wrist. The coldness of untouched metal chilled her skin as Gohan adjusted the object.

"You can open your eyes now."

Videl opened her eyes and held her wrist up to the light.

Another watch?

"What is it?" she asked him.

Gohan looked at her with a nervous smile.

"Just press that green button, and you'll find out."

Videl reached over to her adorned hand and pressed the green button. Then, she felt a very strange change. There was something on her head, and she didn't feel cold anymore.

"W-what happened?" she blurted out. Gohan grinned at her.

"Look in the mirror," he told her, taking hold of her shoulders and turning her toward the looking-glass.

Videl's jaw dropped and her eyes shot open. She was in a costume of some sort. She was covered from head to foot in blue spandex, with white gloves and a sky blue tunic. There was a strange white belt with a gold circle in the center around her waist. A red cape was buttoned to her shoulders, and on her head was a white helmet with two antennae, a pink section with a gold heart in it, and a blue visor over her eyes. The whole getup looked oddly familiar.

"Do you like it?" Gohan asked her, leaning in over her shoulder.

"What is it supposed to be?" Videl asked, very confused.

"Don't you recognize the style?" Gohan asked her.

"Well, it looks kind of familiar, but..."

"Here, I'll jog your memory," Gohan said. He held up his watch and pressed a familiar button, and then the Great Saiyaman stood before her.

"Wait," she said, looking at him, and then to the mirror, and then back and forth between the two again. "I look like you! Am I-"

"The Great Saiyawoman!" Gohan declared in his heroic voice.

"Whoa..." Videl trailed off, looking at the mirror again.

"What do you think?"

"Well, it's a little... weird."

"Well, yeah, my costume is kind of weird, too."

"So, this is what you brought me here to see?" Videl asked, turning back around to look at Gohan.

"Yeah," Gohan said. "I was pretty nervous about it. I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not. In fact, I'm still pretty nervous."

"Why?"

"Well," Gohan began, letting out a deep sigh, "I wanted to get you something really special for your birthday. You know, since it's the first one that you've had since we've been together. The problem is, well, I'm pretty much broke, and you're the richest girl in the world. I had to put a ton of thought into this. I knew I couldn't get you anything expensive or flashy, so I knew it was going to have to be the thought that counted. I talked to Bulma about it and she helped me come up with this idea. I've been really nervous about it for a while because, well, it just seems so inferior to so many other things I could have-"

Videl cut him off mid-sentence, pressing her finger over his lips.

"Hush, you," she said, a smile on her face.

"Why?" Gohan mumbled from behind Videl's hand.

"Because that's nonsense. This is way better than any other gift I was going to get today."

"But it's so corny! Even I understand that!"

Videl looked around for a second, examining herself and searching for the right thing to say.

"Yeah, it is kind of weird," she admitted. "But you put effort into this. You actually cared. Aside from Erasa, with her balloons and handmade card this morning, I know you're the only person who would actually do something like this for me."

"Yeah, I did put a lot of work into it. I spent hours making that thing here in this shop with Bulma."

Videl flipped the visor up on her helmet and put her arms around Gohan.

"I think somebody's deserving of a little thank you," she said in a sultry tone. She connected her lips with his, and Gohan melted underneath her touch like hot metal.

In the coming months and years, Videl would always remember that afternoon fondly. That watch was the best present she had ever received or would ever receive. Sure, it was a bit strange, she would willingly admit, but it was Gohan's quirkiness that made her love him in the first place.

That gift was so much more than a watch. It was more than a silly superhero costume. It was the beginning of the best days of her life. From that afternoon forward, they were Satan City's protectors, together. And night after night, as they stood atop the highest buildings, watching over the world together, they knew that metallic maze beneath their feet, that concrete jungle, was forever theirs.