Here is the first chapter. This is an AU btw. Do not own DBZ

Enjoy!

SN: Italic stand for thoughts

CHAPTER ONE

Misery love's Company

The music was playing in the room followed by bouts of laughter as a bunch of students mingled about. Both males and females present took turns flirting with one another prancing around in the festive atmosphere which was the ususal scene when one went to a party, however Videl ignored all of that. Standing on the wall, Videl narrowed her eyes as she kept a lock on her target.

He was a tall dark haired teen standing on the opposite side of the room, like Videl he didn't make any attempt to join in on the fun but stood about slowing waiting for the night to be over. There had been several students that had approach both of them (especially Videl) but all had been turn away. Of course this had made the host of the event pissed something Videl knew she would be lectured about later on but she had all ready decided she would deal with that when the time comes. Besides it looked like it was time to make her move. For a while now her target had been slowing moving towards the side exit in the corner of the room. There was no doubt on Videl mind as to what the boy was planning, since this wasn't the first time he had pull this little stunt.

The boy name was Son Gohan. He was the miracle boy that had kept Erasa (and Sharpner) from repeating a year. From what she saw of him he was polite, friendly usually having smile on his face and quiet. He was exceptionally smart (he had to be if he was able to get thoes two up to passing) but he was a bit of a loner. Rarely would he start a conversation but he would follow along. Erasa had invited the boy out several times but he usually decline saying 'he didn't want to intrude'. Those few times he did come he would always leave early and pretty much avoided everyone. From Erasa she had learned that he was the same age as them but was currently home schooled and that was pretty much it.

Pulling out her phone she quickly sent a text to the boy. She watched as Gohan look at his phone and had to stop herself from laughing as he paled in fright. He slowly put away his phone as he neverously glanced around the room. Once he caught sight of her he paused, there was no need to look any further. Videl smirked while she beckon for the boy to come over. He hesitated for a minute before slowly, sadly making his way over.

"Enjoying the party?" Videl asked

"...ah yeah...it's a blast." Gohan answered nervously.

"Really? Then why were you trying to sneak out."

"That wasn't my intention."

"What was it then?"

"..."

"You might as well give it up, this isn't the first time I've seen you do your little magic trick. Face it buddy, you're stuck here till the end just like I am. As fast as you are my text to Erasa will be faster."

"...Why?" Gohan asked sadly

"Misery love's company. If you want you can go back to your corner but don't forget I'm watching you."

She watch as Gohan gave a long sigh before walking to the opposite side. Honestly Videl was bored, like Gohan she also wanted out of there but she saw no way for that to happen. Since she had walk through the door there had been eyes on her everywhere she went. Trapping Gohan here was just a way for her to make the time go by faster. After their little encounter he would take glances at her from time to time and each time she would smirk causing him to grumble annoyed he couldn't leave. She frown as another wave of male students made their way toward her. They paused when they caught sight of her her sharp glare which made most of them give up, but a few of them decided to ignore it.

These guys wasn't from her school and looks wise they were decent. She quickly realize that the two on the side were the wing men for the one in the middle. They gave some good lines but still Videl decline them, she also put her guard up. Normally they should have given up by now and the fact that they didn't made her cautious. As they continued to woo her the one in middle went to grope her while pretending to lose his balance but she quickly countered grabbing his wrist giving it a strong twist before shoving him to the wall. The teen gave a sheirked as he hit the wall crumbling to the floor. Quickly, Videl pull the boy up pretending to be concern as she whispered in his ear.

"LEAVE. BEFORE I BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF ALL OF YOU." Videl threaten

Handing him over to his two stunned friends, the group excuse themselves and left the party while Videl cursed them. She gave a sharp glare to the people around her causing all of them to turn away and distance themselves from her.

"...Um...are you okay?"

"What do you think?!"

"Sorry, that was a dumb question...I'm amazed that they would even try something like that with you."

"What? You don't think I'm cute enough?" Videl questioned glaring at the boy. As she continued to watch the boy stammering to answer her, her anger slowly faded away. Aside from Erasa, it had been a few years since the last time she had been asked that question.

"Don't worry about it...Things like this happens from time to time. YOU would know that if you didn't sneak off so early."

She could tell that Gohan had wanted to rebuke that statement no matter how true it was but her pointed stare stop him. Besides this incident had been the perfect opportunity for the boy to make his getaway. She had even curse thinking the boy was long gone, so to see him here inquiring about the situation sincerely without any motives raised her evaluation of him.

"Good eyes by the way, even in this area I don't think there were many who was able to see through that little act."

"Yeah well their act needs improvement, the thevies in the village near my home are years ahead of them." Gohan answered without thinking.

"What thevies?! What village?! Are you apart of some kind of theif ring?! EXPLAIN!" Videl barked turning on the boy.

"WHAT?! No way, stop saying such nonsense! Doing something like that, my mom would kill me. Calm down, I'll explain what I meant." Gohan stated.

"Go ahead."

"You know my family lives outside the city right?" Gohan started, seeing her nod her head he continued.

"My family lives on private property alone. No matter which village it is all of them are several miles away from our home. Usually my mom would get our supplies and other things we would need from the village, but after she became pregant with my little brother there was a period of time when that became my responsibility. At the beginning there wasn't any problems."

"But you got marked by thevies."

"The first time it happen, I thought that I had somehow misplace the money, but after the second time I became more aware of my surroundings. Thanks to that, it's become easy to spot people like them, not that I'm happy about it."

"Why didn't your father tak-

Videl stop seeing Gohan face become a mask of pain.

"...My dad is no longer around. He's been gone for several years now."

Their conversation ended there for the time being as the two of them stood silently by each other, both of their minds far away from the party.

"...Well you seem to be doing better. I mean I know that you are fine, just that you don't seem as a piss off as before."

"Don't be ridicious, some jerk trying to get 15 minutes of fame isn't going to get the better of me."

"15 minutes of fame?"

Wided eyed, Videl look at the boy amazed. For someone so smart, she suddenly got the feeling that there was a lot of things he didn't know.

"You're heard of 'A picture worth a thousand words' right? So imagine if I hadn't caught that creep in time and one of his friends manage to get a picture of it. The media would flock to them like flies on shit." Videl explain.

"..cough...cough...I see...cough."

She chuckled at the boy as he cough up his drink at her statement. The crowd around Videl was surprise, who the hell was this boy that he had been able to hold Videl attention for so long. Why haven't she sent him off like all the others. Videl had also become aware of situation, however Gohan hadn't done anything to warrant her to ask him to leave, actually she was quite please with his quiet company. If only she could do something about the music that had been turned up a notch.

/ Looks like the party is at it's peak. /

"I could really do for some fresh air." Videl mumbled.

"So just leave."

"I can't...and before you ask it's the same reason why you are trying to sneak out rather than just going out the front. While you are just here for tonight I'll be spending the entire weekend with Erasa, and what I meant by fresh air is getting away from this crowd."

Gohan had wanted to question her logic but decided not too. Since he had started going to Satan City he had become aware of the crime fighter and her father's fame. He knew that leaving this party wouldn't stop people from approaching her especially after they realize she was a celebrity.

"The window behind me is open you know." Gohan suggested.

"You are aware that people will notice that?"

"...If we perform a little distraction of our own which could attract thier attention, it would take you no time to slip out through here."

Videl thought about it for a while

/ If someone ask I can just make up a excuse that I saw something going on outside. It wouldn't be the first time people saw me jumping out of a window./

Giving the boy a slight nod she made her way to the window noticing that it was just as the boy said. Instantly a few guys had approach her. They was happy that Videl and Gohan had ended their little talk and had become determine to not be out done by Gohan. If he could entertain her for so long then couldn't they do so as well, but try as they might, all of them was soon turned away. Frankly, Videl wondered how Gohan would cause such a distraction. She also doubted whether it would work but got prepared just in case. She frowned when she realized the boy destination was the karaoke stage. Her frown deepen as he entered the stage pulling out what appeared to be a slash and wrapped around his head. Aside from her, hardly anyone else had notice the boy.

/ What is he planning, does he really think he would be able to get everyone attention by singing?/

After picking his song, Gohan slowly moved towards the mic and after the music started he gave an ear shattering yell catching everyone present off guard before continuing with his song and started dancing. Though his moves seemed coordinated they were horrendous, and his voice was unlike anything they had ever heard. The entire room was stunned into silence before everyone erupted in laughter.

/ WTF!...right I'm supposing to be using this time to escape!/

Slipping out the window, Videl landed softly on the ground. She had to give the boy credit, he had manage to something she had considered impossible. A few moments later she also bursted out laughing no longer able to hold it in.

/ WHAT...THE...HELL...WAS...THAT?/

Back at the party Gohan sighed in relief seeing Videl slip away. But he still felt like one of the biggest idiot around. Seeing the crowd pulling out and holding up their phones he opted to end his song dashing off the stage where he landed by the light switch quickly turning off the lights. There were a few screams of surprise but a few moments later the light were turn back on. Of course Gohan was long gone.

Videl didn't have to wait long for Gohan to flee from the party. She was positive that Gohan would leave as soon as she was out of sight. She watch as the teen made a mad dash from the venue heading towards the parking lot. After she had gotten over her laughter, she had texted the boy where to meet up. Flashing her lights she giggle as the boy sprinted over. She noted that while his face was red from embrassment he didn't appear out of breath.

"Please please please don't let anybody realize that was me." Gohan mumble over and over again.

Looking over at the party a few people had come out to look around but found nothing. Videl started giggling again as she watch the boys over there imitating Gohan moves as the group walked back inside full of laughter.

"It's wasn't that funny you know."

"It was hilarious." laugh Videl unable to keep it in while the boy grumbled beside her.

"Now be honest, you were planning to use that window to escape when I had got cornered by those jerks right?" Videl started after she had calmed down.

"..."

"Well, you got guts I'll give you that. But since everything worked out for the best I'll let it slide this time."

"...Thanks." aswered Gohan as the two of them settle down enjoying the silence.

"So tell me, why are you in Satan City? I heard from Erasa that you are from the 439 Mountain Area, that's pretty far from here." ask Videl after a while. She had become aware that Erasa was adament about Gohan joining their circle of friends and this was a time to learn a little more about the boy.

"About that...my mom considers this to be a safe zone." Gohan answered.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but this place is hardly what I consider a safe zone. This city is riddle with crime."

"...That's not it...what I mean is...I...don't really have any friends my own age and most of the people I hang out with are friends of my father. My mom doesn't really have nothing against them or hate them, but she fears that if she's not careful I'll end up like them. She wants me to get a good job and live a normal life.

"What, so your dad friends don't live normal lives."

"What's your definition of a normal life?"

"Get a job, buy a house or a apartment and a car, start a family." Videl shurgged

"Well only a few of them have a job or live in a house, almost none of them owns a car and aside from my dad only about two of them have managed to start a family."

"Just how the hell do they make a living." Videl ask

"By living off the land, although they don't work you could put them anywhere on the planet and all of them could survive without any problems." Gohan stated.

"They sound like survivalist." Videl wondered.

"I guess you could call them that. My dad was like that as well, he would take the wilderness over the city any day."

"Well while that isn't completely normal, it's still a way of life."

"Yeah...but that's not all...For whatever reason whenever a few or more of them get together...unexplainable things always happen and not the good kind. The first time I met my dad friends by the end of the day I was...stranded on an island with my dad's...assoiate while my dad...was stranded else where. It was a while before either one of us made it back home. My mom had totally freaked out when that happen and she's become convince that the group is somehow curse."

"I'm guessing that this has happen on more than one occasion?"

"...haha...yeah."

Videl was dying to inquire about some things the boy had stated but had stop her self. Normally boys would have bragged about some of the things Gohan was talking about. But seeing how he was so vague and guarded, she figured that if she did asked all she would be met with was with a wall of silence. She also got a feeling that this was only a small piece of a huge puzzle, one that wouldn't be solve in one night. She made sure to memorized everything the boy had stated to pick at later on.

"So how does any of that make Satan City a safe zone?"

"Well a couple of my dad friends stay in West City. The others occasially make visits to North and South City as well as towns around those areas from time to time."

"What about Central City?"

"There's no way my mom is having that. My grandpa was a bit of a politician, but his reputation was horrible."

"Like your dancing?"

"...worst..."

"Pfft."

"I can't imagine it being worst but I'll just take you word for it. So in other words this is one of the few cities they don't visit right?"

"Yep, and that's why I'm attending cram school in Satan City. Orginally I would have attended high school here but once my mom realize I was already ahead of the school work they had prepared she decided against it."

"Oh, you would have been going to OSH?"

"Pretty much. Now I just come to cram school to get use to being in a class enviroment while getting to know about life in the city so I won't stand out so much when I finally attend college. I also apply for any academic contest for scholarships for college. I guess you could say I was lucky I ended up befriending Erasa doing this process."

"It think it was more like Erasa was going around begging everyone there to help her." Videl reasoned.

It wasn't long after this that Videl phone recieve a text from Erasa questioning her dissapearence.

"It seems the party is coming to an end, I'm going to head back inside to help Erasa clear out the crowd. Thanks for getting me out of there. I guess since you did me a favor I'll let you leave since I'm sure Erasa believe you've already left."

"That's not really a favor you know but if you promise me you won't tell a soul about what I did then we could call it even." Gohan pleaded as they got out of the car.

"We'll see but I won't make any promises." Videl answered.

"Why?"

"Because you have already gone viral." Videl stated showing the teen her phone. She smirked as she heard boy sigh before bidding her farewell.

/

That's all for now tune in next time.