Return of the Legion of Terrorby KC
The fun house walls
muffled the tinny music outside, leaving only the sound of the air
conditioner's cold blasts rushing through the dark hallways. Black lights
made the paint on the walls glow, so that the entire hallway shone with
green skeletons and purple bats, along with a few reddish pink swirls that
tried to look like blood but looked more like squashed roses. Wooden planks
creaked under his boots as Vegeta wandered through the hall, cursing
Kakarrot, Kakarrot's brats, his brat, the Namek, the woman, and anyone else
he could think of for making him come to the stupid human carnival. "It's the last
day," he muttered to himself in a perfect mimic of Goku's voice.
"It'll be fun. There'll be food. There's a special show to close it
off." He kicked a soda can and listened to it crumple against the wall.
"Damn fools..." Pausing for a
moment, he raised one boot and stared at it, heavy and black with buckles
instead of laces. "And what the hell's wrong with my training suit? I
hate human clothes." Finished ranting, he
walked down the hallway until he couldn't stand the creaking floorboards and
floated a few inches above the ground, flying around the next corridor. To
his growing disgust, he found that the black lights also made the Capsule
Corps patch and strings on his jacket light up blue, along with the edges of
his jeans pockets. So caught up in his
glowing clothes, he didn't notice Piccolo until they bumped into each other.
They both backed up a few feet and dropped into fighting stances, growling
and standing straight when they realized who the other was. "Watch where
you're going, Saiyan," Piccolo said, hands still curled into fists. "You blend with
the green skeletons." Vegeta crossed his arms and looked away.
"What's your excuse?" "You're right.
I should've noticed an oversized firefly in this place." "Watch it,
Namek." "You seen
Gohan?" Piccolo asked, ignoring the threat for now. "He said he
was coming in here." "I passed him
on the second floor chasing the brats. If he hasn't thrown them through a
wall yet." "Shit."
Piccolo looked over his shoulder. "I just came from upstairs. I don't
think I can find the steps again." The tip of Vegeta's
hair swept by the Namek's throat as the prince floated down the hall. After
a few steps he heard Piccolo walking beside him, but he said nothing. Wood suddenly
crashed around him, and he turned just in time to see Piccolo's turban spin
in the air for a few seconds before falling down to where Piccolo dangled
halfway through a hole in the floor. Only his outstretched arms kept him
from falling all the way. "Dammit, I'm
stuck," he said, twisting one way and trying to push himself up. "I guess there
are advantages to flying through a funhouse," Vegeta said through his
laughter. I can't believe
this,
Piccolo thought, his face turning purple. "I won't bother asking for
help, you'll just blast the hole wider." "I wouldn't do
that," Vegeta said. "Gohan would be pissed if I dared touch your
hole." "You rotten
little son of a bitch!" Piccolo squirmed in his tight trap and strained
his muscles, craning his neck as if that would help. "Quit it with the
insinuations!" He threw a punch but only managed to sink a few more
inches. Still hovering a few
inches, Vegeta dodged the punch and laughed louder. "Oh, the urge to
kick the shit out of you is almost overwhelming." "I could say
the same." Piccolo finally gave up and broke through the boards,
disappearing beneath the floor before flying up again. "Damn
Gohan..." "Perhaps he'll
suffer the whip tonight, hm?" Vegeta asked. He dodged the next punch
and flew back several feet. "Now now, what would the Great Saiyaman say
if you destroyed more of this human freak show?" His entire body
tense and his ki glowing, Piccolo simply clenched his hands into fists and
strode past the prince, who watched him walk away for the few seconds before
the Namek found another weak patch in the floor. This time only his foot
went in, but the dip made him stumble and fall. "Maybe you'd be
better off flying," Vegeta said with a smirk, floating past him. "Gohan'll kill
us if we're seen flying." Piccolo stood up and jerked his foot out,
then dug around for his shoe. "But with the way you're glowing, they'll
just think you're part of the show." "And they
wouldn't care about a seven-foot tall green alien?" Vegeta said.
"You fit in here more than I do." Piccolo gave up
looking for his shoe and created a new one. Wordlessly he rose a few inches
into the air straight into the glowing blue spider webs on the ceiling.
Hissing as Vegeta floated backwards in a laughing fit, he scraped the webs
off his antennae and continued down the hall. "Trunks, cut it
out!" "I'm not doing
it, he is!" "Dammit, both
of you are doing it." Rounding the corner,
Piccolo and Vegeta found Trunks, Goten and Gohan all tangled up and caught
in the fun house's rolling tunnel. The three wore regular clothes, not their
training outfits, but piled on top of each other like that neither Piccolo
nor Vegeta could tell where Trunks' jacket started and Gohan's jeans ended.
Piccolo tried to think of something to say, but of course the prince beat
him to it. "Trunks, Goten,
quit it. You're making the Namek jealous." Three pairs of eyes
focused on Vegeta, or tried to anyway. The Namek didn't
waste time with words but swung at Vegeta, who blurred out of sight and
reappeared behind him. With a well-placed push, Piccolo went sprawling into
the pile. "Piccolo,
you're heavy," Goten said. "Papa, I can't
stop," Trunks said. "I'd fly, but I can't tell which way is
up." As the pile of four
of the strongest fighters in the universe cartwheeled, Vegeta crossed his
arms and watched them go round and round... ...until someone
bumped into him from behind and he fell between Goten and Piccolo. "What the
fuck?" "Get off me,
Saiyan!" "Goten, you're
squishing me--" "*gack*" "Vegeta, those
boots're heavy!" "Who the hell
pushed me? I swear, when I get up--" Vegeta fell on his front and tried
to push himself up, but Gohan, Piccolo and Trunks fell on top of him. Goten
landed on the pile just in time to topple off and hit the floor as the
tunnel rolled, four fighters falling on him. The indignity not to be borne,
Vegeta launched into what would have been an anthem of swearing.
"Goddamn son of a fucking bitch li--" "Hi guys,"
Goku said. "Sorry I bumped you, 'Geta." The five fighters
paused for a moment before the tunnel tossed them again. "Kakarrot,"
Vegeta said as Piccolo rolled over him. "Figures." Goku scratched the
back of his head as he watched them. "What are you guys doing?" "Dad, help
us!" Gohan yelled, trying to stretch one arm towards his father.
"We're stuck." Hands and arms
swirled past Goku, who couldn't tell one from the other, save for Piccolo's.
He grasped the first one he could and yanked out Trunks, who sat against the
wall and caught his breath. Next came Vegeta, who dropped down to the floor
and swept Goku's feet out from under him. He watched Goku land on his back
and lay dazed for a moment. "Ow..." "Geez, papa,
you didn't have to drop him like that," Trunks said, standing up again.
He helped Goten out of the tunnel. "You okay?" "As soon as you
stop spinning." Goten leaned against Trunks, settling on his shoulder
and sighing as he hugged him back. "Let's never do that again." "Yeah, that was
a bad prank." Trunks looked over Goten at Gohan. "Sorry for
jumping ya, Gohan." "Sorry? You're
never sorry, you--" Gohan tried to crawl out, but his legs tangled in
Piccolo's cape and they both flopped on each other. "Don't
apologize," Vegeta told his son, ignoring Goku as he stood up.
"They probably like it." Growling louder,
Piccolo narrowed his eyes. "You rotten little--" Gohan landed on top
of him, his legs straddling his green chest. "Woo hoo,"
Trunks yelled, pumping one hand in the air. "Ride 'em cowboy!" "Trunks, cut
that out--er, Piccolo, watch your hands--dad, help us!" "Ewww,"
Goten said. "An incestuous threesome." "What?!" "Hands off my
mate," Vegeta said, fisting one hand in Goku's hair. "Ow!" Finally Gohan and
Piccolo rolled out of the tunnel and onto the floor, this time Piccolo on
top of Gohan with their noses an inch apart. For a moment, they forget
everyone around them and smiled, touching their mouths together. Gohan
reached up and stroked Piccolo's antennas, while the Namek slid one hand
down Gohan's ribs, along his waist and hips, down to his-- "Um,
Gohan?" Goku tried to hide behind Vegeta so he couldn't see his son
making out with Piccolo. "Remember where you are?" While Gohan and
Piccolo blushed bright pink and purple, Vegeta tugged Goku down the hall,
careful to float through the tunnel this time. More glowing ghosts and
spiders appeared, along with a set of two hallways. "How the hell
do we get out?" Vegeta said, looking down each corridor. "I dunno,"
Goku said. "I just wandered down here. They're gonna start the show
soon, and I didn't want you guys to miss it." "Oh joy,"
Vegeta said, picking a hall and flying along it. "I
remember," Trunks said as he and Goten zipped by. "Down this hall,
take a left and you'll see the light at the end of the tunnel. Race ya
there!" Vegeta hesitated for
a second. The last time he'd gone down the light at the end of a tunnel, bad
things had happened. "Come on,"
Goku said, grabbing his mate's hand and rushing forward. "We can't let
them beat us!" His mate's yell gave
him no time to react as Goku yanked him down the hall past three startled
humans, taking him around the corner so fast his body went horizontal. Then
daylight blinded him and they were outside just in time to bump into Trunks,
who also held an unwilling Goten's hand and had to help the younger
demi-Saiyan off the ground. "Gee, I guess
we lost," Goku said. He turned to Vegeta and caught his punch on
reflex, seizing his other wrist before he could try again. "Vegeta,
calm down." "Let me
go." "Calm down
first." "Let. Go." Half a minute passed
as they stared at each other, Goku without his usual smile and Vegeta with
his usual glare. The prince considered transforming, but Goku wouldn't like
that and then he'd have to deal with a sulky mate for the rest of the day
and especially the night. He straightened and looked away. "Fine." "Aw..."
Goku grinned and tugged him close enough for a kiss, releasing his hands in
favor of holding his waist. "Love you, too." "Should they be
doing that out here?" Goten whispered. "I mean, out in the open
and all?" "No one'll see.
Everyone's heading for the show," Trunks said. He leaned closer and
nuzzled Goten's cheek. "Trust me." Halfway through the
kiss, Gohan and Piccolo came out of the fun house blushing even more than
previously. When they looked over at Trunks and Goten and found that pair
locked in their kiss, they exchanged their own look and shrugged. Piccolo
bent down several inches while Gohan stood on the tips of his sneakers so
their lips could meet. "Aaahhhh--"
*thud* The noise caught
Goku's attention and he broke the kiss, hugging Vegeta when he heard him
grumble. "Krillin?" They all saw Krillin
on the ground a few feet away just as Yamcha and Tien landed beside him,
their faces twisted up and their eyes wide. "Goku,"
Yamcha cried, "what's that bastard doing to you?" "Huh?" "You couldn't
have been kissing him," Tien said. "Tell me you weren't." "You were
watching?" Trunks asked. "The whole time?" Goten gasped.
"Perverts!" "Um, this isn't
how I wanted you to find out," Goku said, scratching the back of his
neck. "I was gonna wait until after the show to break the news." "What?"
Vegeta said, wriggling in his arms. "Without telling me?" On the ground,
Krillin groaned and pushed himself up. "Man oh man," he groaned.
"I musta been hallucinating. Goku and Vegeta, there's no way..."
He looked up and saw Vegeta caught in Goku's embrace. "Oh man...no
way...no way, man." "I get
it," Trunks said. "The shock must have knocked him out of the
sky." Forgotten and
ignored on the sidelines, Piccolo made sure that the humans weren't watching
before grabbing Gohan and flying into the air, leaving the stunned humans
behind. "I'm not dealing with this right now." "But
Piccolo-san--" "Don't you Mr.
Piccolo me," he said. "The last thing I need is to get caught up
in anything involving an angry ChiChi." "But
Piccolo-san--" "Dammit, kid,
Goku's my friend but there's gonna be hell to pay when Vegeta and ChiChi go
at it and I'm not gonna be there." "Piccolo-san..."
Gohan dropped his voice a few octaves. "We're all alone now and the
show doesn't start for another five minutes." "So?" "So...I brought
the whip." The Namek plummeted
from the sky and landed behind the House of Mirrors. Back at the funhouse
exit, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha all spoke at once, not allowing the Saiyans
or demi-Saiyans any chance to say anything. "Goku, you
can't be gay. I mean, I never saw you check anyone out when we were in
locker rooms--oh my God, were you checking me out?" Goku shook his head.
"No, Krillin, I--" "We all thought
you were just training with Vegeta," Yamcha said. "I mean, you
still love ChiChi, right?" "Well,
I--" "Oh my God,
ChiChi!" Tien slapped his forehead, avoiding his third eye.
"She'll flip. Or maybe she'll kill Vegeta. You aren't really gay, are
you?" "No way,"
Yamcha said. "That's not possible. I'll bet Vegeta's manipulating him
somehow. He's just using Goku." Krillin nodded.
"You must be right. Since you and Bulma are back together, Vegeta must
be desperate for any action." "Yeah, the
little slut's just after your body, Goku," Tien said. While Goten and
Trunks gasped, Goku tightened his grip on Vegeta not just out of concern for
his mate's feelings. Vegeta transformed a split second after Goku,
destroying his Capsule Corps jacket, and then Goku transformed again to keep
up with him. As his prince's sheer fury started to overwhelm him, he peaked
at level three and finally clamped down on him. The sheer power emanating
from them threw the humans flat on their backs. "Kakarrotto ze
ikune gado korashtam edd'me Tien-kette, Krillin-kette, sosoii wero Yamcha
ja'ta impachette--" Vegeta cursed, so furious he fell into his first
language. "You'd better
take off," Goku said to his friends. "He's not gonna calm down
anytime soon and you don't wanna know what he just said about you." "But
Goku--" Krillin said. "Go! He'll kill
you if he gets loose." The demi-Saiyans
took off when the humans did, but flew in a different direction before
Krillin could bombard them with questions. They passed over the carnival
games and the House of Mirrors just as Gohan and Piccolo finished and
collapsed in a tired heap on the grass. "Ewww,"
Goten said. "I didn't need to see that." "The Great
Saiyaman conquers all," Trunks said with a laugh. "Come on, let's
go find some seats before the show starts." "You still
wanna go? You know it'll explode when Dad and Vegeta get there." "I'll be
shocked if papa doesn't kill someone." Trunks opened his jacket
and revealed his Terror Twin mask and costume. "So I'm not gonna miss
this for the world!" ~*~*~*~*~*~ "Eckoto rana
ma'ze Yamcha ondoshe krukkon nikuu ezodo Tien na Krillin dezo hu'man kotoka--" "Vegeta, stop
it!" Goku body slammed his mate onto the ground, knocking the wind out
of him. A moment later he started cursing again. "Kakarrotto-kette
hu'man do ezodo--" Wow, he can cuss!
A blush sprang up on Goku's cheeks and he gave Vegeta a good shake, knocking
him out of his cursing streak for a second. "Listen to me, they're
gone. Calm down." "Fucking
shit-faced asshole cun--" "Enough."
Goku knew the language switch signaled Vegeta's cooling temper, but his mate
still thrashed like a child throwing a tantrum. "Or do I have to find a
lake and cool you off?" Chest heaving as he
breathed through clenched teeth, Vegeta's thrashing stopped but the growling
didn't. Goku chanced releasing one hand, and when his prince held still he
rolled off of him. For a few minutes Vegeta lay still, struggling to get his
breathing back under control. When he did sit up, his hands trembled as if
he wanted to hit something. Only an inch at a time did Goku scoot close
enough to gently stroke his mate's hair. "Are you
okay?" "I hate
you," Vegeta whispered. "They called me...called me...and you
didn't stop them. You should have killed them but you wouldn't even let me
do it." "They're just
reacting the only way they know how. You can't kill them for that." "Can I say it's
the only way I know how to react?" Vegeta closed his eyes, letting the
mounting tension headache dissipate. "It'd shut them up at least." "Killing won't
solve anything," Goku said. "Not here,
anyway. Death is the least permanent thing on this planet." "You say that
like it's a bad thing." Goku slipped his hand into Vegeta's, smiling as
his mate returned the grip. "Well...not
always." He sighed and let Goku pull him against his chest. "Don't
tell me you still want to go to whatever ridiculous show the humans are
planning." "We have to go.
If we don't, they'll think we're hiding from them." He stood up and
pulled Vegeta up with him. "Come on. Just let me explain things to
them. I'm sure they'll be more accepting when they understand how much I
love you." "More like
they'll yell at you and try to kill me." Vegeta shrugged and started
walking, arms crossed. "Fine. Let's get it over with then." Goku caught up and
put one arm around his mate's shoulders. "How about ice cream
afterwards?" "Hn." "Chocolate?" "You're just
trying to bribe me." "Is it
working?" "...maybe." ~*~*~*~*~*~ Neither in a rush to
arrive, Goku and Vegeta walked side by side past the games of chance and the
large sundial in the center of the carnival, joining up with Gohan and
Piccolo by the House of Mirrors. "Your shirt's
buttoned wrong," Vegeta said. A pink flush colored
Gohan's face as he redid his buttons. No one said a word
more until they arrived at a grassy field surrounded by stands filled with
humans. "I think it's
full," Gohan said. "Are there any seats left?" "Oh well, too
bad," Piccolo said. "Yes, we might
as well leave," Vegeta said, nodding. As they turned to
go, they both heard Goten's voice clear across the human cheering.
"Hey, guys, we're over here! And we got some good seats!" While the two Sons
grinned identical goofy smiles, Piccolo and Vegeta both scowled and grumbled
at once. "Great." Spotting the
demi-Saiyans on top of a high wall in the corner, they first walked around
the bleachers so no one would spot their flight. While they sat down, Goten
scooted over and sat on Trunks' lap, sighing when his mate put one arm
around him. Beside them sat Piccolo and Gohan, finished off by Vegeta and
Goku. On the field, the
announcer they usually saw at the tournament walked out and tapped his
microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen," he started, "welcome to
the Carnival Spintacular Grand Finale! There will be fireworks and
explosions following a special re-enactment of the battle against Cell,
featuring our city's champion, Mr. Satan!" As the crowd
cheered, the fighters on the wall groaned. "There'd better
be a lot of ice cream," Vegeta said, looking sideways at Goku, who
grinned and waved his hands. "There will
be." "Hn." "I swear. Lots
and lots of--" "There they
are!" The six of them
looked to their left as a small mob approached. Led by ChiChi, Tien and
Chaotzu walked to her right while Krillin and Roshi walked to her left.
Yamcha straggled behind listening as Bulma spoke quickly, her hands whirling
in the air as she explained something to him. On the field, the
announcer stood back as a rubber suit Cell walked out and struck a few
poses. "Intent on blood and carnage, the evil monster arrives and
immediately begins the assault." "Goku,"
ChiChi called up to him. "Tell me what I just heard isn't true!" "Um, what did
you hear?" Goku asked. "Uh oh,"
Piccolo whispered. "Here it comes." "That you were
kissing Vegeta!" She stomped her foot and waved a fist at him.
"Well, were you?" "Don't deny
it," Tien said. "I know what I saw. He practically had his tongue
down your throat." Goku felt his mate's
ki spike and he put his arm around him. "Don't hurt them," he
whispered. "Please." "I swear you
ask the impossible," Vegeta said, his eyes closed. Unable to hear their
conversation, the humans took Goku's move as sometime entirely different. "Geez, quit
flaunting it, willya," Roshi said. "Hugging him in front of your
wife, no less." "It can't be
his fault," Krillin said. "Vegeta must be using some kind of mind
control. No one'd want him otherwise." Vegeta hissed. "He's an
animal," ChiChi said as she nodded. "Goku, Gohan, get away
from--Gohan?" "Um, hi
mom," Gohan said, managing a tiny wave. The seven-foot Namek
tried to hide behind Gohan. "Gohan, what
are you doing with Piccolo?" She narrowed her eyes and looked back and
forth between Goku and Gohan. "Oh my God," she cried, stumbling
backward. "Gohan...not you, too!" Confused by her
outcry, the humans looked at the two pairs and spotted the similarities
between their postures. Gohan sat so close to Piccolo that another inch
would have had him on the Namek's lap. A look a little farther down showed
Goten actually on Trunks' lap, his head on his mate's shoulder as he nuzzled
the long purple hair. "Oh my
God," she whispered. "He's corrupted all of them." "I thought it
was my evil brain washing," Vegeta said. "Not that there's much to
work with in this group." "Hey!"
five voices chorused. "Goddamn
slut," Tien said. "Probably misses what he got from Frieza." A second later a
golden Goku and Gohan each held one of Vegeta's arms and held the level two
Super Saiyan between them, planting their feet firmly on the wall and
leaning backward. Vegeta howled and managed a step, dragging the Sons with
him. "Piccolo!"
Gohan yelled. "Help--" Before he could
finish, Piccolo grabbed Vegeta's waist and pulled back. Sadly he pulled back
too hard and they all went sprawling behind the wall that crumbled after
them. "Massive damage
and terror," the announcer on the field screamed, trying to be heard
over the small explosions set around the Cell look-alike. "A few
fighters come out of the woodwork to challenge his awesome might!" "Let me
go!" Vegeta screamed, sandwiched on the ground between Goku and Gohan.
"I'll rip out his eyes and shove them--" "They just
don't understand," Goku said. He grabbed Vegeta's wrists and held them.
"Killing them won't solve anything." "Stop repeating
yourself, dammit!" "What's to
understand about a cheating husband?" ChiChi shrieked. "What, you
bang the first Saiyan you see?" Sprawled dazed under
Goten and Trunks and a wallful of bricks, Piccolo groaned and raised a hand.
"Um, no, he didn't." "ChiChi,"
Bulma said. "Calm down. Yelling won't change anything. This is just the
way they are. They're Saiyan." "You!"
ChiChi turned on Bulma, scaring the genius into hiding behind Yamcha.
"You couldn't keep your little monster on a leash, so he tears my
family apart. He's stealing my husband!" "Leave my mom
out of this," Trunks said, looking exactly like his father for a
moment. "Stupid
bitch," Vegeta said. As he spoke, his words turned more into hisses.
"An unsuspecting husband you had to trick into marriage." "Bastard!"
she screamed. "Whore! Corrupting my husband and my children. You and
Trunks are evil, worthless sluts. Fucking like animals!" A ki flare caught
their attention and the humans looked at Goten, now golden and barely
restrained by Trunks. Piccolo sat up and wrapped his arms around the demi-Saiyan's
legs. "They're not
evil," Goten said. "How dare you say that about them." "How can you
defend them?" ChiChi asked. "Vegeta's nothing but a monster, he'll
never change. A worthless, evil slut and his son's no better--" "Stop it!"
Goten rose his ki to its limit, kicking out of Piccolo's grasp and nearly
breaking his lover's hold. "Goten, power
down," Trunks said. "You can't kill your own mother." "But
she--" "Power down,
dammit." Forgotten on the
ground, Vegeta abruptly stopped struggling. Goku and Gohan didn't let go,
but they did relax and catch their breath. To their surprise, the prince's
hair turned black against as he dropped out of Super Saiyan. He closed his
eyes, relaxed his muscles and breathed deep. "'Geta?"
Goku whispered. No answer. Gohan
pushed himself up and off of his father, watching him sit up with his prince
in his arms. "Is he awake?" "'Geta? Are you
all right?" Vegeta's eyes
snapped open and turned blue, startling Goku so much he let go. Vegeta
jumped to his feet, his ki still flying upwards, and raised one hand towards
Tien. All of the humans
screamed and scattered, but Tien stared in shock at the open hand glowing
brighter and brighter. He tried to step back but ended up flat on his ass,
his jaw dropping just before he screamed. "Big
bang--" "Gohan--" "I got
him!" Gohan grabbed Vegeta's arm and pulled as hard as he could. "--attack!" The ball of ki
whistled as it sailed through the sky, exploding high over the field to the
cheers of the audience. Cheers turned to isolated screeches as a few charred
pigeons and sparrows landed on a few people's laps. Without the time to
charge up an attack, Vegeta used smaller ki bursts, aiming at whatever came
into his range. Gohan tried to pull him down again but had to settle for
hindering his aim. A moment later he found himself on the ground with a
bloody lip. "Damn," he
said. "Forgot about his other hand." Someone behind him picked him
up, and he looked back. "You too?" Piccolo wiped some
blood from above his eyes. "Your brother's got a mean kick." "Finally,"
Vegeta said, narrowing his eyes at Tien. He raised his hand. "No!" Goku
flew in front of Tien and faced his lover. "I won't let you." Tears welled up in
his eyes, but Vegeta blinked them back. "But you'll let them--" "Guess I hit
the mark about Freiza," Tien said. "What'sa matter, Vegeta, didn't
like it when the little lizard had you?" "Tien,"
Goku said over his shoulder, "shut up." "Kakarrot,"
Vegeta said. "Move." "Or maybe...you
were pretty weak then," Tien said. "Maybe--" "Tien, stop
it--" "Kakarrot, get
out of the fucking way!" "He's not worth
it," Goku said. "You've changed. Your heart is good now. I won't
let you throw that away." "Just one dead
body," Vegeta said. "What the hell would one more dead body
mean?" "Everything."
Goku took a step forward, pausing when Vegeta stepped back. Taking a deep
breath, Goku moved close enough to lay his hand on his lover's cheek.
"I love you. And killing any of them would hurt you far more than it
could ever hurt them." Neither of them
noticed the screams or curses thrown back and forth between the two sides.
Goku stared into Vegeta's eyes until the smaller Saiyan turned away. "Not
fair," Vegeta whispered. "I'm
sorry." "I should pound
you into the dirt." Goku said nothing. "Hey,
Vegeta," Tien started one more time. "Which one was better, Goku
or Freiza?" A ki bolt landed
solidly in his chest, shooting him squawking across the ground and into a
booth full of fuzzy animals. Goku looked past Vegeta at their sons. "Goten!"
Trunks yelled. "Well, he
deserved it," the younger demi-Saiyan said. "Not fair at
all." Hearing his mate's
whisper, Goku looked down just as Vegeta's form blurred and disappeared. He
breathed out and closed his eyes. Even without seeing his mate's face, he
could feel his tears. "About time he
left," ChiChi said. "Goku, we're going home. Now." She faced
her sons and growled at their lovers. "Get your hands off my
sons." None of them moved. "Didn't you
hear me? Let go of them." His eyes wide and
locked on his mother, Gohan pressed himself against Piccolo's chest.
"No." Master Roshi stepped
forward and tapped his cane on one of the broken bricks around them.
"Now you listen to your mother, Gohan. I've known you since you were a
child, and this isn't like you." "You don't know
anything," Gohan said, his voice starting to shake. "This is
everything like me." He felt Piccolo's hands settle on his shoulders
and gently squeeze. "Gohan,"
his mother said, her voice low and her hands clenched into fists at her
side. "Get over here." "No." "Dammit, don't
you disobey me. You're not Saiyan, you're human, and you better start acting
like it. No more training, no more fighting, both of you. You're coming home
and acting like humans, and I'm never letting you see Piccolo, Trunks,"
she wheeled to face her husband, "or Vegeta, ever again." Sounds of the fake
battle between the actors in the field echoed through the stands, the cheers
of the audience the only thing any of them heard for several seconds.
Piccolo and Gohan stood still, both of them staring at ChiChi. Goku tried to
come up with a good response, but this type of battle was something alien to
him. The humans all waited for the Sons to move towards ChiChi. "Go to
hell." Krillin and Roshi
gasped. Even ChiChi's jaw dropped. "Goten?" "You're just
full of surprises today," Trunks muttered. "I'm not
leaving Trunks," Goten said. "And none of you can make me." "But
Goten--" "He's
right," Gohan said. He put his arm around Piccolo's waist and faced his
mother. "I'm half human, but I'm half Saiyan, too, and I'm not going to
ignore that part of me anymore. I'm sick of trying to be something I'm
not." "But
Gohan--" "The kid's not
the one cheating on you," Piccolo suddenly said. "So what's got
your panties in a bunch?" Gohan's jaw dropped.
ChiChi squared her
shoulders as if preparing for a fight. "What you're doing is wrong.
You're not the same species, you can't even have children." Keeping his eye on
ChiChi, Piccolo bent down to Gohan's level. "You never told her?" "How could
I?" Gohan asked. "I'd of had to say how I found out, and can you
imagine where that would have gone?" "He's
right," Goku said. "Hate me all you want, but this is their
decision. Neither of us can take that away from them." "Oh no,"
she said. "You do not get to be the good parent in this." "But he has
been," Gohan said. "Right, Goten? Goten?" They all looked
around, but the demi-Saiyans were gone. "Mm. Seems to
be the thing to do," Piccolo said. "Gohan?" "Yeah," he
said, nodding. "Let's go." "Gohan,"
ChiChi said, taking a step forward. "Gohan, don't you dare leave.
Gohan!" She watched the two fly into the air and disappear over the
booth where Chaotzu still tried to wake Tien. She looked back at her
husband. "Goku, this is all your fault." "I'm sorry,
ChiChi." He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I never meant
to hurt you." "You really are
an idiot." She turned her back and folded her arms. "Go. I don't
ever want to see you again." His shoulders
drooping, he rose off the ground and left. ChiChi turned around, her mouth
open to say something else, and for a moment nothing came out. "That
jerk," she said after a few stutters. "He really left!" ~*~*~*~*~*~ On the other side of
the carnival, Goten and Trunks sat on top of the House of Mirrors and
watched the little actors in the field go through the motions of bowing down
to Mr. Satan. Goten let his legs dangle over the edge while Trunks sat
cross-legged, wondering if his mate would eventually settle in his lap. "Trunks?" "Yeah?" "Is it okay if
I stay at your place for awhile?" "No." He
traced his fingers along Goten's jaw and tilted his head up to look at him.
"I want you to stay with me forever." "Thanks."
Goten gave him a shaky smile. "After what I said to mom, I don't think
I'll be able to go home anytime soon." "Silly, your
home's with me now. You don't have to go back at all unless there's
something you really want to get." He smirked. "And all your
favorite video games are in my...in our room." "Bulma won't
mind, will she? I mean, she seemed okay with this and all." "Mom's a
genius, Goten. She probably knew about all of us long before we knew it
ourselves." He watched his mate for a moment, then looked back at the
wall they'd demolished. Nearby, Chaotzu and Yamcha had Tien back on his
feet, but the three-eyed warrior wobbled as if drunk. ChiChi sat on one of
largest bricks and seemed to mutter to herself and Roshi, standing next to
her. He wondered where everyone else had gone. A ki signature
appeared behind him, and he turned around to find his father standing a few
feet away, arms crossed, watching the show on the field. "Papa?" "Vegeta?" If he heard them, he
didn't show it. He continued to stare at the mock fight between the rubber
Cell and Mr. Satan. The crowd cheered again as Mr. Satan knocked his
opponent down and planted his boot on the rubber chest. "You know, I'm
really in the mood to blow something up." "Even with
ChiChi and the others around?" Trunks asked. "Especially
with them around." "Cool." He
opened his jacket and took out the Terror Twins costumes, handing one to
Goten. He took one look at his father's face and grinned. "Here,"
he said, holding out the dark cloak and mask. "I brought yours,
too." "Hn. I hadn't
thought of using these. You really care if the humans recognize us?" He
took them anyway. "Them,
no." Trunks slid his mask on and adjusted it. "But mom and Goku
and Gohan would mind." "Good
point." Vegeta took off his shirt and pants, revealing black spandex
underneath. "Do you think
Gohan and Piccolo'll show up?" Goten asked. Now under his cloak,
Vegeta smirked. "Once the fireworks start, I'm sure the Great Saiyaman
will arrive to protect everyone." The three masked
villains took to the air. "Think he'll
protect Mr. Satan?" Goten asked. "Let's find
out!" Trunks said and he led the way to the field. ~*~*~*~*~*~ Clutching his
microphone and waving to the crowd, Mr. Satan strutted over the big-headed
Cell and placed his boot on the rubber chest. Scattered around for effect
lay the stuntmen dressed as big-headed Z fighters, each groaning loud enough
to be heard, but not enough to distract the crowd from their champion's
speech. "This was just
a tenth, no a hundredth of the real right," Mr. Satan said with a grin.
"You can't begin to imagine the sheer power of our fight, but I did it
for the good of my city. I knew that if I didn't win it, the whole earth
would suffer. The rest, you know, is history. I'm glad to see everyone's had
a fun time at the carnival and I sure hope you folks have enjoyed our little
show--" His microphone
exploded in a burst of sparks and flame. He gasped and threw the flaming
plastic down while the crowd screamed in their seats. Floating above the
field, three familiar masked villains closed in on Mr. Satan. "We didn't
enjoy your 'little show'," Trunks said, lowering his hand. "From
what I've heard, it's just a bunch of lies." "You never
defeated Cell," Goten said, his menacing voice a total contrast to his
grin. "You just showed up to take credit." A hush fell over the
crowd and everyone stared at Mr. Satan, who glanced around at his fans. "Now now,"
he said, waving his arms. "Don't tell me you're gonna take the word of
three masked villains. You just saw how the battle played out." "Your version
of the battle," Trunks said. He held out a hand and prepared a ki bolt.
"Let's see if you remember how to dance." "Legion of
Terror! Stop right there." The three turned and
found Gohan and Piccolo floating in front of them, resplendent in their
flowing capes. Around them, the crowd burst into cheers. "Saiyaman!
Saiyaman!" "Great Green
Bean! Great Green Bean!" "What the
fuck?" Piccolo asked, looking around. "They renamed
you," Vegeta said. "You switched sides, after all." "Hey, aren't
those clothes different from the ones you had before?" Trunks asked. "Must be nice
to create your clothes out of thin air," Goten said. "Knowing
them," Vegeta said, "they probably had to." "Hey!" "Oh, for the
love of...Legion of Terror!" Ignoring his purpling lover, the Great
Saiyaman struck several moves while speaking. "Didn't you learn from
our last battle that you can never win? Good will always vanquish
evil." "But until
then," Trunks said, "evil's a lot more fun than good." "You'll find it
a lot more painful," Gohan said, cracking his knuckles. "The evil
are always thrashed for their punishment." "But Saiyaman,"
Vegeta said with an exaggerated bow that told Gohan the prince was mocking
him, "shouldn't liars be punished as well?" "Well...yes, I
suppose so." "Then what
about him?" He pointed at the city's champion. "Shouldn't the
great Satan be able to defeat us on his own? In fact, why are you even
coming to his rescue? If he was strong enough to defeat Cell, then we should
be no problem at all." "Don't worry
about me," Mr. Satan said. "I've got no problem letting these
younger heroes share the spotlight." "Actually, I'm
more worried about the crowd," Gohan said, earning sighs and squeals of
love from the girls in the audience. "You three aren't exactly known
for your restraint." While Gohan blushed
under his mask at the swooning girls, Piccolo took the opportunity to glare
at Vegeta...and he caught the Saiyan's prince's wink. Nodding once, he laid
his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Relax, kid. They're just gonna make a
fool outta Mr. Satan." "But that's not
right--" "Stupid
brat." With a low growl, Vegeta leaned forward and whispered just so
they could hear. "That jerk is a liar and a coward, and he always
pretends that all of us are weaklings, especially you and Kakarrot. Get a
backbone and defend your family's pride." "For once, I
agree with short shit there," Piccolo whispered. "Trust us. Stand
back and pretend you wanna watch the champion in action." "More like
champion inaction," Gohan whispered. In a loud voice, so the entire
crowd could hear, he said, "Thanks for the kind offer, Mr. Satan, but I
know you can take these guys easy, and I'd love to see the champ in action.
I'll just guard the crowd if that's okay with you." Without giving him
time to answer, Gohan and Piccolo backed off to float above the crowd. "Wh-what?"
Mr. Satan backed away several steps until he heard the crowd murmuring. Shit,
I'm really gonna have to do this. Well, maybe I could even the odds, or if I
can't do that, at least I'll have something to fall back on. "Well
now, I don't mind fighting you, but isn't three against one kind of
unsportsmanlike?" "Oh, of
course," Vegeta said far too innocently. "That's why only the
brats here will fight you. Even you should be able to defeat a couple of
teenagers." He glanced at the boys. "Tear him apart, brats." "Papa?"
Trunks whispered. "Aren't you gonna help?" "Yes, I'll be
keeping those annoying humans off your back." "Which
humans?" Goten asked. "Those
ones," Vegeta said, pointing down the field. Everyone turned to
see what he was looking at and gasped at the pack of fighters flying across
the field, one of them an old man riding a cloud and another a seeming
midget, with one female running after them. A three-eyed fighter weaved
through the air and a short clown followed behind. "You son of a
bitch!" Krillin yelled. "You leave him alone!" With one more glance
to make sure that Gohan and Piccolo wouldn't join the fight, Vegeta turned
his full attention to the humans. "It seems you five are underdressed.
You've forgotten your masks. Well, except for the clown, of course." "I'm not a
clown!" Chaotzu yelled, coming to a stop several yards away. "Keep
him busy, guys. Just buy me a little time." "Right,"
Tien said. When he saw Tien
charge, Vegeta smirked and held up one hand. "Ah, just the human I
wanted to see." As he aimed, he felt a prickling in the back of his
mind, and he looked up at Chaotzu. "Oh, does the little clown want to
get inside my head? Halfway between
Chaotzu and Vegeta, Tien stopped and gasped. "Oh no, he's sensed
him!" "Here then, let
me help you." Vegeta closed his eyes and pushed a few choice memories
forward, forcing them towards Chaotzu. "Come and see the hell in my
mind!" With a scream that
seemed too loud for such a small body, Chaotzu bent backwards and grabbed
his head, trying to shake out the images. Alien cities that once touched the
sky exploded into gravel, body parts blasted into the air and intelligent
life forms reduced to kabobs on the fires fueled by their libraries. He
screamed again and fell out of the sky. Tien caught him and set him down
gently, but he continued to moan as if caught in a nightmare. "What's the
matter?" Vegeta said. "Didn't like the guided tour?" "Frying pan
attack!" ChiChi screeched. "What the
hell?" Vegeta looked down just in time to dodge an iron pan sailing
where his head had been. "Crazy woman! You brought that to a
carnival?" "I brought
twenty more of 'em," she said, flinging another. As he dodged that
attack, he sensed someone trying to sneak up from behind. With battle-honed
reflexes, he caught the pan, whirled around and smacked Roshi off of his
nimbus. A yell to his left tipped him off that Krillin was trying now, and
he sent a ki bolt towards the smaller fighter. As the ki exploded around
him, ChiChi screamed and Roshi, now on his ass in the grass, gasped at plume
of smoke. Tien raced to help his friend. Krillin's charred outline came into
view, followed by a smoldering shirt, burned jeans and a dazed look on his
face. And no hair. "Oh no,"
Krillin said as he patted his head, feeling for hair but only dislodging
cinders. "Eighteen's gonna kill me. She'll think I shaved it off
again." "Well,"
Vegeta started, "since not getting any is your requirement for being
gay, I suppose you'll be after Roshi any time now." Now a few inches
from Krillin, Tien suddenly backed away. Krillin scrunched up
his face. "Ewww..." "Hey!"
Roshi said, standing up. "I may be old, but I've still got it." He
wiggled his hips and grinned. "Oh my
God," ChiChi said. "Now he's corrupting Krillin and Roshi." "I'm not
corrupted," Krillin said. "I'm not I'm not I'm not!" "You're just in
denial," Vegeta said. "Soon you'll be leaving Eighteen for
Oolong." "No!" On the sidelines,
Piccolo turned greener than usual. "I did not need that mental
image." Half a second later, he caught a frying pan in the face. Only
Gohan's outstretched arm kept him from falling into the stands. "Uh, good
catch, Great Green Bean," Gohan said. "That pan might've hit
someone." Piccolo flung the
pan to the ground. "I think I liked being evil better." ~*~*~*~*~*~ A few seconds into
Vegeta's battle, Trunks and Goten turned to face Mr. Satan, who trembled so
much his afro shook. The half of the crowd not watching the first fight
stared at their champion, wondering when he'd destroy the two villains. The
remaining actors waddled off the field as fast as they could, but their huge
rubber heads weighed them down. "Now look, you
two," Mr. Satan said. "I don't want to hurt you. You're not really
that bad, are you? I'm sure you're good kids, underneath those masks." "Of course
we're good. We're not liars," Goten said. "Well,"
Trunks said, "not most of the time." "We don't take
credit for other people's battles," Goten said. "And we don't try
to belittle anyone stronger just because we're jealous." "Well, maybe
dad does," Trunks said. "I heard that,
brat!" "And unlike
you, we're just as powerful as we say we are!" Goten shot a massive
blast at Mr. Satan, sending the champion and a huge divot of earth into the
air. The champion landed
with a thud on the rubber Cell, bouncing both of them into the air. Gohan
caught Rubber Cell and set him in the stands, but Mr. Satan hit the ground
again, and this time he didn't bounce. "Ow..." "One hit?"
Goten said, flying down until he floated inches above the champion.
"That's all it took, one lousy hit?" "Maybe we
should give him more of a chance," Trunks said, nudging Mr. Satan with
his boot. "He's just human, after all." "Ewww, I don't
wanna touch him," Goten said. "Well one of us
has to hit him." "You do it,
then." He looked at Mr. Satan. "That is, if he's still
alive." With a groan, Mr.
Satan pushed himself back on his feet, gathering strength as the crowd
cheered. "That's it, no more tricks out of you. If you wanna fight,
then fight me on the ground. Unless you're too much of a coward--" "What did you
call me?" Trunks said, floating to the ground. "Uh-oh."
Goten backed away and stood beside his brother. "You
okay?" Gohan asked. "What're you doing over here?" "He called
Trunks a coward." He glanced up at his brother. "He takes that
about as well as his dad." Both Piccolo and
Gohan looked at Trunks, who glared at Mr. Satan with the same look Vegeta
had in fights to the death. "Uh-oh." "You think
you're so strong," Trunks said. "Come and fight me, then!" "Gladly."
Mr. Satan reached his fist back, screamed as loud as he could, and slammed
his fist into Trunks' chest. A second later, he
crumpled to the ground cradling his shattered hand, sobbing something about
smoke and mirrors while Trunks crossed his arms. "What's the
matter, fool? Your brat not here to save you this time?" "Whoa,"
Gohan said. "He's just like his father." "That's
disturbing," Piccolo said, glancing between father and son. "It's
like there's two Vegetas." A ki blast took
their attention back to Vegeta, who spouted a long stream of curses while
trying to blow up Tien. He aimed between Tien's three eyes, but a flying
frying pan blocked the hit. The next shot took off Krillin's shirt, which
made Tien avoid the short warrior even more. "Don't come
near me," Tien said, keeping just out of Krillin's reach. "You're
half naked." "It's not my
fault," Krillin said. "It's just the fighting, that's all." While the two
argued, Vegeta aimed again, but the nimbus flew into his face. He could
still feel Tien's location, but when he fired and the smoke and cloud
cleared, Tien had merely lost most of his pants. "Shit!"
Vegeta yelled. "If I could just kill you and be done with it." He
flew back to the ground and flung one of ChiChi's pans back at her. The rest of the
fighters dropped out of the sky and into fighting stances, surrounding him.
ChiChi screamed once and all of them charged, frying pan or cane or
smoldering fists at the ready. A second later they bounced back to the
ground, scattered as Vegeta put his arms out and expanded a huge bubble of
ki around himself. "Come on,"
Krillin said, struggling to stand up again. "We gotta stop him. Goku
and Goten and Gohan, they're counting on us." With a weary nod,
Roshi also sat straight, spitting out a little blood as he did. "You're
right. They're so far gone they're not even trying to stop Vegeta." "I'll do
it," ChiChi said, using her last frying pan as a makeshift cane.
"For the manhoods of my sons and my husband." "And to stop
Vegeta's perverse corruption," Tien said. "Dammit! Stop
calling me perverse!" Vegeta stomped one boot on the ground, looking
like Trunks used to when throwing a mild tantrum. Shockwaves rippled
through the dirt like water, radiating from his boot towards the stands.
Anyone standing fell, and Trunks flew off the ground as he watched the dirt
twist up under the stands and then settle down again. The crowd fell silent,
until a moment later when the stands creaked and tilted one way before
finally collapsing. "Oh no,"
Gohan said, looking around at the audience. "Is anyone hurt?" "The seats
weren't very high," Piccolo said. "The only ones who'll get worse
than a splinter are the fat ones, and I bet they bounce." "Piccolo!" "Damn."
Vegeta glanced at the crumbled stands and the humans gradually standing.
"Those're some cheap seats." "Vegeta." The familiar voice
made him whirl around. Goku hovered a few feet above him, coming down to
stand in front of his prince. "About time you
showed up," Vegeta said, crossing his arms. "Done sulking?" Without a word, Goku
looked at the demolished stands, the groaning humans, sobbing Mr. Satan and
the Z fighters on the ground. He glanced back at Vegeta. "Don't look at
me. They struck first." "And the
audience?" "Blame the
carnival's crappy seats." "It's
okay." Goku smiled as his prince looked away. "I know you didn't
mean to do that. What about Mr. Satan? He looks like he's in pain." "He lost a
fight with our brats." "Ah." Goku
brushed his fingers along Vegeta's cheek, the cloak hiding his face.
"This has to stop." "Why? I'm not
done with them yet," he said, jerking his head towards the fighters. "Vegeta, they
just don't understand--" he stopped as his mate pulled back, his eyes
sparking with excess ki. "No, I don't
understand how you can stand there and let those humans insult your mate and
your sons." "Just give them
time--" "You low class
son of a bitch..." Vegeta raised his hand, palm out, towards the crowd. "No!" Goku
tried to jump forward, drag his arm down, anything to stop him. Across the
field, Gohan and Piccolo, Goten and Trunks, even the Z fighters, screamed as
they realized what was about to happen even as they knew they couldn't stop
it. The ki gathered in
Vegeta's hand, spinning into a glowing ball, then launched across the
ground, racing towards the stands... ...and slamming Tien
right between the eyes, bouncing him over the stands and into a cotton candy
cart. While everyone
gawked or breathed a sigh of relief, Vegeta slammed a fist into Goku's
stomach, leaving him on his knees on the ground as he zoomed out of the
field and into the empty carnival. "Dad!"
Gohan helped his father stand straight. "Are you all right? I can't
believe he sucker punched you like that." "He's just
hurt," Goku said. "I think it's been a bad day for all of
us." "Yeah. At least
he didn't kill anyone." "He really held
himself back." Goku took a deep breath and glanced at the humans on the
ground. "I'd better go after him. Can you--" "--see to
anyone's injuries, and get the brats home?" Gohan grinned. "No
problem." "Thanks. Um,
wait." Goku rubbed the back of his head as he looked at ChiChi.
"Maybe you and Goten shouldn't go home." "Dad."
Gohan put his hand on his father's shoulders. "I know. I'll stay with
Piccolo, and I'm sure you and Goten can stay at Capsule Corps." "You think
Bulma won't mind?" "I know she
won't. She was defending us, remember? And whatever she said to Yamcha, it
kept him from joining Krillin and Tien and Roshi. Go on." He pushed
Goku forward a few inches. "Before Vegeta levels the carnival." "Yeah. See ya!"
Goku disappeared after his lover, leaving Gohan and Piccolo with a mess of
humans and broken wood. A few feet from the
wailing champion, Trunks stood with his eyes shut, arms crossed, motionless.
He felt Goten's ki come closer, but he didn't move. "Trunks? Are
you okay now?" "I..." He
sighed and lowered his head. "Still a little pissed." "No kidding. I
don't think he'll be getting up anytime soon." Goten put his arm around
his mate's shoulders. "Come on, I think we'd better leave now." "Why the rush?
There's still plenty of cotton candy to grab." "No, Tien's in
that. But I'm not in the mood to fight Videl whenever she gets around to
coming here, and Gohan's got that look in his eye." "What
look?" "That
get-out-of-your-villain-costumes-and-help-me-clean-this-mess look." Trunks grimaced.
"Yuck. Let's go." He grabbed Goten's hand and flew up, dragging
his mate behind him. "Oh wait, I just remembered something." After
a quick survey of the field, he spotted several rockets lined up behind a
high security fence. "There they are." He sent a few ki blasts to
light the rockets all at once and then dashed out of the line of fire as
hundreds of fire works went off in a huge blaze. "Trunks! Goten!
Get back here!" ~*~*~*~*~*~ Still rubbing his
sore stomach, Goku followed Vegeta's ki past the rigged carnival games,
through the food booths and into the Fun House. He gave a silent thanks that
the walls had no scorch marks and that the walls were still standing.
"Vegeta?" "Leave me
alone!" Two ki bolts zapped
out of the darkness and set the ends of his hair on fire. He pinched them
out and ran inside. "Come on,
Vegeta, don't be like this." He rounded a corner and spotted the edge
of his lover's cloak going around another turn. "Like
what?" Vegeta's voice echoed in the empty halls. "Pissed that my
mate won't let me kill someone who insults me? That he won't kill them
either?" "Vegeta..."
He ran past the glowing skeletons and bats, and turned another corner to see
someone facing him. He stopped, and the other person stopped. Without enough
light to see this stranger, Goku only felt more nervous when he realized he
felt no ki besides his own. He took a step and paused as the other stepped
with him. After a deep breath, he charged towards the dark figure and
collided against the wall, the sound of glass breaking around him.
"Stupid mirror." When he stood up
again, he found that he'd lost Vegeta's ki. "He must be repressing
it." He walked down the halls, looking down the dark corridors for
stairs or a way out. "Vegeta? Are you in here?" "I'm here,
fool!" Crashing through the
wall beside him, Vegeta gave Goku another good punch and flew down the hall
inches from his mate's outstretched hands. With the wind knocked out of him,
Goku slowly fell behind until he struggled to keep Vegeta in sight. Then
Vegeta disappeared. "What
the...?" He turned to look behind himself, but his mate hadn't
backtracked. He backed up the hallway and stepped through a large hole in
the floor, sending him crashing to a hidden basement. "Ow."
Glowing demon faces and red eyes told him this was part of the fun house,
probably still under construction. Only the blacklight reaching through the
hole lit the glow paint and gave him something to see by. "Clumsy
idiot." Goku looked up and
saw Vegeta standing away from the lights, arms crossed. "Come on,
Vegeta. I wanna go home." "Go to
hell." "I know they
hurt you," Goku said, standing, "but if you don't stop being
angry, it'll just keep hurting you more--" "Don't you dare
lecture me about pain!" Vegeta took a step back. "I've lived with
more pain than you'll ever know. My anger's all that's kept me sane." "I know."
Goku held out his hand. "But you--" "Fuck you and
your weak platitudes!" Vegeta raised his hands and fired dozens of ki
blasts. "I'm sick of you. I hate you!" Even with his arms
in an X block, several blasts still burned away Goku's clothes and grazed
his skin. He winced and fired his own bolt, focusing on Vegeta's hands. It
caught his prince by surprise, exploding one last blast in his face and
throwing him backwards. "Fine."
Goku straightened, his face cold. "If this is the only way you'll stop
throwing a tantrum--" He stopped when he saw his mate's face. The cloak
and mask were gone, letting him see the tears flowing down Vegeta's face. A
second later, Vegeta was up and running again. "Oh no..."
Without any light to guide him, he bumped into wall after wall, finally
walking with one hand stretched out and the other on the wall. He walked for
several minutes, feeling Vegeta's ki around him but unable to find him in
the maze. A blast sounded to
his left, and Goku realized Vegeta had tired of wandering and decided to
leave through his own door. Goku sighed and raised one hand, about to create
his own door, when the wall in front of him burst apart and Vegeta flew
through. He wrapped his arms around Goku's waist and pressed his face
against the larger chest, closing his eyes tight. "Vegeta?"
Goku looked down the newly created hall. After a moment, he figured that the
hole Vegeta had created had let in some black light, which illuminated a
painting that hadn't been visible before. Several purple
tentacles floated around a demon the painter hadn't finished, leaving it
just a white figure with pink and purple spots. In fact, the tentacles
looked more like large worms, and the placement of some of them around the
demon... Goku knew now why
worms frightened Vegeta. With a loud sigh, he
put his arms around his mate and gently squeezed. "It's all right. It's
just a painting. It's not real." He watched Vegeta look over his
shoulder at the design, then press even closer. "Must've startled the
heck out of you, huh?" "Mm." "Come on. Let's
go home." He touched his fingers to his head and concentrated, taking
them back to their shared bedroom. He sat down on the bed and pulled Vegeta
into his lap, stroking his hair. After a moment, Vegeta relaxed and leaned
against him. "It's all your
fault," he said, his voice muffled against Goku's neck. "Huh?
Why?" "Your dumb idea
to go to that carnival." "I'm
sorry." Goku brushed a few tears from his love's eyes and hugged him.
"I didn't think that would happen." "Obviously."
He took a deep breath and stifled a few hiccoughs. "You promised ice
cream." "Oh yeah. I'll
go get it." One more nuzzle, then he eased out from under Vegeta and
went to the door. "Kakarrot." "Yeah?" "I'll be in the
living room." Vegeta stood up and walked to the window. "Um,
okay." Goku watched him fly out the window and out of sight. With
another sigh, he walked downstairs to the kitchen, nearly tripping over
Yamcha, who lay stretched out on the ground. "Yamcha? What're you doing
down there?" "Huh?"
Yamcha looked up at him and gave a half-grin. "Oh, Bulma lost an
earring under the fridge." "Oh." Goku
stepped over him and opened the freezer, pulling out a white bucket of ice
cream larger than his head. "Why didn't you just pick the fridge
up?" With both of his
hands under the fridge and dust particles in his hair, Yamcha blinked and
looked at him. "Good question. Could you lift it up for me?" "Sure."
Goku set the bucket down and picked up the fridge. Gleaming in the dust lay
a green circle. "There it
is." Yamcha grabbed it and stood. "Hey, uh...Goku?" "Yeah?" He
picked up the bucket and moved it from hand to hand so it wouldn't freeze
his skin. "Um, I'm sorry
about earlier today. Bulma explained it to me, and um..." He rubbed the
back of his neck and stared at the floor. "I don't get it, but I guess
if you're happy with it...I guess I can learn to handle it." Goku smiled. "I
understand. I guess it is a little weird at first." "Yeah, I
mean...Vegeta, who'd of guessed?" "Stupid
human." Both of them jumped
back as Vegeta stepped in, grabbed the ice cream and turned to leave. "No,
Vegeta..." Yamcha braced himself as the Saiyan prince turned.
"It's not that. It's just...I just needed a little time to get it, but
the idea of any two guys together still seems yucky to me. It's just the way
I am." "Hm. Of course
it is. You're only human." Vegeta took two spoons out of a drawer.
"Does this mean I'm not manipulating the idiot?" "No, you're not
manipulating him," Yamcha said with a smile. "But maybe you have
him wrapped around your finger?" "Hm."
Vegeta couldn't stop his slight smile. "Huh?"
Goku looked at Yamcha and then Vegeta's back as the prince went into the
living room. "I don't get it." "Well, I better
get this back to Bulma," Yamcha said and all but ran down the hall. "Huh?" ~*~*~*~*~*~ When Bulma and
Yamcha came out later, they found Vegeta leaning against Goku on the couch,
half the ice cream gone. Trunks sat in the recliner on the side, eating a
pizza slice, and Goten floating upside down behind him, finishing off one
slice and going for another. "Goten,"
Bulma sighed, "can't you sit like everyone else?" "He
tried," Trunks said. "After the fifth minute, he got so squirmy he
started floating." Bulma sat down on
the opposite couch and patted the seat beside her until Yamcha joined her.
She lay down with her head on his lap. "What are you watching?" "A
comedy," Vegeta said. "Vegeta,"
Goku said. He looked at Bulma. "Reporters are grilling Mr. Satan and
trying to get Gohan to do an interview." On the television
screen, the Great Saiyaman backed up as the reporters followed him across
the field. "Great Saiyaman,
how did you defeat those villains?" "If Mr. Satan
couldn't defeat them, does that mean you're stronger than he is?" "Would you like
us to change our city's name to Saiya City?" "Great Saiyaman,
would you give our network an exclusive interview?" "Great Saiyaman,
can I have your baby?" A thud behind Trunks
told them Goten had just fallen to the floor laughing. In the background,
Mr. Satan screamed at the reporters from his stretcher as he was loaded onto
an ambulance. "Hey, interview
me, I'm the champion of Satan City and--" his eyes bugged out. "Ow
ow ow ow! Someone hit my hand!" A second later,
Piccolo stumbled into view, three screaming girls wrapping around his chest
and waist with another on his leg and a fifth hanging onto his arm. He tried
to shake her off, and in the meantime a sixth girl jumped on his back and
wrapped her thighs around his head. "Help!" he
yelled. "How do you get them off?" "Great Green
Bean, let me have your child!" "Are you green
*everywhere*?" "Why did you
change your costume? You look good in straps." "You're so
tall. Is everything about you big?" "Ooh, what do
these antennae do?" Piccolo's eyes
bugged out much like Mr. Satan's had done as his antennae were stroked.
Groaning and turning purple, he fell to one knee. "Help!" Choking on a slice
of pizza, Trunks struggled to breathe and laugh at the same time. "Um, excuse
me," Gohan said. He turned and fled the cameras, grabbed Piccolo's cape
and jerked him skywards. Girls fell off like overripe fruit and Piccolo's
eyes bugged out again as the girl's hands accidentally pulled his antennae. "G'han..." "Hang on, we're
almost out of camera range." "G'han..." "Boy, you sure
were covered in girls." "G'han!"
Miles up in the air, Piccolo pulled away from Gohan, tearing his cape.
"Dammit, you were choking me!" "Oh, sorry
Piccolo. Hey, um, it is okay if I stay with you, right?" He glanced at
the ground where Chaotzu and Krillin helped Tien out of the candy and Roshi
patted ChiChi's shoulder only to be clobbered. "I know Goten and dad
aren't going back, and I'm afraid of what mom might do if I did." "No kidding.
She's gonna be pissed for awhile." He laid his hand on Gohan's
shoulder. "You know you can live with me from now on." "Piccolo...was
what I did right?" He floated closer and hugged him. "I mean,
she's my mom. And Goten even cussed at her--" "Gohan, I know
you. You'd have married some girl and had a kid if didn't stand up to your
mother sometime." He cupped Gohan's chin and made him look up.
"Would you have been happy like that?" "Well...I guess
a son or a daughter would be nice, but..." he shook his head. "No.
I'd probably argue all day with any girl strong enough to deal with me, and
mom would probably make me live really close by. I wouldn't be happy. At
least not as happy as you make me." "And I like
having you with me all the time," Piccolo said. "Even if I have to
be the Great Green Bean some of the time." "Or a Torture
Twin?" Gohan grinned and switched out of his Saiyaman costume, back
into his jeans and shirt. "That girl was right, you know. You good in
black straps." Piccolo frowned. "And that mask
with a zipper. And the thong that rode up--" "That's
it," the Namek said. "I'm taking that whip to your backside." "I bet I beat
you back to the bedroom," Gohan said, flying away. A second later, two
golden streaks colored the sky, racing higher into the air.
~end~
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