Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragonball V: A World Both Familiar and Foreign ❯ Desperate Actions Call for Desperate Measures ( Chapter 33 )

DragonBall V: A World both Familiar and Foreign

Author's Note: Yes, it is here! The long awaited (5 months!) Chapter 33! Life has calmed down a bit and I felt I needed to write. So I read back over my chapters to refresh my memory of the little details. And of course I saw a few typos that remain but I'll worry about those later. For now, I want to write something new. And, by the gathering mob outside my door, I assume you all have waited long enough. So, here it is. Yay! Let me see if I have any questions that I need to answer before closing off the AN though… Ok, here's one. Kaeru: I have nothing against Yamcha. That will be apparent later on in the story. Give the guy a break though, he gets back from death and his girl is shagging the guy responsible for his death. That was a tough pill to swallow. Ghost140: No I don't think about sex 24/7, but I am a sexual person. I believe in stories showing all aspects of life, not just the ones that would get a PG rating. I'm responsible for what I write but you're responsible for what you read, as every other reader is. I figure if they don't want to read the lemon scenes but they like the story, they can skim over them or skip them entirely. Censoring them would be a waste and it's like telling readers that they're too stupid to decide for themselves what they want to read. I know it wasn't your point but I felt it was necessary to point that out. I haven't stepped up on my soapbox in 6 months, and FF.Net is still holding to their policy of telling readers they're too stupid to decide for themselves what they want to read despite all the safeguards they placed to keep you from reading it. It boggles my mind. Death Knight's Crowbar: LMAO… it's funny that some people are like Horrors, it's those evil bisexual women! NONE OF THAT! And others are like WOOHOO! I find that amusing, but expected. Firebird234: Nope. Teehee Vegeta won't be back for a while. And it likely won't be in an expected way. Well… except you psychics out there who read my mind. I pity anyone who reads my mind though. Haha. Ok, that's all, so… story time.

Required Disclaimer: I don't own the DB franchise, I've never worked for them, I'm not making any money off this, and I'm dead sexxy baby! Read and enjoy.

Chapter 33: Desperate Actions Call for Desperate Measures

Peasa frowned at Trunks and backed away slowly, keeping her eyes on him to watch for his attack. "You seem distracted today, little brother. Your form is horrible, your attacks are erratic and you don't follow through when you have an opening. If you need to take a day or two off, all you have to do is say so, you know."

Trunks dropped his stance and clutched at his ribs, feeling the ache of the large bruise the older full blooded Saiyan had given him earlier during their spar. He had let himself get distracted, and it had cost him. He was getting distracted much easier now than he use to, and the reasons left him feeling ashamed. "I'm all right. Just give me a few minutes to catch my breath." He grumbled out.

The Saiyan princess nodded and plopped herself down onto the ground, if the footing of the white expanse of the Room of Spirit and Time could be called such a thing, and ran her fingers through her hair. It was an entirely unnecessary action, as her spiky hair rarely moved out of place, but it had grown to be a habit. She allowed her mind to wander as she watched her foster brother wash his face and tend to his many wounds. Had she been born on Planet Vegeta, she'd have been amongst the Saiyan Elite. Given her natural talent with science and technology, she'd have likely served under King Vegeta himself, or more likely the Prince when he took power. She paused a moment at that thought and chuckled as she thought of what it would be like to be the prince's scientists and bodyguards, rather than his foster daughter.

Her gaze switched back to regard the lavender-haired princeling again and a barely repressed grin touched her lips. She knew she would have likely been chosen as Vegeta's successor over him, that much was obvious when they became bonded. A heavy sigh escaped her as her thoughts drifted on that subject, for now she was the official Princess of Saiyans, but that meant little to a nearly extinct warrior race. A tear trickled out of her left eye as she thought of Vegeta and she let it fall unimpeded.

Peasa then regarded Trunks and her thoughts focus on him. Lately her feelings for him had changed. She never would have admitted it, but when Vegeta was alive, she hated Trunks and saw him as her chief competition for the man's affection. It was also likely a reason why she never felt very close to Bulma. She could never bring herself to think unkindly of Okura however, and had no problems sharing the prince's affection with the little baby. But now…

"Do you want anything to eat?" Trunks asked, in his ever-polite tone.

"Are we done training for the day?" Peasa inquired rather than answering right away.

The demi-Saiyan blinked. "Uh… I hope so. You cracked one of my ribs."

"So?" The girl frowned at him. <How will he ever survive a real fight if he quits after receiving a minor injury such as that?> she wondered.

Trunks began to sweat. "So…" <Damn… she's going to kill me before I get out of this Kami-forsaken hell hole!>

"Fine, quit. Cook up some rice while I take a bath." She walked towards the hot tub, created by one of Capsule Corporations many useful Dino-caps and stripped off her clothes and sat down in the tub, sighing as the hot water soothed and surrounded her. "I can't believe that no one else thought to bring a hot tub in here. They all used that dinky little tub!" Peasa frowned when she felt someone slide down into the tub in front of her, and a moment later she felt toes brush against hers. "I distinctly remember asking you to cook some rice, Trunks." She growled out.

"There's some in the steamer. Chill out. Sheesh." The boy grumbled.

Peasa cracked an eye open and noticed him staring at her. "Something on your mind, Trunks?" She inquired.

Trunks coughed nervously. The Saiyan girl opened her eyes and gave him her full attention, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. "Well… I… um…" His gaze lowered so he was staring down at his own legs, blushing nervously.

"Just say it. You're beginning to annoy me." Peasa growled.

"IthinkImightbeyourlifemateandyou'redrivingmeinsaneIwanty ousobad!" He blurted out so fast it was barely understandable.

Peasa blinked.

"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Trunks pleaded.

Peasa blinked again.

"Or not. It's not my fault if we both miss out on a chance to find our mates." He stated in a dejected tone.

"You're actually serious." She observed.

Trunks shrugged and nodded. "Yeah."

"How long have you felt this way?" The Saiyan girl inquired, still trying to wrap her mind around this startling revelation.

"For a while now. I've felt… that there may be more there for us." The boy replied.

Peasa resumed blinking again. "And what do you propose we do about it?" The boy's gaze turned up to fix on hers, steady and intense. Peasa bit down a laugh before it erupted out, not wanting to hurt the lavender-haired prince's feelings. "Well, go for it then. If it's meant to be, it'll be."

Trunks' eyes doubled in size and he wondered if his ears deceived him for all of half a second, then he lunged forward, not having to be invited twice. His lips sought hers with a hungry passion, despite the fact that she was cringing away and trying to push him away a bit. "Wait. Slow down!" She finally managed to get out.

"I want you!" He replied in a whisper, reaching down to clumsily squeeze her breast, bruising the tender flesh. He pressed his lips to her neck and experimentally brushed his sharp teeth against the soft skin there. All at once the wildfire burning through his veins was extinguished, leaving him feeling cold and alone again.

"Satisfied?" Peasa asked, finally succeeding in pushing him away. She pressed her hand against her bottom lip that was bleeding from the boy's excited biting. She calmly stood, grabbed a towel, and walked away without another word or even looking back, leaving the rejected prince lonely and ashamed. The Saiyan princess shook her head and sighed, gazing out at the white featureless expanse surrounding her. Her feelings had changed for Trunks long ago, but they had not changed the way the boy's had. To Peasa, Trunks would always be her little brother.

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Hercule Satan, the current reigning World Martial Arts Champion, was hiding in the bushes from a band of Red Ribbon Army soldiers, sweating profusely and doing his best not to whimper. He scratched his head after a while and figured the men had gone another direction so he stood up and breathed out a sigh of relief. He stiffened and then jumped up a meter into the air after he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a RR soldier blinking at him in surprise. "IswearIdidn'tmeantodoititwasn'tmeitwassomeguywholookedjustlikemepleasedon' tkillme!" He was on his knees with tears in his eyes and pleading, unashamedly.

"I uh… didn't understand a word you just said there, Mr. Satan. I was uh just wondering, see my daughter is a big fan a yers, ya see. And I was asleep when you was bringin in all them supplies helping us soldiers out, ya see? So I was uh wonderin if ya would gimme yer autograph?" The soldier spoke with a thick accent and held out a pad and a pen with a big smile on his face.

Hercule stared at the man with his mouth hanging open and his eyes triple their normal size for a few minutes, then realization dawned on him so he straightened himself out and coughed, summoning his arrogant persona as if it had never left him. "Ah, sure. I was uh… out here training. Lemme see, I'll just make it out to… yeah yeah… is there an I in your hero? Eh… so… whatcha doin out here, soldier?" <Play it cool, Hercule… Hey, that rhymes! I wonder if I should write a song. I would rule the music scene as easily as I do the martial arts scene! YES!> He barely stifled a loud and boisterous laugh as he handed the autograph to the grateful soldier.

"Well we're out here, whattaya call it, looking for a moron that attacked our camp, ya see. We didn't uh get a good look at em, ya know? But he was a scrawny lil thing. We'll find em, fer sure." The reply came from the soldier.

"SCRAWNY!? Why I ain't… uh… doin nothing else, so I'll uh… head to your camp and volunteer my services. Least I can do, and all that." Mr. Satan coughed, glad he covered himself before he said something that would get him killed.

"Oh that's fine, the camp is uh just over this hill, ya know." He explained, leading the befuddled champ over the hill, and sure enough, straight into the Red Ribbon Army's base camp.

<All this time, been running in circles! Uh, I mean… surveying the situation. Yeah…> Hercule began to sweat again when he saw a few wounded soldiers standing around, but they all just nodded and smiled at him. Before long he was standing before Field Commander Indigo. "I heard you guys uh… got attacked. I figured I might as well help out, if ya need it. But since ya don't, I'll be going…"

"Actually, we could use your help. Would you mind watching over General Murasaki for a while? A few of the men who normally do it are injured and we're heading into town to uh… provide some relief." Indigo asked, looking the champ over.

Hercule blinked in surprise. "You… you want me to watch over your general!? But I'm a civilian… won't he be… uh… upset?"

"He asked for you by name. He was impressed with your willingness to help us out." Was the commander's reply.

<Damn!> "Ok." <DAMN!> The martial arts champion gave his best fake smile and watched the soldier's march off. He walked into Murasaki's tent and found the man deeply asleep, and a revolver lying on a table next to him. Hesitantly he picked it up and popped his head out of the tent and looked around, but only a few guards remained, and he could likely get away from them. He went back into the tent and looked down at the young general, fingering the revolver nervously. "One shot… and they would all likely disband. I could end a war before it begins…"

Murasaki coughed in his sleep and rolled over.

After freaking out for several minutes, the champ picked himself off the ground and dusted his clothes off and coughed nervously. "Uh, I was just stretchin… yeah, that's it." Hercule eyed the general, but he couldn't bring himself to shoot the man in his sleep. <What am I gunna do?> Mr. Satan wondered. Things weren't looking too good for the champ.

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Videl grunted in exertion as she climbed Korin's Tower. One hand moved up, then the other, then she was lifting up with her feet and finding a new and stable purchase. It was simple, mindless climbing. She paused a moment and held on tightly with one hand and leaned back slightly away from the tower and used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat out of her eyes. She had been climbing for hours and every time she dared to look upwards, she saw nothing but more tower far above her. But this time was different. 30 meters above her, there looked to be an entrance into the impossibly tall tower as well as a widened area that held whatever was at the top. Supposedly this Korin person and some magic water that would increase her strength as well as giving her a vital step towards being able to sense the energy of those around her, especially the top fighters of the planet.

She finally found the entrance into the tower and stretched out for several minutes, taking in deep relaxing breaths and letting her burning hands cool. Finally she sat up and noticed several pots. Curious, she approached them and knelt back on her heels and regarded the clay containers. She lifted on up and saw cool refreshing water inside. "All right! Jackpot!" She proclaimed, reaching down to tip her fingers into the water to scoop some up to her parched lips. She paused when images started displaying on the surface of the water.

She watched in fascination as she saw herself and Gohan competing in the last Budoukai. She stared in awe as she saw their moves with an observer's eye. Within moments she began to see the flaws in her own form and that of Gohan's. Their inexperience was startlingly apparent. She frowned as the images disappeared and seemingly normal water remained.

"Weird. Could this be the magic water? But where is Korin?" She wondered aloud. She lifted up the lid on the next pot and within moments images started displaying again. This time they were of Gohan and his father deep in conversation. She couldn't hear the words, but she could tell they were rather intense. The young boy looked close to tears and seemed to be pleading with his father and was only meeting with marginal success. Finally, Goku seemed to just give up and leave his son alone. Videl felt a hot tear fall from her eye, realizing father and son had a heated argument and the elder Son had just given up the argument and walked away. She could see the shame and fear in the boy's eyes, but there was nothing she could do to help him. The images vanished.

Tentatively she lifted up the lid on the last pot and as expected images started to play across the water. This time, a teen boy and girl were fighting intensely with movements so quick she could barely follow them. The image seemed to draw closer to the girl and she could suddenly that the teenaged girl bore a striking resemblance to herself. "Is this… me in the future?" She stared in awe as her face suddenly filled the water's image and was shocked to see rage burning in her eyes. The image switched to the boy and it didn't take a genius to realize it was an older Gohan, and the Saiyan boy looked sad but desperate. The future Videl lifted both of her hands up towards the boy and a moment later a red energy beam exploded from her hands and engulfed the boy. The image vanished before she saw whether Gohan was still in one piece or not. "Gohan! No! What the hell was I doing!?" She cried.

She settled back and looked between the jars again, but no more images appeared. She finally replaced the lids and frowned as she heard a faint tapping against the stones above her head. She turned and saw a staircase leading upwards so she climbed the steps, ready to meet the legendary Korin. She was shocked to discover not a powerful looking human warrior, but a small cat with a walking stick. The cat seemed to be grinning at her with his eyes closed.

"Uh… Mr. Korin?" Videl asked with uncertainty evident in her voice.

"Just Korin is fine, sweet heart. My, I've never had a girl your age successfully climb the tower before. Closest person to your age that ever climbed it was Goku. And I thought he was a special case." The cat observed, one arm resting behind his back. The posture reminded her of Roshi, who had said he would be waiting nearby and would know when her training was complete. She could have sworn he flew the plane up to the top of the tower, but she saw no signs of the old man now. "I believe you're looking for this, little missy?" He indicated a clay jar that obviously held water by the manner in which it was moving on the end of the cat's walking stick.

"The magic water? Yes, Roshi sent me to get it. It's supposed to make me stronger and faster and give me the power to sense ki energy. May I have some, please?" Videl asked with her sweetest smile.

"Aw, so polite. But, you get the same deal as everyone else. You can drink the water if you can get it from me." Korin replied.

"Why don't ya give her a senzu bean, you senile old fool! You're so rude, makin' people chase after ya after climbing up your tower." A gruff voice said from inside the tower.

"Yajirobe, kindly take yourself elsewhere while this girl receives her training. And take a bath while you're gone." Korin stated flatly, turning to regard the portly samurai with a scowl.

Videl restrained the urge to run forward and grab the water, unsure if she might be cheating. She noticed the cat turn towards her a bit and he seemed to smile, despite his expression not changing. She wasn't even sure he could see her, since his eyes were closed. <Is he blind? Perhaps my training is supposed to help me sense attacks coming even if I can't see. Should I wear a blindfold?>

"You can wear a blindfold if you like, but it's not necessary for the first round of training. Perhaps after you get the water from me and drink of it, you can receive more advanced training." The feline master offered.

Videl grinned and assumed a ready stance. "Sounds great. Let me know when to start."

She was interrupted by the sound of flatulence. "Sorry, sorry. I'm leavin. I forgot my lunch sack!" Yajirobe blurted out, grabbing a bag larger than himself and rushing off in a Capsule Corp. jet.

"GROSS!" She cried as the odor assaulted her olfactory senses, causing her to gag. "It smells like something died!"

"Tell me about it. I have to live with that every day. I wish he'd just go live with someone else. Uh… and feel free to begin whenever you're ready." Korin replied to her earlier question.

Needing no written invitation, Videl ran forward in a burst of speed and grabbed the jar. Or she would have, had it not disappeared. She stared at the air, where the after image of the feline master was vanishing with her mouth hanging open. "No fair! You're using holograms!"

Korin scowled and barely refrained himself from whacking her on the head. "I am not! Reach forward and touch my arm. See? I'm standing right here. Now, go for it." Again, he appeared a meter away while his after image started fading away with the girl grabbing at where the decanter was a moment before.

"Argh!" Videl cried in frustration, running forward and making jumps at Korin every time he reappeared somewhere. She kept this up for a good hour before she slumped down to the ground and gasped for breath. "I can't do it. You're too fast!"

The cat leaned against the wall of his tower and looked up at the sky through his seemingly closed eyelids. "You're trying to see me with your eyes, and not your mind. Feel me out with your other senses, figure out where I'll be after I move. Learn my movements and my breathing and anticipate. Roshi learned it, Goku learned it, and many warriors in the past learned it. You can too."

Videl scowled and wondered whether it was best to have some (regular) water to replenish her fluids lost to sweat, or to remain thirsty as a focus on the mystical water. She finally decided it would only weaken her to dehydrate so she asked for a water break. Korin chuckled and nodded and remained where he was.

After having a tall glass of water and using the bathroom, Videl returned. She had even splashed water on herself to cool down and was ready to begin again. As she passed him on her way out of the inner area of the tower, she noticed him looking upwards with a scowl on his face, the first emotion he had evidenced. She again resisted the urge to grab the water and moved a few paces away. "I am ready to begin again."

"Come at me then." The feline stated.

Instead of charging forward, Videl simply stood there watching him. Her gaze moved up and down him, she watched his breathing, and tried to feel him out with her mind. She jumped forward and made a grab, but paused just before she would have grabbed the jar and tried to the cat's movements. Instead, she simply saw a faint blur. "Ah… gotcha." She made to grab at him again and felt her eyes going unfocused as she saw his movements again. After several more grabs, she could clearly tell where he was moving to. The next attempt would succeed. Just as she was jumping forward, ready to spring in the new direction, someone appeared right in front of her. She collided with the taller person, who felt like chiseled marble, and fell to her knees. "OOF!"

"Oh! Sorry Videl. Didn't mean to interrupt your training. Korin, I need a senzu bean! I uh… accidentally blew a hole through Krillin's stomach when we were sparring." Goku laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. He smiled down at Videl, who was staring up at him with shock-widened eyes.

"Yeah, I noticed you guys going all out up there. I was afraid you'd interrupt my pupil's training, and I was right. You almost gave that poor girl a concussion, stone-gut!" The cat grumbled, tossing a bean to the clueless Saiyan warrior.

"Sorry about that!" Goku called. He leaned down and put his hand up so Korin couldn't see what he was saying and whispered to Videl. "He always makes three consecutive jumps when he uses the after-image technique. Watch for it!" Louder this time, he said "Thanks again! I'll be up on Kami's lookout if ya need me!" With that he disappeared.

"Darn you Goku! She's supposed to learn that on her own!" Korin shouted, shaking his fist while looking upwards.

Videl frowned and looked up and was shocked to notice what appeared to be a circular floating object high in the sky, just close enough to see from the top of the tower. "Gosh, that must be so high! It took me forever to climb up here and there's something ABOVE it!?"

Korin nodded. "That's Kami's lookout, the guardian of the Earth. Gohan and the others are up there right now, training. Maybe you can go up there someday, after you learn how to fly."

Videl scowled. "Gohan said he'd teach me after I learned to sense and manipulate ki… all right then, let's resume the training."

"I think I'll take a break…" Korin stated, stretching.

"This won't take long." The girl affirmed confidently.

A sweat drop appeared on the feline's brow, but he nodded sagely. "Then come at me." No sooner had those words escaped his lips then the girl leaped forward and made a grab at him. He vanished and reappeared a distance away and chuckled when the girl grabbed at his second afterimage.

She changed directions suddenly and was grabbing at him again. He jumped again and nearly cried out when the girl's hand was still about to close on him so he desperately made a fourth afterimage. He smacked directly into Videl, who pulled the jar off his crutch before he could recover. Korin scratched his head, amazed that the girl had learned the after-image technique and used it against him in such a clever manner. "Well, you got me. Frankly, I'm surprised. Even Goku didn't get the water that fast."

Videl grinned and pulled the stopper off the decanter. "So I can drink now?"

The cat smiled and nodded. "Drink up."

With a triumphant grin, the girl tipped the container up and gulped down a few healthy swallows of the water. She paused and looked down at her fists, but confusion passed over her pretty features. She tipped the decanter up again and drained it and set it down, but she still felt no change. "Did it work? I don't feel any different."

Korin chuckled and nodded. "Oh, it worked. But that was just regular old water. Your attempts to actually get the water were the real training."

Videl frowned and sat down, feeling frustrated again. "But I still can't sense ki."

The cat pulled out a scarf and tossed it to her. "Put it on. That's the next phase of the training."

With a determined grin, daughter of Mr. Satan tied the blindfold around her eyes. She stood up and readied herself. "Ready."

"Then begin." Korin said with a smile. He hadn't had this much fun in years.

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Piccolo grinned and looked out over the edge of the lookout, sensing Videl's progress. "She's going to beat you into the ground at the next Budoukai, you know." He observed.

Gohan frowned and lay on the ground and leaned over the edge, focusing his eyes so he could see the girl and not simply sense her. "She learns so quickly. I wish I could learn like that."

The Namek scowled and sat down next to his young pupil and patted him on the back. "Gohan, let me be honest with you. You learned more in a year then your father did in a decade. You have a natural gift of immense power, and you'd be on par with your father if you actually took the time to learn how to use it."

The young Son rested his chin on his hand and looked up at his teacher's green face. "But, you didn't see me when I lost control, sensei. I barely survived my own power. It was a miracle I didn't tear myself apart."

"You weren't ready for it then. You are now. How many times do we have to tell you this before you'll believe us? Look, I can understand that you don't want to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, but promise me you'll at least train. I may not survive the fight against Cell, but I'll rest easy knowing you will be able to take care of yourself. Ok?" Piccolo asked.

"I guess." Gohan stated in a non-committing tone. "I don't want to be a fighter, though. I want to be a scholar and make my mommy proud. I can fight well enough to take care of myself already."

The Namek groaned and pressed his palm over his eyes, seeing now why Goku had grown frustrated and left the boy alone. It was obvious that Gohan couldn't get talked into training, he had to decide on his own to resume it. And he had to be deadly serious about it. "I certainly hope that is the case, Gohan." <But I know it won't be.> The green man turned and saw the sympathetic look on Yamcha's face so he gave the former desert bandit a respectful nod. <Gohan could learn a thing or two from Yamcha. He's spent his whole life struggling to surpass his limitations, and even now, after not training for years, he's taken the mantle of defender back up and is making up for lost time with a vengeance. If only Gohan would be that focused, he'd easily be the most powerful amongst us. I bet he'd even surpass Vegeta in power. Now that would be a fight to see.>

His superior hearing allowed him to hear Krillin complaining about Goku's power and that he'd go train with Tien instead. He knew that meant the Saiyan would seek him out to spar with. <Who would have thought that Krillin would get scared off of sparring by Goku, after pairing up with Vegeta for all that time. Hmph.>

"Piccolo! You busy? I need a sparring partner!" Goku whined, approaching him with a silly grin on his face.

The Namek chuckled and patted Gohan on the back again one last time. "See ya later, kid. Your dad wants me to beat the crap out of him for a while."

"Have fun." Gohan offered, obviously deep in thought.

It took Piccolo a few moments to realize that the boy was looking in the direction that Cell was currently at. <Maybe he's not hopeless yet after all…>

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And thus another chapter comes to a close. Teehee, you all thought Peasa and Trunks were going to hook up. But it was not meant to be. Which will be a good thing, based on future happenings. I hope the chapter was worth the wait, and you can expect another one to come out before too long. I'll try to add a chapter to my NG: Evangelion story soon first, before adding another one to this. Besides, I gotta give you all time to read this one and post reviews and let me know you're still interested in what my imagination is coming up with. Next chapter: More training as the start of the big battle with Mr. Perfect… er I mean Cell, draws close. Also, the final part of the Mr. Satan vs. New RR Army storyline. The ending of which may surprise some of you, but likely not too many. Hercule isn't the most unpredictable fellow, after all. :-D Byebye for now! And please review!