Okay, so I was rereading this chapter just now and I got really insecure about it. I fear that it may not actually be as enjoyable as I first thought it was… But I'm updating it anyway since I did sort of promise to post this chapter today and the next chapter is not done yet… So if it's a disappointing chapter. I'm sorry. I will work hard to make the next one better!
Previously on Slave Soldier 2:
"Let's make a new deal." Gohan continued as he tilted his head sideways a little.
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "A new deal? What happened to the old one?"
"You broke it."
"Okay. What do you suggest?"
"I want full authority over everything that has to do with planet Earth." Gohan responded.
Vegeta nodded to show that he understood. "Okay. And what do I get in return?"
"I won't destroy your entire army right away." Gohan responded.
Vegeta laughed. "No, kiddo. That's not how we're going to do it. You know what I want."
"And you are well aware that I do not plan on living under your boot any longer." Gohan responded.
Vegeta took a breath. "Fine." The man held out his hand so that Gohan could take it. The half-saiyan responded as expected by grabbing Vegeta's hand. "I will give you total control over all the documents and information about planet Earth, and in exchange for that you will serve me as my second-in-command for the rest of your life."
"It's a deal." Gohan tightened his grip on Vegeta's hand a little more than he really needed to.
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****
Bulma showed an expression Gohan was not used to seeing, especially not directed at him. The young warrior wasn't sure what was supposed to convey. "Oh Gohan." Bulma whispered as she studied the young warrior. "Is this the world you've lived in for the past years?" She stated. "Cameras in your room? Soldiers that describe the murders you've committed? Vegeta in charge of your every move."
"That's just how it is, Bulma." Gohan brushed through his long black hair. The half-saiyan looked up at the camera again.
"But why aren't you doing anything about it?" Bulma pounded her fist down on the table, made a face as she realized the table was very hard and she waved her hand as she let out a pained sound. "Gohan, your father taught you to never give up even if the odds are stacked against you."
Gohan lowered his gaze. "Bulma…"
"No, Gohan!" Bulma frowned as she stepped closer to the half-saiyan. "Don't tell me that I don't understand. Don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about."
"Bulma. There's nothing you can do about it." Gohan responded as he met her eyes.
"But there's something you can do about it."
"I can't."
"You've changed." Bulma stated as she crossed her arms over each other. "Gohan, you're not the same person you were when you left planet Earth."
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"You think I've changed?" Gohan stopped walking as he stared at his best friend. Tobney stopped walking too when he noticed the expression on Gohan's face.
The older warrior shrugged again. "I don't know. You're just… less resistant these days." He said. The young warrior noticed the confused glance Gohan was giving him. "It's just that… I remember when you first joined the army and back then you would rather be tortured yourself than torture anyone else. Even when Vegeta actually started to torture you every time you refused to hurt someone else, you refused to do it. That behaviour is gone."
Gohan lowered his gaze. "So I have changed." He concluded. "Bulma is right."
"Don't be too hard on yourself." Tobney responded. "I probably changed too. Who wouldn't considering how Vegeta treats you." Gohan didn't respond as he kept his gaze lowered to the floor. "Gohan. Don't worry about it." Tobney stated as his white pupils studied his best friend. "Hey..." He nudged the half-saiyan and Gohan looked up at him.
"Sorry. I just remembered I still have to work on my list of rights and rules for that deal I made with Vegeta. I'll see you later?" Gohan didn't wait for an answer as he turned and walked back to where they came from. Tobney watched him go as he blew out a sigh. Well, that went well…
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Tobney took a deep breath as he looked up at the half-saiyan. "Gohan… I am planning on challenging Vegeta to a final fight for the ownership of the company. And I would like you to help me."
Gohan widened his eyes for a moment. "What?"
"Gohan, let's do this. We are the strongest warriors in the universe. Together, we can take him down." Tobney stated as he looked at the half-saiyan.
Gohan could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he got up. Tobney followed his example. "Alright. Let's do this. We're going to take him down."
Tobney grinned in response and the two shook each other's hand. Tobney blew out a sigh. "We are so dead."
"Yeah," Gohan grinned back to him, "at least we're going down together."
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****
"Good session, men." Vegeta stated as he eyed the group. Everyone was looking equally beat up and they would all have to visit the medical wing. "Alright. Comora, you will be leaving for Planet Quo soon?" He was asking about Kanda's planet.
Comora nodded. "We'll all go and spend the night at the castle." He responded.
"Sleepover!" Suno said cheerfully. "The perfect type of bachelor party for an arranged marriage!" He threw an arm around Tobney's shoulders. Tobney looked even more miserable than he usually looked when the arranged marriage was discussed.
"Good. Gohan and I will join you tomorrow morning." Vegeta responded as he crossed his arms over each other.
The Saiyan prince studied his subordinates. "I feel good about tomorrow. It will be a great day." He stated.
"I agree." Comora responded.
Moving on~
Chapter 26. Preparation for the Ceremony.
"Wake up, kiddo!" Comora's loud voice woke Tobney up early in the morning. "You're getting married today!"
Tobney opened his blue eyes and stared up at the purple ceiling. He already left for this planet yesterday because he would have to get up early today in order to prepare for the ceremony.
"Come on. Wake up, guys!" Comora was waking the rest of the Suta Team members. In an attempt to guard Tobney on the last night before the marriage, the entire team squatted in Tobney's room. They were spread out on the couches or they were lying on makeshift beds on the floor. The other warriors were now slowly but surely getting up while Tobney sat up too.
Tobney placed his feet on the ground as he sat on the bed. He leaned on his legs with his elbows as he hid his face behind his hands. His short blue hair fell over his ghostly white hands. It was really happening. And it was happening today.
Suno noticed Tobney's position and his face fell as he studied the younger warrior. His blue eyes focused on Tobney as he reached up a grey hand to scratch one of the numerous spikes on his head.
Itoro was looking at the same thing as he sat in his bed. He crossed his light-blue arms over each other as his black eyes with only two white pupils studied the younger warrior.
Comora noticed the sad postures of the two warriors and he followed their line of sight to Tobney. The man took a breath as he studied his youngest comrade and for only the briefest moment he was tempted to scoop Tobney up and fly away from this planet. The man shook his head. "We don't have time for this." He muttered before he looked to his comrades. "Get ready, you two." He ordered as he went to stand in front of them, cutting off the view of Tobney.
The two warriors nodded and they both followed his orders. Kaon pressed his dark lips together as he turned his light-blue orbs away from the youngest. His dark brown arms moved to tidy the couch he slept on that night.
Comora turned back to Tobney and he approached the younger warrior. His hand moved up in an attempt to place it on Tobney's shoulder but he reconsidered and lowered it again to instead place it on his hips. "I hope you're not crying?" He stated in a strict voice.
Tobney sat up as he lowered his hands. "Of course not." He snarled back. "I would hate it if the cameras would catch my puffy eyes."
"Don't worry. The makeup will take care of that." Comora shot back just as easily.
"Makeup?!" The 25-year-old groaned as he let his body fall back on the bed.
Comora laughed as he reached down and grabbed Tobney's wrist to pull him back up. "Let's get you ready for the ceremony, kiddo."
Meanwhile, on Vegeta's ship, Gohan and Sianna were woken up by someone banging on the door.
"Why is this door locked?" Vegeta's voice barked from the other side of the door.
Gohan closed his eyes as he placed his hands in front of his face. "Maybe we should just make this relationship public knowledge. That way people don't walk in on us."
Sianna made a face before she yawned. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."
"Gohan!" Vegeta's voice snarled. "Get the hell out of your bed!"
"I'll be right there, sir." Gohan responded out loud. The half-saiyan sat up and yawned before he got out of the bed. The young warrior pulled his body into a blue uniform while Sianna got dressed in her beige slave dress. The two exchanged a last brief kiss before Sianna went to stand behind Gohan in the smallest attempt to hide as Gohan opened the door.
Vegeta was getting two cups of coffee ready in the kitchen and he looked up when Gohan and Sianna walked into the room. "Ah," Vegeta's eyes lingered on Sianna, "so that's why the door is locked these days. Honestly, why refuse the red necklace if you're going to act the part anyway."
Sianna sent him a glare but she didn't respond as she went straight for the door. Gohan sent a confused glance to the both of them but Vegeta only shook his head. The man pushed a coffee in Gohan's direction.
"I do hope you're playing it safe." Vegeta stated as he watched Gohan grab the coffee. "We don't need any mistakes."
"Of course, sir." Gohan responded in a somewhat annoyed tone. The half-saiyan lowered the cup of coffee. "Besides, it's none of your business."
"You are part of my business these days." Vegeta returned as he grabbed his coffee. "You may be an independent elite soldier now but that doesn't mean you can disregard my plans with you."
Gohan frowned as he met Vegeta's gaze. "What plans?"
Vegeta only smirked in response. "Let's go. Take your coffee." He said before he walked to the doorway.
"Don't I need to get dressed?" Gohan asked as he watched Vegeta walk away.
The man turned sideways to the younger warrior. "No need. You'll get dressed there." He responded. "Now, come on. There's no time to waste."
"Get dressed there?" Gohan gave yet another confused glance. Why should he get dressed there?
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After a quick breakfast, Tobney was brought to a large bathing centre. The room was quite spacious as there were several baths located in it. Some smaller and others larger. The entire room was empty now. Only the largest bath in the middle was filled. Tobney noticed the fragrance gently wafting in their direction and he frowned.
Comora led Tobney to the bath. "Alright. Take off everything except your boxers and get in the bath." He ordered.
"Why keep on my boxers if I'm going in the bath?" Tobney asked, confused.
The corners of Comora's mouth moved up a little. "Just trust me on this." He responded as he petted Tobney on his shoulder before he gave the younger warrior an encouraging push.
Tobney blew out a sigh before he did as Comora told him. Suno approached the older warrior. "Did you tell him what's going to happen here?" He thought Tobney was way too meek for this.
"Nope." Comora returned. Suno couldn't help but laugh in response to this answer.
Tobney was thankful that the rest of the Suta Team took their distance from him as he crawled into the bath. They were talking in one corner of the room. Only Comora was standing near the bath to oversee him bathing. As if Tobney couldn't do it by himself.
"Alright." Comora said to his scouter. "He's in."
Tobney looked at Comora before his attention was drawn by the doors opening on the other side of the room. The boy's mouth fell open as he watched a group of people walking in. Alien women were carrying a table, a mirror and a chair. Others carried supplies, clothing racks and some even cameras.
Tobney looked up at Comora again. "What the hell?" He asked as he moved his body under water until only his head was above the water.
"This is normal for a celebrity marriage." Comora responded as the boys moved around the edge of the bath and started reaching out for Tobney. The twenty-five-year-old was still too shocked as the servants started to wash him.
Comora oversaw everything as Tobney was washed from top to bottom. The young warrior almost flew out of the bath once he was allowed to come out. He accepted a towel and smacked the hands of the servants away. "I can dry my own body. Thank you." He snarled as he wrapped the towel around him.
As he was drying his body off, another set of boys surrounded him. "Oh great." Tobney complained as he gave them a weary glance.
"Stand still, Tobney." Comora said as Tobney stepped back to get out of the circle. The younger warrior gave him a desperate glance. "It's all part of the ceremony."
Tobney blew out a sigh as the boys used soft application sponges to rub a body lotion on his body that made his flesh almost appear to sparkle. Comora couldn't help but smile as he watched the scene and this smile broadened when he caught the glare Tobney was giving him in response to Comora's smile.
Tobney was lead to a chair. Comora threw a blanket over him to cover him up, knowing Tobney was uncomfortable enough already. There his hair was washed several times. Tobney stared miserably up at the ceiling as women plucked at his eyebrows, cut and polished his nails and toenails and even shaved his arms and legs. Comora repositioned Tobney's chair so that he was sitting up before a servant started to blow dry Tobney's hair.
The young warrior was happy that he could wear a uniform to the wedding. Even if it was a ceremonial one. He'd seen pictures of the outfits worn by the grooms on this planet and he was not planning on allowing himself to be fitted into a long blue suit with a cape and a strange heat with feathers. Instead, he pulled on a blue satin uniform and basic armour with beige chest pads, white stomach and shoulder guards. His armour was decorated with his Suta Team badge and some gems and stones to make him look even more impressive.
After this he was directed to yet another chair. The young warrior was studying his own spotless fingers nails as a table filled with makeup, sponges and brushes was rolled closer to him. The young warrior widened his eyes and he tried to get up and out of this chair but Comora placed his hands on his shoulders and pushed him back in the chair.
"Comora~" Tobney complained as he looked at the makeup in horror.
"Suck it up, kiddo." Comora responded amusedly as he gently massaged Tobney's shoulder.
Two women introduced themselves as Sinta and Qono before they both started to unpack the sponge and brushes. Sinta positioned the chair so that Tobney was sitting higher and they didn't have to lean over to apply the makeup to his face. Tobney leaned his head as far back as he could when Qono approached him with a sponge with a white liquid on it. She smiled in response. "It won't hurt." She said in her native tongue.
"Oh yes it will." Tobney muttered, speaking her language without realizing it. The language lessons paid off. "It will hurt my manhood."
Qono laughed before she shrugged. "Well, it won't physically hurt you." She added then before she pressed the wet liquid on his skin. Tobney took a deep breath as he allowed this to happen.
The preparation only lasted for an hour or two but for Tobney it felt like days as the women applied makeup on his face. The young warrior attempted to leave when the liquid was applied all over his face but Comora again held him in place. "We're not done yet." He said as he looked down to the younger warrior.
"What more could you possibly do?" Tobney complained as he looked over his shoulder at Comora.
A lot. The alien servant gently used her gloved hand to make Tobney look in their direction again.
As if this wasn't enough, the rest of the Suta Team had gotten bored of watching from a distance and they were now starting to approach. Comora noticed that they were approaching and he shrugged meekly when Suno sent him a questioning glance, giving them permission to come and watch. The manner in which Tobney's eyes white pupils briefly shot to them and the young warrior proceeded to let out a sigh, followed by a "great", egged the warriors on and soon they started to comment on his appearance.
Qono gently used her gloved hand to make Tobney look in their direction again. The two women continued to dust makeup over him with their brushes. Tobney watched with confused as his image in the mirror changed slightly. The brushes ran right under his cheekbones until they appeared to become more prominent. A brush that touched the apples of his cheeks lightly proceeded to make a light blush appear.
Suno tilted his head as he watched Qono do her job. "Wow, who would have thought you could have cheekbones." He stated as he studied the younger warrior.
"I don't think your nose needs to stand out any more." Itoro joked innocently as he watched Sinta contour Tobney's nose.
"So, what it's like being a girl?" Kaon added cheerfully, earning chuckles from the rest of the group.
"What are they saying?" Sinta asked as she looked to Qono. The other girl shrugged. They couldn't understand the universal language.
"They're just being jerks." Tobney responded in their language.
"Oh!" Suno exclaimed. "He can even speak their language now! Don't tell me you are turning into a woman, Tobney?"
Tobney frowned up at him. "Don't you have something better to do?" He asked them, finally having quite enough.
Itoro moved his hand under Tobney's hand and pushed it up gently so that he could see Tobney's nails better. "Wow, I've never seen such clean nails." He stated before Tobney pulled his hand back.
Suno roughly tousled Tobney's hair. "This is the softest hair I've ever felt in my entire life. Guys, you've got to feel this." The rest of the group walked around the two women and they all reached out to mess up Tobney's hair while exclaiming how soft it was. The young warrior moved forwards to escape their hands but Comora pulled him back, still holding his hands on his shoulders.
"Comora! Come on." Tobney complained.
Comora was quite amused by the situation but he decided to give the younger warrior his way. "Okay, guys. That's enough." He stated. The Suta Team members were still smiling as they stepped back to give Tobney some distance. The younger warrior blew out a sigh.
Sinta now moved closer with yet another brush. "Are they always like this?" She asked while she applied something else to his cheeks. It made his cheeks shimmer a little and he wasn't sure if he liked that.
"This is tame for them." Tobney responded tiredly. Comora smiled as he gently squeezed Tobney's shoulders and the younger warrior looked up at him. Comora only nodded to the two women and Tobney looked forwards again. The squad leader learned a few phrases here and there since he helped Tobney study the language so he could understand what they were saying as well.
The rest of the team stayed silent as they watched the makeup session proceed until the women discussed what type of lip gloss to apply to the younger warrior.
Suno stepped closer. "Are they choosing a lipstick?" He asked as he looked to Comora.
"Don't answer that." Tobney said in the universal language as he looked up at Comora but the man was just in the process of nodding to Suno.
Comora now looked down to Tobney and he shrugged innocently. "Sorry."
"Oh! I want to help!" Suno stepped closer to the table and picked up a bright red colour.
"You are so predictable." Tobney complained as he watched the others also pick colours that ranged from pink to dark brown.
Sinta appeared not to notice them as she grabbed a neutral coloured lip gloss and applied it to Tobney's pale lips. This only added the most subtle shine to them and nothing more. Tobney thanked the two women for this.
Tobney looked in the mirror and noticed that the makeup was actually not that visible. It only wiped away the discolouration on his face, allowed the contours of his face to look somewhat sharper and the blush on his cheeks looked natural. His eyes looked a little more defined but that was all. He was relieved as he did actually look better than he usually did right now.
Finally, Comora's hands left his shoulders and the younger warrior got up.
Meanwhile Gohan was just leaving the ship. They took a car to the castle and Gohan studied the planet as they drove by it. The sky was a beautiful lavender colour and the red sun stood high in the sky. The trees and bushes almost appeared plastic like but Kanda maintained they were organic.
Vegeta was sitting on the seat on the other side of the car and he rolled his eyes when he noticed how much Gohan was enjoying the scenery. The man tapped against Gohan's shoulder and the half-saiyan turned to look at him. "I expect you to behave like a professional today."
Gohan shrugged. "I will try." He responded. He wasn't sure how easy this was going to be.
Vegeta shook his head. "You will do it. Understand?"
"Yes sir." Gohan responded as he nodded.
The car brought them to the castle. The building was large with white outer walls. The main body of the castle split into three towers that made the building look like a tree and Gohan briefly wondered if the castle was more nothing more than a house built into tree.
Vegeta chased Gohan into the castle. Gohan changed into a blue uniform and basic armour that was decorated with gems, stones and a couple of medals to show off his accomplishments. After this the two warriors made their way up to a room in which they met Tobney and the rest of the Suta Team. Gohan approached his friend cheerfully but then noticed there was something different about Tobney's face.
Gohan looked at his friend and he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, tilting his head sideways. Tobney regarded him with an annoyed expression. "Yes. Get it out." He urged.
A smile appeared on Gohan's face. "Nothing. It's just… Makeup looks good on you." He teased.
Chuckles were heard from the others as Tobney rolled his eyes. "I already got enough of that from them, Gohan." He complained as he motioned to the rest of the Suta Team.
Gohan reached out. "Do you have lipstick on?" He went to brush over Tobney's mouth but Tobney smacked his hand away. Gohan lowered his hand as a wide grin was stuck on his face.
Vegeta approached Comora. "How has everything been going here?" He asked.
"Good, sir. Tobney's been cooperative. We're on schedule and ready for the photoshoot. First we'll have to get Gohan ready though." Comora responded before he nodded to the half-saiyan.
"Right." Vegeta turned around to look at the young saiyan. "Gohan. It's your turn." He stated clearly.
"What?" Gohan turned to Vegeta.
Two hands landed on Gohan's shoulders and Tobney snickered right behind him. "Oh yes. I heard this morning. As my best man, you get to be as beautiful as I am." He teased with a grin as he pushed Gohan forwards.
The half-saiyan's cheerful mood was gone entirely as he resisted but Tobney continued to push him towards a chair in a large bathroom. Gohan didn't have to take the same bath as he wasn't going to spend the night with someone tonight but they did wash his hair and styled it. After this makeup was applied to his face too.
Sinta looked up at Tobney. "Your best man?" She questioned as she nodded Gohan. The half-saiyan looked up at him too.
"Yep. He's a good friend of mine." Tobney responded as he nodded. They were speaking in Kanda's language so only Comora and Tobney could understand what was being said.
"He's cute." Sinta commented. Qono agreed as she moved a brush over Gohan's nose.
"That's the general opinion." Tobney responded as he gave Gohan a warm smile. The half-saiyan sent them a confused expression.
"Are they talking about me?" The half-saiyan asked.
"Yep. They're saying you're so ugly it's going to be difficult to disguise everything with a normal amount of makeup." Tobney deadpanned. Comora laughed in response as he had heard the actual conversation.
Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's nice of them." He stated as he lowered his gaze to the girls again. He didn't care much for the opinion of others so he wasn't offended. Tobney knew that Gohan wouldn't care for such a statement, which he why he said it.
Sinta applied the same lip gloss to Gohan's lips as she did to Tobney's lips before and she smiled as she studied the younger warrior. She looked up at Tobney. "Is he in a relationship?" She asked. Qono looked up at Tobney too as she took off her gloves.
Tobney smiled in response to this question. "Sorry. He's taken." He said in their language.
Comora frowned in response. "He is?" He said in the universal language.
Tobney had momentarily forgotten that Comora could understand him too and he cursed himself for forgetting this. "Ehmm. Well… I had to say that. You know Gohan can't date anyone." He replied in the universal language.
"I thought they said I was very ugly." Gohan said as he looked up at Tobney. "Why would there be dating inquiries if they think that?" He tilted his head as he smiled at his friend. Gotcha.
Tobney shrugged. "They must have a thing for ugly guys." He stated in response.
"Hmmmhmm. Probably." Gohan responded in a manner that showed he didn't believe it but he decided to drop it as he was allowed get up now.
Vegeta stepped closer and studied the half-saiyan. "Good. Now let's get you dressed and then we'll move on to pictures."
"Pictures?" Gohan repeated as he raised both his eyebrows. Tobney looked to Comora – who shrugged innocently.
"Oh please don't tell me we have to make pictures for the press." Tobney complained.
"This is a marriage between an elite soldier from the most influential army in the universe and the inheritor of one of the largest companies in the entire universe." Comora responded as he crossed his arms over each other. "Of course there won't be any press." He added sarcastically.
Tobney groaned out loud. "Honestly, if I knew about this I wouldn't have gone through with it." He complained.
Comora wasn't impressed. "You didn't want it to happen anyway. Why give you more reasons to resent us beforehand."
"Why don't you two take the pictures?" Gohan suggested as he frowned at his boss. Vegeta returned his gaze evenly. "I don't want to have my picture taken. I don't care for press. Honestly, let me get out of this spotlight."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Why would we take the pictures? We don't look as beautiful as you two do now." He stated sweetly. Completely disregarding the angered faces of the two youngsters, Vegeta turned to Comora. "Are the ladies ready?"
Comora's red gaze was amused as he nodded to the two warriors in front of them. "You can see that much, can't you?" He said in a teasing tone. Gohan and Tobney simultaneously turned away from them and headed for the entrance. Vegeta and Comora chuckled amusedly and Comora still had a smile on his face as he responded the real answer: "Lady Kanda and Lady Lizis are both on schedule. They're on their way to the press room."
"Good. Let's get the boys there too." Vegeta responded as he looked over to the entrance. "Gohan! Tobney! Wait there." He ordered.
The two warriors did as they were told and they patiently waited near the door for Comora and Vegeta to catch up to them.
Comora glanced to Vegeta. "Keep an eye on the boy. Especially now that he knows that there will be press involved. Gohan hates this and it would not be the first time he ran away from these events." He said as they crossed the distance to the entrance. He kept his voice low so that the two youngsters wouldn't hear him.
"Don't worry. I know how to handle the little brat." Vegeta said as he looked up at Comora. "I was actually about to say the same thing about your little charge."
"That's no problem. Tobney wouldn't be able to run from me if he actually tried. And he has." Comora responded quietly. "Good luck." He said once they were close to the youngster.
"You two." Vegeta sent the man a smirk before he looked over at Gohan. Vegeta's tail unwrapped itself from his waist and curled around Gohan's wrist. The half-saiyan made an attempt to free his wrist but Vegeta wiggled his finger.
"You can't treat me like this anymore." Gohan stated angrily as he tried to pull his wrist free. "It's in my rights and tasks. You're not allowed to physically hold me if there is no real reason for it."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "I have a reason. I want you to stay close to me." He responded. The man's tail pulled on Gohan's wrist and the young warrior was forced to step closer to him. "Do you know what's not in your rights and tasks; your right to your own quarters."
Gohan frowned as his mind went over his list and he realized Vegeta might be right. Tobney's mouth was open now that he thought about the quarters. Comora smiled as he knew this wasn't on the list. He and Vegeta looked through the list together and Comora noted everything that was not on it and therefore could be used as blackmail.
"Do you want to keep your quarters, Gohan? Or do you want to move back to my closet?" Vegeta gave a brief glance to Comora before he placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder and pulled him closer so he could whisper in his ear: "Wouldn't that make your little meetings with Sianna problematic, huh?" Gohan moved back and Vegeta let him go. The half-saiyan frowned as he mentally kicked himself for forgetting about this. Vegeta was wearing a smug expression on his face as he crossed his arms. "I am willing to add it to the list before I sign it."
"And what do I have to do in return?" Gohan asked as he looked up. He wasn't born yesterday.
"You have to do everything I say today. No matter how stupid, annoying or intrusive they are."
"Intrusive?" Gohan repeated. "Why did you need to add that word to the list?" What was Vegeta planning?
Vegeta only smiled. "Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand to Gohan. A handshake didn't mean much in the rest of the universe but it had become the main manner in which Vegeta and Gohan made a deal.
Gohan held his gaze for a moment before he looked down at Vegeta's hand. The young warrior blew out a sigh before he accepted Vegeta's hand. "Fine. It's a deal." He said in an annoyed voice.
"Good." Vegeta released the younger warrior. "Now, give me your tail." He already released Gohan's wrist and his tail was now waiting for Gohan's tail. The young warrior hesitated as he eyed Vegeta's tail. Giving his tail for someone else to hold was very similar to bowing down all the way to the ground. It was a matter of pride. Vegeta made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Hurry up." He urged. Gohan blew out a sigh as his tail curled away from his waist and moved to Vegeta's tail.
Vegeta's tail wrapped around Gohan's tail without any warning and the half-saiyan couldn't help a shiver running down his body. The young warrior visibly shivered for a moment before he managed to shake it off and he made an annoyed face at the entangled tales.
Vegeta smiled contently as he looked over at Comora. "We are ready."
"Good." Comora smiled at Tobney as well and he threw an arm around the younger warrior. "Let's go."
Gohan and Tobney exchanged miserable glances as they were lead to the press room by their comrades. This was going to be a long day.
Kanda and Lizis were already in the room when Gohan and Tobney arrived. Kanda smiled as she greeted them. She looked amazing in a long white dress. The dress reached all the way to the ground and the white skirt was covered by a lace layer. The same lace ran all the way down her arms. The dress was flowy as it ran down her legs and the fabric moved cheerfully when she did. Her long lavender hair was pinned up, decorated with white pearls as a few playful strings of hair lowered until they touched her naked shoulders.
Tobney and Kanda exchanged a kiss and a hug. Gohan smiled as he saw this. The two would marry as good friends. That was at least something.
Lizis was dressed as a bridesmaid, which fitted awfully well to Gohan's outfit. Her black hair was hanging loosely around her shoulders and Gohan could discover blue highlights that matched her blue dress. The dress made it all the way to her knees and her skirt was also covered by a lacy fabric. This same lace covered her arms until her elbows, making both a connection and contrast to Kanda's dress. Her golden eyes studied Gohan as she held out her arms, inviting him to hug her. Gohan complied.
The group was ushered to the centre of the room and they all gathered in front of a camera. Kanda and Tobney were standing in the centre while Gohan and Lizis took their position next to them. They were standing one step behind them, allowing Tobney and Kanda to take the spotlight.
The first few pictures were neutral and formal. Lizis, Kanda, Tobney and Gohan were used to taking pictures for a camera by now and they automatically changed their position ever so slightly after every picture.
Gohan placed a hand on his hip. FLASH. He made his hand into a fist. FLASH. He changed to place his other hand on his hip. FLASH. The young warrior crossed his arms over each other. FLASH. He tilted his head sideways. FLASH. He tilted his head the other way. FLASH.
He felt like a complete fool the entire time but he tried to ignore it. The group was then asked to take a couple of informal pictures. They were allowed to smile, laugh and they ended by placing their arms over each other to create one row of smiles. The photographer thanked them after that.
Gohan released Tobney and he moved up his arms to stretch them. "Thank the gods that is over." He stated.
"We still have a long day to go." Tobney responded.
"But first, lunch!" Comora stated as he approached them. "You did well. Now you'll get a reward I am sure you two can appreciate."
Several minutes later, Gohan and Tobney stared at the massive table that was filled with all types of food. Large chunks of meat drizzled in the finest sauces. Fruits and vegetables from all over the universe. Ice cold colourful drinks that made Gohan and Tobney feel parched just by looking at it.
"Just try not to eat too much junk food." Comora said as he glanced to the two youngsters.
"Of course." Tobney agreed.
"We won't." Gohan added. The two grinned at each other before they headed for the table. The rest of the Suta Team members and Vegeta were already filling up their own plates.
Gohan and Tobney headed for the refreshments first. "I'll need this to survive the day." Tobney muttered as he reached to one particularly alcoholic drink. Gohan agreed and grabbed the glasses to fill them up .Comora, however, grabbed the bottle from Tobney's hands.
"Nope." He said as he placed it back on the table. "No, I need you sober today." He said as he frowned at the two youngsters.
"One drink won't make me drunk." Tobney complained as he placed his hands on his hips.
"No, but one drink will automatically lead to more." Comora gave the younger warrior a strict glance. "And I need you to be able to get it up tonight. Alcohol will only temper that."
"Comora!" Tobney complained. How could the man say something like that in his loud voice while the room was this crowded? "Can you say that any louder?"
"It's true." Comora said. "And what do you care about what other people think?" The man noticed that Gohan was opening the bottle and he frowned. "Gohan," the half-saiyan flinched in response to his voice, "you're not getting any either."
"But I don't have to get anything up tonight." Gohan responded innocently. Tobney scoffed and complained about having horrible friends.
"No, but a good friend would not drink in front of a friend who cannot drink. Avoid temptation." Comora responded as he wiggled his finger at Gohan.
The half-saiyan hesitated. "Well I'm not that good a friend of Tobney's anyway." He tried but Tobney was already pushing the bottle out of Gohan's hands.
"No No no. Comora's right. My best friend would not tempt me by drinking in my proximity." He stated strictly as he placed the bottle on the table. "Thank you, my dear friend." He stated as he grabbed Gohan's shoulder and pushed the complaining young warrior to the food.
There the two warriors filled a serving plate with several plates and started gathering all types of delicious foods. The two warriors discussed the foods they didn't recognized and dared each other to taste them. It wasn't long before Comora showed up next to them. The man was adding food to his own plate.
"Shouldn't you eat some more greens?" Comora suggested as he stood next to Tobney.
The young warrior blew out a sigh. "Okay, Comora. You need to back off." He stated as he turned to his squad leader. The man raised both his eyebrows in response. "I'm sorry, sir. But I've been a good boy all morning. I've done everything you said and I didn't complain that often. Please leave me alone for a bit."
Comora shrugged before he turned back to the food. "Fair enough." He responded as he reached out to grab a large chunk of meat to place on his plate.
Gohan smiled as he grabbed his serving plate. "Let's go sit over there." He nodded to a table that was standing far away in the corner of the room. The two warriors made their way there and sat down, thankful for the moment with just the two of them.
"Comora is being quite intrusive." Gohan stated as he looked over at the others. The Suta Team members were sitting at another table while Comora and Vegeta were talking to each other at the buffet. "How do you put up with it?"
Tobney rolled his eyes. "You don't even know the half of it. Did you know Comora has been feeding me a particular fruit for two weeks now? Apparently it's supposed to make a man more fertile."
Gohan laughed. "Oh no." He muttered amusedly.
"I'm just… Waiting for this all to be over and then I can go back to your quarters and be a normal soldier and patiently wait for your turn." Tobney said before he took a bite from his fries.
Gohan looked up. "My turn?"
Tobney swallowed a fry and raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not that stupid, Gohan. It's obvious they're trying to set you up with Lizis." Gohan lowered his gaze. "You've been going on dates all the time, just like Kanda and I. And now Lizis is the maid of honour. That was supposed to be Kanda's best friend but Kanda decided to give up the spot after a little pressuring from Vegeta and Lord Conno."
Gohan looked over at Comora and Vegeta, who were now sitting at a table but still in deep conversation as Tobney continued: "We had group pictures this morning and we still have a couple of hours until the ceremony and I've heard something about duo shots." Gohan looked back at him. "I wouldn't be surprised if they make you and Lizis take a couple of pictures together. They're setting you up, Gohan."
The half-saiyan was getting sick of all this evidence. "You don't know that."
Tobney shrugged as he leaned back and started on a strange sort of pie that looked awful as it was bright green and slimy but it tasted like chocolate. They found that out as they dared each other to taste it.
Gohan took a sip from his lemonade and silently wished that it was actually something stronger in that glass. He would need it if he would have to get through the day without breaking something.
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****
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