Chapter 28: Yin and Yang


The bright light glaring down onto Genn's face did more to wake him up than the loud buzz of his alarm clock not even two feet away from his head. With a light groan, he rolled his lower half of his body to the edge of the bed, propping himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes for a moment, a lack of concern for the loud ringing to his side and standing upright onto the floor. Fully stretching his arms for a few seconds, Genn finally turned and shut the clock off with a light tap, yawning as he stepped out into the hallway clad only in a plain shirt and gym shorts.

His half opened eyes took in the sight of the rather plain living room, shuffling his feet across the way but coming to a complete halt at the end of the sofa to his right. His eyes opened fully, blinking hard at the sight of Vegetto sprawled out across the cushions of the couch in his plain gi, snoring loudly.

Genn stood frozen, staring down and continually blinking to make sure his vision was functioning properly. His head turned towards the kitchen area, his wide eyes locking onto Kassava, who smiled wide and waved from the countertop she leaned on and fully dressed in her training gi as well. Genn glanced back down to the sofa, his voice in a high whisper as he turned back to Kassava.

"What is he doing here?!"

Kassava shrugged her shoulders.

"He took me out for dinner last night and walked me home. So I thought I'd be polite and offer him a place to stay for the night."

Her lips rose slightly into a smirk.

"Told you we should've gotten the lease with an extra bedroom."

Genn frowned.

"So you made him sleep on the sofa?"

Kassava giggled, bowing her head slightly.

"Hey, I tried to get him to share a bed with me."

She raised her right hand, her pointer finger and thumb nearly touching together.

"Was this close too...but he figured out what I was trying to do and insisted on sleeping out here. So no action for me."

Genn rolled his eyes, heading towards the counter.

"C'mon Kass...I was being serious."

Kassava scoffed, lifting her chin slightly.

"So was I. Usually don't have to try really hard, but I've lost my touch with guys thanks to all this training I guess."

Her head turned back down, staring at Genn and watching him sit down onto the stool on the other side of the counter. A frown formed across her face, noticing Genn's stare falling onto the counter top and his expression blank, her right eyebrow raising.

"What? You're supposed to be my wing man here...the least you can do is go along with the jokes."

Genn sighed lightly.

"You should've woken me up. I could've offered him my bed."

Kassava paused for a moment, a half smile slowly creeping onto her face with a half chuckle.

"Are...you really upset about that?"

She giggled, Genn staring back at her and remaining silent as she continued.

"Genn it's alright, he's going to be fine. Here...watch this."

Genn perked his eyebrows, watching Kassava promptly reach to the side and picking up a small silver spoon in her hand. Her eyes remained forward, her wrist flicking and slinging the small metal spoon out into the air. The metal landed with a light thud directly onto Vegetto's skull, Genn gasping lightly at the impact and tensing immediately, staring at the sofa. His eyes remained locked on the furniture for a moment, Kassava calmly continuing.

"He's out cold. You remember the last time he slept like that?"

Genn turned back to Kassava, a small hint of confusion across his face.

"No...I've never seen him sleep."

Kassava blinked, shaking her head.

"Oh...well he's usually a light sleeper. Back when I spent the night at his place...he woke up from just the smallest vibration. Now, I could scream in his ear and he won't even budge."

She grinned slightly, perking her right eyebrow.

"You know what that means?"

Genn kept a flat stare.

"What?"

Kassava ignored his lack of enthusiasm, proudly raising her chin and placing her hands on her hips.

"He's starting to trust me. Feels more comfortable getting a good night's sleep in my presence!"

Genn nodded once.

"Ah...good."

Kassava paused, her voice questioning.

"It's progress...isn't it?"

Her expression dropped slightly, watching Genn stare back down at the counter blankly, lost in thought.

"I thought you'd be a little happier about this...I mean...aren't you the one that really wanted me to be close with him?"

Genn perked his head slightly.

"If it meant you being happier, sure. But not if you're only doing this for me."

Kassava rolled her eyes slightly.

"Well you know I wouldn't be forcing this if it wasn't going to be something I wanted too. But you're the reason why I even decided to get started in the first place...at least give me that."

She took a seat shortly after, her frown returning.

"C'mon, I know this is supposed to be a big deal for you. What's wrong this time?"

Genn shook his head, waving his hand. His lips rose into a small smile, barring his teeth.

"No no...nothing wrong Kass. I just have a lot on my mind...but I came up with something I think is good."

Kassava perked her eyebrows.

"Oh?"

Genn nodded once, meeting her eyes.

"Yeah...I was thinking...I always keep trying to atone for the past. As if doing some really amazing heroic deed would bring some forgiveness for it all, or something that could help me feel better in the long run, you know?"

Kassava half frowned, still staring back.

"Right...and?"

Genn let out a quick sigh.

"Well...I've given up on that dream. It's just not how it works."

He quickly raised his right hand, his pointer finger extended and speaking before Kassava could form words.

"But!"

His smile rose into a grin.

"We already have a way around that...don't we?"

Kassava blinked for a moment, giggling lightly and glancing down.

"You can't be serious. Here?"

Genn nodded.

"Yeah, why not? I mean...you won't be able help me like we did back home...but I'll be leading the Patrol into battle. And if I can't inspire them properly as Genn...then maybe I'll have to do it as-"

"The Masked Savior!"

Kassava mockingly flailed her arms, her voice raising into an announcer-like cry as she spoke the name.

"Standing in the face of evil and tyranny!"

Genn scoffed.

"Hey c'mon Kass...it worked!"

Kassava groaned.

"Yeah...but you were so corny with it! Why can't you just be you?"

Genn shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe I will be...but not with this face. If people don't know who I am...then I don't have to worry about losing their trust if they learn the truth."

He glanced to the side, the sound of a dual voice yawning loudly catching his attention. His eyes turned and watched Vegetto slowly roll off the sofa, rising to his feet. The new addition rubbed his right eye with his knuckle, shuffling around the side of the furniture and moving up to join the two at the counter. His spiked hair was slightly uneven despite still upright, his eyes opening halfway.

"Good morning."

Kassava stifled a small chuckle.

"How was your beauty sleep?"

Vegetto lifted his left shoulder, his head tilting slightly to the left as well.

"Could've been better if I had a bed to sleep on."

Kassava snorted.

"Hey, you were the one that turned down warm cuddling and a soft bed. Not me."

Vegetto chuckled.

"Well...I prefer more...challenging fights, Kassava. You'll need to try harder than whatever last night was supposed to be."

Genn dropped his head down, quickly glancing away and stopping a chuckle from emerging while Kassava stared back with wide eyes at Vegetto, her smirk soon returning.

"Excuse me?!"

Vegetto kept his smirk, but soon narrowed his eyes.

"Kidding aside, you do have a problem with being too easy to read. I picked up on your desperation before we even sat down in the apartment...just as Zamasu likely figured out your first plan during the fight."

Kassava frowned, crossing her arms and glancing to the side while Vegetto sat down on a stool a few down from Genn.

"But don't mind me...we can talk about that a bit later. I didn't mean to intrude on your conversation earlier."

Kassava grinned, her eyes narrowing mischievously at the opening.

"Yes Genn...let's get back to what we were talking about."

Genn grinned nervously, his eyes narrowing at Kassava.

"We don't need to talk about that..."

Kassava smiled, turning her head back to Vegetto.

"You'll have to forgive him...Genn's a little embarrassed talking about his alter ego-"

She suddenly sprung up from her seat, her right fist high into the air with an exaggeratedly deep voice.

"THE MASKED SAVIOR! THE HERO WHO STANDS FOR JUSTICE AGAINST THE FORCES OF EVIL AND TYRANNY!"

Genn groaned.

"I was having a moment, ok?!"

Vegetto chuckled lightly.

"Is that what you called yourself on Kryndyn when you two were cleaning up the planet?"

Genn frowned.

"Yeah...but I'm not going to exaggerate it, alright? I just want to go by an alter ego so no one knows its me."

Vegetto inhaled deeply.

"Good...I've already seen one guy dress up and play hero in the city. Would like to be spared from another."

Genn nodded, turning towards Vegetto.

"By the way...do you have any masks at the Time Vault I can borrow? Just something to wear that will cover my face?"

Vegetto raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Genn glanced down.

"Because I lost mine..."

Vegetto shrugged his shoulders in response.

"One of Towa's earlier projects before Zamasu was a gang of organized bandits we called 'the Time Breakers'. They use to wear some ornate face masks with a xenoverse symbol across the front of it; I'm sure we have plenty of those kept in the artifact room."

Genn frowned.

"You said Towa made them though?"

Vegetto nodded, quickly raising and shaking his hand in recognition of Genn's concern.

"It's safe, her magic has been expelled from the masks so she won't be able to control you. It'll just be a decorative piece that will cover your face, nothing more."

Genn nodded.

"Alright thanks."

Vegetto kept an eyebrow raised, his tone sharpening slightly.

"Why does it matter though? Surely, you'd want people to know you're the one that saved them, wouldn't you?"

Genn nodded once.

"It'd be nice..but not if they learn what I did. It's just better this way for everyone."

Vegetto frowned in response, but shrugged his shoulders again slightly.

"Fine...have it your way then."

He then sighed, his eyebrow still raised.

"So, is this Masked Savior going to be the one who rallies our Patrol then?"

Genn shook his head.

"No...I was thinking of a different name too. Something a little more...subtle."

Kassava raised her eyebrow.

"Like what?"

Genn perked his head up.

"How about the Masked...Saiyan?"

Vegetto glanced away.

"Sounds simple."

Genn nodded.

"That's what it should be. Inspiring everyone to fight for their home and for a better universe. Without my past bringing it all down."

Vegetto turned his head slightly, his narrowed eyes studying Genn as he finished.

"No whistles and bells with the whole 'savior' talk like on my homeworld. Just a Saiyan standing for what he believes in, nothing more."

Vegetto glanced down, pausing for a moment before turning his head and staring at Kassava, who held a small smile. The fused warrior then put on a smile of his own, turning back to Genn.

"Well, you'd better get to it. Trunks is likely waiting for you at the Time Vault already: those Patrollers are going to need a lot of work."

Genn nodded, turning towards his room.

"Right...let me get dressed."

Vegetto's eyes followed Genn as he quickly left the small living space, disappearing shortly behind a closed door. He let out a small sigh, turning back towards Kassava who grinned nearly from ear to ear.

"Well look at you, being all supportive."

Vegetto held a blank expression.

"I wouldn't call that very supportive."

Kassava nodded once.

"Maybe not for everyone, but that was a big improvement for you."

Vegetto glanced away, falling silent for a moment while Kassava pushed herself off the counter top.

"He really looks up to you, you know."

Vegetto kept a flat stare, watching her walk up and sitting in the stool next to him.

"I'm not the hero he's looking for."

Kassava nodded.

"True...but you haven't shut him down."

She smirked, casually leaning to the side on the counter top.

"Guess you like the attention, huh?"

Vegetto shook his head once.

"Not at all. It's just...maybe it's better than the truth."

Kassava blinked.

"Huh?"

Vegetto nodded slightly towards Genn's room.

"What he said a minute ago...about being simple. Just a Saiyan fighting...that's what I'd like to be. But once you take on a few threats to the universe, the people who come to worship you don't see the real person behind all of those 'bells and whistles'. They just... dress you up as what they want you to be and well...who am I to take away the happiness I see from them."

Kassava paused for a moment, her voice soft.

"Is that why you hide from most of the city all the time?"

Vegetto nodded once.

"Of course. The less they know, the less disappointment they have."

He shook his head, and waved his right hand.

"But let's not talk about that. We need to-"

"No!"

Vegetto blinked, glancing down at Kassava's hand tightly squeezing onto his.

"You opened up again...for the second time. Please, I want to hear more."

Vegetto stared back into her eyes for a few seconds, Kassava's refusing to budge and holding a pleading expression with a frown. Vegetto sighed heavily, pulling his arm back.

"There isn't time, and you're showing your problem again. Control your emotions, Kass, you're too easy to read."

Kassava glanced down.

"Sorry."

Vegetto stood up from the stool, helping Kassava stand from her seat as well in the process and patting down his legs.

"One of the easiest mistakes is showing weakness or vulnerability to an enemy, and you have a problem with showing that vulnerability to everyone. You're an open book most of the time, and while your actions can be misleading at times, I can watch your reactions and expressions for only a few seconds to know exactly how you feel and what sort of state of well being you are in. You need to start closing your heart to your feelings a little more, alright?"

Kassava kept her head low, her voice trailing off and soft.

"Ok."

Vegetto stared down at her, facing towards her fully at the meager reply shortly after it was spoken. His narrowed eyes studied her for a moment, his expression softening slightly with a frown while his own dual voice rung out inside her head.

How do I stop her spirit from breaking? She doesn't control her emotions because she lacks discipline, but if I push her now, she'll surely crumble in her resolve. How can I motivate her to try something she's never done-

His thoughts froze, his eyes lifting slightly as her voice rung out in his head.

"Then one day, you wake up and realize just how many people you've pushed away in your life that only wanted to see the real you. That when you want to confide your deepest feelings to someone close...no one is there to listen to them. Just you, trudging along another day, without anyone to really lift you up or make you better."

Vegetto glanced back down to Kassava, his own mind returning to him.

No...not discipline. She shut everyone out before...and wants to let someone in.

Vegetto kept his frown for a moment, shifting forward slightly. His right hand lifted up, the gloved pointer finger lightly pressing up into Kassava's chin and forcing her head up. She blinked in confusion for a moment, her eyes a bit watery but mostly dry. Vegetto's frown deepened at the sight for only a second, letting out a small sigh.

"What the hell."

He quickly dipped his head down, his hand shifting from her chin to her cheek, cupping it as he suddenly pressed his lips to hers. Kassava's eyes went wide, a muffled gasp escaping through the contact. Her eyes soon shut completely, her arms immediately reaching up and wrapping around Vegetto's neck, her right hand grasping tightly onto his shoulder while her left dug through his spiky hair behind his head. She stumbled as she collapsed her frontal weight completely onto his chest, tightly pressing against him while she struggled for control. His arms snaked around the small of her back, firmly and sloppily wrestling their lips together.

Vegetto suddenly pulled his head back with a loud pop, his forehead still pressed heavily against hers for a moment. Kassava panted heavily, dropping her head down and resting into Vegetto's chest, her arms snaking down and wrapping around his back as the relief was clear in her exasperated whisper.

"Finally."

Vegetto fidgetted nervously, his dual voice in an uneasy whisper.

"Sorry...I um..."

"No no."

Vegetto stared down, a frown returning at the sight of tears streaming down the side of Kassava's cheeks.

"Don't ever be sorry for that...please don't ever be sorry for that."

Vegetto lifted his head, exhaling deeply and gently caressing her back with his right hand, his arms still locked tightly around her back. He let out a small chuckle, his voice still a low whisper.

"If I didn't know any better...I would've thought that was your first kiss."

He stared down, his teasing smirk disappearing at the nudging of Kassava's nose along the middle of his chest, her voice cracking slightly.

"Please don't leave me alone again."

Vegetto frowned, his dual voice soft.

"Is this...about Black?"

A small shift up and down from her nose rubbing against his chest gave him the confirmation he needed, Vegetto sighing lightly.

"Looks like I was wrong again...you're better at hiding your real feelings than I thought. So...I suppose it's only fair that I tell you what I was really thinking about when he was threatening you like that."

Kassava kept her head buried in his chest, but started to peer up slowly at the venom in the dual voice ringing out.

"If he had gone a step further...I would've ripped his head off."

Kassava peeked up fully from his chest.

"Really?"

Vegetto smirked down at her, nodding his head once.

"Really."

Kassava glanced back down, sniffling as she readjusted her grip on Vegetto's back, her voice still cracking.

"Your chest is very comfy."

Vegetto chuckled, glancing down.

"Well...you're pretty comfortable yourself."

Kassava smiled in response, her head turning. Her eyes landed squarely on Genn, who leaned against the wall of the hallway he had been waiting in on his left shoulder, his arms crossed. His smile grew larger than Kassava's once she met his eyes, the female Saiyan perking up slightly but still tightly pressing against Vegetto with a teasing tone.

"And who are you looking at with that stupid grin?"

Vegetto raised an eyebrow, his body twitching slightly at the startling sight of Genn. Genn chuckled, pushing himself off the wall.

"Oh nothing...just a couple of love birds that need to get a room."

Genn moved around the two, heading towards the door and opening it.

"Just don't tear up the apartment too much, alright?"

Vegetto smirked, watching Genn disappear again without waiting for a response. He turned his head back down to Kassava, raising an eyebrow.

"Feeling better now?"

Kassava kept her smile, looking up and meeting his eyes.

"Yeah...much. I thought you didn't want this though?"

Vegetto tilted his head to the left slightly with a half shrug.

"I changed my mind. We can be sappy later though...we should start training while the Patrol is getting whipped into shape."

Kassava nodded once, pulling away with her voice fuller than before.

"Ok."

Vegetto stepped to the side, his arm resting around Kassava's shoulders and her arm snaking around his lower back, gripping onto the ribs. The pair walked out of the apartment side by side, shutting the door tightly behind them before leaving the building.