Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or the characters. If I did, I would take the money, put it in a swimming pool, and swim around in it, savoring my luxury.
Notes: Some people seemed to be disappointed that there were no Vegeta/Seether scenes in the last chapter. I don't know why. Maybe it's because of the *cough* SEXUAL *cough* atmosphere that's in their scenes. Well, there's a short one in this chapter, so indulge in it if you'd like.
Chapter Fifteen: The Heat is On
"Today we'll have a little barbecue..." - Seether
April 9, Monday à 2 days until the eclipse
-Goten-
Well, I can't say that it hasn't been an interesting four days. We were attacked by mud creatures, were almost dropped into a bottomless pit, and were almost drowned. I'm kinda surprised we're all still alive, especially Relena. I guess that society of hers does some pretty thorough training with their agents.
What do I mean we're "all" still alive? Not all of us are... Poor Bulma... I think 'Tousan is taking it the hardest, even more than Trunks and Bra, although he tries to be optimistic and not show it. He tried to reach her, but those mud creatures prevented him from getting to her in time. We can wish her back though, if we ever get out of here alive ourselves...
At first I was thinking that if we don't survive either, Krillin or Gohan or someone could always wish us back. Then I realized that that would be true if it weren't for two minor details:
One, no one knows we're down here. Relena wanted us to be discreet so knowledge of the International Prevention Society wouldn't spread. So Trunks told his secretary that he was going on a trip with his family, which also covers Bra and Bulma, and Vegeta too, since no one else knows about what happened. 'Tousan and I told 'Kaasan we were going on some training excursion for about a week. She wasn't too happy, and even said she wouldn't let us go, but we sneaked out.
Two, if we fail, Seether will take over. She'll use Vegeta to spread her dark energy to take over everyone's free will. Everyone will be under her spell, and no one will even think of collecting all the dragonballs and wish us back, since they'll all be loyal to her.
I think back to the conversation that Marron, Trunks, and I had a couple weeks ago when we passed the park with all the ranting bums. Marron had called them "nutcases" and I had agreed with her. Not anymore, though. It's hard to believe that those raving men in rags had accurately predicted the possible end of the world.
"I think the earth has been in jeopardy as much as I can stand." I still agree with Trunks's statement though. It kind of pisses me off; every time there's some raving psycho that want to either take over earth or destroy it, we have to deal with it. It's not even all of us sometimes. 'Tousan has had to defeat the enemy many times by himself. I mean, jeez, can't we get a break?
"Come on, Trunks," Relena presses.
"I'm not discussing it any further," Trunks replies.
"I just wanna know what she looks like."
I smile to myself. Relena had found a new way of passing the time as we trudged through the tunnels: bothering Trunks about Marron.
"Yeah, Trunks," Bra says teasingly. "Tell Relena about your hunny-bunny."
"MARRON IS NOT MY HUNNY-BUNNY!"
Hmm... Marron and Trunks... They kinda would make a nice couple. Bra may be onto something there.
And speaking of couples... I glance at Relena. I would be lying if I said I thought she wasn't cute even when I did believe she was a freshman. And now it turns out that she's seven years older than we previously believed...
Okay, okay. I know that Relena is a member of a secret organization and will probably leave as soon as this thing is over, but, well, I've always been a little girl-crazy. And plenty of people have complicated long distance relationships, although this one could be more complicated than others...
I mentally give myself a good whack in the head. There is no "this one," moron. Well, not yet anyway. I haven't even asked her out yet or anything, although it wouldn't hurt to try.
Bra, who was walking beside Relena, has slowed her pace so she can be next to Trunks to tease him some more. 'Tousan is behind them, so Relena is in the front of the group alone.
I pick up the pace and am soon walking with her. Usually, I have some sort of opening line when I'm going to ask out a girl I like, but what the hell do you say to a girl who is hiking through tunnels with you to save your best friend's 'tousan?
"Hey, Goten," Relena says, breaking the silence herself. She glances back to Trunks and smiles evilly. "Why don't you tell me about Trunks's and Marron's little affair?" she says loudly.
"BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ONE!" Trunks yells.
"I couldn't tell you, Relena," I reply. "They've even kept it a secret from me."
Trunks goes off in a string of obscenities I would only repeat to my mother if I planned to kill myself right afterward so she wouldn't be able to beat the shit out of me.
"I've only heard Vegeta use that last one," 'Tousan comments.
"Like father, like son, eh Trunksy-boy?" Bra says. She smirks. "You better get rid of that potty mouth or Marron won't like you anymore."
"SHIMATTA!" Trunks looks like he's ready to blast his sister.
"Maybe we should lay off for a while," I say to Relena.
"A little while," she corrects me.
We walk in silence for a few moments, listening to Bra taunt her brother.
"So, Relena..." I say finally.
"Yes, Goten?"
"What do you plan to do after we pull this off?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was thinking that maybe you and me could do something sometime."
Relena raises her eyebrows. "You're not asking me out, are you Goten?"
"Well...er..." I had expected a lot of reactions, but that wasn't one of them.
She speaks more quietly, so the others won't hear and I won't be embarrassed. "Listen, Goten, think about this. Do you really think we could have a relationship?"
"Well..."
"Did you think about it at all?"
"I thought about some things."
"Like...?"
"Uh..."
"Like how nice and pretty I was?"
"Uh..."
"I'm sorry, Goten, but-"
I look away. "But I've totally disgusted you with my behavior in this situation, right?"
"Actually, I'm kind of flattered."
I look up in surprise. "Really?"
"Well, yes, and to be honest, I like you too, Goten."
"But you won't go out with me."
"No."
"And Goten was shot down," I narrated.
"Oh, you know with my job and all it wasn't going to happen."
"I guess..."
"But I'm sure that there will be plenty of girls for you to date after this, and you'll break all their hearts."
"Is that a compliment?"
She giggles. "Sort of."
"I'm still kind of bummed, though."
"Well, if you like me that much..." She checks behind us to see if anyone is watching, and then gives me a quick peck on the cheek.
I wasn't expecting that either, that's for sure, but my look of surprise eventually transforms into a wide grin.
"And that's all you're gonna get," she warns.
"Okay!"
"NO, BRA," Trunks yells, "MARRON AND I AREN'T HAVING OUR HONEYMOON IN THE BAHAMAS!"
"So you do have a relationship!" Bra snickers.
"SHIMATTA!"
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"Oh, Vegeta-chan," I say, sitting on a throne I conjured up from the stone floor, "I have another idea on how to play with those fools in the tunnels. Do you want to hear it?"
"Yes, Mistress," my conduit replies kneeling before me, his head bowed.
"Oh, Vegeta-chan," I cackle, reaching out with my hand to play with his hair, "you always know just the right thing to say."
"Well," I continue, "we've already used earth against them with that crevasse, and we've used water with the flood." My hand moves down his face to his chin, and I tilt his head upwards so he looks at me. "So today we'll use another element: fire." I release his chin, but his head stays in the same position.
I close my eyes, concentrating my energy on an area about a hundred miles away. It might take an hour or so with my power to speed it up, but the next attack should reach them soon.
I reopen my eyes, and I see that Vegeta still stares back at me. I grin.
"Today we'll have a little barbecue..."
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Relena wiped the sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt. Sure it had always been a little stuffy in the underground, but it seemed to get unusually hotter every minute. She rolled up her sleeves, noticing how the hairs on her arms were stuck to her skin with sweat.
"Is it just me," Trunks said, "or is it way hotter than it should be down here?"
Goku pulled off his shirt. "It used to be pretty cool down here. What's going on?"
Bra fixed her hair into a ponytail with an elastic band she'd found in her pocket. "I'll bet you anything that it's Seether."
"Then whatever it is can't be good," Goten contributed.
"Is she trying to give us heat strokes?" Trunks said.
"Who knows?" Relena replied. She wiped some sweat off her neck. "Man, how can she make it so sweltering?"
"Well, what's hot?" Goten asked.
"Fire is hot," Goku said.
"Yeah," Bra spoke, "but how can she get a fire going in a dirt tunnel?"
"Oh... well, what else is hot?"
"Trunks thinks Marron is hot," Bra said, smirking.
"This isn't the time for that," Trunks warned through clenched teeth.
"So you do think she's hot?"
"I didn't say that!"
"But you didn't deny it either."
Bra began teasing Trunks again, while Trunks denied all her accusations. Relena and Goten stood off to the side watching and laughing.
Goku, on the other hand, was actually thinking about what Seether could be using to make it so hot. He wiped his hand across his forehead, trying to ignore the continuous perspiration.
Man, it's as hot as a volcano down here...
Goku froze, realizing that he'd found the answer.
Uh, oh... "Um, guys?"
"What, Goku?" Relena asked in between giggles.
"Lava is hot."
There was a sudden silence as everyone digested the information.
"Lava?" Bra squeaked.
"Lava as in lava from a volcano?" Goten said.
"Lava as in burning hot molten liquid that comes from the earth's core?" Trunks elaborated.
"Yes, lava!" Relena said shrilly.
"That's not good," Goten responded.
"Of course it's not good! Oh, my Lord, we're going to be fried!"
"Well, we don't really know how close the lava is," Goku put in.
"Oh, yes, we do!" Bra yelled, pointing to the back end of the tunnel.
A stream of lava that reached about a third of the way up the walls was flowing towards them at an extremely fast pace. The scalding yellow and red liquid bubbled and sizzled as it gushed towards them, as if it were proving how fast it could dissolve their corpses.
Relena, Goten, Bra, Trunks, and Goku wasted no time in running farther into the tunnel, frantically trying to escape the lava.
"We can't run forever!" Relena pointed out, panting.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Bra asked.
"I have an idea!" Trunks yelled. "But we have to get further ahead of the magma!"
"What's magma?" Goku asked. "I thought it was lava!"
"Oh, just come on!"
Goten picked up Relena, since she couldn't run as fast as them, and the five travelers raced faster to gain a good distance away from the lava. After a few minutes, they stopped. Trunks began blasting at the wall.
"Oh, I get it!" Bra began blasting at the ground, trying to form a deep trench.
"Well, I don't!" Goten said.
"We have to form a trench that goes into another tunnel," Trunks explained. "Then the lava will flow into the other tunnel."
"How do you know that there's a tunnel behind that wall?"
"Then blast at the other wall!"
"Hold on a second," Goku said, "I can do this myself." He stood in the ditch that Bra had formed so far and gestured for the four to move back. He held his arms out to his sides so that they were horizontal to the ground, and then launched out massive energy beams from his palms that burst through the dirt wall with little effort. The attack made ceiling to floor holes through the walls, revealing more tunnels on both sides as the energy passed through.
Then he stepped out of the ditch and blasted at the floor, quickly deepening and widening the trench while he expanded it so the lava would be directed into the other tunnels. When Goku finished, the oncoming magma could be seen at the back of the underground path.
He faced Relena, Bra, Trunks, and Goten. "Not bad, eh?"
"There's only one problem, 'Tousan," Goten hinted.
"What?"
"You're on the wrong side of the ditch!"
"Yikes!" Goku leapt to the other side of the trench just before the lava reached his boots and landed on his rear.
The scalding fluid poured into the trench, and flowed into the neighboring paths as the group had planned.
"Whew," Goku said, standing up.
"Tell me about it," Trunks agreed.
"You know," Relena said, glancing at Trunks, "it occurs to me that there might have been lava in the other tunnels too, and if there was we would have been melted alive."
"Hey," Trunks defended himself, "it was the best thing I could think of, and we would have been broiled anyway."
"I agree," Bra spoke up.
Trunks smirked triumphantly at Relena.
"You wanna know what else I think?" Bra asked.
"What?" Trunks turned to his sister.
"Marron would've been real impressed with that quick thinking."
"AARGH!!!"
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What's in store for the gang now? You'll just have to wait and see! Until next time, minna-san! ^_^