___Chapter 60___
~~NOTE- musical inspiration, "Sex & Violence", by Stone Temple Pilots. Eugh, Just watched Zim, I'm giddy today, so pardon me if this chapter's a bit off the wall. *chews gum, starts typing* Oh, and I'm calling #18 by her full name 'Juanchigou' as well now. I know I'm spelling it wrong, someone correct me please. ~~~
"No... way..... That... that isn't possible!!!"
"I know, I know, but it's happening... *cowers* I'm so scared...."
"He can't possibly mean this, it's gotta be some sort of sick joke!"
"Oh SHUTUP!!! It's not funny anymore girls, I'm just not hungry."
The ladies, all letting out mock-gasps (Bulma pretending to faint), and after one last look at Son's annoyed/exasperated face, broke into fits of giggles. All except one.
All eight heads swerved around at once upon the faint sound of a cutesy 'achoo!' and three of them watched in dumbfoundment as the other five's eyes doubled in size before they all hit the deck.
Videl, Yen, and Juanchigou only stood there, blinking, staring at the others ducked behind any cover they could find. Yen was about to kneel down and ask what was going on when the truck came flying straight at them, a wild blond woman with an Uzi laughing maniacally and splaying the ground around them with gunfire.
The two standing (#18 had only needed to hear the bullets whiz right over her head and between her legs before calmly sitting down behind a rock) immediately facefaulted and were about to scream when Goku and Bulma grabbed them by their ankles, yanking them down into the cover of an upturned stone slab before the next volley spewed by.
"What the HELL was THAT!!!" Videl squeaked in shock, frazzled by everything that seemed to be happening so quickly, "I thought Ranchi had the truck!! Who's that crazy woman?"
"Ranchi." The blue-and-black haired duo replied simultaneously, before Bulma slapped the sayian for interrupting her and continued "It's Ranchi. Something must have made her sneeze, and she went Launch on us, instead of her usual Lunch self."
All she got was blank stares.
Bulma sighed and continued "When Ranchi sneezes, she flips between personalities. Lunch is the sweet, purple-haired form, and Launch is the crazy blond with a gun ever at her side."
"OH!" Yen shouted, slapping herself. "Silly me. Yeah, Ten-san told me that."
"Well, Gohan didn't!!" Videl shouted, still squeaking.
"*sighs* It was before your time, kid. Damn does that make me feel old..."
---
Krillan glanced down from his rock perch, jiggling the coffee mug in his hands and listening in on the conversation between the two that unknowingly were serving as his free ride. He'd wanted to get to the other side of the Tenkai but had been too tired to walk, so he'd sneaked on top of Tien + Yumcha's next load. The monk grinned to himself for his cleverness, and kept an ear on the conversation-
"Hey, Tien?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear something?"
"Hear something?"
"Yeah, just then, like a scream or something, followed by laughter."
"Probably just the kids again, you know how those three are, like when they scared the crap out of us all a while back. Remember?"
"*nods* I thought it was that thing, back from the dead.... again. *sweatdrops* Whatever it was called again."
"Kartar, or something, I think."
"Kar..... pin?"
"? No, but it was something like that."
"Kar.... ah, screw it, who cares?? It terrified us all, destroyed the sanctuary and killed Pic, which is why we're here slaving our asses off and the others are missing. That's all that matters, getting everything back together."
"...*cocks an eye at him* Pic? Since when do you call him 'Pic'?"
"I felt like it, ok? *sighs* I wish this hadn't happened......"
"We all do, Yumcha."
::silence::
"Tien?"
"Yes?"
"Is it just me, or is there something strange about her, about Oboe?"
"..... I really don't know, Yumcha."
"Ok, 'caus I've never heard much about her. Piccolo isn't inclined to speak about anything personal, and I've never really spoken to her myself. Something about her scares me."
"Really?"
At that last comment, five eyes turned up to stare at Krillan, who was trying to look inconspicuous after blowing his cover. With a weak "Hehe, um, well... hey, I can explain!", he sat his mug down and was about to try to weasel his way out of carrying the rock all by himself when a whizzing sound lances through the air, the bullet hitting the cup and shattering it into a million pieces.
All three sets of eyes stared in blank shock at the shattered porcelain before Krillan screeched and dove for cover, knowing all-too-well that was going on. He huddled underneath the slab the two had been carrying, which had been (accidentally) laid down in such a way that an almost cave was below it within the maze of rubble that still stood on this end of the sanctuary.
Soon after, he saw the other two dive in, Tien grabbing another rock to block the entrance and panting heavily, clearly terrified. Yumcha was too busy checking for holes that would let air in but not bullets.
Nonchalantly, Krillan clicked his fingers, beckoning a small ki ball to light the dark cave, and dusted off a flat stone in front of him, reaching for something in his pockets.
The two just watched him in confusion, but when the monk started dealing out three hands for poker, they shrugged, took 'seats' around the 'table', and prepared for a long wait... 'Caus with Launch on the loose, they weren't going anywhere for the time being.
"Yumcha, your girlfriend's a nut."
"I KNEW THAT!"
---
Back and forth, to and fro, along on their nice little lives, without a care in the world. There was no threat of fighting, no money to raise greed, no threat of war or violence or division among these peaceful people.
It made Oboe's heart ache in the greatest way, to know that she had lost that sort of carefree life, those friends and times long gone for her. Never again would she be able to sit by that grand tree with her brother and friend, reveling in the smallest pleasures of life, never again would her ears ring with Palidor's bright ringing laughter or Damaiou's quiet chuckle......
Or not?
After all, every time she looked at her son, she saw her brother's spirit as plain as day, his soft-yet-sarcastic attitude and explosive laughter mingled in the child's small form and large green eyes.... As of Damaiou? Well, Pikkoro WAS his.... son, in a sense....
Oboe shook her head violently, banishing ideals she didn't want to attack her right now, not wanting to try to justify falling in love with her best friend's son for the thousandth time, and instead dropped to the center of the village, followed shortly by the others.
---
Vegeta glanced around haphazardly, glad to see there weren't any stupid-ass brats hanging around to mimic the fiasco that had ensued the last time they'd entered one of these villages, and he tapped his foot as 'Piccolo' walked up to one of the villagers- some bastard in one of those silly dress {{Robe? No, that is a DRESS.}} things- to ask where the village elder was.
The man, for he was that, not young enough for an adolescent yet not old enough for an elder, pointed toward a hut toward his left. Oboe nodded her thanks, and was walking off when he called out something in namekian after her.
Oboe paused for a second, staring at him, but the man broke into a nearly musical laughter and walked off, leaving a smile lighting her face as she knocked on the door.
{{And what was THAT about?}} the sayian hissed to himself, cocking his eye in confusion at not being able to understand anything that was said around him, but that was stilled when Oboe waved them over to where she was standing before stepping into the house.
He rolled his eyes, moving his hand subconsciously to smooth his hair back as he walked, but smacked himself at remembering what'd happened. Cursing and muttering under his breath about debts, he strolled nonchalantly to the hut, holding to what dignity he had left at the moment.
---
The room was fairly large, yet like the other plain, the focus of attention being the low-slung table in the center made of the same white material as the hut itself. Gohan took his seat on the floor, adjusting his position to sitting on his feet so he could be more comfortable- it was low-slung alright, but that word had different meanings in a culture where people were regularly seven feet tall.
He barely noticed as Lute plopped down on his lap or Vegeta trudged in and leant against the wall, as his eyes were on the form that was his sensei and the elder, a quiet old man with a friendly expression to his voice.
A growl pulled his attention to the side, and he looked at Vegeta, the sayian obviously flustered at not being able to understand what was being said.
"GODDAMNIT NAMEK, SPEAK NORMAL!" he shouted in indignance, "NOT THAT NAMEKIAN CRAP!!"
Oboe shot him a hard glare, said something that sounded like an apology to the elder, and turned to face him, hissing "Oh, so you could understand and he couldn't? He only speaks namek-go, baka, and it's nothing you would care about anyway! I have to basically repeat the same thing everywhere I go, and if anything important is said, I'll tell you! Now LET ME FINISH!" At that she mock-slapped his face, cuffing his ears before walking back to the far end of the table. The elder and 'Piccolo' only said a few more words before taking their seats, but Vegeta didn't like the look on Oboe's face- it was almost impish.
He was about to ask what was going on again when Lute piped in "He said he's sorry for the interruption, but you're a jackass and he had to shut you up."
Vegeta's jaw dropped.
"WHAT?????"
Oboe shot Lute a slight glare, but the child continued anyway- "I know some namekian, 'pops was teaching me it before all this happened."
"That damn woman called ME a jackass??"
Before another word could pass his lips, Vegeta found himself pinned against the wall, a hand bigger that his face against his throat, leaving him dangling a few feet above the ground, staring into a furious yet slightly pale emerald face. The laughter was gone.
"You. IDIOT." hissed Piccolo's dark rasped voice, even though the soul behind those eyes was different, it still sounded the same, "I said he didn't understand it, but the others in the village can. Don't you dare slip like that again, or I swear, I WILL kill you, sayian. Don't think I'm kidding. I am going to get him back if I have to kill my own people, let alone you."
Vegeta's eyes flew wide, and he nearly lost himself in those furious orbs. This wasn't the meek happy little woman that called herself his friend's lover. This was a totally different being, like something...... like something possessed. He didn't remember what happened next, he just remembered nodding meekly and hoping those eyes would avert themselves before he screamed.
Everything else in the room passed as a blur, and he stumbled out, collapsing to his feet once outside, panting.
{{Oh gods... What's going on??? One moment she's lying in the dirt crying like a little child, the next she's... Piccolo, you'd better get your ass back here soon, something's happening to that girl, something twisted, I have NEVER been truly frightened by ANYONE, but there's something seriously wrong in those eyes.....}}
---
Far off in both distance and time Vegeta's fear was unknown, as was Oboe's rage, yet in another pair of eyes like those she wore, the emotion was ever further separated.
Oboe was furious.
Piccolo was damn-near exuberant.
As he stood out on the opposite end of the planet, like he had short days ago, he felt none of the irritation or disgust he had before, his face the furthest it'd ever been from the scowl he'd born then. A twisted rigid grin on his face to match the unfeigned glee in his narrowed eyes, he stared out at the basic nothingness without a care in the world...
"Feh, if only I could see that old bastard's face!" he laughed out, speaking to noone but himself, "He's probably holed up in there crying like the sentimental sharukus he is!!" He leant roughly against s tree, his cape twining around him as he crossed his arms, the next words in his mind going unsaid to himself- {{I had to leave, though, or I would have burst out laughing in his face and ruined it, have to play the game well if it's to break his goddamn soul before he can realize what's going on...}}
He sighed contentedly, reveling in a side of himself he had nearly forgotten about since befriending Son's child. Even after all these years, he still had it.
For a second, his face flashed silent remorse- if what Neru'd told him was true, then Kami was once a part of someone Oboe had once cared about deeply, but his current state of mind forced him to drop the question, luring him back to the twisted sadistic sort of mindset he hadn't lived in since his younger days, when he'd lived to kill Son Goku and rule over the world in his father's name. It was an enticing feeling, and he followed it, his eyes once again returning to his old glint. Justice would be done- he was going to break that old man in any way possible.
~~NOTE- musical inspiration, "Sex & Violence", by Stone Temple Pilots. Eugh, Just watched Zim, I'm giddy today, so pardon me if this chapter's a bit off the wall. *chews gum, starts typing* Oh, and I'm calling #18 by her full name 'Juanchigou' as well now. I know I'm spelling it wrong, someone correct me please. ~~~
"No... way..... That... that isn't possible!!!"
"I know, I know, but it's happening... *cowers* I'm so scared...."
"He can't possibly mean this, it's gotta be some sort of sick joke!"
"Oh SHUTUP!!! It's not funny anymore girls, I'm just not hungry."
The ladies, all letting out mock-gasps (Bulma pretending to faint), and after one last look at Son's annoyed/exasperated face, broke into fits of giggles. All except one.
All eight heads swerved around at once upon the faint sound of a cutesy 'achoo!' and three of them watched in dumbfoundment as the other five's eyes doubled in size before they all hit the deck.
Videl, Yen, and Juanchigou only stood there, blinking, staring at the others ducked behind any cover they could find. Yen was about to kneel down and ask what was going on when the truck came flying straight at them, a wild blond woman with an Uzi laughing maniacally and splaying the ground around them with gunfire.
The two standing (#18 had only needed to hear the bullets whiz right over her head and between her legs before calmly sitting down behind a rock) immediately facefaulted and were about to scream when Goku and Bulma grabbed them by their ankles, yanking them down into the cover of an upturned stone slab before the next volley spewed by.
"What the HELL was THAT!!!" Videl squeaked in shock, frazzled by everything that seemed to be happening so quickly, "I thought Ranchi had the truck!! Who's that crazy woman?"
"Ranchi." The blue-and-black haired duo replied simultaneously, before Bulma slapped the sayian for interrupting her and continued "It's Ranchi. Something must have made her sneeze, and she went Launch on us, instead of her usual Lunch self."
All she got was blank stares.
Bulma sighed and continued "When Ranchi sneezes, she flips between personalities. Lunch is the sweet, purple-haired form, and Launch is the crazy blond with a gun ever at her side."
"OH!" Yen shouted, slapping herself. "Silly me. Yeah, Ten-san told me that."
"Well, Gohan didn't!!" Videl shouted, still squeaking.
"*sighs* It was before your time, kid. Damn does that make me feel old..."
---
Krillan glanced down from his rock perch, jiggling the coffee mug in his hands and listening in on the conversation between the two that unknowingly were serving as his free ride. He'd wanted to get to the other side of the Tenkai but had been too tired to walk, so he'd sneaked on top of Tien + Yumcha's next load. The monk grinned to himself for his cleverness, and kept an ear on the conversation-
"Hey, Tien?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear something?"
"Hear something?"
"Yeah, just then, like a scream or something, followed by laughter."
"Probably just the kids again, you know how those three are, like when they scared the crap out of us all a while back. Remember?"
"*nods* I thought it was that thing, back from the dead.... again. *sweatdrops* Whatever it was called again."
"Kartar, or something, I think."
"Kar..... pin?"
"? No, but it was something like that."
"Kar.... ah, screw it, who cares?? It terrified us all, destroyed the sanctuary and killed Pic, which is why we're here slaving our asses off and the others are missing. That's all that matters, getting everything back together."
"...*cocks an eye at him* Pic? Since when do you call him 'Pic'?"
"I felt like it, ok? *sighs* I wish this hadn't happened......"
"We all do, Yumcha."
::silence::
"Tien?"
"Yes?"
"Is it just me, or is there something strange about her, about Oboe?"
"..... I really don't know, Yumcha."
"Ok, 'caus I've never heard much about her. Piccolo isn't inclined to speak about anything personal, and I've never really spoken to her myself. Something about her scares me."
"Really?"
At that last comment, five eyes turned up to stare at Krillan, who was trying to look inconspicuous after blowing his cover. With a weak "Hehe, um, well... hey, I can explain!", he sat his mug down and was about to try to weasel his way out of carrying the rock all by himself when a whizzing sound lances through the air, the bullet hitting the cup and shattering it into a million pieces.
All three sets of eyes stared in blank shock at the shattered porcelain before Krillan screeched and dove for cover, knowing all-too-well that was going on. He huddled underneath the slab the two had been carrying, which had been (accidentally) laid down in such a way that an almost cave was below it within the maze of rubble that still stood on this end of the sanctuary.
Soon after, he saw the other two dive in, Tien grabbing another rock to block the entrance and panting heavily, clearly terrified. Yumcha was too busy checking for holes that would let air in but not bullets.
Nonchalantly, Krillan clicked his fingers, beckoning a small ki ball to light the dark cave, and dusted off a flat stone in front of him, reaching for something in his pockets.
The two just watched him in confusion, but when the monk started dealing out three hands for poker, they shrugged, took 'seats' around the 'table', and prepared for a long wait... 'Caus with Launch on the loose, they weren't going anywhere for the time being.
"Yumcha, your girlfriend's a nut."
"I KNEW THAT!"
---
Back and forth, to and fro, along on their nice little lives, without a care in the world. There was no threat of fighting, no money to raise greed, no threat of war or violence or division among these peaceful people.
It made Oboe's heart ache in the greatest way, to know that she had lost that sort of carefree life, those friends and times long gone for her. Never again would she be able to sit by that grand tree with her brother and friend, reveling in the smallest pleasures of life, never again would her ears ring with Palidor's bright ringing laughter or Damaiou's quiet chuckle......
Or not?
After all, every time she looked at her son, she saw her brother's spirit as plain as day, his soft-yet-sarcastic attitude and explosive laughter mingled in the child's small form and large green eyes.... As of Damaiou? Well, Pikkoro WAS his.... son, in a sense....
Oboe shook her head violently, banishing ideals she didn't want to attack her right now, not wanting to try to justify falling in love with her best friend's son for the thousandth time, and instead dropped to the center of the village, followed shortly by the others.
---
Vegeta glanced around haphazardly, glad to see there weren't any stupid-ass brats hanging around to mimic the fiasco that had ensued the last time they'd entered one of these villages, and he tapped his foot as 'Piccolo' walked up to one of the villagers- some bastard in one of those silly dress {{Robe? No, that is a DRESS.}} things- to ask where the village elder was.
The man, for he was that, not young enough for an adolescent yet not old enough for an elder, pointed toward a hut toward his left. Oboe nodded her thanks, and was walking off when he called out something in namekian after her.
Oboe paused for a second, staring at him, but the man broke into a nearly musical laughter and walked off, leaving a smile lighting her face as she knocked on the door.
{{And what was THAT about?}} the sayian hissed to himself, cocking his eye in confusion at not being able to understand anything that was said around him, but that was stilled when Oboe waved them over to where she was standing before stepping into the house.
He rolled his eyes, moving his hand subconsciously to smooth his hair back as he walked, but smacked himself at remembering what'd happened. Cursing and muttering under his breath about debts, he strolled nonchalantly to the hut, holding to what dignity he had left at the moment.
---
The room was fairly large, yet like the other plain, the focus of attention being the low-slung table in the center made of the same white material as the hut itself. Gohan took his seat on the floor, adjusting his position to sitting on his feet so he could be more comfortable- it was low-slung alright, but that word had different meanings in a culture where people were regularly seven feet tall.
He barely noticed as Lute plopped down on his lap or Vegeta trudged in and leant against the wall, as his eyes were on the form that was his sensei and the elder, a quiet old man with a friendly expression to his voice.
A growl pulled his attention to the side, and he looked at Vegeta, the sayian obviously flustered at not being able to understand what was being said.
"GODDAMNIT NAMEK, SPEAK NORMAL!" he shouted in indignance, "NOT THAT NAMEKIAN CRAP!!"
Oboe shot him a hard glare, said something that sounded like an apology to the elder, and turned to face him, hissing "Oh, so you could understand and he couldn't? He only speaks namek-go, baka, and it's nothing you would care about anyway! I have to basically repeat the same thing everywhere I go, and if anything important is said, I'll tell you! Now LET ME FINISH!" At that she mock-slapped his face, cuffing his ears before walking back to the far end of the table. The elder and 'Piccolo' only said a few more words before taking their seats, but Vegeta didn't like the look on Oboe's face- it was almost impish.
He was about to ask what was going on again when Lute piped in "He said he's sorry for the interruption, but you're a jackass and he had to shut you up."
Vegeta's jaw dropped.
"WHAT?????"
Oboe shot Lute a slight glare, but the child continued anyway- "I know some namekian, 'pops was teaching me it before all this happened."
"That damn woman called ME a jackass??"
Before another word could pass his lips, Vegeta found himself pinned against the wall, a hand bigger that his face against his throat, leaving him dangling a few feet above the ground, staring into a furious yet slightly pale emerald face. The laughter was gone.
"You. IDIOT." hissed Piccolo's dark rasped voice, even though the soul behind those eyes was different, it still sounded the same, "I said he didn't understand it, but the others in the village can. Don't you dare slip like that again, or I swear, I WILL kill you, sayian. Don't think I'm kidding. I am going to get him back if I have to kill my own people, let alone you."
Vegeta's eyes flew wide, and he nearly lost himself in those furious orbs. This wasn't the meek happy little woman that called herself his friend's lover. This was a totally different being, like something...... like something possessed. He didn't remember what happened next, he just remembered nodding meekly and hoping those eyes would avert themselves before he screamed.
Everything else in the room passed as a blur, and he stumbled out, collapsing to his feet once outside, panting.
{{Oh gods... What's going on??? One moment she's lying in the dirt crying like a little child, the next she's... Piccolo, you'd better get your ass back here soon, something's happening to that girl, something twisted, I have NEVER been truly frightened by ANYONE, but there's something seriously wrong in those eyes.....}}
---
Far off in both distance and time Vegeta's fear was unknown, as was Oboe's rage, yet in another pair of eyes like those she wore, the emotion was ever further separated.
Oboe was furious.
Piccolo was damn-near exuberant.
As he stood out on the opposite end of the planet, like he had short days ago, he felt none of the irritation or disgust he had before, his face the furthest it'd ever been from the scowl he'd born then. A twisted rigid grin on his face to match the unfeigned glee in his narrowed eyes, he stared out at the basic nothingness without a care in the world...
"Feh, if only I could see that old bastard's face!" he laughed out, speaking to noone but himself, "He's probably holed up in there crying like the sentimental sharukus he is!!" He leant roughly against s tree, his cape twining around him as he crossed his arms, the next words in his mind going unsaid to himself- {{I had to leave, though, or I would have burst out laughing in his face and ruined it, have to play the game well if it's to break his goddamn soul before he can realize what's going on...}}
He sighed contentedly, reveling in a side of himself he had nearly forgotten about since befriending Son's child. Even after all these years, he still had it.
For a second, his face flashed silent remorse- if what Neru'd told him was true, then Kami was once a part of someone Oboe had once cared about deeply, but his current state of mind forced him to drop the question, luring him back to the twisted sadistic sort of mindset he hadn't lived in since his younger days, when he'd lived to kill Son Goku and rule over the world in his father's name. It was an enticing feeling, and he followed it, his eyes once again returning to his old glint. Justice would be done- he was going to break that old man in any way possible.