-Howdy! Whew, I thought I was never going to get this done… I've had a wild last couple of weeks to deal with… Oh well, I don't have much to say here this week, so let's get on with it!
-Disclaimer: Yes, I do own DBZ! Well, the two videos I just bought at Media Play anyway, but that's about it.
Chapter 17
"Here I come!" Krillen shouted, as he engaged Hail. The blue ninja snickered in amusement as he easily outmaneuvered the little man's onslaught. He sure was trying his heart out though… To bad for him that Hail wasn't much for sentiment or good effort. As soon as he got bored, Hail shoved Krillen back a ways before driving his knee into Krillen's midsection. Hail spun around planting his foot right in the back of Krillen's head, sending him skipping across the ring floor.
"Shit!" Krillen mouthed, as he picked himself up. "This guy is strong… Way too strong for me… Kami, what did I get myself into?"
Krillen's face recoiled in horror as he found Hail was already standing in front of him. "Allow me to enlighten you."
Krillen grunted out loud repeatedly as he barely managed to avoid the rapid punches Hail was throwing at him. He was beginning to think the blue ninja was merely toying with him, and soon would discover how right he was. His right hand came in fast, nailing Krillen in the gut again. His left hand headed straight for his face immediately afterward, but slow enough for Krillen to block it… Or at least that's what he thought. Krillen looked around in confusion finding Hail was nowhere in sight. "Where did he?…"
Krillen got this sickening feeling in his stomach when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't have turned around, but what else could he do? As soon as his head turned to face his opponent, Hail's fist came crashing into his face. Krillen went sailing across the ring headed straight for one of the four walls surrounding the ring. Krillen's face filled with determination as he summoned up a chunk of his energy to stop his momentum right before he sailed out of the ring. It was just enough to catch himself near the edge of the ring, and allowed him to flip himself back onto his feet.
"Whoa, that was a close one!" Videl called from the sidelines.
"He probably would've been better off if he fell outside of the ring," Gohan said, gritting his teeth. "He's way in over his head on this one…"
"Arghh!" Krillen screamed again, as his face hit the floor. Hail wasted no time pressing the attack on his opponent, but this time Krillen was ready for him. Krillen launched himself like a rocket directly into Hail's stomach, catching the Ray Lien off guard. Krillen immediately swarmed the ninja, smacking him in the face repeatedly with a flurry of punches. Hail staggered back, for whatever reason not even trying to block any of Krillen's attacks. Krillen wound up and drilled Hail with everything he had, and as a result the blue ninja went skidding across the ring.
Krillen wasn't about to waste time celebrating however. He felt something fishy going on with how easily he got to Hail after how firmly in control the Ray Lien was just a moment ago. Krillen pounced on Hail, and discovered his worries were well founded when all of the sudden Hail was back up to his feet. Krillen could see him grinning behind his mask, as he stopped Krillen's fist and held it at arm's length. Krillen tried to pry himself loose, but it was to no avail.
"Let go of me!" Krillen grunted, as he tired in vain to pry his arm loose.
"When I'm good and ready." Krillen would take that as a no in a second, once Hail twisted his arm around. A shrill scream erupted from Krillen's mouth as he heard several bones inside of his arm crack. Hail snickered as he reared back his fist, and slammed it into Krillen's jaw. Krillen's body flew backward, but Hail refused to let him go and pulled Krillen back towards him. Hail helped Krillen back up to his feet, well sort of, and proceeded to slap Krillen around viciously.
"Krillen!" Gohan gritted his teeth, and practically dug his feet into the ground. This was the third time that day that he had to watch something like this… And he was getting tired of standing back and doing nothing…
"Calm down Gohan…" Goku said, placing his arm in front of his son. "I don't like watching this anymore than you do, but we can't rush out there every time somebody gets into a bit of trouble. We knew the risks before we agreed to walk into that ring."
Videl looked at Goku curiously, and then back over to Eighteen who was standing next to her. She didn't even notice her walk up. Videl found her expression quite interesting. It was just about normal, the way she usually looked anyway. Videl was starting to wonder if she even cared if her husband got this head knocked off or not.
"Ah, ah, argh!" Krillen bellowed, as his head jerked from side to side violently. Hail snickered as he gave Krillen one last backhand across his face. Tired of slapping the little man around, he began to kick him repeatedly. He alternated between his gut and face, until Krillen's body couldn't even manage to stand up anymore and fell limp. Hail grunted disgustedly just like a child who'd grown tired of playing with his favorite toy.
"I guess I've played around long enough. All you're doing now is getting in the way of my mission." Hail grinned evilly behind his mask. "Then again, maybe I do have time for a little more fun."
Hail spun Krillen around by his arm, and flung him high up in the air. Krillen screamed as his body did flips while he flew upwards, and continued to scream when he began to plummet back towards the ground. Hail spread his legs apart, and summoned up a large ball of Ki in his hands. Hail sent the blast upward, and it hit its intended target, Krillen, dead on. The blast ripped through Krillen's body, dissimilating the shirt he was wearing on contact. Krillen's smoldering body crashed belly first in the ring where he laid motionless, a soft groan serving as his only sign of life.
"Krillen!" Videl jumped when she heard Eighteen scream out her husband's name. She looked back at her, and saw her teeth grinding together, clearly angered at what she was witnessing. Maybe she did care.
"Oh my folks…" the MC gasped. "Krillen is down hard… I guess all I can do is start the count… 1, 2..."
"He's not finished yet," Hail jeered, as he hovered over Krillen's carcass. "At least I'm not finished yet…"
Hail picked Krillen up by the hair, and slapped the short man on the back of the head until he regained consciousness. Krillen groaned groggily before Hail grabbed him by the throat, and picked his body up over his head. He squeezed down on Krillen's throat until his face turned blue. Finally, Krillen passed out again, as he was deprived of one of the few actions his body still had the strength to do. Hail threw him to the ground disgustedly. "Get up you little maggot! Don't tell me you're unconscious already! Get up you worthless…"
Hail slapped him around again, until Krillen finally began to stir. Hail kicked him over on his back, and pressed his foot down on his neck. Krillen began to wiggle around beneath him, as Hail applied pressure to his throat.
"This is sick!" Gohan roared, as his hair began to flash gold and black again. "He's gone way too far now!"
Even Goku seemed to have a difficult time holding himself back now. "What the hell is he doing?! He could've won this thing a long time ago, there's no call for this!"
Videl backed away a few steps from the angry Sayians. She could see now where Gohan got his temper from. These Son boys didn't fool around when their friends were in trouble. Her head shifted towards the side where Eighteen was standing. To her surprise her expression had changed somewhat. Her shoulders were tensed up slightly, and she was biting her lip as if to keep herself from saying something. "Eighteen…"
Eighteen didn't say a word, and just stared out at the ring.
Hail cackled as he applied pressure to Krillen's neck. His face now tinted purple, finally his lungs just quit on him, and his eyes rolled around to the back of his head. Hail didn't even seem to care, as he continued to press his foot down on his throat. "THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Hail looked up, and all he saw was someone's fist before it came crashing into his face. The blue ninja went skipping to the other side of the ring like a ping-pong ball before rolling to the outside, pushing up a cloud of dirt where he landed. Eighteen sneered in his general direction before kneeling down to check on her husband.
"Umm excuse me Ma'am…" The MC tugged at his collar nervously. "But interference during a match is strictly forbidden despite the circumstances…"
"Go to hell you idiot!" Eighteen growled at him, forcing the man a few steps back with a very frightened look on his face. "Look, I'm throwing out the match for him okay? This thing is over!"
"What?! I'm sorry but not just anybody can do that miss…"
Eighteen shot the man another look that made him want to crawl under the ring and hide. "I'm his wife you moron! If he's incapacitated that means I speak for him right? So, just call the damn match already!"
"Alright, if you insist…" the MC gulped. "Your attention please fans. Krillen's wife was thrown in the towel for him, so this match is officially over!"
"Whoa, did you see that?!" Videl gaped still stunned over what she just saw Eighteen do. "She just nailed that guy clear into next week!" She looked over at Goku and Gohan, and noticed the serious looks on both of their faces aimed towards the ring. "Guys… Is something wrong?"
Gohan was only able to mouth one thing. "Krillen…"
"Come on Krillen, wake up!" Eighteen demanded of him, as she tired to shake him awake. After that failed she put her head down over his chest, and her eyes widened in horror.
"Is something wrong Miss Eighteen?" the MC asked her cautiously.
Eighteen growled as her head shot up off his chest. "Of course there's something wrong, he's not breathing you idiot!"
The MC's face recoiled in horror. "Oh no! Get the medical staff quick, this man's stopped breathing!"
The crowd watched on in disbelief, as Eighteen began to perform CPR on Krillen towards the far end of the ring. The paramedic team on duty stood by as nothing more then bystanders after Eighteen refused to hand him over to them. Perhaps no one in the audience was more captivated by the scene then the small group huddled somewhere towards the center of the stands.
"Daddy?… Why isn't he getting up?"
"Don't watch Marren!" Yamcha picked the little girl up, and hid her face against his chest so she wouldn't look out at the ring. "He'll be okay honey, just don't look okay…"
"Let me go!" the little girl cried, as she tried to wiggle free. "I want to see…"
"What did that big bully do to him?!" Goten whined, as he leaned over the rail for a better look.
"He's not even moving!" Trunks stammered in horror as he looked on. "I think he might be dead…"
"Krillen you get up right now!" Bulma screamed at him from above. "Don't you dare die down there!"
"Bulma watch it!" Chichi growled, as she elbowed her in the side. "Remember! Marren!"
"Oh yeah, that's right…" Bulma whispered. "I almost forgot."
"Damn it Krillen! Don't you dare die on me!" Eighteen growled, as she pressed down on his chest. Krillen remained still beneath her. She breathed into him a couple more times, then pressed on his chest again. Finally… She heard Krillen cough, and shortly after his eyes slowly opened. Eighteen sighed in relief.
"Krillen…"
"What the…" Krillen chocked softly, as he tried to remember just where he was, and what was going on… "Eighteen… My match with Hail… What happened?"
"Don't worry about that, it's over now," Eighteen smiled down at him. "Just close your eyes, and I'll get you out of here okay?"
The MC sighed in relief, as he heard Krillen speak. "Good news folks, it looks like Krillen's going to be okay!" he announced to the cheers of most of the crowd, and some boos from a few scattered sicko's who wanted to see someone killed.
Eighteen's head snapped up when she heard Hail cackle from behind her. "How cute, you ran in to save your little husband. Well, you got one good shot in, but I'm afraid I get the last laugh. I'm quite pleased you saved his life actually. Now I can continue on to the second round, thank you so much."
Before Eighteen could retort the MC beat her to it. "Not so fast buddy! What you pulled still qualifies as excessive force under the Tenkaichi rulebook as long as the panel of officials agree. It didn't take them long to make a unanimous decision this time. You my friend, are here by disqualified from the rest of the competition!"
"What?! That's absurd! He's still alive, you can't just make up rules as you go along!"
The MC smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah, tell it to somebody who cares. Better luck next year!"
"No," Eighteen said suddenly, as she stood up, cradling Krillen in her arms. "Don't disqualify him."
"Huh?!" The MC appeared shocked as he looked over at her. "But what?…"
"I said don't disqualify him. That would be letting him off too easily. Let him get back into the ring. He'll get what's coming to him there."
"Well I…" The MC looked over towards the waiting room where the rest of the fighters were looking on. "How do the rest of you feel about that?"
Mostly silence from the other participants expect for when Gohan spoke up. "I don't think any of us have a problem with that."
"Well then… Since there's no objections from the other fighters, and technically he doesn't have to be disqualified since Krillen is still alive… I guess the final decision falls to me… Okay then, Hail will be allowed to continue on in the tournament!" The MC appeared to be very reluctant as he spoke those words. "I hope I don't regret this…"
Hail smirked underneath his mask. Excellent. Now I can continue on… It's a shame I can't hit my target now, but at least I can have a bit more fun while I'm here.
Shin's head snapped up, as he eased dropped on the Ray Liens thoughts. "Interesting…"
Everyone turned their attention towards the Supreme Kai. "What is it sir?" Piccolo asked him.
"Well, I just picked up something from Hail… He said he could no longer hit his target, so I can only assume that means the person he's after has already been eliminated."
"Well, at least that narrows down one of the questions," Goku said. "But that still doesn't tell else who he's after."
"Actually, it does when you think about it," Shin smirked. "There are only three possible candidates it could be now. I highly doubt they'd be after you Goku considering you're already dead."
"So, that only leaves me and Piccolo…" Videl analyzed as did Piccolo quietly. The Supreme Kai turned his head to scan over both of them. "Yes, that's the way it seems. At least now we know he's after one of you. Considering that Hail is among their highest class of warriors, my guess would be Piccolo is his target."
Videl's brow furrowed over her eyes. "So, why would it have to be Piccolo if he's one of their strongest fighters? He could still be after me, I'm no slouch you know!"
Shin gave her a bit of a look, then smiled. "Yes, of course. We should be ready for any and all possibilities. At least we know we should be watching your backs at the very least. It might be best to make sure neither of you go anywhere alone. Hail is less likely to attack if you're not by yourself."
Both Piccolo and Videl nodded their heads in acknowledgement. Shin looked over at Gohan and smirked. "I'm sure Gohan won't have any objections towards staying close to Videl, so I'd suggest you just make sure you pair up with someone for the time being Piccolo."
Videl and Gohan both blushed while Piccolo nodded yes. "Better yet, we should just all stay together and keep an eye out. We have no idea of knowing who Rain is after either…"
Piccolo paused and turned his head, remembering that the green ninja was standing only a few feet behind him. Rain did not say or do anything to acknowledge Piccolo in the least. He simply leaned up against the wall with his eyes closed.
Before any further conversation could be shared, everybody parted way for Eighteen as she came strolling inside with Krillen still lying in her arms. She propped him up against the wall, and knelt down next to him. Eighteen promptly held her hand out towards Gohan, and didn't even bother to look at him. "Gohan do you still have those senzu beans?"
"Oh sure." Gohan dug the bag out of his belt as he walked over to her, and placed a bean in her hand.
Krillen put his hand up to prevent Eighteen from stuffing the bean in his mouth. "No don't… You better save that. We might need it later… I'll be fine, I just need a little time to recover…"
"Don't argue with me!" Eighteen snarled. "Just take it!"
"Yes Ma'am…" Krillen grunted, and began to chew after she shoved it in his mouth. He didn't want to suffer any additional pain that would come resulting from disobeying his wife's wishes. It was a struggle to chew and the swallow the damn thing with his throat practically crushed into oblivion, but he managed to chock it down. Within seconds his eyes shot open, and he was back up on his feet hoping up and down to make sure all his body parts we're still working. "Wow! After all these years, I still can't believe how well those things actually work!"
Eighteen sighed in relief, smiled, and slapped Krillen on the back of head. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, you understand me?!"
"Hey, sorry babe… I've had more near death experiences and actual death experiences than I'd like to remember… I guess I won't be walking away with any money either… Sorry about that too."
"Don't worry about it… Some things are more important then money. Besides, I'm still in this thing don't forget."
"Wow, those things are amazing!" Videl gaped, staring at the rejuvenated Krillen. Nobody that wasn't in the back would've been able to believe this was the same guy who'd practically been strangled to death in the middle of the ring, nor that she was the same girl Spopovitch beat to pulp over an hour ago. "You know, you could make a fortune off of these as a miracle drug you know."
"Actually no we can't," Gohan began to explain to her. "First of all, they're vary rare, so we should really only use them in life or death situations. Secondly, they can't be used to kill bacteria or viruses, so they'd be useless as a drug anyway. They're only good for healing internal injuries that are caused unnaturally, and to restore a person's strength."
"I see…" Videl's head jerked around, when she heard the MC began to talk over the microphone. Fear filled her eyes as she remembered the bracketing for the tournament, and which match was next. "Oh shit!"
"Ladies and gentlemen our next match is Ryo vs. Yamu!"
Ryo smiled, and was about to walk out onto the entryway when he felt somebody grab his arm. He turned around to see that Videl had yanked him back inside. "Ryo wait up a second! I hate to say this to anyone, but I really think you should forfeit this fight."
Ryo looked at her as if she was crazy. "What are you talking about Videl?"
"Look, you saw what Spopovitch did to me, and I sincerely doubt this guy is going to be much different! We've already seen two slaughters today Ryo, so please don't make us sit through another one! Look, if Spopovitch tore me apart, then there's no way you could possibly stand up to this guy! Please don't go out there Ryo!"
Ryo felt insulted at first, and almost retorted accordingly. However, he stopped himself after he looked into her eyes, and saw how sincerely worried for him they looked. How they were practically pleading with him. Instead, Ryo smiled, and pulled his arm out of Videl's vice grip. This surprised the girl somewhat considering how tightly she was actually hanging on to him. "Don't worry about me Videl, I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern, but I think you're underestimating me just a little bit. I know you don't think much of me as a fighter, but you haven't seen me in action yet. I might just surprise you, in fact I'll guarantee it."
Growing impatient, Yamu looked back into the waiting area, and glared at Ryo. "Are you coming or not?!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," Ryo sneered, as he walked out next to him. "Don't act so tense, or you're going to shake the 'M' right off your forehead."
Videl stared dejectedly as Ryo walked towards the ring. "I'll be surprised if you manage to walk out of the ring in one piece…"
"Don't worry about him Videl," Gohan said softly, placing his hand on her shoulder. "He'll be just fine. He's a lot stronger then you think he is Videl… A lot stronger…"
Videl looked up at him. "You really think so? But if I couldn't beat Spopovitch… How can Ryo possibly defeat Yamu?"
Gohan sighed, and shook his head. "You'll understand eventually. Just watch and learn…"
"How you feeling Krillen?" Goku asked his friend, as he walked up next to him to view the next match.
"Well, my body feels great right now… But then again, I don't imagine how things could've possibly gotten worse then there were just a few moments ago…"
As soon as he finished saying that, some strange music began to fill the room. Krillen, Goku, and Eighteen, all looked around rather confused, as a large ball of smoke shot out from one of the hallways. A couple of fireworks went off, and a deep growl could be heard coming from the ball of smoke. The smoke cleared revealing the World Champion himself Hercule, flashing his usual pose to the other fighters back stage. Krillen took one look at Hercule and sweat dropped. "I had to open my big mouth didn't I?"
"Arh! Hercule the World Champion is here! ARR!" Hercule paused, and sweat dropped when he realized everyone was looking out towards the ring and paying no attention to him. "Uh guys... World Champ here… Guy who defeated Cell remember?"
Either nobody heard him, or they just ignored him. All except Videl who took a second to turn back and wave to him "Oh hi dad."
"Hey sweat pea… Dang, must be some really interesting matches out there or something."
Meanwhile, the fighters were about half way down the ramp when the MC finished up the introductions. "Ryo is a fiery young first timer here at the tournament. If my sources are correct, I understand that Ryo was trained by the same man who trained Gohan, the young man who we watched upset his father earlier this round. We can probably expect to see a similar style from him here. Yamu is a tournament veteran who unfortunately has never managed to win a Tenkaichi bout in several tries. He's looking to change his luck this year against this inexperienced Tenkaichi rookie!"
A few seconds later Ryo and Yamu climbed into the ring. The MC was about to signal the start of the match when he heard some commotion going on backstage. A few fireworks went off, and smoke began to spew across the entire area. "Can this be folks?… Yes, this could only mean one thing!"
"I can't see!" Goku cried, as he was enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
"What in the world?!" Kibito growled, as he was enveloped as well.
"Are we under attack?!" the Supreme Kai asked to anyone who was listening.
"No, it's just Hercule's damn pyro!" Krillen growled. "Why can't he just come out like all the other fighters! I swear, the guy thinks he's Hulk Hogan or something!"
A massive wave of cheers swept the crowd as their hero emerged form the smoke. Hercule played to the crowd for a few seconds while he made his way to his own personal seat set up right in the center of the north wall. Actually, it was more like a throne, and he waved to the crowd as he sat down in it. "Thank you everybody! Your hero is finally here! Now let's all sit back and enjoy the rest of tournament!"
Gohan sweat dropped as he watched Hercule sit down. "He has his own chair?…"
"I don't remember their being a seat there when I won the Tenkaichi a few years ago," Goku recalled.
"It wasn't…" Videl hung her head. "Dad had it constructed personally after he defeated Cell."
"Why am I not surprised?" Gohan muttered.
"Ladies and Gentlemen there you have it, Hercule has decided to join us and watch the action! Now if the fighters are ready you may begin!"
Yamu took a fighting stance, his body vibrating slightly. He didn't have as bad a case of the shakes as Spopovitch had, but it was enough to cause a distraction none the less. "Say there guy, are you okay? You know if you need it, I'm sure the doctor has a bottle of Prozac in the medicine cabinet."
"Silence boy!" Yamu grunted. "I didn't come here to talk, I came here to fight!"
"Well if you insist," Ryo smiled and took a fighting stance of his own. He was poised and ready to fight when he received a bit of a surprise as a voice entered his head that was not his own.
Ryo, can you hear me?
"Supreme Kai?" Ryo asked. This distracted the boy just enough to allow Yamu to sock him right in the face. Ryo hit the ground hard, but sprung back up to his feet in time to brace himself for Yamu's onslaught.
Ryo, I need you to listen to me, but keep your focus on the fight as you do so, Shin continued telepathically.
That's easier said then done, Ryo told him, as he dodged and blocked Yamu's arms and legs, staggering all over the ring as he did so. What exactly do you have to tell me?
I need for you to do me a favor. All I need for you to do is repeat everything I say to you to Yamu. You might not understand everything I tell you to say, but it's important for you to be convincing enough to make Yamu believe you're serious. Do you understand?
I understand… Okay, I'm ready whenever you are!
Good. First show Yamu you mean business.
That's an easy one. With the Kai's link temporally broken, Ryo was focused enough that he caught Yamu's fist as it came towards his face. Yamu seemed a bit surprised by this, but not nearly as much when Ryo's fist connected with his face. Yamu flew clear to the other side of the ring, and crashed to the ring floor. Yamu picked himself holding his face, surprised by how hard the boy had hit him. That punch really hurt…
Ryo smirked evilly, and stared down Yamu. "I know who you are Yamu?"
"Oh do you?" Yamu grinned back.
Ryo nodded his head, and repeated what the Supreme Kai was telling him telepathically. "I know all about you… And Babadi, and his plans to resurrect Majin Buu… And I know why you're here."
Yamu's grin faded. "Oh do you now? You're bluffing. You don't know a damn thing except maybe their names."
"I know everything my friend. I know you're here to gather energy for Buu… And we're not going to let you succeed Yamu. Thanks to you, we also know exactly where your master's spaceship is. Thank you so kindly by the way."
"You're lying! There's no way you can possibly know where Master Babadi's spaceship is?!" Yamu shouted, fear highlighting his features. "Who the hell are you anyway?! How do you even know about Master Babadi let alone his plans! The Supreme Kai sent you didn't he?!"
"What is he doing?!" Videl asked, noticing how, rather then fighting, Ryo seemed to be talking Yamu's ear off.
"I don't know, but whatever he's saying it's sure getting Yamu riled up," Gohan observed. "It's not like he needed to be wound up any tighter then he already was…"
"Whatever he's telling him, he seems to be making stuff up off the top of his head," Piccolo said, overhearing most of the conversation with his sensitive ears. "At least I think he is… The strange thing about it is that Yamu is taking everything Ryo's telling him very seriously, so I can only guess that whatever Ryo's saying holds some weight… It may be possible that he knows something we don't, but if he does I don't see why he hasn't told us… Unless…" Piccolo's eyes shifted towards Shin. Shin smiled and nodded his head slightly, but didn't say anything. That was the only answer Piccolo needed, but Kibito answered for his master anyway.
"Yes, in case you're wondering the Supreme Kai is feeding Ryo every word he's said to Yamu so far. He doesn't know any more about what he's saying then you do. That's all I can tell you right now, you will all understand as soon as this fight is over."
Gohan tensed up a bit when he saw the look Videl was giving Kibito. "Understand what? And when did you tell Ryo what to say? I didn't see you talking to him or anything before the match?" Videl growled when both Shin and Kibito ignored her, and continued to stare out at the ring. "Excuse me, didn't you hear me?!"
"Videl don't!" Piccolo panicked as he stepped in front of her. "That's not the way you want to talk to this guy, trust me! Show him a little more respect!"
"Why should I?! I don't even know him?! You guys won't even tell my what a Kai is?! All I did was ask a question, and just like with all the other questions I've asked nobody ever answers me!"
"Whoa! Calm down girl!" Gohan laughed nervously. He buckled his arms around her waist, and steered her safely away from Piccolo and the Kai. "It's all just a misunderstanding. You'll know everything soon enough…"
"I'd better!" Videl shouted. "This is getting ridiculous! Why am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on around here?! NOBODY TELLS ME ANYTHING!"
Shin grinned as he overheard Videl ranting. "Spunky isn't she?" Kibito just grunted in response.
"What is he doing? Has he lost his mind?" Takura asked himself, as he watched his friend apparently taunting his opponent in the ring. "Then again, I think he misplaced that thing a long time ago."
"Don't worry about who I am, or how I've come to know all this," Ryo said, finishing up the Kai's last feed. "You'd better heed my warning well however. As soon as I'm finished with you here, we're going to attack your masters spaceship full force, and end his evil plans once and for all."
"No! I won't let you! I'm going to finish you right here!" The enraged Yamu clenched his fists, and rushed Ryo. Ryo took him on, and struggled to block a flurry of appendages while listening to Shin at the same time.
Excellent job Ryo! You've got him panicked, so my plan should unfold perfectly now. Try your best to keep him intimidated, my plan may not work if he doesn't think you're serious.
How am I supposed to do that?! I'm not exactly what most people would consider intimidating you know?!
Perhaps, but give it a try anyway, and try to end this as quickly as possible. The sooner we can get my plan underway the better.
Alright, I'll give it my best shot…Shit! Ryo's link with the Kai was snapped, when Yamu's fist slipped through his defenses and got him in the face. Yamu followed up with a flurry of kick's and punches, sending Ryo crashing to the ground. The boy flipped over twice, nearly landing on his head before slowly teetering to the ground. He groaned softly as he sat up, and shook the cobwebs out of his head.
I told you to look intimidating, not to get knocked on your rear end Ryo could've sworn he heard the Supreme Kai grin.
I'm sorry, but I was a bit distracted! Could you please stop that until the fight's over?
Oh, yes of course! Sorry about that.
"He's down again! Damn it, I knew this was going to happen!" Videl growled from the waiting area. "I told him not to go out there, but no! Men have to be so stubborn!"
"He, hey, hey! Whose the one who kept getting up every time Spopovitch slammed you to the ground?" Gohan reminded her. "I didn't see you backing down an inch, so who are you calling stubborn?"
"I get your point!" Videl frowned. "Look, I'm just worried okay… I don't want to sit through another one of these! Every time Yamu hits him, I see Spopovitch clobbering on me…"
Gohan's brow furrowed, then he put a comforting hand on Videl's shoulder. "Don't you worry about that. Spopovitch is going to get what's coming to him, and don't worry so much about Ryo. I don't know what the hell he's doing in there right now, but he'll be fine. Look, he's already getting back up."
"That's what I was afraid of…"
Yamu snickered, as Ryo pulled himself up to his feet. "Well boy, I'm beginning to think you're all talk."
"Good, the advantage goes to me then," Ryo smirked, trying his best to follow the Supreme Kai's wishes. Apparently it worked for Yamu's grin quickly faded.
"We will see about that!" Yamu roared, and threw a right at Ryo's face. Ryo was ready this time, and caught Yamu's fist just centimeters away from making contact with his face. Yamu's eyes widened a bit in shock. "What the?…"
"Sorry I don't have time to play, but I have to make this quick. I've got things to do, and spaceships to blow up. You know the drill."
Before Yamu could retort Ryo fired up his Ki, and went off on the bewildered warrior. Yamu managed to block a few blows in the beginning, but that only lasted about ten seconds before Ryo's hands and feet started to pummel him. Yamu staggered back groggily after his beating, only to get Ryo's foot underneath his chin a second later. Yamu's body rolled over once, and the Majin slave's head bounced off the ring like a cue ball hitting the corner on a billiard table. Yamu picked himself up slowly, but Ryo didn't waste any time waiting as the Kai had requested. He kicked Yamu in the gut, sending him sliding clear across the ring. Ryo expected him to slide right out of the ring, he sure kicked him hard enough, but Yamu surprised him by using his energy to push himself up in the air. Yamu snarled, and fired an energy blast Ryo's way thinking he'd catch the young warrior off guard. Ryo just smiled, and swatted the thing away back towards Yamu. The man's eyes widened in shock, and he barely managed to move out of the way of his own attack.
"There he goes!" Gohan said, as Ryo finally appeared to have woken up.
"Don't get too excited yet," Videl mumbled. "Remember what Spopovitch did to me?! I thought I was winning for a while too, and boy did I get a surprise!" She got another surprise as she watched Yamu sail across the ring, and yet another when she saw Ryo swat Yamu's Ki blast right back at him. "What the hell?! How did he do that?!"
Vegeta humphed. "Get a hold of yourself girl! It wasn't even that strong of an attack. Just because it would've incinerated a weakling like you…"
"Excuse me!" Videl's head snapped around, wearing a menacing glare. Luckily for her, Gohan grabbed her and turned her back towards the ring before she could manage to provoke the Prince of the Sayians.
"Just ignore him Videl. The rest of us have learned too…"
"Yeah whatever," Videl grumbled, then looked back out at the ring to see that Yamu and Ryo were now fighting in midair. "Kami… Maybe he can win this thing?"
"He most certainly can," the Supreme Kai said, as he stepped a little ways out of the waiting area so he was in front of the other fighters.
"Umm… Excuse me Supreme Kai, but I'm kind of interested in knowing what you told Ryo to say to Yamu," Goku spoke up. "Not to mention what on Earth you are… Well, doing on Earth, and why you're so interested in Yamu and Spopovitch. I can only imagine it must be important for you to travel to our little planet."
"You'll know soon enough!" Kibito answered for Shin sternly. "Until then, just be patient."
"Now, now Kibito, I think we've kept them in suspense long enough," Shin denounced his servants comment. "Besides, now is as good a time as any. Listen closely because what I'm about to tell you all is very important. It's not Yamu and Spopovitch I'm interested in per say, but the wizard controlling them. His name is Babadi, and he's hell bent on releasing an evil monster that will rip this planet and the entire universe to shreds if he isn't stopped. He has a spaceship hidden somewhere on Earth. I've been communicating with Ryo telepathically, telling him exactly what I want him to say to Yamu. I want to make Yamu think we already know where Babadi's hiding, and that we're ready to attack him at a moment's notice… If Ryo succeeds in convincing Yamu that he's speaking the truth, then I'm hoping after this match concludes…"
Piccolo answered for him, as he pieced together the Kai's intentions. "That he'll fly off to warn his master, and lead you right to his hideout?"
"Exactly," Shin smirked. "I was planning on following them after they stole Gohan's energy, who I believe was the person they were looking for. However, that all changed when Goku and Gohan wound up facing each other in the first round. I suppose Babadi's henchmen caught a case of the limber tails when they witnessed all that power floating around in the ring. They obviously aren't the brightest stars in the night sky, but they aren't foolish enough to rush two Super Sayians head on."
Vegeta snickered at this. "Naturally."
"I would appreciate it greatly if you and your friends accompanied me Goku. I could you use all of your help. This isn't your average walk in the park villain I'm speaking of here."
"Sure I'll go along," Goku accepted the Kai's offer. "I still have a few hours before my times up, and if it's that important…"
"Trust me it is, and a few hours is all we'll need," Shin grinned confidently. "We'll leave as soon as this match is completed… Speaking of witch…"
Ryo was engaged in a mid-air martial arms display with Yamu when Shin's voice suddenly popped back into his head. So suddenly, Ryo almost got clobbered in the process. Ryo, if you're through playing around you can finish this thing any time now. We have more important matters to tend to.
I'm trying! I'd ask him to kindly hold still so I can knock him to the ground, but I don't think he's going to comply!
Don't be ridiculous Ryo, you can win this thing whenever you want. Just use your power, and try your best not to kill him. That would be a real inconvenience to my plan, and I don't have a plan C to turn to at the moment.
Gee, thanks for the advice… Well, here goes nothing.
Ryo caught Yamu's arm, as it rocketed towards his head. He smiled a bit as he looked into Yamu's wide eyes. "Well, it's been fun, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to finish this. I'll tell Babadi hello for you when we're tarring his spaceship apart. Later Yamu."
Yamu grunted in desperation as Ryo's leg spun around, and his foot connected with Yamu's chest violently. A panicked look only an anime character could make was plastered all over his face as he sped towards the ground.
A string of snot hung from Hercule's nose, and his mouth hung open wide as he watched the mid-air collision with Ryo and Yamu. "This isn't possible! They're flying… And that guy just did one of those trick thingy's those guys from the Cell Games used, and that kid just swatted it away like a paper wad! Who are these guys?!"
Hercule wouldn't have long to ponder that thought as he was currently watching Ryo kick Yamu in the chest, sending him spiraling towards the ground… Aimed directly for the spot Hercule was standing. Hercule screamed, and darted out of the way just in time for Yamu to whiz right past him. However, Yamu didn't miss Hercule's chair as he crashed into it, reducing it to splinters.
Hercule scrambled up to his feet, and stared in horror at the wreckage of his beloved throne. "You idiot, you wrecked my chair! Do you have any idea how much that thing cost, you're paying for it you know?!"
Hercule backpedaled a bit when Yamu suddenly sat up. He had assumed the man had been knocked cold after a fall like that. Yamu shook his head, and jumped to his feet looking a bit on the panicky side. "Master Babadi!"
"And there you have it folks!" the MC announced. "Yamu has landed out of the ring, and boy did he ever, and that makes Ryo our winner!"
"Spopovitch!" Yamu panted, as he rushed over towards his partner. Spopovitch looked to be in complete shock over his friend's lose.
"What happened?"
"Don't worry about that! Look, I have to leave, and warn master Babadi! That boy is threatening to attack the ship at any moment, and I'm not taking any chances! You stay here, and try to steal that boy's energy when you fight him while I go warn the master okay?"
Spopovitch nodded his head warily. "Uh-huh…"
"I can't believe my…" Videl stammered, starring at Ryo as he glided down to the ring slowly. He looked rather embarrassed by the crowd's applause. "He won!"
"There he goes!" Shin shrieked, when he saw Yamu flying off in the distance. "I must follow after him. The rest of you are welcome to join me if you wish. Gohan, Vegeta, Eighteen, I do not expect you three to follow seeing as you still have matches left ahead in the tournament. I'd rather you stay here and keep an eye, and possibly a fist if necessary, on the four other characters still remaining. They could pose a threat to everybody in this building. You are welcome to join us too after your business here is concluded. I've already relayed the message to Ryo, so don't worry yourselves with informing him. Now, how about the rest of you? Shall you join me?"
"I'm game," Goku replied.
"I guess I'll go along too," Piccolo agreed as well. "If you say it's important, then I shouldn't doubt the Supreme Kai's word."
Shin's gaze shifted to Krillen causing him to sweat drop. "Me too? Well I don't know, danger and I don't get along well if you know what I mean… He, he." Krillen looked up towards his wife for her opinion.
"Go ahead Krillen, they might need you," she answered quickly. "Just be careful. I don't want to have to bring you back from the dead twice in one day."
"Okay then… I guess I'll join you."
Shin smiled, and braced himself to take off. "Excellent. Now if you all will, let's get on our way before Yamu can put any more distance in between us and himself."
"Alright… I guess this Buu creature you mentioned must be pretty powerful huh?"
"More powerful then you could imagine Goku," Shin responded. Videl didn't appear all that worried, and wondered why everybody else was.
"Why do you all look so serious anyway? It doesn't matter how strong this monster might be, I'm sure he's still not as strong as my dad."
A collective groan could be heard from all the Z-senshi. Piccolo's head turned around towards Gohan's ear, and he whispered low so Videl wouldn't hear him. "Gohan, for all of our sakes please tell her the truth soon. This is getting irritating."
"What?!" Videl demanded, noting the almost surly and *yeah right* type of demeanors they all showed after her comment. Of course Videl wouldn't get an answer as Shin and company abruptly took to the air.
"Hey, where are they going?!" Hercule gaped as he stared after the group of fighters flying out of the arena. "And how the hell are they flying like that?!"
"I don't know, but they've been doing it all day," one of the monks told him.
"They have huh? Well, it must be some sort of trick of something… I'm an expert when it comes to this stuff, so I'll figure it all out eventually." Hercule turned around to see a pile of splinters resting on the ground, and a teardrop rolled down his cheek. "My chair…"
Gohan waved to his father as he, Shin, Kibito, Piccolo, and Krillen flew off after Yamu. The second they were relativity alone, Videl immediately barked at Gohan. "So tell me something Gohan! What exactly did Shin mean when he said he was communicating telepathically with Ryo? Can he do that with everybody?"
Gohan sweat dropped more at the demanding tone in her voice, and equally demanding look on her face, rather than the question itself. "Well… To be honest with you no, just Ryo as far as I know…"
"But how?! Do you know that too, or can you not tell me that much either?!"
"No, I'm sorry I can't! I promised Ryo I wouldn't tell anybody…"
"So, you do know?!" Videl growled. "So that means Ryo's told you, but of course he's never shared any of that with me! Well, it's nice to see you guys can be so personal with each other! Let's me know where I stand I guess!"
"No, it's nothing like that Videl! The situations just… Complicated…"
"Is that the best you can come up with?! Tell me something Gohan, does Ryo know all about the Gold Fighter thing?"
Gohan sweat dropped again, and blushed. "Well… Yes, but…"
"Why am I not surprised?!" Videl blurted out before Gohan even had a chance to explain himself. "I bet he knows all about you being part alien, and all that other crap too doesn't he?!"
"Well I…" Gohan's face recoiled in horror when he processed just what she had just said. "What, wha… Wait a second! How the hell did you know about that?!"
Videl blushed at first when Gohan pointed out that she had let that little fact slip loose. She was quiet a few seconds before folding her arms across her chest, turning to face the ring, closing her eyes, and smiling a sly devilish smile. "I'll tell you later."
Gohan looked at her as if she had grown a second head. "What?! But that's not fair…"
"No it isn't! Now you know how I feel!" Videl retorted. "Well, let's just put it this way! Until you tell me everything I want to know, then I'm not telling you what you want to know."
"Fine…" Gohan sighed, and hung his head. "Look… Just for the record, I didn't tell Ryo anything about me if that makes you feel any better. He found out everything about me on his own, I didn't have to tell him a thing. Otherwise, he'd know less about me than you do.
"And how is that possible?!"
"Through his little secret," Gohan said flatly. "You'll have to ask him about that."
"Okay then, I think I will," Videl responded coolly.
Just as their conversation had seemed to have ended, Ryo picked that inopportune time to reenter the scene as he walked up behind them. "Hey guy's, what's up?"
Gohan turned to his friend and smiled. "Hey Ryo. Nice fight, you really laid it into that guy."
Ryo dismissed the issue with a shrug of his shoulders. "Ah, it wasn't nothing. What's going on over here? It sounded like you guys were arguing over something just a second ago."
"Oh, that wasn't nothing," Gohan moaned. "Videl's still mad at me because I haven't told her my story yet, and she's even angrier at me now because you know and she doesn't."
"No, I'm just fine with it," Videl said softly. "I'll be patient just this once, and wait until tonight for you tell me your story. I promised I'd wait until you were ready anyway."
"Good for you Videl! It's good to see you acting reasonable for a change. It show's you're…" Ryo was cut off when Videl grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and pulled him down to eye level with her.
"Reasonable my ass!" Videl growled into his face, causing his eyes to widen, and a bead of sweat to drip down the side of his face. "As far as you go, I've agreed to nothing! First of all, you're going to tell me what the hell Shin meant about all this speaking to you telepathically crap, and you're going to tell me just where you learned to fight like that?! I want to know, and I want to know now, got me?!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Videl!" Ryo stammered nervously. He wiggled his way out of Videl's grasp, and backpedaled. She had that look on her face. That deep frown that said she wanted something, and she wasn't going to give up until she got it. "I'll tell you in a minute… Right now I really need to use the bathroom…"
"Don't give me that crap!" Videl barked, as she advanced on him. Ryo promptly whirled around, and sped off forcing Videl to run after him. "Get back here you little weasel! You're not getting out of this that easy!"
Gohan sighed, and shook his head as his friends disappeared through the back exit. "Oh well… At least that will get her off of my back for a while…"
"Your attention please fans!" the MC's voice sang into the microphone. "Now that all the confusion seems to have been taken care of, let's keep the tournament moving along! Our next match is Eighteen vs. Rain!"
Eighteen had just finished snapping a white glove over her hand when the MC called her name. She snorted and headed off to the entryway, with Vegeta staring after her as she went, a smirk on his face. He knew that look she was wearing. It was one worthy of Sayian, plus he had a general idea of what she had planned. The woman must be even more pissed off then I thought. This should prove amusing…
"Good luck Eighteen," Gohan wished her, as she blurred past him.
"I don't need any luck. This won't take me long."
"What are the gloves for?!" Gohan called after her.
"I don't want to get my hands dirty!"
Eighteen examined her opponent as he trotted up next to her. He was a short man, about Vegeta's height, and looked to have an average build underneath his Gi. He had his arms crossed, and kept his eyes closed the entire walk to the ring. She hadn't the foggiest idea as to what the meaning of a green Gi was for the Ray Lien, but she didn't give a monkey's ass at the moment. She wasn't even aware of the MC's introductions as they made their way to the ring.
"Eighteen is a newcomer to the Tenkaichi, but we do know that she's Krillen wife, and backs quite a punch as Hail found out earlier. Rain is also a little known newcomer who doesn't speak all that much. Judging based off the similar attire, and the fact that he's been seen exclusively with Hail throughout much of the day's events, it's probably safe to say that these two fighters have some sort of link with each other. That's an interesting note considering Hail nearly killed Eighteen's husband in the ring two bouts back."
Eighteen and Rain strolled into the ring causally, and faced each other. Rain finally opened his eyes, and bowed towards his opponent. Eighteen sneered, and crossed her arms. "You know I'm still steamed about what your buddy tried to do with my husband not to long ago."
"I can imagine," Rain said softly, muttering his first words that entire day. "Hail does tend to get carried away, but if you have a problem I suggest you take it up with him."
"Maybe I will, but the bad part is that I might not get the chance to fight him later on… So, that means I'm going to have to take my frustrations out on you."
Rain snickered at this and shut his eyes. "Do what you must, or you can at least try to that is. Now let's begin!"
Rain swung for Eighteen's face, but to his shock, she grabbed him by the arm and spun him around. She held both of his arms behind his back, and began to power up. Rain could feel a surge of energy soar through his body, alerting him to what she had in store for him. He looked absolutely mortified as he feebly muttered out. "What are you doing?!…"
"This is a little trick my creator installed into my programming for when I needed to dispose of enemies quickly. It's rather messy, but it gets the job done." Eighteen smiled wickedly, as she summoned more power up into her fist.
"But, but…" Rain's eyes began to bugle out of his head, but it wasn't from shock or surprise. "You can't do this! You'll…"
"Spare me your whining! I have more important things to worry about then you. I want to see just what this Majin Buu thing is, and frankly you're just wasting my time! Good bye Rain!" Eighteen let go of Rain's arm, and reared her fist back. She drove it right into the small of the ninja's back, and held it there sending a surge of Ki shooting through Rain's body. His body shook and illuminated in a bright flash of blue and white before finally, the overflow of energy combusted with one loud bang, reducing Rain into nothing more then tiny dust particles floating around in the air.
"Oh my word…" the MC stuttered, after watching Rain get blown into bits.
Eighteen dusted off her hands, and grunted indifferently. "I guess this means I'm disqualified huh?" The MC nodded his head nervously. Eighteen didn't say another word, and took flight heading off in the direction she had watched Goku and the others fly off in.
"What did she do that for?!" Gohan gaped, still staring wide-eyed at what Eighteen had just done.
Vegeta humphed and pressed his back against the wall. "If I trip over a kidney or something during my next match I'm not going to be happy!"
"No! Really, you're a psychic?!" Videl asked with wide eyes. "You expect me to believe that?!"
"Yes, because it's true Videl. Remember how I kind of crept you out a bit when we first met because I knew so many details about you, you thought I shouldn't know? Well, that's how I knew. I had a lot of visions about you before we ever even met," Ryo explained. "It was the exact same scenario with Gohan. He didn't actually tell me much of anything about himself, I knew most of it before I even met him. If you were feeling left out because you thought he was telling his secrets to me, and not you then you were upset over virtually nothing Videl. I know you're frustrated at not knowing what's going on, but there's really no point in feeling that way. It's nothing personal that Gohan's feeling against you."
"I know! It's not even that that really bothers me… It runs deeper then that…" Videl blushed ever so slightly, and turned her head away from Ryo.
"You can tell me Videl. Like I've told you before, nobody else is ever going to know."
"You should know already shouldn't you?!" Videl snapped, somewhat irritably. "You just claimed you were psychic didn't you?!"
"I can see events as they might occur in the future Videl," Ryo jeered in response to her tone of voice. "I can't see emotions or thoughts or anything like that. Come on Videl, it's only fair. You just forced half of my life story out of me."
Videl's blush deepened, as she seriously thought the matter over. She wasn't comfortable with talking about things like this to anyone, but there was something trusting and comforting about Ryo that made it easier for her to talk to him about things she wouldn't dare say to anyone else. A very similar air to the one that surrounded Gohan actually, but with one important difference. When Videl looked at Ryo she didn't have to face her feelings like she did with Gohan. The one thing she ever faced in her life that remotely scared her. Besides, he was more likely to understand her when most others wouldn't. He had problems with his own relationship, so he was more likely to understand what she was going through rather then ridicule or look down at her for it. "It's just… I'm just not happy with where I stand in his eyes right now… I don't want to be the one person he keeps in the dark when something major happens in his life. I want to be the one person he can always turn to when something like that happens. I want to understand him, that's all I really want… I want him to trust me like he does you or Piccolo…"
"In other words, you want to be his better half?"
Videl's nose scrounged up slightly at this reference. "You're being a little overdramatic aren't you? Or just jumping the gun maybe, but if you want to put it that way then yes. I feel so shut out right now… Like I'm just a nuisance that's in his way or something, or just a little blot spreading across a much bigger picture that's threatening to ruin the entire painting."
"Nice analogy, but that's not true at all Videl. Gohan wants to open up to you, he really does, but he's afraid of what you might think of him afterwards. It's not because he doesn't trust you, it's not because he thinks you'd get in the way, and it's absolutely not because he doesn't care about you! He's doesn't want to taint his image in your eyes, that's all it is Videl, I swear."
"But that's stupid!" Videl barked, a disgusted look spreading over her face. "He should know me better then that by now! I don't care if he is half-alien, or French, or whatever the hell he is! That doesn't matter to me! I just want…"
"Hold up a second!" Ryo cut her off, still stuck on the part where she said he was half-alien. "How did you know about that?!"
"About what?!" Videl frowned at first, but blushed when she realized what she'd said. "Oh, you mean about Gohan being Sayian… I heard Vegeta mention it while he and Goku were fighting."
"Yeah, but how did you know that it was a reference to an alien race, let alone Gohan was half Sayian?!"
Videl blushed again, but smiled remembering word for word Gohan's little speech an hour or so back. "Gohan told me… Back in the hospital room, after Spopovitch beat the hell out of me. He thought I was still unconscious, and pretty much spilled his heart out to me. He mentioned he was half-alien, and that he… Well, he mentioned how he felt about me…"
"So, I see. And the fact that he's half-alien doesn't bother you at all?"
"Of course not! I…" Videl's grimace softened, and she practically whispered as she continued on. "I… I love him…"
Ryo's grin spread from ear to ear. "I thought as much. I told him he was crazy for worrying. It is kind of funny that the only way he could manage to tell you all that was when he thought you were out cold. I don't have any room to talk I guess, the only way I could probably tell Amy how I feel was if she was a corpse or something…"
A small grin formed on Videl's face, before recalling something else he had said. "He also mentioned something about Cell… I'm not sure what he meant but…"
Ryo's expression grew serious. "Yeah, well I do… And just to warn you, you probably won't like what you're going to hear."
Videl wasn't about to argue with him. Deep down in her heart she already knew. "My dad… He didn't really defeat Cell did he?"
"No," Ryo said flatly.
"I always had a feeling…" Videl sighed. "He would always get kind of tense whenever I asked him about just how he defeated something as powerful as Cell…I always thought something was up but… If my Dad didn't defeat Cell, then who did?"
"Ask your boyfriend, he'll be able to tell you," Ryo said with an evil smile.
"He's not my boyfriend!" Videl snarled unconvincingly. Ryo gave her the appropriate *bullshit* look in response, letting her know he wasn't buying it, and Videl quickly changed her story. "Yet, okay… I'm still working on it."
"Funny, where have I heard that before?
"I'm not even going to ask you what that meant," Videl smiled. "By the way… I'm sorry… You looked really good in that ring today…"
"Don't worry about it, I get that all the time." Ryo dismissed the subject with a wave of his hand. "It works out to my advantage more times then not. Besides, it's fun to see the looks on some of these punks' faces when they find out I can beat the stuffing out of them. It feels just as good to prove your doubters wrong, as it does to prove the people who believe in you right."
"I guess I can understand that… Thanks for listening I guess. I suppose this is a situation where most girls my age have their mother of girlfriends to talk to, but you seem to work out just fine."
Ryo's brow twitched upward. "Wait a second, are you calling me a woman now?"
"Are you ever going to grow up?" Videl giggled.
"Maybe later. If we're through here, I want to get back down to the arena. I want to know what that explosion we heard was all about."
"Yeah, not to mention my dad's match is next! Now you're going to see a real champ in action!"
Ryo grimaced as they headed back towards the arena. Did she say in action, or put in traction?
"What was that look for?"
"Oh, it's nothing Videl. We better be getting back. I'm sure Gohan's missing you already!"
End.
-Whew! I can't believe I fit that all in one chapter! Well, I'd like to thank again everyone whose read and reviewed this story. I've had a very rough month of May, and it was very uplifting to open up my mailbox every couple of weeks to find all that praise staring back at me. I don't think I deserve it, but apparently I'm doing something right. I also appreciate when readers point out any major mistakes I make along the way, as long as their not being an ass about it anyway. Luckily, I haven't run into that problem yet. Hey, it's the only way I'm going to learn. I've taken a lot of risks with this story, Ryo being the most obvious and blatant of them, and I will be taking a few more down the road. For example, I'm going to do something in the next chapter that's going to piss some of you readers off, but I think you can live with it. I'm sorry, but it has to be done move along the flow of the tournament the way I want it to run. (Don't worry it's not what you're thinking… Maybe…)
Preview of Chapter 18! Following the completion of the first round, the quarterfinals begin! (Hears the well duh's filling up cyberspace) Vegeta will test his Sayian abilities against Taro, while Spopovitch has to step into the ring with a very unhappy Gohan. On top of that I promise I'll try my best to find yet another way to poke fun at everybody's favorite superhero fraud Hercule. I'll have to admit I kind of like the guy… He makes such a sweet punching bag! I wonder if he's still kind of tender down there?
