#18 punched the machine as lightly as she could. The
numbers pinged above it: 774
There was silence, broken by Krillin: "You overdid it, didn't you! I told you not to overdo it!"
"Well, I can't help it!"
"You just have no restraint, do you? Remember when we were in bed, and you were hurting me, and you wouldn't stop because you--"
"Not here, Krillin! Everybody is listening to you!"
Krillin cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Be more careful with the machine, #18."
"It looks like the machine is faulty," said the official, soothingly. "It's got some sort of malfunction that, you know, makes the numbers big. Here, I'll fiddle pointlessly with the controls, even though it looks absolutely fine to me." He stepped back and replaced the panel. "Now it's even better than new! Please try again."
#18 sighed and poked it as gently as she could. 203 flickered into the digital display.
"203," said the official weakly. "192... 186... 210... stupid broken machine! Do we have any more machines?"
"Just this identical one over here."
"Bring it out, then. Some people just don't appreciate fine machinery!"
"Hey, I appreciate fine machinery," said Krillin. "Get it? Huh? Get it?"
"Marriage has made you creepy, Krillin," said Goku.
"No, that's just the hair."
"Shut up, Gohan! My hair is the best! At least I don't dress up like a super hero and pose!"
"Watch it, Krillin. You can insult my family, you can insult me, but NEVER insult the poses."
"Okay," said the official, catching his breath. "I rolled out the second machine. This one is totally fine and cannot be broken at all."
Vegeta stepped forward.
"You know," said Gohan. "I can almost guess what's going to happen."
"Me, too," Goku said, sighing.
Vegeta hit the machine. It exploded, showering hot metal over the screaming crowd.
"Yep. That's what I was guessing."
"Really?" said Goku. "I was guessing it would turn into a magical penguin and then fly away."
"How's that?" Vegeta grinned. "I may not be able to defeat major villains, but I sure taught that machine a thing or to! Ha! Death to all machines!"
"Hey," said #18. "I resent that."
Videl coughed. "Gohan."
"Yes, Videl?"
"Your friends are weird."
"Yes, Videl. Yes they are."
"But you know," Goku was saying, "The best part of being dead is when people walk up to you and say 'Hey, what's that thing over your head?' and I say 'Oh, it's just my HALO, because I'm DEAD.' Isn't that great?"
"This is stupid," said Trunks loudly.
"Yeah," echoed Goten. "It's stupid."
"I can't believe it! We don't get to fight with the adults!"
"Yeah," echoed Goten. "I can't believe it!"
They were sitting in the back of the gymasium, where the child contestants were stretching and warming up.
"I mean," said Trunks, "I was hoping we'd get to fight our dads, and your brother, and Piccolo, and even that Krillin guy! What's with his hair, anyway?"
"Yeah," echoed Goten. "What's with his hair, anyway?"
"Don't you even have a personality of your own, Goten?"
"Yeah, Goten, don't you even have a personality of your own?"
"Shut up, Goten!"
"Okay," said Goten meekly, and fell into silence, swinging his feet over the edge of his chair. Trunks gave his competition another disgusted inspection. Just little kids! Here he was, a real Super Saiyajin, and he had to fight little kids. It wasn't fair.
"Here I am, a fully grown adult, and I have to fight real Super Saiyajins," said Krillin miserably.
"Shut up, Krillin," said #18.
"Hey," said Gohan. "Do you hear that? The junior division fights are starting. If we don't hurry, we'll miss seeing Goten and Trunks."
"Come on!" Videl grabbed his arm. "Let's go!"
"Well, Kakarotto, it looks like it's time to see my son beat up your son."
Goku smiled. "You wish! Goten is a great kid. I remember when that guy Raditz was here, and Gohan got angry and powered up and--"
"Uh, Goku," said Krillin. "That was Gohan. Not Goten."
"What, really? You mean... I HAVE ANOTHER SON!? Where's Gohan, then?"
"I'm Gohan!"
"What?" Goku stared around wildly. "I thought you were Vegeta! Then... then... WHO AM I? AM I VEGETA!?"
"Kakarotto, you moron! I'm Vegeta!"
"Then I must be Frieza! I'll destroy you all!"
"It's okay," said Krillin smoothly. "I have his medication right here."
"Come ON!" insisted Videl. "It's time for the Junior Division fights! We're going to miss it!"
There was silence, broken by Krillin: "You overdid it, didn't you! I told you not to overdo it!"
"Well, I can't help it!"
"You just have no restraint, do you? Remember when we were in bed, and you were hurting me, and you wouldn't stop because you--"
"Not here, Krillin! Everybody is listening to you!"
Krillin cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Be more careful with the machine, #18."
"It looks like the machine is faulty," said the official, soothingly. "It's got some sort of malfunction that, you know, makes the numbers big. Here, I'll fiddle pointlessly with the controls, even though it looks absolutely fine to me." He stepped back and replaced the panel. "Now it's even better than new! Please try again."
#18 sighed and poked it as gently as she could. 203 flickered into the digital display.
"203," said the official weakly. "192... 186... 210... stupid broken machine! Do we have any more machines?"
"Just this identical one over here."
"Bring it out, then. Some people just don't appreciate fine machinery!"
"Hey, I appreciate fine machinery," said Krillin. "Get it? Huh? Get it?"
"Marriage has made you creepy, Krillin," said Goku.
"No, that's just the hair."
"Shut up, Gohan! My hair is the best! At least I don't dress up like a super hero and pose!"
"Watch it, Krillin. You can insult my family, you can insult me, but NEVER insult the poses."
"Okay," said the official, catching his breath. "I rolled out the second machine. This one is totally fine and cannot be broken at all."
Vegeta stepped forward.
"You know," said Gohan. "I can almost guess what's going to happen."
"Me, too," Goku said, sighing.
Vegeta hit the machine. It exploded, showering hot metal over the screaming crowd.
"Yep. That's what I was guessing."
"Really?" said Goku. "I was guessing it would turn into a magical penguin and then fly away."
"How's that?" Vegeta grinned. "I may not be able to defeat major villains, but I sure taught that machine a thing or to! Ha! Death to all machines!"
"Hey," said #18. "I resent that."
Videl coughed. "Gohan."
"Yes, Videl?"
"Your friends are weird."
"Yes, Videl. Yes they are."
"But you know," Goku was saying, "The best part of being dead is when people walk up to you and say 'Hey, what's that thing over your head?' and I say 'Oh, it's just my HALO, because I'm DEAD.' Isn't that great?"
"This is stupid," said Trunks loudly.
"Yeah," echoed Goten. "It's stupid."
"I can't believe it! We don't get to fight with the adults!"
"Yeah," echoed Goten. "I can't believe it!"
They were sitting in the back of the gymasium, where the child contestants were stretching and warming up.
"I mean," said Trunks, "I was hoping we'd get to fight our dads, and your brother, and Piccolo, and even that Krillin guy! What's with his hair, anyway?"
"Yeah," echoed Goten. "What's with his hair, anyway?"
"Don't you even have a personality of your own, Goten?"
"Yeah, Goten, don't you even have a personality of your own?"
"Shut up, Goten!"
"Okay," said Goten meekly, and fell into silence, swinging his feet over the edge of his chair. Trunks gave his competition another disgusted inspection. Just little kids! Here he was, a real Super Saiyajin, and he had to fight little kids. It wasn't fair.
"Here I am, a fully grown adult, and I have to fight real Super Saiyajins," said Krillin miserably.
"Shut up, Krillin," said #18.
"Hey," said Gohan. "Do you hear that? The junior division fights are starting. If we don't hurry, we'll miss seeing Goten and Trunks."
"Come on!" Videl grabbed his arm. "Let's go!"
"Well, Kakarotto, it looks like it's time to see my son beat up your son."
Goku smiled. "You wish! Goten is a great kid. I remember when that guy Raditz was here, and Gohan got angry and powered up and--"
"Uh, Goku," said Krillin. "That was Gohan. Not Goten."
"What, really? You mean... I HAVE ANOTHER SON!? Where's Gohan, then?"
"I'm Gohan!"
"What?" Goku stared around wildly. "I thought you were Vegeta! Then... then... WHO AM I? AM I VEGETA!?"
"Kakarotto, you moron! I'm Vegeta!"
"Then I must be Frieza! I'll destroy you all!"
"It's okay," said Krillin smoothly. "I have his medication right here."
"Come ON!" insisted Videl. "It's time for the Junior Division fights! We're going to miss it!"