--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---

Chapter C05 - Devour

Disclaimer: The fun about this sentence is that by the time you realise it doesn't say anything, it's too late to stop reading it. Also: See first chapter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Still enough-

When the light died down to normal levels again, a gasp went up from the crowd. The arena was empty. Both Trunks and Goten were lying on the grass, and only now starting to drag themselves to their feet. Shaking himself quickly from his stupor, the announcer shouted, "Unbelievable folks, both Trunks and Goten are out of the ring! We're going to need to go to our judges to work out who landed out of the ring first, so we can find our winner."

-Although I know you're not begging-

"Well, that's certainly an interesting development," Kaen commented for the group.

Pi shrugged against him, "Guess they were a little more evenly matched than even I thought."

-Still as the thoughts running through your mind-

Climbing back to their feet, the two kids calmly walked around the arena until they were standing on the path connecting the arena to the fighters lounge. Grinning in true Son fashion, despite the massive - and slowly fading - red mark on the right side of his face, Goten chirped cheerfully, "Wow Trunks, you sure pack a punch!"

Trunks grinned back, a matching red mark on his face, as he replied, "You're not too bad yourself. You holdin' back on me before?"

Goten just laughed, replying in a sing-song voice, "May-be."

-Still enough-

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer's voice declared suddenly, "The judges have reached their decision." He paused, waiting for the crowd to settle, before continuing, "The sensors placed around the arena have reported that both Trunks and Goten hit the grass simultaneously. Added to that is the fact that both of these boys fought so impressively. In light of that, the judges have decided upon an never-before-seen outcome: the match is a draw!"

-Although I know you're not begging-

"What!" Vegeta shouted, outraged, "A draw? What the hell kind of verdict is that!"

"Aw man," Goku whined, "Now I'm not gonna be able to find out which boy's stronger."

Gohan just laughed, "I guess history is doomed to repeat itself."

-Give me a reason to make you mine!-

"Now then," the announcer continued, "With this decision come several new outcomes. First, the prize money for first and second places will be divided evenly between the two boys. Second, with the previous Junior World Champion having advanced to the Adult Division, neither boy will be required to have a match against her," - Videl breathed a sigh of relief at this point - "But next tournament, in the event neither one of these boys win, the new champion will be able to have a match against either, of his or her choice, or both. Third, the boys themselves will be allowed to decide who is taking part in the exhibition match, or they can both fight, if they so wish." With the formality out of the way, he walked over to the two boys, raising a hand above his head and shouting, "Now, can I get one final round of applause for these two amazing fighters!"

The crowd was more than happy to oblige.

-I will devour you-

"Well, we've seen enough," Kaen commented, before he and Pi began walking off.

Turning to face their slowly receding backs, Gohan asked, "Where're you going?"

With a shrug, Pi replied, "We're gonna head down to the practice arena and start warming up."

-Take all the pain away-

Turning to Truniz, Kaen added, "And you can tell the old men that if they want to talk to us, they can do it themselves, instead of sending you." Truniz just grinned, not surprised in the least that they'd figured out the real reason he was there.

"Wait," Videl interjected, "Aren't you gonna watch my dad's exhibition match?"

-I cannot stay my hand-

He just snorted, "Please. If I want to watch Trunks fight an egotistical, loud-mouthed blowhard, I'll watch him fight Vegeta; at least that match-up would be semi-exciting." With that, the two left, Vegeta's growl seeming to chase them away.

Spinning around to face Gohan, Videl barked, "What the hell did he mean by that?"

Gohan just sighed and shook his head, replying, "You'll find out soon enough..."

-From reaching out so that I can-

"Trunks, what's a 'exhibition match'?" Goten asked his, as far as he knew, more knowledgeable friend. The two boys were still standing on the path, subconsciously tuning out both the announcer and crowd's attempts to draw Hercule out from backstage to begin the exhibition match.

Folding his arms, Trunks replied, "It's a fight where the winner doesn't matter; all that matters is that the people fight."

-Empower you-

"Oh okay," Goten nodded, then asked, "But why are they trying to bring Hercule out for one?"

Trunks just slapped his forehead and groaned irritably, "Haven't you been listening to anything they've been saying? Hercule is meant to have an exhibition match against the winner of the Junior Division; namely, us."

-For all eternity-

"We have to fight Hercule?" Goten parroted, before he began waving his arms about frantically, "I don't wanna fight Hercule; you do it."

"Why don't you want to fight him?" Trunks asked mockingly, "Surely you're not scared?"

Goten's head shook so fast it began a blur, before he replied, "Nooo, that's just boooring."

-It seems to ease my mind-

"Thousand zenni says he doesn't show," Krillin commented.

Feeling the need to support his would-be girlfriend's father, Gohan anted up, "Two thousand says he does."

Surprisingly, it was Vegeta who raised the bet further, "Three thousand says he shows up, but makes an ass of himself doing so." Much to Videl's silent dismay, no more bets were placed to dispute that.

-To know that you've brought meaning to my life-

"What are you guys all doing here?"

Looking up at Pi's exclamation, Kaen noticed the large group of people approaching. While he expected to see the other people competing, he was a little surprised to see the rest of the group with them. He gathered, by the shit-eating grin he saw on Vegeta's face, that the older Saiyan was now six thousand zenni richer, having heard the bets made before the exhibition match.

-Had enough-

Gohan opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Krillin cut in with, "Are you sufficiently 'warmed up', huh?" The innuendo was so thick even Goku got it.

Growling, Kaen snapped his fingers, before spreading his fingers and forming a small ball of fire on his palm. Aiming said ball of fire in Krillin's direction, he barked, "Back off little man, or I'll show you just how warm it can get. Now, why is everyone here?"

-Although I see you're not running-

Trying again, Gohan answered for the group, "Well, after the exhibition match you two skipped out on, the announcer declared a one hour recess in the tournament, so we decided we were gonna go get something to eat. We kinda figured you guys'd want in, so, here we are."

While physical communication wasn't needed between the two of them, Kaen and Pi still shared a glance before nodding, Kaen replying, "Sure."

-Still are the thoughts running through your mind-

"Wait a minute," Videl interjected, "Didn't you guys eat, like, an hour or two ago."

Pi blinked, "What's your point 'Del?"

Sighing in exasperation, Videl explained, "My point is that all that food is going to weigh you down and make you sluggish."

Throwing an arm around the girl as the group walked off, Pi replied, "Videl, clearly you have no idea what you're talking about."

-Dead to love-

As soon as the massive group of people entered the eating establishment, all Saiyans within began sniffing the air, to see how good the food was. When the males started shaking their heads, the female Saiyans, excluding Lime, but including Chichi and Kat, began walking towards the kitchens, April commenting for the lot of them, "If they can't make proper food, we'll just have to do it ourselves."

"Can I help?"

-The path that you are now taking-

All activity from the group suddenly stopped, several of the women pausing mid-step, before they turned around to face the speaker: Videl. Being possibly the most diplomatic of the group, Raene asked, "You know how to cook?"

Videl nodded, answering the unspoken questions as well, "Yeah. Despite my father's choice of lifestyle, I decided I wasn't going to rely on servants all my life, so in what little spare time I have I've been getting the chefs to teach me." With a smile, she added, "I've found that the old adage is true: the best meal truly is the one you make yourself."

-Show me the reason to make you mine!-

A smile spread across the faces of all six women, as Pi and Chichi walked forward, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders from opposite sides, and bringing her into the group. Videl couldn't keep the smile from her face at the acceptance she felt as, flanked on the right by Chichi, Raene, and Cherri, and flanked on the left by Pi, Kat, and April, the group of women, now seven large, strode purposefully into the kitchen to begin the monumental task of cooking for all their friends.

-I will devour you-

In the stunned silence that followed, it was Kaen that broke the ice. "You know Gohan, if I didn't already have a mate, I think I'd be jealous."

Gohan just smiled.

-Take all the pain away-

"Wow Videl, these sweet rolls are amazing!"

Videl desperately fought the urge to preen at Gohan's praise, as she tried to continue eating her own food from her seat at his left. Nonetheless, she still felt her face heat up at his words, as she replied, "You really think so?"

He turned to smile at her, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. "Videl, if I didn't know better, I'd swear kaasan made these."

-I cannot stay my hand-

This time, she was about three seconds short of a swoon. "You're just saying that..." Having spent the past two weeks hanging around with Gohan, she knew how important food was to him, and just how good Chichi's food was, so that was quite the compliment.

From Gohan's right, Goku called out, "Hey son, can I try-"

"No," Gohan growled semi-playfully, wrapping his right arm around the plate, "Mine. Get your own."

A smile on her face, Videl playfully slapped him on the back of the head, chiding, "Gohan, play nice. Share."

-From reaching out so that I can-

Gohan just shook his head stubbornly, "Nuh uh." Seeing Gohan act like a five-year-old, Videl couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. A smile playing across his lips, Gohan turned to face the girl, asking teasingly, "Videl, did you just giggle?" As she quickly shook her head and waved her arms, denying the accusation hotly, Gohan saw some movement out of the corner of his eye.

-Empower you-

Whipping his head forward again, he saw Kaen quickly snatch his hand back, having reached across the table, and in his hand were one of the sweet rolls Videl had made. Tearing it in half, he passed one piece to Pi, before eating the other himself. Grinning bastardly over the table at Gohan, he commented, "Wow, those are good."

-For all eternity-

As Gohan growled at his friend, Videl let out another giggle, before quickly slapping a hand over her mouth. Turning back to the girl, Gohan half-growled, "You think that's funny do you?" When she shook her head, he grinned widely, saying, "I'll give you something to laugh about." He reached over, poking her in the ribs, and causing her to giggle again. When she grabbed his hand, he reached over with his other arm, poking her again in the stomach, and eliciting another giggle. Grinning widely, he commented, "Here's a new line of merchandise: Tickle Me Videl."

-It seems to ease my mind-

Trying vainly to halt both her giggle, and Gohan's roaming hands, she shrieked, "Gohan! Stop it!"

"Yeah Gohan," Pi commented smugly, "I don't think she'd approve of those toys. After all, I'm pretty sure there's only one boy Videl to tickle her the right way."

The entire group of friends burst into laughter as the two teens flushed, although some were louder than others; there was at least two cries of "Way to go Gohan", and one "My baby's all grown up."

-To know that you've brought meaning to my life-

Ten minutes later, the group had finished eating; well, all bar one of them. Goku, proving himself again to be a stomach with legs, was still going, much to the disgust of those who had never witnessed him eating before. Even the other Saiyans couldn't believe how much he put away.

"Kami, how can he eat so much..." Kat commented quietly.

"Especially considering he's dead," Pi added, in the same tone.

-Run, to where the smallest ray of light will never find you-

"What did he die of? Food poisoning? Ruptured stomach?" Falcon muttered.

Turning to Kaen, Truniz remarked, "This must be what it's like for normal people watching us eat."

Nodding, the younger Saiyan replied, "It would explain the stares."

-Run, to where you will not need to shield your eyes-

"Hey, I just thought of something," Videl exclaimed, "When we were all cooking, how come Bulma didn't help?"

"She's an inventor, not a cook," Chichi replied, with a helpless shrug, "I've tried teaching her, but it never seems to stick."

-Run, away from all the soulless, heartless fiends who hound you-

"Putting her in a kitchen is like asking for the plague," Vegeta commented, "How the woman can turn perfectly good food into toxic waste is beyond me."

"What did you say!" Bulma screeched.

"You heard me, and you know it's the truth," Vegeta replied with a shrug. Not surprisingly, an argument ensued.

After watching the two bicker for a minute, Videl asked, "Is that normal?"

-Run, away and let your memories go blind, when I-

Gohan just shrugged, "Pretty much, yeah, but normal isn't a word we use much. Those two are the only people I have ever met that could scream 'I'll kill you because I love you' and mean every word of it."

Bemused, she asked, "How can they even stand each other, let alone be married?"

"Ever see those soap operas where two people slap each other, then kiss?" he offered.

"Yeah?"

-Devour you-

He shrugged again, "Like that... All the time... Turned up to eleven."

Putting a hand to her chin, she mused, "So, underneath all that aggression there's love?"

"Yup," he nodded, "And behind that love is more aggression."

-Take all the pain away-

She threw him an odd look, one eyebrow raised. "You have some weird friends Gohan."

"And what, exactly, is normal in your life?" Truniz interrupted. When she couldn't find an answer, he shrugged, "It's an odd galaxy, get used to it."

"What an odd thing to say..." Videl commented to herself, but before she could think on it too much, Goku finally finished, and the massive group set off for the stadium again.

-I cannot stay my hand-

As the extended group headed back to the arena, swapping stories, jibes, and jokes, they noticed a pair of odd individuals approaching them. Pausing, the group cast a quick eye over the newcomers. The first was a short purple-skinned man with a white mohawk, and the second was a tall, red-skinned being. Both were dressed in similar outfits, that looked strangely familiar to a few of the Z-Fighters, although they couldn't place where they'd seen them.

-From reaching out so that I can-

Walking over to the centre of the group, where Goku stood, the shorter one bowed politely, saying, "I am so glad I had the chance to meet you Goku. I have heard so much about you." Directing a hand at the other man with him, he continued, "My name is Shin, and my companion is Kibito." Turning back to the group, he finished, "I hope I get the opportunity to fight you in the tournament. It would be an honour." With that, the two walked off.

Ignoring Vegeta's grumbling, Krillin asked, "What was that about?"

Goku just shrugged and laughed, "I have no idea."

-Empower you-

Noticing the look in his old friend's eye, Avarrdo scolded, "No, you are not dissecting another alien! April is still mad at me about the last mess you made!"

"That was you?" April interrupted.

Kellre just shrugged, "You've done worse for your claims of science."

"Hey, I don't kill things for science," Avarrdo defended.

"Considering some of the things you've done, that's probably a lot worse," Kellre shot back.

-For all eternity-

Stepping in to stop the argument, Truniz supplied, "Well, he is an entrant in the competition, judging by where he's headed, so you'll get your body after the tournament."

"I wonder which planet he's from..." Raene mused.

"You won't find a planet in this galaxy that has creatures like either of those," Kaen growled, Pi resting a hand on his shoulder to hold him back should he attack.

"How do you know that, son?" Avarrdo asked; fortunately, Videl and the rest of the humans were too far away to hear the exchange.

Kaen just shook his head, as if to clear off a rogue thought. Muttering, "Damn deja vu..." to himself, he replied, "I just do."

-It seems to ease my mind-

"Now's our chance Goten, let's go!"

The two boys hurried off, having managed to separate themselves from the others when the two groups split off into competitors and spectators; after all, with them having been in the Junior Division, there wouldn't be empty seats for them up in the stands.

"Why are we doing this again Trunks?" Goten asked.

Sighing in annoyance, Trunks replied, "You wanna fight in the Adult Division don't you?" Waiting for the younger boy to nod, he continued, "Well, we've gotta find a way to get in, and the only way we're gonna do that is if we can find someone who we can take the place of." Spying a guy in a huge white sheet, Trunks smirked, "And I think we've found our mark."

As the older boy rubbed his hands together, planning what he needed to do, Goten asked, "How do you know his name's even Mark?"

-To know that you've brought meaning to my life-

To be continued...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes:

I know, I know, this was a weak ending. Sue me. Go on, I dare you. Bring me the forms; I'll do it for ya.

EDIT (8/4/07): I found a song I liked for this chapter, so, here it is.