--- Disturbance, Book 1: Convergence ---
Chapter C14 - Violence Fetish
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.
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-Bring the violence-
"Alright Kaen, care to explain how the hell you did that before?"
The man in question paused, the aluminium can he had been seconds away from drinking from still held before his mouth, as he directed his gaze towards the speaker. "Do what Gohan?" He replied, "In case you've forgotten, I did a lot of things out there."
-It's significant-
Nodding, Gohan sat down across for him, Videl opting to sit beside him, proving they was preparing for a long explanation; fortunately, after the small scale war that they'd had minutes ago, the announcer had called an unscheduled fifteen minute break, to allow the fighters some time to rest and recover before their next match. "Alright then," the Demi-Saiyan teen prompted, "Let's start with how you beat me. What, exactly, is this 'Soulfire'?"
Kaen shrugged, "Basically, Soulfire is how Water would act were it Fire."
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
The semi-captive audience of two just blinked vacantly, Gohan commenting, "Uh, I think we're gonna need the long version."
"Okay," Kaen sighed, subconsciously shifting into the lecturing tone his father was known for; absently, he noticed that, while his father and Kellre were off consoling Vegeta on his loss, having taken it upon themselves 'to take the broken man and rebuild him faster, stronger, better', the pair of them were still looking in his direction, not-so subtly informing him that they too were listening. "Let's start with the basics of ki techniques, or ki magick, as some call it. There are six elements-"
-Bring the violence-
"I thought there were only five elements," Videl interrupted.
Kaen shot her a half-hearted glare. "I'll get to that later. Anyway, there are six core elements, the primary elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, and the two extra elements, Void, also known as Shadow, and Spirit, also known semi-jokingly as Holy. I call these last two extra because they don't really 'fit' with the other four. See, there are also six secondary elements that, like secondary colours, are a combination of their parents."
-It's significant-
"So it's cyclic," Gohan paraphrased, "And Void and Spirit don't fit this cycle."
"Exactly. The six secondary elements are Lava, Lightning, Mist, Clay, Ice, and Decay. Lava is a combination of Earth and Fire; that is to say, fire that has a basis in earth, that acts like earth, and that, when it cools, becomes earth. Similarly, Lightning is Fire-Air, Mist is Air-Water, Clay is Water-Earth, Ice is Fire-Water, and Decay is Air-Earth."
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
"So Lightning is burning air, Mist is airborne water, Clay is wet earth, Ice is water that burns, and Decay is eroding winds," Videl commented, showing a surprising understanding.
"Precisely," Kaen nodded, accepting the drink Pi handed him and taking a swig before continuing. "Now, as you can see, Void and Spirit don't really fit anywhere with the other ten elements. There is, however, a theorised thirteenth element, the parent of Void and Shadow; researchers have dubbed it Life. Attaining control over the element of Life is the Holy Grail of ki magick, like turning lead into gold is for alchemy, or total nirvana is for Buddhism."
-Oh ow, ow!-
"Why?" Videl asked, curious, "What does Life bring that the other twelve don't?"
"The name alone says it all," Pi supplied. "Control over life itself: being able to choose who will live and who will die; immortality itself." With a shrug, she added, "There are, obviously, easier ways of attaining immortality in this galaxy, but none come with quite so much potential."
"When people talk about the Five Elements," Kaen explained, "They mean the primary four, plus the theorised true fifth: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Life."
-How do you sleep when you live with your lies?-
"Alright then, I understand that," Gohan commented, "But how does this relate back to your Soulfire technique?"
"It's simple," Kaen replied. "As you can see from the secondary elements, the core elements aren't as separate as everyone believes. Well, I discovered that they're even less separate than anyone knew. Now, while what I found applies only to fire, assumedly the other elements have similar things. Simply put, I discovered a total of six different kinds of fire, one for each core element."
"So these other fires are a combination of elements?" Videl asked.
-Out of your mouth, up from your mind-
"Not exactly," Kaen corrected. "As I said, Soulfire, blue flame, is as Water would act were it Fire, the most destructive element; that is if the element of water was actually fire, it would act like Soulfire does, and wash away everything, leaving a blank slate. Plaguefire, green flame, the 'Earth' fire, poisons the body, temporarily robbing them of their sight or hearing, or paralysing their body. Wraithfire, purple flame, the 'Wind' fire, poisons the mind and soul, making them paranoid, or frantic, or depressive. Hellfire, black flame, the 'Void' fire, uses the energy of others to increase the damage it causes. Finally, Balefire, white flame, the 'Spirit' fire, burns back the thread of someone's life, undoing events they've done in the very recent past."
"You can erase people from time?" Videl asked incredulously, and with a good touch of fear.
-That kind of thinking starts a chain reaction-
"Only back a couple of minutes..." Kaen defended weakly.
"Not really erasing them, more like hitting them so hard they died a few seconds ago," Pi interjected.
"Wait, I thought the colour for Wind was yellow, not purple," Gohan commented, changing the subject quickly; he didn't want Videl freaking out.
-You are a time bomb ticking away-
Glad for the new topic, Kaen explained, "Traditionally, yes. However, in some cultures - those with no knowledge of the secondary elements - purple can be used instead; so it's just as correct. Similarly, yellow is occasionally used for Earth, instead of the traditional green."
"So, can you control Life ki?" Videl asked interestedly.
-You need to release what you're feeling inside-
Kaen just shook his head, "No, I can't, and I probably never will. Because I have a complete alignment to Fire, I will most likely never be able to attain proper control over the other elements. It was hard enough gaining the tentative control over them I have now."
"How'd you do that anyway?"
-Let out the beast that you're trying to hide-
Kaen paused, seemingly struggling for the words to say; he also noticed the older Saiyans paying a lot more attention now. "Well, I basically created a ki 'lens', or 'filter', to convert Fire ki into other elements; you may have noticed the different coloured auras. However, regardless of what I filter to, the ki still acts like fire; it's powerful, unstable, and burns out quickly. And, as I discovered, it requires a lot more energy than normal to both start and maintain." With a smile, he added, "However, I am now no more limited in my choice of techniques than any other fighter, so the ends justify the means."
"Can you do this 'filter' thing too Pi?" Videl asked interestedly; apparently there was much more to this ki thing than Gohan had told her.
-Step right up and be a part of the action-
"Not unless she taught herself," Kaen replied with a shrug, "I've been a little busy this past month working out how to do it myself." Giving her a teasing smile, he added, "But if she's a good girl, I'll teach her everything I know." This was a loaded statement, something Pi picked up on immediately; Kaen was telling her that, should she pass his series of tests, he'd teach her some, or all, of his new moves.
"Speaking of which," Gohan interjected, "How the hell did you fire a blast while maintaining another one? And, for that matter, how did you manage to Split Form into four full-powered copies?"
-Go get your game face on because it's time to play-
Kaen just grinned. "Hey, I'm not telling you all my secrets. Besides, you wouldn't be able to do them anyway."
"Why not?"
Kaen shrugged again, "The first I can't really explain enough for anyone else to understand it; I mean, I haven't even been able to explain it well enough for Pi to learn it yet, and she's been learning from me for fifteen years, so you've got no chance. As for the second, the key lies with the man I defeated a month ago." Kaen meant to say 'killed', but censored it for Videl's ears.
-You're pushing and fighting your way-
Gohan levelled him with a dry look. "You know, you're saying a lot without really saying anything at all."
Kaen grinned again. "Yeah, I do that."
-You're ripping it up-
Shaking her head at their antics, Videl commented, "No offence Kaen, but all that sounds really technical, and you don't strike me as that much of a technical-minded guy."
Kaen just shrugged, waving away her concerns. "None taken; I'm generally not. However, back when I was a kid, the punishment for misbehaving was getting stuffed into a room with both our dads while they discussed this sort of thing, with the occasional whack to the back of the head to ensure I remained awake and alert."
"And he got in trouble quite a lot..." Pi added 'helpfully'.
-Bring the violence-
Coughing once to cover a minor moment of embarrassment, Kaen supplied, "Anyway, this stuff is mostly Kellre's theories, 'cept for the fire stuff; that's all me."
"Of course it is," Kellre called out from the back of the room, "The concept is sloppy, and you aren't referring to the kinetic balances between-"
-It's significant-
"Oh hell no!" Truniz shouted, jumping between the two both physically and verbally, "Don't start this shit here; this isn't a room full of insomniacs wanting a cure."
"Hey, this stuff is interesting!" Videl called out, annoyed at the interruption, and Gohan nodded his agreement.
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
"Sure, it's interesting the first time," Kaen muttered sourly, memories of many hours of boring lectures playing through his head.
Giving Kaen an annoyingly cheerful smirk, Kellre commented, "It's nice to know I have an appreciative audience, but perhaps another time. I do believe Gohan has a match to prepare for." The infliction in his voice made the word 'match' sound a lot more like 'slaughter'.
-Bring the violence-
Hercule was worried; no, scratch that, Hercule was scared shitless. Pacing around his private dressing room, he scrubbed a hand through his hair, which, due to the power of Afro, did nothing to change his hairstyle. "What am I gonna do?" He whined to himself, "That kids gonna squash me like a bug, then he's gonna prove to everyone I'm a fraud! I'll be ruined!"
Moving to his private bar, he poured himself a drink of scotch, before setting the glass aside and taking a swig from the bottle itself. "What am I going to do?" He bemoaned to himself. "I've got to beat this kid, but with all his tricks he's gonna..."
-It's significant-
He trailed off, a menacing smirk coming to his face; he had a few 'tricks' of his own. Moving over to his gear, he pulled an innocuous-looking case from one of his bags, setting on the nearby dresser. As he undid the locks, he began having second thoughts. He hadn't used these particular... tricks, for over a decade now, despite keeping them up to date; was this really the right time to start again?
Shaking his head, he opened the box and slipped a few items from within inside his gi shirt. If nothing else, Hercule Satan would go into battle prepared to win.
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
Noticing the number of spectators returning to their seats, Videl realised the intermission was swiftly drawing to a close, so she grabbed Gohan's arm, asking, "Uh, Gohan, can I talk to you for a moment? In private?"
Picking up on the slight hesitation in her voice, and pointedly ignoring the reactions of his friends - which would no doubt begin teasing them - he nodded, standing up. "Sure Videl. Let's take a walk."
-Oh ow, ow!-
Once the two were far enough away to be out of earshot of even Piccolo's hearing, Videl cast a quick eye around, making sure no one was watching, before asking hesitantly, "Gohan, can you do me a favour?"
Smiling reassuringly, Gohan nodded. "Sure Vi, name it."
-Bring the violence-
Taking a deep breath, she began, "Well, it's about your match against my dad..."
"You want me to go easy on him?" Gohan interrupted.
-It's significant-
She shook her head. "No I-"
"You want me to let him win?"
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
"Will you shut up and let me speak!" She shouted suddenly, before slapping a hand over her mouth and glancing up at him apologetically. Seeing the still reassuring look on his face, she said, "I... I want you to beat him... and I want everyone out there to know you did. I don't want dad saying you let him win. I want..." She blushed a little, almost imperceptibly, before continuing, "I want freedom from him. I want to be able to do what I want without fear of him reigning me in. I want you..." Blushing a little more, she added hastily, "-to win!"
-Bring the violence-
Smiling down at her gently, Gohan chose to ignore her faux par, replying, "So you want me to win in such a way that there's no doubt I won legitimately, so he'll leave you alone, right?"
She smiled back, nodding once. "Yeah. Can you do that for me?"
-It's significant-
He clasped her hand, smiling wider. "For you Videl, I would move Heaven and Earth; this, I'll do for free." Videl smiled brilliantly up at him, before the pair walked back to the fighter's lounge, the human girl missing the fact Gohan was still holding her hand, and the Demi-Saiyan choosing not to draw attention to it.
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
-Oh ow, ow!-
"So, where have you two been?" Kaen asked, a massive grin on his face.
Gohan gave him a level stare, replying pointedly, "Getting a drink."
-How do you live without playing the game?-
"Well you're back just in time," a new voice called out, "The announcer's just called you and 'Fro-man out for the runner-up match."
Spinning on her heel to face the speaker, Videl asked, "Kat, what are you doing here?"
-Sit on the side and expect to keep sane-
The catgirl just shrugged, "I felt left out."
Flexing his shoulders, Gohan commented, "Well, I better get out there."Smiling down as Videl, and subtly squeezing the hand he still held, he added, "Wish me luck."
-Step right up and be a part of the action-
Videl had to resist a sudden urge to stretch up and kiss him on the cheek. Instead, she smiled back at him, replying, "I seriously doubt you need luck. Kick his ass for me will you?"
"Will do," Gohan grinned, striding out to the arena. Seeing Hercule already out there drumming up the crowd, Gohan could feel the smirk come to his face; he was going to enjoy this.
-Come get a piece of it before it's too late-
"I can't believe my Gohan has to fight that big ape Hercule," Chichi huffed.
"Think of it this way Chi," Bulma reasoned, "This means Gohan goes home with an easy five million zenni."
"Plus," Raene added, "He gets to get some revenge against the blowhard for seven years of insults."
-Take a look around, you can't deny what you see-
"That's... a very good point," Chichi conceded, before standing up in her seat and shouting, "Pulverise him son! Remember what he said about your father! Destroy him!"
As Chichi continued on in this manner for a while, Bulma leaned over to Falcon, commenting quietly, "Okay, now she's angry."
-We're living in a violent society-
"So Herc, what'll it be?" Gohan asked, taking advantage of a break in the man's pre-prepared confidence breaking speech to derail his train of thought. Trying to keep calm, Gohan thought to himself, 'If he says he's the Champ one more time, I swear to Kami I'll break his face.' Planting an overly cheerful grin on his face, Gohan explained Hercule's options. "Do you want a single hit knock out, or would you rather I see if I can pull off another Pinball Special; well, assuming you're tough enough to bounce back more than twice."
The sudden reminder that this fighter produced the name scrawled across the stadium walls knocked the wind clear out of Hercule's sails. Quaking a little in fear, he stuttered, "P-please d-don't kill me!"
-Well my brother let me show you a better way-
"Oh, I'm not gonna kill you," Gohan replied, waving the other man's concerns away. "In fact, because I'm such a nice guy, I'm gonna go easy on you. I will fight you on a normal human level; no special powers, no flight, no 'light shows', nothing. Just your regular strength and skill verses mine."
"Y-you mean it?"
-Get your game face on because it's time to play-
"I give you my word," Gohan replied as solemnly as possible; he spent a great deal of effort forcing himself not to laugh piteously at the gleam of hope in Hercule's eyes. The afro'd fighter had no real way of knowing that even suppressing his ki all the way down to Hercule's level, with his Saiyan strength was more than capable of allowing him to rip a bank vault door off it's hinges, or match a car with basic foot speed, as Kaen's daring rescue whilst wearing a ki suppresser proved. Sure, such feats would exhaust him afterwards, but Hercule was most certainly not as tough as a bank vault, nor as fast as a speeding car.
-You're pushing and fighting your way-
"Really?" Hercule asked, brightening considerably, "Well, that's mighty sporting of you."
"Oh I'm not doing this for you Hercule; I'm doing this for me." Before the older fighter could question him about this statement, Gohan walked over to the announcer, asking, "Hey, can I borrow that microphone for a moment?"
"What for?"
-You're ripping it up-
Gohan smirked. "I have a little announcement to make." Blinking once, the announcer tossed the microphone up to Gohan's awaiting hands, and, smirk still entrenched on his face, the teen walked back to the centre of the ring.
"What're you doing?" Hercule asked quickly; the fear was back, fear that he would reveal him for the fraud he was.
-Bring the violence-
"Hercule Satan," Gohan stated, "You have always said that your daughter, Videl, is not allowed to date anyone unless they are strong enough to defeat you in combat, correct?" When Hercule nodded slowly, the gears already cranking in his head trying to find where this was going, Gohan continued, "This, logically, goes the other way as well, in that anyone strong enough to defeat you is allowed to date Videl, correct? Mister Satan, I am going to prove to everyone, right here and now, that I am stronger than you. I challenge you for the rite to date Videl!"
-It's significant-
As Gohan moved to return the microphone to the stunned announcer, an awed gasp went up from the assembled onlookers, and all of Hercule's second thoughts about using his special brand of tricks disappeared. 'If this punk thinks he can take Videl away from her family, he's got another thing coming!' He vowed to himself.
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
"I can't believe he just did that," Videl commented, her voice surprisingly inflectionless; it was like her mind wanted to express so many warring emotions at once that none got through at all.
"I can," Kaen commented, watching the drama in the stadium unfold from his position leaning against the doorframe.
-Bring the violence-
Marching up to him, Pi asked sternly, "Kaen dear, you wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this would you?"
"Why Pi, I am offended that you'd think I had anything to do with this," he replied blandly.
-It's significant-
Raising an eyebrow, Videl asked, "Are you offended because she thinks that, or because she just thinks it, and doesn't know it?"
Kaen smirked. "That, Videl, is the right question." With that, he refused to say any more, returning full attention to the fight.
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
-Oh ow, ow!-
"Ole!" Gohan cried cheerfully, grabbing the larger man's fist as Hercule tried to punch him, and using his momentum to flip the burly fighter over his shoulder. Gohan had to admit, if he didn't have a genetic advantage, at this level of fighting, he would have been hard-pressed to keep Hercule from winning; but he did have the advantage, and he was having a grand old time using the kung-fu-like techniques his father taught him to throw Hercule about the ring like a rag doll.
-Bring the violence-
Hercule, however, was quickly getting angry with the fight. 'Impudent brat,' he growled to himself, totally forgetting just who, exactly, he was fighting, 'If he thinks he can defeat me and take Videl away without fighting back, he's got another thing coming. I've got big plans for her that don't involve nameless weaklings.' Stealthily reaching into his shirt, Hercule pulled out one of the items he'd pre-prepared and held it as tight as could be safe in his clenched fist.
-It's significant-
Charging towards his opponent, he shouted, "Boy, I'm gonna make sure you never see Videl again in your life!" In a rare moment if intelligence, Hercule had made a loaded statement: in his hands was a small pouch containing blinding powder, which would be released when his fist closed tightly around it, such as when making contact with a punch; it was only temporary, sure, but enough to throw off a fighter's game.
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
This, however, was completely the wrong thing to say. His face contorting into a scowl, Gohan grabbed Hercule's fist mere inches away from his face, commenting darkly, "Hercule Satan, you are a stupid, stupid man." With a sharp twist, and a yelp from the larger fighter, Gohan twisted Hercule's arm around and began punching him in the face with his own hand; despite Hercule's efforts, Gohan had spotted the little pouch.
-Bring the violence-
Stumbling back when he was released, Hercule clasped a hand over his eyes, as the powder did its damage. Blinking back tears, Hercule squinted his eyes, charging towards the opponent he could now no longer clearly see, as he shouted, "I'm never gonna let Videl be with a freak of nature like you!"
-It's significant-
Growling in anger, Gohan fell back on his original fighting style, Piccolo's brutally efficient Muay Thai-like style, throwing out a punch to intercept Hercule's, and taking sick satisfaction in the sound of the bones in Hercule's hand fracturing upon impact. Cracking his knuckles, and flexing his neck to either side, Gohan said, "You know, I was going to go easy on you for Videl's sake, but after that shameful display, I think she'll forgive me for what I'm about to do. Besides, she did want me to make sure you couldn't say you let me win..."
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
-Oh ow, ow!-
"Well, looks like Hercule went and said something stupid," Kat commented cheekily.
Feeling a little afraid for her father's safety given the look on Gohan's face, Videl asked, "Hey Pi, you can heal my dad can't you?"
-Tell me what am I supposed to be-
"Of course I can," Pi replied, wondering for a moment why the human girl sounded so sure of that fact.
Videl breathed a sigh of relief, placing a hand over her heart. "Thank you."
-Another goddamn drone?-
"Oh don't thank me," Pi argued, "I said I could heal him; I didn't say I would do it." At the look on her friend's face, Pi added, "Don't look at me like that! You've seen him; touching him'll probably give me hair on my palms or something!" This comment was a round of chuckles from pretty much everyone assembled, which was the entire point; even Kaen, tucked away in the back, deep in conversation with their fathers, let out a laugh at her over the top antics.
-Tell me what am I supposed to be-
Never passing up the chance to insult someone, Vegeta sneered, "Is that what happened to you Cueball? Did you headbutt Satan?"
-Should I leave it on the inside?-
Krillin just snorted, "I wish... Actually, on second thought, no I don't; I'd probably wind up with an Afro too."
-Tell me what am I supposed to be-
At the look on Videl's face, Kat patted her on the head, commenting, "Oh don't worry 'Del. We've still got a few senzu beans should Gohan get... creative."
-Another goddamn drone?-
"What a waste," Vegeta spat. For a moment, the eavesdropping Shin thought that maybe Vegeta had realised there might be trouble, until the Saiyan prince added, "We should leave the waste of flesh in pain."
-Tell me what am I supposed to be-
Throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders, Pi commented, "The real question is, how did you know I have healing powers, huh Videl?"
-Should I get ready to play?-
Panicking slightly, Videl replied, "I... uh... You said you could! After my defeat to Spopovich." At least, Videl hoped she had; the memory flash she'd had at the time seemed to allude to that.
-You're pushing and fighting your way-
"You were barely conscious Videl," the Saiyan teen pointed out, "And you had a concussion to boot. I seriously doubt you could hear anything well enough to remember it."
As Videl struggled for an answer, Kat gasped, "Oh Kami! You can remember it all can't you? Everything!"
-You're ripping it up-
Videl shook her head quickly, denying it hotly, "N-no, I-"
"Don't lie to us!" Pi shot back sternly, "You've known this entire time haven't you?"
-Bring the violence-
At the tone in the older girl's voice, Videl went into babble mode. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it just came back to me when Spopovich hit me, I promise I won't tell anyone about what happened before, and-"
"Not about that; the important thing." Pi cut her off. "Why haven't you acted on your feelings for Gohan yet?"
-It's significant-
"G-Gohan?" Videl stuttered, in shock at the sudden change in topic.
"Yeah, you remember what he told you on the Lookout right?" Pi asked. When the girl nodded dumbly, she added, "So why haven't you dragged him off to a closet and ridden him like a mechanical bull yet?"
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
Videl felt her face light up as she almost died of embarrassment. Hearing Goku, Gohan's father, shout, "Oh Kami, I can't know that!" and Truniz add, "I could stand to hear a little more," didn't help her case. Neither did Kat patting her on the head and commenting, "Don't worry 'Del, I understand your desire to wait." Videl almost thought Kat was truly being supportive, until the catgirl added, "If Gohan's anywhere near as energetic as I've heard these two get," she indicated Pi, "Then a closet just won't cut it; you'd probably knock down a wall or two."
As Videl almost feinted, Pi moved quickly to catch her, snorting jokingly, "Lightweight."
-Bring the violence-
The majority of the crowd was silent, as the brutal assault against their 'Champ' was laid down. About the only sound to be heard through the whole stadium was the snap of bones, and Hercule's womanly shrieks of pain, as Gohan unleashed seven years of pent-up Saiyan fury. Gohan was getting revenge against Hercule for not only every slight against his own honour, but also very insult against his father and friends, and for every time Hercule treated Videl less like a daughter and more like a trophy; in short, there was a lot of revenge to be meted out.
-It's significant-
With a smirk, Gohan caught Hercule's pathetic attempt at a punch, taking strange satisfaction in squeezing the man's already damaged hand, and listening to the sounds the bones made as they popped out of joint. "Last one Herc, say goodnight," he commented overly cheerfully, twisting Hercule's arm behind his back in a very painful lock, before forcibly tripping the 'Champ' onto the arena floor with heavy, nearly excessive... alright, extremely excessive force, breaking Hercule's nose and knocking him out cold.
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
-Oh ow, ow!-
Planting a foot on his fallen opponent's back, Gohan smiled at the announcer cheerily, "I think he's done for the day; wanna call it?"
-Bring the violence-
"Well, that was a little much," Krillin commented.
Vegeta smirked. "Speak for yourself. I've never been prouder of him."
Piccolo just nodded. "It looks like Gohan broke a bone for every insult Hercule has ever made."
-It's significant-
Krillin sweat-dropped a little at the comment. "You're kidding right?"
Piccolo just smirked. "He was my student."
"Right," Krillin laughed, before a thought occurred to him, "Wait, does the human body have that many bones?"
-To the life / If you've ever known anyone-
"Looks like Gohan won," Kat declared as though it weren't obvious from the get-go, "Aren't you gonna go congratulate him 'Del?"
"Hey Videl," Pi added slyly, "I've got a capsule house you can borrow if you want to 'congratulate' him properly."
-Bring the violence-
Videl raced out to the arena, partly because she did want to congratulate Gohan and affirm her father's defeat, but mostly because she wanted to avoid the constant teasing. What awaited her in the ring, however, was just as 'bad'.
"It looks like Son Gohan has well and truly defeated Hercule!" The announcer shouted, before noticing Videl's approach, "And it seems Videl has come out to congratulate her boyfriend on his win!"
-It's significant-
Videl skidded to a stop awkwardly, commenting, "W-wha? Boyf- Ack!" Her response would have continued, and been entirely valid, if Gohan hadn't immediately yanked Videl into his arms, and into a very deep kiss; this was met with roaring approval from the crowd, especially from a particular overbearing mother and her group of friends. When Gohan finally broke the kiss and set her back down on the ground, Videl was left panting for breath, her face covered in a massive blush, and a huge, giddy smile.
The announcer walked over to the pair, holding his microphone out after saying, "Congratulations Gohan, as our third place finisher in the tournament, you have won five million zenni!"
-To the life / Can you feel it?-
Gohan smirked, "So now only did I get to beat up Hercule and win the rite to date Videl, but you're paying me for it too? Nice." Videl gaped at Gohan, but had no chance to say anything on the matter, as with a wave to the crowd Gohan took one of the senzu beans from the bag on his belt, flicking it towards the announcer with the instructions of, "Give this to Herc when he regains consciousness; he'll be up and complaining in no time," before he hoisted her over his shoulder like a rug, striding back off stage with one final, simple statement. "Mine."
-Oh ow, ow!-
To be continued...
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Author's notes:
I admit I may not have made the set-up of the rounds clear, so here it is as simple as I can make it. First, there are 8 elimination matches, to thin the 16 fighters into 8. Then there are 4 quarter-finals, further thinning the contestants to 4. Following that are the 2 semi-finals. The two who lose the semi's go on to the runner-up match (in this case, Gohan and Hercule) to find who gets third, whereas the winners of the semi's go on to the finals. Also, there was a very good reason for Gohan losing his match against Kaen, that'll be explained further in the next chapter.
Has anyone else ever wondered what 'senzu' actually means? Well, I looked it up one day, and after the initial search of the whole word turned up... interesting results, I realised it must be a word compound, like oozaru (oo - big, saru - monkey). Turns out I was right. Senzu is a word compound of sen, meaning 'hermit, wizard', and su, meaning 'den, nest', which makes them hermit den beans.
In other news, my beta reader is hazardous to my mental health. I really shouldn't discuss things with him until I've actually finished the chapter, because he keeps lobbing new ideas at me that are too awesome to pass up. As is he's already got me second guessing the finale I had planned out. Ah well, I've got plenty of time to disarm that particular landmine.