"Meet The New Me!"

Northeastern City (Two Days Later)

"Sis? I've found our target."

"Great, Pedals. Where is that bitch?"

"In North City."

"Perfect, we'll catch her off-guard and finish it."

"Indeed, sis."

(Once you're gone, I'll be the greatest thug on Sadala.)

North City, Sucrose Lane

Kale's POV

I forgot to set up my alarm, so I woke up late. While brushing my teeth, the scent of savory meat seeped into the bathroom. Mmm, it smelled delicious, but who was cooking? After freshening up, I marched downstairs and strolled into the kitchen, where I saw Caulifla flipping bacon strips. "Hello, Kale! Nice to see you. I made bacon, eggs, sausage, and homemade biscuits. Come and eat!"

My jaw dropped upon seeing Caulifla's attire, it was the same pink dress she 'disliked' months ago. Her smile beamed pearly white teeth, and those cheeks were rosy. Uh, what's going on? Olive the girls entered, their expressions matching my bewildered one. "Uh, I thought you'd be making breakfast as usual, but Caulifla?" We didn't question and sat around the table, our eyes widened over Caulifla's change of attitude. With breakfast finished, we analyzed the food Caulifla prepared. My mind warned me not to try, because of how horrible Caulifla's cooking was. All burned meat and undercooked eggs, those incident almost made my throat gag.

However, Caulifla made it, so we dug in. On our first bite, something exploded. How I cooked was average, but Caulifla's cooking was spectacular. My tastebuds were dancing from the intense flavors. The spices and eggs blended perfectly. And the homemade biscuits? Oh, they're so buttery and soft. "Well, do you like breakfast? It's rare of me to cook, but I'd felt joyful in sharing my friendship with you girls." We nodded with rosier cheeks and a radiant smile. After breakfast, I headed outside for my training. I should've asked Caulifla, but I watched her come out of the hideout, still wearing that dress.

"Where are you doing, Caulifla?"

"To the grocery store. We need more breakfast meat, vegetables, fruit, and snacks. Do you want veggie chips or whole grain chips?"

My skin turned pale after Caulifla asked a confusing question. I half-assed an answer and said 'veggie chips would be nice.' Caulifla left without flying, the hard blowing wind brushing her silky smooth dress dramatically. Training felt alright, but me and Caulifla had a great time together. Unfortunately, I had to wait for Caulifla's program with Lavender to end. Speaking of Lavender, I realized what was wrong with Caulifla.

I checked the kitchen cabinets after training and found the tea blend. She brewed a cup of tea three days ago and it transformed her into a kinder person. I later used the phone address and called Lavender. "Hi, Young Kale. Is your sister doing well?" The tea blend Caulifla bought yesterday flipped her personality by what Lavender described. Oh, so that's why Caulifla wasn't her usual self. I thanked Lavender, hung up, and returned the tea box to the right cabinet. Now, I have to wait four days for the blend to wear off. Ah, I guess I can get used to this new Caulifla.

Grocery Store (Twenty-Five Minutes Later)

Dequan's POV

Another boring surveillance job near a grocery store. Not that I have a problem. It's that there was nothing to do after eating breakfast. Me and two other sectorians monitored the store's perimeter, scanning for intruders. So far, none tried to sneak in. I thought burglary happened during the night, not during daylight. While my eyes fluttered to stay awake, I caught a woman in a dimmed pink dress. The wind made the bottom flap easily. She walked past the entrance, those high heels clacking against white title floors. "Hey, does that lady look like Caulifla? The infamous gang leader in North City?" Wait, Caulifla? Oh, that girl with the pink tank top and baggy pants! That was her?!

A few minutes later, Caulifla left the store with five bags in her hands. THe guys occupied themselves, which gave me the opportunity to speak with her. "Caulifla? Do you have a moment?" She craned her neck, her black eyes landing on my brown gaze. "Hi, kind sir. Have we met?" Huh? She doesn't remember me? I recapped our many encounters, but she failed to remember them. "You must have mistaken me for another girl. I'm not the one to wear revealing clothes." My skin went frigid, as Caulifla strolled away. How did she forget who I was? That wasn't the girl I walked through the park with last week. Something wasn't adding up.

Three Days Later…

{Caulifla skipped on the sidewalk.}

(What should I buy for the girls? Hm, I believe there's a flower shop nearby. Oh, making them flower crowns would be cute to see!)

"Hey, Caulifla!"

"Huh? Who are you?"

"I'm the person you f***ed up a long time ago."

"I'm… not getting you, ma'am."

"Are you for real? I'm Celery, a gang leader in Northeastern City! Four years ago, we battled for North City territory. We lost, and you became North City's infamous thug."

"I don't recall fighting anyone."

"Bitch, are you tricking me!?"

"No, I'm not fooling you. I really don't remember. Please, leave."

"Ugh, I don't have time for this s***! Pedals!?"

{Pedals clogged Caulifla upside the head.}

"Agh!"

SDF Headquarters, Damien's Office (Four Hours Later)

Dequan's POV

Damien called me and Cabba to his office. His voice sounded serious, so something must have happened. My instincts were right, as our captain witnessed a kidnapping incident at Stemm Drive. "I should have known Celery and her gang would kidnap such an innocent girl. Our drones caught an image of the victim getting knocked unconscious. Look, gentleman." He showed us a black-and-white picture of Celery and Pedals, infamous sectorian thugs in Northeastern City. The woman they knocked out was…

"Caulifla!?" Cabba's jaw dropped upon me recognizing who the victim was. Cold sweat ran down my neck. Why would Celery take Caulifla? Afraid she'll kill Caulifla, I accepted the mission and dragged a dumbfounded Cabba out the office. "Snap the hell out of it! We need to find her!" He understood the critical mission and shook off the shocked look. We hurried to the vehicle section and drove a rover through the garage door. "I'll call Kale. She must be worried." He was right; from what I remember, Kale and Caulifla were close.

We searched the entirety of North City and no sign of Celery, her assistant, or Caulifla. That only left one location: Northeastern City. But before that, Kale jogged towards us, her eyes trembling. She opened her mouth, but I gestured her to hop in. We left North City, entered Northeastern City, and searched like hell. There was no way I'm letting that slimy bitch touch Caulifla!

Northeastern City, Abandoned Warehouse

{Caulifla woke up.}

"W-Where am I?"

"At our rotten hideout."

{Celery snapped her fingers; the ceiling lights turned on.}

"Let's get this over with. Even though you don't remember who the f*** I am, allow me to share a story. Five years ago, I was a lonely girl with a s***ty household in Sector. My father was a deadbeat and former thug with a lot of debt. The loan sharks came to our house one day and shot my dad dead. My mom tried negotiating, but those bastard kept her captive. For me to free her, I would have to gather $400,000."

"Aw, that sounds sad."

"Hell yeah, so shut up! Anyway, I became a thug, stealing money from banks and people's belongings. Once I made $400,000, I returned to their hideout. What did I found? My mom's throat slit and blood splattered on her torn sundress. They killed her after I didn't meet the deadline, although they never mentioned one! I killed them, collected my gang members, and moved to Sadala to spread my empire. We already conquered Northeastern City, and I planned on taking North City, but you were there."

"I was?"

"Stop asking stupid ass questions! I'm telling this story! Back to the story, you wouldn't allow us to conquer your turf, so we wagered a bet. If I won, I would take North City off of your hands. The battle began, and we lost horribly. Like crap on top of dried crap!"

"Wow, was I that strong?"

"You were, the strongest thug I'd ever seen. And do you remember what you said to me? I laid on the ground, face bruises and blood leaking from my side. You said, 'I'll make sure you never take my turf again.' Do you?"

"Again, I don't know what you're talking about. You got the wrong person. Please, get the message."

"I'm not getting the message, bitch! You are going to remember and I'll beat it out of you!"

{Celery pulled out a wooden baseball bat.}

"What are you going to do?"

"Like I said, I'll beat the living crap out of you. Make you remember how painful losing is!"

{Celery whacked Caulifla reluctantly.}

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

Fifteen Minutes Later

Dequan's POV

"So, that's why she's acting strange?" Apparently, she drank a magical tea that changed her personality. She became a different person, carrying none of her previous memories. "But it can be broken, from Lavender's description. We could wait two days for the spell to wear off or…" She turned away, her fingers twiddling and the corners of her lips stretched downwards. The second method to break the opposite spell was to resurface Caulifla's memories.

We drove around Northeastern City until a screech blared from an abandoned warehouse. Cabba parked the car, and we rushed inside. My heart pounded, adrenaline pulsating under my skin. We reached the fourth floor, and I kicked the door open. Before us, Celery held a butcher knife in her hands.

Caulifla's face had several bruises, even a blackeye throbbed slightly. Bits of blood stained her pink dress, as Caulifla struggled to untie herself from the chains. down.

"What the—Dammit, the cops are here! Pedals!? Take care of them! I'll finish this bitch myself!" Celery dragged the chair Caulifla was tied to and left. Pedals drew two butcher knives and charged at us. Kale told me to go after Caulifla, while she and Cabba distract Pedals. While the two superpowered saiyans fought Pedals, I chased after Celery. Her laughter echoed inside the hallow hallways, irritating me. Eventually, we appeared outside on top of the roof. She held the knife close to Caulifla's throat, ready to slit it open. "Don't come closer, boy. She deserves it."

I couldn't move. If I move, Caulifla dies. My lungs burned, as if fire lit inside them. Vision grew blurry and my mind scrambled for ideas. Time was running out. Dammit, if only I was quicker! Then, I saw Caulifla's teary eyes. Droplets of tears streaked her smooth cheeks, which were crimson red. Despite having those bruises, Caulifla called to me. All the time we 'spent' together, I concluded. I raised my hands, kneeled on the gravel, and lowered my head. "You win, Celery. I'm stumped. Please, don't hurt Caulifla. Take my life, but not hers."

Her laughter blew up, even louder than before. "Like you would sacrifice your life for a thug. SDF scum hate thugs and they always will." She neared the knife's sharp tip to Caulifla's neck, a tiny stream of blood trickled the blade. I saw Caulifla's eyes again. They were more fearful than confident. Oh, I missed her confident glance, her deep feminine tone, and badass attire. This wasn't her to cower in front of Celery or any criminal. Yes, I'm a soldier, but seeing Caulifla's girlish side opened my perspective. Maybe not all thugs are bad. "You're wrong. Caulifla may be a thug, a lazy friend, and a stubborn fighter, but she has her moments. Believe me, I've seen her blush twice. What I'm saying is that I…"

"I love her."

The silence bothered Celery, resorting to her pulling a gun from her pants pocket. She pointed it at me and smirked gleefully. "Those last words are stupid as f***." She fired, and a bullet pierced through my right shoulder. Blood sprayed from the wound as I fell on my side. Damn, that hurt! I cupped my hand over the wound, but blood kept leaking through my fingers. Celery marched up with the knife swinging beside her. She kneeled before me and structured the gun over my forehead. "It's been fun, but I'll be the queen bitch of North City soon. Too bad you won't be alive to see it."

I expected a gun shot to fire, but nothing happened. Because when I opened my eyes, Celery was unconscious, the knife not in her hands. "Dequan? Thank god, you're okay! How's your shoulder? Can you walk?" I lifted my gaze and Caulifla looked flabbergasted. Though my legs were wobbly, I stood up, still plugging the wound tightly. "Caulifla? Are you alright?" She spoke, but Celery tried to grab the knife. In an instant, Caulifla's high heel punctured Celery's hand. She yelped, but Caulifla turned Super Saiyan and kicked her square in the face. Celery was out for the count.

Wow, her blonde hair made the dress more beautiful. She turned to me, smiling without a care in the world. "Serves her for trying to harm you. Now that my mind isn't filled with sunshine, I remember everything. Celery challenging me for the turf, the tournament of power I took part in, and…" Her cheeks grew rosy again as she face me. I wasn't behind, as my cheeks glowed red. "Sorry that I wasn't fast enough to save you, Caulifla. What I said was stupid." Yeah, what I said was stupid. Fortunately, those words paid off, as Caulilfa hugged me. Her tightness spread the pain, but I bore through it. I hugged her back, my heart beating faster. "I've heard every word. Thanks to bringing me back to my usual self, Dequan."

North City, Madame Lavender's Tea Shop (Seven Days Later)

Caulifla's POV

I visited Lavender's tea shop one last time before me and the girls travel to East City. The good news was Dequan's recovery at the hospital. The bullet wound wasn't too severe, but he stayed for three days until the doctors released him. For Celery and her goon, they were arrested and sentence to jail. Good riddance! I rang the bell, waiting for Lavender to arrive. "Oh, Young Caulifla. Came to talk?" I nodded with a sincere smile. Her four-week program helped me change my attitude.

Throughout my life, I've been rebellious, unproductive, and selfish. I'd only cared about my needs and ignored other responsibilities. Now that I've friends, it was time to change positively. "Thank you, Lavender. Without your help, I couldn't gone through a different path. And sorry for calling you an old hag." I scratched the my head from that apology. Lavender giggled and leaned against the counter. "You're fine, Young Caulifla. As long as you're happy, I'll accept the apology." After our brief conversation, I exited the shop and saw Dequan standing near the rover. Until my long trip with Kale and the girls, I planned a small date with Dequan. He saved my life and confessed his love, so at least I could get to know him better. We drove down the street, ate lunch, and planned another date in two months' time. Life couldn't be sweeter.

SDF Headquarters (Six Months Later)

Ring-Ring-Ring!

{Damien picked up the phone.}

"Hello, this is Damien, current captain of the Sadala Defense Force."

"Captain! The mission took a bad turn! I lost Cabba! He's on a deserted planet!"

"Whoa, hold on, Romaine. What are you talking about?"

"He saved my life by taking the fall. I'm heading back to gather a rescue team! Notify Cabba's friends!"

"Alright, Romaine. As you wish."

{Damien hung up.}

(What the hell happened out there?)

TBC…