Chapter 34: Day 20 — A Royal Visit
King Furry was up at dawn. As he ate breakfast, he watched the morning news.
Live breaking news this morning. Bobby Provost, recently fired host of The Last Survivor, is dead in a car crash. Police clocked him at over 130 miles an hour weaving in and out of traffic until he hit the concrete pillar of the I-5 freeway bridge. Police are investigating the incident. When asked about toxicology, the police spokesman said that between the extreme impact and the lithium battery fire, there is nothing left to test."
*COCK A DOODLE DO*
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*
*Bark* *Bark*
*Meow*
Hassim woke up with the alarm and a cursing Jerry. He ignored him and went to pray.
When he came back, Jerry had stubbornly gone back to sleep.
"Where's Vegeta?" he thought.
Hassim left the hive and climbed the ladder.
Vegeta was still passed out surrounded by cats.
Not wanting to get injured trying to wake him up, he was the one who took Sugar Petal's meds to her.
He saw the cloaked man from yesterday speaking with Jessica. They seemed to be discussing Rachel and Vegeta's sleep deprived outburst.
Then the man turned his head, "I know you're there Hassim. Come here."
Hassim swallowed nervously and finished climbing into the clearing.
"You don't have to be afraid of me, Hassim," Piccolo said. "While I was born from my father, I am not him. And Piccolo is perfectly fine, no titles or honorifics."
"Yes, Piccolo," he said nervously.
"Is Vegeta still sleeping?" Sugar Petal asked.
"Yes… I don't want to lose a limb trying to wake him up."
Piccolo sighed, "I agree with the sentiment."
"Vegeta, wake the hell up!" he shouted.
Down below, Jerry woke up to Vegeta's scream.
Above, Piccolo was smirking.
"Nothing's wrong. You just slept in… No, visitor's day was yesterday… I'm not surprised. You passed out onto Bulma half way through the afternoon… I'll let your teammates fill in the embarrassing moments. But I suggest you stop staying up like that. You scared Trunks really bad. He thought you were sleepwalking… Yes he's fine. Bulma will definitely have a few choice words for you later… Hassim is up here with Sugar Petal's meds… Well, the short of it, the blue team ripped itself apart yesterday. Bob wandered off in a daze, Jamal chucked a rock at Daisuke's head, and his father destroyed him in retaliation. I'm surprised he can walk, but his right arm is messed up bad… Bob's son Craig tried to come after you while you were asleep. Bulma hurt him pretty bad when she flipped the ladder, throwing him on his back… Broken tailbone and severe bruising across his entire back. He'll be limping for a while. A chiropractor is coming in today to help his spine and hip. King Furry is riding their rears about the lack of medical care, so they are playing nice for now… No, I haven't used the mirror pool, it's just common sense… I'm done with Jessica. I'll leave you to prepare for the king's visit."
Piccolo disappeared into the sky.
Hassim sighed, "I'm never going to get used to this craziness…"
Vegeta climbed down the ladder, and found Sam in the hammock. They had placed his leg in half a dragon bamboo segment and suspended it with vine from the supports to keep it elevated and still.
"Are you ok?" he asked. "I heard you scream."
"I don't recommend being woken up psychically. Do you need to go to the bathroom?"
"Not right now."
"I need to leave after I wake up Jerry. You're going to have to hope they can hobble you over there in time."
Vegeta lit the fire pit then walked into the hive.
Sam tried to get comfortable to go back to sleep.
"JERRY WAKE THE FUCK UP AND TAKE CARE OF THE CHICKENS!"
Sam had already finished what little he was given along with the tea and watched the others eat their fill. He grimaced and grabbed the sides of his head.
"It's your body reaching to the food," Sugar Petal said, putting her hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him. "I had a headache for three days, but I did not complain about it. Things will get better. It's just a little pain in the long run."
"Not everyone has your pain tolerance, Sugar Petal," he whimpered.
"I'm back!"
Vegeta was quickly swarmed with cats as he prepared the fish.
Everyone quickly noticed the four men in suits among the camera crews entering the gate behind him. There were also two medics.
Sugar Petal got up to greet them. "Hello. Welcome to Crocodile Village," she bowed. "You are the king's men?"
"Yes we are here to secure the camp for his visit. You will be allowed to keep your machete to the last minute, but everything else needs to be secured."
"The box won't fit Jerry's bow. They agreed to just take its string," Vegeta said, cropping the fish. "Someone get the clubs, crossbow, and arrows."
"I got it," Jerry stood and went into the hive.
"Now, we've been told you have multiple machetes somehow?"
"Berapi attacked us. I snapped theirs in half and tossed it in the ocean. Sugar Petal snuck over there overnight and found the pieces then brought them back."
"So you have three blades of varying length?"
"Yes."
The four huddled.
"We will need to take the two halves right now. But if needed, you may request them back temporarily under supervision."
"Sounds good," Vegeta said, setting the fish on the ground for the swarm of cats. "Hassim, take the dog's."
One of the medics spoke, "Whenever you are ready, Sam, we'll take another EKG and another round of bloodwork."
"When did this start?" Vegeta asked.
"When you were unconscious," Jessica said.
"Ah… Nevermind…" he said. Vegeta turned to Sam, "Once they are done poking you, I'm going to need to mess with your leg to get a brace on."
Sam whimpered. "Any chance for some Tylenol or Advil?"
Meanwhile, on Samundra…
Bob was woken up by Tom, "Hey, everyone is back. We're ready to film whenever you feel like coming out."
Daisuke was kneeling, getting the fire going again when Bob made his way out.
He stared at them silently for a while, making Jamal and Daisuke more and more uncomfortable.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Bob finally exploded. "I leave you alone for one minute and you start acting like a bunch of toddlers!" He looked at Jamal, "Why did you throw a rock at his head?!"
"I wasn't aiming for his head! I'm not a quarterback, it was an accident."
"That's no excuse! This isn't Berapi!"
He turned to Daisuke. "I've been told what you said. Not just yesterday, but what you said the other day that was the reason Jamal flipped out on you."
He took a deep, pained breath. "I don't agree with a single thing you said. But I know you're a different religion. And we are not here to beat you over the head with the Bible. Let's just make it through the next few weeks together then we will never have to talk to each other again. But there needs to be one thing we need to agree to going forward.
"— We will be voting Vegeta out first after the merger."
Meanwhile on Berapi…
Michael was feeling infinitely better, but the burn made it impossible to sleep on his back. He was already awake when he saw Jason ride up to use his headlights and mirrors.
Michael rolled over and got on his hands and knees, surprising Jason.
"You're actually awake?"
Michael crawled out. "Too much pain…" He made it to his feet. "Feel free to torture Ichiro and Becky. Especially Becky." He stumbled towards the water.
"Fuck her. Fuck her. Fuck her. Fuck them both." Michael walked back to the camp hunched over.
Ichiro was getting the fire up.
"Are you going to be ok?"
Michael fell to his knees, "Saltwater on my balls, man…" He sat down. "So, Sam's gone."
"Probably for the best."
"We're down to three. Whenever they get around to challenges again, all they need to do is throw them and they have the numbers to pick us off one by one. And if you hadn't treated him like shit, we would have had his vote even if he couldn't compete."
Ichiro looked at the cameras, then poked the fire with his stick. "You say that after everything that happened? You're the one who said Sam's injuries crossed the line into fatal territory. Do you really think he could remain here and not die overnight? Let his corpse be Vegeta's problem. He made his bed in Hell by siding with him."
"Go get coconuts," Michael ordered, thoroughly annoyed. "I got the fire."
Ichiro suddenly looked over at something and Michael turned around.
Four men in suits were coming over.
"Secret service, right?" Michael asked when they arrived.
"Yes. We are here to secure the camp for King Furry's visit. We need to confiscate anything that can be used as a weapon. You may keep your machete to the last minute and it will be returned as soon as he leaves."
Michael spread his arms wide, "Go ahead and search to your heart's content. We got zilch, not even a machete."
Meanwhile, at the resort…
Conner was standing in the medical wing with Dr. Ramirez with the phone on speaker.
"So, how is Sam?" King Furry asked.
"Blood pressure is still lower than I would like. Respiration and pulse are still elevated but no longer borders tachycardia. Bloodwork has improved between the previous vitamin infusion and the pills we gave him yesterday. Glucose is low but no longer in dangerous territory. EKG has continued to steady overnight and this morning looks normal on the surface, but I can't rule out an occasional miss beat until his pulse returns to normal. If these are his vitals coming out of the condition Michael described, then God intervened to keep this guy alive. I have no other explanation for his heart looking this good, relatively speaking. He's still in bad shape overall."
"What do you want to do?"
"Send another round of vitamin pills over there. He's complaining of a headache after eating. That's completely normal for someone in his state. The issue is going to be preventing him from eating too much with the amount of food Vegeta's camp has on hand. But if his bloodwork stabilizes this afternoon and tomorrow morning, we can let him start eating in higher amounts under direction. Vegeta did a decent job with Sugar Petal considering he only had such dangerous foods at the time. Now that he has more variety, Sam should go much smoother."
"You seem to trust Vegeta?"
"He has the discipline to do this correctly and not give in to misplaced mercy. His military training is definitely coming in handy."
There was a silence on the other end of the line.
"King Furry, are you still there?" Conner asked.
"Yes, I'm here. I need to get ready to fly out. I'll speak to you in person soon."
The call ended.
Meanwhile, in Vegeta's camp…
Sam was screaming.
"Stop being such a baby. We've barely started," Vegeta said frustrated.
Sam looked up. "Oh God, help me…"
"Dende has more important things to do than save your ass from a petty injury."
Vegeta took the bamboo and slimmed it down again.
"Dende is the name of your god?" Sam asked, trying to take his mind off the pain.
"Wife's friends," he said, placing the bamboo back around his ankle. "Just one more for the pantheon called I don't give a crap. The boy is talented for his age, but suddenly bowing to a kid I've known since he was three or four, I don't have the stomach for it. Nothing magically changed from before or after the religious coronation."
Sam was whimpering too much to respond.
"Ok, that looks good if we wrap it a little thicker…" Vegeta said. He took a plate made from a support ring and used a burnt stick to draw lines on the plate and the two pieces on either side of his ankle. Then he took everything and went into his treehouse.
Sam leaned back against the wall of the hive with his leg propped up on the benches like when he came yesterday.
Everyone else was hard at work on the second hive.
Jerry whooped. "I think we just officially finished the first floor."
"I'll be out to look in a second!" Vegeta shouted from his treehouse.
A few minutes later, Vegeta came down with the pieces, now possessing holes the size of his fingers.
Vegeta looked at their work. "Well, it's taller than me. That's a good start. Let's take a break. Ferdinand's coming so let's tidy up."
Vegeta went back and played with Sam's leg again.
"Good, they all fit together. Hey Frazzle Dazzle, when are the medics coming next? I'd like them to watch."
"Not until noon." Randy said, unflinching. "You'll be with the king by then. There's tree mail about it when you're ready."
"Someone go get that and another get more strips of cloth," he ordered.
"I got the mail," Jerry said enthusiastically climbing down the supports.
"I'll get the strips…" Hassim sighed.
"Frazzle Dazzle?" the secret service looked at Randy.
"He enjoys butchering my name on purpose… but I think he's running out of words now after that combination."
"Oh, I got plenty of words," Vegeta called over. "Just can't say most on TV!"
Sam was screaming while Vegeta was rewrapping his foot when Jerry ran in.
"Our families are coming again!"
"What?!" Vegeta shouted, accidently pulling on Sam's leg."
He screamed.
"Not on purpose," Vegeta said hurriedly.
"It says we'll be meeting the King on the beach at 10. Then he'll make his way along from Samundra to Berapi from 10:30 to 1. Everyone will get a medical check between 11 and 12 to clear them to eat with their families in the afternoon. Then at 2 everyone will head to the game beach. Bring what you want because you will not be returning until after 5 pm.
"Beach episode!" Sugar Petal shouted, throwing her arms in the air.
"Every day is a beach episode," Vegeta said.
"It's an Anime thing," Jerry said.
"Oh, that subset of moving drawings… Whatever," he turned back to Sam…
— Who started screaming again.
Ten minutes later he was done.
"That looks more like a walking boot than a brace," Hassim said.
"That's the point. It's not like he has shoes that will fit over his foot."
"Maybe if I had crutches," Sam whimpered.
"I'm not done yet," Vegeta said, annoyed. He looked up at Hassim. "What time is it?"
"8:40."
"Good." Vegeta stood. "I'll be done by 9:30, then we can get dressed."
Vegeta blink from existence with the machete.
"Aaaaaaah, where did he go?" Sam pointed where he existed moments prior.
"You'll get used to it," Sugar Petal smiled.
"Not everyone," Hassim said.
Vegeta returned with a thin stalk of bamboo.
"Ok people get this guy on his feet!"
Hassim and Jerry stopped what they were doing and got Sam standing on one leg.
Vegeta made marks on the pole with a burnt stick.
"Ok set him back down," Vegeta said, walking off a few steps before vanishing again.
"Does he always do that?" Sam whimpered.
"No," Randy said, annoyed. "He usually stays at a human pace like he's supposed to. But he has a caveat that if an item has no material benefit to the team, he can do whatever he wants. He's probably thinking along those lines."
"And is he thinking correctly?" a secret service agent asked.
"If you want to take those crutches away, go right ahead. But I don't recommend it."
Vegeta returned about thirty minutes later with two rather accurate crutches. Two smaller diameter poles bent so one set of ends were stuffed together in a large pole while being spaced apart for the arm and hand cross pieces.
"How did you get these to bend like that?" Sam said, trying on the fit.
"Heat. Before you ask, I've seen bamboo furniture made. How do they feel?"
"I'm not about to complain," Sam said, "But I think I'm still going to need help up and down."
"As long as you can move yourself once up," Vegeta said standing. "Walk around. See what I need to adjust."
Sam took a few steps with Jerry and Hassim at either side ready to catch him.
"Hands look ok, but the armpits are too high?" Vegeta asked.
"How do you know so much?" Sam asked.
"Dad fell off a ladder two years ago," Vegeta said. "An extremely unneeded lesson on the fragility of humans."
"Vegeta's right," Hassim said, "The arms are too high. You're not going to be able to rest like this. Trust me, I've seen lots of injuries like this. The piece is a little thick too, if we want to wrap it to make it more comfortable."
"That's as thin as I'm comfortable making it. Any thinner and it could break where the holes are. That's not dragon bamboo there."
"Not everyone is as strong as you."
"Guys don't fight. It's fine really," Sam tried to stop the tension.
Vegeta sighed, then tilted his head and crossed his arms. "How much off the top?"
"Five centimeters? Definitely no more than eight."
Vegeta raised his hand and made a C with his thumb and index finger. "Visually please."
"Jerry, hold him a sec," Hassim said, taking one of the crutches. He drew a line on one of the posts.
"That the top or bottom of the bar?"
"Bottom."
Vegeta ran his finger over the spot and burned a line. He stood straight. "Ok, get him seated, I'll cut these down."
Sam was brought back to his seat, and Vegeta did not even hide from the cameras and chopped the crutches down with a ki blade from his finger. He put the top back on and handed them back to Sam.
"Ok, let's try this again."
Meanwhile at the resort…
King Furry's helicopter landed, and in the correct location this time.
Conner greeted him again for the cameras and he was loaded up and taken to the resort.
"Welcome back, sire," Reynolds said, greeting them in the lobby.
Next to him was Chuck. "I have reports from the men in the camps. Reynold has prepared a conference room for our reports before we head over."
"Then let's hurry."
The king looked over the documents.
"So, blood work will be drawn between 11 and noon, and based on it, pills will be given to minimize the risk of refeeding syndrome and insulin shock for the shared afternoon meal."
The king put the paper down, "This is a major change to the plan from what I was shown yesterday."
"Because we ran late, we skipped a game. And with the medical work ran on Sam, Michael, Daisuke, and Jamal," Conner glanced at Reynolds, "it would benefit the gameplay going forward if the players were rehabilitated slightly since Berapi has deteriorated more than anticipated and would easily be overwhelmed with the coming reshuffling."
"Michael was chosen because of his wealth, fame, and pure charisma," Reynolds explained. "Although alternate scenarios have been written in case of elimination due to injury, Michael was one of the people chosen to make it to the final vote. Those four people will be protected and pushed forward."
"And who are they?"
"Michael, Lisa, Bob, and Casey. Alternates were Ichiro, and Jerry. With Lisa and Casey gone, Ichiro and Jerry have now joined the four. We weren't expecting Vegeta to eliminate two of them. Bob might become a voting target with his psychological issues once the shuffle happens. Michael is also in danger due to Vegeta's activities influencing the coming votes and Ichiro will likely go down with him. Jerry is also in danger due to abandoning Samudra for Vegeta. News from the morning conversation has Bob leading the team to vote Vegeta off at the earliest opportunity. Even though the merge is not happening as soon as they hope, the reshuffling will make Jerry vulnerable to become his scapegoat if he does not land in Vegeta's group a second time. Any other person winning will not be ideal. Becky, Angelica, and Crawford would be a disaster. Jessica and Sam will not last due to injury and will be voted out the first lost. Jamal is stained, and Denise and Meiko are too passive to make it. Hassim, and especially Lesley are too controversial after their behavior. Daisuke and Shohei are a possibility, but don't have the excitement to get another season approved. Isaac is a wild card. He was switched out with his original visitor six days ago from the top. We don't know the reason, but no orders about replacing Michael have come."
King Furry let the silence after Reynolds finished linger.
"So," he finally broke the silence, "You did not mention Vegeta, this Sugar Petal, or Panchy and Maple."
"Would you want Vegeta to win?" Reynolds turned the topic back on the king.
"It would not be optimal," King furry answered. "But there are still the other three."
"Sugar Petal was disqualified due to attacking a staff member. She chose to forgo the chance of winning in order to support Vegeta. Without Vegeta, Sugar Petal and Maple will not remain."
"You're referring to the sexual harassment by the same trigger-happy Jason that nearly killed Sam, tased a pastor, and tried to mess with Bulma Brief? And your response to it was firing the staff that protected Sugar Petal and burning down Samundra's camp? Your behavior towards Jason's actions is more than enough to drop this show."
"Jason's behavior on set is not unusual and he has been a team lead for over a decade," Reynolds said. "Nothing will hit the air no differently than any other season." He smiled. "Unless you deliberately put it there to ruin the show. You did say you wanted to clean the area. Revealing the footage to the public would poison the well and lead to a defense attorney's wet dream backed by the most powerful companies in the world."
"Are you threatening me," King furry narrowed his eyes.
"We are both lawyers, and you lost your career over prosecuting a similar case. And a fully independent law enforcement and judiciary taking pressure from the king, even one without your reputation, would be quite the scandal."
"Reynolds, you're disgusting," he said.
"I agree," Conner said. "Reynolds, what the actual hell?!"
"Freedom of speech," he side-eyed King Furry, "As long as it contains no physical threats, I can say anything to his face that I want to."
King Furry raised his palm, "Let's return to the task at hand and not waste time with quibbling."
"So, Chuck," King Furry changed topics, "What do you got?"
"All camps have been secured. Vegeta's camp was unusually armed and their camp layout is a walled fortress covered in thorny plants." He handed the king a few pieces of paper.
"The player Sugar Petal greeted them calling it Crocodile Village. The place is extensive. Besides the protected buildings, they have built coops and collected a flock of feral chickens and collect eggs every morning. There is also a location where they butcher animals, stretch hides, and a code regulation compliant outhouse. If you turn the page, you'll see a closeup of the enwalled section. There are two main buildings with a third under construction. There is also a high-walled stone fire pit and a meat smoker. One building is a tree house with a cooking prep area underneath. The other building is a tall, two-story structure they call 'the hive'. Bottom floor is storage while the top is sleeping. The building under construction in a second hive. They have very sturdy bamboo stools and benches. Apparently, Vegeta witnessed bamboo furniture being made and copied the technique. There is also a hammock made from a plastic rope Vegeta scavenged.
"The next page is their second camp. They have a bridge across the stream as it is waist deep in their location. The second camp surrounds what is believed to be an abandoned animal trough that was carved into the bedrock. It is fed by a spring and is the origin of a creek running down the hillside across from their camp. Vegeta cleaned the area of plants and moss and turned it into a bathtub. The area had two shaded platforms and a shade net made from a plastic fishing net Vegeta recovered from the ocean. There are also movable screens to block the sight when people are bathing. They also use the spot to dry clothes and processed plant fibers in the sun."
"Oh my God, what is this, an acre?"
"Easily," Chuck said.
"And he built all of this in three weeks?"
"Correct. When questioned, we were told he has barely slept which led to him becoming delirious and fainting yesterday during the family visit. We were also told that Piccolo had to wake him psychically this morning as he was still unmovable after 15 hours. Piccolo spends almost every night with Jessica to make sure she does not injure herself worse as her ki is unstable after an accident involving Vegeta. That instability led to her going blind, but she is recovering slowly with his help."
"I see," King Furry said. "Anything else about Vegeta's camp?"
"No, that is the layout."
"Let's move onto the others," he ordered.
"Samundra's camp consists of a building on stilts, a lean-to made with a tarp and a small fire pit," he slipped the king another drawing. "There is nothing of note. Berapi is in a shocking state," Chuck slipped him another map. "Their camp is a tap thrown over a driftwood tree on the sand and a fire they can barely keep lit. Their machete was lost after Vegeta snapped it in one of their confrontations and threw it in the ocean. They are relying on a pointy stick to open coconuts currently. Every other camp has means of fishing, they do not. Also, with the fire Isaac lit, their main source of coconuts is gone. Frankly, they are in need of intervention." He looked at Reynolds, "Which they seem to be getting shortly."
King furry nodded, then looked at the clock on the wall. "9:36, Let's prepare to arrive at the beach at 10:00."
Everyone waited on the beach for the king to arrive.
"They actually made crutches," Ichiro said, looking at Sam sitting on a bamboo stool. "That stool looks like something that could be bought in a store."
"Sam has color back in his face," Michael said. "That's good."
"Why?" Becky asked.
"Yes, why?" Ichiro glared at Michael.
"Because Sam has done nothing to deserve what you two did to him," Michael said.
"You're two against one, Michael," Ichiro said. "Remember that."
Michael clinched his fists knowing he had lost complete control over the situation.
"Fucking Vegeta is going to get me voted out."
"Those crutches look like real ones," Bob said. "Color me impressed."
"He is so thin and pale," Jamal said. He looked at Berapi. "Though the others don't look well either. The only person that looks normal is Becky, but she was fat coming in here."
"Really makes you appreciate Jessica, doesn't it?" Daisuke said. "She's the only reason we don't look like that too."
Bob sighed and looked at Vegeta's group. Jessica and Hassim were talking with Sam, while Vegeta, Sugar and Jerry were dressed like they were yesterday, staff and all.
"At least once Vegeta is gone, things can go back to normal," he turned his back. "Can't get rid of him soon enough."
"Everyone! Prepare for the king's landing! 5 minutes!"
Vegeta took a deep breath and let it out through puffed cheeks.
"Are you nervous?" Sam asked.
"No… Ferdinand and I just don't get along. I'm sure he's looking forward to spending an hour with me just as much as I'm looking forward to spending time with him."
"Ah."
"Here comes the boats."
The camera crews set up and Conner waited.
The boat came to shore and Conner walked down to the waterline.
"King Furry! Welcome to the game beach!" Conner shook his hand.
"Glad to be here," King Furry played to the script with a fake smile.
Then he saw Vegeta.
"Vegeta, what the fuck…" he said softly, but still clearly audible.
"Ah," Conner raised his arm towards Vegeta. "Of course, you know Vegeta Brief. He's been a breakout star this season," he adlibbed. "He's left an indelible mark on the game."
"I'm sure he has…" King Furry could not hide his annoyance.
"Well, let's get the meet and greet underway then we can hit the camps."
"Of course."
King Furry walked towards Berapi.
"King Furry," Michael put his arm across his waist and bowed.
Ichiro put his arms to his side and bowed.
Becky did a quick bob.
"Michael, I haven't seen you for what? Six, seven years now?" King Furry smiled. "How has your foray into reality tv treating you?"
Michael paused, not expecting this question so soon. "Well," he chuckled, "I don't think this season could ever be predicted."
"I fully agree with that assessment," he nodded. Then he turned to Ichiro. "So, you're the famous Ichiro from the Titans. I've heard a lot about you. I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about later."
"I look forward to it," Ichiro nodded.
He turned to Becky. "So, you're Becky Summers. Your reputation precedes you."
"Why thank you," she smiled.
He smiled back. "My wife has been specifically following you. She's been involved with animal rescue and welfare since before we met. Good luck with that lawsuit."
King Furry quickly turned and walked away.
Behind him he heard a scuffle and Michael say loudly "Do you want to get fucking shot by the secret service, you stupid bitch."
He smiled.
King Furry left Berapi and Conner guided him towards Vegeta's group.
Then the king stopped, and stared at the group.
King Furry then sighed, straightened his posture, and walked right past them and over to Samundra, leaving Conner chasing after him.
"Why did he do that?" Sam asked.
"Told you he hates my guts," Vegeta glanced at him before going back to watching the king arrive at Samundra.
Everyone bowed as he approached.
"My dear Samundra," he said, suddenly taking and shaking Bob's hand. "You have been through so much the past few days. First the crocodile attack, then a front row seat for the airburst." He gestured to the boats. "Why don't we head to your camp and get this day started, shall we?"
Conner got into King Furry's boat and they followed Samundra out of sight.
"Ok, everyone get into your boats!" the security guard shouted. "You will be informed when he leaves for the next camp!"
Vegeta's group was loaded first. Sam whimpered as Vegeta picked him up and put him in the boat. He helped Sugar Petal in next as everyone else climbed in the back.
"Ok, let's get going," Vegeta ordered, taking his place in the bow of the boat.
Vegeta and Sugar Petal quickly changed clothes. Then Vegeta came back with a hide.
"Hassim! Sugar! We're making that ball!" he shouted walking into camp.
"What? Do we even have time?" Hassim said.
"Never know until we try. Let's see what we can get done from our original party plans." Vegeta looked at the servicemen, "Hey we need the machete halves!"
Vegeta placed the hide down on the ground, fur down. "Ok, Hassim. You said a soccer ball had too many pieces, how simple can we make this?"
"The simplest would be two pieces, like a baseball."
"Ok, I've seen a baseball."
Vegeta got his ashed stick as a service agent brought over the two halves.
The agent did not leave.
"Going to watch us?" Hassim asked.
"You will be handing them to me whenever you need to put them down."
"Back," Vegeta said, getting on his knees. "Ok," he curved his hands on the hide, "This big? It can be on the smaller side."
"Yeah, that's fine."
Jerry came over. "Hey Vegeta, when making a rawhide drum, people will cut a huge spiral to get as much string as possible."
"Ok. Let's just get this first then you can cut it."
"What, me?"
"You saw it, I didn't," Vegeta said, drawing the circle. He then slowly drew four more making them as identical as possible. Then he connected them with three lines and cut them out.
Vegeta stood. "Here," he pressed the half machete into Jerry's hands and grabbed the whole one before leaving to the bamboo scrap pile.
The group watched him sort through it looking for something, then turned to each other.
Jerry shrugged and got on the ground to cut the rawhide string.
Meanwhile, on Samundra…
The boats pulled up and everyone disembarked.
"Wow," King Furry said as Conner helped him from. He looked at the team, "This is quite impressive."
King Furry walked to the shelter. He circled it, running his hand over the outside. Then he stuck his head in.
"You even have platforms so you don't have to sleep on the sand," he said, coming back out. "Most people don't bother and sleep on the ground." He smiled, "I've fished enough to know getting off the ground is important when camping."
He then walked over to a large, visibly darker stain in the sand. He knelt down and dug down through the top layer and began pulling up the buried ashes back to the surface. After making a small pile, he pulled up one last handful and let the ashes fall from his raised hand as he looked straight at the camera.
"I would have liked to see the original."
"Sire," Tom began.
"No," the king cut him off as he wiped his hands together. "No refilming. Besides, such a climactic scene cannot be erased from the show. You even tried to have Conner burn it down dramatically for the cameras."
He looked at his guards. "Bring the folding chairs over. Let's start the talk."
The agents began setting up the chairs around the pile.
"King Furry," Daisuke bowed as he came up. "I understand what you are trying to do, but it will just be photoshopped out."
"Over my dead body," he said softly. "Trust me." King Furry raised his voice, "If everyone would sit down, please."
Bob, Daisuke, and Jamal sat down across from the king.
King Furry smiled softly, "I understand the most recent events will be hard to talk about, so let's start with the beginning. I've met Vickie, so I have an idea about the first few days of the show."
"Oh?!" Bob said surprised. "How is she?"
"Depressed she was eliminated so quickly, but seems physically well."
"That's good to hear," Bob sighed, leaning back relieved.
"So, what are your recollections of the party? I'm told there was an open bar."
Bob sighed. "I don't want to talk about that man…"
"Was Vegeta that pivotal for the night?" King furry asked surprised. "That man won't even accept a birthday cake."
"I wouldn't say that," Daisuke said. "Everyone basically gathered around Michael and it was otherwise a nice evening. Vegeta… well he didn't ruin the party, but he stood out. Especially when he got in a conflict with Michael, Lisa, and Becky. Ichiro was giving him death glares all night… the staff basically gave him run of the boat after some point. He was even allowed to sleep while the rest of us were forced to stay awake. Sugar Petal wasn't even allowed to sit."
"I see…" King Furry said. "About what, exactly."
"Being Bulma's mystery husband. Snobby rich people being snobby rich people. Vegeta even spilled wine on Michael like a bad drama."
"That's probably where he got the idea knowing Panchy's TV habits…" King Furry admitted. "Let's move on to the first few days. I already know all of you were forced to swim to shore and that Vickie almost drowned."
"Vickie also almost took myself and Jerry with her," Daisuke said, "I ended up with a bloody nose when she kicked me when she dragged me down."
"I'm glad everyone made it out alive. What happened next?"
"We explored the beach, found the tarp, machete and the well," Bob said, sounding depressed. He closed his eyes, "Then Casey took charge. She instructed us how to build everything and took charge of Vickie. I had taken the initiative as team leader and gave permission for her and Jessica to take care of the camp business while we explored the zone and tried our hands at fishing."
Bob paused.
King Furry noticed Bob clench his baggy shorts in his fists.
"You ran into Vegeta next?"
"Casey went into the forest to look for the bananas we were told were there. She stumbled into his camp… he gave us so much food it took multiple trips. Not just the huge bunches of bananas, but meat as well…"
"He gave us so much food, the show backtracked on their permission and took our rice ration away," Jamal said. "Makes me sick we took it in the first place."
"Jessica saved our butts," Daisuke interjected. "She found a different banana grove and other abandoned fields hidden in the jungle. Seems there was a village here once that the show drove out."
"I am aware of the very suspicious land grab and forced eviction," King Furry said. "I've also informed Vegeta he will be paying the refugees for all the livestock he's massacred the past few weeks."
"Jessica kept interacting with Vegeta even though we told her to stay away," Jamal said. "Eventually it got so bad the show started a formal trading system."
"Yes, I recognize the setup. The bottle and crate system hasn't appeared on any seasons recently, but it was popular for several years when I was a child," King Furry said. "I don't know if it was planned beforehand, but it seems the show took advantage of the situation for good TV."
"Still… she should have stayed away from him," Bob said. "That bad temper of his should have been a sign instead of assuming the best in people…"
"Don't give up on humanity just because one man who showed kindness did not consistently do so in the past."
"My point still stands," Bob looked the king in his eyes. "We should have not gotten involved with any of them."
"Yes," Jamal said. "The camp would not have been burned. We wouldn't have been shot at. Jessica, Jerry, and Casey would still be here. And we wouldn't have been anywhere near that crocodile."
"And his— I mean, the meteorite?" Daisuke asked, looking at Jamal annoyed. "There was absolutely no way we could have avoided him. And did you forget he rescued Vick—"
Bob suddenly sobbed and started cry.
King Furry stood up, "I cannot imagine the horror of witnessing such devastation first hand." He then took a step forward and hugged Bob.
Bob sobbed on his shoulder for a while.
"Alright, that's enough." King Furry said suddenly. "Cut the cameras."
Conner nodded and raised his hand, "Stop filming and put the cameras down."
The crews began to turn off and place the equipment down.
King Furry pulled back. "That hug was genuine," he said, "Before you accuse me of grandstanding." He sat back down. "Now, how do you feel about moving locations? Get away from the camp and these bad memories?"
"You mean the hidden cameras?" Daisuke asked.
Conner looked surprised.
King Furry smiled. "Vegeta, I assume?"
Daisuke nodded. "He only hinted they existed. Jessica was the one who figured out what and where they were." Daisuke stood up. "Do you need help, Bob?" he said, extending his hand.
"No…" Bob said standing.
"Ok, someone grab the chairs and let's head down the beach."
"King Furry," Jamal said, "that circular cut in the waterline is from the monster kid's tantrum. Let's not head all the way down there."
King Furry nodded.
The chairs were set up again.
Jamal did not even wait to sit down to start speaking.
"Genuine my ass! You said in the hospital that if you knew the crocodile was going to appear, you would order Vegeta to not intervene! And to know our place if we want to live a long life!"
"What?!" Bob said, looking at Jamal.
"I said that because of how aggressive you are," King Furry glared at him. "Even your wife scolded you. Stop causing trouble and know your place!"
Daisuke stood and got between Jamal and the king.
"Jamal! Calm down," he said, facing him. "This is so far beyond us. It's none of our business what happens between royals."
"This is a democracy! It is perfectly my right. Besides, he said he had already evicted hundreds of aliens off this planet, but Vegeta is too difficult to get rid of. How?! With all the anti-alien laws, the Briefs should be naked in the streets!"
"That's exactly the problem!" King Furry shouted. "The Briefs are single handedly keeping this government together, and this has nothing to do with their private mercenary group!"
King Furry glared at the men, who paused at the outburst.
"Do you know the income the planetary federal government receives from taxes?"
He could tell they had no idea.
"$108 trillion zeni. Now do you know how much of that comes from the Briefs alone?"
".01%" Jamal shrugged.
"47%, not POINT 47% but 47%. Over 50 trillion zeni."
"What?! They can't be that rich!"
"When Capsule Corp first became successful, Britches had a handshake deal with my father to pay honest taxes instead of seeking out the loopholes that force the government to pay out billions of dollars to all the thousands of global companies every year. Then Capsule Corp exploded. The past 40 years every deal to prevent every shutdown has been tax cuts, more loopholes, and cuts to entitlements. And every year the Briefs funnel trillions of dollars into the charities they've founded to compensate and buying subsidiaries in dying communities even though they are nothing but black holes in their budget sheets. Are you getting it now? The real reason why after hundreds of years of income inequality, depression, poverty, and revolution that this planet got the kick in the pants it needed for the ordinary people to prosper?"
He took a step forward, "The Briefs are the power on this planet. Britches wasn't just visiting my father out of kindness every month. They were partners. Dad needed something; Britches wrote him a blank check." He continued to walk over, "And the only thing he ever asked of him was over Vegeta. The only time he THREATENED my father was over Vegeta. You want me to take down the Briefs? You might as well ask me to launch all our nuclear missiles. The apocalypse created would be kinder than the apocalypse caused by the complete collapse of every government and financial institution on the planet.
King Furry was now shaking in pure rage looking up at Jamal.
"I HATE VEGETA! I hate everything about him. But as a prosecutor, I've had to swallow my own morality to cut plea deals and even give immunity, especially in RICO cases. Vegeta causes just as many problems as he solves, but no one who knows even a fraction of the extent of all the classifications about that arrogant, self-centered asshole can deny we are all alive because of him."
He looked at Bob, "Alien invasions that never hit the news because they lasted less than 5 minutes. Wars with parallel dimensions. Every bad Dr. Who plot come to life! You think everything has been peaceful? Bullshit! Get over yourselves!" He looked back at Jamal, "All of you!"
King Furry took a calming breath when he saw Bob collapse in tears again.
"Daisuke is right. None of you should have ever become involved in this. Vegeta's pride and the greed of the people in charge of this show have put everyone here in an untenable position." He looked at his watch. "Ok, we have time for a ten-minute break to calm down. Afterwards, if you have any more concerns about Vegeta or the Briefs that are show related, you should voice them so I can intervene. Otherwise, we can film our goodbyes."
King Furry folded his chair himself and walked away.
While the king took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants, and stood in the water filled crater; the three men moved their chairs in a circle.
Bob was still a mess, so Jamal pulled his chair closer and put his arm over his shoulder.
"So, what do we want to do?" he asked.
"What do you mean 'what do we want to do'?" Daisuke said leaning forward resting his arms on his knees, "King Furry has made it more than clear. We keep our mouths shut and go on with our lives while pretending we're not being followed. There's nothing else to do. We're not aliens, flying people like Yamcha, psychics like Jessica or top 1% oligarchs. Nothing about this is in our control. We just need to live our lives the best we can."
"Blessed are the meek… for they will inherit the earth…" Bob suddenly said. "Governments and entire countries come and go, but there are cities and towns that have lasted thousands of years because people stay in their place and do their jobs for the community. Some places even have DNA matches with stone age graves and modern inhabitants of the area." He looked up at them with sick eyes. "Those who live by the sword will die by the sword, and it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man enter heaven…"
He smiled, "The king is using Vegeta to prevent the apocalypse? I say let the seven seals rip open while we keep our heads down to the plow, then all of this will pass over us like the 10th plague."
Fifteen minutes later, they had gathered at the shore.
"It is good to see a smile on your face," King Furry said for the cameras. "I'm glad you are feeling a little better."
Bob bowed, "Yes, our conversation helped immensely."
King Furry looked at Jamal and Daisuke. "You are all strong men to have survived all that has happened so well, continue to look out for each other."
"We will, thank you," Jamal said.
He nodded back and looked at Daisuke, "You take care, Daisuke."
Daisuke bowed deeply, "I will, sire."
King Furry climbed in the boat.
"I will see all of you later this afternoon," Conner said before hopping in the boat himself. "Driver! To Berapi beach!"
The boat sped off for the cameras before looping back close to shore.
Conner got on his radio, "Ok. Other boats, head in and pick up the secret service members."
Meanwhile, back at Vegeta's camp…
Jerry took the cuts out of the stream, then lined them up and began poking holes for the strip still soaking.
Vegeta was back with a piece of the hide, with Jessica practically pressing her nose to it.
"Yes, this is good," she said sitting up. "Make sure to pack it tight."
"Are you even going to be able to throw this?"
"No, but everyone loves baseball," Jessica said. "Soccer, not so much."
"It's called football," Hassim playfully shouted. "And people still kill over it."
Vegeta jerked his head. "WAIT, WHAT?! Details! Details!"
Hassim glowered at Vegeta, then walked out of the side door.
"Don't walk away!"
Meanwhile, on Berapi…
"Oh my god…" King Furry said, carefully trying to stand to get a better look.
Even out in the water, the blackened remains of the forest were a horrible sight.
"Careful, sire," Conner said.
He turned to Conner sitting back down, "I want to see the fire while I'm here."
"Of course," he nodded.
The three players and their crews were waiting on the beach when the boats pulled up.
"Welcome to Berapi beach, your majesty," Michael bowed.
"It is a pleasure to be here," he nodded. "But before we tour your camp," he pointed to his right, "I would like to see the fire damage."
"Yes, of course," Michael said clearly anticipating the question. "This way, sire," he smiled, gesturing to start walking.
"Jesus fucking Christ…" King Furry said, placing his hand on a burnt trunk. "This place is completely gutted…" He turned to Conner, "And Isaac did this in just a few minutes?"
Conner sighed. "He set multiple small fires deeper in," he pointed into the ashes. "They spread unnoticed for almost 20 minutes before they exploded up into the canopy."
"And this is where most of your food has been coming from?" he turned to the players.
"Yes," Ichiro said. "We picked the main beach clean in the first two weeks, so we have been coming all the way out here."
King Furry turned to Conner, "I was informed by my staff that this fire has eliminated this team's food source. I assume you have a plan to stop this team from starving to death?"
"There are chances to win food in the—"
"No." King Furry looked at Ichiro, "Ichiro, how many coconuts did each person eat per day?"
"Ignoring Becky's stealing and spoiling anything she can't eat; we should be having 2 a day."
"Wait?! I don't do that!"
King Furry nodded and turned back to Conner. "You will be supplementing their gatherings with two coconuts per player. These will be perfectly edible and not rotten or too young. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, sire," Conner bowed.
"Good man. Now, I was told there was a previous fire set by this team. I would like to see it as well."
Becky began to speak, furious, but Michael grabbed her and screamed "Shut up!" over her.
She swung and Michael caught her wrist effortlessly.
Then the guns came out.
"Please refrain from violence in front of the king," Chuck said.
Michael let go of her wrist and arm, then bowed, "My apologies you had to see that." He stood, "The fire is on the opposite side of the playing field." He smiled, "Why don't we stop by the shelter along the way."
"That would be the most efficient," King Furry said. He signaled for the guns to be lowered.
King Furry nodded once the guns were holstered, "Lead the way."
"That's a piece of driftwood," King Furry said with a worried tone.
"Again with the driftwood…" Michael thought.
"We were lucky a storm brought it so far up the beach," Michael smiled, placing his hand on top of the shelter. "I assure you; we are perfectly dry."
King Furry looked over the camp.
"Seems they threw the tarp over and called it a day…" he thought as he panned the beach.
His eyes caught the gap in the trees.
Michael was surprised when the king walked towards the trees. "Why does everyone do that?"
King Furry noticed his foot sink in the sand as he came to the edge of the beach. He lifted his foot and the print filled with water. He looked at the damp ground and the puddles and bugs visible farther back.
"How the hell do these people think that log came from the ocean?" King Furry thought holding the side of his head. "This is a storm run if I ever saw one."
"I see you found the spring."
He turned around and saw Ichiro.
"Only thing it's good for is mosquitos."
"Has anyone ever brought this up as dangerous?" he asked.
King Furry saw an all too familiar snarl emerge from the wrong face. "Vegeta did. But that's why we know it's perfectly safe. Will you return to camp, your majesty?"
King Furry nodded and followed him back.
"So that's it. They hate him so much they automatically don't believe a word he says."
King Furry stopped as the hypocrisy hit him. Then he shook his head and continued back to the camp.
"So, you're sleeping on the ground," King Furry said, peeking inside.
"Where else would we sleep?" Becky crossed her arms.
"Samundra has made a bamboo platform to sleep on. Aren't you getting eaten alive by bugs at night?"
"Bugs don't live in sand," Becky said dismissively. "I sleep on beaches all the time. The bugs are coming from the stupid jungle!"
It took everything he had not to facepalm. "Those are man made beaches, not natural ones…"
King Furry smiled. "Yes, I can tell you spend many hours sleeping in the sun…" "You stupid baked potato," he added mentally.
"Well, since your camp is so small, shall we go see the second fire site?"
Jason stepped in. "Sire, the fire was set at the edge of the play zone, so the players would be disqualified if they were to enter the damage area."
The king turned to Conner, "Will you make an exception this one time?"
"If that is what you want, your majesty."
"Then let's go."
"I see no reason to tromp through the bugs," Becky said walking off. She raised her hand and twiddled her fingers over her shoulder.
"Wait… is that a prayer rug over there?"
"Yep," Michael said, crossing his arms, "She desecrated Hassim's rug, so he just gave it to her."
King Furry clawed the air, "Am I going to have to divert anti-terro—" he took a deep breath. "No… worry about suicide bombers later. Let's just get going."
King Furry was led through the woods.
"This is the log," Michael said pointing.
King Furry got on his tip toes to get a good look at the hole.
"We found the missing battery from the emergency radio and her earrings in the bottom. When it didn't go up right away, she abandoned it. It smoldered until the flames lit the hanging branches."
"Yes, I see how it spread," King Furry said looking up at the canopy. "But why this log?"
"Sugar Petal was eating bugs out of it," Michael said.
"Smart girl," King Furry said to Michael's surprise. "Eating wood grubs appear in almost every survivalist TV show commercial." He turned around, "I assume there is a way up this hill?"
"Yes," Michael recovered. He pointed, "There are roots over there that form a natural staircase."
The king glanced at the waterfall as the group climbed the steps, then alarms started to beep.
"What's that?" King Furry asked.
GPS alarms," Jason said. "We are approaching the edge of the play zone."
"Turn those off," he ordered.
They entered the clearing.
"We're above that cliff on the far end I see."
"Yes, King Furry." Michael said.
He began to walk around.
"This was all grass and ferns originally, correct?"
"Yes…" Michael said, surprised he knew that.
King Furry began to wander towards the cliff. He stopped to kick a couple of burnt cans next to a small pile of rocks and came close to the edge.
"Careful, Fred," Chuck said.
He looked over the edge.
"Quiet the drop," King Furry said walking back, "I see how Sugar Petal became so injured."
"You know about the fall?" Ichiro said.
"I am keenly aware of how close she came to dying," King Furry glared at the two men. "Under normal circumstances, there would be arrests for attempted murder. But murder is a local charge, not one that can be levied by the planetary government unless there are extraordinary circumstances," his eyes fell on Michael, "consider everyone here lucky."
"Then you know she tried to stab Becky?" Ichiro said, crossing his arms. "The cliff was brutal, but it was self-defense."
Michael looked at Ichiro surprised.
"He's really done a 180. I don't like this. Normal people do not do that this quickly. It's only been two weeks."
King Furry glared at Ichiro. "I know it was self defense, on Sugar Petal's part."
Then he side-eyed Michael, "Did you know she survived a knife attack by a deranged fan on stage a little over a year ago. Even got the blade away and stabbed the man quite seriously in return. Then she continued the show despite being in the middle of bleeding out herself. She danced and sang for another thirty minutes, drenched and slipping in her own blood."
He smiled at Michael's face, "Oh? I see you two are not familiar with her. The girl is quite resilient — a Survivor, you could say. You should have cherished her more instead of dismissing her outright as a weak, clueless child. Let's head back down."
The group approached the steps.
"Ok, stop," King Furry suddenly said, raising his hand.
"What is it?" Conner asked.
"I want to question them about Vegeta up here. Michael, stay here. Ichiro, let's head back. Men follow me."
The group reentered the clearing.
"Alright," the king said forcefully, turning to face Ichiro. "Who knows? Not just here, total that you know off. I want names."
"I had to sign a contract after I told the show who he was. But the first night after the cameras left, Michael said to tell a lie that would give the same point across when I said the show would not let me tell them why I hated Vegeta. They think he's a serial killer, hitman, and mercenary from East City. Also, the show covered up Vegeta's murder attempt on Michael the second day as PTSD from the military. That's all they should know that I am aware of."
"And did you say any of this on camera?"
"We were told to refilm scenes if an argument happened during the day. But all the important conversations have been happening at night when there are no cameras."
"I see…" he said, making a mental note to demand the secret camera footage. "And the people you remember Yamcha told?"
"The drinking crew was Leon, Giang and his twin brother Oanh, Simon, Chia-hao, Patrick, Archie, Walt, and Dymitr. I still go out with all of them. We go to a bar called the Green Monster. Back when Yamcha was with us, our normal bartender was a Jamaican who went by Jack, but there were a couple others I don't know the names of."
"I see. We will follow up with you once you leave or after the show if you make it to the end. Now is not the time for such an in-depth conversation. Until then, I would not spread any more rumors." King Furry looked at two men, "You two, take him and grab Michael."
Michael was brought next.
"So," Michael said awkwardly, "What did you want to talk about?"
King Furry sighed. "Michael… I know you're faking. I'm not a man to be manipulated by little conversational tricks."
Michael paused. "I think there has been a misunderstanding about this somehow."
The king sighed again, this time with extra annoyance. "So. What do you know about Vegeta? Facts, rumors, theories, even if you don't believe a damn thing."
Michael dropped the awkward act and began belly laughing. "Bulma said he was a war criminal while bragging she's some Bond villain floozy in some secret mercenary group. She even said she's personally killed people."
King Furry's eye twitched. "And why would she say that?"
"I think she was being sassy after I asked her about everything Ichiro has been spouting."
"And this is the same conversation where she electrocuted you?"
Michael paused. "Yeah…"
"And everything Ichiro has said?"
"Assassin, mass murderer, mob hitman, that sort of nonsense," he said dismissively.
"You seem unconvinced?"
"I'll admit it got to me a little bit, which is why I approached Bulma, but she would never be with a person like that. The Briefs are the personification of pacifism. I still have a hard time believing she married a soldier," he then rubbed his shaved head, "But physical evidence is hard to deny… He's definitely something."
"Anything else?"
"Becky came up with the theory that he did something that set that conspiracist off. No sane person would deliberately subject themselves to the penalties the contract has."
"Yes, I have become aware of the contract details and Casey's outburst," King Furry said. He then made a threatening face. "Michael… for your sake I'm going to be blunt. I know you are a curious man by nature, along with vain and vengeful, but now is not the time." He pointed in his face, "Stay away from Vegeta going forward and do you best to forget all the baseless rumors you've heard. My janitors are going to be busy enough with this mess to not have to add someone of your position to the pile."
"… Yes, sire."
King Furry put his hand on Michael's arm, "Good man. I look forward to only positive updates about you for long into the future. Now, since you are such a good actor, I expect a straight face for the rest of the game. I have no intention of having such a detailed conversation with anyone else. Do you understand?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"Good," he nodded. "Let's head down."
Michael was quietly pushed forward by an agent.
"What the hell? Now the king is backing up what Ichiro's been spewing?" he thought.
They came to the group.
"Let's head down. I want a brief chat without cameras with Becky before we continue like normal."
"Of course, sire," Conner said, "I've called in the hovercraft while you were talking. The golf carts will be unloaded by the time we get back."
King Furry and his guards began their walk to Becky.
"Wait," one of the men in front stopped. "She's naked."
The king sighed. "Someone go and tell her to cover up."
The man who spotted her walked forward.
He soon came back. "She's willing to roll over, then the show can black bar her butt as normal."
The king sighed. "Keep tabs on her," he ordered, turning around, "we'll deal with her after the show."
"We'll deal with her after the show," Michael lip read. "Well, I'll keep my head down for now," he thought. "He was raised next to Bulma and her sister. They are practically siblings… Of course he is overprotective of her. He's never approved of Vegeta anyway…"
"My janitors are going to be busy enough…"
"Could he not be talking about lawyers?"
Suddenly Michael began to laugh.
"What's wrong with you this time?" Ichiro glared at him. "You sound like you're going off the rails again, like when Bulma put you down in the sand."
"Nothing," Michael said wiping a tear, "I just thought of something ridiculous."
Up in the tropopause, a preteen facepalmed.
Meanwhile, back at Vegeta's camp…
Vegeta was hovering both balls in his energy's twisting golden glow.
"How?" Sam asked.
"Won't that just cook it?" Jerry asked.
"No, it's not that hot. And you said to blow air on it for a bit before we stuff it."
"Yes, sir, Aang."
"A what?"
"Didn't you say you watched the Last Air Bender?"
Vegeta thought for a moment.
"Oh, the kid."
Suddenly a ring of fire appeared around Vegeta.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm no nomad," he said, smirking.
"Dude, awesome."
"How?" Sam said, looking at him.
"Just don't ask…" Hassim sighed. "You will go hoarse otherwise."
Michael, Ichiro, and the king continued their conversation for the cameras. They all sat on folding chairs and talked at length about the game's events.
Ichiro talked nonstop about Vegeta's actions, but Michael also complained hard about Becky, clearly setting themselves up as victims just as much as the others.
"I see," King Furry said. "Becky is well known for her violence and attitude because of her guest appearances on other reality shows. I say this as a former police detective and prosecutor, she is far smarter than she looks."
Ichiro crossed his arms, "Tsk. She's nothing compared to Vegeta."
King Furry sighed. "I already knew part of this from the briefing, but I can see clearly why," he glanced at Conner, "The producers are tolerating Vegeta's antics. While inter-team alliances and courting mutinies do happen some seasons, Vegeta's" he paused, "endearing personality should have him voted off first, not recruiting an army. Seems Samundra will be an afterthought this season."
"Everyone knows you were raised next to the Brief's children," Michael said, "I understand your protectiveness now that we've met Vegeta. I wouldn't want a sister with a man of that temperament."
King Furry sighed. "Vegeta is not capable of harming a woman in the way you are implying. In fact, it is the exact opposite," he looked at Michael, "as you personally experienced."
"I don't believe that for a second," Ichiro said.
King Furry facepalmed and sighed, this time in frustration, "Do you know the story of the alcoholic father and the twin sons?"
Chuck came up to King Furry interrupting him. "Sire, it's time to go."
He looked at his watch. Then he looked up. "God, it is noon," he grimaced.
"Ok! Everyone! Time to film the goodbye!" Conner shouted. "Becky! Cover up! You can go back to sunning in a couple minutes!"
"Ok!" Conner shouted. "First one, 1 crew driver, 4 service agents! Second, all film crew! Third, me and the king, a crew driver and two agents. Forth another film crew. The others pack your gear and mix however the agents want!"
While everyone was running around, Becky slipped her clothes back on.
"So," she sauntered over to the two men, "Have a good talk with his majesty?"
"It was interesting," Michael said. "But why did you refuse to get dressed earlier?"
"I have no interest in arguing with the king," she said disheartened. "He clearly believes the rumors I killed my friend's dog. Sprinkles was a little yappy and clingy, but that's just chihuahuas. Heck, I've had chihuahuas." She crossed one arm and put her other hand on her cheek, "I still can't believe my friends would do this to me. This whole situation is just slander."
Michael rolled his eyes.
"Ok! Everyone line up and get this started!" Conner shouted.
Conner stood next to King Furry as they walked the short distance to the three.
"It has been my pleasure to spend time with you team this morning," King Furry smiled following the script. "I'm sorry it has come to an end so soon."
Michael put his hand to his chest and bowed slightly, "Your majesty, before you go, may I ask—"
"Well you better stop wasting time and rip that bandaid off," Ichiro interrupted. "The sooner you face him, the sooner you can take a shower."
"Ichiro," Michael scolded loudly. He turned back to the king, "My Lor—
"Have fun with the Mexican monkey!" Becky shouted, raising her arm high and waving goodbye.
King Furry's eyes widened and his fur went up.
"Let's go," he said, turning around suddenly and walking to the carts. He sat in a cart. "Now! I said right now!" he shouted when he noticed no one had moved.
Conner looked at the group before running to join the convoy as it began driving off.
"How could you do that?" Michael shouted at Ichiro. He gestured to the trail, "The king never finished his story. We had a chance to learn something about Vegeta we could have used during the endgame!"
Ichiro got in his face and glared at him darkly.
"We already know everything that is needed to know about that thing that masquerades as a human being."
Michael felt a chill down his spine looking into Vegeta's stone-cold eyes.