Cover Art Coming Soon! (Take your time, Shine!)
Ten years have passed since the strange encounter with the Masters, a mysterious band of beings threatening all of existence itself. Having renounced ties to the Time Patrol, Vegetto has settled down among the citizens of West City with his new love, Kassava. Peace has returned to Earth, and the timestream flows on.
Yet the threat of the Masters still looms. What do they have in store for the universe? Will they last to all that the Z-Fighters have protected?
You won't want to miss a single second in the next exciting chapter of Dragon Ball Z!
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Chapter 1: The Lives of Men
The scrubbing within the small, quaint kitchen was the only sound ringing out in the small apartment in the early hours of the morning. Kassava's eyes were narrowed, her hands hidden beneath the bubbles filling the sink while water poured freely down from the faucet.
Can never get those two to clean up after themselves...
The sound of a loud explosion suddenly erupted from the hallway, Kassava's eyes darting up from the sink immediately. She glanced over the quiet living room for a moment, before turning towards the hallway leading into the bedrooms with an exasperated frown.
"Turn that volume down!!"
A muffled dual voice followed after her command, Kassava rolling her eyes slightly.
"Sorry honey!"
Kassava pulled her hands up, finding a small cloth towel hanging on a rack behind her. The woman lightly strolled into the living room, clad only in a loose white t-shirt and tights. Without even bothering to knock, she pulled down on the lever leading into the room emitting the explosions and gunfire, stepping inside.
Kassava's eyes first landed on the cross legged Vegetto, who didn't even glance up at the new arrival into the room. The fusion's eyes remained glued to the only light source active in the room, rapidly pressing into the controller in his hands clad only in a pair of gym shorts. Sitting only a few feet to his side was a nearly identical child version of Vegetto himself, grinning from ear to ear.
"Ha, your screen cheating isn't going to help you this time Dad!"
Vegetto's eyes narrowed slightly in response, his tone dangerously close to frustrated.
"Well maybe if you didn't camp all over the map, I wouldn't have to look on your screen."
Kassava crossed her arms.
"That's enough for the morning boys."
Vegetto broke out into a small smirk, turning his attention back towards the boy version of himself.
"Looks like I win again, Junior. Don't feel too bad; maybe one day, you'll actually win a game."
The fusion yelped suddenly, being pulled by by his left ear in Kassava's two finger grip.
"And you need to get dressed. We're having lunch with my boss and his wife today, and I won't have you mucking up the only job in this household."
Junior giggled at his father's torment for a moment, rising up to his feet and disappearing inside of the nearby bathroom while Vegetto stumbled along behind Kassava for a moment. He pulled his head back, breaking out of Kassava's grip once the two were in the hallway, and rubbed the top of his ear with a frown.
"You didn't have to pull my ear like that, you know."
Kassava kept her attention forward, soon emerging back out into the living room.
"You could put a shirt on around the house too. I guess we both can't have what we want."
Vegetto's smirk rose slightly, following after Kassava into the kitchen.
"Is that so? If I remember the last couple of nights correctly, you were the one that got upset about me 'wearing shirts' all the time."
The fusion kept his smirk, his arms snaking around Kassava's waist.
"Maybe I'd wear them more often if I wasn't afraid of you ripping them off so frequently."
Kassava's cheeks grew red from the contact, resting back against Vegetto's bare chest yet keeping her eyes forward in no particular focus.
"Not now...Junior hasn't left for school yet."
Vegetto chuckled in response, pulling his arms back.
"It'll have to wait until later tonight anyway. I still need to register for the tournament after that lunch."
Kassava frowned in response, turning back to face towards the fusion.
"I thought you took care of that a week ago?"
Vegetto shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"What difference does it make?"
Kassava kept her frown, her tone softening.
"We talked about this, dear. You can't keep putting these things off; you're getting too lazy."
Vegetto's eyes narrowed slightly, avoiding Kassava's eyes.
"Well, you try spending all day cooped up in an apartment like this with nothing to do and not get lazy."
Kassava broke out into a small smile, dropping her head onto the fusion's bare chest. Vegetto blinked in response, standing still while she lightly wrapped her arms around his waist.
"I know it's hard, but you have to find something. It shouldn't take a four year tournament to get you out of the house..."
Vegetto's eyes darted up suddenly with Kassava's, both Saiyans turning their attention to the new arrival. Junior groaned audibly once both Saiyans noticed him, rolling his eyes and turning on his heel.
"I'm going to school now. Please keep it down; I don't want to hear you two in class again."
Vegetto scoffed in response, shaking his head once as the child suddenly bolted out of the front door and slammed the wood loudly. The fusion glanced back down to Kassava with a smirk.
"One of these days, that boy's pride is going to be a problem. I blame you for that."
Kassava smirked back, grunting.
"Why? He get's it from you; just like everything else."
Kassava paused at the last comment, glancing down for a few seconds. Vegetto raised an eyebrow, studying her expression for a moment.
"Something wrong?"
Kassava met Vegetto's eyes at his question, breaking back into a small smile.
"Nothing...just had an idea. Why don't you go ahead and sign up for the tournament now? I can have lunch with my boss alone, you don't have to come along."
Vegetto kept his eyebrow raised.
"Are you sure?"
Kassava nodded once.
"Yeah...it's perfectly fine."
Vegetto's eyes narrowed once more, frowning slightly.
"C'mon Kassava, what's really on your mind? Junior takes after you more than he does me, even if he looks almost identical to me."
Kassava shook her head once, forcing her cheeks to turn red.
"No it's just...you should go put some clothes on. It's hard to concentrate and all..."
Vegetto broke out into a smirk, stepping back and turning slightly on his heel.
"Fair enough. Just remember that we'll be on a tight schedule today if you want to help me find my gi..."
Kassava smiled warmly as she watched the fusion disappear back down the hallway, before suddenly keeling forward onto the kitchen counter. She struggled to muffle her noises as best as possible, tightly shutting her eyes at the massive pressure suddenly culminating in her head now that her defenses were down. She reached up, gripping onto her skull.
You cannot block us out forever Leiji...
Kassava lightly snarled in response, shifting her weight towards the back of the room and off of the counter.
No! Get out of my head! I don't want what you want anymore...stay out of my life!
The Saiyan toppled forward onto the ground, still tightly gripping at her head as her own voice rung out inside of her mind.
You've let him control you for ten years...ten years you've lost to your emotions. You've seen the foolishness of their ways...what their beliefs really entail. You must turn away from it again...you mustn't fall a second time...
"Kassava!"
The woman barely lifted her head at the sound of the dual voice, Vegetto rapidly having knelt down at her side. The fusion watched on in bewilderment, holding Kassava's arm upright as she slowly regained her composure, the pressure having vanished from her head.
"It's...nothing..."
Vegetto kept a frown.
"That's the third panic attack you've had this week, honey. We need to see a doctor."
Kassava kept her head down, still panting heavily.
"Fine...I'll go to the doctor. But you still need to sign up for the tournament."
Vegetto narrowed his eyes.
"That can wait. Right now, your safety is my only concern."
Kassava shook her head once.
"I can handle myself just fine. Please..."
She lifted her head up, slowly standing upright as Vegetto followed her up.
"Let me do this alone."
Vegetto kept a stern stare, glancing over Kassava for a moment before breaking out into a small sigh.
"Alright...but you tell me what they say the minute you get out of there, ok?"
Kassava nodded once, glancing away slightly.
"Yeah...yeah of course..."