Cabba gasped in horror as he stared at his impending doom, Kale looking just as petrified.
Cabba took a step back fearfully. No... why did I let it get this far? I'm such a fool!
Nearby, poor Barry Kahn was trying to garner the attention of Cabba's doom. "Yoohoo! Ladies! Your hero Barry is over here!"
One of the ladies threw a shoe at his head. "Buzz off, whack!"
Barry Kahn whimpered in pain as her high heel hit him square on the forehead. "B-but girls..."
Barry's former fangirls continued to ignore his pleading, menacingly advancing on Cabba (and by extent Kale, who was unfortunately standing next to him).
"Oh my gosh, he's even cuter close up!" one girl squealed, reaching out to pinch one of Cabba's cheeks rather painfully.
"OMG I know right, Val?!"
"I can't believe you got to touch him like that! Save some for us - I want his boxers for my collection!"
"I saw him first!"
One girl, who couldn't have been older than ten, pushed past her older cohorts. "Oh Cabba! Be my boyfriend!" She sounded much like she was faking her affections.
"Val, tell your kid sister to get her claws off my man."
"Your man! Like I said, I saw him first!"
"Did not!"
"I just want his boxers! Do anything to him you want, just give me those boxers!"
Val's sister pouted. "But he's mine!"
"STOP!" shouted Cabba. "I already have a girlfriend."
All the fangirls stared at Cabba in disbelief. Some of them broke down in tears. Val stormed forward. "What?! Who is this hussy? Lemme at her!" She swung her fists wildly in the air, her permed red hair tangling as the other ladies held her back.
Val's sister frowned. Is that why the spell didn't work? If he already has a true love then that explains why he's not all over these girls - the spell didn't affect him!
Val put her hands on her hips. "Well, Cabba?! Who is she?"
Cabba took a deep breath and then looped his arm around Kale's shoulders. "Kale."
"What?!" screamed the fangirls.
"What!" Kale shouted in unison, her face going as red as her shirt.
"What?!" Val's sister cried. True love or not the book said that it affects all girls except the user! Why is she unaffected?! How can this be? Her eyes widened as she realised something. Uh oh... I may have just endangered the entire city. She shot a beam from her hands but nothing happened. Why isn't it working?!
Everyone unaffected by the spell could only look on helplessly as the fangirls all screamed in unison, the sound demonic and twisted. They watched as the crowd of girls erupted into black flames. Faint outlines of their bodies revealed a grotesque transformation. When the fire ceased, Val stood bigger and taller than the others, a pair of curved horns on her heads, her fingers elongated and clawed. Her eyes were completely black and she was now attired in a dress suitable for the demon she now was. Behind her, all the other girls had gone through similar transformations, becoming smaller variations of Val.
Cabba stared up at them. "Oh, shoot."
xXx
Hours ago...
"Ahh, Val!" Yumi Megumi shouted, pointing to a billboard. "Lookie, lookie!"
Val Megumi looked up in the direction of the advertisement. Her eyes shone. "Wow! Barry Kahn's filming a new movie in East City today?! And fangirls are invited to audition for the part of the love interest?!"
Yumi nodded, hoping that her sister would be distracted enough as to not drag her around shopping for new clothes. It worked. Val gathered up all her shopping bags and grabbed Yumi by the arm. "Come on, let's go! Maybe if we're early we can see Barry! I'm so gonna get the part!"
"Uh huh!"
The two sisters raced down the streets to where the movie was being filmed, Val stumbling in her high heels occasionally and Yumi whining about how her legs weren't as long as Val's and that if they arrived sweaty no cute boys would want to flirt with them.
"Makeup, makeup, makeup," Val muttered as she dug through her handbag. "Gotta look good for Barry!"
"Give me some sis!"
"No way," Val snapped, putting on a dollop of eyeshadow. "You're too young for this stuff. I'm the one who'll end up dating Barry Kahn after the movie, not you! You're like ten."
"Eleven soon!"
"Whatever." Val zipped up her purse. "Barry is not a lolicon. His stats on his webpage say so."
Yumi crossed her arms, glaring at the ground. She took off her backpack and unzipped it as Val busied herself by fluffing her hair. Yumi sighed in relief as she saw her precious spellbook still in the bag. The girl had been born with magic in her blood. Her mother was not at all a superstitious woman and had no time for 'voodoo', and so Yumi had never gotten the chance to have her powers coached by a professional. But one day a witch had appeared at her door and gave her what was now her most precious possession: her book of spells. She quickly zipped up her bag.
"Come on, Yumi, mother said I'm not supposed to leave you alone," Val said, huffing. She grabbed her sister's wrist, her fake nails digging painfully into Yumi's skin. "I can already see some sluts lined up!"
xXx
Across the city, Kale and Cabba had just finished breakfast and were checking out of their hotel in the lobby when the radio on the receptionists' table buzzed to life.
"Good morning, East City! If you haven't already heard the news, Barry Kahn just arrived today! He's at the local studio where our sources say he's signing autographs. Our sources also say that every female fan in the city should come to audition for the part of the love interest. Pop idol Cocoa Amaguri was offered the role but declined, saying that she couldn't bear to be on the same set as Kahn. Could there be something going on between them?"
The co-host, a female, continued reporting the story. "We've just had the synopsis for the movie, Jeremy: Hero of Time! revealed. Here's what it says: 'Jeremy, the top disciple of Mr Satan, learns about an alien attack that happened on East City over twenty years ago. Unable to see such an act unpunished, Jeremy travels back in time to defeat the aliens, a duo called the saiyans.' It stars Barry Kahn as Jeremy, Mr Satan as himself for a cameo, and Mr Mucho as the 'big, bald saiyan'. Who will the final role of love interest of Jeremy go to?"
"The earthlings know about the saiyans!" Cabba exclaimed as they left the hotel. "But how? I was under the impression that the humans thought they were totally alone in the universe. This kind of knowledge seems dangerous." He turned to Kale. "We should find out more about it. 'Flame-haired saiyan'? That sounds just like Master Vegeta! What if the humans are close to figuring out his secret identity?"
Kale put a hand on his shoulder. "Umm, Cabba, I think you might be overreacting a bit..." She winced, hoping that she had not hurt his feelings too much. "We shouldn't get distracted... what about Caulifla?"
"She's fine," Cabba said. "I can feel her fighting but it feels like more of a spar than a battle to the death. She's occupied."
"Okay..."
"We'll have to find a way to infiltrate the movie set. This warrants further investigation."
xXx
They blended in just nicely with the rest of the crowd, who were wearing all sorts of costumes. Cabba and Kale stood off the side of the set, watching as Barry Kahn filmed a scene, one with him drinking a beer like a badass.
"I can sense something bad coming," recited Barry Kahn, putting down the beer. "It must be those saiyans..."
"Good, good, and cut!" the director said. "Well done Barry, to take a break now."
Barry smirked. "Thanks boss. I'm gonna see how the girls are doing at the auditions."
"Sure thing. Be back in twenty!"
"It doesn't seem like anything bad is happening," Cabba noted. "Perhaps we should just leave. I don't think the humans know that much."
Kale nodded, eagerly, relieved that they would finally get to leave this noisy place. It was filled to the brim with people and that by itself made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
They were about to leave when a man in a tiger onesie ran up, panting. "Bad news, boss!" he said to the director. "The guy playing flame-hair just broke his leg trying to put on his pants!"
The director stood up, spilling his coffee everywhere. "What?! Oh no! We have to finish this movie by next week!" He clutched his face and sank to the floor. "Oh, why..."
The man in the tiger one piece pointed at Cabba. "What about him?"
Suddenly, the director shot up with a burst of newfound energy and dashed up to Cabba and Kale. "You're hired!"
Cabba sweatdropped. "S-sorry what? We were just about to go..."
But the director was already pushing him on the makeshift stage. "No buts! You're on. Luckily, you don't have any lines since the flame-haired guy is obviously weaker than the bald guy. We actually only have two more scenes with the flame-haired saiyan appearing before he gets killed by Jeremy."
Cabba didn't think his teacher would like it very much if he heard all the things that came from the man's mouth.
xXx
Vegeta sneezed.
Bra giggled at the sound, reaching up to try and grab her father's face.
"Why is it that I feel the sudden urge to kill Nappa all over again?" Vegeta wondered.
xXx
"What about Kale?" asked Cabba as the director continued to push him. "I don't like leaving her alone."
"She'll be fine! I'm having Daniel send her to the auditions. Wouldn't it be great if you two starred in the same film?"
"Wait! Kale doesn't want to audition -"
"HEY DANNY BOY! SEND THE GIRL OVER TO BLOCK B WHERE THE AUDITIONS ARE!"
Daniel, still clad in his tiger onesie, gave his superior a thumbs up and ushered Kale away, the girl's soft protests reaching deaf ears.
I'm sorry Kale! though Cabba as the director went back to his chair. Just hold on for a bit! He wanted desperately to act, to run away, to fly away, but there were simply too many people around for him to do anything.
"And action!"
xXx
Terror was etched onto Kale's face as she stood with the other girls, the latter gossiping and giggling. She tried her best to make herself small and unnoticeable but was addressed anyway.
"Hey!" Val stared at Kale. "What's a mouse like you doing here?"
The chatter immediately ceased as the alpha smirked at the omega in the pack. Val tossed her red tresses back, purposely slapping Yumi with it. "Well? Say something. Or has the cat got your tongue, mouse?"
"Leave her alone," hissed Yumi, tugging at her sister's blouse. She was ignored.
"I'm sorry... I was sent here to wait," Kale spoke softly. "B-by the man in charge..."
Val snorted, the girls around them laughing mean spiritedly at Kale, who wished to become invisible or sink right into the earth. "That explains a lot," sneered Val. "You're not pretty enough to get here by looks alone. And you certainly have no talent for acting. Except maybe in a hentai where the girl doesn't say or do shit!"
The volume of the laughter increased dramatically, girls of all shapes and sizes cackling evilly like hyenas.
Kale didn't know what a hentai was but it didn't seem like a good thing at all.
"Enough!" shouted Yumi. "Leave her alone!"
Val hardly spared her little sister a glance. "Chill out Yumi. I'm just having some fun."
"You have a terrible sense of humour," huffed Yumi. I ought to make her break out in hives with that new hex I learned.
"I'm sorry," said Kale, blinking back tears. "I didn't mean to offend."
"UGH!" groaned Val. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Is that all you're gonna say! Girl, you sound like a broken record!" She marched closer to Kale and shoved the saiyan onto the ground. "You're worthless."
No one noticed the seething Yumi, who couldn't bear to see such horrendous acts. Yumi stormed off. I'll show 'em! I'll get revenge for that poor girl. Just as she was about to set her backpack down, she noticed Cabba nearby, filming a scene reluctantly with the director.
"Okay, Cabbage!" shouted the director. "For this scene, we're gonna need you to jump over a stationary helicopter!"
Cabba nodded, not even caring that the director had called him by the wrong name. He just wanted to get this over and done with. They had had to film the previous scene twelve times because Mr Mucho kept messing up his lines.
Yumi watched in wonder as she watched Cabba accomplish what should have been an impossible feat. Her eyes followed his every movement, watching the way his lean muscles rippled in the sunlight, watching as a bead of sweat trailed down his temple. Her heart was racing. Her face was flushing. Her legs trembled and a string of drool found its way out of her gaping mouth and down her chin. Oohh... I'm in love!
Cabba glanced in her direction and Yumi quickly regained her composure, wiping the drool off her chin as she straightened. Eek! The director's dismissing him now! I should go talk to him! He looks pretty young too, he can't be that much older than me.
xXx
Cabba was striding over to Block B when he was intercepted by a young girl with her brown hair cut in a pixie bob. He recognised her as the girl who had been watching him perform.
Yumi smiled shyly at him. "H-hi there!"
"Hello," replied Cabba. "Did you need something?"
"Y-yes! I was wondering if you could find my ring. I dropped it on the floor somewhere. It's really important to me. It was my mother's you see and she would be awfully mad if I came home without it."
"Uh, okay, sure thing." He got down on his knees and scuffled around the floor, looking for any sign of a ring.
Yes... that's right. Yumi stared at his rump, nosebleeding slightly as she invented perverted fantasies. You're doing great, big boy.
"I can't seem to find it," Cabba reported, standing up much to Yumi's disappointment. "Sorry about that. I have to go now, my friend is waiting for me and I don't like leaving them alone for too long."
"It's okay!" chirped Yumi. "I think it suddenly mysteriously reappeared back in my backpack!"
"Right... Then I'll just go -"
"Aww, stay with me," said Yumi, pouting to make herself look cute. She pressed her undeveloped chest against his and stroked his arm seductively. "Stay with me~"
Cabba looked down at her brown head, petrified for a moment before recovering himself. Was he really getting felt up by a little girl? "Sorry but I think we got off the wrong foot..."
"I'm in love with you!" Yumi confessed to stop him from leaving. "Marry me! I want to bear your children!"
"EH?! W-what?! Look, I'm sorry but I don't like you in that manner!" He pulled her off. "Please stay away from me!" She's crazy! I'm not a pedophile!
Yumi could feel her heart shatter into a million pieces as she watched Cabba speed away. Unshed tears welled up inside her eyes. "But it was love..." Somehing new filled the hole in her chest as her sadness quickly turned to anger. Everyone just wants to make me mad today, don't they?! First Val and then him. One could almost hear the gears turn in her head as she schemed her revenge. It would loop Val's victim into the chaos but it was a sacrifice she had to make. She took out her spell book and started searching for an appropriate spell. Love spells, love spells, love spells... Aha! Huh... if the affected are unsatisfied then all hell will literally break loose. Whatever. I'll reverse it before it happens.
And so the curse was cast on an unsuspecting Cabba.
xXx
Present time
Val rose into the air, her wispy smoke trailing from her eyes. "HOW DARE YOU REJECT ME!" She shot fire from her hands at Kale.
Cabba quickly jumped in front of her, forming a chi barrier around their bodies. "EVERYONE RUN!" he roared, pushing the flame back with his barrier.
It was pandemonium. People screamed and shoved each other out of the way as the demon fangirls took on Cabba and Kale. They piled up at the entrance of the building.
Cabba transformed into super saiyan, the transformation itself blowing away most of the demons. They're not very strong. Between Kale and I, this will be easy! "Come on, Kale! Let's get them!"
"R-right!" Kale charged into battle, firing chi blasts at her opponents. The demons screeched in pain as they were hit, the energy burning their wings into crisps.
Yumi's eyes were wide as she watched the saiyans in action, quickly taking down the hellspawn. The terrifying creatures were really no threat to Cabba and Kale!
Val shrieked in frustration. The two had just taken down her demon henchwomen without even trying. Oh well. No matter. I still have one last trick up my sleeve! She directed her hand at her fallen comrades, their unconscious bodies becoming encased in black flames as she added their power to her own. Ahh... yes...! "TAKE THIS!" She shot a fireball at Kale, the ball of flame flying toward her faster than she had anticipated.
Kale shouted in pain as she comet struck her in the chest, sending her soaring backward. She crumpled to the ground, bleeding from where she had hit her head.
"KALE!" Cabba shouted, looking back at the wounded girl. She would be alright - she was just a bit winded. But... this demon bitch had struck her! A familiar feeling welled up inside him - it was the same feeling he had felt last night when he had beaten Joe within an inch of his life. That human had hurt her. And now this demon had as well.
Val flew up to Kale, her hand outstretched. "Bye bye." She was about to shoot her attack when her eyes bulged, blood and spittle flying out of her mouth. Without even seeing what had attacked her, she was then thrown backward. She could only glimpse a super saiyan two Cabba when she tumbled through the air.
When she recovered, Cabba and Kale stood shoulder to shoulder. The former addressed the latter. "You ready?"
Kale nodded.
The two flew toward the empowered Val, one glowing gold and the other surrounded by a faint green tinge. "HAAAAHHH!"
Val's eyes widened. "Shit."
xXx
The police officer deadpanned at Yumi, who was staring up at him with wide chestnut eyes. He flipped through his notepad, skimming over everything that she had told him. "So you're telling me you turned your sister into a demon before she was defeated by a teenage boy and girl?"
"Mmhm!"
The officer sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Larry, take this kid for some icecream. I can't deal with this right now. Barry Kahn is suing everyone at Waves and Rocks Studios and Cocoa Amaguri is receiving death threats because of today's radio broadcast."
Yumi beamed up at the officer called Larry, a mustachioed man. "Thanks mister!"
"Don't push your luck, kid."
xXx
Cabba and Kale flew through the air. Their cover had already been blown when Cabba transformed in front of at least fifty cameras (most of which were destroyed subsequently) so there was really no harm in flying anymore.
"Cabba?" Kale said, avoiding his gaze. "You transformed today... how come?"
"She hurt you," mumbled Cabba, flying a little bit faster. His eyes hardened. "She had to be punished."
A chill ran down Kale's spine. I never knew Cabba had such a huge sense of justice... or is it vengeance? "She called me a mouse," she admitted. "And worthless." Why did I tell him that?
"What?!" exclaimed Cabba, halting mid-flight.
"It's okay," said Kale, her eyes a downcast. "I just wanted you to know that she had it coming, I guess."
Cabba snarled, uncharacteristically aggressive. "If only I had made her pay a bit more...!"
Kale was shocked at her friend's words. She could not bring herself to respond - she didn't know how.
It was now night but Caulifla's chi was still active. The trio would be reunited soon.