(Launch's House - Multiple Hours Later)
Launch's room was still, save for the faint rustle of sheets and the quiet chirps of the forest outside the cabin. Moonlight poured through the window, painting everything in shades of silver and shadow.
Beside me, Launch was sprawled across the bed with an exhausted expression, her chest rising and falling with each heavy breath. Her hair, wild and golden, framed her face, beads of sweat still glistening on her skin.
I concealed my satisfaction, suppressing my smile and pretending to meditate, closing my eyes.
'It seems this body has some quality of life features after all'
"I-I had no idea you were so...skilled," she confessed, slowing sitting up.
I peaked at her out of the corner of my eye, a genuine wonderstruck gaze lighting up her face, forcing a smile out of me.
"I try my best"
She chuckled, exhaling sharply before falling on top of me, my form softening under her warmth. She opened her mouth, about to say something before her cheeks reddened, ultimately choosing to keep quiet.
I applied my concentration, using telepathy.
'Man! It's like he has an engine! And I made so much noise as well! Ahhhh! I hope he doesn't think I'm some kind of skank, I haven't really done this with anyone before'
I covered my mouth and chuckled as quietly as I could, Launch's face reddening even more.
'I could get used to this'
Above all things, I was extremely wary of being sexually active or stimulating that part of my mind given how volatile and unpredictable this body was.
Fortunately for me, Launch had voluntarily and willingly taken that burden upon herself, the result being a thorough satiation of sexual desires on both sides.
'I can sense her Ki more strongly'
A surprising development I had discerned was that traces of my Ki had infiltrated Launch's Ki and vice-versa, some of her energy inside of me. In fact, it was more accurate to say that the structure of both our Ki presences had changed, evolving to be more in line with each other.
'That's just more an affirmation that she is now my responsibility'
"What's got you so deep in thought?" she murmured, her voice low and buzzing with exhaustion. She turned her head to look at me, her blue eyes half-lidded but sparkling.
I glanced at her, relishing her blush.
"Just... thinking"
"Well I put that together," she teased, rubbing against me. "What's on your mind?"
"I have a question, and I want you to be honest," I responded.
Her brows knit together, the teasing edge in her expression softening.
"You're not gonna go all 'it's not you, it's me,' are you? 'Cause I'll tell you right now, I'm too tired to throw anything at you"
"It's not that," I said with a chuckle. "It's about your... condition. The switching. I can tell what's causing it, it's a strange energy inside of you," I explained.
She blinked, sitting up slightly, her breasts bouncing.
"Baba!?" she said aloud, her voice a little sharper now. "That old bat!!!"
"What do you think happened?"
She sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"It's... a long story. Years ago, when I was still working as a mercenary, I stole something from her. A crystal ball, real shiny. Figured it'd fetch a good price." She gave a bitter laugh.
"Turns out, stealing from a psychic witch doesn't end well. She cursed me—said I'd never be the same again. And then... this." She gestured to herself. "The sneezing, the switching. It's probably all her," she said, apparently putting together what had happened.
Her boldness wavered for a moment, her shoulders slumping. "I had it checked, with best doctors I could find, they all said it was genetic...", she explained. "At first, I hated it. Thought it'd ruin me. But over time... I don't know. It's just who I am now"
"You've adapted," I said softly.
"Yeah, I guess." She gave me a tired smile, but there was something fragile in her eyes. "What are you getting at, Kaza?"
"I can remove it," I said simply. "Baba's energy, I can unravel it. You could be just... you. One personality. One mind."
She stared at me, and for the first time since I met her, Launch looked unsure.
"One me," she repeated, her voice almost a whisper. "I don't know... I've kind of gotten used to both of us, y'know? Blond me gets things done. Blue me keeps it together. Without one, I'm not sure who I'd be."
"Who you already are," I said, meeting her gaze. "Whole. Balanced. But it's your choice"
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she sneezed—an explosive sound that startled even me—and her hair shifted to blue.
Her sweet side now looked up at me, her face softer but just as tired.
"I... I like both sides," she said after a moment, her voice quieter, almost timid. "They're both me. Even if it's messy, I don't want to lose that."
I nodded, lying back again. "I understand. But if Baba's energy is tied to it, I can't promise it'll never cause you problems. I can remove her energy and preserve both parts of you. It'll just take some effort"
"You really think you can do that?" she asked, a note of hope in her voice.
In theory it was possible and since her Ki was a little like my Ki, I could definitely give it a try.
"I do, but you might feel... different. Only one way to find out."
She hesitated for a moment before lying back down. "Alright, genius. Do your thing. But if you mess this up, I-"
I raised an eyebrow as she spoke, her face reddening and she shifted her gaze, stopping mid sentence.
"I won't"
Placing a hand on her stomach, I closed my eyes and let my energy flow into her.
Baba's Ki was faint but persistent, as my energy stretched through her, an image projected in my mind, Baba's Ki threaded through her energy like vines choking a tree.
I worked carefully, untangling it strand by strand while ensuring to preserve the structure of her energy, using my Ki inside her to replicate it. The process was delicate and highly experimental, but I trusted my intuition.
After all, I was technically a super prodigy.
When I finished, her energy felt... lighter, cleaner. I pulled my hand away, opening my eyes to find her staring at me in shock.
"You... you did it," she said, blinking rapidly. I watched her concentrate a little, shifting to her blonde personality with no hesitation. With some focus she shifted back. "Both of me... still here. Just... smoother, somehow."
I smiled and kept quiet, yawning exaggeratedly.
For a moment, she was silent. Then her hair shifted blonde, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"My hero, I guess you deserve a reward, don't you?"
I grinned as she climbed back on top of me, her warmth permeating through my body.
'I didn't want to sleep anyway'
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(West City Central Shopping Complex - 12 Hours Later)
The West City Bank felt colder than I expected, but maybe it was just the surreal feeling of being a millionaire.
A single gold brick exchanged for 100 million Zeni. Simple. Quick. No questions asked.
As the teller slid me a fresh debit card, I couldn't help but think about how I would have had to slave away if I come into this world as a human.
'I'm glad I had enough foresight'
Launch and I left the bank, stepping back onto the bustling streets of West City. She walked a little ahead, radiating that confident energy that always turned heads.
'It's probably not just that'
She had a strange obsession with crop tops and booty shorts, wearing them like it was perpetually the hottest summer day in history.
People stared. I didn't blame them. She was beautiful, sure, but I could feel their eyes darting between her and me.
'Oh'
I realized that I was probably more odd looking than her, clad in strange ritualistic robes that made me seem like some kind of cult leader.
I let out a small sigh. I need to take her shopping. Something… less distracting.
Launch didn't seem to notice or care about the attention. She turned back to me, grinning sweetly with her blue hair swaying in the breeze.
"Hey, Kaza! I'm hungry! Can we get some ice cream?"
"Sure, but clothes first"
"Clothes?" Her grin turned mischievous. "You don't like what I'm wearing?"
Before I could respond, a loud voice cut through the crowd up ahead.
"Step right up! Step right up!"
It was unmistakable. The crackling, energetic sound of Master Roshi trying to sell something. I turned to see a small group of people gathered around a rickety table set up in front of a shopping plaza.
There, hunched on a stool with his turtle shell on his back, was Roshi himself, waving his arms dramatically. At the table sat Krillin, looking as red-faced and ashamed as ever.
"Test your strength, gentlemen!" Roshi boomed. "Only 1,000 Zeni to enter! If you win, you take home 50,000 Zeni!"
I stopped walking, watching as a massive, muscle-bound man slammed his hand onto the table across from Krillin. Roshi grinned, the dollar signs practically flashing in his eyes.
"You're going down, kid!" the fighter growled.
Krillin just sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with…"
Seconds later, the man's face turned purple with effort as Krillin calmly pinned his arm to the table. Roshi laughed gleefully, snatching the Zeni from his hand as the fighter stormed away in defeat.
"Who's next?!" Roshi shouted, eyes scanning the crowd like a hawk. And then he saw us.
For a moment, it felt like time stopped. Roshi's eyes widened, and his grin stretched so far I thought his face might crack.
"Jackpot!" he said under his breath.
Before I could react, he was in front of me, looking up with a salesman's grin that made me immediately suspicious.
"Well, well! Look who we have here! Big guy, you look like someone who knows their way around an arm wrestling table!"
"Pass"
"Pass?" Roshi gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "A specimen like you? Why, you'd win for sure! It's only 1,000 Zeni to enter, and you'd walk away with a cool 50,000! What do you say?"
"I don't have cash," I said flatly. "I just opened my account. I only have a Debit Card"
I hoped that would end it, but I clearly underestimated him. Roshi turned and barked at Krillin.
"Krillin! The card reader!"
Krillin groaned, rummaging through a bag and pulling out a portable card reader. He held it up like he was holding someone else's dirty laundry, his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Here," he muttered.
Roshi waved it in my face triumphantly. "Problem solved!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. This was too much, even for me.
"If you two are this desperate, I can spare a few million Zeni. No need for scams"
Krillin's eyes lit up, and he smiled for the first time today.
"Really? Wow! That's—"
"Generous?!" Roshi cut in, puffing his chest out. "I'm no beggar! I don't need your handouts! Krillin will beat you fair and square!"
"Master…" Krillin muttered miserably, but Roshi ignored him.
Launch, who'd been watching the whole thing with amusement, suddenly clapped her hands together. "Oh, Kaza, you've gotta do it! I wanna see you win!"
I turned to her, and her bouncing blue-hair and sweet smile were impossible to resist. I sighed, shaking my head. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
---
I sat down at the table, facing Krillin. He looked nervous but determined. I had to admire his spirit.
We locked hands. His grip was firm.
"Don't hold back," Krillin said, staring me down.
'Whatever'
"GO!" Master Roshi bellowed.
PWUUUUM! FWUUUUUSSSSH!
A quiet crackling sound reverberated out as the air between out palms was forced out.
"I can tell you're not using your full strength," he taunted.
I smiled, closing my eyes for a moment and activating my Ki Sense.
Krillin's energy was really quite impressive for an Earthling, illustrative of a human that had wholeheartedly trained for long.
"Alright," I said, opening my eyes again. "I'll use a bit more"
The match intensified, and Krillin immediately dug in. His arm shook, veins bulging as he pushed against me. I matched him, letting him feel the upper limits of his own strength. His energy spiked as he struggled, sweat dripping down his forehead.
From behind me, I heard Roshi muttering.
"What…? K-Krillin's struggling?! That doesn't make any sense! These big guys are usually weaklings! Don't tell me-"
Launch's voice cut through him like a knife.
"Hey, you take that back! Kaza's stronger than you'll ever be!"
Roshi froze, suddenly aware of Launch's presence. His eyes zeroed in on her like twin spotlights, and his whole demeanor changed.
"Well, well! What a lovely young lady! Why don't you leave this guy and become my girlfriend instead? I'd—"
Before he could finish, I slammed Krillin's arm down, ending the match. The table groaned under the force, but I made sure not to break it.
Krillin's jaw dropped, his face red with exhaustion.
"You… You're incredible! I've never seen someone so strong! And you… you can sense Ki too? That's amazing!"
"You've got potential," I said calmly, standing up. "Keep training, you can definitely go further than this"
Krillin's eyes sparkled like a kid who'd been handed a brand-new toy.
"Really? Man, you'd make an awesome martial artist! You ever think about it?"
I smirked. "I kind of already am, how do you think I got this strong?"
Before Krillin could respond, Roshi's voice exploded behind us. "Double or nothing! You and me! Right here, right now! If you win, you get 100,000 Zeni!"
Launch, grinning, chimed in before I could refuse. "Kaza! You could use that money to buy me new clothes!"
I couldn't help but laugh, this whole thing a little too much.
"It's really not that serious, I—"
"Enough blabbering young man! Let's see what you've got!" he declared boldly, stripping down to his combat pants.
I sighed.
'Whatever, this is what I trained for anyway'