~*****~

"Well, what do we have here?" Piccolo's irritated voice echoes out. I glance up from my small sketchbook and glare at the Namekian as he growls. "What do you two think you're doing?! Get up, you lazy scoundrel's! Up, Up, Up!" Mars and Goten knock heads as they get up, drowsiness still swimming in their eyes. "I don't want you two resting again until you're one person, do I make myself clear?! Well, do I?!" Mars and Goten murmur out agreements, although, I knew that look in my son's eye. He was gonna go back to sleep whether Piccolo liked it or not. "Don't expect me to be soft on you like Goku was! You're in Piccolo's Training Camp now, and we don't rest until we succeed! And we will succeed! Understood?!" Mars and Goten go back down and doze off. Piccolo whirled around, shock evident on his face. "I don't believe it! They haven't heard a single word I said! All right, you two! Get up! You heard me!! WAKE UP!" I have to cover my eyes as he lands a savage blow to each of them for not listening. "You guys can go back to sleep now if you'd like." Piccolo says in a smug tone as both boys are clutching their cheeks with tears in their eyes.

"No thanks," Mars says through his pain. "We're not tired."

"Well, now, that's what I like to call dedication." Piccolo hums. "You're sure to succeed with that attitude."

"What's for breakfast?" Goten asks.

"BREAKFAST?!" Piccolo snapped. "You're having the fusion technique for breakfast, that's what!!"

"Wow, looks like Piccolo's really getting into the spirit, isn't he?" Krillen mentions.

"Now, let's get started, shall we?" Piccolo snaps to the two boys.

Mars raised his hand high. "Piccolo? Uhm, Piccolo?" The Namekian just grunted in response. "If you don't mind, would you mind demonstrating the proper way to do the fusion technique for us?" I snorted and covered my mouth in an attempt to stop the laughter. "If this is your training camp, you need to teach us. We've only seen the technique done right once!"

"Yeah, Mars is right!" Goten agrees. "How are we supposed to learn the technique if we've only seen it done one time?"

The others glance at me as I continue to try and reel in my laughter. Piccolo is suffering, the poor thing. "Please?" The boys plead.

"Krillen--" Piccolo snaps loudly. "Come here!"

"W-Who, me?!" Krillen stammers.

Piccolo turns his gaze over his shoulder and there's a smirk on his face. "You saw Goku demonstrate the form! Don't tell me you forgot it already?"

"No! Of course I remember! Who could forget?" Krillen whines. "But why me? Everyone here has seen that pose!"

The other's disappeared and Krillen looked up at me with a hopeful expression. "Sorry, can't do strenuous poses while pregnant." I say with a wide grin on my face.

"You say that but your face says otherwise!" Krillen complains.

"Krillen!" Piccolo snaps.

A heady flush covers his face before he grumbles. "All right! I guess it's for a good cause."

"Yeah, have fun with that." I giggle. "I'm going to grab something to eat."

~*****~

God, I hated playing cards with these people. Especially with the boys continuing their training and chanting loudly each time. "Fusion, ugh." Eighteen murmured irritably.

"I tell ya." Roshi hummed while picking through his cards. "It's enough to drive someone crazy. Isn't it?"

"I even dreamed about it last night." Eighteen said as Roshi plucked a card from my outstretched hand. "Swore I was trying to fuse with the Ox King."

I shuddered. "That's not an image I want in my head." I mention.

"Hey~" Roshi chirped after dropping a pair into the pile.

"What? You think you're about to win, don't you?" Krillen asked. "Well, forget it." I gazed interestedly as Eighteen began nodding her head in the direction Krillen needed to go. "Let's see, uh, which one do I want?" He trailed off, his gaze flickering to and from Eighteen's face. He hummed again. "It's so hard to know."

Roshi gazed back at Eighteen and she adverted her gaze perfectly.

"It's strange to imagine those two as one boy, although, I'm kind of afraid of the mischief the two combined will create." I hum as I hear the boys chant again.

"I wonder if boys can fuse with girls." Roshi pondered. I grunted irritably as I glared at him.

Krillen finally picked a card. "That's a good question, sure, but you're only thinking of the perverted aspects of things." I mention.

Krillen whined when he looked at his card. Roshi began to cackle. "Why thank you!" Roshi jeered. "That's just the card I wanted you to pick!" Eighteen was not happy. We play a few more rounds.

My nose scrunches for a minute before I sneeze into my sleeve. "Sheesh-- Someone's talking smack or something." I mention as I rub at my now running nose.

Krillen chuckles. "Probably Lola seething at the fact she's on house duty."

I chuckle and rub at my head. "I haven't heard any Fusion-Ha's lately," Roshi comments. "Piccolo must be giving them a break. It feels a little strange to be playing cards with the whole world being destroyed right beneath us." Roshi states before he hums irritably.

"How weird! I just had an intense deja-vu, you guys!" Krillen states. He sets down two cards and picks up two more. "Strange, I must've lived through this before. Yeah!" He exclaims as he curls his cards to his mouth.

"Then you know you're about to lose." I mention. "Let's see..." I trail off as I set down a card and pick up another. "Ha! Read 'em and weep! Royal Flush!" I exclaim while laying out my cards. Krillen and Roshi complain and throw their cards overhead. I cup my cheeks and start flushing at the aspect of winning. "I love it winning almost as much as I love my job~"

Krillen snorts again. "Yeah, you're definitely made for Vegeta." I slap at his head and begin to laugh with him.

~*****~

"C'mon, Pig! Pick a card!" Marble exclaims. "It's not like you'll win!"

"Stop trying to psych me out!" Oolong retorts.

"Just pick!" Roshi joined in on Marble's jeering.

"You're using some of that mystical master stuff on me, aren't you?!" Oolong asked angrily.

"She's so cute~" Bulma cooed as she lifted Marble a little higher on her lap. Marble paid no attention to her and eagerly waited for Oolong to pick out a card.

"Hey guys!" Yamcha chirped.

"What's up, Yamcha?" Videl asked.

"Well, it's fusion time." Yamcha stated. "Mars and Goten have mastered the form."

"So, the boys are ready to give it a try, huh?" Roshi hummed.

"Cool! I say we all go watch!" Krillen exclaimed.

"Yeah, it should be interesting," I hum as I let Marble grasp onto my hand.

"Are Mars and Goten one body, Mommy?" Marron asks Eighteen.

"Not yet, sweetheart." Eighteen answers coolly.

"So, uh, if you could fuse together with somebody and it could be anyone in the world, who would it be?" Krillen asked Roshi. "I mean, hypothetically."

Roshi hummed. "That's a tough one. But I think I'd pick your old girlfriend Maron!"

I grimace at the duo. Krillen laughs. "Right one! Bold and beautiful! So deadly!"

"So, what are we gonna call our newly combined son, Mara?" Chi-Chi asks. Marble grunts and gazes up at her. "Let's see, Goten and Mars. What about Gomar? No, that's weird. Maybe something like Garten would be better?"

"Those are both awful." I mention. "I'm sure the new fusion will have a name already. Goku did say it created a whole new person, so I assume a name is one of those things that will be created." I explain. "Besides, it's only temporary. It's only thirty minutes of being combined."

"You really think they'll already have a name?" Chi-Chi asks.

I shrug and smile. "This oughta be good." Yamcha mentions.

The boys were concentrating hard on syncing their powers when we arrive. "Hey, Mars. Hold your power back a bit." Piccolo ordered. Mars nods dutifully and I feel his power recede just a bit. "Yes, that's perfect. Your levels are exactly the same. Okay, whenever you're ready!"

"This is it!" Yamcha cooed.

The two perform their fusion dance, although imperfect, they fuse nonetheless. A bright light envelopes them, and I'm stuck gaping at what my boy became. "Ch-Chunky--" I whimper.

"Is he supposed to look like that?" Krillen asked.

"I... guess so?" Yamcha murmured.

"No..." I whimper. "Their synchronization was a bit off...." Marble is giggling behind her hands. "He's uh... well equipped, I guess..."

"Yeah, that's a nice way to put it." Chi-Chi added.

"You sure he's not supposed to look like that, Mara? He's built like Majin Buu. Maybe the rolly poley body is supposed to regulate the enormous power level." Krillen suggests.

"No doubt!" Yamcha agreed immediately. "Yeah! Dig it! Check him out! You've got the moves, baby! Yeah!"

"This... is so bizarre." Videl comments.

I whimper and hunch forward more. "Tell me about it... Mars already eats a lot.... imagine the food bill for this whole new person? It'll bankrupt me."

"Well, at least I know what the problem is." Piccolo murmured after the new fusion hunched over in exhaustion from running a few steps. "Yeah... We goofed. It's the form. Mars made a slight error. He did this." He pushed out his arms with his fingers. "But he shouldn't have extended his fingers. He should've done this." He clenched his hands tight into fists. "All right, got it? Good! Now go ahead and separate so we can get it right." The fusion just stares. "Well, what are you waiting for? You heard me. Separate!"

The fusion hums again. "I don't know how." He states.

Piccolo grunted before sighing. "Oh, right. I see." Piccolo grunts again. "Well, Goku never showed us that part! I guess we don't have a choice. We'll just have to wait until the thirty minutes are up."

"Strange..." Krillen trails off as we crowd around the fusion. "But you're neither Mars or Goten, are you?"

"You even have your own set of clothes." Roshi comments.

"What does it feel like being one person?" Videl asks.

The fusion doesn't answer, he's just gazing around curiously. "Hey, little buddy! Do you have a name?" Yamcha asks.

"Maten." The fusion says without a beat.

"Oh, wow, Mara! You were right!" Chi-Chi cooed.

Maten just frowned. "Look. I'm hungry. I just want to eat and take a nap."

I feel Marble scoff against my leg. "I'll bet." She murmurs.

"He talks like Yajirobe, daddy!" Marron comments.

I snort. "Yeah, he sure does." Krillen laughs.

In a flash of light, Maten separates. "Mars!" Marble squealed.

"Did we do it?" Mars asks while rubbing at his eyes.

"I don't know!" Goten answers.

"Guys! You did it! You fused! It was great!" Yamcha praises.

"Don't you remember anything?" I ask.

"No..." Goten trails off.

"Well, congratulations! You did it!" Videl praises.

"Yes! Bravo! Well done!" Mr. Popo cheers.

Piccolo approaches with a scowl. "Look, we don't have time for idle talk, you two! We've got a mission to accomplish, got it? Now let's get back to work!" Piccolo snaps. I growl under my breath and begin tapping my foot while glaring at him. He grunts and swallows the knot in his throat after catching my gaze. "But, good first try." Piccolo offers.

The boys try again, but it's once again not perfect. This time, it results in an old, frail looking fusion. "Oh, no! I can't love that!" Chi-Chi bellows.

"Why not? He's my age." Roshi says.

"He might be older." I retort. "His ribs are showing."

"Yeah, we need to beef him up or something!" Yamcha agrees.

"There'll be no beefing up!" Piccolo barks. "We're going to wait thirty minutes and try it again! And this time, we're going to get it right!" Maten begins to hack and cough. "This is going to be a long one." They unfused after thirty minutes and prepare to try one more time. "Boy's, you ready?" Piccolo asks. They do the dance again, and this time, it's perfect. "Yes, you're doing it! Stay with it!"

Power explodes from this fusion, and it's incredible. "Whoa!" I exclaim as the light clears. "It worked!"

Maten stands a little taller than Mars did, with rich, dark tan skin. The middle section of his hair was a deep, rich black color, while the sides were a snowy white. His eyes were dark, and I was a bit disappointed from the lack of carmine that both of my children shared with me. "Wow, feel that? What power! He's the one all right!" Roshi comments. "There's no doubt about it!"

"Wow, he's a cutie~" Videl says.

"I think he favors Mars a little bit." I hum happily. "What do you think, Chi-Chi?"

"The nose, yes. The eyes? No." Chi-Chi states.

"Yeah, but his energy is amazing!" Marble comments.

"Yeah, does it matter who he looks like?" Videl asks. "But he does have Goten's hair."

"Does he? It kind of reminds me of Vegeta's. Oh, but then again, maybe we're talking about Super Saiyan hair." I trail off.

"Either way, it's excellent!" Piccolo states. "Thirty minutes from now we'll try the fusion again. Only this time, you'll be Super Saiyans."

A smirk washes over Maten's face, and I'm brought back to my original fears. He wags his finger at Piccolo. "We're not doing this as Super Saiyans." Maten jeers.

"What?!" Piccolo growls.

"There's no need for it. We're strong enough as it is." Maten states smugly.

"You little-- How dare you! This is a team effort, got it?!" Piccolo growls. "That's a call that we all have to agree on, and I don't agree!" Maten is just picking in his ear. "It makes no sense to confront Buu unless you're at your absolute maximum! Understand me?! Huh?!"

"Yes. But you don't." Maten shrugs. "Look, you're scared! But Buu is nothing! I will bring him back! Dead!" Maten lifts into the air. "See ya!"

"Wait, no! Come back!" Piccolo orders.

"Don't have a heart attack!" Maten teases.

"He's not listening!" Mr. Popo exclaims.

"Yeah..." I trail off. "That's Mars' influence." I comment.

"No doubt." Marble agrees.

Maten gazes around before huffing. "Oh, Good! He's close! Thirty minutes should be plenty of time. All right! This is gonna be fun!"

He blasts off and I have to stop myself from swelling with pride. He's in trouble, now's not the time for praise. "Now that's fast. Whoa!" Videl comments.

"Darn it, if he gets killed now, all of our efforts were for nothing!" Piccolo complains.

"Yeah, you're right. He's reckless for sure." Krillen mentions. "But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he beat Majin Buu."

"Me either! I betcha that little guy tears Buu up!" Yamcha states.

"If we're lucky. But what if he doesn't?" Piccolo asks.