Steam filled the bathroom. The glass of the shower door turned the figure behind it into nothing more than a blurred silhouette — pale outline, darkened arm shape, head lowered beneath falling water.
Scarlet stood there, motionless under the warm water that rained down on her from the shower head. She had chosen a hot shower over a cold one. Her short hair was damp and wet, her body still felt wrong and uneasy. Unstable as well, she placed her forehead against the tiled shower wall. "What the hell? Why am I so weak?" The warm water ran down her skin, down her Grimm arm. She watched as the water clung to her skin, to her Grimm arm. like rain droplets on a window, no reaction, no arm spasm. It was still hers, she was still in control.. for now.
There was a sudden knock at the bathroom door, Scarlet jerked her head away from the shower wall, she glanced towards the closed bathroom door. She didn't speak, she didn't say a word, she listened, listened like a predator waiting for its prey to stop moving.
"Uh— hey! You almost done in there?" Mr. Satan's voice rang out from behind the door, strained but attempting confidence. "Majin Buu wants to know...he has some sweets he wants to share with you."
Scarlet let out a slow exhale. Her brow furrowed. "Yes, fine...I'll be out in a minute." Then there was a pause.
"Oh! Before I forget. I washed your clothes, They're right here outside the door....I'll just...slide them under the door." Mr. Satan spoke. "By the way, I never caught your name."
Scarlet's hand froze before she could turn off the shower. The faintest twitch ghosted across her lips. "Thanks I guess...it's Scarlet."
Mr. Satan heard her muffled voice, the sound of the shower shutting off. He wiped his brow dramatically. "Whew, tough crowd."
In the living room, Majin Buu sat on the floor surrounded by cakes, cookies, and brightly wrapped candy. He looked up toward the hallway. "Is pale lady sad?"
Mr. Satan turned to look at Buu, straightening up instantly. "N-no! Of course not! She's just… you know. Warrior stuff."
Frowning slightly, Buu held up a whole chocolate cake. "Buu share cake. Cake fix sad."
~~~
Scarlet stood there, towel wrapped around herself, she wiped the steam from the mirror. Looking at her reflection. Tired, weak...not psychically crippled. Nor was she full of strength. Her body was still stabilizing, from the containment, from the transformation. From survival. And now this, she balled her hand into a fist. Her reflection in the mirror changed, it changed to reflect Salem.
"I'm nothing like you!" Scarlet screamed, her fist smashing against the mirror. The sound of her scream echoed from the bathroom as both Mr. Satan and Buu heard it. Scarlet panted, her breathing was rapid and fast. She steadied her breathing, her breathing had become steady and slow. She wanted to rip the Grimm arm off. But she knew it would just grow back.
"H-Hey, are you okay!" Mr. Satan asked from the other side of the door, we heard you scream."
Scarlet didn't answer, the dampness from the shower still clung to her body like a life line, the towel had slowly slid off, but not enough to leave her fully exposed. She dried herself off, looking at her fresh washed clothes Mr. Satan slid under the door. She got dressed, her clothing clung to the curves of her body. Her jacket draped over her shoulder as she didn't feel like wearing it right away.
The bathroom door soon opened as she stepped out. Mr. Satan nearly jumped back. "Ah! There you are! See? Hospitality! Five-star service! The Champ always delivers!"
Buu's face beamed as he saw Scarlet, he watched as she walked past Mr. Satan, without a word spoken to him. "Cake?" He asked offering her a slice or two.
Scarlet paused, she glanced at the Majin, she knew all too well what Buu was, this wasn't her first rodeo bumping into a Majin. "....Fine."
Buu grinned widely as he shoved the cake into her hands. "Eat, Buu wants you to eat."
Mr. Satan let out a sigh of relief. "See? This is Good! Normal! We like normal!"
Scarlet looked at the cake, taking a small bite. Sweet and simple, and yet....she couldn't shake the feeling that this normal moment as Mr. Satan would like to call it. Would soon turn to violence.
~~~
Meanwhile at Capsule Corp, The door busted opened as Goten stormed in, his gaze scanning around the room. Chi-Chi and Bulma. As well as Videl were taken by surprise by this.
"Goten, what's with you busting the door open like that?" Chi-Chi asked with a stern look.
Goten didn't answer, he gazed around more. "Where's Vegeta?"
Bulma raised an eyebrow up, but she didn't give the answer Goten was hoping for. "Your mother asked you a question Goten."
Goten glared at her, Chi-Chi and Videl. "Where is Vegeta?!"
Chi-Chi's brow furrowed as she marched over the Goten and slapped him across the face. "It's always Vegeta this, Vegeta that. When are you going to think and not ask so many questions?"
Goten's eyes became dangerous, daggers that seemed to stab into Chi-Chi's soul. But before Goten could act, Gohan came into the room.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Gohan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Your brother, that's what." Videl spoke with her arms crossed. "He just barged in and your mom asked him what the deal was, and all he said was. Where's Vegeta? Where's Vegeta?"
Gohan sensed something from Goten, but didn't show it. "As you can see, Vegeta isn't here, he's out. If you have something to you need to get off your chest, then come with me."
Goten didn't argue with that. He followed Gohan out of the room, Chi-Chi blinked in confusion at what the sudden departure was all about. But she let out a frustrated sigh. "They always leave when something comes up!"
"I don't know...something didn't seem right. Gohan usually wouldn't say that to Goten, you think Goten had a bad date?" Bulma asked.
Videl shrugged a little. "Maybe that's why he's asking for Vegeta, to blow some steam off..."
Goten and Gohan flew through the sky, going to an area clear of civilization or cityscapes. Gohan glanced at Goten before he spoke. "I didn't want to say this around the others, but you're not Goten are you?"
Baby smirked as he chuckled. "So, you noticed."
"Kind of hard not to notice, the way you were acting. Asking for Vegeta." Gohan spoke.
Baby's smirk stayed on his face as he looked at Gohan, the wind blowing as Baby had Goten go Super Saiyan. Baby descended downward to the ground below. A massive wave of yellow ki fired forward toward's Gohan.
Gohan's eyes went wide as he was caught in the blast, being pushed backwards by it, Baby watched as the dust cleared. "That didn't kill him, that attack of mine was far too weak, don't tell me he's holding back."
In the distance Gohan floated there, battle damaged but his face stern. "Who are you?"
"This Gohan...." Baby thought. "He seems much more stronger than Goten, perhaps he would make a better host. But he is holding back, that's for sure. The perfect body I need."
Gohan floated there in silence, waiting for Goten, or rather the person who called himself Goten. To attack, or do something else. He knew this wasn't his brother. "That's definitely Goten, but its as if something or someone is taking control of him...I need to snap him out of it." He thought.
Baby smirked. "Good, he's just waiting. But little does he know, I have a plan up my sleeve." He charged up two pink ki blast as he flew toward's Gohan. "Get ready Saiyan!"
Baby threw the two blasts of pink ki towards Gohan, both of the ki blast swirled together and came spiraling towards Gohan, just for Gohan to teleport out of the way. The ki exploded making a massive pink explosion of pink light. Gohan was blinded for a moment not seeing Baby fly through the bright light towards him.
Baby went to kick Gohan across the face, but Gohan acted. Blocking the attack as he grabbed Baby's leg twirling him around, before letting him go. Throwing him down towards the ground. Another pink ki explosion erupted from where Gohan and threw Baby at. Gohan was so focused on that, he didn't hear Baby come from above. Baby slammed his arm down against the back of Gohan's neck, dragging him down towards the explosion.
"Come now Gohan, surely you have more than that." Baby spoke. "Show me that power of yours."
Gohan winched as he was held tight against his will, Baby was puzzled as to why Gohan wasn't showing his full power, perhaps he was a cowered? There was only one way to find out. The pink light from the explosion engulfed the two as it spread far and wide soon after. The dust and light settled as both Gohan and Baby were panting and weak.
Baby smirked as he had Goten power up. "Show me that power Gohan, show me that Saiyan pride you're hiding!"
Gohan's eyes widened as he noticed Goten powering up. Almost doing a similar move Vegeta did against Majin Buu. "No, stop it! He'll kill us all. Goten snap out of it!"
Goten wasn't listening and Baby was making sure of that. The more Goten powered up, the more the ball of golden ki erupted from his body, it began splitting the Earth's crust apart as it pushed towards Gohan.
"Goten, you need to stop!" Gohan yelled, but his voice only fell on deaf ears as he was being pushed back. Gohan had no choice, he powered up to Super Saiyan to attempt to push back. But that's exactly what Baby wanted.
"Now you're mine!" Baby yelled, as the silver tendrils of his body shot out from Goten's body. He went straight towards Gohan as his liquid silver body engulfed Gohan before he could react.
The moment Baby took Gohan, the moment the ki from Goten engulfed them both and made a massive explosion. However once the light and explosion had faded, Baby floated there, now in Gohan's body. "Perfect, this is exactly the kind of body and power I need...This is getting too easy, two Saiyans at my disposal..now I need to find Vegeta and claim his body as mine."
~~~
Back at Hercules, Scarlet had noticed the change in the atmosphere. The slice of cake that was in her hand, was soon crushed to mush as she squished it in her hand.
Buu took notice as he pointed at Scarlet. "You no like what Buu offered?"
Scarlet didn't answer Buu. She hissed under her breath. She needed to regain her strength and fast, but how? She then spoke. "I need to be healed, to regain my strength. How would I go about that?"
Mr. Satan, who had been sitting idly by with a cigar in his mouth and a newspaper in hand. Glanced up from it. "Oh well uh, you could ask Buu to heal you. But then there's that tower...what was it called? Korin's Tower, that's under the lookout. There are those beans there."
Scarlet stood up. "The Senzu Beans..." She muttered but scoffed. "I won't be able to get there in the shape I'm in." She crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll have Buu heal me then, but after that. I'm leaving."
"Leaving? But you can't just up and leave. Where would you go?" Mr. Satan asked as he watched Scarlet sit back down. "More importantly, we still don't have no idea what's going on."
"It doesn't matter where I go. I have something I need to do, and I can't do it when I'm being held back." Scarlet spoke.
Mr. Satan looked at her with a confused look, but he straightened up and his face took a serious glare. "Now hold on! You're expecting me, the world champ, to just let you wander off on your own!"
Scarlet didn't even flinch at his tone of voice changing, she shot him a death glare, which made him shrink back a little. "You wouldn't understand." She glanced to Buu. "Pinky, hurry up and heal me. The more we sit around twiddling our thumbs, the more the world is going to go to shit."
Buu didn't understand what Scarlet was talking about, but nodded. "Buu doesn't know what pale lady means, but Buu do as asked." He jumped up to his feet and placed his hands out in front of Scarlet.
Buu's yellow gloves glowed a slight pink hue color as Scarlet just stood there, she could feel Buu's healing working on her. But it wouldn't change the fact she still had her Grimm arm, for she cannot escape Salem's shadow, no matter how hard or how much she tries.