A/N: BARACUDA~!

There now that we've gotten the obligatory bit of randomness out of the way, we can continue. Furthermore, I recently pulled down an author's note chapter, so I apologize for the confusion and folks mistaking it for an update. Apparently when one deletes a chapter, the site registers it as an update. Huh. Who knew? I left a note saying as much in the summary, but some people missed it apparently and some confusion was caused.

Anyhow, I believe a special was promised?

Also, apparently, people are still pissed at the Madara bit. You shouldn't be, considering he isn't a villain in this story. He has a part to play of course, as do all, but he's not the have-all-be-all that everyone seems to think he his.

Folks have been asking for Android 21 as of late so...

...here. Sorry for the short interlude, but she's here and god help us all!

"Ufufufufu...so many treats...so many snacks...Now, where should I start? I CAN'T WAIT!"

~?

Hunger (Interlude)

Hungry.

So hungry.

So very, very hungry.

She'd woken in the cold dark with nothing more than that insatiable hunger swelling in her stomach. It drove her, consumed her, filled every fiber of her being. It forced her upright, to claw out of the dirt, out of the dark, through her prison in spite of her weakness. When she woke in the dark it was the only thing she knew. She wanted to eat, to rip and tear, to blast people apart and turn them into decadent sweets. She hungered. She needed to eat. If she didn't she felt like she would starve, waste away into nothing.

That wouldn't do.

No, no, no! That surely wouldn't do~!

She remembered being sealed by someone, locked away for some reason, but no longer.

Now she was free; though she knew not why. The tremors had awoken her at long last, slowly at first; then all at once. And with wakening came the hunger. How long had it been since she'd last eaten? Days? Weeks? A month? Years? Decades? Even the act of thinking proved painful, struggling to impose thought over the chaos of her desires.

She would wait no longer, deny herself no longer.

Perhaps in another timeline she might've been more thorough; thought things through more. Not here. Not now. She knew only the hunger and it drove her to new depths of depravity. No sooner was she free from her cage than she began seeking out villages. Towns. Cities. Population centers. Anywhere with people. Within half a day she'd already struck thrice.

Her first victim was an unsuspecting businessman.

Her second was a gang of would-be thugs who tried to accost her.

Her third was a retired martial artist, and it was here her hunger shifted.

That last one had a different taste to it, a strange spice to the candy that she created from him. What had his name been? Yam-something or other? She couldn't remember. Didn't care. Even in her weakened state he barely put up a fight, but there had been something different about the taste, something that stirred some semblance of curiosity. Yet still her hunger did not wane. Not enough. Never enough. She wanted to devour strong people-strong warriors!-who might slake her hunger. Stronger. STRONGER! Someone strong enough to satisfy her cravings, however brief.

For the hunger was relentless.

It consumed her every waking moment, driving her, spurring her ever onward. She had to eat. But no matter how many petty creatures she devoured, it was never enough. None of them had that same zest as that fighter she'd devoured, no amount of candy was as sweet. So she kept looking. Searching. Striving. Seeking out stronger and stronger opponents...until she found another one. A man with three eyes. He put up some semblance of a fight-more than the last-and made a lovely chocolate bar for her. She found a man wearing a turtle shell, but he eluded her, and so she sought others.

Her hunt continued.

The more she ate, the more she remembered. Who she was. What she was. Her thoughts, her feelings, the quiet voice shrieking at her, begging her to stop, all of it gradually crept back. One day her designation came to her in the mist of a feeding frenzy. Rather than recover it spurred her even further into a frenzy, her sanity spiraling down into the blackest depths. She couldn't stop. Couldn't think. If she did the guilt of her actions crept back up to choke her; thus her insatiable spree continued.

She needed to feed.

And she would feed indeed.

Even if she had to devour the entire world.

A/N: Oh no.

Yamcha died again -_-

Feel kinda bad about Tien though...

Can't catch Roshi though, he's a right slippery bastard.

There we are. Yes, I know its dreadfully short and for that I apologize. I'll do my best to make it up to you all, you have my word. I've been running around like a madman these past few days, trying to work two jobs, update, and have some semblance of a life between all that. Did I mention I have a nephew living with me now? He's almost two years old. Gods that makes me fell old. Need to get out the hair dye again and bust out these gray hairs...

References are references and as ever, I don't own jack~!

So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the previews!

(Preview)

"Off with your head~!" she sang. "Tata, you're dead!"

Her fist slammed headlong into a gloved hand.

Buu blinked.

...was...was that supposed to hurt?"

She swore softly. "Oh. Well that isn't fair-

Then a fist cannoned into her face and she flew.

"Bah, go fight in your tournament. I'm retired."

Eighteen promptly swatted him on the back of the head.

...you do realize that if they lose we'll all be erased. Go, you idiot!"

R&R~!