Alrighty! I was not expecting to have another idea for this story for at least another month. To be honest, I started mapping out this chapter shortly before I could start typing it.

Long story short, I was sitting on the bus on my way to work when I began outlining part of the idea after throwing it around in my head for a bit. It was a good distraction since morning traffic always is unpredictable at times. The only problem is I get into a creative mood that I tend to dislike working and rather write.

Regardless, I started adding more to the other side of the page after work, and realized that it sounded too good to let sit on a piece of paper.

So yeah, this picks up right where we left off. And yes, I finally am going to start throwing in suspense and mystery because that's what this story's supposed to be about.

Though I will admit I should have done humor and adventure—ah decisions, decisions...

#abusingpotaranerf

On a world far removed from any civilization, Shin was sitting with Kibito and Elder Kai under a large tree eating lunch at the table. The overseer of the universe seemed content with the simplistic food that was laid out.

"Your cooking is excellent as always," Shin complimented Kibito, who nodded in earnest for the praise his master gave him. While it was a simple fish that he had roasted over the fire, he did take the time to marinate it so the flavor seeped in. He had also made sure that the rice was cooked just enough that it was not soggy, rather still having some semblance of firmness.

"You could have added some more curry," Old Kai griped over the simplistic taste. While taken back by the ancestor's odd demand, Kibito passed one of the bowls over for the older master to add to his own dish whatever he desired. Lesson learned when the servant tried to do it last time and had a tongue lashing from the older deity over the situation.

"My apologies for not giving you enough," Kibito humbly spoke before indulging into his own dish. The soft clanking of chopsticks seemed to fill the silence as they ate their fill...

...that was until two bodies slammed into the table, effectively ruining the mealtime reverie, and breaking the wood courtesy of Beerus. It took Shin a moment to realize that the two bodies were that of Goku and Vegeta who were pinned down beneath the god of destruction's feet almost though they were being punished for doing something wrong.

"L-Lord Beerus!" Shin gasped in surprise, quickly standing up and bowing to the god of destruction out of respect. Kibito and Old Kai followed suit, fearful of Beerus' wrath if they dared to show any sign of disrespect. While Shin himself could not be killed due to his life being tied to the cat-like deity, he did fear for his other companions who did not share that connection. "What are you doing here?"

"Apparently, you forgot something that these two seemed to have abused a great deal of lately," Beerus pointedly answered as his claw-like hand pointed to Goku's left ear where the potara still hung. Said Saiya-jin was lying there—his stomach growling—wishing he could eat what did not fall to the ground when Beerus literally slammed him and the prince into the table with poor tact.

"Honestly, I thought they would have broken them by now, considering how they don't really like fusing together," Shin shrugged indifferently. Based on their rivalry, it was no secret that either Saiya-jin could stand long periods with one another, and often hated it when one outclassed the other by any terms of strength. This truly defined the fierce rivalry between the duo who were lying on the broken table in a demeaning position.

"Regardless, I brought them here to remind you of your carelessness," Beerus scolded the shorter being in a condescending manner. Off to the side, Whis shook his head rather calmly—seeing that he was the only other being besides Shin and Goku to teleport, it was likely that the angel had been asked to drag them to this world.

Before Shin could utter a word in his defense, the earrings on both Goku and Vegeta's ears began to glow and Beerus was nearly thrown off-balance when Goku and Vegeta involuntarily fused back together into Vegito.

Quickly, the god of destruction regained his footing and pressed his right one firmly on the man's back. However, the fusion decided that he was not having any more of that suppression crap and knocked Beerus off him. Rising to his feet, Vegito dusted himself off, casting a glare at the cat-like deity who was sitting on the ground with a sneer on his face.

"Sorry, but I don't appreciate being used as a foot rest," Vegito snorted with dislike while sending a heated glare at the deity.

"You have the gall to talk like that after you both told me about your little escapades fused together like that," Beerus spat in disgust.

"It wasn't like it was a picnic trying to extend the time limit without burning through Super Saiya-jin Blue..." Vegito explained.

"Both of you could have stopped fusing at any time instead of abusing the potara all because of the time limit..."

Shin was staring in aghast as the two bickered. He knew what Beerus was capable of and feared the worst if he and Vegito decided to exchange blows with their fists. Since Kibito and Old Kai were more likely to be destroyed, he shifted between the two and decided to play mediator.

"Stop! The last thing I want is for you two to destroy this planet!" Shin angrily put his foot down. He had known what happened to King Kai's planet and did not want a repeat of it to happen to his own world. He would hate the idea of the landscape being torn asunder like it had been when Goku and Vegeta fought on the world half a decade earlier against Kid Buu. The landscape still had not fully recovered from that epic battle.

Beerus glanced over at Shin almost boredly, taking the kaioshin completely off-guard. "Who said I was going to start a fight with him?"

"What?" Shin was a bit perplexed. The last time Beerus became this heated with any Saiya-jin, he had threatened to destroy Earth, so this made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

"It wouldn't be worth fighting him if that's what you're thinking." Beerus pouted, his demeanor becoming less threatening by the second. "Before I brought those two here, they had a fight with Hit..."

"Oh! You mean that assassin that Goku and Vegeta fought separately back at the tournament..." Shin realized the implications. It would make sense why Vegito's power felt subdued for the moment instead of at its best. "Does that mean that...?"

"Yes," Beerus confirmed. "Even if they're fused now, they haven't fully recovered from the fight, so it would be moot to even bother trying it right now. Plus, they wouldn't be much of a challenge..."

"Not much of a challenge my ass," Vegito muttered under his breath, still glaring coldly at Beerus for his cockiness. It was bad enough that they had fused together again unwillingly, but now, it seemed Beerus was putting him down for not having the power to fight. "You just don't want to lose to me and—OW!" The fusion winced when Whis' staff 'accidentally' hit Vegito's formerly dislocated shoulder.

"Oh my, I didn't mean for that to hit you Vegito," Whis chuckled, trying poorly to hide that he meant to do it to prevent the fusion from irritating the god of destruction. Last thing the angel wanted was to lose his pupil—rather pupils—due to some rude comment that his master happened to overhear from the hot-headed warrior.

Vegito eyed Whis with distrust shining in his eyes. He knew the angel had some ulterior motive for his actions most of the time, and wondered if he secretly did it to protect him.

'Like I need some guardian angel watching over my sorry ass,' Vegito examined Whis a moment longer before his attention returned to Beerus and Shin.

"...you didn't bother to even to check on those two after that whole incident with Zamasu," Beerus continued. "That should be enough to keep an eye on them."

"I didn't see any point in involving myself in their affairs," Shin defended. "Besides, what harm did they actually do being fused together?"

"From what I managed to get out of Goku, it seemed like they caused senseless destruction, engaged in unnecessary battles, and pretty much made people angry for no apparent reason whatsoever," Beerus summarized. "As for the prince, he didn't say much, though I'm certain he probably helped contribute to some of these heinous crimes..."

"Not that he had any choice in the matter," Vegito butted in, trying to excuse half of himself from what transpired.

"Of course he had a choice. In fact, you have a choice whether or not to fuse," Beerus pointed at the fusion rather aggressively. "The fact that you are both together again doesn't give you an excuse."

"Perhaps if you didn't drag us halfway across the universe with our earrings still on, we probably wouldn't have joined bodies again so soon," Vegito huffed.

"Hmm... I wonder what would happen if one of those earrings were to break?"

"Don't do it Beerus!" Shin put himself between the god of destruction and Vegito. While the earrings were capable of joining bodies, an immortal being would not be affected if such a thing did happen. However, the kaioshin had no idea what would happen if one of the earrings shattered with both fusees being mortal. "You could kill them!"

"Or it could reverse the fusion," Beerus flicked his middle finger against his thumb as Vegito felt the left earring shatter from the lobe.