Chapter 1 – The Girl with Glowing Eyes
Summary: Flipping channels, Trunks and Goten stumble upon a female MMA fighter who seems beyond strong. When Vegeta sees her, he is convinced she is from a planet long destroyed and insists on confronting her at the WMAT. Trunks/OC, M for later lemons, after the Buu Saga.
Disclaimer: Do you really think that I think I own DB, DBZ, or DBGT? (not that GT is real anyways). I don't; I don't own shit and I am writing this purely for entertainment purposes. Trust me, I'm not making any money off of this… if I was, I wouldn't have all this student debt *cries* As such, please don't sue me ^.^;;
AN: So every time I try to write a Trunks romance with a character from the DBZ universe, I just don't feel the chemistry. As such, I made my own. This character is not supposed to be based on myself – frankly I'd totally go for Vegeta's nuts if I had the choice, but I love V/B too much to write a fic like that. Anyways, no Mary Sue intended. Have fun with it, and maybe you'll get some lemony goodness later on.
"We can't spar today, I hafta watch Bula," Trunks said dismally as he opened the front door of Capsule Corp. Before him stood the likeness of a young Goku with long, disheveled hair.
"That's fine, got anything to eat?" Goten asked, and not at all shyly. Bula romped up beside Trunks and peered around his leg with a wide grin.
"Goten!" squealed the blue-haired little girl. Save for her devious smirk, she resembled Bulma in every way. The smirk she inherited from her father.
"Hey Bula," Goten said sheepishly as he entered. Much to his disdain, as well as Vegeta's, the child fostered a massive crush on him.
"I didn't know you were coming over, too," she said happily, "Will you play with me?"
"We're your babysitters, not your playmates," Trunks said sternly, "You can play with your dollhouse or watch TV with us."
"But I want to play with Goten!" Bula complained. Trunks ignored her whining and led his best friend into a large, richly furnished living room with an enormous television. A pouting Bula followed, if for no other reason than to chase after Goten. Unceremoniously the teenagers plopped into the plush couches. Bula mimicked them and even let out a weary sigh as Goten had done.
Trunks furnished a remote from a compartment within the armrest and began scanning the TV Guide channel for a program that would be both entertaining and suitable for the young Bula.
"Oh, oh! Can we watch Monster Mutant Squad Fighters?" Goten said excitedly.
"Tsh, are you joking? Even Bula knows that show is terrible," Trunks grunted.
"I wanna watch... Moster Mutens Squid Fighters," Bula said, stumbling over the words.
"No you don't, and neither does Goten, he just doesn't realize it," Trunks replied, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"Aw, dude it's a new episode! Come on!" Goten tried, desperation reaching his voice.
"I'm not watching it," Trunks said stubbornly.
"Pleeeeaaase, please!" Bula whined. Trunks turned to Bula to explain precisely the reason why he would not permit them to watch such a ridiculous, brain numbing show when Goten's hand darted out to steal the remote.
"Ho ho, no way, man," Trunks said with an arrogant smirk, "I'm not giving up that easily.
"Give it Trunks," Goten said persistently, reaching for the remote, "Even Bula wants to watch."
"I don't care who wants to watch it, no way," Trunks asserted, holding the remote just out of his grasp. Goten glanced at Bula and quickly she understood his meaning. They nodded and then simultaneously began their assault. The fight quickly escalated to a grappling match between the half-saiyan boys with Bula cheering for Goten on the sidelines. Their fight took them to the floor with a loud THUD that nearly shook the foundation of Capsule Corp.
The remote went soaring from Trunks' hands and landed button down on the finely polished hardwood. Bula ceased cheering and looked up at the large screen. "Ooo, look at the pretty girls!" she chimed.
The teenage boys, still tangled up on the floor, halted a moment to peer up at the television. "Hey, WMMA... that's kinda, hot, right?" Goten said.
"And it's about fighting," Trunks said agreeably, "My parents wouldn't argue that for Bula..."
As if nothing happened, the boys disentangled their limbs and returned to the couch where Bula was already sitting expectantly. Before their eyes was a large MMA ring with two young women standing face to face.
"Ooo, that one's pretty cute," Trunks commented, referring to a small girl with a long, dark ponytail falling down her back. She was pale and short, and her expression could only be described as indifferent or perhaps impassive, apathetic, unconcerned... she could not even be bothered to take on proper fighting stance. She was a statue compared to the girl opposite her, bouncing from foot to foot with fists held ready. And yet, her most striking feature was her brilliant green eyes. They glowed like a neon sign. They boys took it for the kind of theatrics many fighters took to in that day and age.
"Yea, but she'll probably get an ass-whooping, look at the other chick," Goten commented in reference to the hopping burly girl with a blond braid and an arrogant smirk. Trunks raised a brow.
"You should know as well as anyone not to judge an opponent by their looks," Trunks said doubtfully,
"Yea, well I bet-" Goten began to say, but was stopped short when the match started and ended in an instant. The muscular blond lay crumpled on the floor of the ring. The smaller girl folded her arms and made her way to the exit of the ring.
"Bet? I bet your glad you didn't," Trunks sniggered, "What did I tell you?"
"Wooo, did you see that, though?" Goten burst, standing up with astonishment, "She moves fast!"
"Yea, she moves fast!" Bula echoed with equal enthusiasm.
"What the hell are you idiots doing?" Vegeta demanded suddenly. Their wrestling match had not gone unnoticed.
"But Daddy..." Bula said, standing up and looking innocent, on the verge of tears.
"Not you, those idiots," Vegeta clarified, "Are you trying to take the house down? And what's he sputtering about?"
"Actually, dad, it was pretty cool. Check out this WMMA chick," Trunks said, pointing to the screen where a replay was being shown. Once again, the brief match was played and at first, Vegeta lacked any interested. That is, until he saw the victor and her one-hit KO.
"That's pretty fast for an earthling chick, huh?" Trunks said to his father with a grin. However, Vegeta was silent and seemed to be concentrating. When they showed the replay again, Vegeta's eyes grew wide.
"I've seen those eyes," he said in a low growl.
"Eyes? Aren't those just contacts?" Goten asked, "You know how theatrical this stuff can get… I mean, look at Mr. Satan."
"No," Vegeta answered firmly, "I know I've seen eyes like that before, I wouldn't forget."
"Really?" Trunks asked, his eyes glinting in wonder, "Like in space?" He had heard many fascinating stories growing up of his parents' adventures in space.
"Yes," was the only answer Vegeta gave.
"Go on," Trunks encouraged.
"What does it mean? Is she, like, from a planet of really strong fighters?" Goten asked with excitement.
"No, not at all!" Vegeta spat angrily.
"What's the problem, dad? They're probably just contacts," Trunks reasoned.
"No, I've only seen eyes like that in one place in the galaxy," Vegeta said adamantly, "And Sarmina was destroyed years ago. I know because Frieza had considered conquering it to sell."
"So… he didn't take Sarmina, then?" Trunks asked.
"No, there was no point. Their sun was too close to death, we knew it would be a waste of time and energy to bother with Sarmina," Vegeta explained.
"Well, hey, listen guys, she's going to fight at the World Tournament," Trunks commented. Indeed, the announcer explained that this fighter, whose given name was "Eddie," would be participating in the upcoming Tenkaichi Budokai. A nicely dressed woman approached the girl with microphone in hand.
"How does it feel to set the record for Women's Mixed Martial Arts not only for the most single-hit KOs but also for your uninterrupted winning streak?"
The camera zoomed in on her face, and indeed her eyes were not only a striking shade of lime green, but more luminous than the eyes of a cat. Her pupils seemed like endless black pits in stark contrast with her intense irises. Her voice sounded bored and her thoughts seemed elsewhere as she replied, "Cool, I guess."
"Is it true that you plan to take on the World Champion, Mr. Satan, in the World Martial Arts Tournament?"
"Yea," she answered nonchalantly, but then looked directly into the camera. With a small but amused smile she continued, "In one hit."
"She really is Sarminian!" Vegeta burst, "There's no mistaking! But how could she possibly be alive? And how could she be so strong?" At this point Goku had joined the others in the living room with a towel slung around his shoulders.
"What are you guys all talking about?" Goku asked curiously.
"My father seems to think that girl on the TV is from another planet," Trunks explained skeptically, "And that she's apparently too good a fighter to be from there." Lucky for Goku, they played a few more replays showcasing not only Eddie's recent win, but many of her previous victories. Each fight was won in a matter of moments with a single punch or kick.
"She doesn't look that strong," Goku observed, "Chi-Chi is really strong like that, and so is Videl." But Vegeta shook his head and refused to accept the explanations from his son and his rival.
"I have to find out how she got here," Vegeta decided.
"Well, those are some wild-looking eyes," Goku said with respectful fascination. The show switched over to the two announcers in their booth, further discussing Eddie's rise to fame and her future potential.
"I will find out what she's doing here and how the Hell she got so strong," Vegeta said definitively.
"Yea, I'd like to see just how strong she is, too," Goku said eagerly, "But... how would we do that?"
"If she's fighting in the Tournament, why don't we sign up ourselves?" Trunks suggested. Vegeta grimaced and shook his head.
"Do as you will, but I refuse," Vegeta said stubbornly.
"Yea, it's pretty boring if you ask me," Goku agreed placing his hands behind his head as he was wont to do.
"Besides, Mr. Satan and Buu have some sort of deal going on," Goten mentioned.
"Well, we could just go and check it out. It's not like Mr. Satan couldn't get us in," Trunks reasoned.
"Then it's settled," Vegeta said, "We will find her at the tournament."
Later at the World Marial Art's Tournament...
Many months passed since they discovered the strange yet strong, possibly extraterrestrial WMMA fighter. The pack of saiyans, that is Trunks, Goten, Vegeta, and Goku, found themselves in a crowded area reserved for potential combatants. Apparently the strength test was yet to be administered and many fighters had registered that year. In fact, despite its vast size, the room was so crowded the saiyans found themselves needing to wade through a sea of people.
"Talk about finding a needle in a haystack," Trunks murmured as he attempted to scan the area for Eddie. Vegeta, the shortest in the group, was particularly agitated at their present situation.
"This is ridiculous!" he snapped, unable to see more than a few feet in front of him, which consisted only of torsos. Goku peered around but only saw an ocean of scalps.
"Hey Goten, get up on my shoulders," he suggested when he realized that even his efforts were futile. Quickly father and son formed a towering totem pole high above the crowd's heads.
"You look absurd!" Vegeta grunted, looking away with embarrassment.
"Well, unless you wanna fly and attract all kinds of attention this is our best bet," Goku defended as Goten continue to search for their target. With a greater vantage point he was able to swiftly locate the individual of interest.
"I think that's her over by the East wall!" Goten declared. Nimbly he hopped down from Goku's shoulders and they began forcing their way through the throng of bodies. Vegeta, never known for his patience, was soon fed up with their careful navigation around people.
"Out of my way!" he called, shoving anyone and everyone in his path.
"Vegeta!" Goku complained, but knew it was useless to try and restrain him. Though he could not deny Vegeta's methods were effective. Soon they had a clear path between themselves and the East wall where Eddie stood, leaning against the wall. She chatted casually with an effeminate-looking young man with dark skin. Vegeta strode ahead of the group but Trunks placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't I try talking to her first?" Trunks suggested, "If all else fails I could pull the heir to Capsule Corp. card." Vegeta was an obstinate man but he was no fool. Perhaps Trunks was correct in assuming he was the best candidate to approach this girl. However, the crowed was quickly closing in again and Trunks speedily made his way over to the girl.
"Hey," Trunks said casually as he drew near.
"Hold up," said the young man accompanying her. He blocked Trunks' way and placed a hand on his hip, "I don't mean to be rude, and you look pretty fine, but my girl is not interested in conversation."
"Oh?" Trunks said, undaunted, "She get pestered a lot because of her fame?"
"Yes, in fact she does," the other man replied, "So you understand?"
"Sure, I know exactly how that goes. Trunks Briefs, son of Bulma Briefs, the president of Capsule Corporation," he said with an executive tone and held out his hand.
"I knew you looked familiar," replied Eddie's companion, struggling to hold back his awe. He was suddenly moved aside and the green-eyed girl stood before trunks with arms folded. Her expression was similar to what he had seen on television, only in person those glowing eyes burned into him.
"What do you want?" she asked, unmoved by his status as the heir to Capsule Corp.
"Well," Trunks began offhandedly, "I'll admit I'm a fan of yours and I am interested in your sponsorship." Her eyes glinted with sudden interest. That certainly got her attention, Trunks thought curiously.
"How much?" she asked forcefully. Her eyes blazed and Trunks found it difficult to hold her gaze.
"Don't be so brusque," her friend interjected.
"No that's fine," Trunks assured, "As much as you want, really. We have only one requirement."
"Yea? What?" she replied boldly and unafraid.
"You just hafta beat me in an arm wrestle, that's all," he explained casually.
"Tsh," she hissed, turning around, "What a fucking joke. Ignore him, Belize."
Belize glowered at Trunks. "You playing some joke? If you are, you're gonna get your ass kicked, 'Mr. Briefs,'" he said mockingly.
Trunks only chuckled and crossed his arms. "I assure you, I am Trunks Briefs. I can show ID if you insist, and I'm serious about that requirement," Trunks declared.
Belize stepped back a foot or so and appraised the lavender-haired teenager before him. "Chica, he looks like him," Belize said convincingly, "Worst case scenario you beat him in an arm wrestle..." Eddie came forward once more.
"If you're Trunks Briefs, than I want one trillion zeni for beating you at an arm wrestle," Eddie said shrewdly, the quickly she added, "And another ten thousand zeni just for participating, win or lose."
"Deal," Trunks said with a charming smile.
"Right now," Eddie said impatiently, "That booth over there."
"Fine by me," Trunks acquiesced, and he began following the girl along the wall to where they had tables and seating. As he walked he glanced over at his fellow saiyans and gave a quick thumbs up. Goten grinned and returned the gesture while Vegeta rolled his eyes. The pack moved where they might observe the subsequent events.
Naturally, all the tables were occupied, but Eddie remedied the problem without second thought. "We're sitting here," she declared, lifting two gentlemen and tossing them aside. They were too shocked and out of sorts to protest. Eddie sat down at one side of the table and motioned for Trunks to follow suit. His butt barely touched the seat when Eddie propped her elbow on the table. She was eager to get her trillion zeni, it seemed.
Slowly Trunks placed his hand in her smaller one. Close up he could get a good look at her – her skin was pale as parchment and unblemished. Of course, there were her fluorescent green eyes, but that aside, her features were not unattractive. Her hair was so dark a shade of brown you might guess it black at first glance. She was rather short in stature but her muscles were well-toned. Trunks wondered how often she smiled...
"You can start whenever you like," Trunks allowed. Without a word of warning she began forcing Trunks' hand down. Yet she was sorely surprised to find that his hand did not slam against the wood. She stared at him with eyes wide as saucers. His expression was pleasant but he admitted, "Wow, you've got a lot of power behind that arm."
"What the…" she said through gritted teeth. The force behind her hand grew exponentially as the attempted to overpower Trunks. He was taken off guard and he found himself being pushed back. However, he recovered quickly and with some effort he began pressing his advantage. She was stunned and this was evident on her face.
"I won't deny it, you're incredibly strong," he granted, "People like you and me… we're different, you know?"
"What are you talking about?" she snapped back defensively, but her voice was strained with effort.
"We're not from around here," Trunks went on, and he even felt the beginnings of fatigue setting in. She proved even stronger than he imagined, and though he doubted her ability to match his strength, he was less than comfortable in holding her at bay.
"Does he know?" Belize whispered with concern.
"Can it, Belize!" Eddie growled with her jaw clenched tight. The veins in her arm began bulging out from beneath her skin. Trunks deemed the time to end the match was at hand (pardon the pun). Suddenly he slammed her hand into the wooden table.
It creaked underneath the massive energy and splintered beneath their hands. Eddie stared at Trunks with mouth agape. Trunks gently took his hand back.
"Who…what… are you?" she asked somewhat dazed.
Vegeta stepped up from the crowd and stood with arms crossed, "I should like to ask you the same question. How did a Sarminian survive the blast of a supernova and manage to travel to Earth?"
"How… did you know?" Eddie asked in a meager voice, not at all characteristic of the personality they had seen on television.
"Be nice, Vegeta," Goku said chuckling nervously.
"What I really want to know is how someone from a planet of underdeveloped weaklings could gain such power." Vegeta demanded.
The synapses in Eddie's mind triggered a very old and nearly forgotten memory of her mother. One involving a story about a planet, a king, and his son, the prince. They were all named… "Vegeta?" she repeated slowly, "That means…"
"How about we just start with some introductions," Goku interrupted, desperately trying to diffuse any potential hostility.
"We already know her name is Eddie," Goten remind him. "But hey… is that short for something? I always thought Eddie was a guy's name," he went on thoughtfully. Trunks raised his hand to face-palm, but Eddie spoke up loudly and clearly.
"It's short for Edamame," she replied, staring straight into Vegeta's eyes.
"You're a saiyan?!" he gasped in disbelief.
When at last everyone picked their jaws up off the floor, they were able to have a calm, rational conversation. Though Eddie, or Edamame, had managed to regain composure, she could not help but marvel at the fabled prince. In the past he seemed only a character in a distant legend. She never anticipated he would not only be alive, but sitting before her, least of all on Earth.
Even so, she would not be bullied, not even by her prince. "I don't mind telling you what you want to know," she acquiesced, "But I think I have a right to ask you all the same questions."
"But this isn't exactly the time or the place," Belize cut in.
"Right," Edamame agreed, "After the tournament."
"Why not over dinner?" Goku asked eagerly, "They have great food at the restaurant across the way." Master Roshi could tell you that from the get-go, Goku was a big fan of the food on the tournament grounds.
"I'll buy," Trunks offered, "Technically I still owe you."
"I'll take it," Edamame answered, "But I just wanna know, how did you get so strong? Earthlings are weaklings, too."
"Me?" Trunks asked, "Well, I'm half saiyan. He's my father," he explained, gesturing towards Vegeta.
Edamame raised a brow and shook her head. "Son of the richest, most intelligent woman on Earth and saiyan royalty…" she murmured.
"We're saiyans, too," Goten said, feeling somewhat left out, "Well, my dad is full and I'm half like Trunks."
"Four saiyans..." Edamame said with some affection, "Well, they're starting the strength test. I expect dinner after I win."
"You got it," Trunks assured, "Before we go, one word of advice. Just about everyone else in the tournament should be no problem, but watch out for the big pink guy."
"Big pink guy...?" she said with furrowed brows, but dismissed herself to take the strength test.
After the tournament…
As was customary for any meal among saiyans, dinner resembled a free-for-all that resulted stacks of plates and bowls piled high above their heads. Astoundingly Belize reacted only mildly to the scene that unfolded before him. For the duration of the meal he ate quietly and focused only on his dish; he knew better than to directly view the carnage that was a saiyan meal. It took an army of servers to continuously clear plates and bring out seconds, thirds, fourths, even tenths to the table. They dashed about frantically and with few words.
After countless courses their immense appetites reached the point of satiation and even Goku was patting his belly with satisfaction. Edamame let out a contented belch before throwing down her napkin. "Wow-wee, you must be a saiyan with that appetite," Goku observed.
"And such a lady," Belize said wryly as he dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
"I guess you would know," Edamame replied with a smirk. He dismissed her comment with the wave of his hand and a small, knowing smile.
"So," Trunks said suddenly, "What's your story?"
Her smirk never left her face, but changed ever so slightly. "I'm not done eating, what about dessert?" she asked.
"Ooo, yea, same here," Goten agreed.
Vegeta grunted with impatience but knew there was little he could do. Naturally he passed on something as childish as dessert, as did everyone aside from Edamame and Goten. Leisurely she perused the dessert menu and spent a good few minutes deciding. Goten, on the other hand, appeared rather distraught. Edamame looked up and questioned the look upon his face.
"Eh…I can never pick between chocolaty and fruity…" Goten said chewing his lip.
"You can have both with Belize," Edamame snickered. Again, Belize waved off her comment with an amused look on his face. It seemed that only Trunks caught onto her jests and let out a small laugh.
"What…? I mean, what do you think I should get?" Goten clarified, having missed the joke completely.
"How about you get one of them and I get the other and we can share?" Edamame offered.
"Having your cake and eating it, too?" Belize asked.
"Christ, did you really?" Edamame huffed, unable to hide a small smile. Another joke went right over Goten's head.
"Sure, you really don't mind splitting?" Goten reaffirmed.
"Nah, unless you're afraid of my cooties," Edamame joked.
"Awesome!" Goten said happily. Soon the waitress came by to take their order and only a few minutes later returned with the final dishes. Ultimately even Trunks asked for a bite of dessert but, naturally, it didn't take long before Goten was licking the fudge off one of the plates.
"Dude, you're such an animal," Trunks said with mild embarrassment.
"Speak for yourself," Edamame said, swiping a bit of chocolate from Trunk's lower lip and bringing it to her mouth.
"Uh… um…" Trunks stammered as his cheeks began to burn red. Edamame didn't give it a second thought and returned her attention to her prince.
"So what did you want to know?" she asked, leaning forward with her chin resting on her hands…
"You can't possibly believe that garbage," said one saiyan warrior to another, "Frieza would never destroy Planet Vegeta."
"He's lost it," said another warrior, "I heard it was because he finally met his match on… uh where was it? Planet Meat?"
"I'm not buying it," remarked a low ranking soldier, "He's nuts if he thinks I'm going to risk my neck of some delusion."
Such were the rumors quickly burning across planet Vegeta. The renowned saiyan soldier and squad captain, Bardock, had spread word that he saw, in a prophesy, the destruction of planet Vegeta at the hands of their ruler, Frieza. None, if any, believed his plight… save one young saiyan girl.
She had not yet reached her teen years and was orphaned at a young age. She worked doing menial tasks as needed, as her power level was deemed to be substantially low. These rumors she heard as she went about her duties, and they filled her with fear.
Since the death of her parents she had been suspicious of their ruler. It was well known that even the King would bow to this creature and answer to his every command. He destroyed planets and peoples on a whim – why would planet Vegeta and the saiyans be any exception?
So quietly she slipped away to the nursery where low level infants were sent off to distant planets to neutralize them. She was small, and again, low leveled, and therefore had no trouble going about undetected. And she was no stranger in the nursery and was typically paid little mind. Cautiously she made her way to the pods and, to make a brief statement, managed to hijack such a vessel.
Manually she was able to plot a course for the last place anyone would look for her – the doomed planet of Sarmina.
Its inhabitants were humanoid but highly underdeveloped in the realm of technological advances. Their only unique feature was their ability to see fairly well in complete darkness. On a planet that must endure month-long, or often longer, periods of darkness, it was only logical for such evolution.
The residents of Sarmina were not unfamiliar with saiyan pods. Frieza had his eye on Sarmina for a time. After all, it was an excellent candidate for sale. The planet was covered in fertile soil, had an ample supply of fresh water, agreeable climate, and sufficient oxygen for most humanoid creatures. Yet, upon further research, they discovered their sun was fast aging and would end in a massive supernova.
Indeed, it was not likely to be worth the time and effort, so Frieza turned his gaze to other endeavors. Perhaps if Sarmina had precious metals or industrial materials like iron, he might have gone in to mine to say the least. But all Sarmina had to offer was fresh air, clean water, and soil.
It was a perfect hiding spot for the saiyan girl. At the start, she threatened her way into getting what she wanted and needed, but to make a long story very short, she fell victim to her own emotions. Over the course of many years, the girl had taken up residence on Sarmina, ever monitoring the condition of the sun with her pod's advanced monitoring systems. If Bardock's prophecy was true, planet Vegeta would be destroyed along with all of her race. She would not come out of hiding until she felt certain she could go unnoticed. But in the years she spent dallying on Sarmina, she fell in love with a Sarminian man, and that was how Edamame was born.
However, only a few short years after Edamame's birth did Sarmina's sun finally give out. Without other means of space travel, Edamame's mother made the decision to send her child off in her old saiyan pod. She stayed on Sarmina with her lover until the end, and Edamame never saw her family again…
"I can still remember my mom's scent," Edamame said wistfully, "But her face is just a blur. Honestly, I hardly remember what Sarmina looks like, just that it was dark a good chunk of the time."
"So you escaped in your mother's pod," Vegeta stated.
"Yes," Edamame affirmed.
"So… did you come right to earth, then?" Goten asked with interest.
"No, not really," Edamame explained, "I planet hopped a few years then served under some jackass for a little while before I ganked his favorite ship. I just happened on Earth and decided I liked it here."
"Really?" Trunks asked as he leaned forward, "What's it like on other planets? Did you talk to aliens and stuff?"
Edamame frowned and glanced to the side, "I don't know, I usually didn't ask questions."
"No?" Vegeta asked, "Then what did you do with these other inhabitants?"
"Killed and robbed them mostly," Edamame said with a strange look on her face, resembling a composite of pride and shame. Vegeta laughed outright with an amused smirk on his face. Goku's face, on the other hand, grew grim and severe.
"We don't tolerate that kind of thing here," he said with a hint of a threat.
"Calm down, captain," Edamame said waving off his threatening tone, "I don't do that stuff anymore. It's bad karma." She gave a pointed look to Belize who smiled back at her warmly.
"How many people have you killed?" Goten asked with sadness in his voice.
"Too many to count," Edamame replied, but she was eager to change the subject, "It's in the past. Now, why don't you tell me how a couple of saiyans wound up on the same planet?"
"Well, Goten and I were born here," Trunks explained, "Both of our mothers are Earthlings."
"And I was sent here as a baby to clear the planet out, but I guess I bumped my head and forgot!" Goku explained cheerfully, "So I grew up here."
"Wow… hit your head?" Edamame asked uncertainly, "That's pretty wild." She waited for Vegeta to give his explanation but he just sat there with his arms crossed. It wasn't until Edamame prompted him that he finally answered.
"I was wished here from Namek," he said gruffly.
"That's it?" Edamame asked, unsatisfied with his vague explanation. Apparently that was it, because Vegeta refused to say anything more.
Trunks leaned in close to Edamame and whispered, "I can't even get my dad to talk about it."
"Fine, be that way," Edamame huffed, crossing her arms. Belize pulled out his cell phone to check out the time.
"It's getting pretty late," Belize commented, "I gotta be up for work tomorrow, so I'm heading out. It was nice meeting ya'll." He stood up, exchanged goodbyes, and then wrapped his arms around Edamame who was still sitting. After kissing her cheek he walked away waving.
"Wait a minute, is he your boyfriend?" Goten asked.
"Belize? Oh no, haha," Edamame chuckled, "He's gay."
"Gay?" Goku asked, "What does that mean?"
"Will you shut up, Kakarot!" Vegeta yelled through clenched teeth.
"You know, homosexual," Edamame tried.
"Homo… I don't get it," Goku said scratching his head. Trunks face palmed then put his head down on the table. Goten could only laugh about it and the vein in Vegeta's forehead looked about ready to pop.
"It means Belize likes men," Edamame attempted one more, her patience running thin.
"Does that mean I'm gay? I like men, too," Goku said innocently. Everyone fell backwards out of their chairs. When Vegeta recovered he was red in the face from either anger or embarrassment, perhaps both.
"You weren't kidding when you said you hit your head!" Edamame snapped, feeling more irritated by the minute, "It means that Belize likes men the way you like women, got it? He has sex with men!" she shouted, more loudly than she realized. Edamame's outburst gained the attention from the other restaurant patrons who were all staring wide-eyed. After all, it wasn't exactly polite dinner conversation. Edamame covered her face, burning red with embarrassment.
"Ohhhh, I get it!" Goku chimed.
"Great, now would you please shut up?" Vegeta growled.
As if nothing had happened, Goku casually asked, "Did Belize say what time it was? If it's getting late, Chichi will probably be worried." Goten checked his cell phone and announced it was already a quarter to ten. "Yikes! We'd better head out, Goten," Goku said. After a brief farewell the two stood to leave.
"It was nice to meet you," Goten said shyly while scratching the back of his head.
"For sure," Edamame answered with a nod. With that, Goku and Goten left. The waitress returned carrying the check and placed it on the table with a bright smile.
"Thanks for coming you guys," she said pleasantly with a wink at Trunks. He nodded to the girl with a smug smile on his face. However, when he reached for the check he found that Edamame had already snagged it.
"Holy shit," she said with a wry smile, "I guess that what happens when saiyans go out for dinner."
"Hand it over, I promised you dinner," Trunks said, holding his hand out.
"You're welcome to pay for everyone else, but I'm cool with paying my part," Edamame said with a sigh.
"Seriously, this is chump change," Trunks insisted. Edamame raised a brow and glanced back down at the massive bill. It sure didn't look like chump change to her.
"It's 2,500,000 zeni," Edamame showed him.
"Don't worry about it, we're probably the richest people on the planet," Trunks explained in a low voice, snagging the bill from Edamame's hands.
"Oh yea, you really are Trunks Briefs," she murmured, "I guess I can't argue with free."
"I still have one question for you," Vegeta said as Trunks placed a credit card in the bill fold left by the waitress. "Have you reached the level of super saiyan?"
To that Edamame snorted, "Sure, and I met Santa Clause too."
Smirking Vegeta said, "You speak as if it's never been accomplished."
"Tsh, not for 'thousands of years,'" Edamame mocked making quotation marks with her hands, "My mother told me the stories, but everyone knows it's just a myth."
"It's not a myth," Trunks said lightly as the waitress came by and took the billfold.
"What, have you guys seen one?" Edamame asked doubtfully.
"You're staring at two right now," Vegeta replied leering. At first, Edamame wasn't sure how to reply. Were they just messing with her, or was he serious?
"You guys…" she let out after a few moments of feeling utterly stunned.
"Yup, we're super saiyans," Trunks finished, "Same with Goten and Goku, and Goten's brother Gohan, too."
"Five super saiyans?!" Edamame gasped, "They always said a super saiyan would defeat Frieza! Does that mean he's been destroyed?!"
"Oh yea, that's old news," Trunks said nonchalantly, "Anyways… we should totally hang out sometime."
"Oh… uh… I…" Edamame stammered.
"Maybe I'll teach you how to become a super saiyan," Trunks went on, "I could use a new sparring partner."
Edamame gave up and plopped her head on the table before she muttered, "Okay, sounds good."
"A lot to take in, huh?" Trunks asked kindly. He snagged one of the unsoiled napkins off the table and quickly scribbled a number down. "Just call me when you want to hang out," he said. Edamame picked her head back up and took the napkin, a pouty look on her face. Trunks laughed and said, "What? Lots of girls would kill to have that number, you know."
"A rich handsome super saiyan, and wow, modest too," Edamame said sarcastically as she shoved the napkin in her pocket.
"So you think I'm handsome?" Trunks asked with a sleazy smile as he leaned towards Edamame with his hand under his chin. Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"You better check yourself before you wreck yourself," Edamame replied dryly. Trunks only laughed harder. "Anyways, I have to get going, it is pretty late," Edamame observed as she stood up, "It was really nice meeting you guys. Thanks for dinner… and stuff." Trunks returned the courtesy and waved as she left the building.
When Edamame stepped into the cool night air her mind was racing. One day she was a complete misfit on a foreign planet and the next she meets four other saiyans, one of which was the prince of her "extinct" race. Not only that, but four super saiyans, and another super saiyan she was yet to meet named Gohan. Better still, they wanted to be friends with her. For once in her life she didn't feel like a freak or a loner. Of course she had Belize and a few other friends here and there, but she never felt like she truly fit in with them. She wouldn't have to feel alone anymore and in front of them, she would never have to hide her true power. She pulled a capsule from her pocket and contemplated whether or not to throw it. After all, if she wanted to fly home, she knew she wouldn't be the only one in the world who could… so she shoved the capsule back in its place and took flight with a grin on her face.
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-SSJKarigan
