Killer
By: senzubean
I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I don't receive any profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.
"Stupid traffic!" Vegeta grumbled to himself. He hated stopping and going. He liked going then getting back to his training room. "Every Friday is the same, why can't Trunks get the bus like he does every other day?" Vegeta asked himself. He sighed. He knew the reason why, Bulma wanted it that way and that was it. He cursed at having gotten roped into a marriage with such a manipulative, cunning woman. But then, these were some of the qualities that made her so damned attractive to him. He smiled at the thought of her ranting and raving.
He pulled in a parking spot in front of Trunks' elementary school and waited for the wave of annoying screaming brats to come out. He could already hear them from inside the school. He didn't have to wait long. They burst out of the school like an overfilled water balloon. Vegeta cursed Fridays once again.
He scanned the crowd impatiently for Trunks. He's so dammed slow, like he knows he's royalty and the world will wait for him. Vegeta couldn't help smile at that. Finally he saw Trunks. He was carrying a large cage. He was having problems with it. It looked incredibly cumbersome. His little arms were stretched to their capacity trying to hold the thing. Vegeta could remember having arms that short, he'd always been smaller than the other kids, and Trunks was no different. Vegeta decided that he'd better get out and help him before he made some kind of scene. He saw his son's face light up as he walked towards him.
"Hi Daddy! Look what I have!" Trunks exclaimed.
Vegeta looked into the cage and saw a very small brown and white fuzzy thing. He could remember seeing one belonging to Goten at Kakarott's place before, but he couldn't remember what the animal was called.
Vegeta took the cage from Trunks and started walking towards the car. "What is it?" he asked, feigning interest. He didn't really give a damn what the stupid little thing was but Bulma was always nagging at him to have a normal father son relationship with Trunks, and Vegeta hated being nagged.
"It's a hamster, his name is Killer!"
Vegeta looked at the thing. "He sure gives off a killer stench!" Vegeta grumbled. He was reluctant to put it in the car because Bulma would undoubtedly complain.
Trunks ran to the front seat and Vegeta put Killer on the floor in the back. He snorted at the animal's dumb name. Killer, humph.
"It's my turn to take care of him for the weekend!" Trunks exclaimed smiling. Vegeta started the car and pulled out into the street.
"He better not interfere with your training." Vegeta warned.
"He won't, Dad, I promise." Trunks said solemnly. Vegeta was skeptical; it didn't take much to break the kid's concentration. "I'm going to take really good care of him too!" Trunks said smiling. Vegeta kept driving. "I bet I could take really good care of him everyday, not just on the weekend."
Vegeta eyed him without moving his head; he knew what he was getting at.
"I don't know if your mother is going to like him much," Vegeta started. Trunks' face fell. "But if you take care of him and he doesn't distract you from your training, I'm sure we can get you some kind of pet."
Trunks squealed with delight, the noise sent shivers up Vegeta's back.
"TRUNKS! DON'T SCREAM WHILE I'M DRIVING, WE COULD'VE GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT!" Vegeta yelled.
"Sorry Daddy." Trunks said. Vegeta kept driving. He looked at him out of the corner of his eye a few minutes later, Trunks was beaming.
Vegeta was quite pleased with the afternoon training session. Trunks had given him a good workout. His son always seemed to fight better when he was happy. Vegeta turned on the TV and listened to his stomach growl. Bulma was always late with supper on Friday. Something like that would usually annoy him immensely, but Bulma ordered out on Friday and the food was substantially better than what she could make herself. Trunks was busy playing with the hamster. Vegeta had told him to keep it in his bedroom, just in case Bulma didn't like it in the living room.
Vegeta heard the elevator coming up the shaft. He smiled and went into the kitchen. He was ready to eat now. Trunks heard his father getting up and ran after him. He stood in front of the elevator and bounced up and down in excitement. Vegeta snorted. That dance makes him look like he has to go to the bathroom.
The elevator doors opened and Bulma stepped out her face hidden by the ten pizza boxes she was carrying.
"Mamma!" Trunks exclaimed and hugged her legs, almost knocking her over. Vegeta took the pizza boxes from her before they fell.
"Hi, sweetie! How was your day?"
"I have to show you! C'mon! He's in my room! " Trunks pulled her by the arm. Bulma looked at Vegeta skeptically. Vegeta looked at the pizzas that he wanted to eat right now. He reluctantly followed his wife and son.
"Oh, well, isn't that cute." Vegeta heard Bulma say from the hallway. Her voice was stressing enthusiasm.
I don't think Trunks will be getting a hamster.
Vegeta looked into the room. Bulma's smile was fooling Trunks but it wasn't fooling him. Bulma was repulsed. Vegeta couldn't help but chuckle.
"And Daddy said if I take really good care of him, I can get one of my own!" Trunks exclaimed.
"Well, I guess you'll have work really hard then." Bulma said. "Why don't you go set the table?"
Trunks ran out of the room. Bulma turned around and scowled at Vegeta. Vegeta burst out laughing.
"It's not funny, Vegeta. That's a filthy little animal. It's probably full of disease! And you told him he could get one!" Bulma said quietly not wanting Trunks to hear.
"Don't be ridiculous, Woman. They wouldn't be able to sell them if they were dangerous."
"People will sell anything for profit, Vegeta!" Bulma replied angrier then ever.
"There are more dangerous things in this house than that thing." Vegeta said. "Like me for instance."
"I don't want one of those rats in my house!" She said sternly, iIgnoring Vegeta's comment about his power.
"Relax Bulma, I told Trunks he could get a pet, not specifically a hamster."
Bulma looked a little more relieved. "I don't know if he's ready for a pet yet."
"Of course he's ready. It'll teach him responsibility." Vegeta replied. Bulma smiled, satisfied with that response.
"Now I need some Pizza! I'm starving!" Vegeta turned around and walked quickly to the kitchen. Bulma laughed. Then she eyed the hamster and shuddered. She firmly shut Trunks' door behind her.
Vegeta was scarfing down his third pizza, Trunks was starting his second and Bulma was starting her second slice.
"Where'd you get this pizza?" Vegeta asked as he reached for his fourth box.
"A place downtown. Dad told me about it." She replied
"It's the best pizza we've ever had I think." Vegeta said, then shoved a whole slice into his mouth.
"We'll get it again then. Oh! Guess what guys? I get the day off tomorrow!"
"Yay!" Trunks said. "We can all play with Killer!"
"Actually, I was thinking that we could all go out as a family." Bulma suggested. " We could catch a movie and go out to dinner… what do you guys think?"
"I think it's gonna be fun!" Trunks said.
Vegeta swallowed his fourth slice of his fourth pizza. "Yeah, sounds great."
Bulma and Trunks both stared at him.
"What?" Vegeta asked. "I like movies and dinner!"
Bulma smiled, happy she'd caught him in one of his extreme good moods. Usually he didn't like straying too far from his training room.
"Yay! We're going out tomorrow!" Trunks bounced up and down in his chair.
"I was thinking we could leave about noon." Bulma said.
"Fine, " Vegeta replied. "Trunks and I will get up extra early to train."
Trunks sighed, but he soon smiled again. Spending the day with both his parents was worth any sacrifice. Even Saturday morning cartoons.
The next morning, Vegeta paced the floor of the training room with his arms crossed. He's gotten Trunks up a half-hour ago. We should be well into our training session! Vegeta thought angrily. What's taking him so long? Vegeta finally lost patience and went to get him.
Trunks was standing at the hamsters cage, still in his pajamas!
I knew that dammed hamster would be a distraction! He thought furiously.
"Trunks!" Vegeta said loudly. "You've kept me waiting for a half hour! Feed that dammed animal and get into the training room!"
Trunks looked at him, and stated calmly, "Daddy, I have a problem."
"You're going to have a much bigger problem if you don't get out there immediately!" Vegeta replied sternly.
"But Daddy… " Trunks started to cry.
"What!" Vegeta yelled.
"Killer is dead!" Trunks wailed. He plunked himself on the floor and bawled.
Vegeta looked in the cage. The hamster was paws up.
"Stop crying!" Vegeta said, "Saiyans don't cry over such nonsense."
"B..but…."
"But nothing!" Vegeta said. He sighed picked Trunks up and set him on his feet.
"It's not your fault Killer is dead. He was probably old. It would've happened no matter who was taking care of him."
"But I'm taking care of him, and I have to bring him back on Monday. My entire class is gonna hate me!."
"They'll understand. Every living thing eventually dies." Vegeta said.
"But they'll call me hamster killer and they'll be mean to me." Trunks face scrunched up. "Everyone is gonna hate me!" Trunks wailed again.
Vegeta growled.
"Stop Crying!" Vegeta said. "Get ready and meet me out in the car."
"Where are we going?" Trunks asked, his father didn't answer and walked away.
Seconds later, Vegeta quietly rummaged in his bedroom closet for his keys and shoes.
"Vegeta…" Bulma said sleepily.
Damn!
"Where are you going?"
"Trunks and I are going to train outside today. We'll be back by noon.
Bulma rolled over and fell back asleep.
I hope she remembers Vegeta thought.
Trunks looked at his father warily as they drove downtown. Vegeta had never taken him for a drive. He was wondering what was going on.
"Where are the pet stores?" Vegeta asked.
"There's one down this street." Trunks replied. Vegeta turned and parked.
In the store, Trunks immediately ran to the hamsters. Vegeta went to the girl working at the front counter. She was a teenager and she was talking on the phone.
"I gotta go, customer." She said annoyed into the phone and hung up. "Can I help you?"
Trunks had joined his father. Looking at the hamsters made him sad.
"I need a hamster that looks exactly like this one." Vegeta said and pulled killer out of his pocket and put him on the counter.
The girl screamed.
"AAAAHHHHH! That's DISQUSTING! WHAT DID YOU DO TO IT?"
"It just died. I need a new one." Vegeta replied calmly. The girl was infuriating him, but he wanted to get a new hamster and return to his training as soon as possible.
"EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWW! WE DON'T HAVE ANY LIKE THAT!"
"Damn it!" Vegeta said. He picked up the hamster and grabbed Trunks by the arm and left.
"Dad! Why'd you bring him?" Trunks asked in the car, he was mortified.
"So we could get one exactly like him." Vegeta replied.
"Well in the next store just look and don't show him to anyone."
Vegeta pulled Killer out of his pocket and held it out to Trunks. "Next time you go look and I'll stay in the car!"
"No! I don't want to touch him!"
Vegeta couldn't decide what was worse at this point, the fact that he was missing a whole day of training or that his Saiyan son wouldn't touch a dead animal.
"Where's the next pet store." Vegeta asked between clenched teeth. Trunks told him nervously. Vegeta kept on driving.
"I can't believe this!" Bulma exclaimed. "The one day I have off in months and actually have 100% agreement on the daily activity and those two take off!" Bulma looked at the clock. It was 11:00. She growled some more. She went to Trunks' room to get some laundry. She figured she could at least do something productive while she waited. She picked up the basket in the corner and glanced at the cage on the way out. She sighed and looked in it.
I guess that little bugger isn't that gross. She thought. Where is he anyway? Hey he's not in there.
"AAAHHHHHHHH! THERE'S A RODENT LOOSE IN MY HOUSE!" she screamed and jumped on Trunks' bed. Then she realized that the hamster was most likely in Trunks' room, so she ran into the kitchen and got up on the table.
"They had better get home soon! I am not touching that little rat!"
"Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn!" Vegeta yelled. They'd been to three pet stores and there wasn't one hamster that even remotely looked like Killer.
"Daddy, there's one more pet store." Trunks suggested.
Vegeta looked at the clock on the dashboard of the car. It was 11:38. He sighed. "Alright, one more. But if we don't find one you'll just have to explain what happened."
Trunks nodded.
Trunks and Vegeta walked quickly down the street to the pet store. This one was very large. Vegeta scanned the place; there wasn't a hamster pen in site. Trunks went and asked one of the employees where they were. The employee took them to the hamster cages at the back of the store. Trunks gasped with delight.
"Look Daddy, there's all kinds of hamsters like killer!" Sure enough there were three whole cages with over a dozen killers in each.
"Humph! I should've known that the last store we'd check would be overrun with the damn things!" Vegeta complained.
"Lookit! This guy's perfect!" Trunks exclaimed and ran off to get the clerk. Vegeta went the front counter to pay.
Back in the car, Trunks was his usual happy self again. He swung his feet happily and petted the new Killer, who looked exactly like the old killer. Vegeta pulled into their driveway and shut off the ignition.
"12:00 exactly, " Vegeta said to Trunks. "That's not so bad, but your mother will undoubtedly be furious at us." They both got out of the car. Trunks went right up to Vegeta and smiled up at him.
"Thanks Daddy!" He said and hugged Vegeta's leg. "I had a lot of fun!"
Vegeta looked at him strangely Fun? The kid looked sad the whole time!
Trunks ran into the house. Vegeta smiled. He had to admit he did have this good feeling inside him. It sort of annoyed him though, because he couldn't be certain why he felt that way. I guess it's because I made Trunks happy. Yep, that must be it. He casually strolled towards the door. A loud scream echoed down the hall. When Vegeta got in the house he found Bulma on top of the kitchen table. Trunks stood in the hall, with the new killer in his hand behind his back and out of Bulma's site.
"TRUNKS THAT RODENT OF YOURS IS LOOSE! GO FIND IT RIGHT NOW!"
Trunks ran down the hall, pretending to look.
Vegeta burst out laughing at Bulma.
"IT'S NOT FUNNY!"
"Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look?"
Bulma was about to spit a very nasty remark at her husband when Trunks came back with the new killer.
"I found him Mommy."
Bulma sighed in relief and got down off the table. "Good! Go put it back in its cage and make sure it's locked properly this time. Then go scrub your hands and get new clothes on, I want to leave by 1:00."
Vegeta smirked at her.
"Where the hell did you go?" She demanded.
"I told you, we went to train outside."
"You told me no such thing!" Bulma replied.
Vegeta sighed. I knew she wasn't awake enough to remember.
Vegeta was about to explain but she waved for him to stop. "I really don't care." Bulma replied and smiled at him. "Let's not ruin our day."
"Fine." Vegeta replied exasperated and left to get ready, even though he already was. Bulma heard him mumbling something about Saiyan women and them not being scared of harmless animals as he walked to their bedroom. Bulma just shook her head and laughed.
The family had a nice day together. Even though it had started out kind of rocky. Before they left the house, Vegeta and Trunks had a quick funeral in the bathroom for Killer then sent his body to his relatives in the sewer. It seemed that Bulma had filled the gas tank in the car the night before and Vegeta drained it driving to all the pet stores in the city. Instead of having a fit, Bulma just asked him to please fill it up next time and Vegeta made a half-assed apology to her. That night Vegeta told Bulma about the adventure he and trunks had that morning.
" Vegeta, that was so nice of you!" She gave him a long kiss on the lips.
"I just did it so he would shut up." Vegeta said.
"Uh-huh." Bulma said doubtfully and kissed him again. "That's what you can tell everyone else, but I know that you love him more than anything."
"Humph." Vegeta said and pulled Bulma towards his chest. They both settled into each other's arm for an all night cuddle fest.
The next morning Vegeta was waiting in the gravity room for Trunks again. It was the same scenario as the day before. Vegeta went to Trunks room immediately. Trunks was dressed this time, but he had an odd expression on his face.
"Don't tell me that one died too!" Vegeta exclaimed. He didn't want to go get another one.
"Um… no." Trunks said
"Then what's your problem?" Vegeta asked annoyed and walked into the room and looked in the cage.
"WHAT!?" Vegeta yelped. Killer had had Babies.
"What am I going to do?" Trunks wailed. "Everyone knows that Killer is a boy!"
"BULMA!" Vegeta hollered. Bulma walked in the room as Vegeta was leaving.
"What?" she asked
"You solve this problem, but I'm warning you, I don't want to see another dammed hamster ever again!"