**** I apologize for the issues, it uploaded and posted the wrong chapter!***
Fixed now, Hopefully
Same as before ( I own nothing).
Thanks so much to the reviewers: LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta.
I'm also thanking my amazing beta SSJ2LUKE (you're amazing!)
Onward to the new chapter!
Chapter 3-
Bulma sat, gazing up at the white tiled ceiling of her lab. The concept of this device was simple enough. Implementing the concept into a functioning device, was not as simple.
Without having remote communicating receivers installed on pretty much every planet in the devices directory, this plan was just that; a plan, with no ability for completion.
Leaning over her desk, Bulma lifted her steaming cup of coffee to her lips. It had been maybe three weeks since the beginning of this endeavor. Construction of the device was no closer now, than when the idea had been originally proposed.
The aroma of the drink before her, calmed her agitation only slightly. Bulma snatched some old plans and papers off of the corner of her desk, and with a solid tug she opened the bottom drawer. Just as she was about to dump the papers into the infamous, 'drawer of no return', something green and reflective caught her eye.
"Vegeta's old scouter?" She didn't recall having thrown that into her junk drawer. With a smile, she dug down to retrieve the item. Placing the domed metal shell over her ear, she tapped the power icon. Menus from the device's core programming flitted across the screen.
"Updates available for Planetary Trade Organization mapping system..." The scouter's automated system kicked in and Bulma kicked back in her office chair.
"Begin Updates..." The scouter beeped its affirmative response. Coordinate locations and planetary information flashed across the screen, broadening the original selection.
"Bingo..." Bulma's smirk mirrored that of her husbands as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the system updates completion.
Across the continent, and down into the frozen wasteland of the arctic, Pan sat atop the mountain that was originally positioned to the east of her location.
"...Training without ki for three weeks. I'm FREEZING!" Pan was not a fan of extreme climates. Screaming into the vast emptiness of white seemed to help though. She would get back to the shelter, eat her last meal for the night, then wake the next morning, and head back towards Capsule Corporation.
"Now that I have a plan, how about a way down? Hiking just doesn't sound like much fun right now..." Her gaze shifted from left to right as she examined her surroundings.
All she could make use of, was the cliff face. Pan wandered over to the cliff side and examined the rock. With a smirk, she pulled her fist back, then struck down at an angle. A flat, wide chunk of rock broke away from the mountain face. Pan examined her handy work, the slab that had broken off was long and narrow.
"Snowboarding it is then." Ki rationing had not limited her movements, still as lithe and agile, Pan ran and leapt over the cliffs edge, placing her feet evenly across the slab. She slid across the face of the snow-covered hill with ease.
Gliding through the snow drifts and boulders, over ridges and recesses, a genuine smile graced her features. Pan loved the outdoors, maybe not the freezing cold, but definitely being out and feeling adventurous. When she was alone, she could be who she wanted.
She could have her cravings for adventure, her fighting, her training, and she wouldn't see herself as a failure. Feeling a sense of happiness for the first time in a while, she let out a small giggle.
Maybe what she was craving so badly, wasn't just a power level or even some legendary transformation. It was possible all she yearned for was an adventure of her own.
As that last thought struck her, Pan came to a slow gliding stop at the base of the mountain. "Home sweet home..." She shook the hair from her eyes as she began her trek back to the igloo.
"What, woman?" Vegeta stomped into Bulma's lab, angry at her early termination of his training program. It wasn't even lunch time yet. "I'm assuming, that by overriding the machine, and having me fly into a wall, you have found a solution?"
Bulma took note of her husband's eye twitching and his knuckles turning white in frustration. With a hand shielding her growing smile, she gave a slight nod.
"Actually, I'm very proud of this accomplishment." She crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest.
"Well... Out with it already! You are overly smug." Vegeta was never known for his patience.
A single brow rose as Bulma glared straight into Vegeta's eyes. "Listen here buddy! You don't get to take this away from me!" As quickly as she had crossed the distance between them, she had her finger jabbed into his chest.
"...Woman..." A low growl rumbled through his chest. Bulma took that as a very nice warning.
"Okay, okay. Answer me this. How were the old scouters able to communicate across galaxies?" Bulma's grin broadened as Vegeta answered.
"They're connected. Throughout Frieza's domain, being this quadrant of the universe, there were many satellites and towers set up to reach the distances required for communication. King Cold began the PTO long before Frieza took over, so it was a process that spanned many years." Vegeta explained what he knew. "How does this pertain to your invention?"
Bulma held her hand out before her, a victory sign firmly in place. "Vegeta! That's exactly what I'm going to use for the teleportation coordinates. I needed a system with preestablished ground work and one that already functioned, because there was no possible way I could manage anything to that degree so quickly." Her speech had increased in speed so rapidly that Vegeta had lost track of her inane ramblings.
"...Woman, if it works, use it. But do not involve me with your musings, I have work to do." Vegeta turned on his heel and began his trek back to gravity machine, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. She drove him nuts, but she was brilliant; however, he'd never tell her that.
"Vegeta! ...you jerk..." Bulma supposed that maybe she did enjoy her bragging moments a bit more than she should. "Fine, with this system already in place, I'm looking at maybe a month for development and a week to test out the bugs. Let's get moving!"
Her plans finally had a means for accomplishment. Bulma shut her lab door and set to work immediately.
Pan landed softly on the roof of Capsule Corporation, keeping her energy suppressed. She slid down the side of the dome structure, grasping at her window's ledge. She drug the pane of the window up, and swung her legs and body into the room.
"Stealthy entrance accomplished..." Pan's eyes roamed around her room, nothing seemed off, except for the crack and hole that no longer ran up beside her door. Before she had to deal with any of the others, at the bare minimum, she wanted a shower.
No showers in the last month had left her hair a matted mess, and with her heightened senses she almost couldn't stand her own scent. Not to mention her clothes; her gi pants were almost in complete tatters. Her tank top no longer covered her mid-drift. She most definitely needed new boots, and the one jacket she managed to take seemed littered with burnt holes, the elbows completely worn through. To say, ' Her appearance resembled a homeless orphan,' would seem a compliment. The only item to survive her trip had been her bandana.
Pan had a bathroom adjoined to her room. She stripped the rags away from her body and threw them into the sink, and with a small blast, she disintegrated the small pile.
"Bath first, then shower... then new clothes." her nose crinkled as she burnt the offending garments. Turning the water on she debated going down to see Vegeta after, maybe he'd be up for a spar.
Trunks collapsed against a tree by the back door of the compound. He was completely worn out, bruised and bleeding. After his and Goten's talk, they had really began training in earnest again. Trunks hadn't realized just how out of shape he had been. His Super Saiyan form had taken more energy to sustain then it used to. The amount of energy needed to transform at all was mind-blowing.
Resting against the bark of the tree, he noticed the sound of rustling fabric. Following the sound, he caught sight of the open window that led to Pan's room.
"Little sneak..." he grumbled his response. His eyes felt heavy as he sat watching the curtain billowing out in the wind. Before too much thought had gone into her return, Trunks drifted off, exhaustion finally taking its hold.
On Vegeta's way back out to the gravity chamber from Bulma's lab, he took note of the running shower upstairs. Bra was off on some trip with friends and wouldn't return for a week, so it wasn't her. He felt around for Trunks' energy and located him in the yard, so it wasn't him either. Must be the girl.
He could either continue his day like normal, or have an early lunch and wait for the girls decent so he could have a word with her. He was a Saiyan, food always won.
Rummaging through the fridge, Vegeta piled the ingredients for his sandwiches atop the table. An amazing assortment of deli meats and cheeses, as well as an array of pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes were found. Retrieving two loaves of bread from the pantry, he plopped down to assemble his lunch. He may have been in a decent enough mood to make a couple for the girl.
An hour had passed as Pan dried and dressed herself quickly. She opted for the black spandex like pants, a red tank top, and a pair of some worn out boots that probably had belonged to Trunks at one point. She had cleaned the ash and embers from the sink and left her bandana to soak in some soapy water. Pan tied her hair back, pulling the long stands behind her ears.
Grabbing another pair of her gloves from the top drawer of her dresser, she tugged them on as she walked down the steps, and around through the kitchen.
Pan stopped as she stepped inside the door. "...Vegeta." she tilted her head low and then rose the meet his gaze.
Vegeta noticed how she seemed more refreshed and her posture was more relaxed. The excursion had done some good.
"Girl..." he acknowledged her with a nod of his head. "Sit." He leaned forward, taking another bite of his sandwich.
Pan noticed the extra plate with a couple of extra sandwiches on it. With a smile and rumble of her stomach, she pulled the chair away from the table and sat down, immediately digging into the bounty set before her.
Unlike her Grandfather, Pan did have some manners; food wasn't flying at least. Vegeta set his food on his plate, deciding that the best time to talk would be while she couldn't."
"Girl... There is an arrangement that I need to discuss with you. You may give your response after, and only after, I finish with what I have to say." Vegeta waited for her to at least nod in agreement.
Pan slowed her chewing long enough to eye him skeptically, before she gave him a slight nod.
"Bulma is now building a device that will allow for travel between Planets. As long as the locations have an input, you would be able to travel there." He paused to examine her features, she was just staring directly at him, blinking every now and again but otherwise, unchanged.
"As for my understanding of this device, I would assume it is compact and of wearable size. I can't see the use of a ship popping in and out as perceivable. However, until this device is ready for use, I am going to make you an offer. The Planetary Trade Organization may still be active. Meaning that you will need an entirely different skill set than the one you now possess. The PTO was a group that functioned and worked under the Cold family: A group of intergalactic tyrants."
Vegeta shifted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable about voicing his offer. "To prepare you for your future travels, I am offering to expand your skill set and work with you towards your goals." With that statement left hanging, Vegeta picked up his sandwich and resumed his meal.
Pan sat, still staring directly at Vegeta. Not only was she in shock, she was left bewildered. Suddenly, swallowing her current bite of food seemed a daunting task. "I apologize if I'm misunderstanding... But, are you offering to help me train?"
Without lowering his food, Vegeta nodded slowly.
Pan's heart was beating out of her chest. "Did you also offer a way for me to go and traipse about the universe... Alone...?" Her eyes were getting wider with each realization.
Vegeta simply nodded again.
"...When can we start?" Pan felt her excitement escalating. She rose from her chair, palms laid flat against the table top.
Vegeta took a moment to enjoy his food. "After lunch." He resumed munching away, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His own children never showed this much eagerness to train with him, they were probably terrified of the thought. Pan's excitement ignited a new fire in the older Saiyan. This girl was closer to being anything like a true Saiyan warrior, than any of the others. Vegeta actually felt excitement and a twinge of pride.
Pan crammed her remaining food into her mouth. "Oray, mit ru outfride." Came her muffled response. She bounded out of the back door to wait for Vegeta to follow.
Vegeta's nose scrunched up in disgust as he watched her unmannerly display. "... Brats..." He finished his meal in peace.
Trunks eyes cracked open as he noticed a shadowed figure pass before him. Rubbing at his sleep laced eyes, he took note of the figures shape. The legs were toned but slim, the waist was shapely, and the figure had long, dark hair. Black and red never seemed so appealing on a female before. A small whistle passed between his lips before he could stop himself.
Pan's eyes narrowed having just felt who was behind her. Her entire day seemed soured now. "Trunks... Did you seriously just whistle at me, like I'm some sort of dog?"
Trunks eyes bulged as the voice registered with a face inside his mind. "Panny... Where's your bandana?" His response came out as a squeak.
Pan turned to face the disturbance. "It's dirty, so I'm soaking it. Why?" Through her irritation she failed to notice the blush staining his cheeks or the way he shrunk back, trying to avoid an explanation.
For Trunks, that bandana was what identified her as Pan, he'd never seen her without it. From behind, she looked... well she sure as hell didn't look like little Panny.
Standing up quickly, Trunks turned his back to her. "I'll catch you later, I need grab a shower." He fled to the safety of the house, away from Pan's hard glare.
"Trunks, you're such an idiot. I'll never understand what goes through your head." She rolled her eyes and went to begin some light stretching for her new training.
Vegeta eyed Trunks as he stumbled through the back door. "What was that?" Vegeta wasn't stupid, he heard the interaction and smelt the embarrassment rolling of his heir.
Trunks didn't know what to say. "I was half asleep... I didn't realize who was walking past..." he trailed off. His blush deepened as he shook his head.
Vegeta smirked. "What were you looking at that warranted that type of response? I wonder..." He was having a hard time keeping his commentary light.
"Nothing!" Trunks blurted out and took off towards the stairs to avoid his humiliation.
"It's a shame she can't smell quite as well I can. If she were a bit older, she may have just found you out." Vegeta snickered as he heard Trunks speed increase after his last statement. "Coward..." Vegeta rose and walked out back to begin their new regimen. His grown warrior son was afraid, afraid of a female.
Trunks' blush had since turned a deep purple. His father was right though, the only reason she didn't confront him, was because she'd never been faced with that kind of attention before. It wasn't like he had meant to offer the attention either. He had known Pan forever, there was no reason for that to have happened.
He thought for only a moment more. The view from behind did not scream, 'little Panny'. Pan wore baggy clothes and wouldn't be caught dead without her keepsake bandana. No matter how much that thought stuck with him, he knew he couldn't justify what had happened.
Vegeta walked through the doors of the gravity chamber, a smirk still plastered on his face. Pan noticed and dropped her arms to her side.
"What's so funny?" She asked, curiosity threading her words.
"Nothing, we may begin now." He walked over to the panel and adjusted the gravity to two-hundred times that of Earths'.
Pan had never been in a gravity simulation. Not expecting the immediate pressure, she hit the floor. Growling low in her throat, she let her ki flare around her prone form. "Ouch..." she pulled her face from the floor, and slowly rose to her feet.
Before their first transformations, the highest gravity level any of the half-breeds had managed to withstand was one-fifty to one-seventy-five. Two-hundred and standing was quite the accomplishment.
"How well are you handling this change, are you able to do any warm ups?" Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, watching her compact frame shaking under the strain.
Determined not to appear weak under her new tutelage, Pan pushed and pulled her ki, testing its adaptability. As long as she was cautious and maintained focus she could move, even if it was only enough to do the warm-ups. "I'll be fine." She began a slow kata, transferring weight to and from her body parts to keep her movements fluid.
As Vegeta watched, he felt what she was intending to do. This was new to her, and there was great value in energy manipulation. She was already picking up the basics of it on her own. Vegeta felt the shifts, more energy to the moving appendages, less focused on the areas with more stability.
Her concentration was visible, but her eyes seemed calm as she displaced and spread her movements easily.
"Good. Continue like that for the rest of the afternoon. You lose your focus or let your energy slip, and you may wind up with a mouth-full of floor again." Vegeta turned and assembled the bots for a slower program so he could keep his concentration on her and the delicate movements she was performing.