Months passed like days and spring gradually faded into summer. Bruce's job as a bodyguard wasn't that bad, actually. It was pretty simple: just follow Jeana around as she shops. She wasn't going to school anymore because summer was in full swing.
The two teenagers walked through West City's streets, the sun beating down heavily. A sweat drenched Bruce as he held an umbrella high over Jeana's head, while carrying several shopping bags in his other hand. People walked past, the two teens advancing through the metropolis. Bruce's eyes bounced between Jeana, who was scrolling through her phone and the sky. This wasn't the most fun job, but it wasn't the hardest. While Bruce was a hard-worker, it felt kind of good to simply relax while getting work done for once.
However, he didn't enjoy being her pack-mule. The young man stayed quiet because it is what he signed up for.
"Where to now?" Bruce asked.
"Hm, we can call a cab and just head home." Jeana said, not looking up from her phone. Bruce nodded and the two came to a halt at the end of the sidewalk. Jeana slid her phone into her pocket before turning to Bruce. "You can have the day off tomorrow, Bruce."
Bruce blinked in confusion. "Why? I had a day off two days go."
"Yeah, I feel like I've been working you hard since you became my bodyguard." She confessed, leading Bruce to believe that she has at least a little compassion. "Besides, you're a teenager too! I bet you have an interesting life!"
Bruce just stood there awkwardly. A perplexed look appeared on his face. A life, which in Jeana's head meant shopping and partying, was something Bruce didn't have. All his life, he was either doing schoolwork, physical labor back at the dojo or training in his martial arts. Besides the students from the Turtle School, who he seldom talked with the exception of a couple, he had no friends.
Besides Jeana, who was more his client than anything.
"Attention citizens of West City!" a voice called out, drawing Bruce from his thoughts. Both he and Jeana turned to the source of the voice, which was from across the street.
In front of the entrance to Middle Park, a large park located in the center of West city that stretched for blocks, was an anthromorphic dog-man, also known as a furry, standing on a table, megaphone to his mouth. The person was wearing a black t-shirt with a giant red symbol on it, sort of resembling a pair of trousers, and long khaki pants. Around him were crowds of people, all looking up at the dog as if he were preaching, which garnered a sigh from Jeana.
"What's going on?" Bruce asked, looking to the purple haired girl.
"That's a guy who talks about some sort of army like, every day." Jeana said with such disinterest. Bruce's expression was blank, his eyes bouncing from her to the dog-man across the street.
"The Red Pants Army wants you!" He shouted, pointed ambiguously in the crowd. Many clapped and the man smiled, showing all of his canine teeth. The furry man held the megaphone proudly, pointing once more while looking off into the proverbial sunset. "Tired of the way this world is? Tired of this martial arts school dominating the world? You want equality, we have it!"
"What?" Bruce spat, a lot louder than necessary. He dropped the umbrella and Jeana was going to say something, but kept quiet upon seeing the astounded look on the martial artists face.
"The Red Pants Army is the new world order. Join us and aid in the revolution!" The man jumped down from the table, and Bruce noticed how short he actually was. He gestured for many people to line up in front of the table and they all signed a sort of form.
"The Red Pants Army?" Bruce asked, looking to Jeana once more.
"No idea." Jeana responded casually, waving a cab over. The yellow taxi pulled to the curb and Jeana got into the vehicle first, Bruce still standing there a little hesitantly. Jeana poked her head out of the car, looking up to her bodyguard. "Hey, wanna' get in the cab?" Jeana said sarcastically.
Bruce didn't answer. The teenager looked down both sides of the street before sprinting across the sideway, narrowly dodging cars as they raced down the West City streets. Jeana just sat there, slack-jawed as she watched Bruce pushed through the crowd of people. Something told her to get out of the car and follow him but another thing told her to stay put, so stay put she did.
Bruce was fuming but didn't look it. He had a default, monotone facial expression but his eyes spoke of the anger he felt. Ever since the creation of Martial Arts Schools, there had been great opposition towards them. It was known that Martial Arts and the workings of ki being introduced to the general public could have some bad effects but it could also bring forth good things. It was all up to the person with the power and the world has been in relative peace since the introduction. The teenager used his martial arts to protect and for sport and if he did, so could everyone else.
Bruce got to the front of the line and slammed his hands onto the wooden table, starling the anthromorphic man.
The dog man looked up at Bruce, looking him over before noticing the "Turtle" symbol on his chest "Oh, a martial artist here to join the Red Pants? That's funny." The dog spat.
"Why are you insulting Martial Arts?" Bruce said sternly, his eyes narrowing into a glare. The dog-man scoffed in response, standing up and moving from behind the table. Although he was a full foot shorter than Bruce, that didn't faze him in the least.
"Because Martial Artists are the devil's workmen! You guys think you're the strongest and demi-gods because you guys can use ki!" The dog-man shouted and the crowd around him cheered in agreement. Bruce gritted his teeth, his anger becoming apparent on his face now. His gaze fell onto the cheering crowd before going back to the man.
"You're wrong!" Bruce shot back, holding his hand up.
"And if I am?" The dog-man retorted, holding his arms over his face in mock fright. "Are you going to hurt me with your ki powers?"
Bruce narrowed his eyes. Deciding the conversation was over, the teen turned away and pushed through the crowd, going to the car in which Jeana was waiting for him patiently.
"Hiyah!" Bruce shouted, his fist slamming into the fighting dummy's face, pulling back quickly and spinning around, slamming another back fist into the dummy's side. The warrior paused upon his strike, taking a deep breath before standing up straight. The teenager was at it for hours, his heart pounding in his ears as a testament to his training. Along with that, Bruce has something to release his frustration on, which rooted from the incident with the dog-man just yesterday, and that was always good.
Dr. Briefs was kind enough to transform one of Capsule Corporation's many weight rooms into a training room for Bruce, allowing him to practice his martial arts during his free time. The teenager enjoyed the room greatly but fighting plastic dummies that couldn't do anything wasn't exactly thrilling. Bruce plopped onto the ground, rubbing his bruised knuckles while daydreaming about his times back at the Turtle School, sparring with his peers and his many wins and losses.
Deciding that the he had trained enough, Bruce advanced over to the corner of the training room and picked up his gym towel, wiping the sweat from his face. Bruce then picked up the rest of his belongings and left the room.
Bruce walked through the Capsule Corporations' corridors absent-mindedly, his mind drifting off to another place. The young man turned the corner and his eyes met the back of his Jeana's head. She was standing by the door with her father and mother and they both looked annoyed. In front of them was a young boy, on his knees with a piece of paper in his hand, seemingly pleading.
"You have to let me go!" The young boy shouted at the top of his lungs, holding the paper up to the three in front of him.
"I'm sorry, son—" Doctor Briefs said, trying to let his child down easily.
"Give it a rest, Tamoe!" Jeana interjected. "Dad isn't going to let you compete in some martial arts tournament!"
"But why not!?" Tamoe, the boy, said, standing up now. He was clad in a white button shirt and khaki pants. His hair was spiked and was a dark shade of purple, a combination of his father and mother's hair.
"Honey," Mrs. Brief said in her sweet voice. " You just got back from your Grandmother's estate, I think you should be home for a while now."
"Come on!" Tamoe shouted again.
Jeana sighed and turned away from Tamoe, her eyes locking on Bruce now. Her mouth morphed into a small smile and walked toward the martial artist. "If anyone should be entering that Tenkai-whatever tournament, it should be this guy." Jeana proclaimed, placing a hand on her bodyguard's shoulder.
Bruce felt uneasy and Tamoe just glared at him.
"What makes him so special?" Tamoe exclaimed.
"Years of training at a martial arts school." Jeana retorted sharply, her smile enlarging. Tamoe narrowed his eyes and sighed before storming out of the building.
Doctor Briefs and his wife simply sighed. Jeana scoffed and Bruce was just lost. "Who was that?" Bruce asked, turning to the purple haired girl next to him.
"My brother. He wanted to participate in that Tenkai-whatever they hold every once and while on Papaya Island." Jeana replied, her hands moving to her hip.
"The Tenkaichi Budokai?" Bruce corrected. "And wait, you have a brother?"
"Yeah, that thingy. And he's been at our grandmother's for the past two weeks." Jeana replied dryly, staring through the glass doors at her brother, who disappeared over the horizon. "Have you thought about being in the tournament, Bruce?"
"Of course," Bruce replied. "I just don't have time anymore, though." He said with a sense of finality, adjusting the towel around his shoulders and beginning to walk away.
"Bruce, why don't you participate this year?" Doctor Briefs interjected, walking up to the two. Bruce blinked before looking to Jeana, who nodded in agreement. His mind went back to his time at the Turtle School, how Sifu Kame would constantly tell him he's not ready for the Tenkaichi Budokai. Bruce was independent now, so it was quite possible that things are different. The tournament brought fighters from across the globe, some of the best actually.
Doctor Briefs saw the look in Bruce's eyes and just nodded. "Think about it, Bruce. We'll be wiling to give you the time off." And with that, the doctor walked away.
"Yeah, man. Think about it." Jeana said, patting Bruce on the back before following her dad.
Tamoe sprinted into the woods just outside the housing compound, tears welling up in the teenager's eyes. This isn't fair, he thought. The young man came to a halt in a small clearing in the woods. "It's not fair at all."
"I agree, man." A voice came from behind the boy. Tamoe spun around on his heel and dropped into a martial arts stance, facing the source of the voice. Bruce was standing there, arms folded behind his head. He and the younger boy made eye contact for a split second and the former snickered, alarming Tamoe. Tamoe only solidified his stance. "Hey, what's so funny!?" Tamoe shouted angrily.
"Your stance is so poor and open." Bruce stated. "Someone could just slip in and land a powerful jab to your midsection." His eyes moved over the entire boy, causing him to blush from embarrassment. Tamoe raised a fist to the Turtle warrior, his face cherry red.
"Yeah, right!" Tamoe exclaimed, his voice crackling slightly. "I'm the best fighter in this field right now!"
Bruce arched his eyebrows quizzically. A small smile appeared on his face. "Ya' really think so?" He roused. He saw the fire ignite in Tamoe's eyes. Bruce was taught better: he would never entice or provoke anyone but something was telling him that this kid was…worth the effort. The Turtle Student stretched before crouching down into his stance and holding a hand out, beckoning Tamoe. "Then prove it."
Tamoe hesitated. His blue eyes gazed heavily on the more seasoned fighter in front of him. Taking a deep breath and throwing caution to the wind, he took a step forward and broke into a mad rush, moving the distance like an angry bull. "I'll show you!" He shouted, throwing a sloppy punch.
A sudden spike in the kid's ki caught Bruce off-guard and the punch hit home. The kid was strong physically, which also alarmed Bruce. Tamoe smiled and began to follow up with a flurry of punches, all aimed for Bruce's mid-section. The dark-skinned teen recovered quickly, utilizing the momentum from his stumble to spin around and grab Tamoe's left wrist, pulling it across his chest to stop his onslaught.
"Wow…you're pretty good at masking your ki." Bruce said, slight shock lacing his voice.
Tamoe looked genuinely confused but that soon turned into a look of anger. "Shut up! I don't even know what you're talking about!" He attempted to kick Bruce in the thigh but his opponent was too skilled. Bruce, still a tight grip on Tamoe's wrist, danced around the kick and dragged the child into the ground. Tamoe slammed into the grass, dirt forcing its way into his mouth.
Bruce looked down at Tamoe, who then sat up to face the winner of their scuffle. "You're not so bad after all."
"Yeah, whatever." Tamoe responded angrily, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his head away.
"Why do you want to enter the tournament anyway?" Bruce asked, plopping down onto the grass next to Tamoe. That was his reason for coming out into the woods looking for the boy anyhow. Tamoe stayed quiet for a while, the fact he lost so quickly not yet settling with him. After a couple of minutes, he sighed and turned back to Bruce, simply staring at him. "Well?" Bruce said, leaning toward the purple haired boy.
"I want to be strong like the Golden Warriors!" Tamoe said bluntly and Bruce once again arched his eyebrows in response.
The Golden Warriors. Bruce's mind immediately went back to his time at the Temple, how Sifu Kame would tell him various stories about these Golden fighters and their unbelievable powers. The way he told them, it was if he was there. Sifu Kame's way of practically putting him into those stories made him a great storyteller. Bruce once had aspirations to become great like those warriors but the way Sifu Kame described them, they seemed like Gods, on a completely different level than the warriors now. "How do you know about the Golden Warriors?" Bruce asked.
"How could you not know!?" Tamoe responded. "They're in the text books, they were some of the strongest people on Earth." Wonder filled Tamoe's eyes. He raised his hands to emphasize his point, staring directly into Bruce's emerald orbs. "I want to be like them. I want to save the world a couple times, y'know."
Bruce stayed quiet the entire time, listening to Tamoe. Tamoe ranted on and on for a while before trailing off, almost as if he got lost in his own thoughts. Soon the two were in silence, each wandering through their own mind. Finally, Tamoe spoke. "Hey, why don't you enter the tournament?"
"I…don't know."
"You're not as good as me but I saw the video of you saving my sister from the robbers. " Tamoe responded, grinning childishly. Bruce smiled as well but it seemed Tamoe was serious. The purple haired boy stood up, dusting himself off before pointing at Bruce. " You took those people down in seconds, I say you enter that tournament and kick some ass."
Bruce's eyes moved from Tamoe to the ground. Would Sifu Kame want him to enter the tournament? He shook his head. That was the reason he moved out to the big city: to become independent. Although the old man taught him everything, it was time for him to make his own decisions. A smile appeared, dispelling the profound look on his face. "How about this?"
Tamoe tilted his head in peaked interest.
"How about I enter the tournament and win it for you?" Bruce said, holding his fist up toward Tamoe.
Tamoe looked down at Bruce before grinning even wider now. "You promise to kick some major ass?"
"Of course."
"Then do it, man!" Tamoe shouted, slamming a fist against Bruce's. Although the two started on bad terms, it seemed that they bonded over a common sport: Martial Arts. Also, at this moment, Bruce made his decision. He would enter the upcoming Tenkaichi Budokai. And win too.
I've been very, very busy for here is the third chapter of Dragon Ball Neo. And another character has been introduced: Tamoe, Jeana's little brother. Anyway, this is going to start off the first saga of DBN and hopefully my few readers will enjoy it. Anyway, until next time, leave your reviews and favorite. :)
Power Levels:
Tamoe: 98 (Base), 591 (During Spike)
Mrs. Brief: 12
Dog-man: 110
