Chapter 09 – An Unexpected Request
"Maybe Dad killed them all," Trunks suggested, watching his sister anxiously pace the floor. The look she returned him was priceless and he struggled not to laugh as he spoke, "I'm kidding! You know Dad would never kill the guy who hurt his daughter's feelings!"
"Hey, we have not broken up!" Corset snapped loudly. "We're… just going through a rough phase. That's all."
"Rough phase as in 'we don't speak or live together anymore and are going to pretend the other doesn't exist?'" Trunks raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Sis, I may only be twelve but even I know your relationship is dead."
That hurt. She would have punched him at any other time but right now, Corset was far more focussed on finding Soba's ki signal just to reassure herself he was in fact alive. Even though she and Trunks had recently concluded from overwhelming evidence that if someone hurt any one of their family greatly, their father would rip them to shreds, something didn't quite add up with Trunks' theory. "… He can't have gone to kill Soba. He doesn't even know that Soba and I aren't on good terms."
Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "We heard screaming on the phone. If that's not Dad killing them then I don't know what happened. Now are you happy? We're now back to not knowing rather than having a reason to explain it!"
"Shup up a minute," Corset ordered, pressing the call button once again and holding the phone to her ear. The ring barely registered over the blood pounding in her ear and with each passing ring, her heart sank. Still no answer. This was the third time now within the space of ten minutes and he still wasn't picking up and she had no idea why or what'd happened. Another ring passed before she hit the button cutting the call off before sinking into the sofa.
"Let's think this through," Trunks sat beside her. "Why would Dad go to find Soba? What other reasons would there be? Now Soba works at a restaurant so maybe it's to do with food? Dad's been away training for a while so maybe he was hungry?"
Corset absorbed this information. "… No, I don't think he was hungry. He came back home first before leaving and during that time, he had a drink of water."
Trunks snorted. "Having a drink is not the same as eating a meal. When has Dad ever replaced water with a proper plate of food?"
Corset glared at him in annoyance. "I'm telling you what I saw him do! Stop being such an unhelpful ass!"
"Scathing insult by the way," Trunks retorted.
"Proving my point," Corset growled. "Now be helpful and help me work out why Dad would go and find Soba whilst he's at wo-" She gasped, spine bolt upright. "Of course! Oh man, that idiot! He's going to interfere with Mama's plans and get us all blown up!"
"What are you-?" Trunks started.
"Whis is here again and Mama's treating him to the variety of good foods on Earth!" Corset cut him off, launching to her feet and bounding out of the room out onto the balcony. Her irritated brother chased after her, leaping from the building and following his sister onto the grounds, landing effortlessly on the grass.
"Damn it!" Corset bellowed, fists clenched at her hips.
Trunks looked in the direction she was staring at, instantly spotting their father on his approach. Something was wrong with his left shoulder – no, scratch that, something was on his left shoulder. It dawned on the tween what he was seeing and a well of excitement built up in his chest. "I don't get it but this is not going to disappoint."
"Why is he bringing him here?" Corset screeched with outrage.
"What's with all this noise?" Bulma called from where she and Whis had been watching at their table.
Vegeta landed on the ground in the centre of the commotion. Soba was thrown to the ground, a dead weight.
"Vegeta!" Bulma gasped. "What's the meaning of this?"
Corset was by his side in a flash, checking over his vitals. A large wave of warmth swept over her like a molten avalanche. Her eyes turned to her father, hot and prickly. "What the hell did you do?"
"Whis," Vegeta ignored the two of them. "If you think what you have tasted before was the best Earth had to offer, think again! I present to you one of the finest chefs Earth has to offer!"
His declaration was met with a look of bewilderment from Corset, Trunks and Bulma. Whis seemed unmoved.
"… That's probably one of the nicest things you've ever said…" Bulma mused stunned. "… Did you hit your head whilst training?"
"How about it? Care to try some of the finest delicacies you'll ever come across on the entire planet?" Vegeta jeered. "You won't be disappointed."
Whis seemed to contemplate the offer for a moment. "… More delicacies? Are they desserts too or will I have to save the rest of these for later?"
Vegeta glared down at his eldest. "…Well?" He sneered quietly. "What does he cook?"
Corset's face dropped, the avalanche hit again. "… You dragged him out from work to bring him here to serve your own agenda and you don't even know what he cooks? Idiot!" She turned her attention back on Soba, feeling guilty that this had happened to him. With all that was going on right now, this was no doubt going to make things even worse. "… He is a sous chef at his father's noodle bar. They cook a variety of noodle dishes including ramen, yakisoba, yaki udon, stir-fry, noodle salads and soups-"
Vegeta bared his teeth. "So it's a main-meal restaurant. Damn it…"
"They offer desserts too," Corset rose to her feet, standing over Soba defensively. "Unfortunately you have not thought this through. Even if he was awake to cook something, he's unlikely to find the ingredients he's looking for in our kitchen! You should have just waited and ordered some of their food and then brought it here instead of bringing him over unconscious!"
"He's not unconscious," Trunks pointed out. "Also, I'm sure he's getting a good view up your dress, leggings or otherwise, Sis."
Corset's head spun over her shoulder to see Soba glaring up at her. Instantly she jumped back, hands keeping the hem of her dress against her thighs. "S-Since when-? Never mind, it doesn't matter. Dad's been a complete and utter moron again."
"Is that where you get it from?" Soba responded, getting to his feet.
"Enough!" Vegeta spat. "Whis, you will not be left disappointed with this boy's cooking!"
"Boy? I'm twenty four years old!" Soba snapped.
"What do you say?" Vegeta ignored him.
Whis eyed up the brown-haired man standing amongst the crowd. "… I'm intrigued. Bulma, would you say you'd agree with Vegeta's opinion on this gentleman's cooking abilities? I'm surprised you would keep someone like this a secret from me."
"Oh, of course!" Bulma stuttered. "We just haven't gotten around to Soba's family's restaurant. It's the best place for noodles on the entire planet!"
"Oh? Even better than that last bowl of ramen you treated me to?" Whis asked.
Corset took her eyes away from Whis and her mother and glanced back at Soba, double taking. He was as white as a sheet. She could only assume he recognised Whis and knew where from. A moment or so more and his eyes were torn away from the two and were looking in her direction. He looked petrified. "… I have to cook for him?" He squeaked.
"Dad thinks you're good enough," Corset encouraged. Truth be told she was pretty sure Soba was the only professional chef Vegeta knew and given that he'd never been around to taste his cooking before… She was surprised that he even remembered what he did at all. Then again, Saiyans did seem partial to food. She'd eaten at Soba's father's restaurant many times and enjoyed the food a lot but was he really the greatest chef she knew? He wasn't even head-chef at work; his father was! Had her own father made a grave miscalculation in snatching Soba rather than his father?
"To be fair, our Dad's just paid you a really nice compliment," Trunks added. "He doesn't do that to us."
"I'm grossly overdue my first compliment," Corset chimed in.
To say that Soba had never felt pressure like this would involve taking into account the constant high-pressure he felt on a day-to-day basis working in the sweltering heat of his father's kitchen. Nonetheless it was fair to say that despite the kitchen being cool, despite him only cooking for one and despite the atmosphere in Capsule Corp typically having a relaxed hint about it, this was the most amount of pressure Soba had ever felt in a kitchen. His hands would not stop shaking.
The relief should have come once he'd finished the dish. In reality he was uncertain he'd ever feel that sensation again. The only dish he could make with the ingredients presented to him in the kitchen was a yakisoba. The oven wasn't quite what he was used to cooking on, the pans weren't of such high quality and he was lost in locating what he needed. The pan conditions surprised Soba considering he was in the kitchen of the richest family on the planet.
At last he made his way outside, tray rattling a little. Corset had stayed with him through the tense process, opting to stay silent through the entire ordeal. She took the tray immediately from his hands and increased her stride, hitting the pavement and finding herself before her mother and Whis before she knew it. Placing the tray of food down on the table before them, she didn't ignore the look of worry her mother was giving her. Making her way back to where Trunks and Soba were standing, she could hardly watch as Whis gingerly took the bowl of yakisoba and placed it on the placemat before him. His arm gracefully reached out, hand taking hold of a pair of chopsticks.
She heard the gulp from Soba's throat which did not help the pounding in her ears.
Whis' chopsticks made contact with the noodles, plied a couple from the rest of the pack alongside a strip of shredded chicken and a prawn. It slipped past his lips. Then it was gone. Jaw moved rhythmically. Then his throat shifted, the sound of him swallowing could have echoed across the planet for all they knew.
Vegeta stood by Whis' side looking apprehensive.
They all looked at him.
Whis shivered. Then he howled.
"We're so dead," Soba's voice creaked out of his mouth.
"This is…" Whis beamed. "… This is promising!"
Promising? Soba was right, they were dead, Corset concluded. She was going to inflict a world of pain on her father in the afterlife!
"Such wonderful savoury flavours," Whis grinned ecstatically. "The seasoning is light but effective, the noodles are wonderfully soft and not too moist. The prawns were wonderfully succulent! All I would say is that this dish needs… it needs some of this sauce. And this." He picked up a couple of cups holding dipping sauces and poured the contents across the plate.
Soba looked as if someone had just told him his grandmother had been caught streaking in the city centre. He grabbed hold of Corset's hand and pulled her towards him, bringing his mouth to her ear. "He's just mixed gyoza dipping sauce and spring roll dipping sauce together!"
"Is that bad?" Corset asked.
"Let's just say it's not something I would recommend," Soba scrunched his face up. "Dammit I worked so hard on that given the kitchen I was forced to work in!"
"And perhaps a little of this…" Whis picked up one of the many glasses of juice Bulma's mother had brought out for them as they'd been waiting. He poured half the contents onto the plate, much to the horror of those around.
"There, that should do," Whis beamed. "Now…" He launched the chopsticks into the bowl and went for a second mouthful, the rest of the group on tenterhooks waiting to see his reaction. Whis shivered and stretched back, hands clasped to his cheeks. "So much better! The slight acidity adds to the flavour and compliments the noodles further! The fiery warmth soothes into a dreamy buzz on the edge of my tongue. There, this is the one!"
"Really?" Bulma asked intrigued.
"Really?" Soba asked stumped. He had to see what the fuss was about. He rushed over. "Do you mind if I try it for myself? If it's that good we may be able to perfect this further for you in the restaurant so you can order it the next time you come to Earth."
"Be my guest." Whis smiled.
So Soba tried it. His response was somewhat duller than Whis. "… It tastes unique! Yep, I think I can see how we can make this better. I'll be sure to put this onto the restaurant menu!"
"Perhaps you could call it the Whis Special?" Bulma suggested.
"… Is that thing seriously going on the menu?" Corset asked baffled as Soba made his way back. "Will your father think it's good enough?"
Soba stared at her. His facial features changed. Corset understood.
"So, how about it?" Vegeta stepped in, addressing Whis once more. "Will you bring me to Birus?"
Whis placed his napkin down and smiled pleasantly at the prince. "As I said, it would be unwise to wake Birus up whilst he is resting." His eyes opened, sending a chill across the garden. "… More importantly, you would not stand a chance and so are not worth waking Birus up for. It will be me who has to deal with his bad temper once he is done with you… and I would hate to not be able to taste what else Earth has in store for me. As I said before, Vegeta; unless you learn to control your ki, you will never surpass Son Goku or Birus for that matter… and since you are not a God of Destruction, you cannot be taught to do so by me."
Corset frowned. So that plan had been all for nothing? Her father had brought Soba here just so he could bribe Whis with a battle against Birus? Had he not got it through his head that he was nothing compared to Birus – none of them could hold a candle to the power he possessed – not even Goku had been able to keep up with him.
"Hold on a minute!" Soba growled. "Are you telling me the reason your dad dragged me away from work and knocked me out cold was so he could challenge that cat-guy from before?"
"Hey in our defence, we had no idea he was going to kidnap you!" Corset hissed. "I'll apologise to your dad later, ok."
"Well that's all well and good but where is my apology?" Soba asked indignantly.
"Well if you can convince my dad to give you a compliment and an apology in one day then be my guest," Corset replied.
"Fine!" Vegeta hollered. "If you won't accept this boy's cooking then I'll just have to whip up something myself!"
"Don't kid us around!" Bulma snapped. "You've never been in our kitchen other than to stuff your face and clear out the fridge and cupboards! You'd be lucky to cook something edible much less cook something amazing!"
"Oh and you're one to talk!" Vegeta barked. "Prepare yourselves, I will cook you the ultimate recipe!"
To say that Soba had never felt pressure like this would involve taking into account the constant high-pressure he felt on a day-to-day basis working in the sweltering heat of his father's kitchen. Nonetheless it was fair to say that despite the garden having a refreshing breeze, despite him not actually having to cook for anyone and despite the atmosphere in Capsule Corp typically having a relaxed hint about it, this was the most amount of pressure Soba had ever felt out of a kitchen. His head would not stop shaking.
This meal had been affectionately and creatively named: Vegeta's Omelette Rice. So far, two dozen eggs had been unsuccessfully cracked and were now variously scattered across the Saiyan Prince and his make-shift work surface. After the first three, Soba had been desperate to take over but Corset held him back. None of them would be allowed to help, she'd explained, and no matter how hopeless it seemed, they had to let her dad work on his own until the time was right for him to stop.
"Enough, Vegeta…" Bulma sighed as one egg hatched. "… It's ok not to be good at everything. Play to your strengths. This is not one of them; you are totally hopeless at cooking!"
"Shut up!" Vegeta snapped.
"I'm genuinely curious," Soba mumbled resigned. "… Who cooks your meals when you're here? … And please don't tell me you get take-out every night."
"Nana cooks our food," Corset replied. "Neither Mama nor Dad is expertly gifted in the art of cuisine. A day where Mama has to cook is normally a day where we are given instant ramen unless we cook for ourselves."
"That's it!" Vegeta gasped loudly. A smug look crossed his face. "Whis… the best is yet to come."
He turned and filled the kettle, flicking the switch to turn it on.
"W-Wait Vegeta!" Bulma gasped. "Don't you dare!"
"What has Bulma shown you so far?" Vegeta asked.
Whis pondered this for a moment. "… Tempura, boiled eel, oden, sukiyaki, crab hot pot, motsunabe, and Kaiseki cuisine… and today I have now shared in the delights of what you called The Whis Special!"
Vegeta chuckled. "Just as I thought!"
"Vegeta!" Bulma cried.
"Bulma has been hiding the most delicious on Earth from you! It's a meal she can't go a week without having at least once!" Vegeta declared. The kettle came to the boil and clicked. Within two minutes, Vegeta had finished preparing his meal. Before them stood a small pot.
Soba was distraught. He'd been even more distraught with Whis' reaction.
Instant ramen in a pot. There were many things Soba could take in his stride but if there was one thing he would not accept, it was that an instant ramen could be better than slowly prepared, healthy ramen he and his father had made and perfected for years!
The fact that the instant ramen had swayed Whis to take Vegeta on as a pupil was like rubbing salt on a burn.
"For the record, yours is far superior in my book," Corset had tried to console him but the damage had been done. Soba was not going to let this one go easily.
"I put my heart and soul into making that dish and then he goes and adds sauces that should never be mixed together for fear of killing your taste buds!" Soba ranted. "It's no wonder he thought that stupid pot of fraud, cheap ramen was better!"
Corset let him continue. At least now they were on talking terms again.
AN: Just to clarify, I am aware that I've written the same paragraph twice. For those of you who spotted it, thank you for paying that much attention to my writing. I deliberately wrote it twice, it's not an error on my part. It was done for effect to show how out of his depth Soba felt and also to continue on the tone of this chapter and how ridiculous the situation was for him.
Thanks to everyone who's fed back to me.
