I'm sorry, I just can't help but make Vegeta mean. If I'm going to turn him into a pseudo-politician, I have to make up for it somehow. I was inspired again, which explains the quick update, though don't count on all updates (if any) being this quick.
The first one awake in the Son household was nearly always the matriarch, who would be certain to sweep the floors, wipe down countertops dirtied by late-night binge eating, and prepare breakfast for her thankless family, who often took her work for granted. This morning, however, was different. Instead of stumbling into a dark kitchen in the wee hours of the morning, she found Gohan hunched over a textbook while balancing a bowl of cereal in his lap, constantly spooning the flakes into his mouth as he read. The overhead light made Chi-Chi blink several times before focusing on her son, who was too distracted by his studying to even muster a greeting.
"I'm glad your father's delinquent behavior hasn't completely rubbed off on you, Gohan," the woman chided, traversing the kitchen and pulling a broom out of a utility closet. His only acknowledgment of her was a nod of his head, as his mouth was too full to conjure a real response. Chi-Chi shook her head to herself and began a round of dusting before continuing, "Why are you up so early? I know you have exams later this week, but you also need to get a good night's rest."
Gohan glanced up, having swallowed another mouthful of cereal. Trying to convey the situation quickly so as to retain all of the study time possible, he spewed, "Well, I really couldn't sleep. I've had this King Furry thing on my mind, and so I got up to think about it, and then Bulma called about half-an-hour ago, and she's really mad at me because I don't have time to help her. By the way, she's apparently okay - she said something about Yajirobe kidnapping her, but I didn't get all of the details."
The puzzled look on his Mother's face reflected how he felt inside. "Yajirobe?" she inquired disbelievingly, stopping her broom for a moment to ponder this. "I always knew he was strange, but no more than any of your father's other acquaintances. So is she still in his custody? Is he holding her ransom for food or something?"
"I think that she would have mentioned being with Yajirobe if she still was, so I guess she escaped somehow. I don't really understand why he would target her, unless he is getting really desperate. He's never been an outright criminal save for hijacking cars, so I think it's a stretch to guess that he's holding her ransom." Gohan bit the tip of his thumb, contemplating the matter, before suggesting, "Unless maybe he's getting some sort of compensation from an outside source... It could connect to the King Furry case, as if somebody didn't want one of the world's greatest minds investigating. But if that's the case, I want to know how they knew she was even at the castle, seeing as my stealth tactics are unparalleled..."
After Gohan's ramblings trailed off, Chi-Chi affirmed, "Didn't you say that her near plane crash was covered by all of the media outlets, live?"
"Hmm, that is true..." Then, with pride in his voice, he said, "You know, Mom, if you got a television, you could have seen your oldest son saving the day in real time instead of just hearing about it afterwards... Pretty cool, huh?"
She rolled her eyes and retorted, "I would be even more proud if you would study hard, sleep properly, and do well in school so that you can get a job that doesn't involve delinquent activities." She smiled at his incredulous expression. "Then, when you do make an income to support your aging mother, I might consider investing in a television. How does that sound?"
"Fair enough, I guess. But before I get much further with that, I need to solve this King Furry kidnap case. Just on my own, without any hindrances. I doubt it'll take very long. I probably need to stop by Korin Tower, seeing as that's Yajirobe's primary residence now, and see if Korin knows anything - that cat almost never leaves, which is a good thing. I really wish that Dad and Goten would speak up, but it's like they've been brainwashed into doing Vegeta's bidding. I doubt that Goten will be complying anymore - not after peeing in his pants. That's really not like him, though... I've never known him to not be able to hold his bladder, not even when he was little."
"Even as a baby, he seemed to always wait until I was in the middle of changing him," Chi-Chi reminisced, not fond of having had to clean herself up after what should have been a simple and relatively clean task. "And then he would just smile up at me. And when I had Trunks over for a playdate, he would laugh when I got squirt, too. I tell you, both of those boys could not be more like their fathers..."
"I know; I remember," recalling that he had been the subject of Goten's abuse as well. But thinking of the pair brought a realization to his attention. "You know, I don't know what happened to Trunks yesterday. I forgot to keep an eye on his power level, seeing as I was essentially babysitting Bulma," he confessed, worry in his voice.
Chi-Chi twisted her mouth with dismay. "Bulma didn't mention anything?"
"No, she seemed too focused on her own predicament... I really hope he's fine."
"She's always been self-centered in that way. I could hardly believe it when she announced her pregnancy." Chi-Chi sighed before suggesting, "You could try calling her back. I know it's early, but if she called you even earlier, then that makes it okay. Right?"
"No, I think I'll just stop by Capsule Corp. on my way to Korin Tower. Maybe just a flyby - if I woke Bulma up, I doubt I'd hear the end of it." He leaned back on his stool and stretched his arms out after moving the bowl void of cereal from his lap to the countertop, unable to focus on studying at a time like this. "And I'd really like to avoid her at all costs... I just don't know what to do with her." He watched his mother transfer the bowl to the sink, deciding that it was time to take care of the pile of dishes that had accumulated overnight. Unfortunately for her, a Saiyan's appetite never stopped.
Gohan wondered whether he should ask his Mom about the discomfort that Bulma had been causing him. Despite her age, he couldn't deny her beauty, just as she seemingly couldn't. If he had asked, he may have received her accurate assumption that it was really an internal identity crisis that every woman that vain faces when she comes to a certain age, though he decided to direct the topic to his fiancée. "Videl's been so busy with everything going on in Satan City, and I wish I could bring her into this case - she'd know just what to do, being as tactical as she is."
"How long is she planning to continue with her juvenile activities? I used to fight, and at least for us humans, I know there's a time when it just isn't feasible anymore." Chi-Chi had begun wiping down the counters with a clean dish rag.
"Well, probably not until after the wedding..."
Chi-Chi looked up and stared her son intently in the eye, her interest piqued. "So is there a date yet?"
Gohan reddened under her scrutiny, having avoided this topic as much as possible. It was one that had been of much contention between the pair, and he knew that it would only light a fire. "Well, no, there's no exact date... But it'll probably be after I graduate..."
"After you graduate?" Chi-Chi shrieked, forcing her son to cower as she leaned forth with death in her eye. "That's years from now! I'm going to be too old to pick any of my grandchildren up if you wait that long! I didn't even deprive your grandfather of that joy!"
"Mom..." the demi-Saiyan groaned, searching desperately for an escape. "Listen, it's starting to get light out - I'm gonna go check on Icarus before I leave." He shoved away from the countertop and stood up, blatantly ignoring his mother's insistences that he come back and talk this over. "Just don't move my textbooks, okay?" He doubted she heard him over her own yelling, and it was a wonder that she didn't wake anybody else in the household up. Everybody else, he supposed, had already learned to tune out her voice when she became enraged like this.
After escaping his mother's wrath by exiting the cottage, Gohan ambled around the side of it towards the vegetable patch. The sun hadn't quite peeked over the horizon, but its rays had already transformed the sky into a hazy purple, giving the demi-Saiyan enough light to maneuver about without tripping. He had worried about Icarus in the night because the dragon had hardly cried, but he was relieved to see its rib cage rising and collapsing in a rhythmic breathing pattern. He didn't mean to awaken the dragon, merely wanting to check on it, but his approach caused the creature to stir.
"Hey, Icarus, buddy," he called softly, kneeling down by the dragon's side as it turned its head to see him. It chirruped, though it made no other acknowledgment, so tired from the loss of blood it suffered. Gohan examined the bandages Chi-Chi had wrapped around its torso, tugging gently to ensure that they were wrapped tightly enough to apply even pressure to the wound but causing the dragon to moan in pain. "Sorry," Gohan whispered, instead choosing to stroke its face tenderly. "I've got a big day ahead of me. I'm going to figure out who did this to you, since you can't tell me." He sighed. "I wish we had a Senzu bean to give you... Maybe I can pick one up when I visit Korin, if the dry spell is over."
Icarus tried rolling over but faced a rush of pain while doing so. It wasn't often that the man devoted much attention to the dragon anymore, too occupied with schoolwork and dating and saving civilians, and Icarus was grateful for this moment. The time, however, came to an end all too soon as Gohan stood back up, called out a farewell, and jetted off from the spot.
Gohan considered stopping by Satan City to meet up with his bride-to-be, though he decided against it. Although he wanted to tell her of everything that had happened the day before, he knew that he needed to finish with this whole kidnapping business as soon as possible. She had probably seen his rescue on television yesterday, regardless, failing to congratulate him due to her own jealousy. He smirked. Between the two of them, there was always an unspoken competition to see who would get the most good publicity for the week - or at least he viewed it that way.
He sped overhead West City and felt what he supposed was Trunks' power level, lowered due to his likely being asleep. It wasn't even six o'clock in the morning, and with it being a Sunday, it was unsurprising for the boy to cherish the extra hours of dreaming.
So the demi-Saiyan continued from Mt. Paozu to West City and on to Korin Tower, the sky brightening all the way until the sun was cast behind him. He hoped that his mother had forgiven him for abandoning her, just as he hoped that Bulma had given up on this quest. Regardless of her smarts, she just wasn't cut out for a detective job. She was too stubborn to allow her opinion to be swayed by the evidence before her rather than what she already had up in her big head. Even he could admit that the evidence they had acquired was unconvincing, though he wondered, now that he was far beyond Capsule Corp., whether Trunks hadn't learned anything during his separate excursion, perhaps something that he didn't recognize as vital to the case. Desperate for clues, he postponed his trip to Korin Tower to whip back around to Bulma's residence, the sun now directly in his eyes.
Upon landing, he realized that Bulma's favorite vehicle - one that she and her father had designed - was gone from the driveway. He shook his head in disbelief, hoping the woman hadn't done anything rash, before walking across the lawn, punching in the code on the door, and striding in. He believed himself to be close enough to the owner of the estate to just walk right in. All of the Z Fighters were akin to family, particularly after what they had all endured together.
In order to reach Trunks' bedroom, he had to walk through the grand living room where Vegeta was seated before the television, watching a morning talk show. The Saiyan glared at him and sneered, "Oh yes, Bulma's right that the security here is so tight. Just any old buffoon can walk right in as if he owns the place." Gohan pouted as Vegeta demanded, this time seriously, "What are you doing here, boy?"
Miffed that even at twenty years of age the Saiyan refused to acknowledge his manhood, Gohan explained, "I'm going to go check up on Trunks."
"Is it about that Mighty Mask case?" Vegeta inquired knowingly, though Gohan offered no response. "If it is, then you're out-of-luck. It seems that both you and my beloved wife have the crazy notion that you will not only locate the dog king, but also find out who kidnapped him. If I'm correct in my assumption, as I always am, then know that you will only leave feeling downcast and dejected, just as you probably did when none of the other children wanted to play with you on the playground."
"I'll have you know that plenty of kids wanted to hang out with me," Gohan retorted angrily, though Vegeta laughed.
"My, it seems I've touched a nerve." Gohan's cheeks reddened with shame. "Well, go on and waste all of your time if you'd like. It's not as though it's anything precious." At this, Vegeta turned back around to face the two men on television, but not without adding, "And thanks for rescuing my wife yesterday. She really has a thing for heroes, giving her hot flashes and wanton desires. She's woman enough that she could make a man out of even you, Kakarot's innocent, little brat." The embarrassment burned Gohan's ears, forcing the man to grimace uneasily. But Vegeta just barked with laughter, proceeding to ignore the demi-Saiyan.
Gohan fled from the room, feeling as awkward as he ever had and reconsidering his decision to stop by Capsule Corp. That short conversation with Vegeta, if it could even be called that, had inflicted great pain upon his self-esteem, and he wondered if he was even up to this elusive mission of rescuing King Furry. Perhaps everything that went wrong with the investigation the day before had been his fault. He had simply rushed into the castle without creating a detailed plan of action, something that would have better utilized his partner's brains. And it had probably been foolish to even search the scene of the crime. If Vegeta was the culprit - and just talking to the Saiyan affirmed that suspicion - then it was fruitless to look for evidence in a traditional way. Vegeta was anal retentive enough to ensure that no clue would be left behind, so it would probably be best to either focus on locating the king or harass his cohorts. Since his dad and Gotten weren't speaking up, he knew that Yajirobe was the last one that he knew about, justifying his hunch to drop by Korin Tower.
He felt reenergized, convinced that that he had been on the right track before - it would still be beneficial, though, to hear Trunks' testimony. It could be possible that the tyke, unrestrained by a human's limitations, could have unknowingly ventured upon an important fact.
Gohan tapped lightly on the boy's door, though just as he had suspected, Trunks was still asleep. He pressed a button to the side of it, revealing a very untidy room, toys and the like being strewn across the floor. Gohan smiled, recalling how he had never been allowed the pleasure of having somebody else pick up after him - his mother would have allowed no such thing, regardless of the fact that it was often textbooks that were scattered around. He tiptoed his way across the landscape of fallen empires and destroyed battlefields, hovering over Trunks before nudging him awake.
He was shocked as Trunks jerked away from him, held out his two arms defensively, and mumbled without even having opened his eyes, "You'd better keep away. I'm a force to reckon with."
"Hey, bud, it's just Gohan," the man reassured him, and though it took a moment, Trunks finally came to. He blinked his eyes open and looked on in shock as Gohan explained, "I was just wondering what happened to you yesterday, when you got away from your mom and me. You might have found something that could help in locating King Furry."
"Nothing," Trunks spat sourly after a few seconds, not enjoying being woken up this early in the day. But Gohan was unconvinced.
"Listen, if your dad threatened you to keep quiet, it's okay. I'll protect you. Although I don't look it, I'm sure that I can take him on." Gohan gave a smile of reassurance to back his claim.
Trunks, however, just shook his head. "It's not that. It's just that I really didn't find anything." He yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes while doing so. "After I ditched you and Mom, I decided that I would sneak into the castle. So I flew into the top window, thinking that King Furry's bedroom was up there. Instead, all there was was fat, old Yajirobe."
"Yajirobe? Really?" He crossed his arms, pondering this piece of information. "And you're sure it was the highest window?" Trunks nodded, watching the older Demi-Saiyan cup his chin in one hand in thought. "What happened after that?"
"Dunno," Trunks admitted bluntly with a shrug. "My guard was down, so I guess Yajirobe knocked me out, or something embarrassing like that. Whatever he did, I fell into the deepest sleep ever."
"Did you see your mom up there?"
"No, but I do remember waking up a little when my dad was carrying me home. I think my mom was in his arms, too, but I'm not really sure. I just looked up and saw my dad looking straight ahead, and I saw that we were flying. I fell right back asleep, though." He yawned and concluded, "This is the first time that I've been awake. I had a dream about fighting off some mummies, but that's about it."
Gohan narrowed his eyes upon hearing this inconclusive account, but he immediately lightened up as he offered, "Hey, Trunks, how would you like to show me exactly which room you found Yajirobe in? We'll have to stop by Korin Tower really quickly, but then we can get right on the road."
"Awesome!" Trunks beamed, eager to continue with this adventure. However, a thought occurred to him, pushing him to comment sadly, "It's not the same without Goten, though."
"We found him," Gohan assured the boy, bringing a smile to his face again, "but we'll have to leave him out of this. It's a long story, so just trust me when I say that this is for the better. Your father did something with Goten, so it's our job to shine justice on the truth."
Trunks wrinkled his nose and whined, "Come on, Gohan, stop with the Saiyaman stuff. It's really dorky, and I'm gonna get a headache if I have to listen to that all day."
"Oh, sorry," Gohan murmured abashedly, not even recognizing that his words were something that sounded even remotely like his alter-ego. Videl had gotten on to him about his heroic spiels, fed up with them after being forced to listen to him practice his lines several times a week. She simply did not understand the difficulties in being a superhero. He had to be larger-than-life to live up to his title as the world's strongest man, whereas she could get by with just being a normal, young adult - or at least as normal as any woman could be who could take on men three times her size.
The thought of his fiancée made him feel warm inside, which in turn made his blood cold. He couldn't help but be reminded of Vegeta's words, of heroes making Bulma all 'hot and bothered', or something to that extent. Did that Saiyan really have nothing better to do than to kidnap dogs and practice his cruelty on unsuspecting vigilantes?