As Trunks drove up to the front of Chez Norte, Cole's dark eyes remained fixated outside the window on the scenery around her, just as they had been for the entire ride. She had a bad habit of constantly looking around her as though she were watching and waiting for something to happen. She was extremely alert, but it made Trunks nervous. It was hard to drive next to someone that acted as though they were on the lamb. He'd even gone so far as to ask her to relax a couple times. That hadn't done much but stop her from turning around to look behind them. Trunks had begun to think that Cole had some serious subconscious control issues, so he was glad when they finally arrived to their destination and Cole stopped looking every which way.
At the moment, Cole's focus was the valet boy that was quickly making his way over to greet the newly arrived car housing Trunks, Cole, and Armas. Though it was twilight and the windows of Trunks's car were tinted, the young valet seemed quiet pleased. Nice cars like that one usually meant big tips, not to mention they were just fun to drive. Opening his door and stepping out, Trunks gave the familiar young man a playful smirk.
"No joyriding, Sid." He joked, walking around the front of the car.
"Oh, hi, Trunks. It's good to see you again." Sid said with a pleasant grin. Truth was Trunks was kind of a regular. He liked the atmosphere as well as the tight lipped employees they hired. It was just about the only place in public he could go without being bothered, so it was only a matter of time before he developed a friendly rapport with everyone that worked there. "Now how am I supposed to see the world when you tell me I can't go joyriding?" Sid joked, passing Trunks as he prepared to take the car for parking.
"You can see the world any way you want, Sid." Trunks spoke, stopping in front of the passenger side door. "Just so long as it isn't in my car." He laughed, giving the door handle a gentle tug and opening the door for Cole. She had all the while been trying to figure out how to do the same thing, but from the inside. The knowledge of 'car door handle' escaped her since she had never done it before. Even when they had driven to the mall, the window had been open, so when they stopped she had simply slid out through the window. Trunks hadn't bothered to tell her how to do it properly since he'd found the whole thing quite amusing. She figured out how to lock and unlock the car, she'd also figured out how to work the window, but she had yet to master the concept of a manual pull lever.
Glaring up at Trunks as he stood at her door, offering his hand, she had no way of knowing how hard Trunks was working to keep from laughing at her irritated scowl. He knew exactly why she was miffed and it only served to amuse him further. Sid caused Cole to break her glare as he sat beside her in the driver's seat. Examining him a moment, he did the same, giving her a very appreciative once-over. Narrowing her eyes at the young man that gave her such a look, she took Trunks's outstretched arm without relenting her glare. She'd seen that look before and she didn't like it. It usually spelled trouble for her. It was the same look Freiza's men had given her when they thought her to be down and out, though theirs had been more sick and depraved. It was a look of lustful intentions and sexual yearning. Few times in her life had she been graced with such an intense stare, none of which were involving pleasant situations.
Such was the way of the universe. It was neither a pleasant nor easy place to survive, but Cole had managed it just fine. If you seemed weak, even for a moment, the buzzards would swoop down for what they thought was an easy meal. It was even harder for the females than males since they were considered weaker, as whole. In the big bad universe, weakness has one synonym; victim. Cole knew well what happened to many, many women of all different races throughout the universe. She'd seen enough pleasure slaves to continually remind her of exactly what she was fighting against each time someone gave her 'that' look. That was one reason she dressed so inconspicuously. The saying was true: Out of sight, out of mind. When no one noticed you, you could more often than not avoid situations where you may not necessarily come out top dog. Cole was fairly strong, but she wasn't stupid. Sometimes it was better to avoid a fight rather than let foolish pride get you in over your head.
As Cole stepped out of the car, Sid almost shouted out in alarm as Armas scrambled up from the back seat and out of the open door. He, too, had yet to master the concept of 'manual pull lever'. Trunks could only roll his eyes and chuckle at Armas. He had fully intended to open Armas's door next, but it seemed that Armas had no intentions of waiting. Closing the door behind Armas, Trunks led both of his dinner companions up to the front doors, though Cole didn't seem too pleased about having her arm looped around his.
"You can let go. I can walk on my own." She insisted, tugging lightly on her arm, though not too hard to avoid setting herself off balance. She discovered the best way to walk in those shoes was to use her ki just enough to keep herself upright. That way she wasn't dependant on her feet to walk and move, but her ki. Essentially it would be like walking on air, except with her feet on the ground.
"I'm sure you can, but just in case let's keep your hand on my arm." Trunks said with a smirk, seeming too pleased with himself for Cole's taste.
"Don't patronize me." Cole warned, the feminine bass of her voice sounding low in her throat.
"I'm not patronizing you." Trunks insisted with the same warm smile that made Cole want to reach up and wipe it off. Her nerves had been twinging all day, irritated at the whole situation she'd managed to get herself in. She didn't want to change her clothes, she didn't want to be treated to dinner, and she sure as hell didn't want someone holding her hand. "It would just be a shame if you fell and ruined such a nice dress."
Trunks could feel a strong vibration travel up the course of his arm as a deeply animalistic growl sounded in his ears. Startled, Trunks looked over at Cole to see the angry scowl darken her features, all except her eyes. Expanded in the dim light, her sensitive Saiyan eyes caught and reflected the light just like a cat, causing them to glow in the darkness. That was a Saiyan trait that he'd almost forgotten about. His father was the only one that possessed such truly acute night vision, being the only full blooded Saiyan in his family. As for himself and his sister, they had night vision only slightly better than a human. It startled him, causing him to release Cole's hand quite quickly. It reminded him of a scene from a horror movie, the way a werewolf would look just right before a transformation. Cole's next words were low, accented by the guttural rasp of her growl.
"If I don't want you to touch me, then you don't touch me."
Trunks quickly put his hands up in a placating manner. "I'm sorry." He spoke earnestly. He realized that somewhere he'd crossed a boundary. He'd been having his fun at her expense all night, so that when she'd asked him to let go, he'd stupidly laughed it off. She wasn't comfortable with him touching her, and he needed to respect her personal space. It reminded him all too much of when he'd been in her exact position, having women paw and claw at him without any respect for his personal space. It was kind of funny to find himself in this position, though. He'd never had a woman revolt at his touch before. Absentmindedly, he wondered if this was what normal guys went through when dealing with the opposite sex. Being who he was, he'd always had his own unique brand of problems involving the fairer sex. As strange as it might have sounded to anyone else, it actually felt refreshing to be rejected like that. It was honestly relaxing to know that he could go out with a woman, other than his mother or sister, and not have to worry about fighting her off at the end of the night.
Cole eyed Trunks over a good long moment as they continued into the entrance of Chez Notre. She could see in his eyes that he was being honest. He truly was sorry and hadn't meant any harm. With a soft exhale she released her tension. Perhaps it would be better if she simply let the night progress on its own and stop trying to fight it. No amount of food should be such a strenuous ordeal. "Thank you, Trunks." She said, surprising him with the sudden shift in her demeanor.
"Thanks for what?" He asked, unsure exactly what she was thanking him for.
"For being a gentleman." Cole spoke, her voice as soft as her expression as she spoke it. The softness of her voice had caught his attention almost as effectively as if she had screamed it at him. For a long second, their eyes locked.
"I guess it's the least I could do after making you try on all those dresses." Trunks said with a little chuckle.
The second the words escaped his lips, Cole made a curt choking sound as though she'd just inhaled a bug. Then she did something Trunks hadn't expected. It started as a low chuckle and quickly built into a full blown laugh. Cole was actually, honestly laughing. It was music to his ears. It warmed his heart to see her look at him like that, her eyes squinted in a smile and cheeks lightly flushed in her amusement. "Don't think you're getting off so easily for that. Just be thankful I have yet to think of an appropriately heinous and creative punishment."
"Heinous, huh?" Trunks chuckled, raising a brow at her much similar as she was wont to do.
Cole hadn't a chance to respond as a lanky and elderly waiter wearing a black and white tux walked up to greet them. "Welcome back to Chez Notre, Mr. Briefs. It's good to see you again." He began, his pompous and nasally voice grating to Cole's sensitive ears. Looking over Cole and Armas as though they were lambs to the slaughter, he again spoke to Trunks. "I see you've brought company this time. Would you like your usual booth or perhaps take interest in our private room?" He asked, eying Cole over meaningfully as he emphasized the word 'private'.
Looking from Cole to Armas, Trunks recalled memories of Armas's Goku-like eating habits. Knowing that kind of scene wouldn't be very appropriate for a ritzy place like Chez Notra, Trunks decided a private room would be well in order. After relaying as much to the waiter, they were ushered inside, through a corridor, up a stairwell, and into a cozy and plushly furnished private room. The room contained a single oak carved table surrounded by velvety crimson bench seats build into the wall all the way around the room. It was obviously a room meant for lounging as well as dining. On one long wall of the rectangular room was a painted Fresco mural of life in a small Mediterranean villa. On the opposite wall was a window of tinted glass with a bird's eye view overlooking almost the entire restaurant. The colors were dark and muted and the lighting was dim.
As soon as they had entered the room, the waiter that had ushered them in cleared his throat gently to gain the trio's attention. "Hello, my name is Stephen. What might I serve you, first?" He asked, readying to take mental note of their orders. Typically, Trunks would have insisted the waiter at any other restaurant use a pad of paper to take his orders, but he knew the waiters here were highly professional with minds like steel traps. Trunks wasn't exactly known to be a light eater, but the employees of Chez Notre were familiar with his extreme appetite and fully prepared for his large orders. Glancing at his dinner companions, Trunks decided to make it easy for everyone.
"Let's start off with your full appetizer menu, a glass of whole milk for him" he said gesturing to Armas, "and a bottle of your red wine with two glasses, please." He requested unflinchingly. To order the entire appetizer menu for only three people would be absolutely unheard of anywhere, but if the waiter found it absurd at all, he his it very well. Without anything more than a simple nod, he acknowledged Trunks's request before turning on his heel to set the kitchen to work.
Hearing a soft thump, Trunks glanced over to see Armas flopped back on the cushioned seats, rubbing his hands on the velvety material. "Oh, so soft." He murmured, stretching out with a groan. Trunks grinned.
"Yeah, the seats here are really comfortable." Trunks said, walking over to plop down across from Armas. "I brought my mom here for her last birthday. Brought her to one of these private rooms." He spoke amiably. "It was the one with an ocean life mural." He recalled. Glancing over, he noticed Cole standing next to the table, glancing from one lounging guy to the other. "Have a seat." He encouraged, patting the plush bench seat. Trunks watched as her eyes ran over the finely crafted furnishings before looking around the room.
"What are you looking for?" He asked, watching as her eyes sought out something he wasn't aware of.
Glancing back at him with a slightly disappointed expression, she finally perched herself rigidly on the edge of the bench seat. "Nothing." She replied quietly.
Whatever might have been said afterwards was left unsaid as Stephan reentered. With him he carried a large tray holding three glasses. One glass was a simple tumbler, the other two were bell shaped wine glasses. The tray also held an ice bucket holding fresh ice and a bottle of red wine buried within. Also, there was a nondescript pitcher, likely used for numerous beverages. In this instance, it contained milk. The last items it carried was a fresh steaming basket of oven hot rolls and a small bowl of a delicious basil and olive oil blend to flavor the rolls with. Setting the tray on the table, Stephen sorted the three glasses among his guests. Pouring Armas's milk first, he set to work on the wine bottle's cork. "I've already taken the liberty of having you sent a fresh avocado and crab salad along with the soupe du jour, which happens to be our fine house recipe oyster bisque. Is there anything I might get you while you're waiting for your appetizers?" Stephen asked, twisting a cork screw deep into the center of the wine bottle's neck.
Trunks clapped his hands together in a gesture of finality. "No, Stephen. I think you've pretty much outdone yourself here." He said pleasantly. Watching as the expert waiter routinely uncorked the wine bottle, Trunks helped himself to one of the rolls waiting on the tabletop as Stephen poured the red liquid into the two belled glasses.
From across the table, Cole eyed Trunks's motion discreetly. The truth was she was acutely aware of how very hungry she was. The last time she had eaten was some time before she'd entered Earth's atmosphere. By this time, she'd skipped a couple meals. Even though she had become used to not getting enough to eat, she wasn't accustomed to skipping meals entirely. A little to eat was better than absolutely nothing at all, even if it was only a tidbit to keep the full onset of her Saiyan hunger at bay. However, Armas was not so tactful when it came to his own hunger. Standing up to reach across the table, he grabbed the entire basket of rolls. Sitting back down, cradling the basket of rolls in his lap, he began to ingest them at an astonishing rate. Grinning sheepishly at the waiter, Trunks raised his finger as though to make a point as he spoke up again.
"If you don't mind, I think we're going to need more rolls."
Stephen just smile with a knowing little grin. "Of course." He responded warmly, removing the abandoned bowl of herb oil from the tray before taking his leave.
Glancing at Armas as he devastated the last roll, Trunks leaned toward Cole with an easy grin, holding out the roll he'd managed to save. "Here." He spoke, gaining her full attention. "I'll get mine from the next batch."
Cole looked from Trunks to the offered food and back again. Though she didn't like the idea of taking it, she was quite hungry. She decided to settle. Reaching out, she accepted the freshly baked bread. Digging her sharp nails into the center, she effectively split it into two almost perfectly equal halves. She offered him the larger piece back. She had been surprised by his kindness. She hadn't expected him to give up his own food for her, especially when she knew he'd been hungry for hours. She was again reminded of his remarkable patience and consideration. Even when Armas had taken well more than his own fair share, Trunks seemed to be entirely unfazed. He may very well make a great king. Cole felt a warmness well up as she acknowledged a new respect and fondness for him as he smiled at her before accepting his half of the roll. Realizing what she was feeling, she quickly stomped the feeling back down. Rebuilding the emotional distance between them, she cleared her throat.
"Thank you." She said, bringing the bit of bread to her mouth.
'No problem." Trunks said easily, biting off half of his piece as he lifted her wine glass with his other hand. Leaning forward, he offered that, too. "Here. Try some wine."
Glancing at the half filled glass, she accepted it as well, brushing his hand in the process. Stomping down hard to deaden her senses, she again felt in complete control as she felt no reaction whatsoever. Examining the blood red liquid, she gave Trunks a quick questioning glance before taking a sip. Lurching forward suddenly, she swallowed hard and gave Trunks a scrutinizing stare. Seeing as he was also about to take a sip, she placed her hand on the lip of his glass to stop him. "This tastes strange. Are you sure it's all right to drink?"
Raising a brow, he only chuckled as he brushed her hand away with a finger. "If I could taste it, I'd tell you." He found it rather amusing that she was worried he might be drinking something unhealthy. He decided to have a little fun with her. Sipping a bit of the brackish liquid into his mouth, he swished it around a bit before swallowing. "Hm... taste fine to me." He said, giving her a little smile. Suddenly, he made a strangled cry before grasping at his throat. Hurriedly setting his glass aside on the table, he began to claw at his throat while making strangled noises. Instantly, Cole was on her feet and by his side looking quite panicked. Trunks' eyes rolled into the back of his head as he began to quiver and shake, seizing on the floor in a full body spasm.
"Trunks!" Cole screamed, clawing at him in fear, her normally somber eyes wide and afraid.
"Trunks!" Armas cried out, leaping to his side.
"Stay back!" Cole ordered, her voice shaky as she tried to pin Trunks down long enough to find out what was wrong with him. Gripping his face, she began to tap his cheek, trying desperately to get him to focus. "Trunks, focus on me! Focus! Focus!" She commanded, gripping his shoulder tightly. Even as she prepared her ki to begin healing him, Cole was rewarded with the brilliant blue of Trunks's eyes as his spasms stopped.
Trunks focused up at Cole's face as she leaned down to lock eyes with his. He found himself acutely reminded of Cole's gender, her cleavage pushing against the sweetheart neckline of her dress as she was bent over him. He could feel his head cradled in her hand as she brought the other to his face, pointing her index finger out and moving it side from side. She was checking his neurological reflexes, specifically his tracking and scanning capabilities. He couldn't believe how scared she looked at that moment. It was hilarious. Trunks burst out laughing, causing Cole to take on a very confused expression.
"You should have seen your face!" He laughed, sitting up against his elbow. "You were so scared." The second his words were out, he could feel the instant chill settle in the room as Cole's expression changed. Her concerned eyes gave way to the cold eyes he knew when he'd first met her. Apparently Cole wasn't one for a practical joke. Snapping, Cole gripped Trunks by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close, their noses touching as she spoke through the side of her mouth.
"Give me one reason not to kill you right now, right here where you lay." She grated, her angry blue eyes sparking. He hadn't time to answer before she snapped her wrist to shove him away. Standing rigidly, she stalked from the room. Scrambling to his feet, he followed after her. He felt like a real heel. He'd only been playing around, but he realized he'd honestly scared her. He could tell she was extremely upset with him. Trotting to catch up to her as she descended the stairwell, he grabbed her elbow to stop her.
"Hang on, Cole. I'm sorry." He began, but stopped anything else he was planning to say as he found himself face to face with an unreleased ki blast.
"Do not touch me." She ground out calmly and deliberately.
Letting go of her arm, he again tried to apologize. "I'm sorry, Cole. I forgot. Listen, I'm sorry I scared you. I was only playing around." He explained, following her down the stairs and through the corridor. "Come on, Cole. Please just stop for a minute. I'm a jerk, I get it. I shouldn't have scared you like that." He continued, trying to at least get her to look at him. As they passed through the main eating area of the restaurant, he stopped speaking where prying ears would listen. He followed her all the way out of the restaurant, passing right by the small group of valets, including Sid, who were engaging in quiet conversation. "Just stop for a minute, Cole." Trunks pleaded, again trying to stop her by her arm. He was instantly rewarded with a solid punch square to the face. The group of valets howled and cringed as they watched the blow.
"That is for touching me." Cole said, winding back again. Seeing this one coming, Trunks raised his hands in a defensive gesture. Lowering her fist, she parted her legs in an angry stance as she balled her fists at her side. "You really went through a great deal of effort today just to have a laugh at my expense." She bellowed, advancing on him.
"That wasn't what I-" Trunks began, cringing as Cole laid a blow to his side.
"That is for making me try on those clothes and laughing at my expense." A knee followed to the inside of his thigh. "That is for wasting my day." A fourth blow came as Cole hauled off and pulled a full roundhouse to the side of his head, knocking him off his feet. "And that is for upsetting Armas." Cole seethed, staring down at him. Laying awkwardly on the pavement as he recovered from her sudden and nasty onslaught, Trunks looked up at her as he wiped some blood from his split lip. The valets had watched the whole ordeal, twitching and cringing with each new blow. They weren't paid enough to get between that.
Glaring down at him, Cole spoke to Trunks once more. Her voice was cold and quiet. "As for myself, don't flatter yourself by thinking I was worried for you. In fact, if I ever see you actually seizing like that... I'll step on your throat." Trunks felt his insides twist at her words. Damn, she was mean.
Then Cole reached down, pulling the shoes from her feet and throwing them at him. Catching them awkwardly, he looked back up at her just in time to see her dress fall down around her legs. Looking away, he felt the soft lavender material thrown onto his head as the valets began to catcall.
"Follow your own example and drop dead." He heard her say, listening to the sound of her feet as she began to walk off. Pulling the dress from his head, he looked on as she stalked off almost entirely naked down the dark street. Chez Notre was located in the country just outside of Satan City, so there wasn't much civilization between there and Capsule Corp. Even so, she wore next to nothing. Sandra from the boutique they'd visited earlier had seen fit to outfit Cole with a very lacy, very attractive, and very see-through peach strapless bra and boy shorts. There was no way he would feel right letting her walk around alone like that, even though there was nothing in hell that she couldn't handle. Honestly, maybe he was more afraid for the rapist stupid enough to try his luck with Cole than anything else.
Cole couldn't believe that son of a bitch for pulling that shit on her and having the balls to laugh in her face. Truth was, she was afraid. She had been absolutely terrified. All that kept running through her head was that the king's grandson was going to die in her hands. The future of Vegeta was going to die right in front of her. So long as Trunks was in her company, she was responsible for his safety, even at the cost of her own life. She couldn't believe that he would find something so deadly serious funny. She couldn't believe he'd worried her like that. For some strange reason, she felt the nagging urge to cry. Biting the inside of her cheek, she inhaled deeply to recollect herself. She reminded herself that a strong emotional reaction was normal after an extreme scare. She was not so weak. She was not weak.
"Cole." She heard Trunks's voice call behind her. Clenching her teeth together, she kept walking. "Cole, if you're going to leave, at least put this back on. You shouldn't be walking around without clothes on." As her teeth grit together, her jaw muscles beginning to ache with the pressure, she turned on him. Trunks stopped dead, half preparing for another attack from her. Cole closed the distance, stalking towards him.
"Be thankful I don't walk naked." She growled. "Should I walk naked? Should I take these off right here, right now?" She asked, tugging on the lacy garments still on her body.
"No. No!" Trunks answered, trying to look at her without looking at her. He could feel the red hot blush rush to his face, as well as other parts. He couldn't believe what she was doing. He was glad it was so dark. Where it lighter out, he had no doubt he would see everything. He was also glad to be holding her dress out in front of him. Even as dark as it was this far from the restaurant, he was very sure she would have seen everything otherwise.
"Then leave me alone. If you continue to follow me, I will strip everything off and walk around completely naked. I have no problem with nudity, so don't try to call my bluff. You will lose." She said, turning on her heel and stalking away once more.
Standing still, he watched her walk off into the night. Still holding her dress, he heaved a heavy sigh. How in the Fifth Realm of Hell did things come to this? Now she was probably going to leave Earth again, and there was no doubt in his mind it would be his fault. How could he possibly try to make amens for tonight when she refused to have anything to do with him? With another heavy sigh, he turned to go back to Chez Notre. He couldn't just leave Armas there like that. He'd eat with Armas, and maybe the kid could give him an idea how to fix this. Reaching the front of Chez Notre, one of the valets spoke up.
"Damn man, you look like hell. Your lady's one hell of an explosive little firecracker."
"Yeah, man. I don't even know guys that punch like that." Added another.
"Oh, but that body! I'd take a punch for that, too." Piped up a third.
"Hey Trunks, if you don't want her, I'll take her." Grinned Sid, gently ribbing him.
Despite the split in his lip, Trunks grinned at Sid and the others. He felt the sudden urge to chuckle as he spoke to them. "You couldn't handle her."
The next morning, Trunks woke up early. The day before he had planned to go to the beach, but now he had different plans. First thing on his list was to find Cole and set things right. His conscience couldn't rest knowing she was upset with him. He supposed it was the bane of being a nice guy. The night before, Armas had given him some advice that he'd found rather ludicrous. However, Armas had assured him it would work. Trunks would have to challenge her to a fight. Sometimes a duel between two Saiyans was the only way to settle an argument. Whoever won the fight, won the argument, and the other had to acknowledge that. It wasn't a fight to the death necessarily as it was a fight to prove a point. There were no rematches, just one bout to settle things for good. That meant if the Saiyan that said the sky was red won the fight against the other that said it was blue, then the loser would have to admit the Red Sky Saiyan was right and end the argument. It wasn't so much about being right and wrong as it was settling bad blood.
That meant all he had to do was find her, challenge her, and let her vent her frustrations so they could put this whole thing behind them. Whether he won or lost, it wouldn't matter. Either way they'd settle last night and she'd have to forgive him. Now, the only problem was finding someone he couldn't sense. He had been up just long enough to get cleaned and ready for the day. Now he was headed downstairs to see if he could get lucky any run into her. Of course, fate wasn't on his side as he made it all the way into the kitchen without seeing her. His mother was sitting at the table with her coffee mug looking over some sort of paperwork. He'd assumed it was one of her latest projects, but he felt obligated to ask. His mother always lowed to elaborate on the genius of her latest work.
"Whatcha got there, mom?" He asked, opening the cupboard to grab himself a coffee mug. He noticed that his mother was taking a long time to answer, so he brought the coffee pot over to the table as he poured so he could look over her shoulder.
"Some very complicated math and detailed instructions." His mother replied blandly, shaking her empty coffee cup at him without taking her eyes off the paperwork. Trunks took the hint and filled her cup as well. Replacing the coffee pot, he returned to the table with the cream and sugar. Adding them to his and his mother's cup, he studied the paperwork over his mother's shoulder as he quietly stirred the cups.
"What's it for?" Trunks asked, curious as his mother's odd behavior. She almost seemed confused.
"A ship." Bulma said, taking a careful sip from her mug. "Actually, to be specific it's for a pod." She corrected, blowing a bit on her coffee. "Cole gave these to me earlier. She wants me to design her a ship."
"Cole gave that to you?" Trunks asked, looking over the pages and pages of numerical data and part descriptions. Bulma only nodded. "What's the problem?" He asked, knowing his mother wasn't quite acting right.
"I told her I could do it no problem." Bulma began, shaking her head a bit as she spoke. "But frankly I don't understand it. Her math is extremely..." Bulma paused, searching for the right words, "beyond me." She added, pointing to the page. "I've never even seen some of these symbols." Trunks wasn't sure what to say to that. It wasn't often Bulma Briefs had to admit that she didn't understand something. "I could always show these to my father, but if he doesn't know either, I'm going to have to ask Cole to explain it to me." Trunks could almost see her pride cringe at the thought.
"Well, if it's Saiyan construction, then there's a chance that dad might know what it means." Trunks added helpfully.
That was the point when Bulma popped out of her seat so quickly that she almost knocked her head against Trunks's jaw. A bit surprised, Trunks stood there stupidly as his mother squished his cheeks between her hands and gave him a big, wet kiss on the cheek. "You're a genius, Trunks." She beamed. "That's how I know you're my baby!" She added cheerfully, gathering up the papers and running out the back door. She was headed for the GR. Chuckling at how his mother could be so excitable sometimes, Trunks slid into her abandoned chair with his mug of coffee. He had his own mystery to solve at the moment. How in the Fifth Realm of Hell was he going to find someone with no ki reading that didn't want to be found by him? Maybe Armas would have another solution.
C.S.-
"Wow! Chapter 25! I'm so excited. The plot thickens. Oh, and sorry I kinda lied. I said I would explain what happened to Yera in this chapter, but I didn't realize it would be this long this quickly. I suppose she'll just have to be in the next chapter. Can't think of much else to say except a special thanks once again to Vladegurl for your faithful and encouraging reviews. You hold a special place in my heart and your shrine holds a special place in the back of my closet."