Of Moons and Tales
Chapter Twenty-Five
Leta smiled despite the pain in her jaw as she sashayed up to the redheaded saiyan. Annya looked up from the maps she was trying to use to pinpoint any information the teams sent back. The question was unspoken as she raised her eyebrow at the younger saiyan.
"I won," Leta said proudly.
"Your face lost," Annya replied dryly.
"A worthy sacrifice, I won."
"But was it worth the actual price this victory could cost you?" Annya asked.
There was a lot more to that question. Despite the fact that no one else was in the room to hear it (because Annya had politely chased them out for her own sanity) the real question hadn't been asked. Not that Leta needed to hear the fifty questions underneath the singular one to understand.
"It's good business to risk for future gains." Leta shrugged, " Consider it an investment."
"Or an early retirement," the redhead continued in a dry tone.
Leta just waved her hand, dispelling her concerns. "Leta reporting in! No Tuffle activity sighted."
Annya let out a deep breath as she rolled her eyes beneath semi-closed eyelids. "That is less than helpful. Was your attention actually on the signs...or was it on the fight you just had with him? Because, let me remind you, if we can't find the Tuffles this planet is lost. Finding another world like this will be...difficult. Especially since there will be so much baggage to carry around, as you call it."
"At least the trash'll take itself out." Leta shrugged, "One less bag to worry about."
"We're not leaving him on a dead planet, Leta," Annya shook her head.
"I never said that."
"Bulma hasn't fixed his mode of transportation. Nor will she have the time with everything going on right now," the older saiyan explained slowly, as though talking to a child. "We're currently the only ones with working pods. If he refuses to come with us because of an argument you kindled, that would be akin to us leaving him on a dead planet."
"If transport is such an issue, where would we put the luggage?"
"There are plenty of ships that cross this quadrant. One of them would be easy enough for the two of us to take."
"Who's taking what?" Trunks asked as he came back in, Gohan following shortly behind him.
"Annya's gonna commit grand theft auto." Leta informed them cheerfully.
"Technically it's piracy," the redhead remarked. "It wouldn't just be the vehicle we'd need to deal with."
"In other words - Murder," Gohan said simply; he was not amused.
"Crimes!" Leta squealed with joy.
And that pulled another sigh and eye roll from the scientist. She looked at the two teenagers for a moment, weighing her options.
"Report?"
"...what?" Trunks asked as he stared at her like she'd grown another head.
"Dead animals." Gohan frowned, "A lot of them."
"Where?" Annya said as she motioned towards the maps sprawled out on the large table before her.
Gohan moved over, intent on showing her. Only Annya handed him the pen and stepped a noticeable amount of steps away from him. Not that the younger half saiyan noticed as he went about marking the places that he and Trunks have searched. Leta, however, was a bit more aware in her elated state.
"What's got you so happy?" Trunks raised an eyebrow at Leta's childish clapping.
"Don't-" Was all Annya could get out before Leta turned her toothy grin to the young man, showing him her bruised face.
"I won!" She cheered.
"Won what? Did you beat the Tuffles?!" Trunks asked with a budding smile.
His question got Gohan to look up from where he was marking on the map as well. An inhuman sound erupted from his horrified face at the sight of Leta's injury, the sound of mother hen mode activating.
"Who did that? What happened?" Gohan asked quickly.
"See that's the proper response, Trunks," Annya said as she shook her head; it was both amusing that even Gohan understood the dynamics better than Vegeta, but also she didn't want Leta to prance around with the topic any more than she had.
"It's obvious — I won," Leta restated. "I beat him."
"The Tuffle leader?!" Trunks tried again, ever the optimist.
"Nope!" Leta chirped, swaying side to side in a sing-song manner. "Someone's pissy~ They're not coming home~ He's throwing a bitch fit~"
"Who?"
Even this time, Gohan had to look at Trunks. The older teenager shook his head and just went right back to his maps. Well, they weren't his maps but they were better than trying to explain to Trunks that his dad and Leta were the subjects in question. He had enough of his own family drama to deal with...or ignore. Ignoring it until everything went away sounded pretty good to be honest.
"Trunks."
"Hmm?"
"Go find your father. And take the smart one with you. He's going to burn holes in my maps with how intently he's ignoring you," Annya said as she pointed towards Gohan.
Trunks pouted, not catching why he was being ignored and insulted. "Why my father?"
"He's your sire, you deal with him. Or I do it my way and no one will be happy," Annya said in a plain tone.
Trunks glanced between the other three before slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Whatever, let's go Gohan."
"Hmm?" Gohan looked up with wide, innocent eyes to the young half saiyan...who looked his own age. "Why me?"
"Hmmm, not as convincing, work harder." Leta tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed as she critiqued him.
In the otherworld, a familiar man jumped around various different levels of the afterlife. Needless to say it was without the permission of all the powers that be. Unfortunately, Goku had never been very good with authority. He was respectful, sure, but only for as long as he could pay attention. Which wasn't that long if it wasn't about fighting all things considering. This time though he made a serious effort to keep his focus on the task at hand.
While everyone was collecting information on Earth about the Tuffles and their movements, he was trying to find out everything he could about them in the afterlife. So far he hadn't gotten much, leading to the pout on his face as he floated over the Blood Fountain with his legs crossed.
"If I were a Tuffle…where would I be…?" Goku asked himself aloud.
"Hell, obviously. Though why any Saiyan worth his tail would be looking for one is the true question, my dear."
Goku turned to look to see where the voice was coming from. There was a woman, much smaller than him, walking closer. She looked familiar somehow but he just couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen her before.
"Hell? Huh, I thought I was in HFIL," Goku mused.
"Same place darling." She said, waving her hand as if to dispel a thought. "Whatever are you looking for one of those awful creatures for? A strong boy like yourself surely has better things to do with your time."
"Well, I mean, other than training…" Goku trailed off before remembering his manners. He touched back down on the ground to be polite. Even still, he was practically a whole other person taller than her. "Hi! My name is Goku!"
"Oh you sweet thing," The woman cooed as she stepped closer. She tapped his chest lighting, urging him to bend down a bit, at which point she began to pet his hair. "There isn't a single Saiyan here who doesn't know who you are. However, good manners should be returned in kind I suppose."
With that, she stepped back, held her hands out to her sides and gave a graceful tilt of her head.
"I am Asabi, the honor is mine, young Goku." She gave him a coy smile, "Now, however may I assist you?"
"Oh! Ummm, do you know a Tuffle? Have you seen a Tuffle? Are you a Tuffle?" Goku glanced around the woman, noting her Saiyan tail. "No, not a Tuffle. Oh! Do you know anything about the Tuffles? Gosh this is hard, I should have asked the girls what they looked like."
"My goodness, you are a curious one!" Asabi laughed, a sound not unlike the blade of a knife. "I can't say I know too terribly much."
Goku wilted a bit, he'd been looking for days with no luck.
"However, I do know someone you simply must meet! Oh darling, you remind me of him! Oh I just know you'll get along swimmingly!" She insisted as she grabbed his arm by the elbow and began to walk away.
Goku looked around, seemingly helplessly, as the tiny woman started to pull him along. Not that he put up any sort of fight as she dragged him through HFIL. It was actually hard to tell how far they'd gone seeing as everything looked the same. But by the time that they'd gotten where she wanted, Goku was pretty sure he knew more about her than he ever wanted to know. She hadn't said a word though.
"Oh, I know he's around here somewhere," Asabi said with a hint of a pout as she looked around.
"Who?" Goku asked.
Right before something connected with his jaw.
"I've been expecting you!" Came a deep baritone as Goku was sent flying.
Managing to land on his feet despite the shock, Goku turned around to find a man who could have been his twin, if Goku himself were darker skinned and had scars. And a tail. And was actually more Saiyan like than he was. But it wasn't Turles, thankfully. The man who punched him was smiling, eyes filled with pride. Though...it was almost like there was something missing on his head.
"Wonderful! I just knew you two would hit it off splendidly!" Asabi gave a little clap, congratulating herself. "Babykins! Where are you? You simply must meet Kakarot!"
"What's going on?" Goku rubbed his face, confused.
After all...there was no Gohan for this look-a-like to steal to try and coerce him to do something. And they were already dead so...he was kind of running out of reasons for why this person decided to punch him.
"Oh dear! Where are my manners!" Asabi looked back at him with the widest eyes he'd ever seen on a human shape, a finger poised next to her lip in thought. "Goku, it is my esteemed honor to introduce Commander Bardock, a dear friend of my husband's and your father!"
"I have a father?!" Goku asked with eyes nearly as wide as Asabi.
"You sweet thing, of course you do!" She chirped. "And a mother as well I would hope, but yes! Bardock is your father! I just knew you had to meet him!"
"I told her it would happen," Bardock grumbled under his breath as he cast a 'I told you so' look at the small saiyan woman. "You're shorter than I expected."
Goku's mouth fell open, but then instead of typical saiyan rage, Goku just laughed. Bardock looked at his son with an eyebrow raised, arms crossed, and a smirk. There was a lot they'd missed out on.
"Come on, let's go get a drink," Bardock said, turning his back to his son.
"That's a bad idea, I'm not allowed to drink." Goku pouted.
Without turning around, the gruff saiyan simply said, "Too bad. Do it anyways."
With a shrug, Goku followed him. Chichi always said that sons should listen to their fathers...even though she was one of the people that told him he was never allowed to drink…
Watching the pair for a moment longer, Asabi then turned her attention towards a towering figure in the distance, the most satisfied cheshire smile on her face.
Somewhere in the far reaches of the galaxy, there was a yawn that put the fear of god into people's hearts.