Yo! Son Goku and friends! Saiyan Saga (Chapter 29)
1st Night, 0 Dragon Balls
Yamcha and Bulma walked the grassy trail to a white dome of an abode. The main house had a branching brown compartment and a bright red mailbox. A small shack sat alone to the left of the house and possessed a blue roof.
Yamcha cleared his throat as he put his hands in the back pockets of his black jeans. He was wearing a tight white long sleeve t-shirt that showed off his chest and the guns a little. He wore very high-key white moccasins that completed the basic colour scheme. Bulma was also maining white, her bright blazer donning the colour and completing it with white shorts. She wore a deep blue undershirt that matched her socks. She was also sporting red globe-like earrings and white shoes.
"Sooooooooo? We're not going any further right?" Yamcha posited with a dash of goofiness.
"Nope."
"Right." He responded with a clearing of the throat, bringing his right hand out of his pocket and coughing into it while turning his head to the shack on the left.
The not-going-any-further-couple went further and marched to the front door. Bulma knocked assertively 4 times and waited for the response. Soon enough Chi-Chi answered the door with her hair up in a messy black bun.
"Hi Bulma!"
"Hey Chi-Chi." She met her amicably with a warm hug.
Chi-Chi averted her gaze to Yamcha and made no secrets with her facial expression.
"You know I don't like him." She pulled Bulma in for a whisper.
"I know, I know, but give him a chance. He was the one that rallied for your husband at the 23rd."
"Not for me Bulma." She made it clear, making solemn eye contact. "For you, don't mess around with him. I can handle him just fine, I just don't want him breaking your poor old heart again."
"We're not-" She broke eye contact and looked at Yamcha, he met hers quickly. He glanced away and started whistling goofily.
"Ohh~" She brought a hand to cover her mouth dramatically. "Good for you, but why is he here?"
"We were gonna go look for the Dragon Balls."
"Ahhh, I heard from him as well but that doesn't answer my question." She took a back step and put her hands on her hips.
"We wanted to know if Gohan wanted to come with us."
"Really? But isn't that dangerous?"
"Not with Yamcha around."
Chi-Chi gave her a hard no with her body language.
"I know you don't believe it Chi-Chi but Yamcha is stronger than Goku was last year."
"Hmmmm."
"I just want Gohan to experience the thrill this world and the Dragon Balls have to offer. And I KNOW he'd really like it." She grabbed onto the widow's hands firmly.
Chi-Chi looked to the ground lost in thought.
"How about this? We look up some places on the internet to visit, we do some sight-seeing, and you can quiz him on the locations when he gets back."
Chi-Chi warmed up a lot to the idea.
"Now this is why I like you Bulma, you're so smart and understanding. Come on in, I've got some tea brewing."
"Real shit?"
Chi-Chi looked to Yamcha with the stink-eye of gods.
"My bad, I won't say that around the little man."
"That's right." She turned around in a huff and led Bulma in by her hands.
The house was humble, brown wood nicely laid out on the floor, the roof, the tables, the chairs, the walls. It was cozy, a warm feeling came over Yamcha and Bulma immediately. This was the type of home you could take a shit in and mean it. Bulma sat down across from Yamcha who pulled his chair out a ways to stare at the teapot on the counter.
Yamcha turned around to look at the clock on the wall only to have Bulma brush through his hair. The Wolf looked back and they made intimate eye contact for only a brief moment. Yamcha swallowed hard and Bulma looked away first.
"I think you should trim it, the wild look looks a lot worse when you're not in your gi." She said sheepishly, turning her neck out like a bird.
"I dunno." He filed through the strands with his right and looked out at them. "I just don't think I could rock the short the same way I did back in the day."
"You don't think so?"
"GOHAN~ IT'S DINNER TIME!"
There was a pause.
"GOHAN, IT'S DINNER-TIME!"
Gohan rounded the corner with rosy cheeks, they embraced quickly before he looked at the not-going-any-further-couple.
"Bulma." Gohan bowed with respect.
"You're so cute, you know that?"
Gohan was definitely embarrassed, rosy cheeks way rosier.
"Uhm, I'm sorry mister. I remember you but not your name."
"Damn, my first impression sucked that much huh?"
Chi-Chi looked to The Wolf with some ferocity.
"Oh! My bad, name's Yamcha."
Gohan just looked around plainly and stuck out his hand for a shake. Bulma laughed and shook his hand with grace. He did the same for Yamcha who also complied. Gohan hopped up into one of the chairs only to not be quite tall enough. He wormed his tail into a coil and sat on top of it as his own mini-chair. Yamcha furrowed a brow before turning to Chi-Chi.
"You didn't cut his tail?"
"Ehhhhh~" She let out in a clearly thought-about sigh. She raised her spatula and then let it fall limply with sass. "You see-"
She stopped mid-way, sheathing the utensil in a compartment and putting the top of the pot back over and walked to the table.
"Like-" She motioned with her hands. "I don't want my child having a tail but on the other hand." She leaned in super close to whisper into Yamcha's ear. "That's like fucking barbaric isn't it?"
Yamcha kind of nodded a little to the side in agreeance with Chi-Chi.
"Right? Like… That's like cutting off Goku's dick isn't it? I now know he's an alien so you know? Like I'm his mom but that would be fucked up."
"Yeah yeah, I didn't think about it like that."
"I'm his mom, but that's not my call to make." She motioned with her hands again and walked back to the kitchen counter.
"Hey Gohan, where's the 4 star ball?"
"I lost it when that guy kidnapped me."
"Really?"
"I mean I'd guess it's still somewhere over there." He raised his child shoulders pretty goofily, the way only a child can.
Bulma nodded and the smell of good food filled her nostrils.
"Is that pasta?"
Chi-Chi nodded with a bit of solemnity as she winded around with the dish, cooking mitts on deck.
"I wasn't expecting guests so-" She stated as she laid down the plate of noodles, meatballs, spices and cheeses. There were various seasonings on the side of the table as she laid it down on a platter.
"No no it's no problem." She assured with her hands.
"I mean it looks like it would hit like crazy."
"They can have some of mine."
"Oh no Go~"
"You know what kid? I might just take you up on that." Yamcha pointed to Gohan with a cheeky smile.
Chi-Chi looked down with a bit of defeatism before she readied the plates. The three of them dug in, leaving Bulma in the dust. She looked to Yamcha, adding a bit of pressure with her stern eyes. She caught him mid slurp before he slid his plate over and scooted close to share. She grabbed a fork and went down to pierce a meatball.
"You're not gettin' that meatball." Yamcha teased as he parried her feeble attempt.
"I'm getting that meatball."
"Gohan, is Bulma getting this meatball?"
"I don't think she's getting that meatball."
"You're da-"
Chi-Chi's powerful maternal gaze counter-hit Yamcha mid sentence.
"-d-darn right."
Chi-Chi nodded slowly.
"I just want you to know that I let you get that meatball."
"Mmm-hmm."
Chi-Chi snickered a tad and Gohan looked around the room plainly.
"Oh! Gohan!" Bulma yelped. "Do you want to go search with the Dragon Balls for us? I never asked." She laughed out a bit at the absurdity.
Gohan nodded vigorously with a smile.
"Dad always said that searching for the Dragon Balls was the best time he ever had in his whole life! I really want to go! Mom, can I go?"
Chi-Chi nodded with a loving smile as she dabbed away some of the pasta sauce on his chubby cheeks.
"Ohp~" Gohan chirped. "I'm sorry for my poor manners." He bowed sincerely to both guests.
"It's okay Gohan, just try to remember for next time." Chi-Chi reassured as she brushed back his loose black hair.
"Whoa, you kinda got the cut little man! Are you gonna grow that out like a stallion?"
"Mom usually cuts it when it gets down to my shoulders so probably not." He scarfed down the rest of his food and chewed happily.
"Huh."
"So when are we going?"
Bulma looked to Chi-Chi and they meandered some unspoken words with their head movements until Chi-Chi nodded.
"Tomorrow."
Gohan hit a little fist pump all to himself and let loose his tail, reverting back to eyebrow level with the table.
"May I be excused please?"
"You may."
"The manners on this dude!"
Chi-Chi flexed a little bit with a smile and hand movements, acknowledging the comment. Gohan scooted his chair back and hopped on the floor, running back around the corner and vanishing to the unlit other room beyond the kitchen.
"So?"
"Oh! Uhmmm let me think…" Bulma put her index on her jaw and rested her head on it for a moment as she looked to the ceiling.
"I want Gohan to bed at 8 P.M. every night and awake by 6."
"We can do that." Yamcha replied quick as he leaned back in the chair.
"I've got capsule homes so don't worry we're not gonna rough it up in the wild."
"Good."
"Damn really? That's like the best part."
"What is with men being savages?"
"I've no idea honey." Chi-Chi responded with a small chuckle of laughter.
"What?" Yamcha questioned loudly with a raising of the hands and a goofy smile. "Wolf Fang Fist."
1st Day, 0 Dragon Balls
"We ready?" Yamcha raised a brow and looked to Bulma.
Bulma met The Wolf's gaze and looked back to the front door of Chi-Chi's residence. After a brief moment Gohan stepped out of the doorway with green overalls and a white undershirt. His hair had been cut short into a bowl cut.
"Awww, how cuuute!" Bulma cheered with joy, hands on her cheeks.
"You kiddin' me? That cut is whack!"
Gohan closed the door embarrassed and clung tightly to the straps of his backpack.
"Yamcha you had that cut when we were dating!"
"Yeah, that's how I know it's whack!"
"It's cute Gohan, don't listen to him."
Gohan swallowed hard and climbed into the yellow vehicle.
"Nah nah, listen to me little guy. You ain't gonna get no girls with that cut."
Bulma turned the key and the car revved to live, floating up in the air, causing dirt and debris to fly every which way. Chi-Chi scrambled out of the house in a hurry.
"Be careful Gohan!" She screamed from the grass, cupping her hands over her lips.
"I will!" He had a hard time yelling over the loud lift-off.
"Gohan's a cutie pie AND he has good manners, I think he's going to be swimming in it quite frankly."
"Sheesh you don't even wanna slow it down with the innuendos?"
"He's not gonna understand em'."
"Now I can say scumfucks." Gohan wiped his hands with the meticulousness of a supervillain, smiling wide and causing Yamcha to howl with laughter like never before.
"WHOA! WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING HIM BULMA!? Hagh-hagh-hagh!"
"I- uh…"
"PAUSE! I'M NOT LETTING THIS ONE SLIDE! Hagh-Hagh!"
"Uhm~" She laughed in bursts of uncontrollable giggles as she turned the vehicle around on a dime.
The trio blazed off in a yellow trail into the morning sun, Yamcha laughing like the world was gonna end the next day.
"Ahh, how sweet."
"I'm going to be sick."
"Look Beerus, just because you get no tail doesn't mean I can't think Bulma and Yamcha are cute together."
"Spare me, I've no need for thots in my busy lifestyle of godhood."
"So taking naps and announcing every time you need to relieve yourself of urine is what you call busy?"
"Why yes."
"Ah-hem."
The trio flew around for a while before retracing Gohan's steps with the yellow convertible. After parking above the farmlands Bulma fished out a small white device with a green screen. She clicked the top button and the scanlines around the area bipped in response as an orange dot showed up on the radar. Bulma scanned around and saw a farmhouse, she looked back down at the radar and nodded.
"Looks like the Dragon Ball is in that house!"
Yamcha leaped out before Bulma even started descending and walked plainly over to the door, hands in his pockets. He knocked with vigour as Bulma and Gohan touched down behind him. The silence was broken by a homely voice yelling from yonder.
"Now wait just a second! Hold on Remi!"
"Whaf!" A dog whoofed with indignation.
The door swung wide open and the man stood across from Yamcha and fixed his glasses.
"Howdya' do?"
"Uhh, hey! I'm looking for a ball with stars in it? Would you happen to know anything about it?"
Gohan and Bulma filed in behind Yamcha.
"That ball is a gift my dad gave me and I lost it around here somewhere."
"Didya' child? I was holdin' onto somethin' likeya' described. What a coincidence! Come on in, I don't git visitors much."
The trio walked in to the rustic home, bricks dotted the whole home, firm carpets overlaying the rougher flooring.
"I'm not gonna lie dude, I kinda fuck with your style."
"Say whut now?"
"Oh, I just like your home pops. Pretty old school."
"Whelp." He fixed his straw hat and grabbed onto the straps of his overalls. "It ain't much but it gits the job done."
"It is nice." Bulma reassured as she looked at the oil paintings on the wall.
"Well shoot, thankya."
The four of them walked into the living room, 1 rocking chair and a couch in a pit across from a television with a fireplace built into the wall to the right of the seating arrangements.
"Now you three just stay right there."
"You got it, boss." Yamcha beamed as he flopped onto the couch in a dramatic display.
"What's that?" Gohan asked as he pointed to an object plastered on the wall.
"Oh." Bulma kind of let out surprised. "Uhm, that's a shotgun."
"What does a shotgun do?"
"It uhh~" She kind of looked to Yamcha to finish the statement, he shrugged and closed his eyes. "Fuckin~ Yamcha." She ruminated before speaking. "It's for shooting and hurting things."
"Oh. Is it bad to have one?"
"Well no, not necessarily. It's to protect yourself."
"Oh." He looked to the shotgun on the wall curiously, his tail wavering slightly.
The man walked back with the orb and all of it's 4 star glory.
"Here you go buddy."
"Thank you mister.' Gohan bowed with deep respect at the hand-off.
"It's Glenn."
"I'm Gohan, nice meeting you." Gohan stuck out his hand sharply, causing Glenn to smile wide genuinely.
The pair shook hands and Bulma rifled through her purse, Glenn put his hands up defensively.
"No no no, I couldn't."
She pulled out the wad of cash anyway.
"I insist."
"But that's the boy's ball, not mine."
"Well then…" She paused for a moment. "Just think of it as payment for holding on to it."
"I couldn't, really."
"My treat."
She asserted some dominance by folding his hands over the cash some.
"Don't worry, I'm serious. I really do have a lot of money, this is nothing and I want to show my gratitude."
"Well, I guess I can't say no to a mother's kindness."
"Whuf."
Bulma blushed a bit before answering.
"I'm not a mom., heh-heh." She brushed her nape sheepishly.
"Oh?"
"I'm just a family friend." Gohan shrugged.
"M-my mistake."
"It was nice meeting you, Glenn." Bulma waved as she took Gohan by the hand.
Yamcha hopped up off the couch and patted him on the shoulder in a drive-by before hitting an index and middle finger salute. Glenn just laughed out lightly as the trio exited into the green pastures before shutting the door.
"Whuf."
"You're right Remi, they were nice." He filed through the zeni, only to have his eyes almost fly out of their sockets at the ludicrous amount. "That gold ball must grant you eternal life or somethin' cuz whooo-wee~ Gotdamn!"
1st Day, 1 Dragon Ball
The scenery of grassy highlands fell away into the rustic view of mountain tops which in turn fell away into the more urban grey designs of a cityscape. Gohan looked out with wide eyes, hanging over the open door frames of the yellow convertible. The city looked to be naturally defended by the mountainous climate.
"Damn, I've never been to North City. This place is actually pretty dope!"
The car breezed by an old balding gentleman in a lab coat. He walked with a rust-green cane adorned with a dragon-like carving at it's top. He looked to the car with a scowl and meandered his way around the cliff side.
"Okay grandpa!" Yamcha hyped up the man to the others in the car. "He's walking the steps at his age? TELL THE PEOPLE!"
The man shook his head and kept walking his path.
"Don't be a dick." Bulma backhanded his shoulder very lightly.
"Awh come on. Am I supposed to just let him continue his trek with no motivation?"
"I just don't think he needed your vibes."
"Were my vibes off Gohan? Gohan?"
The little boy looked to the mountain-locked city with astounding intrigue. There was a massive floating airship in the sky that caught Gohan's attention immediately.
"What is that?"
"Uhh~" Bulma let out slack-jawed. "Yeah what is that thing?" She pondered.
"That's a mollywhopper for sure, should we-"
Bulma stalled the car and rifled through her pants pocket for the radar. She clicked the top nod of the device and it displayed:
Altitude:
at the top. It shifted axis and the scanlines of the radar showed the orange blip above them.
"No kidding." She looked up at the ship far in front of them. "I think it's in there."
"Hah! Are you suggesting we go steal it?"
"Bitch I'm a billionaire, I can just buy that hoe."
"Suit yourself, princess." Yamcha replied as he leaned back lackadaisical, reclining the seat as he went.
Bulma's look changed dramatically and her face scrunched up in thought.
"Is pod still around? No, right?" She ruminated, finger on her cheek. "No!" She slammed her right fist down into her left palm like a gavel. "The reason pod's still going is because they're out here."
Yamcha lifted an eyelid before going back to rest, turning his back to Bulma.
"Bulma, what are you talking about?"
"Pod Corporation, they've been like the only form of competition with our brand. I thought they were bought out but I think I'm misremembering."
"What's Pod Corporation?"
"Well they deal with capsules too, only they call em' pods."
"Oh."
Bulma nodded and turned her focus to the steering wheel. She hit the gas and zoomed around the city with some fervor. Other cars in the sky zoomed out of the way in her wake.
"Hey kid."
"Yeah?"
"Tell me if you see a big building that says Pod Corporation."
"Gotcha'." Gohan's brow furrowed and he went into detective mode, scanning the landscape even harder than he had been.
Bulma drove around the city for a while before Gohan called out loudly, pointing at a skyscraper of a building.
"Bulma! I think that's it!"
She squinted for a moment, tongue-in-cheek.
"Good eye, kid!" She replied with enthusiasm, whipping the car around on a dime, almost causing Yamcha to fly out the car.
"Whoa!"
"I always tell you to put your seatbelt on!"
"Girl I can fly now! I don't need this whip!"
Bulma came to a steaming stop, almost flinging The Wolf out into an arc and onto the street below. She pressed a button on the console and the car started descending in a slow crawl downwards.
Zyooooooooooow~
Yamcha smoothly caught the glass of the windshield, his feet on the hood of the car, a sly smile across his face as onlookers eyed him, impressed at the athletic feat.
"I work out."
"Oh wowww, my husband could never do that." A lady from a gaggle of women called out, causing her other ladies to snicker.
"Did you see that shit? That was crazy. Crackhead energy." A deep chocolate coloured man joked to his friends before they broke out in hollers.
"Yamcha."
The Wolf raised a brow and met her eye contact.
"I'm probably gonna ruffle a few feathers, can you do your job?"
"What?" He laughed out a bit.
She just focused her eye contact, not of malice or sarcasm but of plain earnestness.
"Oh! Yeah, I won't let anyone touch you guys."
"Good." She turned the keys and pulled them out in a tight motion. "Come on Gohan."
The boy hopped out the whip in a wide arc, his tail wavering valiantly as he landed.
"Man that boy got hops! And a tail! What~"
"Wuchu' mean? Girrrrl shoot." The two nicely dressed black ladies strutted the sidewalk like it were the runway and laughed at the absurdity of it all.
The trio met up and Bulma put out her hand for Gohan to hold. Gohan accepted and they walked toward the building.
"So what's up with this place?"
"Pod Corp. was Capsule Corp.'s like ONLY rival back in the day. Now we own most of the market, I can't hide who I am, they'll know right when I walk through the door. I just want to see if they're actually stupid enough to say they're the ones with their name on the ship."
"So you think they made it?"
"Oh I know they did, whether or not they'll say so is what's up for grabs here."
"The Dragon Ball?"
"Hehhhh~ That could be complicated." She winced and looked at Yamcha with an actual air of weakness.
Yamcha punched his left with his right dramatically.
"The Bulma I know doesn't give up when the odds are whack."
"Hehhhh, thanks Yamcha."
"Nothin' to thank, I'm just telling you the truth."
The trio walked into the rotating doorway and were eclipsed in the ocean of executives, randoms, suits, and clients that the large building was full of.
A single man on call from across the room absolutely sniped Bulma.
"Hold on, Newman. Bulma is fucking here and I'm not kidding."
There was a pause as he held the finger to his earpiece even tighter as the pressure of the atmosphere and cacophony of noise made it difficult to think.
"No, I'm not kidding. I'm dead fucking serious, why would I joke about that?"
People brushed up against him as the passerby passed by, he thought long and hard with tongue in cheek.
"Bring her in? Are YOU kidding ME? Oh my god."
He paced around frantically in one full rotation.
"I'm~ WHAT!?"
A few people looked to him with raised brows as they went on with their business.
"You're fucking crazy I just want you to know that."
He hung up a nervous wreck, mouthing terrible insults as he stomped over to the blue haired executives location. He wore a scowl that would scare the devil into submission as he practically shoved the civilians out of his way..
"Hiiii~" He said in the most faux-nicety of all time, code-switching like a champ and grabbing the hand of Bulma in an assertive display of business practice.
"Hello-heh-heh."
"I'm the shareholder of Pod Corporation, it's an absolute honour to meet you Mrs. Brief, really." He showed a little too much of his teeth to be convincing.
"Wow, he's nice." Yamcha commented sincerely, looking like a dumbass, Gohan just not even coming close to paying attention.
"Chairman Newman would love to see you, I know your schedule must be air-tight but-"
"Yeah I'd be delighted." Bulma shot back with the same energy. "I've gotten ahead of myself, what's your name sir?"
"Call me Antiq." He smiled suave through his bright whites, they contrasted harshly with his youthful tan brown skin. "Is this your entourage?" He motioned with a wave of a hand at the buff man and the kid with a tail.
"Yes, this is my bodyguard and a-" She paused for the right words.
"Gohan."
"Oh."
"This is my friend's child."
"Hmm, well. Nice to meet you Gohan." He stuck out his hand for a shake which Gohan met easily.
"Hi I'm Yamcha."
"Nice to meet you as well, sir."
"Hagh!" Yamcha laughed out in a yelp as he shook hands.
"Right this way." He led invitingly with a wave of the hand before he parted the sea of people and mosied on through to the elevator.
The quartet piled in and he pressed dominantly on the top floor icon on the panel to the right. Gohan looked around the room with wide eyes before getting spooked by the movement from below. He marveled at the see-through floor.
"Whoa~"
"Yeah that is pretty neat." Yamcha commented as he put his hands on his hips.
Antiq tapped on his watch and furrowed his brow sharply. Bulma looked at him with a bit of doubt. He covered his tracks with a tug of his tie and a sly smile but Bulma still stared daggers. After what seemed like an eternity the elevator reached the top and the shareholder led the way once more. The blue haired executive eyed sharply at all the goings on around her in the building, people talking about various things she couldn't hear through the glass, shuffling all about with files and pods in their hands.
Antiq continued his well mannered strides until they reached the very back of the room, a nicely furnished wood divider and glass separated the office from the rest of the floor. A demanding silver plaque commanded attention on the front door as Antiq opened it for the trio.
"My days, is that Bulma I see?"
"It is." Bulma replied with a bit of skepticism but still trying to maintain her frame. "Hello ."
Newman shook Bulma's hands with both of his, wearing a wide corporate smile almost like a superhero.
"Please Bulma, call me Fresh."
"Sorry, Fresh."
Newman sat down with gusto and clasped his hands together.
"Well what are you in for my dear? I just know your time is valuable so why are you blessing me with it?"
"Well Fresh, I'm looking for an orange orb that has stars on it."
"Huh?" He looked genuinely perplexed.
Yamcha was taken aback by the directness. Gohan just walked over to the window and looked outside. Antiq filed back into the room with some coffee and took a long drain from the mug.
"If you don't know anything about that, no biggie but I came here for this next question."
"And that is?"
"That your bird in the sky?" Bulma pointed to the airship floating above the city.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I was just wondering, it's a good craft. Capsule Corp. hasn't been able to craft ships as big as that with our resources spread through to so many types of products."
"Is that a flex I'm hearing Bulma?" He joked with his bright whites shining.
Bulma looked back to him and a smile kind of came out of her reflexively. The more Bulma talked to Newman the less fake his smile appeared almost as if this dude really did like what he was doing just as she does.
"No no, just a statement. You guys do good work, that's why you're still around."
"Hmm." Newman mused as he stood up, walking over to lean near the window and peer out at the airship. "How does Bulma know about the Dragon Balls. What the hell?"
"Do you mind if we took a look around the ship?"
"Not at all."
He minded the most anyone had ever minded about anything.
2nd Night, 1 Dragon Ball
The sunny afternoon light had faded away into the orange and purple hues of dusk as Newman and the trio stepped off of a smaller ship and onto the hangar of the titanic hulk that was the ship above North City.
Far away from the hangar stood two people, a man and a woman. A large green touchscreen laid in the middle of the control panel with a wide radar. It scanned in one rotation and bipped for 2 orange circles.
"No shit." The enormous man of insane stature looked down before turning back to the other.
She grabbed a navy blue helmet off the table next to the 2 star Dragon Ball and attempted to put it on just as the man called out.
"Hasky."
"So am I grabbing the ball now or?"
The massive hulking man with a cybernetic eye tapped on the keyboard and brought up a screen of the 4 of them walking into the bay area.
"Newman's with em' so-"
"Don't fuck with em'?"
"Probably not."
She nodded and then put the helmet back on the table, falling into a bean bag, her voluminous platinum blonde hair waved up beautifully as she sat down. She brought out the side arm from her side and examined the Magnum. She looked at the barrel before sticking out the chamber and spinning it.
Kt-zzzzzzzzt. Ka-clik.
She let her head fall backwards, bored, and looked to the ceiling longingly.
"Why am I after these lousy Dragon Balls again? There's no way you'd actually get a wish from these stupid things. At least the money's good I guess." She wondered to herself as the large man watched on from the monitor.
Bulma walked around studiously, scanning the area, chrome hallways and workers nodding to Newman as they went about their business on the ship. Yamcha stretched out his shoulders and arms to the chrome ceiling with a yawn. Bulma made one quick observation before asking:
"Is there a bathroom on this thing?"
"Of course, down the hallway over there is a bathroom."
Bulma waved off and ran down the hallway in a light jog. Yamcha raised a brow and looked over at Newman before he shrugged his shoulders.
"So-" Newman interjected.
"Hmm?"
"Are you Bulma's bodyguard?"
"Something like that." He looked longingly down the hallway as he replied.
"What is the Capsule Corporation willing to pay for escorting such an important figure head?"
"Don't ask me bro, she didn't pay me shit. The bitch." He put his hands on his hips in a sassy manner, a sly smile as he turned around to face the Pod Corp. CEO.
Newman couldn't help but stifle a laugh at the crudeness of the response. Gohan started wandering off, eyes wide at all the impressive technology before him.
"Yo Gohan! Don't go wandering off!" He yelled down the corridor.
"I won't!" He yelled back before immediately doing what he said he wouldn't.
"Gah… I'm too young to be a father bruh." He said with a sigh as he jogged to chase him down.
Newman stood there, eyes fixed on the bathroom door. He furrowed his brow sharply.
"I'm being paranoid." Newmen let out loud as he combed back his wavy light brown hair with both hands.
He stared down the hallway again with the same vigour.
"It's Bulma, from Capsule Corp." He kept to himself. "And she is asking about the Dragon Ball, I'm definitely not paranoid."
Newman stormed down the hallway and looked back behind him to make sure Yamcha wasn't there.
He wasn't
"Phuuuuu~" Newman breathed out in a harsh breath. "These are grounds to sue for sexual harassment, I better not be wrong about this!" He screamed in his inner mind as he entered the ladies bathroom in a hurry.
"That Bitch!" He also made sure to keep to himself as he saw the door to the ventilator on the floor and definitely not on the ceiling.
Bulma clicked on the top node of the radar and moved her tongue around in her cheek as she checked.
"I unfortunately have to go out on an assumption and assume they don't have cameras in the ventilation. I saw them in the hallways so I couldn't just get the Dragon Ball unless I was covert about it." She blinked rapidly before realising.
"I didn't close the ventilation." She looked back down the chrome hall before turning around again. "Fuck it, I'm wasting time."
She clicked the node again only for it to beam deathly close to her.
"There's no way, I definitely have enough time." She thought cockily, a smirk sweeping across her face.
She peered through the ventilation only to see a buff orange man scratch his head.
"Is that?" He declared with loose lips and a pointer finger.
The man turned around harshly towards Bulma's location. She hid away just in time before the man looked back.
"Is the Dragon Ball in the ventilation?"
"Don't ask me Muscles." Husky shot back with low energy, eyes closed.
"You got me fucked up if the Dragon Ball is in the ventilation." He complained loudly as he stomped over to the vent on the bottom of the floor in the back.
Bulma's eyes widened as she tried her best to scurry back in the restricting movement of the duct. The man pried off the vent with a chrome claw-hand like it was nothing and peered down. He looked the other way at first before turning around and scanning Bulma with his piercing red electronic eye.
"Who's bitch this is!?"
"AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! YAMCHAAAAAAAA!"
The ventilation muffled and warped the echoing sounds but Yamcha still knew what was up, turning his head to the ceiling like an alert dog. He palmed Gohan's shirt and looked feverishly.
"Gohan, stay with me!"
Gohan nodded nervously and got close to Yamcha's leg. The cries rang out again and The Wolf leaped into the air with style, can-can kicking up at the metal paneling above, He judged the distance with his right and absolutely pried open the thick metal plating with the follow-through from his left. Yamcha caught the lip of the floor he just kicked in and motioned for Gohan to grab his hand.
Gohan swallowed hard and backed away to gather some power for a run up. The little monkey-boy leaped with open arms and latched onto Yamcha and swung as he was launched into the room above. Yamcha hopped up quick and busted down the door in front of them with a thrust kick of legends, gyrating his shoulders in the wolf-shudder.
Bulma had already been taken hostage, firm in the grasp of a giant man with a claw hand. He palmed the 4 star ball with his off hand and eyed it curiously. Before he could really react Hasky had a gun trained on the new entrant. Her brows raised and she whistled.
"Uhh~" Yamcha let out dumbly before Hasky cocked back the revolver.
Yamcha let loose and dashed lightning-fast at the orange beast, right roundhousing him in the jaw and slamming him into the monitor, cracking it quite ferociously and causing it to dilate in all manner of colours. Yamcha snatched the Dragon Ball as it fell out of his hand and brushed Bulma behind his back as he sidled around the blonde woman with a gun.
"No way, you're pretty boy."
"Huh?" Yamcha questioned as he eyed the 2 star on the table.
"You're that bitch that tried to steal my boyfriend at Dream Land!" Bulma declared with a pointed finger.
"Ah-hah-hah." She laughed limply. "See you do remember, got my ass beat by a kid. Can you believe that? How embarrassing."
Yamcha continued his position shifting and meandered back over to the door to pick up Gohan. As Yamcha put his hand on Gohan, a well-armoured man with a rifle stomped through the hallway and pointed his gun right at the not-going-any-further-couple's backs.
"Bulma!" Gohan pointed a finger and hopped up and down with the enthusiasm and sincerity only a child can have. "That scumfuck's got a shotgun!"
Ch-Chk! KA-KOWW!
Bulma's life flashed before her eyes as the pellets came crawling her way.
"I'm gonna die~"
Yamcha's eyes drew white tron-lines as he palmed the spread of bullets in their entirety. Bulma was stunned and her heart beat out of her chest as she looked at Yamcha's animal-like scowl. Yamcha's ears perked as he heard the squealing of metal due to the orange goliath standing up. He maintained focus on the gunman's rifle and slashed it clean with a right claw.
The Wolf of the Wasteland turned around and hoisted both Bulma and Gohan over his shoulders in an action-hero manner. Bulma's mind was flying at a mile a minute as Yamcha juked Hasky, grabbed the other Dragon Ball, ducked the round she fired, spun around the orange goliath, kicked off the wall to avoid his claw-hand, and drop kicked through the window of the ship.
Fmp. Fwuf! KOMM! Fwf! Twang! Fuu! Tup~Tup-CRSHH!
"YAMCHA!" Bulma cried with tears in her eyes.
The Wolf of the Wasteland broke out from the fall and into a fly.
"WHA-HA-HHAT!?" Bulma screamed out skeptical.
"Yeah, I wasn't lying."
"What the hell Yamcha!?"
The Wolf tore through the air and it whistled loudly as he clung to his partners with all his might.
"What about the car!?"
"Fuck the car! I'm faster than it anyway! My job is to protect you two, NOT to fight, remember!?"
Yamcha's animalistic eye contact as he shouted turned her on way more than she wanted it to, seeing as there was a child just inches away.
"Bu~bu-"
"Is the radar or the Dragon Ball in there!?"
"No!"
"Then there's no problem!"
"But my bag's in there!"
Yamcha frowned heavily before he touched down with the pair. He dashed like mad, incomparably faster on the ground than he was in the air. His feet picked up from the pavement and sidewalks like they had a long-standing rivalry. He sprinted with reckless abandon, kicking up the winds to the passerby, accidentally spilling the drink of some random suited man.
Sluosh! FWUUUUUUUUUUUU~
"Hey!"
Yamcha leaped up and kicked off a light post, the immense speed of which dented it and blew its back out. He landed on another and kicked off it too, totally maintaining his momentum.
The bay door to the giant airship opened and Hasky walked out with a sniper rifle in tow.
"Can you hit him?" The big orange man asked as he clenched his red jaw.
"You hired me for a reason Muscles." She replied with low sass, barely following the speed of The Wolf.
Yamcha landed in front of the yellow convertible and skidded to a harsh stop, his shoes were totally fucked up from the run. Yamcha eyed his feet for a moment before he turned his attention to the backpack in the back seat. As his left hand made contact with Gohan's bag a sniper rifle round slammed into his cheek, his head only tilted like it was a slap.
"What the hell?" Hasky well and truly befuddled at the sight.
Yamcha furrowed his brow and looked up at the ship before dashing away again.
"Did you miss?"
"No-ho." She laughed out loud at the absurdity, dropping her rifle onto the floor in defeat.
"Then what?"
Hasky walked right past him and took out her revolver.
"Ah-hah. This stuff is pointless, why am I even doing it when I'm playing for the losing team? My man just shrugged off a sniper round like it was a bb gun, have fun Muscles but you're gonna get your shit pushed in."
She waved her gun around like a toy, devil-may-care.
"I don't even need the Dragon Balls, I'm gonna go rob a bank or whatever. At least that way I'll feel something."
"Hasky! What about the money!?"
"Have it."
She grabbed a pod from a side compartment on her biking outfit and threw it at the man. He unscrewed it and it exploded in a puff of smoke, transforming into a black briefcase. Hasky grabbed her helmet off the top of her pink crossbreed between a bike and a scooter. She strapped in and hopped over it before turning it on and zooming out of the bay.
"Later dude!"
He opened the briefcase only to see totally legit zeni.
"That girl is something else."
Newman came running in a stampede, huffy from the stimuli.
"Where's-"
"They escaped, that long haired dude caught a shotgun blast with his bare fuckin' hands. You think we gonna win against him?"
"Really? Fuckin' a."
"I'm not playing, I got iced by that dude's right kick, he's no joke."
"Huh." He let out with heavy breaths. "Well, according to legend apparently the Dragon Balls can be used once a year, maybe we'll chill on it."
"That's what I'm sayin'."
"What am I gonna do with this ship? I sank a lot of resources into this thing only for it to go unused for a year."
Newman scratched his head and fixed his glasses.
? Day, 1 Dragon Ball
Two men walked around lavishly decorated corridors and well dressed servants. They all bowed respectfully to the smaller and more rotund man wearing a deep crimson robe. The other was the man with the rust-green dragon cane, he was bald on the top with chin length strands on the side.
"You know Kochin." The rotund man spoke with a whiny voice that also sounded like he had a cigar in his mouth at all times. "I doubted you at first."
The bald man looked around at the red banners decorating the hall.
"But I gotta say, I'm impressed that you not only got my bio warriors up and running but you also came in clutch with the dragon radar. Chom!" He took a deep bite from the apple he was brandishing.
"I assume your praise means I can secure funding for my own projects then?"
"Chem, crunch, chum, gull. Ahh! Whatever you want Kochin! As long as it's reasonable, you've really scratched my back here."
"30 million."
"Oh-ho-ho~ You're a greedy little bastard aren'tcha'?"
"Greed would be to assume that every single zeni I receive won't go to good use."
The plain delivery of The Doctor's voice struck true to the rotund man and he raised his brows impressed.
"Done." The man stuck out his hand for a shake and Kochin met it with a sly smile, showing his lack of teeth.
The pair walked down the hallway and into the enormous chamber. Strange humanoids of all colours and sizes laid dormant, bubbling fluids swirling around in the cylindrical pods. The rotund man smiled and yelled loudly to an older man on the floor.
"Dr. Collie! How much longer does Beat have to go?"
The older gentlemen fixed his square-frame glasses and walked toward the most normal looking pod. The man actually had khaki coloured skin instead of green, blue, purple, or any of the other strange colours the other bio-warriors possessed. He was balled tightly in on himself, cradled in his arms and legs. A brown tail wavered into view.
2nd Night, 2 Dragon Balls
The stars shined brightly on the trio as they stood on grassy plains, the greenery reflecting the light of the almost full moon. Gohan looked to it with fervor, the intensity at which it pulled at his attention was palpable and drew Yamcha to him in its wake.
"You good little man?" He palmed Gohan's shoulder, pulling him out of the trance.
Yamcha shot a phraseless 'what are we gonna do?' at Bulma to which she shrugged and threw down a capsule. A large smoke cloud appeared from nowhere and dissipated just as quickly, a small abode in the aftermath. Bulma swung open the door wide and sighed loudly as she entered. Yamcha walked in and stretched it out and Gohan just stuck to his usual wide eyed wanderlust.
"I get this is a capsule but, you can really fit all this in here?"
"Mmhmm." She replied, taking off her blue polo and shooting it at a hamper in the corner.
"Twe-whuuu~" The Wolf wolf whistled.
"Oh shut up."
"Put them things away, kids are watching."
"Oh I'm sorry, I'll just take them off."
"They come off?"
Bulma just shot him a sassy look, sticking out her tongue before she headed down the hallway and out of the living room.
"Hagh!"
Gohan hopped onto the sofa and pointed the remote at the TV, turning it on in a hurry. Yamcha flopped down onto the couch as well, his head touching Gohan's left leg. Gohan raised his left hand high and then brought it down on Yamcha's head softly.
"Heh-heh."
"Hee-hee-hee!"
The pair shared a laugh for a while before Gohan turned the channel.
2nd Day, 3 Dragon Balls
Yamcha threw up the shining crystalline orb with three red stars on it.
"How many is this Gohan?" He asked cheekily, smiling with a shit-eating grin.
"3, I'm not stupid."
His cheery demeanor turned into defeat and Bulma busted a gut laughing at him.
"Where to next? I gotta focus on something other than the embarrassment."
Bulma wiped a tear from her face and hopped into a red convertible. She still giggled like an idiot as Yamcha and Gohan piled into the vehicle. She fought off the last couple laughs before the car rose into the air. She handed off the radar to Gohan in the back, who studied it rigorously.
"I assume W is west?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah kid."
"Then we got one west, that's the nearest."
The trio zoomed off, leaving the grassy islands, sand, and palm trees behind them, crossing over the open water for miles. Gohan leaned over the side, radar in hand and stared at his jittery reflection in the blue waves. There was a silence for a long while before Yamcha stood up tall and let the wind currents impact his frame.
"Yamcha?"
"What's good little man?"
"Why do you and dad fight all the time?"
Yamcha was hit hard by the question.
"I uhh~"
Bulma let the two hash it out, focusing on the smooth parting of the sea currents in front of her.
"I dunno. I found myself asking that question a lot lately. Outside of the fighting I really don't like it all that much."
Gohan paid close attention.
"I think the training is the most boring, monotonous shit ever."
Gohan batted his lashes and stared at Yamcha's muscular body as it shined from the harsh sunlight and sprinkling water.
"I know your dad's just in love with it. It's just a part of him."
"Tell me about it."
Yamcha nodded at her interjection.
"Ask your dad when we get him back, okay?"
Gohan agreed and the two fist bumped.
2nd Day, 4 Dragon Balls
"Got it!" Yamcha yelped as he breached the water, the 6 star ball clung tightly in his hand.
The Wolf of the Waters rose into the ship and shook it off like a dog.
"Yamcha!"
"Hee-hee-hee!"
Yamcha smiled at Gohan's little kid laugh and walked to the back of the car, putting the ball in a knapsack, totalling 4 items.
"Quick work today, we spent like all afternoon running around at Pod Corp." The Wolf wiped back the strands of wet hair and sat down.
"Get off the seat! Wipe off boy!" She shoved him a bit, unable to shelter a smile. "You're worse than Goku!"
"You got a million of these cars babe, what's one ruined passenger's side?"
Bulma blushed a bit and blinked rapidly.
"Oh~ my bad." He got out awkwardly before heading back and grabbing a towel from a loose bag.
The Wolf wiped off as Gohan stared back into the deep blue shimmers of the sea. He cheesed genuinely as he crossed his arms and leaned over the door frame. Yamcha threw on some clothes and gave a few more shakes with his hair, clawing through it a bit with his hands and pouring more water over Bulma and the dash as a result. The not-going-any-further-couple smiled and they made eye contact through the rear view mirror.
3rd Night, 4 Dragon Balls
"Come on Bulma! We still got like an hour of light left!"
"It's not my fault you can't read the radar, Yamcha! Closest ball is way farther away than that!" She shot back, clicking the node on top of the compass-like device.
"It's not my fault these bum ass vehicles can't outrun me! I can totally get to that shit in an hour, even with the both of you on my back!"
"We have to get Gohan to bed by 8!"
"And we will! It's 6, no big deal."
"I don't think we should go."
"We'll have gotten 3 in one day!"
"What's the rush Yamcha, like, really?"
"The Ferociousaurus is a terrifying animal that prowls the Break Wastelands, coming here would be a death sentence to anything that could not outrun the beast. Is that? Oh no, that's an Apatosaurus, the natural prey in this habitat."
Gohan paid no mind to the not-going-any-further-couple's arguing and was glued to the screen of the dinosaur program.
"I'm not going AND I'm keeping the radar on me so." She smiled with the air of victory as she stuffed the device in between her chest and under her bra.
"Sheesh." Yamcha smiled and laughed a bit before crashing on the couch next to Gohan.
The Wolf of the Household looked to the TV before turning back to Gohan.
"So who we rooting for?"
"The Apatosaurus."
"Which one is that?"
"That one." Gohan replied, pointing his finger to the one with the long neck, nibbling on a tall tree.
"OH shit! He's about to get faded."
Just as Yamcha predicted, the unruly T-Rex chomped down hard onto the herbivore, ripping its neck open savagely. Gohan just stared slack-jawed.
"Daaaaaaaamn!" Yamcha let out in a couple of laughs.
3rd Day, 4 Dragon Balls
"Okay this is far." Yamcha thought aloud as the trio cruised over the open water once again.
"I don't think you realise just how far it was."
"Well I run faster than I fly so I don't think I could have made it back before 8." He replied as he stared at the calm waves.
"You can't run on water?" Bulma shot back with sass.
"Believe it or not Bulma, no."
"Wow so you can fly but you can't even do a little jog on the water?"
"I can't believe this is where you're drawing the line right now."
As the pair bickered a large island came into view. It was green and grey, a mountainous region with a yellow spherical shape on the left side.
"Oh great, are we gonna have to pull off a heist again?"
"You're the thief!"
"Well it's pretty easy to steal when you're a chad like me but unfortunately you guys actually get taken out when bullets come your way."
"If you do your job I won't have to worry."
"I did my job just fine last time."
She gave him the stink-eye.
"You and Gohan aren't harmed."
She maintained the look.
"You getting kidnapped is your fault, I'm not taking the L for that one."
"Hmm. Okay." She let out with bite before returning her focus to the approaching land mass in front of them.
They drove for a while before eventually seeing what the giant yellow spire was attached to. A giant mansion, or more accurately a giant castle stood against the waters. The trio wrapped around the island and saw a sizable port to dock. Yamcha leaped out of the car and landed in a roll onto the tan concrete.
As Gohan and Bulma exited the skycar a man in a green suit looked on from a window, high above the port. He typed onto his phone and walked back into the facility.
De-dee-de-dee-de-dee-de-dee-
"Come on come on…" He let out with a smack of his lips.
Cuh-lik.
"Men-Men, what is it!? I'm busy!"
"Some visitors just arrived in the castle, and unless the technology is buggin' my radar actually says it's the four Dragon Balls that we've had our eye on."
"Really?"
"Mmhmm." He paced back to the window and parted the curtains.
"Let them in, I want to give them a warm welcome."
"Right away, sir." He ended the call with a mocking disposition.
Yamcha stood proud with his hands on his hips as he looked at the high built architecture with a raised brow.
"This place is huge."
Gohan nodded in agreement, almost falling over trying to look at the apex. The trio looked around for a while before an indigo skycar came tearing through the sky towards their location. Yamcha shoved the pair behind him and looked at the vehicle with a sharp brow.
"Let's just calm down, shall we!?" The man driving yelled as he stuck his head out of the car, blonde hair flailing wildly and his mint green fedora almost flying away in the wind.
Yamcha's tenseness fell away a bit and he kept his arms at his side as the man floated ever so slightly above the ground.
"My name's Men-Men, I'm the cousin of Lord Jaguar. This is his castle, would you three like to take a look around?" He gestured with a wave of his hand on his hat.
Yamcha looked to Bulma a tad serious and raised a brow.
"Yes, we would."
Yamcha nodded and walked Gohan forward with a pat on the back. Soon enough the three of them were in the air and flying close to the castle.
"Would you three like a mint?"
"No thank you." Bulma responded with a charitable smile.
"We're preparing for an event of some sort so we've got a few famous people on the-" Men-Men's eyes locked to Bulma in the rear view.
She peered back at him inquisitively.
"I'm sorry, you might get this a lot but are you Bulma?"
"Yes, I am Bulma."
"From Capsule Corp?" He let out in an exasperated sound, his fedora almost shooting off the back of his head.
"Yup."
"My apologies Miss Bulma, Lord Jaguar will really want to see you right away then." He swallowed harshly.
Bulma turned around in her seat and looked to Yamcha in the back. He just shrugged his shoulders before the blue haired executive faced forward again. After a while the car finally landed much higher on the tall defensive walls of the castle. Gohan hopped out and patted on his pants, grabbing the straps of his backpack tightly.
"Follow me." Men-Men strided in with long legs and a pompous smile.
Butlers, waiters, scientists, maids, and seemingly martial artists all walked around the manor. Gohan's eyes shifted every which way trying to absorb the information in front of him. The quartet reached an entrance of the facility and walked right over the regally laid red carpet. They walked for a long time, Men-Men typing into something on his phone before shooting back a nervous look and a smile, taking off his hat and fanning it to his guests.
"We're almost there."
"Good, this is taking forever." Yamcha responded, his arms behind his head lackadaisical.
They stepped down the hallway in time before Men-Men took a sharp angled turned kind of comically. Just before the trio passed through the archway the bald man with the rusted cane eyed Gohan from the back as he was leaving, bags and items in tow. He sharpened his brow at Gohan's tail and nodded his head slowly before striding down the rest of the hallway. Men-Men led the pair through an archway and into a massive pit. It looked like an arena almost, indigo steps leading down to a flat surface at the bottom. Opposite the entranceway was a throne and a podium. The rotund man in red robes yelled loudly:
"BULMA BRIEF!"
"Heh-heh." She laughed out kind of dumbly. "That's me!" She jazz-handed in response.
"Come on down!"
The four of them stepped around the arena in a long arc as the man met them in the middle. Yamcha looked around for a moment before his nose twitched. It twitched again and he sharpened his brow. Various bio-warriors crept around in the shadows of the dimly lit room, just out of sight.
"I'm Lord Jaguar! Nice to meet you Bulma, you're just as stunning as in the pictures."
"Well I'm not really going for the super glamorous look in the promotional material so thanks I guess?"
Lord Jaguar shot a look at Men-Men as he brushed the left side of his wispy mustache. Men-Men took off his fedora and dusted it on his pants, in a skillful sleight of hand Men-Men drew his handgun from the side of his trousers, impressively hidden and pointed it right at Bulma.
"We know you have the Dragon Balls gir-"
Before he even finished Yamcha backfisted his nose in an electric slide, causing the mint-green suited man to tumble back like mad, misfiring the gun in a volley. Both bullets drew a line of trajectory at Gohan and The Wolf of the Wasteland caught both in a one-two snap with his left hand.
Tp-Tp! Cling-cling-cling~
As he dropped the crushed rounds, various rainbow coloured foes poured from the ceiling in war cries.
"Eiiiiiiyah-Hah-HAH!" "DORRYYA!" Haha-hehehehehehehehehHAH!"
DUH-DOOOOOOMM!
An enormous purple man landed without saying much right in front of Yamcha. Lord Jaguar backed off as the bio-warriors gave him a look of disapproval. The Rotund Lord turned and high tailed it back to his mint-suited cousin, his braid flailing wildly.
"Men-Men!"
"Gahhh…" He let out distraught, nose bleeding profusely. "Heee~ uhhh…"
"Get back, Kochin said the bio-warriors are supposed to be able to punch through steel, this could get ugly."
Lord Jaguar helped the shaky man to stand on his feet before gassing it, running to hide behind the throne. He smiled devilishly through the nerves and the sweat.
"This is the perfect test, that guy's reaction time and speed is much better than those foolish martial artists we've been hiring."
"Back up!" Yamcha yelled as he ducked a haymaker from the purple giant.
SWUUUUFF!
The air cut harshly around his meaty arm and forced Gohan onto his ass from the intimidation factor. The slim green one b-lined it for the pair before Yamcha cut him off with a left roundhouse at his gut. He took a back step but it did not hurt him nearly as much as Yamcha wanted it to, as evident by how wide his eyes got.
"Alright! I'm not playin' around! I'm gonna seriously hurt you if you guys don-"
A well toned red man elbowed Yamcha with intense speed as he was talking, causing him to crash through the wall in a dusty and dangerous display. The debris made contact with Bulma's shoulder, throwing her into the hallway. Gohan stepped back with fear as the green one smiled with malice.
DUMM! Vyooooooooooow~ Kof!
Yamcha leaped at the green man and flying kicked his back at full speed, rocketing the assailant down the hall and careening into one of the walls, enveloped in a red banner.
"Go!" Yamcha yelled just before he parried an overhand from the purple beast.
He drew the man's right arm down with his own and threw the guy off balance. He clocked him in the jaw with a followthrough left straight. The man knocked into the wall and cracked it intensely with his massive frame. He didn't seem any worse for the wear and had a sickening smile on his face as the red one rushed Yamcha. Bulma pulled out a capsule from her bag and popped it. The smoke enveloped Yamcha and the two adversaries piled on rapid blows.
"Yamcha!"
Swuwu-Fufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufufu!
The lightning fast strikes tore through the smoke quickly and Bulma looked on as The Wolf masterfully dodged the punches from both foes. Yamcha ducked low in a spy-movie stance, his left hand touching the ground and his chest low and parallel before he came back with a vengeance, slamming the back of his claw on the chin of the red one.
WHOKK!
Just as he made contact, the purple one looked to punish with a straight. Yamcha ducked that too in a low sweep, rotating his entire body a smooth almost dance-like gyration using both hands. His right leg came into contact with the beast's lower body and tripped him up. As The Wolf of The Dancefloor completed his rotation, he stood up and kicked up the parallel body of the beast in another double-up. His right leg made contact with his foe's back, propelling him up and his left slammed him into the ceiling. The insane force broke the flooring, causing debris and cement to come crashing down onto the floor in a wave.
As The Wolf leaped out of the way the red man put on pressure. Bulma looked to help Yamcha but the green man found her first, grabbing her neck and slamming her into the wall. Gohan fell over helpless and scared at the sight. The item Bulma had been packing was some heat, she cocked back the top of her handgun and pulled it up.
KOWW!
She missed completely, the green man cackling at her as she raised her hand more.
KOWW! Dmt.
The shot made contact but it didn't go very deep, a small wound trickling of blood on his chest propelled him to strangle the girl further. She aimed higher.
KOWW! Sklut!
"GAGHHHGHH!" He reeled back in pain as his eye popped from the shot, the thing built tough enough that the bullet was lodged right in the socket, not going very far in.
"Kuuuuuuu~" She struggled to breathe. "Keh-heh!"
"AIIIIIYYYYYYYYEE!" His scream was much less goofy wolf and much more man.
DOMM!
Yamcha slammed the red man's face deep into the arena-side wall with his right hand. He followed it up with bloodshot eyes and a cruel disposition, his right shin making sickening contact with the red man's head, denting it inwards.
KrrrrrrrruaACK!
He breathed out heavy from the adrenaline, drugged up. His movements were frantic as he eyed the hallway. Men-Men drew his gun and aimed down at the trio and the wailing green man as he sunk onto the floor.
"Don't! Men-Men!" Lord Jaguar roared as he parried the gun from the limp mint-green suited cousin.
He whispered something in his ear, prompting Yamcha to walk forward with intensity.
"Look look." Jaguar prepared defensively with raised hands. "We'll give you the Dragon Ball! You deserve it after you beat my bio-warriors! Honest!" He made the deal a lot easier to believe as he threw the gun right into Yamcha's hand.
The Wolf of the Hallway bent the gun in such a way that freaked out the pair in front of him, forcing a sharp swallow down the mouth of Lord Jaguar. A man in loose orange robes appeared way down the hall, drawing Yamcha's attention.
Bulma looked down at the radar and rubbed at her left shoulder, coughing a few more times to shake away a bit of the tenderness. Gohan looked on in horror as he saw just how much conviction was still in Bulma's eyes.
"Bulma, you're hurt! We need to get out of here!" He tugged at her shoulder with worry.
"We don't have the Dragon Ball yet kid, it's in the throne room. I'm willing to bet it's behind that large painting the douche has of himself."
"Bu-"
"I'm sorry kid, I think I'm gonna have to cut our trip short. It's been so long I think I forgot just how dangerous it really is."
"Are you-"
"You're going home right after this."
He looked down to the ground in sorrow, quivering upper lip.
"Are you the intruder!?" The orange robed man pointed a finger alongside his shout at Yamcha.
"I was just defending myself."
The man nodded, his wave of black hair reminded Yamcha of Goku's very faintly. The man was only wearing orange boxing shorts and a bathrobe. The Wolf eyed him suspiciously, proving his suspicions correct. The man in the bathrobe broke out in a sprint and leaped at Yamcha with a right roundhouse. The Wolf ducked the strike low, his chest parallel to the ground and left hand used as a point of contact and pivot just like before. The man couldn't stop his kick and it smashed the wall open from the inside-out, letting in the daytime sunlight.
Yamcha's brow sharpened as he realised the level of threat. He juked right with a quick movement and dashed left, bathrobe somehow anticipated the maneuver and caught Yamcha,tackling him outside, right through the hole he had just made in the castle. The pair tumbled in a winding display, throwing strikes wildly as they fell a long way down toward the castle walls. In the scuffle Yamcha clawed at the man's shoulders and chest, tearing off the bathrobe only to reveal a brown tail in the ordeal.
"What!?" Yamcha couldn't help but let aloud.
Boxing Shorts hit another right roundhouse in The Wolf's confusion, propelling him right onto the yellow stone of the castle.
DMM! KONT!
"Ouuff!" Yamcha grunted as he bounced off the concrete and rolled it out in a tumble.
Boxing Shorts landed upright, square on his feet and stared down Yamcha.
"Are the Saiyans already here!?" He also let aloud.
Boxing Shorts just raised a brow before he hightailed it to Yamcha. He weaved the full-commit left thrust kick to the outside and got at the enemy's back, knocking his knuckles at the back of Boxing Shorts' neck. He tumbled forward and Yamcha capitalised with a flying left at his back, causing the adversary to fly wildly into the castle wall lining, debris and dust kicking up from the heavy hit.
WHUK! CRAW-COOOSH!
The man got up immediately and stopped Yamcha's follow-through pressure with a left roundhouse. Yamcha barely blocked it in time with his right forearm before he went low again to duck the enemy's next attack. Boxing Shorts whiffed a right hook and Yamcha got under his arm in a flash, snatching it by the shoulder and inside of the elbow in a dominant hold.
"Who are you!? I'll break your shit man!"
Bulma pointed her handgun at Jaguar with intensity as she rounded the corner into the main hall with the self-portrait and throne.
"You try any funny business again and you get gassed, have we achieved a level of understanding?"
Lord Jaguar nodded slowly as he pushed back his long black braid.
"Good." She put the piece at her side and ushered Gohan into the room.
The pair ran with conviction into the indigo hall and ran up some steps and down some steps to clear the distance faster to the throne and more importantly: the painting. Bulma looked down at the radar and clicked it one more time for good measure.
Ct. Be-Bee!
"Yup!" Bulma exclaimed as she stopped just before it.
The blue haired executive clicked the top of another capsule, the white smoke clearing soon enough to reveal a small machete.
"Whoa! This is dangerous, you've even got knives and guns and stuff."
"Yamcha!" She let out as she dug through the unusually tough painting. "Was supposed to do most of the fighting but I brought this stuff for you honestly!" She cut out the bottom layer displaying a loose flap at the bottom of the enormous frame. "Just in case I needed to fight for our safety."
"Thank you, Bulma."
"Kid, watch my back, I don't trust them for a second."
"Okay!"
Just as Gohan turned around he saw the mint-suited man point his piece at Bulma. Instead of saying anything Gohan reacted like a professional and just tackled Bulma from below, causing the lined up headshot to miss.
KOW! Du~dwang! Tyuu~
"You always carry backups." He stated plainly with a smile and a wave of his gun.
The bullet ricocheted a few times, scaring Gohan.
"Oh my god, you saved my life Gohan."
Gohan was too lost in the sauce to even hear Bulma. Bulma shot a glance right back at Men-Men who trained his aim to their location. The blue haired executive dragged Gohan by the shirt collar and dove behind one of the blue pillars in the hall. Men-Men scoffed and threw off his mint-green suit coat, fixing the top half of his fedora with his right hand.
Men-Men had received rigorous special forces training in hopes of working as a special operative in the Red Ribbon army, but as luck would have it the Red Ribbon would cease to exist just before he joined. He didn't want to have to work for his cousin Lord Jaguar but that was now the most lucrative option. He is actually quite skilled in martial arts but his ignorance of ki puts him far below the rest of the Z fighters.
Bulma stuck her hand out a bit and fired. Men-Men didn't even move, just smiled as the bullet missed by a long shot.
Dyu~Dwang!
The bullet ricocheted a bit as Men-Men paced slowly to some cover on the right side behind another blue pillar. Bulma looked through her capsule bag and spoke softly to Gohan.
"Gohan?"
He said nothing, only looking at her with great care.
"Take this knife and look for the Dragon Ball in that painting."
"Bu-"
"Don't worry." She placed the knife in his small palm and closed his finger around it. "I'll cover you, trust."
Her almost motherly gaze relieved Gohan just a bit. She grabbed a capsule tightly from the bag.
"Go for it when I brush your hair."
The little saiyan nodded and clung tightly to the weapon.
"HEYY!" She screamed like a banshee, exposing her head.
Men-Men's skill was so great he punished her immediately for coming out of cover, the bullet searing through the side of her right cheek.
KOWW! Skywuuuuu~
"Ahh! Damn it!" She cried out as she backed onto the pillar.
There was a lot of blood, she was lucky but the bullet had grinded all along her cheek on the right side.
"Fuck this!" She exclaimed as she threw the capsule right at him.
The bleeding executive tapped Gohan on the head and he ran like mad at the painting. The capsule exploded in an enormous smoke bomb. It wasn't just smoke, as evident by Men-Men's profuse coughing, runny nose, and teary eyes. He fell to the floor, heaving up his lunch. Bulma popped another capsule and threw it right on him.
"That's for my face you piece of shit!"
Bafummmmm~ phuuuuuuu~
The doubled up smoke started spreading to the rest of the room and Bulma popped two more capsules, well prepared with gas masks. Bulma struggled to put one over Gohan for a while until she finally locked it in.
"Can you breathe okay?"
"Phuu~huhh-phuu~huhh. I think so."
"Good." She replied as she started putting on her own.
KOMM! Dyu~Dwann~kyuuu!
A round had missed them in the smoke, only a vague shape of a man was in the cloudy apparitions of the throne room. Bulma brought the radar right to her face, scanning it one more time just as Gohan fell off the painting with a big tug.
"I got it!" He yelped as he fell onto his tail kind of skillfully.
"Way to go, kid!"
They high fived for a moment before Bulma returned to commands.
"We gotta get outta here fast, I don't know where Yamcha is so we have to sneak around."
Just as Bulma said that, the very angry and critically wounded green man appeared before them. His veins exposed and he seemed to somehow ignore the gas, he reared back his right hand and looked to strike.
THWACK! DOMM!
"COME ON!" Yamcha yelled as he grabbed Bulma by the hand.
Gohan threw the Dragon Ball in the bag as Yamcha hauled him over his shoulder.
"Up you go!" Yamcha called out as he slung Bulma over the other side.
"Where-"
"Kinda busy, I couldn't just shake that guy off like it was nothing. I think he was a Saiyan!"
"What!?" Bulma cried out as Yamcha broke a new exit door out of the castle walls.
"Yeah! I'm not asking anymore questions until this hunt is over, then I'm coming back with Krillin and Tien and we're gonna nuke this fuckin' joint if we don't get the right answers!"
Yamcha sprinted and leaped from hold to hold and from tower to tower and from wall to the street.
"You got your bag, little man?"
Gohan tapped the purple bag and The Wolf nodded. He broke out into a fly and soared over the ocean in a swooping manner.
3rd Day, 5 Dragon Balls
"Bulma are you okay?" Chi-Chi asked worriedly as she looked to the large bandage on the side of her face.
"I'm not gonna lie, it hurts, but I'll be alright."
"Well okay."
"Sorry we didn't really get to go to all the places we were supposed to but I figured I'd bring back Gohan."
She raised a brow as Gohan stepped around her and into the house.
"It was far more dangerous than I was comfortable with."
Chi-Chi wore a worried expression.
"Gohan's not hurt, but it would weigh on my conscience if he was, so I'd thought I'd do the responsible thing."
Chi-Chi smiled and grabbed her by the hand.
"This is why I like you Bulma, you're always so considerate of others."
"No no, I should have brought Gohan back sooner, it was terribly inconsiderate of me earlier."
"Phuuuu~" Chi-Chi breathed out a heavy sigh. "Bulma?"
The bandaged executive met the motherly eyes of Chi-Chi.
"Whatever happened out there. I trusted you, I would never hand you my son if I didn't trust you. I see that trust was worth giving just by the fact that you brought him back at the first sign of danger. Thank you."
Chi-Chi embraced Bulma in a tight bear-hug, small wells of tears pooled just outside of Bulma's eyes unexpectedly and she hugged back with a whimpering 'thank you' of her own. Yamcha smiled and looked to the clouds above the humble abode.
"Yamcha?"
"What's good little man?"
"Thank you for being so strong."
"I'm not gonna be the top dog around here for much longer kid, Goku'll be back before you know it."
"But I've never seen dad move as fast as you have."
Yamcha just shrugged his shoulders as he walked back to the car with Bulma.
"See you around Gohan, you're a smart kid, a thousand times smarter than your old man! You're gonna go places!"
Somehow, Yamcha had broken through to Chi-Chi, she had finally heard something respectable come out of the Ex-Bandit's mouth.
Yamcha tipped the top of his red baseball cap down in an honouring manner.
"Tch. Ahh, what the hell."
The skycar rose into the air and Yamcha yelled back to Gohan just as he turned around, almost closing the door on the not-going-any-further-couple.
"Hey kid!"
Gohan laid eyes on the cap as it landed in his hand. He gripped the cap tightly with a smile before putting it on as The Wolf waved goodbye. Gohan waved back too, his smile unmistakeable and genuine.
"Maybe I was wrong about him…"
"Mom?"
"Nothing."
4th Night, 5 Dragon Balls
Yamcha looked out at the stars in a daze, lost in the sauce. Bulma stoked a campfire nearby and glanced at him for a moment.
"Yamcha."
His trance was pretty deep, forcing Bulma to call his name again.
"Yamcha!"
He said nothing, only looking back. She gestured with her eyes and body language to come sit down at the fire. He complied, sitting opposite her across the burning wood.
Fwuof~ Skfff~
They looked at each other awkwardly before Yamcha smiled slyly and laid back, gazing at the beautiful colours of the night sky.
"I thought dainty little women like you didn't respect roughing it out in the outdoors."
"Well I know you like it out here." She replied sheepishly, brushing her blue locks away from her face.
"I don't sleep outside, well… I guess that's not true, my hut is pretty roguish. I guess the best way to phrase it is that." He turned over to his side, laying his head limp on his left hand. "I don't sleep without a roof over my head."
"So?'
"So?"
There was an awkward silence that ushered a smile from Yamcha which in turn ushered a warm smile from Bulma.
"I mean I appreciate it but, we could just throw down another one of your capsule huts at any point." He threw back with some more sass before he turned around.
"Well I know the strongest couples are built through compromise and self-sacrifice for their partners. That's why my mother and father get along so well." She drained from a thermos, sealing the lid then putting it on the dirt.
"I thought we weren't going any further."
"I mean…"
Yamcha looked back and smiled.
"I was-" Bulma caught off guard by Yamcha's handsome, rugged looks. "I don't-"
"Go on."
"I was never the nicest to you, but you stuck around anyway. I said a lot of mean things and I-"
Yamcha looked to her with genuine surprise.
"I didn't call you handsome enough. You called me beautiful all the time and I-"
Yamcha was already hugging her tight before she even finished her sentence.
"I'm sorry for thinking you were-"
"You don't need to say it."
"Yes I do."
They let out small tears between the two of them and just hugged it out. Wolf howls echoing under the light of the full moon and the campfire next to the definitely-going-further-couple.
4th Day, 5 Dragon Balls
"What's next?" Yamcha asked in a yawn from the passenger's seat.
The red convertible climbed into the air with a dominant purr of its engine.
"Looks like we have it easy from here on out."
"That so?" He responded, leaning back and reclining his chair. "Wake me up when it matters."
The early morning light shined brightly, forcing Bulma's hand and causing her to throw on some shades she had in the glove compartment. She looked down at the radar again and nodded, throwing it in the back seat and steeling her resolve, firm hands around the steering wheel. The pair zoomed off into the horizon soon being fully enveloped in the aura of the sun.
4th Day, 5 Dragon Balls
"Yamcha."
"mmm~" He grunted before Bulma tugged tightly on his shaggy mane.
The Wolf peeled open his eyes only to see the dank lighting of what looked to be a dungeon.
"wha' tha-"
"We're in trouble."
Yamcha rubbed his eyes and looked below at the water underneath their craft. He blinked rapidly as he actually came to.
"Huh? What are you talking about Bulma?"
He turned his head back to the bandaged executive only to be met with the end of a rifle right in front of his eyeball.
"No sudden moves."
A woman with short purple hair and a man with a wild wave of red hair pointed guns at the pair. A deep chocolate skinned man with a sharp fade and waves filed in just behind them.
"Be cool."
The red haired man eased up, but maintained an accurate line of sight with his firearm. The purple haired lady pointed her rifle up and shot a salute at the assumedly superior officer.
"Orders, Copper?" The purple haired lady propositioned plainly.
"At ease, Violet."
Violet turned around and just eyed the pair in front of her.
"You have the Dragon Balls, no?"
Bulma looked to Yamcha who in turn just kind of stared back.
"Yeah." He answered.
"What do you intend to do with them?"
"Well our friend Goku's dead and we want to use them to wish him back to life."
"Permission to speak, sir?"
"Granted, Silver."
"A little boy named Goku is the one who destroyed HQ. I also fought him back before we disbanded. Just thought I'd make that clear to everyone."
"Hmm. Interesting." The calm and collected black man shifted his gaze back at the couple. "This true?"
"Yeah, Goku's pretty wild."
"Hah. Fascinating."
"So? What's up? What are we doing here?"
"Probably thinking about taking your Dragon Balls."
"Well, you see." Yamcha eyed the rifle Silver had trained on him and snatched it so fast the trio couldn't even register the speed.
Silver kept his hands floating in the air for approximately 2 full seconds until he realised he wasn't holding on to anything.
"Huh?"
"What?" Copper looked over only to see Silver's weapon in the shaggy haired man's hands.
Violet looked to her side only to see her rifle and handgun missing. Copper drew his side piece, brandishing nothing but air and pointing a finger at Yamcha. The trio looked on, stunned, almost all their weapons in the back seat.
"Uhh~" Silver let out dumbly.
"I'm not opposed to you guys making your wish, it'll just have to be next year." He fumbled around with the handgun he had like a toy, examining it and miming shooting. "Pow pow."
"That checks out." Silver stated sarcastically as he walked right onto the pier, away from their vehicle. "They know Goku, so they're probably way too good for no reason."
"Now I could go and beat you guys up but I don't want to do that, we've had enough trouble as it is. You got the Dragon Ball?"
"Yeah, yeah, gimmea second." Copper walked away from the pier and onto the wet concrete of the facility.
Violet met Silver on a bench away from the boat and put her head in her hands jiving back and forth playfully with her elbows on her knees. A while later Copper returned with an orange ball. He resentfully handed it off to the pair.
"Thank you."
Copper just shot Bulma a look of defeatism.
"Now I actually don't care what you do with the Dragon Balls." Yamcha threw the guns on the ground on the wood of the pier. "But you're not taking this wish away from us."
The convertible vehicle sprouted a glass ceiling at the touch of a button that Bulma pressed on the console, Yamcha waving to the 3 strangers in the underwater facility.
"Did we really just let them do that Copper?"
"I mean, how are we gonna find em' without a radar?"
"I mean yeah I gueeeeess. But couldn't we find someone else's and steal it?"
"Maybe that's what we do next Violet, all in due time. I just know, I'm not dying today."
"That's why we haven't found any more Dragon Balls General, you're too afraid to take any risksssssss." Silver held the last of his statement with a bit of malice, Copper just shrugging his shoulders and walking away.
4th Day, 7 Dragon Balls
"That it?"
"Yup!" Yamcha replied as he rose in the air skillfully.
"Don't get em' too close!"
"Ohp~" Yamcha yelped, back stepping quite a ways.
Bulma raised her left arm in victory with a bright smile, Yamcha doing the same across the other side of the gray stone canyon. A few dragons and other creatures eyed the couple from far away, looking for their moment.
"Yo Bulma!"
She looked to him, concerned.
"Looks like we got a couple of suitors!" He pointed happily to a trio of dragons descending on the blue haired executive.
"Yamcha, that's not funny!"
"Relax!" Yamcha called out, jumping into the air and skillfully dispatching the threat, leaving them all to fall into an unknown fate deep in the canyon cracks.
WHOK-THONK-CRRAKK!
"Hagh-Hagh-Hagh!"
She smiled a bit and tried to look at him with an air of disappointment but couldn't help but laugh.
"You know, besides the gunfight, and the green man choking me to death, AND the orange claw-man choking me to death... I take that back, it was still really dangerous."
Yamcha made a loose-lipped face and shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess you made it go by faster but… I still had a lot of fun."
"I did too."
Bulma looked back with a smile at Yamcha and they got close before making sure to keep their distance in light of the glowing orbs.