Arc V: Trail of Secrets

Chapter 15: Planning the Future

Monday 2nd November Age 795

Cold winds blew through the trees, gently rocking them. Leaves had been falling on the ground and crumbling away to nothing. Every morning the grass would be covered in a gentle dusting of frost. Inside the isolated house one young man sat alone in his bedroom, contemplating, planning. The question was, what was he planning for?

Since the defeat of Freeza and the return to normal scheduled life, Noca had found it difficult to settle back. Pan, Bra and Dom were all attending College in West City and the young Saiyan was left alone to stew. He didn't know what to do. He didn't really want to do anything. He just didn't want to be sat alone all the time. Something had to be done.

Noca looked at his watch to see that the time was only 10:30am, meaning that he still had almost 6 hours before Pan would return, or would be free for him to join her at Capsule Corp. As Noca watched the second hand travel around the clock face another time, he was adamant it was going slower than usual and that frustrated him.

The young man stood up, having enough, and made it for the door. He left his bedroom, rushed down the stairs and out of the front door. He hadn't even put any shoes on and was still in relatively comfortable/lazy clothing. He stood on the path and looked out at the locale. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Noca slowly brought his hands close to one another and opened his palms, making sure they faced each other. He started to concentrate his Ki to that area and let as much as possible flow to the spot.

While doing this Noca tried to see if he was able to mask the level of energy he was using and trick his own mind into believing there was less energy there than he wanted. This wasn't going well, at first, and Noca managed to flood too much energy and accidentally release the blast. It soared ahead of him and into the trees on the other side of the lake. He accidentally knocked one over and cursed at his failed attempt.

Kicking at the grass, Noca turned on his heel and walked off away from the house. He was getting frustrated and needed to clear his mind.

He continued far into the woods and his pace started to slow. He was far enough away that he could finally get some peace and try again. Sure, nothing had distracted him before, but Noca's mind was the distraction and he hadn't yet realised that. Despite having complete control over his mind, Noca did sometimes wander in thought, and right now his mind was bored.

The young Saiyan walked up to a rather large looking tree and flared up his Ki. His hair stood on end, but he didn't transform into a Super Saiyan. He clenched his right fist and pounded it into the trunk of the magnificent tree. There was a huge dent in the side of the tree trunk and Noca pulled his fist back. He sighed again and closed his eyes, placing his head against the tree and just staying like so.

A few minutes passed with Noca remaining like that. He turned around and leant back against the tree for a second and looked back through the woods. He sighed and started to walk back towards the house, but something seemed to draw his focus back behind him.

Noca quickly turned around and stared into the woods some more. He quickly scanned his surroundings, but there was nothing there. Noca looked back towards the way out and shook his head. Maybe his mind was just playing tricks on him. He started to walk back, but there was the sound of a twig snapping. Noca quickly spun around and flipped back, throwing a small, disarming Ki blast in the process.

The blast sailed forward and crashed against the same tree as before, but nothing happened. It wasn't a strong blast and there was nothing standing there. What was going on? Was Noca's mind really that bored that it was making up a new enemy.

Noca stood up and continued walking away. He was too unfocused to train now.

Noca didn't do much for the rest of the day. He moped around the house. He did help Videl out a little bit and spent some time with Rei, but other than that, he really didn't get up to much. The teen was just too bored and unsure of what he needed to do with his life. Something to keep him occupied was a must.

Pan returned home around 4:30pm and Noca was very thankful. As soon as she walked into his room he went up to her and gave her a big embracing hug. She obviously accepted it, but almost felt like something was wrong.

"Are you ok?" The first words to come out of her mouth while still in the embrace. Noca didn't loosen up as he answered.

"Fine… just… I had a crap day."

Pan scoffed at the thought of Noca having a crap day. "You've been home all day, what could have possible been crap about it?"

Noca loosened the hug and kept his hands on Pan's shoulders as he looked at her. "I've just had nothing to do around here…" He explained, letting go of her and walking to the dresser. He started to mess about with a small ornament as he spoke to her. "I guess I just don't have anything that I need to do at the moment."

Pan sighed and walked over to her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around his torso and lay her head on his back. Noca put his hands on hers and smiled to himself.

"Maybe I should get a job?" Noca mentioned in a subtle, but questioning tone. Pan pulled back and turned Noca around to face her.

"Are you serious?" She asked, seeming fairly perplexed by the mere thought of Noca. She tried to stifle a chuckle, but wasn't very successful. Noca frowned.

"Of course I am, what's funny about that?" He asked, feeling just a little offended.

"Nothing, it doesn't seem like you, is all," Pan responded as she turned around and headed for the door. She stopped before exiting and looked back at him, "I need to go have a shower, you're welcome to come and sit in my room for a bit."

"Yeah… maybe," Noca replied, smiling at her. She smiled back and left, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door clicked Noca sat down on the end of his bed and stared at the door. He wore a pondering expression as he thought more on the possibility of a job. He could just ask Bulma to give him one, but he wanted to earn one himself, he wanted it to be real and for once, not put on a plate for him by a family member.

Noca smirked to himself and lay back on the bed.

"I'll show her," He muttered.

Tuesday 3rd November Age 795

The next morning, Noca was awake at the same time as Pan and he was going to head to West City with her. Ironically, before Noca started getting ready, he received a phone-call from none other than Bulma. In the call Bulma had mentioned that she needed assistance with something and Noca was the only person suitable enough. At first, the teen was a bit sceptical, but went with it and continued with his plan to go to West City with Pan.

When they arrived, Pan went to College with Bra and Dom, while Noca immediately went down to the lab to see what Bulma had wanted from him.

Upon entry he could see that Bulma had been busy and the room was very untidy. Bulma was up at a computer when the Saiyan entered and she seemed completely unaware of his presence.

Noca cleared his throat to make himself known. Bulma quickly turned around and stood up.

"Good Morning, come over here," Bulma didn't even give Noca a chance to reply. She returned to her computer right away. She began tapping away at something and then a large slab of glass was lowered from a crane hand. Noca looked up and was a bit confused.

"You made a window?" He questioned. Bulma sighed and turned around, a serious expression on her face.

"This is possibly the most powerful glass ever created. I just need to test it before I start applying it to any Capsule-Ships," Bulma started explaining. She then placed a hand on Noca's shoulder, "That's where you come in."

Noca looked at the glass and then back to Bulma, then shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't sure what she wanted from him.

Bulma pointed at the glass and then at Noca.

"I need you to test the strength. I want you to punch it at full power," Bulma explained. Noca raised an eyebrow and then looked at the glass.

"Ok," Noca said as he walked up to the glass and clenched his fist. He came to it and reeled his arm back, ready to release…

"WAIT!" Bulma called out, shocking Noca into stumbling forward.

"What?!" He asked, urgently. He believed something had gone wrong.

"When I say full power, I mean it…" Bulma told him. Noca raised an eyebrow.

"You mean… Super Saiyan 2?" Noca questioned. He didn't want to accept it, but that did seem like what she was asking. She nodded with a pleased smirk on her face. It was as if she already knew what the outcome would be. Noca breathed in and looked back at the glass. As he breathed out his power began to flow and he flashed to a full powered Super Saiyan and then he tensed up as he pushed to the next level. He tried to stifle the yell as he pushed the power out from within. There was a spark and a flash, and Noca was a Super Saiyan 2. He looked back at Bulma one last time, "Are you sure?"

She nodded again and then stepped back once. Noca sighed and moved towards the glass. He clenched his fist again and pulled back. He swallowed and then thrust his arm forwards with all his might.

His fist crashed against the glass and Noca had expected it to yield to his magnificent power and collapse in a heap of shards, but that didn't happen. In fact, Noca felt the vibrations of his hit fizzle back through his arm. Noca's fist also bounced back about half an inch. He had been unable to hold it forward, completely against the glass. Noca furrowed his brow from confusion and looked back to Bulma.

"It works!" She exclaimed, clearly pleased with her results.

"What happened?" Noca asked.

"It's a new type of glass that I've infused with a very strong metal. It has the ability to absorb vibrations and push them back on the source. It's a glass that not even a Saiyan could break," Bulma explained. She seemed to be pretty giddy about the whole thing. "I should start using it for everything. That way, Vegeta won't break anything."

"This is amazing, Bulma," Noca responded, as he dropped down to his base power and touched the glass again, "Fantastic work."

Bulma smiled at him and then returned to her computer. The glass was lifted away and something that had been behind it the whole time caught Noca's eye. His brow furrowed as he walked over to it. It looked to be some kind of suit or armour. It was made of metal and looked very menacing.

"Uh…Bulma," Noca said, getting the Blue-haired woman's attention.

"Yeah," She said, not looking up from her computer. Noca turned to look over his shoulder at her and then back to the suit.

"What's this?" He asked. She finally looked up from her computer and Noca could hear her let out a slight chuckle. She walked over to him and pressed a button on the wall next to it. A glass window opened and the suit came forward.

"This is a battle-suit that I have been commissioned to design and build a prototype of," Bulma explained. "The King of Earth wants me to have something that could possibly, one day, be used by the army."

Noca kept his eyes on it and that same confused expression on his face. He put a hand out and touched it, wanting to know how tough it felt.

"We don't need this though," Noca suggested.

"No, we don't," Bulma responded, as she turned and walked back to her computer, "But they at least want something, and this is what I'll give them. They'll be lucky if I actually give them the suit, but they definitely won't get the robot."

Noca was nodding along with what she said, but the last thing she added definitely too a second to resonate.

"Wait, what robot?" Noca asked, shaking his head. Bulma looked up and smiled.

"I'm not just building a suit, I'm also designing a fighting-robot," Bulma explained. Noca was confused.

"So, like an android?" Noca questioned.

"Well, similar, but without the evil intent," Bulma explained. Noca nodded again and turned around, but Bulma was already rushing over to a large pile of boxes. "I have another Job for you, I need you to deliver these boxes…" she hands him a slip of paper, "to this store."

Noca looks at the paper, and at the boxes, then back to Bulma.

"Will I have a jet to use?"

Noca wasn't very experienced flying the Capsule-Jets, but he didn't seem to have too hard a time. It was annoying that he had to fly all the way over to Satan City again though. On the way there he sent a message to Holline asking if she and Kiera would want to meet up, so at least he wouldn't go back home afterwards and have a boring afternoon.

The place Noca was delivering these boxes to was a rather large shop and even had a deliveries entrance. Noca, not sure of what he was supposed to do, landed the jet just outside of the large warehouse opening. He hopped out of the jet and opened up the storage section to reveal the piles of boxes. He stood by the ship and waited for someone to come and collect them, or at least greet him.

"Hello?" Noca called out. He started to walk towards the warehouse opening to see if he could find someone. "Capsule Corp. delivery…"

That's when someone finally appeared. It was a girl, and she seemed to be walking at quite a pace, as if she was late. She had straightened, brunette hair, she was shorter than Noca and was wearing a work uniform. It was only when she got a bit closer than Noca realised he already knew this girl.

"Alice?" Noca said in a questioning tone. He was certain it was Alice, the best-friend of that girl Chloe from school. The girl stopped and looked at Noca for a second. It was as if she didn't know what to say, but all of a sudden it seemed like a great weight had been lifted off of her.

"Oh, Noca… you're delivering for Capsule Corporation?" Alice asked. Noca chuckled and shook his head.

"No, not really. Bulma just asked me to deliver this for her… so…" Noca paused and seemed to be thinking about something. "I guess I am then."

The two of them shared a quick laugh together and then Noca started to unload the jet. He put the boxes where Alice told him to.

"So, how are Pan and Bra doing?" Alice asked, trying to strike up some conversation while Noca did all the heavy lifting. He didn't think it was heavy though.

"Ah, they're good. Both at West City College, preparing for University," Noca explained.

"And you?" Alice asked. This was definitely not a question Noca had an answer for. He put the next box on the ground and straightened up slowly.

"Nothing…" Noca said with a sigh. Alice looked as if she though she made a mistake in asking, but Noca cleared it up quickly. "It's my choice though. I obviously got kicked out of school… didn't really wanna be there."

Both of them laughed again.

"But you have your… fighting… right?" Alice said in a questioning tone.

"I do, but it's not really something I can do all the time and earn money from," Noca explained. "I can't really fight everyday… that does get boring too. I just find myself sitting around and doing nothing…"

Alice seemed to be quiet for a second as she thought to herself.

"Well, why don't you get a job here?" She suggested. Noca stopped with the boxes and looked to her. "I know we're hiring and we need someone who can work the warehouse at all times. You're strong so you could do it."

Noca seemed to ponder it for a second and looked off as he thought.

"You know what, yeah. Go for it," he said with a smile on his face. Alice seemed pleased with that as well.

"Great, you continue here, I'll go grab my manager," She instructed as she jogged off to find her manager. Noca watched after her and smirked to himself.

A few minutes passed, Noca was done with the boxes and Alice re-emerged with her boss.

"This is Noca," She said as the manager held his hand out. Noca quickly shook it.

"It's good to meet you… Mr?" Noca said, waiting to hear a name.

"Howard. So, you want a job?" The man seemed pretty serious. Noca looked over to Alice and back to the manager.

"Yeah," He answered. Mr Howard looked him up and down and then cleared his throat.

"Can you operate any sort of heavy machinery for lifting?" He asked. Noca looked around at the stuff in the warehouse and scoffed. "Something funny?"

"No, it's just that… anything you'd use machinery for in here I could lift by myself," Noca said, but soon realised it could have come off as a brag. "I think…"

The manager looked over to a piece of machinery that was rather big, and obviously heavy. He looked back to Noca and shook his head.

"Are you crazy?" He asked. Noca raised an eyebrow. He knew he couldn't convince this guy with words so he walked over to the machine and lifted it up with both hands and held it up with only the palm of his left.

Safe to say Noca got the job, and Alice was pleased because she finally had someone that she knew working there with her. After that, Noca left and met with Holline and Kiera for a little while. They walked around the mall together for a little bit and when it was starting to get dark Noca decided to make his way home.

Apart from the fact that Noca got a job, the day had been fairly uneventful.

Until Noca was knocked out of the sky by a flash of light. It was nothing special, but it was certainly a big enough deal to distract him and cause him to fall all the way to the ground. He hit with a thud and rolled along because of the speed at which he fell. He stopped rolling and pushed up to his feet right away. Ready to fight if necessary.

No one was there. Noca was breathing heavily and looking around him. He knew something or someone must be there. Things like that don't just happen for no reason. Noca's energy flared up and he flashed Super Saiyan.

"You better come out!" Noca yelled, "I'm not the forgiving type."

Nothing. Noca was getting a little infuriated now. He clenched his fists and prepared to start throwing blasts.

"Fine. I gave you a chance!" Noca said. He started to draw in his Ki, but then he was distracted by a voice.

"There's no need to attack anything," a very calm, composed voice spoke from behind Noca. The teen swung around and the same white cloaked being as before was standing before him. Noca clenched his jaw and turned away again.

"You keep coming to me, but I have no idea who you are," Noca was audibly annoyed. The cloaked man walked towards Noca. "You need to give me answers."

"You'll get them," The cloaked guardian responded. He walked in front of Noca and placed a hand on his head. "But now you must see what has been seen."

Noca didn't even have a chance to respond as he was flung right into some sort of strange void.

He floated in the space for a few seconds before there was a sudden flash of colour and everything exploded around him. Land started to form and Noca was suddenly sent crashing down to the ground of a dark, deserted and barren wasteland. The atmosphere felt thick and he could hardly breathe. The sky was shrouded in a dark purple mist and thunder echoed through the air. Noca looked up and saw the ruins of an ancient temple. Something was familiar about the place, but he wasn't given a second to collect those thoughts. The ruins of the temple began to fall down and with that the ground started to crumble away.

Noca fell through a deep dark abyss and came out into open space. To his surprise he could breathe, but things were strange. He was looking down on what seemed like a huge tower protruding from the planet's surface. Noca's brow furrowed and he tried to make some more sense of the situation, but once more he wasn't allowed that chance. He was flung through space again and this time he landed on a large asteroid. There were many others floating around, but in the middle there was on huge rock formation with a large building. It looked ancient and soon Noca was thrown down inside the building.

He was now inside a large hangar like room. A throne room. It was empty. And dark. Noca stood up and looked around to try and actually get his bearings. It was quiet. Too quiet. Then he heard the sound of a cough from behind and a familiar voice spoke his name.

"Noca."

It sounded pained, but Noca recognised it instantly. He turned around to face where it had come from and called out for that person.

"Vegeta?"

There was no response, but a body came into view. Revealed from the shadows. Noca could see what had happened to him. His armour was completely destroyed, his under-clothes ripped and blood was everywhere. Practically gushing from his open wounds. Noca rushed to his aid as Vegeta collapsed on his stomach. Noca rolled him over and looked in his eyes.

He was dying and there was nothing he could do. No healing powers to use. No Senzu beans. No way to get him to a healing tank. Noca felt tears welling-up in his eyes. He felt the emotion as if this was truly Vegeta's time. It was too strange to make sense of. Vegeta lifted a bloodied hand to Noca's face and touched his cheek.

"Y… you are the only one… no one else… you… you have to… have to… kill Kuyato…" Those words came out of Vegeta's mouth and then like that he was gone. Lifeless in Noca's arms. The teen wanted to scream out in anger and felt the tears flowing down his cheek. Noca was ready to unleash a primal scream, something unlike anything he had ever felt before, but he was stopped by the sudden sound of another familiar voice.

"This is just one of many possible futures for you," The strange guardian in white spoke. He didn't sound one bit concerned, but Noca knew that these words held a great meaning.

Noca turned around and was suddenly back on Earth. The same place he had fallen. He was on his knees. In the same position he had been when Vegeta was in his arms.

"What do I have to do?" Noca asked, still not sure anything he saw was real.

"Listen to what I say," The guardians said. It wasn't a suggestion; it was an order. "You must follow the vision. Find the temple. Find the Saiyan home-world."

Noca was shocked to hear those words. He stood up and stared at the Guardian with confusion. "Planet Vegeta is gone…"

The Guardian turned away and suddenly started to disappear. He didn't say another word and Noca didn't press further. He was confused. What was he meant to do? What did it all mean? Why him?

Hey fans. So, sorry for the long wait, I've just been so damn busy. I'm happy to say weekly releases are back until the end of this arc, I hope.

I truly hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know that it feels very filler-like, or slice-of-life, but I do make sure to progress the story in some way and everything caters to further character development. Everything matters. And the chapters all pretty much range in length. I should also say that from the release of this chapter the story has been updated to an M Rating based on some future content. I'm almost certain I could still get away with having that content in teen, but this is just a precaution, I could plan for my "graphic" stuff in the future. And yes, I am talking about sex.

I hope to read some lovely reviews from my regulars!

Also, if you're interested, I was involved in an RP with a guy named Greatest Soldier, just for fun to be honest, but it blossomed into a story. It serves as an unofficial AU sequel to the previous arc of this story. It's mainly Greatest Soldier's thing, but Noca, Dom, & Kareshi all show up in it. The story is called Darkest of Sins and you can find it on Greatest Soldier's profile. If you're interested, check it out.

Next Time… Chapter 16: The Next Step

ps. My first story has crossed 10,000 views since I've been away. Now, I know there are definitely stories with way more than that on here, but that's quite a damn accomplishment for me. Thanks to all of you who have supported me by reading this story. You're the reason I put all my effort into making this amazing story!