Good Advice

by Shimegami-chan

One-shot. All Trunks and Goten ever want to do is play video games! Marron takes some of her father's advice on dealing with boys.

Good Advice
by Shimegami-chan
I obviously do not own DBZ. Insert disclaimer here.
Author's Note: I decided to move this over from my other account, since now I'm paying for Support Services on this one. :)

She charged down the dark hallway at top speed, clutching her crossbow and inching around the corner.
All clear. For now, at least. The sixteen-year-old focussed intensely ahead of her, trying to spot shadows at the far end of the hall.
She ran ahead to a ladder and started to ascend it, tucking her crossbow into her backpack.
Marron glanced down: still clear. Perfect, if she could get to the top of the ladder she could ambush the next climber...
She looked up, spying a dark figure at the top of the ladder. The thickly built man aimed a rocket launcher down the small shaft.
"Waugh!" Marron let go of the ladder even though she was a good thirty feet up, hoping to hit bottom before the rocket hit her. As she fell, she could still see the expressionless face of the dark man far above her, until the very end.
The explosion engulfed the shaft and Marron, and the world turned red..

"Muwahahahaha, I win again!" Goten tucked his arms behind his head and sat back.
"That wasn't fair..." Trunks whined. "I was waiting at the top of the shaft forever! I had a crowbar!"
"Suuuure you did. Why didn't you attack me then?" laughed Goten.
"You didn't turn your back until you went after Marron." Trunks tossed the game controller to the floor.
A blue screen came up displaying the stats of the game.

Goten: kills=3 deaths=0.

Trunks: kills=2 deaths=2
Marron: kills=0 deaths=3
"That was so unfair," said Marron, crossing her arms. "You both cheated."
"Cheated? Me?" Trunks looked innocent.
"Well, we knew the codes and you didn't." Goten smirked.
"Shut up, Goten!"
"You know I'm horrible at video games! How did you trick me into this?" Marron peeled her shaking fingers off the joystick.
"Well, let me think...." pondered Trunks. "You made us go to the mall with you and Bra yesterday, wasn't that it?"
"I like the mall." said Goten.
Marron blushed and gathered her backpack. "See, he's on my side. I'll show you both, one of these days. Do you guys want to get coffee or something before I head home?"
"Caffeine." Goten smiled dreamily.
"Sure, why not." Trunks grabbed his jean jacket and turned off the video game. "Let's away!"

"Sooo...are we flying you home? Or did you bring your capsules?" Goten tapped his fingers impatiently on the table.
Marron looked a little reluctant. "Flying...I guess...I have to get over this fear sometime."
"No time like the present...I sound like my mother. Well, let's go!"
The three friends headed out the door into the starry night.


A few minutes later Goten, Trunks and Marron were gliding out over the dark blue sea, Marron on Trunks' back, and Goten speeding alongside.
"Are we doing anything tomorrow?" Trunks wondered. "We could play video games."
"Okay!" cheered Goten.
"We could go to the mall," interjected Marron.
"Okay!" cheered Goten.
Trunks shook his head and they landed on the sandy beach of Kame Island.

***************

The next morning Marron and her father flew out over the ocean once again.
"...so, if you need me, I'll be at Goku's. I can bring you home if the boys aren't taking you. Okay?" Kuririn finished.
"I don't know, I may spend the day with Bra yet. All Goten and Trunks want to do is play video games." Marron sighed.
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Kuririn winked even though Marron couldn't see him. "I guess you'll just have to get better than them. Right, hun?

At Kame Island, Juuhachigou was sitting boredly in a lawn chair, wishing she had someone to spar with. "I really don't know where she is. She went off with Kuririn this morning."
Trunks looked pained. "But...was she going to meet up with us? I mean, we thought..."
Goten shuffled his foot in the sand. "Where was Kuririn going?"
Juuhachigou seemed caught between exasperation and anger. "I. Don't. Know. I expect he was going somewhere with your otousan, Goten."
"Oh. I guess then..." Goten grinned at the sand and put a hand behind his head.
"We'll check your place, Goten. Thank you, Juuhachigou-san." Trunks grabbed Goten by the wrist and dragged him away from the annoyed android.
"Don't mention it." Juuhachigou raised an eyebrow and settled back in her chair. "Bye now."
"Eheheheheh....bye..." Goten grinned at her.
Trunks moaned in disgust and blasted his ki, dragging his best friend behind him

Hours later both boys were lying on the grass outside of Capsule Corp.
Trunks sighed. "So....what do you want to do?"
"Mmm." Goten had his face buried in the green growth. "Dunno."
"We could go back to your house and see if she's there now." Trunks played absently with a blade of grass.
"If you like." Goten shrugged, still not looking up.
"Maybe she's with Pan."
"Maybe."
"I bet she's with Bra. Mom said she hasn't seen Bra since this morning."
"Probably."
"You two dead or something?" Kuririn tapped Trunks on the shoulder.
"Oh. Hey, Kuririn. We were just--"
"--complaining 'cause we can't find Marron." finished Goten.
"Marron? She's with Bra, I dropped her here this morning." Kuririn shrugged.
"Not here anymore." Goten lifted his face from the grass.
"Ah. Anyway...I need to talk to Bulma-san, Trunks...I'll just let myself in..."
"Be my guest." Trunks flopped facefirst onto the ground.

"It seems they can't function without you." Kuririn observed from the doorway.
"Dad! How come you're here?...and who can't?" Marron dragged herself off the sofa to give her otousan a hug.
"Trunks and Goten. They're out lying on the lawn wondering where you are."
Bra giggled. "Sounds like them all right. Men...no offense intended, Kuririn-san."
"None taken. Hi, Bra-chan. Pan-chan." Kuririn gave the other girls a wave.
"Hi, Kuririn-san," they chorused.
"What have you three been doing all day anyway? Power-shopping?" Kuririn looked amused.
Marron grinned. "No, Dad....I've just been taking some of your good advice."

When the three girls emerged from the building Goten and Trunks were both still facedown on the lawn.
"Lazy oniichan..." sighed Bra.
"And Uncle Goten too." Pan frowned.
They appeared to be sleeping, but Trunks quickly stirred, sensing their ki, and got to his feet. "Hi, girls. Marron! Where've you been?"
The pigtailed girl nudged open the door with her foot. "In there."
"No way." Trunks looked crushed. "But we checked Bra's room..."

The girls led Trunks and Goten into the house and to the rec room. "Aha, but we weren't in Bra's room."

"Care for a game of war?" Bra snickered.
"What?" Goten stared at his friends. Bra threw the video game controller at him and he caught it out of reflex. "Huh?"
Little Pan already had a controller and was bouncing up and down on a soft chair. Marron placed another joystick in Trunks' hands. "Boys against girls. Loser buys the winners sodas."
"Oh." A dazed Goten yawned and shook his head. "All right, I can beat you even half asleep."
"We'll see about that." Marron grinned and turned on the game.

**************

She charged down the dark hallway at top speed, clutching her crossbow and inching around the corner.
All clear. For now, at least. The sixteen-year-old focussed intensely ahead of her, trying to spot shadows at the far end of the hall. She ran ahead to a ladder and started to ascend it, her crossbow automatically tucking itself into her backpack.
Marron glanced down: still clear. Perfect.
At the top Marron surveyed the little alcove she was standing in and jumped up onto a ledge, backing into a corner.
A few seconds later a dark figure scrambled out of the shaft and ran directly underneath her hiding spot, his black virtual clothing identifying him as Trunks.
Marron waited patiently, and it paid off. Several moments later a second figure came up from the ladder and stood above it.
A clatter of footsteps identified Bra or Pan ascending the deadly ladder. The expressionless blue-clad man aimed a rocket launcher down the small shaft.
The shadowed figure of Trunks that had been hiding below Marron advanced on Goten's turned back, clutching a crowbar.
Marron sighed. "Your tricks are getting old." She threw a grenade at both boys. The explosion engulfed the most of the room and the screen turned bright red...

Goten: kills=0 deaths=2
Trunks: kills=0 deaths=3
Bra: kills=1 deaths=0
Pan: kills=1 deaths=0
Marron: kills=3 deaths=0

"Well." Marron looked at the dejected losers of the game. "I guess you two owe us a soda then."

At the café later that afternoon, neither Trunks nor Goten would lift their heads off the table.
"You're lazy." Pan observed.
"I think it's just the humiliation of defeat." said Marron.
Bra grinned into her chocolate soda. "They're lucky we'd lower ourselves enough to even play with them."
"Yeah!" Pan cried.
Both boys groaned.
Marron stirred her drink listlessly. "I suppose so...but I think they've been humiliated enough for today..."
Kuririn pulled up a chair at a neighbouring table. "Hi, girls. You met up with Trunks and Goten?"
"Did they ever," moaned Trunks.
Goku, Bulma and Chi-chi, several tables down, shook their heads.
"They look like they've lost their best friend," observed Bulma.
"Just their pride," replied Marron.
"Let's play again tommorow!" said Pan.
Uhh...I think we're busy then..." Goten grinned half-heartedly.
Kuririn let out a laugh. "What did you do today?"
"We just took some very good advice." Marron winked at her father.
"Tomorrow?" Trunks grinned. "Tomorrow, we're going to the mall."




~owari!

Shi-chan: Ah, memories...