Chapter 1:
A Typical Day Before Things Changed
Edmund sat up in bed. His bed wasn't really a bed. It was a couple of sheets piled up. Damn, he thought, another day of school. He got up and went to the dirty old bathroom, that they couldn't afford soap for. Edmund was a foster child. Adopted by two kind, poor folks who couldn't have a kid themselves. He looked in the mirror at himself. Lavender hair, brown eyes, he was a handsome kid. As a matter of fact, he looked a lot like this little kid in the elementary school that shared a playground with his school. He was a third grader, but he was unusually strong. Edmund thought that he was a real brat that needed to be taught a lesson despite his very honorable best friend Goten. Edmund had taught himself not to be jealous of the boy. Trunks was his name, but they weren't friends, just identical strangers. Edmund moved into his room, got dressed and put his backpack together. Trunks was tall for his age, so the only way to distinguish them was that Edmund's hair was tangled and uncombed, and Trunks' was neatly parted. Edmund made himself breakfast, the same as every other day, Oatmeal. The cheapest food out there was all they could get. As he ate his food Edmund thought about his life. It SUCKED. Edmund had no friends to play with, no cousins, and no siblings. He went to a school full of snotty-ass rich kids, was at the very bottom of the "Social Food Chain". Finished with his cereal, he put it in the sink. He slung on his backpack, and his denim jacket, took the keys and walked out. His parents went to work early at the factory. Edmund locked the apartment door, and walked towards school.
* * *
At orange star junior high school, 29 children sat tapping their pencils. Some passed notes, some played handheld games, some spoke quietly, and some spoke loudly. Meanwhile, the teacher took attendance. "Elaine." called the teacher, a hand raised, "Edmund." No response, the teacher called again. "Edmund!" The classroom door opened. "Here," called Edmund. Somebody called out, "Hey, it's 'Raggedy Andy'!" The whole class laughed at him. This is not going to be a good day, thought Edmund, then again, it always is. He sat down in his seat. He sat next to this really annoying kid. She opened her mouth "I want to be your friend." Edmund rolled his eyes "Oh really." The girl nodded and said, "I feel sorry for you." "Why?" Said Edmund, and her expression changed to surprise and bewilderment "Because you're poor, starving, dirty, and friendless." "I don't believe that's a reason to be felt sorry for." He said in a stern tone, "I am proud of myself, and rather feel sorry for you, sarcastic, stupid, and projective. You don't know that my parents' monetary situation has no effect on me. I have good grades and can achieve better than them. I can get through high school, get a scholarship to a good college, make money, and help support my family. As for this 'friend' bullshit I don't believe it for a second." The girl had a subdued look on her face. Another triumph thought Edmund. Then Edmund remembered that it was April fools day, and slapped his forehead. It would be a horrible day indeed.
* * *
At recess, the yard was alive with children. On the swings, on the slide, Goten could see it all. He and Trunks were sorts of guardians of the school. Being Super Saiyajins, they scared bullies out of their wits. In a corner of the schoolyard shared by the middle school ad the elementary school, an unfortunate kid was getting the shit kicked out of him by seven eighth graders. Goten would have none of it today. He walked to the spot where it was happening. The kid put up a good fight; occasionally one kid would be thrown back a few feet. He walked closer and was about to call out "Stop," when some kid flew 6 feet straight into him. This kid fights hard, I've never seen anything like him! Thought Goten. His fists moved very fast for his low ki, but despite all this he was still getting beat up. Trunks ran over to Goten " I saw that kid fly into you. It's a kadoozie." Said Trunks, "That kid is strong." Goten walked over to the fight and whipped those kids' asses. A punch in the back sent one kid flying into the guy next to him. Then the two fought off the others. "That was excellent Trunks! Good job!" said Goten "Hey, you're not Trunks!" Goten's mouth was wide open. "The hell I'm not, I'm Edmund, Trunks is next to you." Said Edmund. Trunks' mouth was also open, "You look exactly like me!" he said. "Isn't that weird?" said Edmund. Trunks nodded. Edmund's curiosity now set in. "Say, guys, how did you get so strong?" he asked, "You're just little kids." "I got my strength from my daddy." said Trunks, "He's really strong." "Well, my Dad works in a factory, so yours can't be that much stronger." "No, he used to be a warrior, and now he fights monsters and saves earth." "Trunks!!" said Goten, "We're not supposed to tell!" Edmund couldn't help but laugh at what he thought was a childish fantasy. "How dare you laugh at my father!" Infuriated, Trunks whacked Edmund so hard that he flew across the yard, slammed into the chain-link fence and onto the ground. He saw stars for a moment and went unconscious. "Trunks, you're insane! You just killed that kid!" Said Goten. "No I didn't, he's just unconscious." Said a grinning Trunks. Edmund awoke in the school doctor's office. His head throbbed as if it had been hit with a sledgehammer, and it had. "Oh, you're awake!" said the school nurse "I didn't expect such an early recovery! You are one hard kid that's for sure. I saw what he did from here. And him being an incredibly strong boy, you're lucky to be alive, not to mention not have bone fractures. Well, I guess you can go home, because all your wounds are dressed."
Edmund sat up in bed. His bed wasn't really a bed. It was a couple of sheets piled up. Damn, he thought, another day of school. He got up and went to the dirty old bathroom, that they couldn't afford soap for. Edmund was a foster child. Adopted by two kind, poor folks who couldn't have a kid themselves. He looked in the mirror at himself. Lavender hair, brown eyes, he was a handsome kid. As a matter of fact, he looked a lot like this little kid in the elementary school that shared a playground with his school. He was a third grader, but he was unusually strong. Edmund thought that he was a real brat that needed to be taught a lesson despite his very honorable best friend Goten. Edmund had taught himself not to be jealous of the boy. Trunks was his name, but they weren't friends, just identical strangers. Edmund moved into his room, got dressed and put his backpack together. Trunks was tall for his age, so the only way to distinguish them was that Edmund's hair was tangled and uncombed, and Trunks' was neatly parted. Edmund made himself breakfast, the same as every other day, Oatmeal. The cheapest food out there was all they could get. As he ate his food Edmund thought about his life. It SUCKED. Edmund had no friends to play with, no cousins, and no siblings. He went to a school full of snotty-ass rich kids, was at the very bottom of the "Social Food Chain". Finished with his cereal, he put it in the sink. He slung on his backpack, and his denim jacket, took the keys and walked out. His parents went to work early at the factory. Edmund locked the apartment door, and walked towards school.
* * *
At orange star junior high school, 29 children sat tapping their pencils. Some passed notes, some played handheld games, some spoke quietly, and some spoke loudly. Meanwhile, the teacher took attendance. "Elaine." called the teacher, a hand raised, "Edmund." No response, the teacher called again. "Edmund!" The classroom door opened. "Here," called Edmund. Somebody called out, "Hey, it's 'Raggedy Andy'!" The whole class laughed at him. This is not going to be a good day, thought Edmund, then again, it always is. He sat down in his seat. He sat next to this really annoying kid. She opened her mouth "I want to be your friend." Edmund rolled his eyes "Oh really." The girl nodded and said, "I feel sorry for you." "Why?" Said Edmund, and her expression changed to surprise and bewilderment "Because you're poor, starving, dirty, and friendless." "I don't believe that's a reason to be felt sorry for." He said in a stern tone, "I am proud of myself, and rather feel sorry for you, sarcastic, stupid, and projective. You don't know that my parents' monetary situation has no effect on me. I have good grades and can achieve better than them. I can get through high school, get a scholarship to a good college, make money, and help support my family. As for this 'friend' bullshit I don't believe it for a second." The girl had a subdued look on her face. Another triumph thought Edmund. Then Edmund remembered that it was April fools day, and slapped his forehead. It would be a horrible day indeed.
* * *
At recess, the yard was alive with children. On the swings, on the slide, Goten could see it all. He and Trunks were sorts of guardians of the school. Being Super Saiyajins, they scared bullies out of their wits. In a corner of the schoolyard shared by the middle school ad the elementary school, an unfortunate kid was getting the shit kicked out of him by seven eighth graders. Goten would have none of it today. He walked to the spot where it was happening. The kid put up a good fight; occasionally one kid would be thrown back a few feet. He walked closer and was about to call out "Stop," when some kid flew 6 feet straight into him. This kid fights hard, I've never seen anything like him! Thought Goten. His fists moved very fast for his low ki, but despite all this he was still getting beat up. Trunks ran over to Goten " I saw that kid fly into you. It's a kadoozie." Said Trunks, "That kid is strong." Goten walked over to the fight and whipped those kids' asses. A punch in the back sent one kid flying into the guy next to him. Then the two fought off the others. "That was excellent Trunks! Good job!" said Goten "Hey, you're not Trunks!" Goten's mouth was wide open. "The hell I'm not, I'm Edmund, Trunks is next to you." Said Edmund. Trunks' mouth was also open, "You look exactly like me!" he said. "Isn't that weird?" said Edmund. Trunks nodded. Edmund's curiosity now set in. "Say, guys, how did you get so strong?" he asked, "You're just little kids." "I got my strength from my daddy." said Trunks, "He's really strong." "Well, my Dad works in a factory, so yours can't be that much stronger." "No, he used to be a warrior, and now he fights monsters and saves earth." "Trunks!!" said Goten, "We're not supposed to tell!" Edmund couldn't help but laugh at what he thought was a childish fantasy. "How dare you laugh at my father!" Infuriated, Trunks whacked Edmund so hard that he flew across the yard, slammed into the chain-link fence and onto the ground. He saw stars for a moment and went unconscious. "Trunks, you're insane! You just killed that kid!" Said Goten. "No I didn't, he's just unconscious." Said a grinning Trunks. Edmund awoke in the school doctor's office. His head throbbed as if it had been hit with a sledgehammer, and it had. "Oh, you're awake!" said the school nurse "I didn't expect such an early recovery! You are one hard kid that's for sure. I saw what he did from here. And him being an incredibly strong boy, you're lucky to be alive, not to mention not have bone fractures. Well, I guess you can go home, because all your wounds are dressed."