Crimson Tide
Chapter Two: Gains and Losses

Rexus Beaumont, director of the upcoming movie Dreams of Apocalypse, was busy shaking the hand of a tall, young man with pale, handsome features, soft coal eyes, and a sheepish grin on his face. Trunks Briefs-Vegeta, on the other hand, wasn't happy in any way.

"No, sir, you must be mistaken," Goten Son reasoned out as he pulled his hand away from the director. "I didn't come here for the audition, Trunks---"

"Now, now, my boy, there's no need to be humble! You're simply perfect for the role, don't you know that?"

Goten was looking at Trunks, as if asking for help, but his best friend's back was turned at him the whole time. "Mr. Beaumont, I'm sure you're terribly mistaken. I'm no actor," he tried to explain. "My best friend, on the other hand, has been acting for two straight years, and he's been in a soap opera recently. You know, the top-rating one, entitled---"

"I know, I know," Rexus said, trying to make Goten shut his mouth. "But I want you for the job."

"But sir---"

He dumped the extra-thick script into Goten's arms, making the demi-saiyajin blink. "Huh?"
"Try reading it."

He looked at the script, then his eyes narrowed, not understanding the words too much, and then, he looked back at the director. "Huh?"

"That's going to be your script."

"Huh?" Goten asked, his face implying total confusion.

And that was when Rexus shook the talent manager's hand, utterly delighted at what the demi-saiyajin was showing. "You picked the right man for the job, Rufius! Damn, look at that innocent face he's putting up! It just so fits the role! He's a natural, why hasn't he been discovered yet?!"

"Huh?" Goten asked the two, who were chattering excitedly. Then, Rexus grabbed the young man's hand.

"Come, uh... Mr..."

"Son."

"Yes, Mr. Son, please come with me. I'm so honored to introduce you to the rest of the cast," Rexus blurted out with much excitement as he pulled Goten away.

The demi-saiyajin tried to break free, though he didn't use much force so that the human director won't be slammed to the wall or anything. "But what about Trunks?"

"You can talk to Trunks later. Now, Mr. Son, as I was saying..." the director continued talking as he lead Goten into another room, where the rest of the chosen ones were assembled.

"Mr. Beaumont, wait for me!" Rufius called out, when a hand pulled him back into place.

Trunks was glaring at him. "Rufius, you told me that I was going to get the part," he said in a low, cold voice. "But why did he get it now?"

"I'm sorry Trunks," Rufius replied with a much sarcasm. "Sometimes, things don't work out the way we want them. That's the downfall of this five-letter-word called pride."

"What, aren't you going to do anything about it?!"

"Why, what can I do?" the other replied. "I'm Mr. Son's talent manager now. Forgive me, Trunks, but it's over."

"What?!" Trunks almost growled. "What are you trying to imply, Rufius?!"

The talent manager's grin was smug. "That's how it goes in showbusiness, Trunks. I took you in as my client because you were very promising and you definitely got yourself famous because of your soap. But now, your rise to glory has come to a dead end. The next star of the showbiz world is Goten, and I'm going to be by his side, to help him get the best deals, to help him get the best parts, to help him get as much money as he could ever want, and to help him be a lot more famous than you've become."

And he turned to follow where Rexus and Goten disappeared to before Trunks could pounce on him in his anger.

Trunks just stood there, fuming. He could not understand how in the world did Goten get the part he had always wanted. "He's just a nobody," Trunks whispered to himself, his voice full of anger and envy. "True, he may be Goku's son, but he comes from a poor family nobody in the city would have heard of. And who am I? I'm Trunks Briefs-Vegeta. I'm rich, I'm famous, I'm powerful, I'm good-looking, and there's no way a wild-haired brat like Goten could surpass me! This... this is an outrage!" he yelled in frustration.

A couple of security guards ordered him to keep quiet, but he merely glared back at them and walked out of the studio.

Now he knew how his father felt. His father was the prince of the saiyajins, and a third class warrior named Kakkarot could beat him anytime. He was the son of that prince, but the son of that third class warrior just beat him.

His cellphone rang.

"Hello?" he growled as he answered.

It was Keeney.

"Hey, Nii-chan!" she began in her sing-song voice, the sing-song voice that Goten used to do when they were younger. "Did you get the part?"

Trunks pulled the phone away from his ear, looked at it in disgust, turned it off, and threw it away.

He then began the agonizing walk towards his home.

Not to the apartment, but to Capsule Corporation.

"Look, Mr. Beaumont, I really have to go back and talk to Trunks, he---"

"He left already."

Goten turned to look at Rufius, who just arrived. "Where did he go, Mr. Reinhardt?"

"Oh please, Goten. Call me Rufius. I'm going to be your talent manager now."

He started to panic. "Mr. Beaumont, I can't accept your offer, even if I want to! My best friend --- Trunks --- he wants that part. And I'm sure it's going to hurt him more if it was his own best friend who got it. You should just pick someone else."

"Goten," Rexus began. "Don't let this friendship stuff get in the way. You're going to be a star. You're going to be famous! Besides, if he's a true friend, then he won't be hurt. Rather, he'd be happy for you. That's how friends are supposed to be. He should be happy, after all, he is a part of your success."

"But---"

"Come on, Goten," Monica Elliot, a young yet world-class actress --- Goten and Trunks had seen all her movies --- exclaimed as she clung on to him. "You can't let your emotions get to you. You're fit for this movie, Goten. I will not allow anyone else to work with me except you. We're a great team, and I'm sure that we'll do excellent in this one!"

But the old Goten --- who would give up everything just to get a date with a celebrity --- was gone.

He pushed her away. "I've got to talk to Trunks," he told them as he ran off.

Rexus' eyes narrowed. "Rufius, you have to find a way. I don't care what you do, I want Goten Son for the part. That Trunks must not get in the way."

"Otousan, you wanna eat?" Keeney yelled as she closed the door of their fridge. "OTOUSAAAAAAAN!"

"YEAH, WHAT IS IT?!" Vegeta bellowed in return.

"DO YOU WANNA EAT?" she asked, making her voice as loud as she could, for he was all the way in his training chamber, the Gravity Room. When she heard no reply, she knew that very instant that it was a yes. She opened the fridge to get the entire pitcher of juice, and the extra-large chocolate cake. She sat down, waiting for her father to come out and eat with her, but nothing happened. So she decided to start eating, for her stomach was whining in defiance.

The door slammed open.

"WHERE'S MY CHOCOLATE CAKE?!" a furious Trunks snapped at his little sister who was just about to shove a fairly large piece into her mouth.

Keeney put the cake down, then smiled sheepishly, a smile that was close enough to the renowned Son Grin™. "Hi, Nii-chan."

As Goten was running towards his car, he took out his cellphone and dialed Trunks' number, but the operator said something about number cannot be reached so he put the cellphone back into his pocket and hopped in his car. He could just fly but he didn't want to leave his car anywhere near a public place so he decided to use the vehicle to get to where Trunks was.

He paused for a moment to sense his ki, and when he felt it, he was paralyzed in shock.

Trunks was furious, and Goten felt that.

He pushed the accelerator and headed to Capsule Corporation as fast as he could. Although it wasn't really his fault, but he had to apologize. He finally pulled the car aside as he arrived in Capsule Corporation, said a very quick "Hello," to Mr. and Mrs. Briefs, and headed in the building.

"He's furious," Keeney told him as soon as they met, her giving him a slight peck on the cheek. "He told me that you got the part all of a sudden. Is that true?"

Goten nodded, and then he looked at her as if begging for help. "I don't want the part, Keeney! True, I've often told myself that someday I'll do things right and I'll be a star, but if it will hurt my best friend then I'm going to leave all that fame stuff behind! He wants the part, so he should get it."

"Have you come to offer me the part as your sidekick?" a cold voice shot behind them and they turned to see Trunks standing by the doorway.

"Trunks, you have to listen to me," Goten began. "Look, the reason why I went there with you was because you asked me to. And I told them that I don't want the part. So it's all yours."

His lavender-haired best friend shook his head. "Rufius just called. He told me to stay out of your way and make sure that you get the part."

"But I don't it!"

"Goten, can't you understand?!" Trunks snapped. "It's doesn't matter if you want it or not. What matters is who they want, and who they don't want! That's what showbusiness is all about!" Then, his expression softened. "Listen, Goten," he began as he walked towards the dark-haired saiyajin. "I'm not mad because you got the part. I'm just frustrated because things just didn't work out the way I expected them to be. That's all. So..." his voice trailed off as he swallowed, then hugged Goten. "Congratulations. And yeah... I'm sorry if I left all of a sudden. Rufius just insulted me and you know I can't take those crap." He smiled and offered his hand. "Well? Aren't you going to shake my hand?"

"Trunks, I don't want---"

Trunks took his hand anyway. "Isn't that great, Goten? You're going to be very famous! Just don't forget about me, all right?"

"Aw c'mon, Trunks, you know I'll never do that! But... what about you?"

"Well," Trunks began, as finding the right words to say and the right facade to use, "My mom asked me to start my training in the business field. She said that I'm the eldest anyway, so I'll most probably inherit the business. She wants me to be CEO of Capsule Corporation."

"Wow, that's awesome!" Goten exclaimed happily.

"See how great this is, Goten? Goten Son, the hard-hitting action hero. Trunks Briefs-Vegeta, the smart and good-looking CEO of Capsule Corporation."

Then they both laughed, releasing all the tension.

"You scared me for a while back there, Trunks! I thought you were mad at me for good. And I don't want to lose you. Not ever. You're my best friend, and you've been---"

"Cut the crap, Goten," Trunks replied. "And that's not the way to do some thanking in the showbiz world. Come, I'll give you some pointers!" he exclaimed as he pulled Goten by the hand and led him up to his room.

Keeney couldn't help but sigh in relief. However, she noticed that there was something --- just a little something --- wrong with the way her brother was acting.

"That kid has a long way to go," Kim, Rexus' wife, commented as they watched the trailer for Dreams of Apocalypse. "He has much potential, and plus, he's a natural. Good looks add brownie points too."

Rexus chuckled as he stared at the soon-to-be-star. "True, true. There's something about him, Kim. Something that seems to draw people close to him. In fact, I noticed him the moment he stepped into my office. And to think he was standing behind Trunks Briefs-Vegeta. You know, the star of that soap---"

"You mean the Trunks Briefs-Vegeta? He must truly be something if he made you notice him just like that! I mean, if it was me, I'd most probably notice Trunks."

"Oh, you don't know what he's like, Kim," Rexus said. "He's very nice to work with. He's very open-minded and very obedient, and most of the cast are in very good terms with him." He took the remote control to replay the trailer. "See the way he acts? Believe it or not, he did that in just one take. And we didn't need any stuntmen too. He was excellent in martial arts. He just had a couple of problems with guns, he seemed uneasy using them."

Kim Beaumont smiled. "Well, darling, you've just caught the prized fish. Dreams of Apocalypse will be an absolute box-office hit, and Goten Son will be the next Prince of the Silverscreen. Dreams really do come true."