Being Vegito By Lady AngelFiren Part Ten: Search for Answers

This Chapter is dedicated to Camaro for her lovely reviews. Go check out her fic 'Dark Angel,' it's a kick-ass story!! *Offers big huggs for Camaro and gives her honorary Vegito statue of honourariness.* Yay! OK, on with the fic.

Gohan landed just outside of Satan City. He had decided during his brief flight there that maybe getting a job on the outskirts of the city would be better than somewhere busy and filled with strange people.

Unfortunately for Gohan, there were no signs up in any of these places, and the few odd shops and businesses that Gohan dared to try assured him that he was qualified, but they weren't looking for work. Gohan politely smiled, hiding his disappointment and growing nervousness as he thanked people for their time and turned to the door.

Not one to be too easily discouraged, Gohan headed further inward, where the city was splitting at the seams with bustling shoppers and busy people of all ages. There were 'Now Hiring' signs posted in many places here, although at least half of them were immediately ruled out because they were food places. Gohan straightened his back and rolled his shoulders, sucking in a breath and blinking undauntedly. He pushed the door open to a store called 'Say it with Flowers.' At least that's what the large pink and green sign out front proclaimed. Gohan blushed when he realized that it was a flower place. He was already half in the door, however, so he couldn't just give up and turn back now. As he walked inside, the scent of fresh blossoms tickled his nose with a pleasant fragrance. The displays were full and organized, and the lights were cheerfully bright. Gohan looked around for someone in a uniform.

He spotted the cash and approached it with sweaty palms and a tense disposition. He couldn't help it, he was terribly nervous, after all. There was a young girl behind the counter. She had blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Her skin was also pale, though her cheeks had a touch of pink in them and her lips were glossy. She wore no earrings, it was easy to tell because her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. Her eyes were decorated with pink eye shadow that glittered subtly in the light. Gohan gulped, immediately distracted by the pretty thing before him. It wasn't that he really thought about that sort of thing often, it was more that whenever he was near someone attractive lately he felt all sweaty and flustered and tense.

He approached the counter and looked a the display beside it. It contained assorted flower foods, rose foods, and a selection of cards and tags and balloons. Gohan looked at the display for a long, uncomfortable moment.

"Can I help you?" Asked the blond girl, cocking her head at him slightly and waiting for him to answer. Gohan's ears turned red when he looked at her and realized he'd just been standing there.

"Oh yes. I think so, I mean I hope so. Is there a manager around?"

"Yeah, just a minute, I'll go get her, wait here."

The girl went through a door behind the counter and the sound of another door opening and closing was heard. A few moments later an older lady who looked to be in her fifties or so came out and greeted Gohan with a curious smile.

"Can I help you with something? My name is Betty, I'm the owner of 'Say it with Flowers.'

This woman was quite wrinkled and kindly looking. She had a pair of glasses on and a blue sweater. That was all that Gohan could see from his position on the other side of the counter. He smiled and looked at the woman's eyes, finding them to be a foggy green colour.

"I'm Son Gohan, and I'm eighteen. I have a resume here, I'm looking for a job. You had a sign out front."

Betty nodded and smiled, taking the sheet of professional white paper that his résumé was printed on from his hand. She looked it over and her eyebrows lowered in thought.

"Hmm, you've never had a job before Gohan? Why do you think I should hire you?"

Gohan felt himself sweating. He shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. "I've never had a job before, but I'm a good student and I'm really interested in finding somewhere to work. I have a little too much extra time on my hands lately, and I'd like to meet some new people."

Gohan could only hope he wasn't saying the wrong thing. He and Bulma had discussed various approaches to presenting himself to the manager of anyplace he applied. He wasn't repeating exactly the same thing as they'd talked about, but it was pretty close. Betty's face crinkled into another smile.

"Well Mr. Son, we are looking for someone who can work full-time, are you able to do that?"

"Yes, I've just finished high school, so I'm not doing anything else right now."

"Alright, then it looks like we should keep you in mind. I'll think about it and give you a call to set up an interview. Thanks for introducing yourself Gohan. We'll talk soon."

Betty reached over the counter to shake Gohan's hand. He twitched with apprehension and wished he could wipe his hand on his pants so it wasn't so sweaty as his fingers clasped the smiling woman's own fingers. She gave him a good hard shake (for a human) and another pleasant smile. Gohan took this as his cue to go and took his leave of 'Say it with Flowers' to try a few other places.

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After Goten realized that Trunks was not at all coming after him to kill him, he relaxed and poked his head up beside Vegito, blinking at him and turning his head to the TV. He tried to pretend everything was calm and normal. Unfortunately for Goten, he was about as good at hiding things he was feeling as his brother, which made him pretty transparent all around.

Vegito wasn't sure he really wanted to know too much about what the little boy was thinking. He didn't offer Goten any of his ki this time, he thought it was rather cowardly of him to hide like he had been doing a moment before. He frowned at Goten disapprovingly.

"Goten, Why are you hiding from Trunks?"

"Well he's awful powerful now, and.uhm. I don't think I should talk about the rest."

"Trunks is keeping secrets now?"

"Not exactly, is just stuff you shouldn't know, like how Trunks is so upset about you taking the place of his papa. But see you can't tell anyone cause then Trunks' pride gets hurt and that makes him extra super grumpy, and he was even crying this time too. I'm worried about Trunks."

"Well brat, there isn't much I can do about that, if its his choice to keep to himself then you have to abide by his decision. I, on the other hand, am far more powerful, and I can do whatever I want. Perhaps if you train under me you can be this powerful as well, or at least marginally as powerful as me; you'll never come close to actually challenging me. I will have a word with Trunks later whether he likes it or not."

"Uhm, Vegito. I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Nonsense, I thought of it, didn't I? My ideas are gold. Give me one even slightly good reason not to confront Trunks. He's being stupid, what with hiding from me and pretending not to acknowledge my existence, its disgraceful and disrespectful. I simply have to impress WHO I AM upon him and he will be awestruck by the immensity of my power. Then this nonsensical bullshit will stop and I can begin to train you two as Gotenks."

"But-"

"But nothing, brat. Cower away from him if that's your choice, but I'll have to train that out of you somehow, you do realize. Now, I have work to do, quit pestering me."

Vegito rose to his feet effortlessly, with the same smooth grace that was a part of all his movements. It was what made him seem godly, his movements were so swift and flawless that he seemed to flow from one position to another without ever really moving at all. He sensed within himself the rage that flared to life whenever he thought about his insecurities.

Without even knowing it, Trunks had managed to touch on a particular nerve with his ignorance. Vegito felt the desire for vengeance spring to life in him. He wanted to get Trunks back for disrespecting him. He couldn't very well do that without angering someone, namely the boy's mother and best friend, but it was hard to ignore the fiery inflammation caused by Trunks infectious snobby conduct. It made Vegito immediately want to smack the boy for his insubordination.

Instead of heading towards Trunks' energy, however, Vegito took himself outside, blinking in the vivid morning sunlight that touched everywhere with refreshing brightness. He blasted into the sky and made his way to the far south of the planet. The north pole was much too crowded with people close by, but Antarctica, he had learned, was very far from any people at all. Bulma had warned Vegito about melting the polar ice caps. He made a note to keep his power in check to prevent this from happening. It would be just another little test of his control. He liked testing himself, seeing how easily he surpassed the rest of the world without so much as a thought.

A few minutes of flight later found the self-centered creature lowering himself to the snowy sheets of ice that made up Antarctica. The cold was extreme here and stung even the great warrior's flesh, forcing him to raise his power in order to keep warm. The cold seemed to melt away to nothing once he'd done this, and he settled comfortably in the snow to contemplate his situation.

He clearly needed to do something about Trunks. The thought that his own son didn't like him rang sour with the warm glow if inner energy that was Goku's relative opinion in Vegito. He snarled at some snow and decimated much of it, watching steam rise and blow away on the chilly wind. It just wasn't satisfying to destroy snow, however. Vegito's fists ached for a real challenge. Aggression was building towards Trunks, and now when Vegito pictured the lavender-haired boy, he felt angry immediately. He didn't know Trunks well enough, he didn't have very many memories from his Vegita half of really participating in Trunks' life, though the ones that he did have suggested to Vegito that the boy had admired his original father immensely. So. he could understand how Trunks might really hate him, since he was in place of Vegita and Goku now.

But what to do about it. The very thought made him want to take Trunks by the head and pound until the message was clear as day and night. He was above Trunks. As the most significantly powerful being in existence, Vegito knew that he was also more important than other, weaker beings. The fate of the universe itself lay in his fingertips. It was all there for the taking if he wanted it. Just knowing that and truly being confident of it was currently enough to satisfy Vegito, though he figured this desire might become more hungry for recognition if he became less able to believe in himself for some reason. His ability to trust himself and his own judgment was something that made Vegito calm. He didn't have to worry that he might make the wrong decision. At least he didn't feel like he needed to worry about it.

Now, the best way to deal with Trunks. obviously if he were to just get the boy to see how great he was, then Trunks would have no qualms with him being here in place of Vegita. And there was Goten as well, if he got Goten to convince Trunks of the truth, then he could count Goten as a loyal adversary (even if he was only eight) and Trunks would become his ally instead of a reminder of who he had been before becoming Vegito. It wasn't that he didn't like his previous selves, he just felt so much more efficient and capable now. There was no need to downgrade and go back to being two people.

Vegito started some exercises with his energy. He expanded it around himself in a bubble, making the skin of the bubble thick and dense. Then he allowed himself to power up more completely inside of his bubble, causing the temperature to immediately turn molten around him. It felt incredibly good to release a little fire. He screamed inside his bubble at the South Pole, his dual voice echoing off the inner walls of the sphere while it shook with his energy.

He would have what he was after. He would be respected and known. He would get Trunks and Goten to be on his side of things, then he would train them together as Gotenks. Perhaps he could even figure out how to make fusion earrings, and he could fuse the two boys into one to give himself a more fitting son. Their mothers would be furious however, and Vegito did recognize that he was virtually defenseless against a double assault from Chichi and Bulma. He wasn't stupid, after all.

And there was also Gohan to think about. Vegito still had plans for his eldest. Gohan demonstrated ability far beyond his years. He had potential to rise up and become godlike in his capabilities. But the boy was just so damned weak inside. he quivered at the thought of hurting someone, it just wasn't right. Not that Vegito had any real desire to hurt someone, only in the battling sense, not in the cruelty sense. He just didn't crave the destruction that tyrants like Frieza and Cell had. He would be halfway across the universe destroying planets by the handful if that were the case.

Gohan would be difficult, because he was already so old and so strong. Goten was easy to sway, and with Goten on his side, then Vegito was confident that he could make Gohan train under him and get stronger as well. It all came down to Trunks in the end. Trunks was harboring a power that was serious and vast. Immeasurable so far as Vegito could tell. It might even be a rival to his own. If Trunks' power rose and he became a challenge, Vegito might have to kill the boy to win the fight. He didn't want to do that, Trunks was a prince and a genius, and he felt affection for the boy after all the worry over power levels and battle and being outsmarted or ridiculed.

Vegito meditated in the snow for a long time after that, using the time to control himself and familiarize himself further with his own powerful body and mind. The earth trembled on its axis, even though any power that Vegito rose remained sealed safely inside a bubble of energy. Vegito was a force of nature in and of himself. He caused storms to pop up all over the place and earthquakes were felt round the globe. He paid these things no mind, he had much more important stuff to worry over.

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Trunks found his mother sitting in the gazebo in a comfortable looking sling chair, with a tall glass of something sweet smelling on a table beside her. Her feet were up on a matching footrest, and her laptop was settled in her lap, her fingers making clicking noises as her long nails tapped the keys. Trunks watched his mother for a moment, sniffing the air and listening to her heart beating in her chest. It was creepy how he could hear all the strange little unnoticeable noises now, like heartbeats, growling stomachs and swallowing. They were all clear as day. And his sense of smell was so sensitive now, that from where he was standing, he could trace any of several hundred separate insects and small animals that had been through the area in the past few hours or so with ease.

He felt a lump of fear in his throat and his ears folded back nervously under the hood he was wearing. He didn't want to get yelled at, he didn't want to be tested or poked at, he simply hated the thought of feeling scared anymore, and his mother was a genius. He loathed telling her things, and even now, he considered retreating every passing second. But that would be cowardly, now that he had decided within himself that he was going to get her help.

He twisted his clawed hands together nervously and stepped into the gazebo. "Mom. can I talk to you?" He asked in a voice that was a subordinate and childish as he could manage. After yelling at Bulma earlier, Trunks knew he needed to suck up to her to get her back on his side of things.

Bulma hadn't known Trunks was there. She jumped, startled, when he appeared beside her, looking at her like something was really wrong. She grew immediately concerned, almost completely forgetting about earlier at first. Fortunately she caught herself before she said anything to the boy. Her realization only made her more furious with him.

"Trunks! Young man, what have you got to say for yourself!? The way you talked to me this morning was wrong, I'm still thinking about a punishment."

"Mom this is important. forget about punishments for a minute. this is way more important than that. I have to show you something."

Bulma cocked a brow at her only son and turned away from the computer screen to look at him with curious blue eyes. She frowned with worry. "Sweetie you overreact to things a lot. its probably not as bad as you think. mommy will make it better. what's wrong?"

Trunks' eyes became distant beneath the hood. He shook his head and crossed his arms, hiding his hands in his sleeves still. "I can't show you here, we have to go in your lab where nobody else can see."

"Trunks can't you see I'm kind of busy here? Can it wait?"

"No. you have to come now or I'm not gonna show you at all."

Bulma closed her laptop after saving her work and she growled in exasperation, rolling her eyes at Trunks' overly serious worries over what she figured was probably nothing. Trunks was always getting worried over little things. He'd done it ever since he was old enough to talk. As he grew older, Bulma was noticing that Trunks pretended just as Vegita did. He would puff out his chest and pretend to be fine when really he was freaking out over something or other. Of course with the way he reacted to Vegito, Trunks must be quite upset. Maybe he'd destroyed something by accident? Bulma knew Trunks sometimes went into her lab and fiddled with her inventions. However, she had only seen progress produced by his fingertips. He tended to fix little problems and sometimes big ones. She hoped he hadn't destroyed something she was working on. her work with Vegito's blood .

Bulma got up from her sling chair and took her laptop with her, following Trunks, who'd started for the outside lab door the second she got to her feet. She saw him float himself up to key in the code- he was only nine after all. He settled back onto the ground and pulled the door open, stepping inside and waiting for Bulma. She closed the door after herself and had to take several blind steps as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Trunks didn't turn on any lights, his hands were trembling with fearful anticipation of what reaction his mother would have. He thought he should just pretend it was a joke. it would make her mad, but at least he'd still have his secret. He snorted at that thought. He couldn't just turn tail and run away because he was scared. He had to be brave in the face of fear. And Bulma was definitely scary and most certainly intimidating to the young hybrid.

"Mommy. I have to show you. but. *swallow* I don't wanna." Trunks felt shame burning his cheeks. He felt tears brimming in his eyes and the lump in his stomach had crawled right up his throat with powerful quickness. IT was damn near impossible for Trunks to keep himself from crying.

Bulma crouched down in front of Trunks and met his eyes. She saw that they were glassy and watery, and that he was inching away from her with fear. Whatever was wrong clearly had the shit scared out of her son. She made sure to keep serious. Little Trunks was a very serious young man. At least when it was his situation. Otherwise he was an unholy brat, constantly duping Goten into accompanying him on escapades of destruction about the Capsule Corp. property. That's why Bulma was so immediately worried. Trunks was shaking like a leaf.

"Honey you can show me what's wrong, I promise it'll be ok sweetie, if something's wrong mommy can fix it, and if its impossible mommy will build something to fix it."

Trunks wiped his tears on his sleeve and sniffled obnoxiously. He could smell the scent of his mother's perfume, it was subtle and not bothersome. On the contrary, it made Trunks want to cling to Bulma's leg, but that just wasn't done in his family, not with Vegita as his father.

"Its. you have to promise not to tell anybody. Nobody. ok mom?" Trunks gave her a dead-serious look that bordered on a threatening glare, although it wasn't truly threatening.

"Ok Trunks, I won't tell a soul. Now come on, you're scaring me."

Trunks stepped back and took a shuddering breath. He closed his eyes and pushed the hood back from his head. He let his ears stand up through his hair and he swallowed, looking ready to flinch. Before Bulma could say anything, Trunks pulled the hooded sweater completely off, tossing it on the floor. He reached over to the lab table and flicked the desk lamp on, illuminating himself and the ears that poked up on either side of his head. He let his mother see his arms, which also had fur, and he showed her the claws on his hands and the pointy teeth in his mouth. Trunks turned his head away from Bulma and he backed away, stepping out of the light.

Bulma frowned and forced herself to remain calm.

"Trunks, baby, come back over here, let me run a few tests, we'll get it all figured out and everything will be just fine."

Bulma walked towards the last place she'd seen Trunks. He was only a few feet back into the darkness and the clutter of random equipment in every available space of the lab.

"Mommy stay away. I don't want tests. I just want it to stop. Its weird. everything's loud and it smells too much and I'm hungry. I want everyone to go away!"

"I promise I won't do too many tests. but we have to know what's going on. Mommy can't help if she doesn't get to take a look."

"NO!"

Trunks leapt straight up into the rafters of the laboratory. He clung to the bars easily and peered down at Bulma, who was barely visible in the single desk light. However, Trunks could smell and hear her so well that he didn't really need to see her. He had no trouble keeping track of her.

Bulma looked up and made a frustrated gesture out of fisting her hands at her sides. "Trunks come down from there, I heard you up in the rafters! Come on, what did you think I would want to do if you showed me."

The blue-haired genius hmmphed with much irritation as she searched for a light switch somewhere in her vicinity. She made her way to the wall beside the door and finally managed to get the main overhead lights on. However, when she looked in the place that She thought Trunks was, there was nobody there at all. In fact, a thorough scan of the entire ceiling revealed only girders and light fixtures, Trunks was nowhere in sight. Bulma proceeded to search the rest of the lab for him, but he was gone. She shook her head, feeling like she'd said the wrong thing entirely.

'He'll come back, he's just like his father.' Bulma thought to herself as she opened up her laptop and resumed her previous work.
End Part Ten To Be Continued.

Ooh, I hope this chappie wasn't too boring for everyone, I hate when that happens. Sometimes I tend to ramble. I don't do it on purpose, I can tell you that much! But here I am, rambling away again when you probably want to go write me a review for my nice chapter! *grins encouragingly* ehehhe, Thanks to everyone for your encouragement!

Lady AngelFiren