Chapter 3: Underwater Struggle
"Goten," Bra said as he laid Little Kakarot down in the crib and she laid down to take a nap, "I know you want to go home tonight, but would you mind if we stayed here for a while, at least for the next few days."
He covered her up and then sat down next to the on the bed. "It's because your dad left; you want to stay with your mom for a few days to make sure she's okay?" he asked, gently holding her hand.
"Please don't be mad at me, Goten," she replied softly, hoping he would understand.
"I'm not mad, Bra. My dad's left like this several times before, too. I understand. I don't mind if we stay here for a while. If I want to see my family, it takes me all of five minutes to get there. I do know how to fly, you know. Now, get some rest. I can tell you're exhausted," he said, standing. Goten gently kissed Bra and then walked out to allow his wife and son a chance to rest.
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"Now, where are you?" Vegeta said, flying toward the next dragon ball. He was nearing it and he realized, he was going to have to go for a swim. "Just wonderful, I really wanted to get wet. Hopefully, it's not that far down there." He made sure the dragon ball he had was secure around his waist then dove in. The radar said he was directly on top of the dragon ball, but he couldn't seem to find it. He searched for several minutes then had to go up for air. He retreated to a small outcropping and pulled out a capsule container. "I'm glad I brought this." Vegeta tossed one and an air tank appeared. He slipped it on and dove back into the water.
After a few minutes, he found out why he couldn't find the dragon ball - an underwater cave. He headed into it and it was so dark, he had to transform to super saiyan just to see. After a few minutes, he reached an air pocket that lead to dry land. Vegeta climbed out of the water and put way the air tank. Slowly, he walked down the cave and soon he came to a lit corridor. Powering down, he began to hear voices. "So, someone else beat me to this one. Well, looks like I'll just have to take it from them."
"Halt, who goes there? What's the password?" a man pointed a gun in Vegeta's face, "Answer me or I'll shoot."
"I'll answer you," Vegeta replied and punched just hard enough to knock the man out. Vegeta continued on and soon came upon a room full of treasure and on top of the mound sat not one but two dragon balls. "I couldn't have planned this better."
"I hope you didn't plan on stealing our treasure, matty, that would be a big mistake," a man the size of the Ox King said, coming up behind Vegeta. Four other men also surrounded Vegeta, each just as large as the first.
Vegeta smirked; if this was all the fight he was going to get in collecting the dragon balls, he would be finished by the end of the day. " I don't care about your stupid treasure, I just want the two dragon balls you have over there. If you give them to me now, you won't get hurt," Vegeta said, pointing to the dragon balls.
"Dragon balls? What are dragon balls?" the five pirates looked at each other then the first one spoke to Vegeta again, "Listen, matty, I don't know what you're talking about, but you better leave now if you value your life."
"Oh, I value my life, matty, the question is, do you value yours?" Vegeta smiled as he jumped into defensive stance.
"So, you want to fight? Well, then it's a fight you'll get," the first pirate said, jumping into defensive stance as the other four backed away. Vegeta let the pirate make the first move, but it only took one move to knock the pirate out cold. The others put up no fight while Vegeta collected the five-star and six-star dragon balls, placed them in the bag, and left the cave.
Vegeta surfaced a few minutes later to find the sun setting. "Guess it's time to find something to eat and to turn in for the night." He found some food and a small cave. He lit a small fire, ate, and then fell asleep dreaming of Bulma and their family.
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Bulma stared out the window in her bedroom as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't care about presents anymore; she just wanted Vegeta to come back. "Mom, are you okay?" Victor put his arm around his mother and led her to sit down on the bed. Bulma didn't say anything but just buried her head in her son's shoulder and cried. Shortly, Trunks sat down on the other side of his mother and he, too, wrapped his arm around her. Bulma turned to her oldest son and, curling up in a ball, let him hold her as she cried.
"Victor, we have to get her out of their room. Until dad returns, we shouldn't leave her alone, but I have no idea where we could put her," Trunks said to his little brother. How could their father do this at Christmas?
"We could put her in my room. I can sleep on the floor; I've done it enough training with dad. It won't bother me," Victor replied.
Trunks nodded his head in approval as he gently picked up Bulma, who had cried herself to sleep in his arms. The two took their mother to Victor's room and put her to bed. "Goodnight, mother, sleep well," Trunks said softly, covering Bulma up, "Watch over her, Victor." Victor nodded and Trunks returned to his own room where his wife and son were waiting for him.
"Goten," Bra said as he laid Little Kakarot down in the crib and she laid down to take a nap, "I know you want to go home tonight, but would you mind if we stayed here for a while, at least for the next few days."
He covered her up and then sat down next to the on the bed. "It's because your dad left; you want to stay with your mom for a few days to make sure she's okay?" he asked, gently holding her hand.
"Please don't be mad at me, Goten," she replied softly, hoping he would understand.
"I'm not mad, Bra. My dad's left like this several times before, too. I understand. I don't mind if we stay here for a while. If I want to see my family, it takes me all of five minutes to get there. I do know how to fly, you know. Now, get some rest. I can tell you're exhausted," he said, standing. Goten gently kissed Bra and then walked out to allow his wife and son a chance to rest.
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"Now, where are you?" Vegeta said, flying toward the next dragon ball. He was nearing it and he realized, he was going to have to go for a swim. "Just wonderful, I really wanted to get wet. Hopefully, it's not that far down there." He made sure the dragon ball he had was secure around his waist then dove in. The radar said he was directly on top of the dragon ball, but he couldn't seem to find it. He searched for several minutes then had to go up for air. He retreated to a small outcropping and pulled out a capsule container. "I'm glad I brought this." Vegeta tossed one and an air tank appeared. He slipped it on and dove back into the water.
After a few minutes, he found out why he couldn't find the dragon ball - an underwater cave. He headed into it and it was so dark, he had to transform to super saiyan just to see. After a few minutes, he reached an air pocket that lead to dry land. Vegeta climbed out of the water and put way the air tank. Slowly, he walked down the cave and soon he came to a lit corridor. Powering down, he began to hear voices. "So, someone else beat me to this one. Well, looks like I'll just have to take it from them."
"Halt, who goes there? What's the password?" a man pointed a gun in Vegeta's face, "Answer me or I'll shoot."
"I'll answer you," Vegeta replied and punched just hard enough to knock the man out. Vegeta continued on and soon came upon a room full of treasure and on top of the mound sat not one but two dragon balls. "I couldn't have planned this better."
"I hope you didn't plan on stealing our treasure, matty, that would be a big mistake," a man the size of the Ox King said, coming up behind Vegeta. Four other men also surrounded Vegeta, each just as large as the first.
Vegeta smirked; if this was all the fight he was going to get in collecting the dragon balls, he would be finished by the end of the day. " I don't care about your stupid treasure, I just want the two dragon balls you have over there. If you give them to me now, you won't get hurt," Vegeta said, pointing to the dragon balls.
"Dragon balls? What are dragon balls?" the five pirates looked at each other then the first one spoke to Vegeta again, "Listen, matty, I don't know what you're talking about, but you better leave now if you value your life."
"Oh, I value my life, matty, the question is, do you value yours?" Vegeta smiled as he jumped into defensive stance.
"So, you want to fight? Well, then it's a fight you'll get," the first pirate said, jumping into defensive stance as the other four backed away. Vegeta let the pirate make the first move, but it only took one move to knock the pirate out cold. The others put up no fight while Vegeta collected the five-star and six-star dragon balls, placed them in the bag, and left the cave.
Vegeta surfaced a few minutes later to find the sun setting. "Guess it's time to find something to eat and to turn in for the night." He found some food and a small cave. He lit a small fire, ate, and then fell asleep dreaming of Bulma and their family.
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Bulma stared out the window in her bedroom as tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't care about presents anymore; she just wanted Vegeta to come back. "Mom, are you okay?" Victor put his arm around his mother and led her to sit down on the bed. Bulma didn't say anything but just buried her head in her son's shoulder and cried. Shortly, Trunks sat down on the other side of his mother and he, too, wrapped his arm around her. Bulma turned to her oldest son and, curling up in a ball, let him hold her as she cried.
"Victor, we have to get her out of their room. Until dad returns, we shouldn't leave her alone, but I have no idea where we could put her," Trunks said to his little brother. How could their father do this at Christmas?
"We could put her in my room. I can sleep on the floor; I've done it enough training with dad. It won't bother me," Victor replied.
Trunks nodded his head in approval as he gently picked up Bulma, who had cried herself to sleep in his arms. The two took their mother to Victor's room and put her to bed. "Goodnight, mother, sleep well," Trunks said softly, covering Bulma up, "Watch over her, Victor." Victor nodded and Trunks returned to his own room where his wife and son were waiting for him.