By: Saiyan Serpent
Disclaimer: I don't own db, dbz, dbgt, or any of the characters associated with them. The characters I make up are mine though and you can't have them unless I say so.
Last Time:
He called out absently as he neared the door, "I'll be training in the gravity room if you need anything". He softly shut the door behind him, not bothering to look back. If he had, he would have seen the shock fading from his mother's face slowly replaced with a knowing grin.
"I swear, that boy is more like his father everyday" Bulma said to no one in particular. "Thank you Vegeta for giving him to me," she added almost as an afterthought. She shook her head giggling a bit before continuing to consume the tasty meal her son had prepared for her.
Chapter Nine: Dirty Dishes
Bulma finished her meal and walked downstairs with the tray full of now empty dishes. She was expecting to find a saiyan pile of dirty dishes scattered throughout the kitchen but instead found none. This was yet another pleasant surprise to add to her unusual morning. She shook her head silently musing to herself. 'I don't know why I'm still surprised by anything he does. That boy will never cease to amaze me.' She cleaned her own dishes and put them in the drying rack. Wiping the tray down, she put it back in the cabinet for future use. Satisfied with her cleaning job, Bulma returned upstairs to take her morning shower.
Sweat poured off his body as Trunks continued to punch and kick at his imaginary enemy. His tank top clung to his sweat laden body like a second skin. Muscles carved by years of physical training strained against the clingy material. Trunks could feel the material twist and slide with every punch and kick he rounded off. His sweat pants fared no better than his shirt as he battled his invisible foe. He gave his enemy one last kick before he began to power down.
Setting down once again on the hard surface, Trunks walked to the middle of the room. "Computer, initiate Training Program Alpha." Within seconds, Trunks felt the sudden increase in pressure as five combat drones shot out from their compartments inside the room.
"All right guys, let's see what you've got today", Trunks taunted as the drones surrounded him. He lowered into his fighting stance with a defiant smirk plastered on his face. Suddenly, one of the drones launched at him from behind while the rest followed suit with their own attacks. Trunks detected the sudden movement from behind and ducked just in time to see the drone fly past him crashing into two of the others. They crashed in a heap onto the floor. The remaining two drones synchronized their attack as they launched at Trunks from both sides.
Trunks flipped backwards landing on his feet only to find that the drones had anticipated this attack. He cursed to himself as they began to pummel his body. Trunks swung out, his fist connecting with one of the drones. He ducked just as the other drone attempted to ram him, coming back with a vicious uppercut that sent the drone to the other side of the room, where it smashed into the wall.
The three drones taken out earlier in the fight returned forcefully. One of them attempted a sneak attack that nearly succeeded. Trunks sent the drone across the room where it landed in a smoking heap. "Hah! You're gonna have to do better than-" was all Trunks could get out as one of the drones shot a laser into his chest. Trunks stumbled back slightly and peered in the direction of the attack. He narrowed his eyes at the offending drone that was floating above him. It was preparing for another attack just as its counterpart shot an identical laser attack at Trunks.
Avoiding the oncoming attack, Trunks side stepped the blast and blurred out of sight. The drones looked around, momentarily dazed at the disappearance of their target. A low chuckle resonated throughout the room as two energy blasts took out the remaining drones. Trunks floated over his victims smirking at his victory. He didn't have long to savor his win before he heard the computer call out, "Simulation aborted, returning to normal gravity."
"What the-" Trunks no sooner got the words out of his mouth before he found himself plastered to the ceiling of the gravity room. He groaned at the sudden impact, then fell back unceremoniously to the floor with a resonating thud. Trunks was laid out flat on his back contemplating the reason why he was there instead of in the air celebrating over his little victory. He groaned in pain mumbling something about "stupid computer" before pushing himself off the floor into a sitting position. It was then that he saw his mother standing by the door with her hands on her hips.
"Mom?" he questioned carefully.
"You've been in here half the day already. Don't you think it's time to eat something?" she asked irritated.
"But mom", he whined "It's only-" Trunks glanced up at the digital clock that displayed the current time. He noticed it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon.
"Oops", he said as he scratched the back of his head.
Bulma noticed the familiar gesture immediately and commented on it without thinking twice. "You know you look just like Goku when you do that".
Trunks felt his heart drop at the mention of the fabled warrior. It reminded him of Gohan and his promise. He felt sadness and frustration well up inside of him and he fought to suppress the emotions.
Bulma watched as the goofy expression melted off her son's face replaced by that of barely restrained torment. She couldn't bear to see her son pained by such a simple comment. Bulma mentally berated herself for not thinking about the words that so carelessly spilled from her mouth sometimes.
She balled her fists to her side as she watched the internal conflict that engulfed her baby boy. She never could understand why Trunks would get so upset at the mention of anything having to do with his dead friend. She had lost so many people at the hands of those horrible monsters that it pained her to see her own son experiencing such heartache. It was something she had promised herself she would protect him from no matter the consequences.
Even though she could not prevent Gohan's loss, Bulma often wondered why her son continued to beat himself up over the matter. Trunks was punishing himself for something but she was not sure what it was exactly. She thought Trunks had finally accepted Gohan's death and the fact that he could not have stopped it even if he wanted to. Years later, even after becoming a Super Saiyan, Trunks had trouble going up against the terrible pair. If he had fought that day, he would surely have died along side his friend. So, why was it that he still blamed himself?
Bulma let out a harsh breath determined to drag her son out of his sudden despair. "Trunks honey, why don't you come in and get some lunch." At the mention of food, Trunks stomach grumbled involuntarily. Trunks looked up from the floor blushing furiously. Bulma tried not to laugh at his flushed face. She was glad that his mind was focusing on something else now.
Bulma looked over her sweat-drenched son and decided that he definitely needed a shower before he did anything else. "Why don't you go get yourself cleaned up while I make you something to eat, okay?"
"But mom-" he whined.
"No buts mister", she scolded playfully "You're filthy and you need a shower".
Trunks groaned in protest, crossing his arms as he sat there on the floor stubbornly refusing to move. Bulma nearly laughed at the scene her son was making but it was certainly better than the depressing spell he had been under just minutes ago. She decided to play this hand for all it was worth, knowing that Trunks would completely forget about his previous brooding in light of what she was about to do to him. He was her son after all and she knew her teasing could get the best of him when she so desired.
"Come on cutie, lunch is on me," Bulma said as she gave her son a flirtatious wink. Bulma grinned at the confused expression on her son's face before turning around to leave the room.
"MOM!" Trunks yelled out as the realization of his mother's word sank in. If Trunks thought he was blushing before, he must have been red as a tomato by now. He ran a hand through his damp hair sighing exasperated as he listened to the fading laughter of his mother exiting the room. 'Sometimes I wonder if she really is my mother' Trunks considered while pushing himself up off the floor. He took a moment to steady himself before leaving the gravity chamber and heading towards the house.
Pan was scrubbing the dishes from breakfast and she was none to happy about it. It was supposed to be Seth's turn to wash the dishes but she had to do them as part of her punishment for staying out all night.
'Man, I hate this! I should NOT have to do these stupid dishes just because I didn't come home last night! For Kami's sake, I am not a child anymore!' She was fuming at this point and the dishes seemed to be suffering her wrath. Suddenly, a dish slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor below.
"Shit!" she cursed as she stared at the broken remains.
"Now what kind of language is that for a young lady?"
Pan peered over her shoulder to see a smug looking Caleb resting against the doorframe.
"What the hell do you want!" she spat.
The young man chuckled at the sight of her. She had her hair tied up loosely with renegade pieces sticking out all over. Some of the strands were damp and clung to her face and neck. She had soapsuds everywhere. The cleaning bubbles were on her face, hair, clothes, and arms. The apron she was wearing seemed to do little to help the mess she was making. Her face was red and twisted in the most ugly scowl he had seen on her to date. He chuckled again, adding to her building rage. He could tell he was pissing her off and he was enjoying every minute of it. 'Ah, the rare joys life has to offer', he thought silently.
"Well!" she screamed at him.
"Sorry, I was just enjoying the view."
"I bet you were you ass. Take a good look, cause the next time you see me my fist is gonna be firmly planted in your face!"
"My, my, seems like someone is a little upset today", he taunted her.
"Don't you even start with me Cal! I am not in the mood for your games right now!"
"Well, excuse me your highness. I'm so sorry to have disturbed you", he mocked as he bowed in front of her. He looked up to see the deadliest glare she could muster aimed at his face. Caleb gave her a huge grin before standing straight once again and turning to leave the room. As he walked away he called out, "Oh and don't forget you have to help Darien and Seth with the inventory when you're done."
Pan growled at his retreating figure as she returned to her task of cleaning up the broken dish. She picked up the big pieces with her hands and used the broom and dustpan to sweep up the rest. She chucked everything into the trashcan and returned the broom and dustpan to their respective corner.
She started on the remaining dishes trying not to let Caleb get under her skin but she was failing miserably. 'Damn him! Just who the hell does he think he is!'
Pan was furious and she had to restrain herself from smashing the remaining dishes into a million pieces. So instead, she focused on something else. She imagined what it would be like the next time she and Caleb were sparring together. She would pound his face into the ground, enjoying every minute of it. She smirked at the screaming bloody image of Caleb that filled her mind. Oh yes, she would have her revenge, a sweet revenge indeed.
Glancing down at the sink, she noticed that all of the dishes were gone. She looked over at the drying rack, deciding that she would put the dishes away later. There was no since wasting precious time on drying them since they would dry on their own in a little while. Besides, she had things to do today that were more important.
Pan grinned playfully as she walked upstairs to clean up. Once in her room, she brushed her damp hair out and pulled it back up into a ponytail. She changed out of her soaking wet shirt and threw on another. Walking out of her room, she headed stealthily downstairs towards the door. Pan strode through the empty dwelling without incident. Once outside, she looked around carefully to make sure no one had seen her, then took off running towards one of the abandoned buildings careful not to attract too much attention.
Reaching the side of the building, Pan approached an old chain link fence. It was quite rusty but still sturdy nonetheless. To the casual eye, there appeared to be no way around the high fence. Pan looked carefully at her surroundings for signs of an audience but found none. She could have simply flown or jumped over the fence but she wanted to limit the use of her powers. There were always prying eyes around and she didn't want any strangers to know about her "special" abilities. She moved behind a pile of boxes scrunching her body in the corner where the fence met the side of the building. Prying back a loose piece of fence, she crawled through to the other side.
Once on the other side, she pushed the loose piece of fence back into place so as not to alert anyone to its presence. Pan scanned the area behind her once more before taking off into the forbidden zone. What she missed in her hasty departure was the figure trailing behind her, avoiding her watchful eye.
Carefully, the figure moved to the corner of the fence and squeezed through just as Pan had done moments earlier. Not bothering to push the piece of fence back into place, the figure took off in Pan's direction not wanting to lose sight of her.
After nearly thirty minutes of sneaking around abandoned buildings and dingy streets, Pan arrived at her destination. She halted in her tracks as she caught sudden movement out of the corner of her eye. A can crunched behind her alerting her to the presence of another but Pan remained unmoving.
Suddenly, a figure shot out from behind and grabbed Pan in a strangle hold. She was not shocked by the brash move but still a bit surprised. The attacker's grip on Pan tightened, a low chuckle resonating from the mysterious figure's throat. Pan smirked and with lightening speed flipped the figure over her shoulder and on to the hard pavement. She was rewarded with a resounding "ugh" as the figure was laid out.
She stood glaring at her attacker and then proceeded to walk over to him. She placed her foot on his chest, applying a small amount of pressure. "You must be the new recruit", she sounded out as she applied more pressure to the young man's chest.
"AHHHHH," the young man screamed in pain. "Please," he begged. "I submit, I submit!"
Pan frowned and released the young man from under her foot. She watched as he quickly scrambled up and scurried to the closest corner he could find. Pan rolled her eyes at the cowardly act. She heard laughing fill the dingy alley as figures melted from the shadows into the surrounding area. Pan scowled at the figures as she stood there with her hands crossed over her chest.
"So, I'm guessing that nobody here told the new boy about me huh?" More laughing filled the dingy alley after she finished her statement.
"Oh he heard alright, heard that you were a sissy," came the reply of one of the figures as he doubled over laughing his head off.
Pan glared at the group of young men surrounding her before looking over at the area where the terrified youth cowered. She shook her head and walked towards the corner where she was sure he had permanently attached himself. Pan watched as his eyes grew larger and he tried rather unsuccessfully to retreat further into his protective corner.
Sighing loudly, Pan stopped in front of the boy. She gave him a once over before sticking out her hand in front of him. As soon as he saw her hand move, the boy flinched away in fear. Pan sighed again at the sickening sight. "Come on boy, take my hand, I'm not gonna hurt you."
The youth turned his head back toward Pan as he examined the outstretched hand. He slowly reached out, as if afraid of the blow that might come at any moment. Pan grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him up harshly. The boy was shaking like a leaf and Pan thought she rather enjoyed the sensation but quickly shrugged it off. She grabbed the boy by his shirt and whispered harshly at him. "Never show your opponent fear. If you do, they will use it against you."
Pan noticed that the boy's attention seemed to be on the howling youths behind her. Pan shook the boy roughly, quickly regaining his full attention. "Are you listening to me!" she seethed. The boy shook his head back and forth frantically. "Good. Don't ever forget what I've told you. If you ever show the same cowardice that you have shown here today, you will suffer greatly. You will know pain like none you have experienced before. You got me!" She ended her speech with another harsh shake as the boy nodded his answer.
Satisfied with her little torture, she released the youth and straightened his shirt out. With that said, Pan turned around and walked over towards her second home. She glared at a few of the men standing around. They had not only seen the show, they had apparently enjoyed it as well considering their ridiculous state.
"Enjoy the show boys?" she asked. The only thing close to a response was the snickering of a few men as they staggered inside the old hotel drunk off their own laughter. Pan smirked at them all knowing that she was the reason for their current state. She followed them inside, glancing around as she entered. Some of the holes in the walls had been patched an occasional door or two appeared where they did not exist before. 'Seems Kirja has been busy,' she mused absently.
She walked into a large room where most of the gang had gathered. They all turned to her as she entered the room. "So, who's next?" About twenty or so of the teens edged away slightly. Pan laughed haughtily as she replied, "Just kidding". Sighs of relief echoed throughout the room. As an afterthought she added, "Oh yeah, can someone go out and get the new boy before he wanders off somewhere." Two of the younger men grumbled to each other, heading outside to gather the new recruit. "Good, now that that's taken care of.where the hell is Kirja?"
A few of the boys winced as they looked at each other nervously. Pan was getting a bit impatient and she didn't have time to mess with this today. "Well!" Some of the men backed away fearfully as she pushed for an answer. They all knew perfectly well what Pan was capable of and they didn't want to be the ones that got on her bad side. Nobody liked that side of Pan but Kirja wasn't exactly known for his patience and understanding.
Pan gave them the deadliest glare she could muster and immediately a handful of teens pointed towards the back of the room. Pan sighed harshly knowing what that meant; Kirja had another one of his "girlfriends" back there with him. Pan muttered something under her breath as she stalked off to find Kirja.
She walked towards his room only to hear the sickening sounds of moans and groans rebounding off the walls of the shabby dwelling. Pan rolled her eyes gritting her teeth at the disgusting noises. She knew very well what that meant. Reaching for the door, she slammed it open without even knocking. The room's only two occupants were startled from their activity and hurriedly tried to cover themselves.
"Who the-" Kirja no more than got the words out of his mouth before he felt someone grab him by the neck, forcing him against a nearby wall. His eyes opened wide as he saw who the mysterious attacker was.
The other girl in the room gasped at the sudden movement and started to quickly gather her clothes to leave. She rushed from the room half naked, tripping over herself the whole way. It seemed that she was not yet in control of all her motor functions. And that was putting it mildly.
Pan watched as the frightened girl scurried out of the room completely before turning her attention back to the man in her grasp. She looked at him eyes narrowed. "What the hell did you think you were doing!"
Kirja began to squirm under her grasp, clawing at her hand trying to free his neck from her grip. He felt her loosen it slightly as she apparently awaited an answer of some sort. Kirja tried his best to suck in what air he could for his oxygen depraved lungs. He could tell she was getting impatient and he was not about to add fuel to the fire by remaining silent.
"It was nothing, I swear", he rasped out.
Pan loosened her grip and watched as his body slumped to the floor. She looked on as Kirja gulped mouthfuls of air like a fish out of water. He looked pitiful. Scowling at him, she watched as he attempted to regain his composure.
"What do you mean nothing?" she growled. "It didn't look like nothing to me Kirja!" She pointed to his scantly clad form with an irritated finger. "You're not even wearing clothes for Kami's sake! How does that qualify as nothing!"
Pan gave him the look of death as he reached for the sheet on the floor beside him. He pulled it roughly over his nude form, attempting to stand up again. He still felt a little light-headed from Pan's outburst but that was something to be expected. In her current state, it seemed that anger exuded from every inch of her body. She looked as if she could kill. Kirja shuddered at the thought. He knew she could kill him if she wanted to, he just didn't like anyone else knowing that little fact.
"What do you expect from me? You are barely around and when you are, you won't let me lay a finger on you! I'm lucky if I can steal a kiss!" Her eyes seemed to darken significantly after that statement but he was through cowering from her. If he was going to die, he was going to take it like a man, though he hoped he wouldn't have to die just to prove his point.
"You asshole! You wonder why I don't want you touching me. Look at yourself! You can't keep your hands off anything with two legs that isn't male!" She was not about to feel sorry for this scumbag. He wasn't going to put the blame on her for his own miserable mistakes.
"Damn it, I'm sorry okay! Is that better! Does that make everything okay now!"
"You are out of your mind if you think I'm just gonna forget about this Kirja!" Pan crossed her arms as she stared at him.
"Well, excuse the hell out of me! I can't win! I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't! What is so wrong with me having a little fun every once in awhile? Please Pan, tell me!"
Pan stepped forward, closing the space between them, smashing Kirja's face with her fist. The force of the blow sent him through the air towards the bed, where he fell just short of its aid. Pan looked at Kirja while he attempted to recover from the blow.
"What the hell was that for!" he screamed while cradling the side of his face. He was sure it would be swollen in seconds if it wasn't already.
"I told you never to call me that" Pan growled out lowly.
Kirja cursed himself mentally. He had just added insult to injury by using a name that was definitely off limits around there. She couldn't stand the sound of it apparently and he was the only one that knew that name was what she normally went by at home. Still, it seemed that something else was bothering her. He had been caught with other girls before and it usually took more than this to set her off. He only knew of one thing that could piss her off that bad.
"Let me guess", he spat. "Big brother did something to piss you off today. Or is daddy being too strict again?" his words dripping with sarcasm.
Pan growled out a warning as she replied. "Shut up Kirja. I am not in the mood for your crap today. If you really have a death wish, just keep talking." Pan smirked as she watched a hint of fear cross his features. She hoped he got the point. Leaning over, she grabbed his pants off the floor, throwing them at his face. He caught them just before they would have collided with his head, glaring slightly in her direction. "Get dressed. I'm not going to talk to you like that."
"It didn't stop you before", he muttered in reply. He scowled at her grimly before trying to regain his footing and standing up. Before he let the sheet drop to the floor, he waited for her to turn around. She was more than willing to do so since she always complained about seeing more than necessary. He reached for his boxers, tugging them on first, pulling his pants on shortly after. "You can turn around now."
"It's about time", she spat turning back around to face him.
Kirja just ignored her while searching for the rest of his clothes. "What do you want Vi?" he asked evenly as he snatched his shirt from the floor.
A faint smile crept upon Pan's lips as he addressed her properly. "What do you think?"
Kirja sighed as he began to regain some of his composure. She had not only interrupted him at a crucial moment and nearly choked him to death, but now she decides that she wants to play.
"Do you need some action that bad?" he asked.
"Always", was her short reply.
Kirja smirked as he watched her defiant posture. She was a handful that was for sure but she was also very useful for certain affairs.
"A couple of the boys scouted a place out near the East district. It seems the people there are loaded. I think they can spare a few things to those that are less fortunate."
Pan's eyes glinted mischievously upon hearing such news. Maybe she hadn't wasted her time that day after all. Something good was bound to pop up eventually. "Really? So, when's the party getting started?"
"As soon as we can get a team together. You interested?" he inquired knowingly.
"Of course. How about tomorrow night? I was supposed to go scouting anyway."
"Fine. Since you're in, we can get the job done a lot faster. Meet us here tomorrow at midnight."
Pan was happy that something good had indeed come out of this day from hell. It was better than nothing. "I'll be here." With that said, Pan turned to leave. She might have been in a better mood but she was still not up to dealing with Kirja. She got what she came for more or less and there was no need to extend her little visit.
She brushed past a few of the weary teens on her way out of the building. Stepping outdoors, Pan noticed it was getting late. She decided to head back before Caleb got too suspicious. He would think that she avoided inventory just to infuriate him, and that's exactly what she wanted him to think. At least she could make the excuse that she needed to go for a walk to clear her head. It wouldn't be a total lie but it wasn't exactly telling the truth either.
She knew Jasper would never approve of her extracurricular activities. That's why she kept them a secret, especially from Caleb. If he found out somehow, she knew he would rat her out in a heartbeat. He was always sucking up to Jasper in some way or another. She hated the way he followed Jasper around like some lost puppy. It was disgusting really.
Pan continued her trek home, mentally conversing with herself, all the while oblivious to her watcher. Not wanting to be discovered, the figure trailed a good distance behind her. He had followed her to the hotel earlier that day and hidden, waiting for her to move again. He was not disappointed when she reappeared sometime later, apparently heading back in the direction from which she came. He continued to follow her, careful not to give away his presence to the unsuspecting girl.
Trunks leaned back in the chair as he patted his full stomach. He was smiling contently, looking across the room to where his mother was cleaning the enormous pile of dishes that always seemed to appear after every meal. His smile faded slightly as he watched his mother wipe her hands off on a dishrag and turn towards the table to collect more dishes. He always felt guilty for all the work that went into fixing a meal for him and his saiyan sized appetite.
"Mom, I don't know why you don't let the cleaning bots do that. It's what they're programmed to do."
Bulma just chuckled and replied, "Yes honey, I know that's what they're programmed to do. I am the one that made them ya know." She winked at him playfully as she carried a handful of dishes over to the sink.
Trunks growled softly, annoyed at her response. "You know that's not what I meant", he admonished thoughtfully. He only heard her giggle a bit as she continued to wash the dishes. He glared at her from across the room knowing she was not going to let the cleaning bots do the dishes for her.
Getting up from his seat at the table, Trunks began collecting more of the dirty dishes. He brought them over to the sink and put them in to soak with the others.
"Thanks sweetie but you don't have to worry about it, I'll get the dishes". She tried unsuccessfully to shoo him away so she could finish cleaning in peace. He only moved a few feet away from her side, leaning his back against the counter as he stood with his arms folded against his chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see he was staring at her intently, probably questioning if she was in her right mind.
She knew he felt bad for letting her do all the dishes even though she insisted on doing them. Knowing her son, he was probably beating himself up over such a silly thing. Just as she was pondering that topic in her mind, Trunks started in on the subject of debate once again.
"Mom, why do you always have to do the dishes? If you won't let the cleaning bots do them, at least let me help out once in a while", he practically whined to her.
Bulma sighed as she stopped her scrubbing and turned to him. She knew he felt guilty about the dishes and he was not about to let the subject drop so easily. 'Stubborn one he is, just like his father'. Well, she was not going to let her son feel guilty over something so pitiful as dirty dishes. "Trunks, sweetheart, I appreciate your offer but I can handle it, really". She watched as his face twisted into an irritated scowl. 'That boy is definitely Vegeta's son'. She let the thought carry her away as she stared at the practically mirror image of her late husband.
"You know what?" She was getting ready to comment on how much the picture of his father he looked at that moment but thought otherwise. That might drudge up more memories that he wanted to keep buried. She was not about to have a repeat performance of what happened in the gravity room earlier.
"What?" he prompted waiting for her answer.
Bulma shook off the thoughts as she replied. "I was just gonna say that I happen to enjoy washing the dishes. They help to relax me."
"But-"
"Look, you have your training to help distract you and I have my inventions and dirty dishes", Bulma shot back defensively. She was not about to let her son feel sorry for her having to do dishes for Kami's sake!
Trunks let out a defeated sigh as he closed his eyes. "Fine. I won't bother you about them anymore."
"Promise?" she asked.
Trunks mumbled something in reply to her question. "What was that? I didn't hear you."
"I said I'll try", he grumbled out not wanting to promise anything.
Bulma simply smiled and reached out to pinch his cheek with her soapy hand. "Good".
"Mom!" he cried out wiping the mess off his cheek.
Bulma giggled at his childish reaction. Her antics seemed to be the only thing that could ever draw out that inner child he kept hidden inside, or rather buried. She enjoyed seeing him so light hearted every once in a while, though she was sure most of the time he acted cheerful just for her benefit.
" Are you going back out to the gravity room to train?" she asked while finishing off the remaining dishes.
"No, I thought I'd go over to West City today to help out with the rebuilding process."
"Really? I thought they had finished renovations on all the major areas over there."
"They have but there are some smaller communities that can't afford to have the destroyed sections and trash piles removed."
"Well, how are you gonna carry all that to the disposal center?"
"Who said anything about moving it?" he replied smirking.
Bulma turned to her son, making sure that she had heard him correctly. That smirk on his face confirmed everything that his statement had implied. "Trunks!"
He held up his hands defensively in mock fear. "What?"
"You know very well what mister! You can't go around blasting anything that gets in the way! Someone could get hurt!" she yelled going into full 'mother mode'.
"Awww mom, come on. You know I'm careful", he pouted.
"Fine!" she huffed. "But don 't come home crying to me when you've blown up half the city!"
Trunks didn't reply. He simply pushed off the counter and walked out of the room, grabbing a few food capsules on the way. He was not about to have a repeat occurrence of the other day. He didn't know exactly why he got so weak but his previous experience in such situations told him that expending excessive amounts of energy without replenishing his body with food resulted in disaster.
Trunks sighed realizing how his stupidity almost got the best of him once again. Sometimes he wondered if he really was the son of Bulma Briefs. How could someone that makes as many stupid mistakes as he did come from a genius like her? Trunks simply could not answer that question but he supposed that maybe his Saiyan heritage affected his better judgment sometimes. Amused slightly by that thought, he realized just how damaging his Saiyan instincts could be. Even though there were no more enemies left for him to overcome, he figured his instincts or stupidity would eventually be the death of him. He smirked deciding that the latter certainly held the most promise.
Trunks thoughts drifted back to his mother momentarily as he recalled the state he had left her in. Sighing thoughtfully, he knew that sometimes it was better to leave things unsaid when it came to his mother throwing a fit over something, especially when that something had to do with him. He grabbed his vest and tugged it on over his shirt before leaving for West City. He still had plenty of time before sunset and he wanted to make good on a promise he made last week. That promise was one he was going to make sure he kept.