Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
Author's Notes: It is officially summer vacation for me!!!! I'm really sorry that I couldn't get this out before school, but I had to do this. I am so sorry!!!!!!! I'll try to make it up to you, but I still won't be able to update again due to visiting my grandparents for a month in June. I promise that I'm gonna write more of this. If only they had a computer. *sigh*
************************************************
"Sayonara, Good-Bye" (A New Beginning)
Chapter Nine
"Hey Bandeku," Trunks called from outside.
"What do you want, brat?" he replied neutrally as he stepped out of the house.
(Author's note: Bandeku calls him brat because as they got closer in a mental and emotional sense, Bandeku became more casual and almost fatherly to Trunks. That is why he doesn't say 'prince' anymore.)
"Want to see a new move I just made up? I bet it's more powerful then any of yours!" he teased. "I highly doubt it," Bandeku snickered, although there was no heat behind the harsh words. "I bet you it is," he sniffed indignantly. (Author's note: they're bored so they're just bickering to kill time ^_^ ') "Here, let's see whose move is better! I'll go first since I'm 'royalty'," he ended off dramatically.
"Damn human upbringing," the hermit muttered but put on the scouter Trunk's had tossed him. "Get ready!" the lavender haired youth crouched. "Haaaaaaa....!!!"
A vortex was starting to appear with Trunks in the center, causing dust, pebbles, and leaves to be whipped into the air.
"What do you think so far?" he called over the shaking earth.
"Nothing I haven't seen before," was the gruff response, effectively hiding the surprise in his voice. Bandeku watched in disbelief as the numbers whizzed on the eye piece as Trunks reached higher and higher levels.
[Just wait and see!] the Semi-Saiyan chuckled internally as he put on more power. [Just a little more......] He instantly regretted it as soon as his scouter shorted out and gave a tiny explosion. It was basically intact except that the eye piece was cracked and sparks occasionally fizzed out.
"Oops."
"Good going," the hermit took off the machine.
"Gomen nasai," Trunks walked bashfully up to the other. "I can fix it if you want."
"Yes, I do," Bandeku looked sharply at him. "This was my only spare set. Unless you want to go scouter less."
"Not particularly," guilt washed over the young man. "I'll use the tools I brought with me from earth. I doubt you'd have some of your own."
"Of course not," he shrugged. "What would I do with those?"
"Never mind," Trunks shook his head. Taking his busted scouter, he put it in his jacket pocket and went back inside for his instruments. Under the bright sunlight, Trunks began to tinker with it as Bandeku lounged nearby.
"Kuso!" he grimaced. "The scouter burned out its scanner, main microchip, and blah, blah, blah......."
"Alright, alright," Bandeku held up a hand for silence as he sat underneath a nearby tree. "I have no idea what the hell those are and how they look like. That means YOU have to go to a recycling center. Hopefully they'll have some spare scouter parts."
"Okay," he nodded. Silence followed so Bandeku assumed that Trunks had already left. That is, until a large shadow blocked his sunlight.
"Nani?" he asked without opening his eyes. "Umm, do you have any money?" Trunks asked, holding out his hand like a little kid. Bandeku sweat dropped.
"Sigh. Go to the box I have on the table. Look inside and bring me what you find inside," he instructed.
"Hai."
He did as told and emerged back out again. In his hands was a device about the size of a credit card but thicker.
"Alright Trunks, this is my Credits Transfer Unit, or CTU. When we first landed here, we established a monetary system of credits. An amount was given to each person according to their rank when everything was set up. Then they were free to spend or make as much credits as they could. Since I didn't need it much since I lived here, there should be a fair amount left. Use it sparingly though and guard it with your life."
"Yes," Trunks took the machine and tucked it safely in his pocket.
"Aren't you going to change to your Saiyajin armor? You'll stand out," Bandeku eyed his blue denim jacket with the Capsule Corp. logo.
"Nah, I couldn't be bothered. Anyway, it'll only be a short while. Well, I'll be going now.
I'll hunt dinner on my way back so don't wait up. Ja ne!"
"Heh heh he," Bandeku chuckled evilly when Trunks was gone. "You don't know how much trouble that jacket may cause you!"
-------------------------
"Let's see, I have the eye piece, microchips, electrodes,......" Trunks ticked off his mental list. "All I need is the scanner and I'm scott free!"
It had been a peaceful day with him meandering through town, going to the various recycling centers. Haggling had been his mother's territory, but he felt he had done a fair job. The owners certainly were good at it. He knew people were eyeing his Earth jacket, but he ignored them.
[Let them stare,] he told himself. As long as no fights started because of it, he wasn't overly concerned.
"Ah, another recycling center," he stopped outside a large building. Upon entering, the same smell invaded his nostrils that had been there in every other center. Piles of junk were strewn everywhere, taking almost all the available floor space.
"May I help you?" a gruff voice unexpectedly asked from behind a pile.
"Yes, do you have a scanner for a type A-6 scouter?" Trunks inquired politely.
"No," was the terse reply. "That's hard to come by."
"Do you know who might have it?" he insisted. He was so close to going home.
"The recycling center owned by old Sheisen might carry it," the propriter of the establishment finally came out. He was shorter then Trunks but much thicker bodied. "Good luck getting it though," he laughed derisively.
"Why?"
"Everyone knows that bastard always over charges customers. I'm surprised that he hasn't been killed yet."
"Ah, arigato," Trunks bowed slightly before leaving. The owner grunted in response as he watched him go. He had heard of the purple haired half breed that was living with the hermit, Bandeku. There were stories going around that he was a powerful fighter, but he doubted it.
[How could such a powder puff be powerful?] he asked himself as he returned to literally tearing apart a broken machine. [So polite.....]
He chuckled to himself, wishing he could be there when the Demi-Saiyan met with Sheisen. There was no doubt that he would be torn alive, even though the other owner was older.
Meanwhile Trunks had reached an intersection before it occurred to him to ask the owner where Sheisen's center was.
[Baka!] he chided himself and stopped at a corner. [Maybe I should go back.]
While he was having a little debate with himself, someone he knew very well was walking through that intersection too. If he knew she was there, he would have hid. Unfortunately he was too preoccupied to notice. Even more unfortunate (because she may have passed him by) was the fact that his hair and jacket made him stand out like a sore thumb.
[Trunks!?!] Kinu's eyes widened a little. [What is he doing here? Oh well,] she dismissed the question, [I might as well hang around him since I have nothing to do. Maybe I can even get him to teach me some more fighting techniques.] Turning away from her intended destination, she walked over to the oblivious man.
"Oi," she firmly grabbed his shoulder from behind.
"Eh?" he turned around. "Oh hello, Kinu. What are you doing here?"
"Trunks, are there any new moves you can teach me?" she didn't answer his question. He sort of stared at her blankly for a minute.
"Umm, maybe if I have time," he replied non-committedly. Warning bells were ringing loudly in his head.
"What can be more important than me and fighting?" she asked hotly.
"Uh, eh, umm...." he scrabbled his mind for the reason. "My scouter broke so I need to fix it. Yeah..... fix it ......"
"Oh," Kinu said flatly. It was true scouters were becoming rare since there were no more slave races to make them for the Saiyans. However it was only a barely good enough reason in her point of view. "So?"
"What?" he sweat dropped slightly.
"Where do we go for the parts?"
"I'm looking for a recycling place owned by a man named Sheisen," Trunks replied as he started backing away a bit. "So if you'll excuse me. . . . . . ."
"This way," she grabbed his arm and proceeded to drag him. "I know where the old fart lives."
"Can't you just tell me?" he offered nervously. She stopped and he was afraid he had offended his "student".
[Hmm, he's got a point there,] she pondered without letting go. [Wait a minute. . . . .]
"Uh, you'd probably let him rob you of all your credits," she responded after a moment.
"Just let me do the bargaining."
[Do I have a choice?] he cried internally. So Trunks allowed himself to be led around by the smaller woman, which drew more stares from people.
"Hey, look at the half breed being controlled by a woman," whispers abounded. Since it was a relatively small community, word gets around pretty fast.
(On the other side of the colony)
"Where is Kinu?" Kokoro asked for the thousandth time.
"I tell you she's not coming! Let's just go!" Shira said the same amount of times.
"Not until she comes," he insisted again.
It had taken him a while to convince Kinu to see him since she had beaten him at the Arena. He found that he wanted her more, ever since she had gotten stronger.
[And I have that mongrel to thank,] he shook his head in disbelief. Shira, who had invited herself along, sat at the bar, disgusted with Kokoro's behaviour.
[What does he see in her anyway?] she asked herself. [I'm way stronger than her!]
"Did you hear about the purple haired Saiyan?" idle talk filtered from the other end of the bar. "He's letting himself be dragged by a girl!" Loud laughter ensued.
"I saw them on the other end just now before I flew over," another voice added. "I think it was that girl who won at the Arena. What was her name again? Kinu. . . . ?"
"Nani!" Kokoro blazed as he stood up quickly. "Why that....that...bastard! When I get my hands on him....." Without further words, he left the bar. "Oi Kokoro, wait up!" Shira went after him.
"Achoo!" Truns sneezed.
"What? A little dust too much for you?" Kinu inquired coyly.
"Nah. Maybe someone's talking about me," he joked, happy that she had let go a while back. "Where are we anyway?"
"Sheisen's place," she muttered as she scanned the area.
"I swear it's here somewhere." Trunks glanced around the desert area as well, dubious that she knew where she was going. The dominant motif of the place was sand dunes and tumble weed. He sweat dropped.
[All I needed is a scanner. . . . . . .] he cried in his head. [I was so close to freedom!]
"Ah, there it is!" Kinu smiled as she shielded her eyes from the sun. "Come on!" And she barreled down the hill they were on with Trunks in tow.
"K-I-N-U!!!" he screamed in protest.
------------------------------
"Did you hear that?" Teppo asked from some misellaneous bar.
"Nope," Shin shrugged.
"Okay." And the group resumed drinking.
------------------------------
"I told you I knew where it was," Kinu said smugly as she literally dumped him inside something that could only be called a shack.
"Thanks," he weezed from all the dust in his nose. As he tried to clear his nasal passages from any debris, he wondered what he did to deserve this.
"Come on, you'll never get your scanner by just standing there," she complained and went deeper into the shabby structure.
"Right," he followed after her, coughing a little along the way.
"Is anyone in this dump?" Kinu hollered when they were deep inside. He winced at her volume and lack of decorum. But then, hey, she was a Saiyan, right?
"What? Who's there?" a slightly reedy voice called from somewhere in the room.
[Wow, this place looks smaller from the outside,] Trunks thought as he looked for the source of the voice. Indeed, the size of the room they were in seemed to be unproportional to the appearance of the outside.
Uh, hi, do you carry any spare scanners for scouters?" he called out. There was no response but the owner did shuffle in. His back was bent, and his hair was completely white. Sheisen looked uncharacterisitcally old for a Saiyajin.
"Wha-?" Trunks pointed to him.
"We usually kill off the old folks but since we were short of people when Vegita-sei was destroyed, Zanko allowed him to live," Kinu answered. "A waste in my opinion."
"Okay," he nodded, not quite accepting it. [What a culture!]
"What do you brats want?" the old man snapped. He may look too old to fight, but he certainly acted as if he was the Legendary Saiyajin himself. "A scanner for his scouter," Kinu replied just as hotly. "You got one in this dump you old freak?"
[So this is how the Saiyajin haggle,] he mused as he watched the two argue.
"I got one," Sheisen cackled evilly. "But it'll cost you 2,255 credits."
"What?" she seethed. "Why would I pay that much for a piece of junk?"
"Uh, Kinu. . . . ." Trunks began. He wanted to remind her that he was paying and that he didn't mind handing over that much cash. It wasn't his money anyway, and Bandeku had about 15,000 credits in store.
"Quiet," she snapped and turned back to the old man. "I could probably get another scanner somewhere else, a better one too for a cheaper price!"
"I don't think so," a malevolent glint entered his eyes. "I know for a fact that my recycling center is the only one that carries scouter scanners!"
Trunks knew this since he visited every recycling center in the colony already. What he didn't know was that every center owner had one big agreement with each other. Only one individual would carry certain parts and the others would refer him to a customer looking for it. In this way, they were able to get the best profit. Diabolical, eh?
"I'm telling you old man," Kinu's tone became venomous. "I don't appreciate being played with."
"Oh? I bet you don't say that to your companion over there!" he shot back. Their faces began to burn in embarrassment. Trunks' turned a shade of red that matched his hair quite nicely.
"Look, give me that scanner or else!" she began to power up. "It's alright Kinu......," the Semi-Saiyan began before being cut off by a ki signature that was approaching their location fast. It soon materialized into Kokoro, followed shortly by Shira.
"Trunks!" he yelled.
"What is it this time?" Trunks sighed. [All I came for was a scanner.....]
"I challenge you to fight me in the Arena. Today!" he shouted.
"Okay, I can hear you. You're right beside me, you know," Trunks said mockingly. "And I refuse. Not because I'm a coward but because I have better things to do than fight you. Perhaps another time when I feel like it." He usually didn't speak that way to people, but he really wanted to get back home and fix his scouter.
"Nani?" Kokoro's eyes flared. He was use to this kind of talk from others. Heck, majority of Saiyajins spoke that way. But it was the laughter that filled Kinu's eyes that got to him.
"I WON'T LET YOU BECOME KINU'S MATE!!!" he screamed in anger.
"EH!?!" Trunks froze in complete shock. "Bu.. bu... bu.... bu... but I don't want to become her mate!"
"WHAT!?!" Kinu glared at him dangerously. "Why not?"
"Are you saying you want me to be!?!" he panicked. This was not turning out to be a good day. "Well I, uh.....that is to say...." she became nervous too.
"What is this!?!" Shira suddenly yelled. "Trunks, are you going to take this?" She was finally fed up with the whole situation. All she had wanted to do was spend the day with Kokoro, but Trunks and Kinu had to get in the way.
[But wait,] Shira had thought. [Maybe this is the chance I've been looking for! I can get Kokoro to myself if Kinu and Trunks become mates!]
"Well....." Trunks started.
"Be a man!" she cut him off. "Show him who's boss!" She didn't want Kokoro to lose face but it was a sure fire way for Kinu to get attracted to Trunks, if she wasn't already.
[Whoah, Shira is defending Trunks. She probably likes him,] Kinu and Kokoro thought at the same time. Kokoro smiled evilly.
[This is the perfect chance to get Kinu for myself,] he planned. [And I can finally get Shira off my back.]
[Why that little hussy!] Kinu fumed. [I won't let her get Trunks without a fight!]
[What's going on!?!] Trunks screamed inside.
"He doesn't have to do what you tell him to!" Kinu retorted.
"Oh, so you're getting a woman to defend you now," Kokoro smirked.
"No he's not!" Shira exclaimed.
"Um, guys, I just want some scanner parts..." he began.
"Come on Trunks, fight me if you dare!" Kokoro challenged again as he began to power up inside the shack.
"Do it, Trunks! Beat him!" Shira said as she jumped to the side lines.
"Yeah, go ahead, but not because this 'woman' tells you too! Prove to us once and for all that you can beat him."
"Hmm," Sheishin was starting to get an idea. He didn't realize that the particular notion had been used in Earth for decades.
"Look, I am not going to fight! I am going to buy that scanner part, go home, and fix my scouter. And no one is going to do anything about it!!!" Trunks shouted, trying to assert his dominance, if he had any to begin with that is.
"Oh, scared are we?" the young noble continued to gather power.
"Watch your mouth Kokoro or I'm going to kick the crap out of you again!" Kinu retorted.
"Hey, that was a lucky shot!" Shira interjected.
So as the three began to argue, Trunks slipped up to old Sheishin.
"How about it, old man? I'll buy that scanner for the price you said," the Semi-Saiyan proposed. "I don't think so," the recycling center owner laughed malevolently. "Now that I see how much in demand it is, the price just went up to, oh, say 6750 credits."
"Nani!!! That's almost triple the price!" Trunks screamed in horror.
"Really? Then I better make it. . . . ."
"Okay, okay, I'll take it!" Trunks slapped his (Bandeku's really) credits card in Sheishin's hands. "Just hurry it up you old freak."
"Hey, are we fighting or not!?!" Kokoro demanded.
"Yes we are!" Kinu said savagely, and to Trunks' displeasure, he saw that the two girls had powered up too.
"No you're not, Kinu!" he replied. "I'm buying the scanner and afterwards we are going."
"You can't tell her what to do!" Kokoro spat out.
"Yes he can!" Shira countered.
"I don't need your help, witch woman!!!" Kinu turned on Shira.
"Who said I was defending you? I just want you out of the way!" the other woman replied with venom.
"You bitch!" Kinu snapped and lunged for her as Shira mirrored her move. Not wanting to be left out, Kokoro joined into the rucus.
"Here you go....." Sheishin came back with the desired part. And arrived just in time to see the three warriors clashing. Their ki combined and a flash of light erupted.
"Why me?" Trunks asked weakly before everything went to Hell.
When the light dimmed down and the dust cleared, Sheishin and Trunks were left in the room to survey the damage. There was a gigantic whole in the middle of the ceiling. In the clear blue sky they saw three specks of light attack and retreat from each other. Pounding sounds echoed through the area as limbs contacted with flesh.
The machine parts room was even messier then before. Broken and smoking gadgets lay on the floor and in mangled heaps. Electricity fizzed out from various metal pieces, as well as a goodly amount of smoke.
"I'll take my scanner now," Trunks sweat dropped and held out his hand.
"Not so fast, brat," Sheishin snapped. "My center has just got a new policy. If you damage any of my items, you have to purchase it."
"You break, you buy?" the half human hung his head low.
"Hey, that's a pretty good summary. Yes, you break, you buy," the old Saiyan considered it. "Not to mention the damage to my recycling center. The ceiling alone will cost quite a lot. So I'll just be charging this to your credits card....."
"What!?! But I never broke anything!" he protested.
"Ah, but they are your friends, are they not? And it seems that they're all busy fighting. Someone has to pay and since you're here already ....."
"Why me?" Trunks moaned to himself.
"What took you so long, boy?" Bandeku asked when Trunks came back. The setting sun high lighted the prince's features, and it was all too apparent that his head was hung low in despair. "So what happened to you?" the hermit pressed on, curious as to what made Trunks feel so down. "Did you get all the necessary parts?"
"Yeah, I managed to find them," Trunks said down heartedly.
"So what's your problem?" Bandeku raised a bushy eyebrow.
"It cost this much," Trunks tossed back the credit card and walked into the house. Even more curious, Bandeku pressed a few buttons on his the small machine.
His total balance: 5 credits.
"T-R-U-N-K-S!!!"
[End of Chapter 9]
Author's Notes: It is officially summer vacation for me!!!! I'm really sorry that I couldn't get this out before school, but I had to do this. I am so sorry!!!!!!! I'll try to make it up to you, but I still won't be able to update again due to visiting my grandparents for a month in June. I promise that I'm gonna write more of this. If only they had a computer. *sigh*
************************************************
"Sayonara, Good-Bye" (A New Beginning)
Chapter Nine
"Hey Bandeku," Trunks called from outside.
"What do you want, brat?" he replied neutrally as he stepped out of the house.
(Author's note: Bandeku calls him brat because as they got closer in a mental and emotional sense, Bandeku became more casual and almost fatherly to Trunks. That is why he doesn't say 'prince' anymore.)
"Want to see a new move I just made up? I bet it's more powerful then any of yours!" he teased. "I highly doubt it," Bandeku snickered, although there was no heat behind the harsh words. "I bet you it is," he sniffed indignantly. (Author's note: they're bored so they're just bickering to kill time ^_^ ') "Here, let's see whose move is better! I'll go first since I'm 'royalty'," he ended off dramatically.
"Damn human upbringing," the hermit muttered but put on the scouter Trunk's had tossed him. "Get ready!" the lavender haired youth crouched. "Haaaaaaa....!!!"
A vortex was starting to appear with Trunks in the center, causing dust, pebbles, and leaves to be whipped into the air.
"What do you think so far?" he called over the shaking earth.
"Nothing I haven't seen before," was the gruff response, effectively hiding the surprise in his voice. Bandeku watched in disbelief as the numbers whizzed on the eye piece as Trunks reached higher and higher levels.
[Just wait and see!] the Semi-Saiyan chuckled internally as he put on more power. [Just a little more......] He instantly regretted it as soon as his scouter shorted out and gave a tiny explosion. It was basically intact except that the eye piece was cracked and sparks occasionally fizzed out.
"Oops."
"Good going," the hermit took off the machine.
"Gomen nasai," Trunks walked bashfully up to the other. "I can fix it if you want."
"Yes, I do," Bandeku looked sharply at him. "This was my only spare set. Unless you want to go scouter less."
"Not particularly," guilt washed over the young man. "I'll use the tools I brought with me from earth. I doubt you'd have some of your own."
"Of course not," he shrugged. "What would I do with those?"
"Never mind," Trunks shook his head. Taking his busted scouter, he put it in his jacket pocket and went back inside for his instruments. Under the bright sunlight, Trunks began to tinker with it as Bandeku lounged nearby.
"Kuso!" he grimaced. "The scouter burned out its scanner, main microchip, and blah, blah, blah......."
"Alright, alright," Bandeku held up a hand for silence as he sat underneath a nearby tree. "I have no idea what the hell those are and how they look like. That means YOU have to go to a recycling center. Hopefully they'll have some spare scouter parts."
"Okay," he nodded. Silence followed so Bandeku assumed that Trunks had already left. That is, until a large shadow blocked his sunlight.
"Nani?" he asked without opening his eyes. "Umm, do you have any money?" Trunks asked, holding out his hand like a little kid. Bandeku sweat dropped.
"Sigh. Go to the box I have on the table. Look inside and bring me what you find inside," he instructed.
"Hai."
He did as told and emerged back out again. In his hands was a device about the size of a credit card but thicker.
"Alright Trunks, this is my Credits Transfer Unit, or CTU. When we first landed here, we established a monetary system of credits. An amount was given to each person according to their rank when everything was set up. Then they were free to spend or make as much credits as they could. Since I didn't need it much since I lived here, there should be a fair amount left. Use it sparingly though and guard it with your life."
"Yes," Trunks took the machine and tucked it safely in his pocket.
"Aren't you going to change to your Saiyajin armor? You'll stand out," Bandeku eyed his blue denim jacket with the Capsule Corp. logo.
"Nah, I couldn't be bothered. Anyway, it'll only be a short while. Well, I'll be going now.
I'll hunt dinner on my way back so don't wait up. Ja ne!"
"Heh heh he," Bandeku chuckled evilly when Trunks was gone. "You don't know how much trouble that jacket may cause you!"
-------------------------
"Let's see, I have the eye piece, microchips, electrodes,......" Trunks ticked off his mental list. "All I need is the scanner and I'm scott free!"
It had been a peaceful day with him meandering through town, going to the various recycling centers. Haggling had been his mother's territory, but he felt he had done a fair job. The owners certainly were good at it. He knew people were eyeing his Earth jacket, but he ignored them.
[Let them stare,] he told himself. As long as no fights started because of it, he wasn't overly concerned.
"Ah, another recycling center," he stopped outside a large building. Upon entering, the same smell invaded his nostrils that had been there in every other center. Piles of junk were strewn everywhere, taking almost all the available floor space.
"May I help you?" a gruff voice unexpectedly asked from behind a pile.
"Yes, do you have a scanner for a type A-6 scouter?" Trunks inquired politely.
"No," was the terse reply. "That's hard to come by."
"Do you know who might have it?" he insisted. He was so close to going home.
"The recycling center owned by old Sheisen might carry it," the propriter of the establishment finally came out. He was shorter then Trunks but much thicker bodied. "Good luck getting it though," he laughed derisively.
"Why?"
"Everyone knows that bastard always over charges customers. I'm surprised that he hasn't been killed yet."
"Ah, arigato," Trunks bowed slightly before leaving. The owner grunted in response as he watched him go. He had heard of the purple haired half breed that was living with the hermit, Bandeku. There were stories going around that he was a powerful fighter, but he doubted it.
[How could such a powder puff be powerful?] he asked himself as he returned to literally tearing apart a broken machine. [So polite.....]
He chuckled to himself, wishing he could be there when the Demi-Saiyan met with Sheisen. There was no doubt that he would be torn alive, even though the other owner was older.
Meanwhile Trunks had reached an intersection before it occurred to him to ask the owner where Sheisen's center was.
[Baka!] he chided himself and stopped at a corner. [Maybe I should go back.]
While he was having a little debate with himself, someone he knew very well was walking through that intersection too. If he knew she was there, he would have hid. Unfortunately he was too preoccupied to notice. Even more unfortunate (because she may have passed him by) was the fact that his hair and jacket made him stand out like a sore thumb.
[Trunks!?!] Kinu's eyes widened a little. [What is he doing here? Oh well,] she dismissed the question, [I might as well hang around him since I have nothing to do. Maybe I can even get him to teach me some more fighting techniques.] Turning away from her intended destination, she walked over to the oblivious man.
"Oi," she firmly grabbed his shoulder from behind.
"Eh?" he turned around. "Oh hello, Kinu. What are you doing here?"
"Trunks, are there any new moves you can teach me?" she didn't answer his question. He sort of stared at her blankly for a minute.
"Umm, maybe if I have time," he replied non-committedly. Warning bells were ringing loudly in his head.
"What can be more important than me and fighting?" she asked hotly.
"Uh, eh, umm...." he scrabbled his mind for the reason. "My scouter broke so I need to fix it. Yeah..... fix it ......"
"Oh," Kinu said flatly. It was true scouters were becoming rare since there were no more slave races to make them for the Saiyans. However it was only a barely good enough reason in her point of view. "So?"
"What?" he sweat dropped slightly.
"Where do we go for the parts?"
"I'm looking for a recycling place owned by a man named Sheisen," Trunks replied as he started backing away a bit. "So if you'll excuse me. . . . . . ."
"This way," she grabbed his arm and proceeded to drag him. "I know where the old fart lives."
"Can't you just tell me?" he offered nervously. She stopped and he was afraid he had offended his "student".
[Hmm, he's got a point there,] she pondered without letting go. [Wait a minute. . . . .]
"Uh, you'd probably let him rob you of all your credits," she responded after a moment.
"Just let me do the bargaining."
[Do I have a choice?] he cried internally. So Trunks allowed himself to be led around by the smaller woman, which drew more stares from people.
"Hey, look at the half breed being controlled by a woman," whispers abounded. Since it was a relatively small community, word gets around pretty fast.
(On the other side of the colony)
"Where is Kinu?" Kokoro asked for the thousandth time.
"I tell you she's not coming! Let's just go!" Shira said the same amount of times.
"Not until she comes," he insisted again.
It had taken him a while to convince Kinu to see him since she had beaten him at the Arena. He found that he wanted her more, ever since she had gotten stronger.
[And I have that mongrel to thank,] he shook his head in disbelief. Shira, who had invited herself along, sat at the bar, disgusted with Kokoro's behaviour.
[What does he see in her anyway?] she asked herself. [I'm way stronger than her!]
"Did you hear about the purple haired Saiyan?" idle talk filtered from the other end of the bar. "He's letting himself be dragged by a girl!" Loud laughter ensued.
"I saw them on the other end just now before I flew over," another voice added. "I think it was that girl who won at the Arena. What was her name again? Kinu. . . . ?"
"Nani!" Kokoro blazed as he stood up quickly. "Why that....that...bastard! When I get my hands on him....." Without further words, he left the bar. "Oi Kokoro, wait up!" Shira went after him.
"Achoo!" Truns sneezed.
"What? A little dust too much for you?" Kinu inquired coyly.
"Nah. Maybe someone's talking about me," he joked, happy that she had let go a while back. "Where are we anyway?"
"Sheisen's place," she muttered as she scanned the area.
"I swear it's here somewhere." Trunks glanced around the desert area as well, dubious that she knew where she was going. The dominant motif of the place was sand dunes and tumble weed. He sweat dropped.
[All I needed is a scanner. . . . . . .] he cried in his head. [I was so close to freedom!]
"Ah, there it is!" Kinu smiled as she shielded her eyes from the sun. "Come on!" And she barreled down the hill they were on with Trunks in tow.
"K-I-N-U!!!" he screamed in protest.
------------------------------
"Did you hear that?" Teppo asked from some misellaneous bar.
"Nope," Shin shrugged.
"Okay." And the group resumed drinking.
------------------------------
"I told you I knew where it was," Kinu said smugly as she literally dumped him inside something that could only be called a shack.
"Thanks," he weezed from all the dust in his nose. As he tried to clear his nasal passages from any debris, he wondered what he did to deserve this.
"Come on, you'll never get your scanner by just standing there," she complained and went deeper into the shabby structure.
"Right," he followed after her, coughing a little along the way.
"Is anyone in this dump?" Kinu hollered when they were deep inside. He winced at her volume and lack of decorum. But then, hey, she was a Saiyan, right?
"What? Who's there?" a slightly reedy voice called from somewhere in the room.
[Wow, this place looks smaller from the outside,] Trunks thought as he looked for the source of the voice. Indeed, the size of the room they were in seemed to be unproportional to the appearance of the outside.
Uh, hi, do you carry any spare scanners for scouters?" he called out. There was no response but the owner did shuffle in. His back was bent, and his hair was completely white. Sheisen looked uncharacterisitcally old for a Saiyajin.
"Wha-?" Trunks pointed to him.
"We usually kill off the old folks but since we were short of people when Vegita-sei was destroyed, Zanko allowed him to live," Kinu answered. "A waste in my opinion."
"Okay," he nodded, not quite accepting it. [What a culture!]
"What do you brats want?" the old man snapped. He may look too old to fight, but he certainly acted as if he was the Legendary Saiyajin himself. "A scanner for his scouter," Kinu replied just as hotly. "You got one in this dump you old freak?"
[So this is how the Saiyajin haggle,] he mused as he watched the two argue.
"I got one," Sheisen cackled evilly. "But it'll cost you 2,255 credits."
"What?" she seethed. "Why would I pay that much for a piece of junk?"
"Uh, Kinu. . . . ." Trunks began. He wanted to remind her that he was paying and that he didn't mind handing over that much cash. It wasn't his money anyway, and Bandeku had about 15,000 credits in store.
"Quiet," she snapped and turned back to the old man. "I could probably get another scanner somewhere else, a better one too for a cheaper price!"
"I don't think so," a malevolent glint entered his eyes. "I know for a fact that my recycling center is the only one that carries scouter scanners!"
Trunks knew this since he visited every recycling center in the colony already. What he didn't know was that every center owner had one big agreement with each other. Only one individual would carry certain parts and the others would refer him to a customer looking for it. In this way, they were able to get the best profit. Diabolical, eh?
"I'm telling you old man," Kinu's tone became venomous. "I don't appreciate being played with."
"Oh? I bet you don't say that to your companion over there!" he shot back. Their faces began to burn in embarrassment. Trunks' turned a shade of red that matched his hair quite nicely.
"Look, give me that scanner or else!" she began to power up. "It's alright Kinu......," the Semi-Saiyan began before being cut off by a ki signature that was approaching their location fast. It soon materialized into Kokoro, followed shortly by Shira.
"Trunks!" he yelled.
"What is it this time?" Trunks sighed. [All I came for was a scanner.....]
"I challenge you to fight me in the Arena. Today!" he shouted.
"Okay, I can hear you. You're right beside me, you know," Trunks said mockingly. "And I refuse. Not because I'm a coward but because I have better things to do than fight you. Perhaps another time when I feel like it." He usually didn't speak that way to people, but he really wanted to get back home and fix his scouter.
"Nani?" Kokoro's eyes flared. He was use to this kind of talk from others. Heck, majority of Saiyajins spoke that way. But it was the laughter that filled Kinu's eyes that got to him.
"I WON'T LET YOU BECOME KINU'S MATE!!!" he screamed in anger.
"EH!?!" Trunks froze in complete shock. "Bu.. bu... bu.... bu... but I don't want to become her mate!"
"WHAT!?!" Kinu glared at him dangerously. "Why not?"
"Are you saying you want me to be!?!" he panicked. This was not turning out to be a good day. "Well I, uh.....that is to say...." she became nervous too.
"What is this!?!" Shira suddenly yelled. "Trunks, are you going to take this?" She was finally fed up with the whole situation. All she had wanted to do was spend the day with Kokoro, but Trunks and Kinu had to get in the way.
[But wait,] Shira had thought. [Maybe this is the chance I've been looking for! I can get Kokoro to myself if Kinu and Trunks become mates!]
"Well....." Trunks started.
"Be a man!" she cut him off. "Show him who's boss!" She didn't want Kokoro to lose face but it was a sure fire way for Kinu to get attracted to Trunks, if she wasn't already.
[Whoah, Shira is defending Trunks. She probably likes him,] Kinu and Kokoro thought at the same time. Kokoro smiled evilly.
[This is the perfect chance to get Kinu for myself,] he planned. [And I can finally get Shira off my back.]
[Why that little hussy!] Kinu fumed. [I won't let her get Trunks without a fight!]
[What's going on!?!] Trunks screamed inside.
"He doesn't have to do what you tell him to!" Kinu retorted.
"Oh, so you're getting a woman to defend you now," Kokoro smirked.
"No he's not!" Shira exclaimed.
"Um, guys, I just want some scanner parts..." he began.
"Come on Trunks, fight me if you dare!" Kokoro challenged again as he began to power up inside the shack.
"Do it, Trunks! Beat him!" Shira said as she jumped to the side lines.
"Yeah, go ahead, but not because this 'woman' tells you too! Prove to us once and for all that you can beat him."
"Hmm," Sheishin was starting to get an idea. He didn't realize that the particular notion had been used in Earth for decades.
"Look, I am not going to fight! I am going to buy that scanner part, go home, and fix my scouter. And no one is going to do anything about it!!!" Trunks shouted, trying to assert his dominance, if he had any to begin with that is.
"Oh, scared are we?" the young noble continued to gather power.
"Watch your mouth Kokoro or I'm going to kick the crap out of you again!" Kinu retorted.
"Hey, that was a lucky shot!" Shira interjected.
So as the three began to argue, Trunks slipped up to old Sheishin.
"How about it, old man? I'll buy that scanner for the price you said," the Semi-Saiyan proposed. "I don't think so," the recycling center owner laughed malevolently. "Now that I see how much in demand it is, the price just went up to, oh, say 6750 credits."
"Nani!!! That's almost triple the price!" Trunks screamed in horror.
"Really? Then I better make it. . . . ."
"Okay, okay, I'll take it!" Trunks slapped his (Bandeku's really) credits card in Sheishin's hands. "Just hurry it up you old freak."
"Hey, are we fighting or not!?!" Kokoro demanded.
"Yes we are!" Kinu said savagely, and to Trunks' displeasure, he saw that the two girls had powered up too.
"No you're not, Kinu!" he replied. "I'm buying the scanner and afterwards we are going."
"You can't tell her what to do!" Kokoro spat out.
"Yes he can!" Shira countered.
"I don't need your help, witch woman!!!" Kinu turned on Shira.
"Who said I was defending you? I just want you out of the way!" the other woman replied with venom.
"You bitch!" Kinu snapped and lunged for her as Shira mirrored her move. Not wanting to be left out, Kokoro joined into the rucus.
"Here you go....." Sheishin came back with the desired part. And arrived just in time to see the three warriors clashing. Their ki combined and a flash of light erupted.
"Why me?" Trunks asked weakly before everything went to Hell.
When the light dimmed down and the dust cleared, Sheishin and Trunks were left in the room to survey the damage. There was a gigantic whole in the middle of the ceiling. In the clear blue sky they saw three specks of light attack and retreat from each other. Pounding sounds echoed through the area as limbs contacted with flesh.
The machine parts room was even messier then before. Broken and smoking gadgets lay on the floor and in mangled heaps. Electricity fizzed out from various metal pieces, as well as a goodly amount of smoke.
"I'll take my scanner now," Trunks sweat dropped and held out his hand.
"Not so fast, brat," Sheishin snapped. "My center has just got a new policy. If you damage any of my items, you have to purchase it."
"You break, you buy?" the half human hung his head low.
"Hey, that's a pretty good summary. Yes, you break, you buy," the old Saiyan considered it. "Not to mention the damage to my recycling center. The ceiling alone will cost quite a lot. So I'll just be charging this to your credits card....."
"What!?! But I never broke anything!" he protested.
"Ah, but they are your friends, are they not? And it seems that they're all busy fighting. Someone has to pay and since you're here already ....."
"Why me?" Trunks moaned to himself.
"What took you so long, boy?" Bandeku asked when Trunks came back. The setting sun high lighted the prince's features, and it was all too apparent that his head was hung low in despair. "So what happened to you?" the hermit pressed on, curious as to what made Trunks feel so down. "Did you get all the necessary parts?"
"Yeah, I managed to find them," Trunks said down heartedly.
"So what's your problem?" Bandeku raised a bushy eyebrow.
"It cost this much," Trunks tossed back the credit card and walked into the house. Even more curious, Bandeku pressed a few buttons on his the small machine.
His total balance: 5 credits.
"T-R-U-N-K-S!!!"
[End of Chapter 9]