Chapter 2- Torn Families
"You stupid girl!" spat Vegeta while walking Kimera home from school.
"Takashi started it!" argued Kimera. "If he hadn't hit Manta then…"
"Wait, wait… who the hell is Manta!" interrupted the prince while he stopped walking for a moment.
"Manta Oyamada… my best friend! In fact my only friend!"
"Wait… did you just say Oyamada?"
"Yes… why do you ask?" Vegeta looked down at the ground for a moment. He wasn't exactly sure why the name Oyamada was familiar, but he knew the name was important. "Vegeta?"
"Huh?"
"Vegeta, is something wrong?"
"What do you think? You just beat up a student in school! You've been excluded for a week!" he shook Kimera's shoulder violently.
"Since when did you care about that?"
"Think you stupid girl! If they realise your power, they'll have the government onto you!"
"Oh come on Vegeta, it's not like I'm that Cell monster! Or even…"
"Don't!" Vegeta grabbed Kimera by the shoulders and shook her lightly as a warning. "Don't mention his name! Just… go home."
"And… and you?"
"Just go! Tell Bulma I'll be a while." Vegeta let go of Kimera and looked away until he heard her strut off through the park. He let out a heavy sigh. He was grateful that the park was normally quiet and deserted… in fact, after the war it was more like a cemetery. "This planet is hopeless… but I guess that's why I fit in." the saiyan prince chuckled lightly and then looked up to the sky. Kimera, I just want what's best for you dammit.
"It's so dark." Sighed Manta while looking up at the sky. "It's only 4pm and it's getting dark fast!" Manta sped up his walking pace a little until he reached the bus shelter. "I don't get it… it's been like that for over a year."
"It's pollution." Mumbled a voice.
"Huh?" Manta looked up to see a man wearing a black trench coat with his face covered by the shadow from his hat.
"The evolution of earthlings has caused more chaos than joy. The joy to an earthling is death to mother nature. Pollution covers the sky, like rage blinds a man." Manta gawked, left almost speechless by the strange man's words. The blonde then chuckled. "It's not a joke, it is true." Stated the man.
"Yeah, yeah!" laughed Manta. "Oh, you're grammar seemed a little off there too. You said earthlings when you clearly meant mankind!" Manta chuckled once more. "You made it sound like you were some kind of alien!" the man then let out a startled gasp that made Manta jump… as if he was onto something. "Something wrong sir?"
"No. No Manta. Everything's fine."
"Right… well here's my bus, bye." Manta got on the bus, paid his fair then sat at the front. As the bus pulled out Manta had a thought. How did he know my name?
Bulma flicked through the documents on her desk worryingly.
"This isn't good… our sales are going down! Why have people lost interest?" Bulma jumped slightly as the door to her office opened. "Oh… Chi Chi it's you."
"Bulma, is everything ok?" asked Chi Chi. "I brought you some tea."
"I wish I could say that things are ok but they're not." Mumbled Bulma. "We've lost our customers to that Mansumi creep! What happened to loyalty?"
"People are just desperate for convenience these days." Said Chi Chi.
"I don't understand it… this guy claims to have some energy source that can charge mobile phones to keeping a car running! Maybe I should call it quits…"
"No Bulma!" Chi Chi then slammed the tray of tea on her desk. "You can't give up now! Not after what you worked for!"
"But you said it yourself! People want convenience. Besides… this energy source doesn't harm the environment."
"But then… what would you do for a living?"
"I don't know… maybe I'll sell this house and we could all move into a smaller place. Maybe go to the countryside. I know you and your boys had an easy life…" Bulma stopped talking and realised what she had just said. She looked up to Chi Chi to see her crying. "I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean…" but before Bulma could finish, Chi Chi had left the room. Damn it! I have no sense anymore!
Manta sighed as then gates to his home closed behind him.
"See you later Bill." The blonde said with a smile to the security guard.
"Have a nice day young master." Chuckled the guard. Manta's house and his father's company building where very close… in fact, Manta's house was the company building! His father wanted to make sure things went smoothly… even if that means living right next to the family business. Manta's room was at the very top of the building, making it a very difficult task to get to school on time… even though he had the convenience of an elevator. As soon as Manta was at the top, he passed a security point then entered the living room of what was his home. He slipped his shoes off and looked around.
"Hello?" no answer. "Hmm… dad must be in a meeting." Manta placed his books on the coffee table then walked to his room. As soon as he opened his bedroom door the slamming of another door was heard. He's back… just as soon as I was about to relax too!
"Manta!" bellowed a voice. "Come here! We need to talk."
"C-coming!" Manta walked back to the living area to see his father sitting on the sofa. "Hi… erm, how was your day?" he asked, trying to make a friendly conversation.
"You got in a fight at school today." Said Mansumi getting to the point whilst avoiding all nonsense.
"Ah… you know."
"Of course I bloody know! I got a phone call from the school this afternoon! You and some boy called Takashi Ryes…"
"Ah you see…"
"And a girl called Kimera Briefs!"
"What? No, I was just fighting Takashi!"
"So you were fighting?"
"N-no! You got it all wrong…"
"Oh no Manta, you are the one who has got it all wrong! This is the tenth fight you've had with Takashi this semester!"
"Yeah well… it's not my fault I attract bullies!"
"How pathetic." Grumbled Mansumi. "My son… the whimp. You'll never be strong enough to handle this company! I'll be mocked by the nations of the world…" at that point, something snapped inside of Manta.
"Oh here we go… it's all about you!" snarled Manta. "It's always you and your precious company!"
"How… dare you talk to me like that!" snapped Mansumi.
"Quiet, I ain't finished!" Manta squeezed his eyes shut to prevent him from crying. "Because of you, I've been unhappy! You make my life hell… expect me to take over your company and your not surprised that I'm angry?"
"That's enough you ungrateful brat!" Mansumi slapped Manta across the left cheek before anything else was said. Manta rubbed the side of his face and looked up to his father with tearful eyes… his expression seemed somewhat surprised.
"I… I…" the small blonde uttered.
"Go on… say your sorry then go to your room." Hissed Mansumi. "I don't want to see you for the rest of the evening." Mansumi watched as Manta stopped rubbing his face and wiped away a few tears. The teenager clenched his fists as though he was going to hit his own father… but he knew as well as Mansumi that he didn't have the guts to. But Manta did have the guts to finish his sentence.
"I… I hate you!" Mansumi almost jumped in shock from his son's words then watched as Manta headed for his room. As the door slammed shut, Mansumi grumbled then sat back down. You stupid boy… when will you learn?
Kimera stormed into Capsul corp. Things just weren't going well for her this semester. Damn Vegeta. If you find me a nuisance then why did you adopt me? She stopped strutting for a moment, deciding not to let the whole house know she was in a bad mood. God what a mess I'm in.
"Big sister!" cried a happy voice, which snapped Kimera out of her trail of thoughts.
"What the…?" were her only words before being tackled to the ground.
"I missed you big sister! I also missed playing with you!" cried the little boy who had just ran Kimera over.
"Oh hi Goten." Kimera smiled. "I missed you too. Say, you're cold seems to have gone for good!"
"Yeah I know. Isn't that great!" giggled Goten as he hugged her. Despite the fact it was the Briefs family that adopted Kimera, Goten has always looked up to Kimera like a sibling. He never got to spend much time with his older brother Gohan, and since his death felt lonely. Kimera was like a blessing in the sky to him.
"Guess you'll be going back to school next week." Said Kimera.
"Aww… but I wanna play!" Goten whined before he nuzzled his head into Kimera's neck.
"Oh ick." Said another voice, which interrupted the moment. "Goten you're such a sissy, hugging girls!"
"Am not!" Goten argued. "Besides, I saw you hugging your mom that time you lost something… Trunks!"
"That's different!" shrieked Trunks.
"Boys, boys! Calm down." Laughed Kimera nervously. "There's nothing wrong with hugging girls!"
"It is if you don't want cooties!" snickered Trunks.
"Why you…" murmured Kimera. "Come here!" and with that, Kimera chased Trunks all around the house.
"Too slow, too slow!" taunted the little saiyan. While bedlam went on throughout the house, Chi Chi stood outside in the cold. Goku… Gohan. I can't go on.
Manta sat on his bed sniffling.
"Damn him!" he sneered as he got off the bed and rummaged in his bedside chest to find something to read. "I got to find something to take my mind off…" he froze suddenly as he unearthed something he wished he hadn't. "What's this?" in his hand was a family photo. His father seemed miserable as always in this one while standing next to his wife. "Mom?" Manta whimpered. The blonde then cried as soon as he noticed him and his little sister playfully fighting in the photo. "Manokko!" he cried. "Why did you leave?" in his mind, Manta started to reconstruct a scene in his mind.
"Manta… sweetie. Me and your dad are getting divorced."
"What? Divorced?"
"That's right. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Wow… I never expected this. So, what time are we leaving… mom?"
"I'm sorry Manta… but only me and your sister are leaving."
"What? No! Why mother, why?"
"Because… I fear you're becoming him!"
As the flashback ended, Manta curled up on the bed clutching the photo. "What made you think I'm like him?" he cried. "Why?" he then frowned at his father's face in the picture. Then he slowly tore the photo in half, leaving his mother and sister on one half and him and his father on the other. The sniffling blonde hugged himself and proceeded to cry himself to sleep. I hate you… for making them go away!
End of chapter 2.
Next chapter- "Flash back, fall back."