Vegeta paced the floor behind their occupied chairs. Tension marked Chi-Chi's brown eyes. Her hair lacked its prim round bun. Her hair was a tangled, messy braid. Goku sat next to her, drumming the table with his fingers. His hair and gi was more disheveled than upset. His mouth gave way to a big lip-smacking yawn. Bulma pulled down the ends of her night robe. Dark circles ringed her eyes. Empty coffee cups littered the table with sticky spoons and sugar dried to the ceramic. Krillin pulled his hands from his lap and snatched his paper with a fountain pen. The wrinkled collar of his police uniform sagged on his neck. Sweat stains darked the creases of the blue uniform.
"Stop that, sit down Vegeta," Chi-Chi boldly complained.
"My house, my legs, I'll pace if I want to."
"Your house? Look, you perpetually pissed off gnome, I didn't show up at your house at 6AM and ask for help by punching your son in the face!," Chi-Chi said.
"I asked him to get Kakarot and he wouldn't."
"Goten didn't know where he was!"
"Woman, he's fine."
"Fine? Fine! Let me kick you in the face and we'll see if you're fine."
"Okay- okay," Krillin broke up the argument and tapped his papers on the table, "Let's face it. Tensions are high; we're all tired," he paused as he studied Bulma's steep frown, "And worried," he added, "It's been 72 hours since she was last seen. An official report has been filed with law enforcement. The interviews were not productive. We've got footage, right?"
"Yes," Bulma said as she turned on the flatscreen on the back wall. The grainy footage began to play and their eyes glued themselves to the display.
"So, Vegeta, is this the guy you're talking about?," Krillin asked.
"Who else would I be talking about- asshole in the grey suite with a load of boxes."
"Not to be dismissive, but he just walks away like you told him to," Krillin reasoned.
"But who the hell delivers empty boxes?"
"He could have just stole the merch and left."
"Krillin, I know you're good at your job," Bulma said smacking the table with her palms, "But here's the thing, he never comes back and they're no distinguishable features in the video."
"It's dark Bulma," Goku quietly supported Krillin.
"Goku, the AI is designed to complete facial scanning, even in the dark, and it says that there was no distinction- nothing detected. Whoever that is," she said vigorously pointing, "It doesn't have a face."
"Bulma," Vegeta started, "He had a face, I was there!"
"I know that," she retorted and rolled her eyes.
"Well, what are you suggesting," Chi-Chi added.
"I don't know," Bulma said rubbing her face and forehead.
A knock on the door made their backs stiffen to attention. The door slowly slid away from the frame.
"Jaco's here," Trunks said, "Figured I would let him in."
A smug frown contorted Jaco's face as he entered the room. He walked in with his hands on his hips and his plasma gun bouncing on his belt. Goten peaked over Trunks' shoulder, black eye and all, at the small, slight statured alien.
"Hey," Goku said, "Did you guys already find the dragon balls?"
"Yeap, we got 'em," Goten said.
"Gee, that was fast," Goku said.
"It's not like when we were kids anymore Goku. The radar has been seriously improved," Bulma explained. An exhausted, faint smile pressed her lips as a wave of nostalgia washed over her troubled mind.
Jaco climbed into a leather conference chair. He sat barely a head taller than the oak table itself. He snatched a pale ceramic cup off the center tray and dumped black coffee into his cup. He plugged all his fingers through the cup's handle and gulped down a big mouthful.
"Whadaya want Bulma?," He said before taking another gulp, "The Galactic Patrol is a full-time commitment and I can't be running to Earth for your every beck and call."
His mouth kept moving, but his mind was gone, certain that this was some trivial Earth matter demanding his attention.
"So, who did you guys mess with this time? You earthlings are always sticking your nose where it doesn't belong," he snickered.
"Enough, you pint sized prick," Vegeta scolded him, putting an end to Jaco's tittering, "Shut up and listen to my wife."
Jaco settled his hushed gaze on Bulma's wet face. His thoughts often fluttered between 'fun' and 'spoiled' when he thought of Tights' baby sister. Today all he could muster was 'guilt riddled pity'; he finally read the room.
"Oh Jaco," she said with her quivering lips, "My baby is gone. Someone took her from her room at night and they tore up her little lights and plants," she broke down, "I just want her to come home," she managed between sobbing.
"Bulma," Jaco hesitated, "I don't know what to say. Bulla, right, that's her name?"
"Yeah," Bulma huffed.
"I don't know how I can help with a runaway here on Earth. I'm so sorry."
"That's it though. This isn't a run away. Why would she destroy her precious weeds and smash the door?," Vegeta interjected, "This was no Earthling who did this."
"Can't you take us back to that guy?," Bulma said.
"What guy?," Jaco said.
"The guy we asked questions and you wasted the first one talking about my boobs."
"What?," Vegeta piped up.
"Oh, you mean Master Zuno," Jaco nervously laughed as his pale blue face turned beet red.
"Jaco, we've gotta go today. Give me two hours and we'll-"
"If anyone's going with this jackass, it's me," Vegeta barked and pointed to himself with his thumb.
"Wait- wait a second," Goku said, holding his empty palms up to diffuse the situation, "We've got the dragon balls, right and if Shenron can bring someone back from the dead, couldn't he just zap Bulla back home or something?"
"Not exactly," Bulma answered, "They have a one-year recharge, and they were just used a few months ago."
"On what?," Krillin said balling his fists, "This is the worst timing ever to need a new car or a million zeni, "he said rolling his eyes, "Let me guess Yamcha wrecked his car or that pilaf bunch decided they needed more of 'the perfect ice cream.'"
"Krillin," Bulma started.
"I just thought we agreed as a group to discuss using the dragon balls beforehand, so we could save them for catastrophe, cause let's face it. We know it's coming."
"Fine, you're awfully nosey for someone with no nose," Bulma grumbled, "My dad has had some health problems and they didn't want anyone to know about it."
Krillin exhaled and allowed his shoulders to fall, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."
"Oh, I bet you are," she sulked as she crossed her legs and leaned back into her chair.
Vegeta cracked his neck and headed straight to the door. He waved Jaco over as it to herd him out of the meeting room. Goku began to stand from his seat.
"Oh, no," Chi-chi started, "You're not going. What if the perp comes back? I'm tired of you leaving us to be sitting ducks."
"Now, when have I done that…," he trailed off slowly.
Goku's voice fell flat as he remembered coming to Earth's rescue time and time again from far away. Goku eased back into his chair as a battle played out on his face. They all watched him and stared like so many times before, but he was there, simply among them. He too waited, for the first time.
