Haha! Son Goten & Trunks! Babidi Saga (Chapter 20)
Goten
"So did you learn your lesson, young man?" Chi-Chi asked as soon as Goten's little feet touched the carpet, Yamcha outside the door, leaning against his shiny yellow Capsule Corp. brand skycar.
"I learned the values of discipline, ma'am. I won't be reckless around cars, public or private property." The youngest son replied, hitting a firm salute, kicking his legs in and looking up at his mother, holding the pose.
"Wowww~" Chi-Chi mused, leaning down a bit, hands still on her hips and definitely still full of sass.
Yamcha grinned wide.
"I did actually make sure he did your little test packets, Chi-Chi. I didn't fu-"
"..."
"-mess up that bad. Ahemn!" He replied with a nod, scratching the side of his head a bit as he adjusted.
Chi-Chi nodded her head in kind and smiled.
"Good. Thank you, Yamcha."
"I gotchu'. I'd never do Goku's kids like that. You know he's always welcome back at Capsule Corp."
"Thank you."
"Thank You." He replied, pointing at her and then hopping over the door of the car into the driver's side, fixing the rear view and the side mirror, but mostly just so he could check his teeth from different angles.
"Hi Yamcha!" Goku shouted from behind his wife, grabbing Chi-Chi's shoulders and waving at his friend.
"Hey, Goku!"
"You want to come in for some lunch!?"
"Nah, I gotta go."
"Well alright, seeya, Buddy!"
VRRROOOONNN!
It shouldn't be possible to peel out considering the car is on the air but Yamcha managed it, twirling donuts in front of the Son home like a rambunctious teenager who just got his license.
Trunks
"Trunks I am Very disappointed in you. I'm glad Yamcha took you out on that trip but under no circumstances are you not still grounded."
"But mo-"
Slnnnn~
"Nope." Bulma interjected with a motherly glare, sliding out from under a new spaceship model and pointing a worn wrench at Trunks' face. The large vehicle was something in the shape of an egg, mostly just a metal skeleton at this point however. "That's final." She wiped her brow with a wet rag, sticking her tongue out at the realisation of the used-to-be-white towel's muck.
"But what am I gonna do for like… whenever?"
"You're gonna face the consequences like a normal kid."
"... I eh~ I can't even play games?"
"Look, Trunks. It might not seem like a big deal to you because we have money but you could have Killed that guy. I didn't realise how strong you actually were. You're stronger than your dad at that age, that's for sure." She relayed, tuned the various mechanisms into place, whirling the greasy metal cart around underneath to do so.
TLANN!
"Mom!" Trunks shouted as he caught the falling apparatus, all 8 legs of the incomplete egg ship unluckily caving in at the same time.
Bulma's eyes and her mouth drew agape, totally in awe of what just happened. She clutched at her chest and just let out a few breaths.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"Phewwwww~" She breathed an air of relief, pulling at her stained overalls tight before bursting out laughing. "Wow. That was close."
Trunks smirked wide, his goblinesque smile taking over.
"I just saved your life. Can I get a reduced sentence?"
"Nah, you just extended it."
"What!?" He shouted, putting his hands on his head in disbelief. "Oh shit!" He yelled at the last moment before catching it in low curl, practically squatting his little body as low as it would go.
Klnnnn~
Bulma slid out from under the mechanical beast and scratched her sweaty blue hair as she sat up.
"What am I gonna do with you?" She asked, brushing back his silky black hair with her right, and corralling both knees together with her left.
"Mom, that's embarrassing. I'm not like… three years old!" He stanced up, letting the spaceship finally to the garage ground floor as his pouty cheeks flushed red.
"You're grounded~" She singsonged, much to Trunks' dismay.
Yamcha
They were even more rambunctious than previously, Yamcha just laughing in a corner of the desert near the hideout as they went absolutely bonkers, flying this way, that way, wherever their hearts decided. They flew right into stone mushrooms, not even wanting to attempt another path, simply breaking through them because they could, giggling stupidly all the while.
"Hey Goten, watch this!" Trunks shouted from atop the hideout, pointing down at a nearby stone shroom. "Elbow drop!" His raspy kid voice echoed out into the stone quarry as he demolished the giant boulder into nothing but dust and chalk. "HaHaa~"
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Yamcha?"
"Listen, Puar. Kids need to be able to get out all that excess energy. If they don't, 10 times out of 10 they become whack adults."
"I don't know if that's a valid method of judging that, Yamcha."
"You see how much fun they're having?" The Wolf asked, tilting his head and pointing at the pair with his thumb.
Goten and Trunks spotted a sandy lizard minding its business, spooking it with their giant forms, ogling over its spotted shape.
"Look, Trunks. He's shmoving."
"The shmovement!" The little Capsule Corp. kid claimed, pointing down at the lizard simply trying its best to continue existing.
"Should we join' em?"
"Yeah! Let's join em'!"
They scurried across the sand in a low pose, mimicking the creature's odd crawl cycle across the desert, laughing like gremlins the whole way and kicking up mountains of dust in their wake.
"Block him off, Goten! He's one-tap, no kizzie!"
"Got it~" He called out, drifting on the sand with his palms and kung fu shoes, blocking the tiny reptile between their giant toddler bodies.
The critter couldn't hang and ultimately gave up, flipping over exhausted in the sand before disappearing altogether in the winds of Diablo Desert.
"Hey where'd he go?"
"I dunno."
"..."
The kids just stood up and stared at the brown dirt.
"Whatever." Trunks said as he put his hands back in his short pockets.
Yamcha cracked his neck as his son walked up to him.
"Dad?"
"What?"
"Is that story about The Dragon Balls Oolong and Puar told us about true?"
"What?" Yamcha laughed out as he shot a look at the blue cat chilling on his shoulder's way.
"The Dragon Balls. Gather all 7 and you make a wish? Sounds like cap. And mom just made a device that can find em' without even really trying? There's no way she's that goated." He stated defiantly, crossing his little kid arms.
"Nu-uh. Cuz~ cuz, Gohan said that he went on a Dragon Ball hunt with me while I was still a baby!" Goten shot in defensively. "I asked him after Oolong told us and, and, Gohan would Never lie to me."
"I'm sorry Goten but that story is Super cap."
Goten's jaw dropped.
"Do you not hear yourself? Why in the world would Gohan go on a Dragon Ball quest when he's supposed to be looking after you? That stuff's dangerous, isn't it? Besides, he's lame. You told me yourself you beat him up."
"No! Gohan was… taking it easy on me!"
"So you admit you were just flexing, then?" Trunks fought back, hitting him in the shoulder.
"Enough. Boys. Yes, The Dragon Balls are real."
"Really!?"
"Yup. But you aren't allowed to look for them, Trunks. You're grounded."
"What!?"
"What?" Yamcha smiled.
"Can I go look for them?"
"Sure, knock yourself out, kid. I'm not your dad." The Wolf replied with a shrug and a tap on the shoulder.
Goten danced around in victory as Trunks was now the one with a dropped jaw.
"Whatever."
Musuka
With his long black limousine, the rotund but well dressed carnival owner stepped out onto the yellow brick of the castle docks. Only one butler made his acquaintance as Musuka gazed longingly at the gigantic castle pillars and arches.
"Lord Men-Men will meet you right away."
"Men-Men? Isn't that Jaguar's cousin? We're at fuckin' Mei Queen. Where's Jaguar's lazy ass at!?"
"..." The elderly gentleman dressed in black, white, and brown looked down at Musuka and lamented that: "Lord Jaguar passed away after an assailant had breached the castle walls."
"What!? And I ain't get no invitation!? Don't tell me the funeral's already over and done with!" The Carnival Owner shouted as the Mei Queen Castle employee calmly shut the skycar door behind him.
"I'm afraid so, sir."
"Ridiculous! Ima' need a smoke. Fuck this shit."
Fwofff~
The bulbous brown cigar lit aflame and a large toke Musuka did take, breathing in through his nose and marching up the steps with determining strides, only increasing in vigour the longer he went.
"Do you wish for me to call him down to the main hall, sir?" His croakey old voice bellowed and echoed off the rocks as seagulls passed over and guffawed on the ocean wind.
"What the fuck do I look like!? Yes! Get Men-Men, pronto!"
"Yes suh."
Musuka chomped on the cigar like it was a piece of candy, taking steady but drainful drags until it was nothing left but extras in the trashcan by the back entrance of the castle. A few new faces stood tall in front of the doorway.
"Name?"
"Name? I came here to visit my friend only to realise he got greased and you want me to give you my Name? I'm having a very bad day so if you could just play along and let me through here that'd be great."
"Name. Or no entry." The larger, far more imposing dark skinned man reiterated as he stepped forward and put his hand on his side piece.
Musuka just laughed as he reached for a cigar out of instinct. The pair drew and aimed down on him only for The Carnival Owner to shrug it off with more chuckles as he licked the end of his addictive substance.
Musuka was a bit on the goofy side, but he did pay attention to details. If he didn't he couldn't have built the brand he did off of finding those down on their luck or the beasts that would bring in crowds. M M. A mint green logo stuck out on the tops of their hats and they wore grey uniforms, almost like soldiers. The previous guards of Mei Queen Castle weren't uniform in such a way, as evidenced by Musuka's slow nod and backwards gait as he tucked the cigar back into his pocket.
"Ayy!" His raspy voice bounced off the rocks and ricocheted down to the docks as the butler walked them toward another entrance in the bay area. "You gonna do your job!?"
"-your job!?"
"These toughs don't feel like lettin' me in!"
"-in' me in! -me in!"
"It's no problem, boys! He's here to see Lord Men-Men! Men-Men is expecting him!"
"-expecting him!"
The two stood up tall and saluted, parting ways from the door and allowing passage for The Carnival Owner.
"Finally." He remarked with a grin, flapping his black blazer and running his index along the red line of his fedora to emphasise. "Took you boys long enough."
Wa-Klm!
The same way they stepped out, they stepped back in front of the stone archway, perfect form, resembling army men drills. Their boots hit the brick at the same time and came together in a satisfying cacophony.
"Are you here to see Lord Men-Men?" A maid asked, bowing down to his eye level.
"Yes. Now tell his ass to hurry up."
"Do you need any assistance to get to the main hall-"
"I got it, Thanks."
The maid stopped in her tracks, walking back to her position in front of the elaborate wartime painting opposite the fluttering light from the outside.
"Maybe I Do need a second smoke. All these second-rates trying to pamper my ass. I can't stomach this shit." He didn't even attempt to keep to himself as he brought out the cigar and lighter combo, embering the end of his vice before stepping through the giant threshold.
"Men-Men!" His voice absolutely washed over the gigantic marble room, hitting up against the columns, bouncing off the walls, rubbing down and then running up the stairs from the pit all the way to the throne.
Men-Men walked in from the side entrance, to the right of the throne and the left of the way Musuka walked in.
"What the fuck is up!? Your own cousin died and you can't even be bothered to send a greeting card!?"
"Slipped my mind." The mint green wearing mogul answered as he walked the line and jumped up the stairs, following the red carpet and glaring down at the rotund man in a long circus coat. "You're on time. I appreciate that."
"Appreciate it? Eat my nuts." The Carnival Owner claimed as he grabbed the set below his suit pants much to the dismay of Men-Men who shook his head at the display. "What tha hell did you call me over here for?"
"I understand that Lord Jaguar lent you money a few years back so that he could get your business off the ground?"
Musuka waltzed up each step in a domineering fashion, his shades doing a pretty good job of hiding the building rage behind them as he inhaled the smokey offerings of his tool.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"I'm going to need a little return on investment."
Musuka shook his head, the cigar crunching in hard as The Carnival Owner's bite skewered the piece between his teeth.
"You ain't invested, wise guy! You gotta' lotta' nerve callin' me out here after I didn't even get a post card for poor ol' Jaguar's untimely demise."
"..."
A bead of sweat ran down Musuka's face as Men-Men glared down at him from the throne.
"Stop pretending to give a fuck. It's really annoying."
Musuka's brow furrowed even deeper and the man took the drag to the edge of his piece, wispy white smoke elevating from the cig.
"Either you invest and we both walk away, you don't invest and I kill you, or some third option that's just as lovely that I haven't come up with yet."
Musuka threw the used up tobacco stick onto the marble floor before looking to light up another in an impressive chain before the fire of his lighter blew out from a potent gust.
"What's it gonna be?" Men-Men asked from the top of the throne as he wiped the side of his nose with his thumb.
"You want the money that bad?"
"I just want back what dear old Lord Jaguar put into your business. Nothing more. Nothing less."
"You ain't got the money?"
"... No."
The cold stare shared between the two could quell lava into rock.
"Here. Take it."
Kullllulllullluuh!
Right on the floor, Musuka brandished a check, got out a pen, and scribbled down a loose amount.
"Satisfied?" He asked, waving around the loose slip.
"Hmm." Men-Men huffed back as he sauntered down the steps with an intimidating glare behind the glass. He snatched up the green paper and examined it close. "Hmm. Thank you for your contribution. You can leave now."
"You're a real asshole, you know that! I only came back here because Lord Jaguar was gracious enough to invest! You're gonna hear from me the first chance I get!"
"Here from you how?" Men-Men questioned as the chubby navy suited man was halfway out the grand archway.
"I'm gonna beat your fuckin' ass! That's how you're gonna hear from me!"
"Truly?" Men-Men laughed out as he shelved the tiny parchment into his mint green coat pocket.
"Yeah, truly! Arrivaderci!" He shouted, flipping him the bird and stomping all over the carpet, putting it in disarray.
Rrrrrringgg! Whapp!
"What? Talk to me. Better be some good news cause I'm really not in the mood for you to tell me anything else." Musuka yapped back into the phone as seagulls squawked overhead.
"..."
"Huh? You found a… whaddidya say? Dragon nut? The fuck kinda guy do you take me for, I ain't into that stuff and I sure as hell ain't gonna try to make a performance outta that-"
"..."
"For real? You mean uhh like uhh… that pig? He wasn't talking out of his ass?" The Carnival Owner asked as he stepped up the door to his shiny black skycar. His tall chauffeur made sure he didn't have to do any work as he filed in and played with his mustache. "Nah, I Know you're bullshitting me, Fryer. There ain't no way those uhh… what did you call them?"
"..."
"Dragon Balls, yeah. There ain't no way them things grant wishes, you're off your rocker. That ain't real."
"..."
"Yeah but that's different, the martial arts are-"
"..."
"Step on it! Hurry your ass!" He shouted, putting the phone onto his chest and scowling at the driver before they pulled off into the cascading sunset of the ocean. "Sorry, say what now?"
"..."
"I mean yeah I guess. But what's the… the uhh… Catch! Yeah…"
"..."
"7 of em'? Only 7? But they could be anywhere, how are we supposed to find those things?"
"..."
"Yeah, exactly. We might have one of em' but good luck finding the other fuckin' six. They could be anywhere."
"..."
"Alright. I'll see ya in a bit."
Newman
An executive office with a pristine glass table, the man's reflection clearly visible in its surface. The table stood in the middle of the room, almost all walls but the front and the side faced the city, all made of glass, the corner office. Newman slicked back his wispy brownish, somewhat grey mane of hair and rubbed his hands together. A rabid, snarling beast of wild proportions snapped its jaw over and over again across the room as employees shouted their disapproval and general concern for the thin man's wellbeing.
"I'm alright." He prefaced with a wavering laugh, a lazy palm, and crazy eyes.
"You're crazy!" A woman banged from the other side of the glass.
It was a strange combination of a wolf and a hog of some sort, jagged jaws poking out like tusks as it leaped onto the glass and howled with vigour. Fresh smirked, grabbing a tiny cylindrical device from his pants pocket, pressing the button in the middle and unscrewing it almost like a glowstick.
"Come on, baby, no whammy!" Fresh shouted as the beast lunged right at him. "Huh!" The Pod Corp. CEO yelled as he lobbed the device right in the path of action.
Dum! Dun~Dlunn!
The pod hit the ground with a billowing rush of smoke as Fresh fell onto the chair, and then failing that, onto the grey carpet below as the device shook once.
Dwuu~
Shook twice.
Dwuu~
Sweat beading down. Sharp intake of breath.
Boo.
Beast captured.
"Ha-Ha!"
"YEAH!" The other Pod Corporation employees yelled from the other side.
"Eat it, Brief! Eat your god damn-" Fresh shakily stood up, almost tumbling over the chair again as he said it. "-heart out, Brief! I finally beat you! Living organisms! Let's go!"
Everyone on the other side of the door took a breath as Newman sauntered on over and opened the door.
"..."
"..." Newman looked out into the crowd, brows locked down as he searched. "Antiq!"
The tan man strided forward and presented his piece, everyone gulped as Newman took hold of the handgun. He cocked it back and swallowed.
"The moment of truth."
The sweat wasn't done swimming and stained his sky blue polo as he made his way towards the stationary pod.
Clicc.
With a timid leap, Newman pressed the button and backstepped as fast as he could, aiming down sights at the pod as it decompressed and smoke let out into the air.
Kshuuuu~
As the fog lifted, the creature looked about the room, especially the glass looking out into North City. It prowled up to the front and then turned around on a dime, fangs still bared.
"Thought so. First generation is always the most rudimentary. We'll improve the fit."
"RRrrrrrrrr~" The hog-wolf growled as it stepped ever closer.
"We'll improve."
KLAMMM!
"OHHH!"
The beast bled out onto the carpet and Newman winced.
"Mayyybe that wasn't the best idea."
Antiq just rolled his eyes as he snatched the pistol from Fresh's hands, smoking gun.
"Could you be a doll and call someone in one of those deep cleaners? This is my office and I can't just have that blood all over the floor when a client comes in, that's just a bad look all around."
"Right away, sir." Another woman replied, jogging down the rest of the hall in her clearly mismanaged heels.
"Thank you." He sighed out, scratching the top of his head and looking down at the dead critter. "Sheesh. Good going, Newman."
"Newman."
"..?" Fresh just turned around, scratching at his neck before fixing his glasses and looking up at Antiq.
"We found that ball you were looking for."
"Excellent." He commented, snatching the brilliant orange sphere out of the tan man's hand. He gazed into the cracked crevices on its face and furrowed his brow. "What the hell is this?"
"Don't ask me, sir. I didn't do it. It was cracked when I found the damn thing."
"Well… good work I guess. Looks like I didn't have to throw money at hired hands this time. Was it difficult?"
"I mean not really. It was more time consuming than anything. So what of it?"
"..." Newman took off his glasses and opened the window, letting the soft air lick into his hands and the sun glint off the top of the sphere. He scowled resolutely.
"You're really all over the place these days. I don't remember you being like this when you hired me." The man stated as he walked away and placed his hand over the open doorframe.
"If you want to pursue greatness, you have to be willing to take risks others back down from. That is law."
"Whatever you say, Newman." He replied as he walked away into the cubicle-laden clinical grey office space.
The 4 Star Ball shined brightly in his hand, even those hundreds of feet below could see the shining beacon of light looming and sparkling over North City. Krillin looked out the window of his office to catch a brief glimpse of the light before it suddenly halted and whatever it was went away.
"Superman, we're gonna need you to get this evidence to Central. Your damn near faster than sending an email and having them print it."
"Is This what you guys hired me for? You always got me running these mail jobs all over the place."
"We're still not done training the force."
"It's only cause half of em' don't even show up for work."
"Well… North City already had the lowest crime rate out of all five major cities Before you showed up."
Krillin grabbed the documents out of the man's hand, shoved them under his armpit and assumed the position.
"Just get em' together as soon as you can, I'm spinning my wheels here, I still need to get Central up to snuff as well."
"Heard that." The Chief replied as he tipped his hat and Krillin:
Va-Vwish!
out of existence.
Copper
"Silver?" The black man stated across the aquatic base, leaning back in his chair and looking out the doorframe for the other man.
Silver reared his head past the corner of the wall and met the eyeline of The General.
"Is it time?"
"We've got movement. There is one Dragon Ball in Orange Star City, one in West, scratch that, two in Orange Star, and one way way off on some remote island far away in the ocean."
"So we only have visuals on four?"
"Nope. We got one in North City as well."
"So what's the move, Boss?"
"Move in silence like lasagna, we make the play once they gather, they're on the move for real today, there's no way they're not gonna clash." Copper replied as he leaned over his computer terminal and gazed in deeply at the radar's green scanlines.
"Clash?"
"This is different teams I think. This doesn't look like an organised operation. Maybe it is but why are they all over the globe? I don't think it is one."
"So you think a bunch of people have radars now?"
"Wouldn't doubt it. If you remember, apparently those guys last time were making an entirely different Set of Dragon Balls. This world is crazy so we just gotta be careful."
"You got that right." Silver replied as he palmed the back of Copper's swivel chair and looked down at the device. "... Should we try and snag one of the stationary ones?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Grabbing one makes us a target, directly. It's much better to set up an ambush at the gathering of multiples, or to lay low here, Or … we lay the trap at the stationary ones and lay waste to everyone in our way."
"Whoa… smart thinking."
"We're resurrecting, Violet. I'm not gonna let these guys squander our chance."
"..." Silver's brow turned down sharp as he saw the pinging blips on the radar go in and out of existence on the little screen.
Goten
"-!" Sounded off from the balcony, a muffled shout and a bang on the glass tore Trunks' head towards his right from the sofa as he relaxed in the loft.
"Goten?" He questioned, raising a brow and hopping off the couch.
Slnnnnnk!
"Goten, what the heck are you doing here?"
"Look! Hyahahah~"
Trunks' eyes didn't shoot out of his head yet, he just stared down at the compass-like item with green scanlines in uninterest.
"What the heck is this thing, bruh?"
"The Dragon Radar!"
"What!?"
"Shhh~" Goten shushed, throwing his off hand over Trunks' mouth as the boys both shot looks all about the loft.
"Phew~" The Capsule Corp. kid breathed out in earnest. "The Dragon Radar?" He yelled in a whisper, his eyes shot out of his head as he grabbed the front of Goten's collar with both hands, shaking him back and forth like a ragdoll.
"Hyahahaha~ yeah."
"What, you come all this way to taunt me?" He questioned, turning tail and crossing his arms in defiance.
"Nooo~ I came to pick you up so we can look for em'."
"Bruh. I'm grounded. What part of grounded don't you get?"
"But uhh~ like we can fly..?" He shot back with a toothy smile, raising his hands as he said it.
"..."
"Because you're only grounded… when you're on the ground." Goten claimed as he pointed at the loft tile.
"... Hold on." The Capsule Corp. kid remarked, stroking his chin in thought. "You might be onto something."
"Well?"
"Just give me a minute. Wait..? Why are we even looking for The Dragon Balls? What wish would we even make?"
"I want to wish for all the hamburgers in the whole world! Hyahahaha~"
"Smooth, Goten." He replied, palm in face. The Capsule Corp. kid stuck up another pose, trying his darndest to think up a wish. "Screw it. I'm gonna wish for an amusement park, Trunksland."
Goten wasn't even paying attention, too busy digging for gold before flicking it Trunks' way.
"Ayy!" He shouted loud as hell, barely weaving the green leftovers tossed his direction.
"So are you in, or what?"
"I'm down. But we gotta do this stuff quick. But first, uhh… how'd you get over here?"
"Nimbus."
"Well I meant like… does your mom know you're here?"
"Yeah. I told her I was gonna go to your house to play."
"Oh."
"..."
The two boys' held devilish smiles before taking one final look at the metal stairs across the way, snickering as they closed the glass door and hopped the fence of the balcony, breaking out into a searing flight path. Puar's whiskers twitched as he watched the boys trail off into the distance from the stairs.
"Oh boy. Yamcha was supposed to watch them today…" The blue cat pondered as he put his paw up to his mouth, furrowed his furry brow and then meandered after them, opening up the sliding door with great effort only to barely be able to close it behind him.
Oolong
The Pig let out an epic sigh as he marched the sidewalk of West City, hands in his pockets and spirits at an all time low. He found a can on the way and kicked it for a long while, satiating his boredom somewhat. He tossed the aluminum with his sandals over and over again until it caught the ledge wrong and rolled into an entrance into the sewer, the tiniest gap on the lip of the sidewalk that just barely stole the only excitement he had on him.
"Just my luck. Can't have shit in West City… wait a minute." The Pig stated as he glared into the shimmering glow of the underbelly. A gold glint caught just right, almost blinding him in the morning sun's shine. "Is that what I think it is?"
The Pig got down on all fours and examined the rectangular entry point, sewer water draining down the shaft as a slick orange orb caught alcove of the drain. His eyes and ears jumped back as he made contact with the sphere and he reached in his stubby pink arm as far as it would go.
"Can't believe I'm doin' this…" He lamented, sticking his hand through the muck and over to the other side of the drain.
He edged closer and closer, kissing it with his fingertips before getting it to roll out of the cupped square area it got caught on, snatching it out of the hold. He lifted the ball and sure enough.
Shwingg!
"Car's stolen, money's almost dry, and I just found a Dragon Ball chillin' in a drainage ditch. What a week."
But something was wrong. It felt more chilling than anything The Pig had felt before and just yesterday he had several guns drawn on him.
"What in the world?"
Deep within The Dragon Ball held several cracks lining its entire two star face.
"Unbelievable. Cracks? I didn't think anything could harm these things?" The Pig stated with wide eyes, holding it up to the sun to get a better look at just how much damage the orange sphere possessed. As he did so two beings came flying from up above. "Oh no! Those carney freaks are out to cook my bacon! Gotta dip!"
"Hey! Isn't that Oolong!?"
"What would Oolong be doing with The Dragon Ball, dude? You gotta start asking these ques- OhwaitthatisOolong."
"Oolong!" The boys' shouted at the top of their lungs, descending on the poor pig like vultures.
"They even know my name! I gotta skedaddle!"
Bom!
"On no! Don't kill me! I've got a wife and kids! A beautiful daughta' that'll be sad that I'm go- Hmm?"
"You don't have a daughter… do you?" Goten asked, a bit unsure mid way through.
"Stop the cap, Oolong. Why do you have a Dragon Ball?"
Ga-Chuik. Bom!
"Phew~ it's just you guys. You boys are goin' huntin' today or something?" The Pig asked as he transformed back into his normal state and Goten let go of his hawaiian shirt collar.
"Yea! I'm gonna wish for all the hamburgers in the world!"
"And I'm gonna wish for an amusement park! No girls or grownups allowed."
"You know that The Dragon Balls only grant one wish, right?"
"Duhhh~" The boys stood slack jawed.
"Well I want hamburgers, Trunks."
"That's too bad because I'm not letting you get the wish when it's as dumb as that. If I wish for the amusement park I could just give you free burgers or something every time you walked in."
"... That works."
Trunks and Goten fixed their gaze back to The Pig with ball in hand.
"So that's a Dragon Ball?" Goten asked, gazing into his warped reflection of the brilliant yet, seen-better-days orb.
"Why is it cracked?" Trunks added on, jamming his index into the ball's starry face.
"Ay, ease up, kid. You might just break the damn ball."
"How's this thing gonna grant a wish if it poops out while we're lookin' for em'?"
"Don't ask me, kid." Oolong relayed as he positioned it high in the sky above all three of them, the glittering orange shimmering down onto the small Earthlings in uneven lines. "This the first time I've seen em' like this before but uhh… it has been a long time."
Wsht!
"...You're not gonna need it, are you?" Trunks asked only after he had snatched the ball.
"Knock yourself out. I just pulled that thing from outta' tha sewas."
"Eugh!" The Capsule Corp. kid shouted as he hot-potatoed it Goten's way. The youngest son of Son Goku caught it no problem and eyed the two stars dotting its surface.
"You want to come with us, Oolong?"
"Nah, an Old Head like him is just gonna slow us down, bruh."
Oolong's back was already turned but something about the way Trunks annunciated his words struck a chord. Now Oolong was certainly no fighter but being called an Old Head just felt wrong. Master Roshi? Hell no, he moved all the way out to West City to separate himself from that lifestyle.
"Who the Fuck do you think you're talkin' to?"
"WHOA!" The boys cheered out, jumping up and down on the concrete, Trunks' navy blue Capsule Corp. long sleeve wavering in the wind.
"That's a bad word! Gohan said it himself."
"Mom and dad would kill me if they heard me talking like that. He's hard."
Oolong stood in a plug stance, fists on his hips like a cowboy as another being blotted out the sky. The trio looked above at the shadow cast and as quick as it came, it descended upon them.
"Puar? What tha hell?"
"Oolong!? I would have never come along if I'd have known you were gonna get involved!"
"I'm lookin' for The Dragon Balls with the kids. They'll need a Dragon Ball specialist like myself if they ever hope to complete tha task."
"Dragon Ball specialist my butt!" His squeaky voice rang out as cars passed by and honked.
They weren't on the sidewalk.
"Come on, guys. Let's leave this Old Head."
Goten and Trunks' duck lips told the whole story as they followed The Pig down the street.
"Is that what I am?" Puar's voice whimpered as he looked down at his slightly greying toe beans.
"Seeya'." The Pig snickered as he led the kids down the city streets.
"I'm coming too, Oolong! And you can't stop me!"
The Pig face palmed and the kids laughed as they took to the skies, Oolong following suit with a rocketship transformation.
"So where's the next ball at, Goten?"
"Uhh… lemme check." The youngest son replied as he swiveled around in the air and blocked out the sun's rays with the radar.
Ga-Chuik. Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Hmm…"
"Stop cappin', Goten." The Capsule Corp. kid remarked as he crossed his arms, eyes clamping shut. "What do you see?"
"Uhh… there's a lot of Dragon Balls just holed up in one place."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Should we just go to that one?"
"Well boys~" Oolong's metallic body glinted off sunbeams into the kids' eyes, forcing them to bring their hands up. "Usually when they are multiples togetha' that means someone else is lookin' for em'. Now… I'm not tha' hugest fan of putting my butt where it don't need ta' be but often times crooks and otha' nefarious individuals are tha' ones searchin' for these things."
"Whoa~ bad guys?" Goten mused, looking at his best friend.
Trunks just smiled like his father, hollywood glimmer of his bright white teeth.
"Maybe it'll be a bad look for you, Oolong, but me and Goten are sick and nasty with the martial arts so we're definitely finna fade anything that comes our way."
"Don't doubt it. Goten is Goku's kid after all."
"Hey! My dad's cool too!"
"Is he? Bulma ain't marry that dude yet. I bet she doesn't want the company to look bad!" He snorted out.
Goten checked the radar again as Puar pulled ahead and blinked his dot eyes at the information pulsing on the green scan lines.
"Well there's one not too far from here, see? Why don't we do that less scary one first?"
"Whatever. You guys are too paranoid. We're bout to yah-yeet just about everything in our path it's insane."
Gohan
"I'm excited!" Gohan squealed out as he bounced up and down in the high seats of the circus tent.
Red and white banners hung down, elaborate paints and portraits of the performers were strung over and flown high in preparation for each event. Sharpner just let his head flump onto his head as Videl checked her phone and furrowed her brow. Gohan's lips pursed out and he looked down at her.
"Everything okay?"
"Where's Erasa?"
"Her car got stolen, remember?"
"But she Said she was probably gonna get a ride from her dad." She sassed back, letting her hanging hand tell all the details.
"I mean you know, sometimes people are just late, that's how it is."
"Sharpner, I think that's just how You are."
"Very funny." He smirked, pushing Gohan which in turn forced some giggles out of the boys.
Videl's already sour face turned putrid and she mean mugged down at the announcement of the start of the show.
"Shoot, she's gonna miss the start." Gohan said as he let his head fall into his hands.
"Ladies and gents! I am Musuka and this is Musuka Circus! Welcome one and all to the most amazing traveling show in all the world! We're only going to be in Orange Star City for a few more shows so you chose the right time to get your tickets! For our first act we have an entirely new routine in the works! The flying boar juggle!"
Sharpner shot duck lips at Gohan and he returned them in stride.
"Bring em' out! Come one and all to see the amazing Flybear!"
A giant purple boar shot onto the scene, its stomping hoofs rampaging into centre stage from the maw of a giant animatronic head. It resembled Musuka himself, a cigar at the bottom of the jaw had a smoke machine just behind it, clouding whoever would enter through the gate from the audience for just a moment.
A woman smiled and waved out into the crowd, blowing kisses all around the stage before Flybear took flight. Gohan put his hand on Videl's and she turned to look at him, taking her hand away only to assert dominance by placing it over his. They did that for a while before she grabbed his and smiled. He chuckled for a moment before something cut across. Videl's face matched Gohan's and she asked:
"What's wrong?"
"I think dad mentioned a story about a purple boar named Inoshikacho once. I think he was saying that's how he met Mr. Tien."
"Who's Mr. Tien?"
"A family friend. This is weird. He said the boar was big as could be and had horns And wings."
"Huh."
Videl would then shoot periodic looks at Gohan for the rest of the show until it culminated in her noticing him staring at the orb on the front of the showrunner's circus coat.
"Gohan, why are you looking at Musuka like that?"
"I think that's a Dragon Ball."
"A who's what?"
"It's one of 7 magical items that grant a wish when you gather all of them."
"... I'm sorry, what?"
Gohan's eyes met that of Musuka's from on high and his brow turned down even sharper before he crossed his legs and leaned back into his seat.
"It's nothing."
"7 magic dragon nuts that grant wishes don't sound like nothing to me, brah."
Gohan's frown turned furious the moment Musuka called for the next act.
"Now! Behold! The amazing Rocko!"
Son Gohan stood up, almost knocking over the people sitting just behind the trio with his reckless jolt.
"Ayy! I'm watchin' the damn show!"
"Sorry, sir." Gohan replied as he made his way to the centre line and started walking out of the seating area.
"Gohan, what are you doing!?" Videl whisper-shouted from the stands, cupping her hands around her mouth as Sharpner's jaw hung wide open.
"That's Chobi." He stated matter-of-factly, pointing down at the little mustard coloured pterodactyl. "And I'm willing to bet he took Inoshikacho too."
"Duhhh~" Sharpner just sat there shocked as Gohan hopped the fence raw and landed in the middle of the arena.
"Sir! What in the hell are you doing here!? If you've got an act you can come see us after the show!"
Gohan got right in the man's face and grabbed onto Musuka's collar, bringing him closer.
"You stole Chobi."
"You're outta your mind!"
Videl and Sharpner geeked out near the top row, jaws just agape at Gohan interrupting the performance. Chobi walked the tightrope near the ceiling of the tent before hanging upside down like a bat and glaring down at the pair.
"You stole Inoshikacho, And you have a Dragon Ball."
"A Dragon Ball!? You guys hearin' this!? He's nuts! Security!"
"What?" Gohan said as his eyes bugged out. "I'm not… Hey, I'm not-"
"You see the way he's got his hands on me!? Get ridda' this guy! Pronto! Andele!"
"You're coming with us, buster." A pair of police officers opened a flap of the tent near the front entrance and threw the cuffs over Gohan.
"What do you mean? That guy stole Chobi from his natural habitat."
"There ain't no laws against that, kid. But there are laws against assault. Get tha hell outta hea'."
The crowd minus Videl and Sharpner's additions rocked the tent with uproaring applause at the swift and diplomatic approach of Mr. Musuka. Gohan's eyes furrowed down and he watched the last bit of torchlight brush against the Dragon Ball, causing a prismatic display of rainbow brilliance to catch his eyes.
"It's got cracks in it..?" Gohan pondered as the red and white overtook his frame and then he saw the outside of the massive circus hall. "How do The Dragon Balls have cracks? That doesn't make Any sense. I thought they were…"
"You can tell your story to someone who cares, you nut. We're throwin' you in a cell until you make your phone call to mommy or whoever you need to call."
"You're putting me in jail?"
"What the hell do you mean, kid?" The rotund copper asked as he squeezed Gohan's head into the squad car. "You don't just trespass onto stage like that and grab a man. You were looking for trouble, don't even deny it."
Gohan blinked as if he just realised the cold metal shackling his hands.
"Look, kid. It ain't even all that bad. You just do a few hours in a cell while you wait for someone to come pick you up. I bet it's not even overnight."
The passenger side door opened as the other cop filed in.
"Yeah, look at the bright side. You didn't actually sock him one so… I bet you'll be alright."
Gohan's eyebrows turned down sharp and he stewed in the backseat. Every once in a while the cops in front would take a look at the kid only to see something strange. After they dropped him off the two officers stood around the car, the driver asking:
"That kid look off to you?"
"I was hopin' you would ask. That kid's hair was black, right?"
"I mean yeah, but it definitely didn't look like it every so often."
"We're delirious. Couldn't be." The skinny cop retorted as he fixed his hat and plopped his butt down on the passenger's side again.
"Wait a second…"
"What is it?"
The driver walked around to the back and opened it up.
Klm.
"What the hell? I've never seen anything like this."
The cop gazed into the ethereal golden glimmer that radiated ever so slightly from the should-have-been black hair strand before it promptly stopped and never glowed again.
"Weird…"
Klllllllllamm!
"You sure you don't want to call someone?"
Gohan stared back at the man in the jailer's uniform and settled back onto the plain bed hanging off the wall.
"No thanks."
"Whatever floats your boat, kid."
"Piccolo said all I need to do is think their name, right? When someone actually learns how to use Telepathy they just need an incentive to activate it. Alright, here goes…"
"~rillin~"
"..."
"Krillin? Hello?"
"... Gohan? Gohan!? Why are you calling me of all people?"
"Krillin?"
"Yeah, I'm right here, Champ. What do you need?"
"Wow. I'm surprised it worked. I didn't really think it would."
"What can I say? I'm a man of many skills."
"No kidding."
"But why are you calling me?"
"I uh… I uhh…"
"Come on, spit it out. I've got work to do here over in North City."
"I got arrested."
"Come again? I know you're yanking my chain or something because Chi-Chi would literally gather The Dragon Balls and change the criminal justice system before that ever happened."
"No, I really did."
"Wha-ha-hat!? You're serious!?"
"Yeah…"
"... Welp. Give me a second to find your Ki Signature and I'll be there in a…"
Va-Vwish!
"Gohan?"
His nice sleek black dress shoes hit the tile of the cell and Krillin just stared back, appalled.
"You know. It's not like I thought you were lying or anything but when I teleported in I was kind of expecting not to see you here."
"..."
"Wow."
"I know it's a little sneaky, but I'd prefer if mom didn't find out. I don't want to disappoint her." Gohan replied as he crossed his arms and flopped down on the bed behind him.
"Are you insinuating that I use my legendary police clout to get you out of jail?"
"..? Can you not do that?"
"I mean I can totally do that but how'd the hell you get in here, Gohan? If you killed someone I definitely can't just have em' look the other way."
"I didn't kill someone, come on."
"So what did you do?"
"They got me in here for assault."
Krillin's smiling mug pivoted to a frown near instantaneously.
"What did you do, Gohan?"
"I hopped the fence during a performance at Musuka Circus."
"What?"
"Musuka and his people stole a dinosaur named Chobi right out from under us at Mount Paozu. I promised the dino's mother I'd get him back but I guess I got a little aggressive."
"..."
"I didn't hit anybody but I did grab the guy's shirt."
"Oh jeez…" Krillin responded as he rubbed his shiny bald head and paced about the room. "You really done it this time."
"I'm pretty sure this animal kidnapping isn't a one-time occurrence either. I don't exactly remember what those guys said a long time ago but there were some poachers or hunters or something that were trying to catch Icarus. I'm willing to bet having a fire breathing dragon would be great for audience retention. If they have Chobi, that's Definitely Inoshikacho down there too. He's stealing animals right out of their homes."
Krillin clicked his tongue in thought, breathing out a sigh before sitting on the bench opposite Gohan's bed.
"There aren't animal protection laws for things like that. The only thing there are laws against are endangered species so unless Chobi or Ino…"
"Inoshikacho."
"Inoshikacho are endangered, there's not much I can do."
"Pterodactyls are native to Mount Paozu but they're thriving, so I guess trying to get him for Chobi isn't going to be easy..?"
"Nope."
"Hmm. Well if he's willing to kidnap animals, what about other things he might be doing under the table?"
"Are you asking me to perform a search and seizure?"
"Can you?"
"Yeah, I can try. I just have to get a warrant, or be able to produce probable cause."
"He has a Dragon Ball."
Krillin sat up and the pair stared into each other's eyes.
"That's enough probable cause for me, but I don't know how I'm gonna get OSPD to agree to that. I'm nowhere Near their jurisdiction."
"..."
"A fair amount of the force like me but there's a Ton of cops who hate me."
"How come?"
"What do you think?"
"Jealous?"
"Yup."
"... that sucks."
Gohan shook his head and the pair looked down at the white tile floor in thought.
"..." Krillin stood up and looked out the iron bars. "I can get probable cause no problem. The Dragon Balls were directly linked to The Draconic Mansion Murder. I can use that."
"So you can do something?"
"I'll try. First we gotta get you out of here. Assault?"
"I think so."
"I'll get you out of here in a jiffy."
After a vanishing act and a few minutes of twiddling his thumbs the door to the cell swung open and the man from moments prior looked down at the son of Son Goku.
"You know Superman?"
"Yeah. Family friend."
"Huh. Well, off you go."
Klllllammm!
"Just know, you have a criminal record now, son. Any crime you commit has that little bit of extra weight on it now, so you tread carefully. We won't hesitate to throw you in a cell again."
"My apologies, sir."
"I'm not the one you need to be apologisin' to." The man remarked as he walked around the room and pulled up the report. "It's Mr. Musuka you need to say sorry to."
The son of Son Goku locked eyes with the front desk officer and he inhaled sharply through his nostrils a single time.
"... Nope." Gohan replied promptly as he walked out the double doors with Krillin.
As the red and white drapery pulled into view, Krillin slapped Gohan's chest and told him:
"Wait here."
"Yes sir." He answered before taking a backstep.
The New Turtle Grandmaster waited out the people slowly filing from the tent flaps, swimming through the crowd, adrift, before breaching the gate and walking into the almost empty stadium as a few toughs loomed over the small police officer. Sharpner and Videl sniped Gohan from across the way and jogged through the scores of human and nonhuman bodies alike to holler at their boy.
"What the heck was that, Gohan!?" Videl shouted as she pushed him back hard, hands locked onto her hips.
"I uhh…"
"I'm a fan of sticking it to the man but what the hell did you think you were gonna do down there, brah?"
"He stole Chobi!"
"So?"
Gohan rolled his eyes as Sharpner bent him over and ran his knuckles along the prickly Half-Saiyan's noggin.
"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Mr. Musuka called out, parting the giant beasts standing guard at the forefront of the tent.
"I was investigating a cold case. That uhh, Thing you have around your neck. Orange City Police Department believes that ball is relevant in a murder case that happened a few years back."
"..." Musuka's newly lit cigar puffed up in smoke as he looked down at the man's uniform. "Get a fuckin' warrant, punk. This ain't North City. Get outta hea', copper, this is private property!"
"Orange Star City is indeed Not my jurisdiction but any cop has the right to search and seizure when given probable cause."
"Kay, and? I ain't consentin' ta this."
"You don't have to consent, that ball around your neck is 100% relevant to the murder case me and my people down at The North City Precinct have been investigating. Now, ball please."
"... One second, copper." Musuka retorted as he took another puff and backed away. "I'll be right back with ya, I promise."
"I have all day, Mr. Musuka."
"Good." The Circus Owner replied as he washed away in the dark torchlight of the circus tent.
The two giant adversaries standing guard crossed their arms and stared down at Krillin like statues of Gods. The Panda brandished his enormous, non-standard issue magnum before returning back to his cross-armed pose.
"You got a permit for that?"
"What'd you say?"
"You got a permit? That looks like an illegal-grade firearm."
"... You gonna take it from me?"
"Yup."
"Hmph." The Panda hummed out as he gazed back into the tent before Musuka came strutting back into the wavering fire's brightness.
Musuka was no longer wearing The Dragon Ball and in its stead was a sleek silvery briefcase.
"Any way we could discuss this matter with The North City Police Department?" He smirked, finishing the last of his dart and blowing the smoke into the tent's rubber interior.
Krillin opened the case and whistled at the amount of Zeni on offer.
"Hmm. A pretty penny." Krillin remarked, taking up one of the large orange coins in his hand and examining it.
"So?"
Dingg. Clicc-Clicc.
"Nope."
Musuka's brow furrowed and he cracked his right hand as Krillin took a single step back in thought.
"Did you offer this to The Orange City Police?"
"..."
"If you don't answer, Mr. Musuka, I'm going to have to make some assumptions."
"Get his ass, boys."
WHAMM! TOMPP!
Dust and dirt bunched up into the air as The One Armed Man was no longer and Fryer was face down on the ground.
Wsht!
Before Musuka could even throw, North City's Superman already had his fist in a vice, his other tough just backed up against the wall as he stared down at the tiny but fearsome officer. Krillin stared a hole right through the other guard and he just raised his hands in complete surrender.
"Gohan!"
Whup! Shwinggg!
"I can't believe it's cracked… I really thought my eyes were playing tricks on me." He said, raising it into the sun's light and watching its glow shift and sparkle through the new divots and fissures.
"I'm gonna take these guys down to the precinct. But I'm not sure if I should take these guys to Orange Star or West City."
"What do you mean?" Gohan replied as Videl stole the sphere and watched it intently, Sharpner getting just behind her and doing the same.
"Long story, if you care I'll tell you later."
"Bye, Krillin!"
"See ya!"
Vwa-Vish!
"Uhh, brah?"
"Hmm?"
"Did that guy just teleport?"
"Mmhmm. That's Krillin."
"..."
"Family friend."
"Gohan, what has your family been doing your whole life?" Videl asked earnestly, face askew and contorted beyond recognition.
He just shrugged.
"Huh." Videl let out before scratching her new pixie cut and craning her neck out. "But where's Erasa, she like totally ditched."
Erasa
Erasa looked into the beautiful gleam of the orange orb with perked out lips, blinking and batting her lashes into the beaming gold of her reflection.
"Ooo~ Wow. This thing is just gorgeous." She commented, positioning it closer to the candlelight of the little shop.
A mystic lurked behind the counter with robey garbs.
"You like?"
"I do. This thing would look just awesome in my… car… Dang." She murmured. Puffing up her cheeks and looking into its red star. "..." Erasa put the ball down onto the counter and checked her phone before her eyes just about popped out of their sockets. "Whatdo~ whatis~ Imean~ howsit? How'd you keep me in here this long, lady!? We were talking trinkets for Three Hours!?"
"It is how they say, time flies when you are having fun?"
"Ahck~" She scoffed, hands on her hips. "Well that'd be a bummer if I missed the circus And didn't even buy anything."
"That would be~" She mused stepped back behind the beads and into the darkness.
Just then the ringing of a bell and a drum beat in the low fi music playing in the store rang out again and two little kids ran in. Not just two little kids, but a strange flying cat and a pig wearing a suit.
"Uhh, hey. I'm just about to purchase something so you're gonna have to wait in line."
"Whatever…" Trunks remarked as he leaned over the counter and looked at the register.
Goten giggled up a storm as he threw on several racks of clothes.
"Hey, Trunks, look!"
"Goten, you look so Stupid."
"Hyahahaha~" He chuckled out before Puar tore them off and placed them back where they belong.
"We're only here for The Dragon Ball, guys, where are your manners?"
"... You hearin' this, Goten? Puar's tryna' be our mom or sum'."
"..." Goten just blinked a few times and turned around. "..! Hey! Look! The Dragon Ball's right here, guys! Hyahaha! Hup!"
"Uhh, what are you doing?"
"... Oh! Sorry, miss. We're looking for The Dragon Balls. And this is one of them. Can we have it?"
"Uhh, definitely Not. I was just about to buy this thing." She remarked, furrowing her brow and stealing it out of Goten's hands, much to his amazement.
Trunks' brow sharpened and he looked at the ball in her hands.
"Guys. It's not cracked like ours." He remarked before Oolong fished The Dragon Radar out of The Capsule Corp. Kid's pocket.
Clicc. Bui!
"Hey. That's not The Dragon Ball."
"What?" Trunks and Goten collectively called out before they huddled around the radar, Puar in tow, circling around on the air.
Cligc. Bee. Bee. Boo.
"See? It's back there somewhere."
"It's a fake?"
Erasa's eyes narrowed and her lip pursed up.
"This bidge tryna' sell me a fake, huh?" Erasa kept to herself as she shed the sphere and slammed it on the surface.
The ball rolled down before it fell and Goten caught it. The younger brother of Son Gohan looked at the ball and then just smashed it in his hands.
"It is a fake. Look? See?" He let the orange glass rain onto the purple carpet and grabbed the other ball out of his gi, presenting it to the other three as the beads parted from Erasa's exit. "Ours has cracks in it and I Still~ Rrrp! Mmmph! Can't break it…"
"You're cappin', Goten. Here, let me tr- Ahem! That was a… joke! I was just playing around. Now I'm gonna try for… real… Ahh! That was a joke too, I'm just yanking your chains."
"Shut tha hell up, kid."
Bonk!
Trunks rubbed his head as Oolong put The 2 Star Ball in his suit and looked up at the glittering bead-laded doorframe.
"Hey uhh… I think that girl went back to look for it."
"You mean she's gonna steal The Dragon Ball?" Puar asked as he swam around the shelves.
"That, or, buy it." The Pig remarked as he led the charge past the beads, clicking in the radar one more time for good measure.
"Get out of here! Employees only!"
"Are you trying to shortchange me, miss?"
"Shortchange you, what the devil are you on about?"
Goten and Trunks dashed to the end of the hallway past the beads, hopping into the air and flying around the shopkeep much to Erasa's amazement.
"You weren't even selling a real Dragon Ball up at the front counter!" Goten yammered on, doing cartwheels on the air just cause he could.
"Yeah, lady, stop the cap. It's embarrassing. We have like… a radar and stuff that like tracks The Dragon Balls exactly so we know you're lying."
"You rascals! You want it so bad! It's just a damn orange ball! It's even got cracks in it! I don't know why you want such a thing!" She shouted shrill, flinging open the back door and rummaging through a chest and brandishing The 1 Star Ball.
"Time for the endurance test." Goten giggled out before trying desperately to crush it in between his hands.
Erasa couldn't do much except drop her jaw in response to the sheer goonery on display. The woman's indigo burqa bunched up around her eyes as she watched Goten squeeze the orange sphere as tight as it would go in between his hands.
"Goten, you're not even using Ki."
"Oh yeah!"
"Like that thing's faded if you just go for it."
"Wait, I know you!" Erasa declared, pointing a finger at Trunks' messy mop of black hair.
"You do? Well, sorry, but I don't remember the lames."
Erasa shook her head as Goten went for the gold, his skin turning red and his little kid veins bulging to the surface behind his outfit.
"But aren't you guys trying to summon The Eternal Dragon?" Puar peeped out, Goten and Trunks stopping on a dime and looking back at the blue cat.
"..."
"If you destroy one of The Dragon Balls you can't make your wish."
"Good thinking, Puar." Trunks replied as he leaped up into the air and snatched the orb right out from under his best friend. He threw it up to catch with style but Goten stole it right back.
"Hyahahaha! Snooze ya lose, Trunks!"
Erasa shouted at the boys as they made their break for it.
"Who said I didn't want the ball?"
"Huh? Yeah I don't really care if you do or don't because me and Goten are trying to make the wish."
"Wish?"
"Oh boy…" Oolong face palmed as he walked through the beads. "I am Not getting wrapped up in this…"
"Goten, just be quiet."
"But Trunks, didn't Puar say it first?"
"Shoot I guess."
"Urp!" The blue cat eeked out before floating through the beads himself.
"Alright see, it's like this." Trunks prefaced as he pointed up at the girl. "It's our ball because we'd fade you if you tried to fight us sooo… fair's fair."
"You're just some little kids, what do you mean?" Erasa chirped back before trying to swipe it from Goten's grasp.
"Hyahaha! Too slow!"
"Hey!"
"See? She can't hang!" Trunks laughed out as they left the store, bell ringing and all to run out into the street.
"What? This is ridiculous! How can kids fly? That Budokai stuff really isn't fake?" Erasa asked as she shielded her eyes from the steady beams of sunlight reflecting off of the tube tunnels.
"Yeah! And my dad won the whole thing! Unlike Goten's dad!"
"He was gonna win it! He just… didn't feel like it!"
"Yeah sure." Trunks laughed out, dancing above the road with his flight and positing his hand in the L symbol.
"Hey!" Goten yelped back, puffy red cheeks as Erasa carefully dissected the ball out of the boy's hand.
"Here we go." Oolong rolled his eyes, hands on his hips like a mom.
"See ya!"
"What!?"
"Goten..?"
"What?"
"Did you really just let that girl steal The Dragon Ball?"
"Yeah…"
"..."
"But you were watching too! How come you didn't stop her?"
"Not my responsibility, you were the one holdin' it." He replied, crossing his arms behind his back and miming laying down on the air like it were a bed.
"Hmm…"
"Well like aren't you gonna go get it?"
"Yeah, be right back." Goten replied, floating above the pavement with slumped shoulders, more like a ghost than a child.
As Erasa rounded the corner into an alleyway she laughed out big time.
"What am I doing? Why do I even want this thing? I guess I should just return it to the kid. If they really have some sort of tracker or whatever on this then it's not like I could get away with it…" She looked into The 1 Star Ball's ethereal crystalline structure and whistled. "But this thing sure is beautiful."
She looked up only to not see a little boy blocking her path, but a many in solid grey army fatigues, the top of his hat matching with a black tip and a mint green ribbon-like design at the top, the letters M M standing out cleanly against the backdrop of the rest of the dog-man's outfit. He pulled a gun, not even a pistol or anything, a serious rifle, pointed straight at her dome. Erasa stopped cold, lips pressed outward as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
"Uhh…"
"Ball. Now. I'm not asking again."
"Ayy! Ladyyy! Where are youuu!? Oh shoot! I shoulda' grabbed the radar… nah! Whatever! Hyahahaha!"
Goten ran right by the alley, not a care in the world with his arms flared out on either side.
"He lookin' for you?" The mutt's maw turned down as he strangled the gun with even more dominance.
"Nope. Sounds like just a little kid to me." She replied, hands up, revealing the cracked nature of The Dragon Ball through the slipped streams of light fluttering down into the alley.
"Hey! There you are! Can I have The Dragon Ball back, miss?"
"..!" The dog-man turned on a dime and aimed his weapon down at the kid with the tail. "You're out of your league, kid. You shouldn't be messin' around with The Dragon Balls."
"I shouldn't?" Goten asked earnestly, eyes sparkling with youth even though the gun's barrel was pretty much planted between his eyebrows.
"Kid uhh… you might wanna get outta here." Erasa remarked as she backed away.
"Why is that?"
"He's gotta gun for starters! What do you mean, why is that!?"
"But guns aren't even useful."
Erasa's bottom jaw practically detached from her skull as the words filled her ears and her face pulled in on itself, almost atomising at the comment.
"See look."
Gwerrrrrrn~
The dog-man's eyes bulged out too as the little kid with a tail just turned the barrel like it was laffy taffy and not forged steel.
"Uncle Yamcha told me that I shouldn't be scared of guns and that they're whack and only whack people get hurt by them."
The dog pulled low quick to deliver an uppercut to Goten's dainty looking jaw but the youngest son of Son Goku just weaved it and threw him into the air, twinkling beyond the cityscape of Orange Star City's metro before he knew it.
Twingg!
"Uhhh… Gohan is wild but that might just be the strangest thing I've Ever seen in my entire life."
"You know my brother?"
"..."
"..."
Honk! Bee-Beep! Vrooooom. Vrrr. Beep! Vrooooooooooooo~
"That explains a lot actually…" Erass replied as she scratched the back of her short blonde hair with the cracks of The Dragon Ball. "Well… here you go. Sorry about stealing it."
"No worries, ma'am."
Erasa just let out a few laughs as she recalled what Gohan said the second day at school.
"You know Bulma!?"
"Mmhmm. My little brother is best friends with her son."
She returns to reality.
"Wow."
Trunks and the other animals filed into the alley behind Goten and the little boy with the tail looked up at her.
"You know, we oughta' fade you for stealing our Dragon Ball."
"It's okay, Trunks. I got it back, see?"
"Hmm. Okay! I'll forgive you just this once but if you do us dirty again I'll hit you with one of these."
Vui~
A blue orb shined radiantly in the tiny boy's palm and he fired it off into the aether.
"Hahaha-"
BOM! Vroooon~ Errr! HONKK!
"Uh oh…" Trunks whimpered as the tube tunnel glass cracked and fell onto the city streets below. "I'm outie 5,000!"
"Wait for me, Trunks!"
"Sorry for bothering you." Puar commented with a bowing of his head before tailing the boys' rapid flight path.
"Ya know, it's times like these that really make me wonder why I ever leave home. Can't even drive anywhere cause I got my car stolen."
"Me too, dude. Me too." Erasa replied as she put her hands in her pockets and they walked separate ways down the sidewalk as police sirens blared out and cars avoided the catastrophe in the middle of the road.