Chapter 104 – Reunited

Age 776, May 30th

Soba sat at his desk typing away searching for any jobs in the local area. His search would have gone far quicker if he hadn't been distracted. Even Ramen could see something else was on her little brother's mind.

A couple of days ago Soba had come home in a huff and had started ranting about this strange girl who'd been incredibly rude and had completely ignored him. He'd recognised her from the jewellery raid a week ago and had asked if she was alright, yet she'd never even uttered a word and had ran off! Ramen had been hesitant to point out to her furious brother that the girl could have been foreign and not understood him, or could have been mute! She knew what he was like; Soba had always had a fiery temper.

At first he'd seemed angry but now Ramen wasn't so sure. Soba had seemed unusually stubborn to drop the subject, bringing it up once every day, mentioning he was sure he'd recognised the girl. At first she'd teased him about having a crush on this girl but Soba's abnormal reaction of shrugging it off made her think twice. Whoever this girl was had clearly caught his attention and she had the feeling her brother would search day and night until he found his answer to whom she was.

It didn't take long for Soba to come across something useful. Frustrated with his job search, he had gone off to figure out where he'd recognised this girl from. He had two important clues; her appearance and – if he wasn't mistaken – her ability to fly! Soba had seen this before on two occasions during his childhood. It had never made sense to him and had freaked him out on both occasions. He could still remember both memories vaguely but was sure it had involved two different girls. For starters the first girl had dark brown hair whilst the second girl had blonde spiky hair with bluish-green eyes...

He took the only lead he had; the first girl. He couldn't remember her name and had no way of identifying her but Soba knew the first girl had been at his school for a little while when he lived in West City. She'd had dark brown hair, similar to that of the girl from a couple of days ago. He didn't know anyone who could fly or even if flying was possible, yet there was a strong chance that these two girls were one and the same. Both were seen in West City, both had dark brown hair, both had seemed his age.

"How's it going?"

Soba almost jumped out of his skin, spinning on his chair to see Ramen in the doorway, giggling at his reaction.

"Silly, did I scare you? Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?" Ramen smiled with amusement at her brother's shock.

"N-No, I was just thinking," Soba shook his head a little annoyed he'd reacted to the degree he had done! He hated it when his sister or brother would make him jump by not even bothering to knock on his door. "I think I may have a lead on this girl but I'm not sure."

"Oh, well don't stalk around too much trying to rack your brains," Ramen rolled her eyes impressed by her younger brother's dedication, "I don't think your obsession with this is healthy!"

"I'm not stalking, I'm just trying to remember who that girl was; I know I've seen her before!" Soba grumbled.

"Well just remember to stop and eat at some point and go to bed," Ramen smiled, turning to leave the room. "Good luck finding your girlfriend!"

The lack of response from her little brother at her remark reinforced just how serious he was about this search. Without another word, Ramen headed downstairs leaving her brother in peace. This would be something he'd be focusing on for quite a while, she just knew it. 'Well as long as it doesn't interfere with his job hunting...'

"What? Are you serious?" Bulma gasped furious. "You were spotted landing?"

"Yeah, only by one person though," Corset nodded calmly, fiddling around with a screwdriver inside a small gadget. Inside she was shaking; that tone of voice always made her quiver in fear. Her mother had been her main carer when she was little and had also been the strict and stern parent who'd dish out the punishment for whenever Corset'd stepped out of line. Right now Corset knew she'd stepped out of line and no matter how old she'd become, she still felt she could burst into tears just as she used to in her toddler years.

"What were you doing out of the office?" Bulma snapped leaning on the side of the bench beside her daughter, unimpressed with how calmly and nonchalantly her daughter was handling this.

"I was grabbing some lunch; I didn't have to meet you until later." Corset responded a little more cautiously, catching a glimpse of her mother's glare from the corner of her eye.

Bulma had one hand on her forehead, eyes closed and head held high. "... You do realise as the soon-to-be vice-president of Capsule Corp that the media is going to take an interest in you? You've got to be careful out there, Corset!"

"I know," Corset nodded muttering a little, frustrated with the apparent broken device in front of her. Why was it she could work out how to fix something when telling someone else but couldn't do the same when it was her job to fix it? "Don't worry, there were no cameras or anything; just the one guy that saw me and nothing more."

"That's the problem; that guy could have recognised who you were," Bulma pointed out, stressing her words slightly as she leant further against the desk at her daughter's side. "If he goes to the tabloids about this they'll have a ball-park. You've seen how ruthless these journalists can be. I don't want any of them on my front yard asking me about my family!"

"Look Mama, it'll be fine," Corset looked away from her work and at her mother. "It was one guy. Who says he'd recognise me... More to the point, what sad people would know what I look like; I'm not even in the limelight… Besides, who says I'll ever bump into that guy again? Who says he lives in West City? The world's a big place!"

Bulma sighed and leaned off the desk with exasperation. "...I still think you're missing the point. You were caught; you've gotta make sure this won't happen again. Please, if you're going to buy lunch walk to the local shops, don't fly."

"What?" Corset frowned with a whinge in her voice, "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Bulma nodded sternly. "We can't afford for this to happen with the position you're in within the company now. You're just gonna have to get used to it."

"Stupid guy... Why'd I tell you about this?" Corset grumbled under her breath so her mother hopefully couldn't hear. She hated having to walk to the local; everyone there knew who she was and she hated the suck-ass attention she got from them, even if she got discount! At least by coming further into the city she had a gigantic choice of places to grab lunch; she wouldn't have to visit the same shop twice because there were so many of them. Frustrated with her new 'consequence' and growing increasingly irate with the object in her hands, she gave in with the device she was fiddling with and sat back in her chair with a huff. "I'll never fix this damn thing!"

"You'll get the hang of it," Bulma mumbled as she wandered over to her workstation half-attentively, much to her daughter's chagrin. Corset was capable of basic mechanical repairs but she had no idea how half the things her mother and grandfather made were built. Not even the blueprints were of much help; she was sure there were some parts in here which had been updated since the original blueprints had been made. Having to follow in her mother's and grandfather's footsteps was a pain, especially since she didn't feel as enthusiastic as she thought she ought to. Then again there was no let-up from her paternal side; Vegeta was still trying to make her train and for the first time in her life, Corset found the demands of both parents were irritating. She'd always felt this way when it came to work at Capsule Corp but even training with her father was becoming more like a chore than a way to spend her time. Trunks had also taken to spending less time training, instead going to school and playing indoors and with friends he'd met from school, often other parents had mentioned to Bulma about how aggressive her son was around their children, always wanting to fight with them. Both siblings had infuriated their father with their lack of drive and laziness to most things, which apparently had come from their mother.

Her parents' spats were fun to watch for both siblings. Ever since the fight against Buu had drawn to an end the number of spats had increased but the nature of them had changed. Whereas before it'd be about her father not really being around and always forcing Corset and Trunks to train, now it was more about his role as a 'husband' and a father. They'd often quibble about their children's future or about the small things such as Vegeta not putting down the toilet seat, or scaring the neighbours with aggressive threats despite knowing how to interact with them by now.

"Oh, before I forget, tomorrow we have some potential employees coming to visit," Bulma drew her daughter from her thoughts. "I'm going to need you to show them around the complex and take them to the interview rooms."

"Fine," Corset nodded, rolling her eyes. "What time are they due over?"

"Around half eleven."

"Joy..." Corset quietly mumbled to herself fed up and frustrated. She rose from her desk and wandered over to her mother's bench. "Do we know what any of these potential employees are like?"

"Nope, that's what tomorrow is about," Bulma replied. "... I know it's not the most interesting job you could be doing but I'm trying to gradually introduce you to the business. Papa wouldn't have let me do anything like this until I was twenty-three; you're more capable than you give yourself credit for... and I'll bet if you put your mind to it, you can fix that device."

"I could break it further," Corset snorted with a smirk eyeing up the small object with a malicious look. "I'm far better at breaking things than I am fixing them, or at least by myself I am."

The moon had long since vanished into the dawn, the sun rising over the sea. He could just about hear the sound of seagulls calling over towards the shore, some flying over his home. He'd spent almost all night up racking his brains as to where he recognised the girl from. Sleep wouldn't stop him, it wasn't like he had to be anywhere any time soon...

Finally at half past four in the morning, Soba had a revelation.

West City Elementary School.

"So you think you went to school with her?" Ramen asked, sipping on her morning coffee slightly concerned with the dark rings around her brother's eyes. Indeed his obsession was quite impressive but scary, she hated it when he'd force himself to stay awake.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it," Soba – looking like death warmed up – grimly nodded. The apparent lack of sleep showed clearly; his hair was a mess and he had dark circles under his eyes, not to mention his temper was shorter than its usual self. He was aware of it but made no attempt to hide it. "I don't think, I know, okay?" He added sternly.

"Alright, alright, I'll take your word for it," Ramen replied, knowing better not to argue with him in this mood. It wouldn't do any good, even if he was partially delusional and teetering on the edge of consciousness Soba's temper could be a handful. "Do you remember her name?" She asked.

"No... She wasn't there for very long... and she wasn't in any of the school photos..." Soba mumbled, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them once again. "... I can't remember her name but I talked to her once... I think she was supposed to be famous."

"You say she had dark hair?" Ramen mumbled, sipping her coffee again. "... And you think she's famous... Would she still be in West City, do you think?"

"No clue," Soba replied with a yawn.

Ramen paused for a moment before smiling. "Alright, I have a proposal for you. While you look to hunt for a job, I shall indulge in my celebrity magazines and see if I can find her in any of those, alright?"

"... Whatever," Soba mumbled.

"... You really should just go back to bed, Soba." Ramen added smiling with pity as her brother slumped against the table. He swayed onto his unsteady feet without a word and vanished past the door, his heavy footsteps thumping up the stairs. Ramen listened until she was certain he'd made it to his own room and sighed. 'That boy really is a moron sometimes...' Still she was intrigued by this girl and why she intrigued Soba so much...

Age 776, June 5th

"Soba, Somen's here! Come on down and say hi!" Ramen called up the stairs.

Soba sighed and turned away from his desk, closing the window he'd held open on his computer. Not another distraction. As much as Soba loved his sister and didn't mind so much when she interrupted something he was focusing on, knowing his brother was here drove him up the wall. Somen was the eldest and was a full twelve years older than Soba.

He was everything Soba was not. Successful; earning enough to support himself and his wife; even helping to pay the rent for Ramen and Soba's house when their father could not afford to; Somen was the major bread-winner of the family. He had taken a job at Capsule Corp years ago and had never looked back since. His successfulness had always led to praise from his father, something Soba resented him for. His father never praised him after all, almost always Somen. Furthermore, during their youth, Somen had almost tried to act more like a father than a brother around Soba, raising him as if he were a child instead of treating him like a brother. The sibling rivalry had been strong between them although it was largely one-sided. Somen resented Soba's rebellious nature whilst Soba resented Somen's spite and discontent with him. It made family get-togethers difficult, especially for Ramen who had to act as the peace-maker, host, and the messenger.

Soba begrudgingly made his way down the stairs, greeting his brother with a small wave before parking himself on the opposite side of the room. Somen made little motion to acknowledge his little brother, merely glancing at him briefly and giving a nod.

Ramen stared at them both with a worried frown, "... I see you two get along as well as ever..." She sighed in anguish. "Seriously, you two need to get past this. What's done is done! Man up and make up!"

"Drop it, Ramen," Soba muttered.

"... It's alright Ramen, it's mutual," Somen glared at Soba; Soba knew he was trying to hold his tongue, probably to tell him to respect his sister and not be so rude to her.

"I know," Ramen sat herself down, "So Somen, how are things at work? Got any catalogues showing the new stock?"

"I brought their news coverage of new products being released," Somen revealed a rather large magazine from his bag, passing it to Ramen. "Apart from that, work's pretty busy. I may be getting a promotion soon; my boss seems to recognise how valuable I am a member of the organisation and feels I'm capable of far more than I'm being given. Pretty soon I reckon I'll be working directly under the president herself, Ms Bulma Brief!"

"Wow, you're really climbing the corporate ladder," Ramen beamed, passing through the pages of the magazine.

"News is going around that the daughter and heir to the Capsule Corporation is undergoing training under Bulma herself," Somen continued. "I've heard she's not too bad but still has a lot to learn. I bet there's a thing or two I could teach her!"

Soba rolled his eyes and stopped listening to his brother's ass comments. Once again he'd gone off into a rant of how fantastic and successful he was. Bored and uncomfortable having to sit in the same room as his brother, Soba glanced around the room, jaw resting in the palm of his hand.

"Sounds like you'll go far, although you should probably tone down the confidence, Somen," Ramen smiled holding back her own thoughts about her brother's arrogance.

"There's a small report on the heir in there somewhere," Somen added. "She's pretty young, only twenty."

"Same age as Soba then," Ramen mused.

"I'm nineteen," Soba butted in. "I'm not quite twenty yet, Sis! Give it a couple more months. My birthday's in December!"

"He's twenty? Geez I thought he was younger than that with how much work he's had," Somen muttered; smirking when he saw the look of annoyance on his younger brother's face.

"Would you two pack it in?" Ramen grumbled quick off the mark. "I refuse to put up with another fight between you, I will seriously chuck both of you outta the house!" She flicked through the pages, stopping as something caught her eye. "... Oh, here it is. The heir to the Capsule Corporation... Wow, she barely looks like her mother!"

"I know," Somen agreed. "The hair must come from her father; she's nowhere near as beautiful as her mother."

"Aww I think she's pretty!" Ramen nudged her older brother in the arm, eyes falling on the photo of Corset Brief. A small breath hitched in her throat as an idea popped to mind. It seemed so simple, why had she not thought of it before? "... Soba, come take a look at her."

"Why?" Soba grumbled, annoyed he had to look in the direction his brother sat in.

"Just come see," Ramen smiled. "Could this be the girl you mean?"

"Girl?" Somen repeated confused and a little intrigued. "Soba? Really? A girl? What the heck are you talking about, Ramen?"

Begrudgingly Soba rose to his feet and wandered over, eyes falling on the picture. Suddenly he snatched the magazine from his sister's hands, getting a closer look and studying it with great interest as he carefully studied the photo.

"Hey, don't snatch things! Geez, you're twenty and you still act like a spoilt kid!" Somen snapped.

"I'm not twenty!" Soba bellowed looking up briefly before staring at the picture once again.

"... Is it the one?" Ramen asked, a little annoyed the magazine had been prized from her so forcefully.

"... Yeah, this is her, I recognise the hair." Soba nodded. "... Corset Brief..."

Alarm bells suddenly rang in his mind. Soba exhaled in shock as the cogs in his head began to turn, memories being pulled out from the depths, memories he'd been sure he no longer had.

"Wh-What?" Ramen stuttered shocked.

"I remember!" Soba cried excited. "They're one and the same! Corset, I'm sure that was her name! She was in my class for a short space of time in elementary school! Kana introduced her to me! Of course; she was the granddaughter of the founder of Capsule Corp!"

"Wait, you know her?" Somen exclaimed leaping to his feet. "You went to the same school as the current heiress to Capsule Corp? Hold on a minute... Why is this so important? What's going on?" He turned more to Ramen than Soba, expecting the answer from her, of which it came.

"Soba saw the heiress about a week ago," Ramen explained. "The first time she was a hostage in a jewellery store robbery, then he says he saw her land in the park almost a week later."

Somen stared at his siblings. A smirk etched its way onto his face, breath expelling from his throat as he roared with laughter. "He saw her 'land'? What does that mean?" He chortled.

"I saw her descend from the sky," Soba reluctantly explained, knowing his brother would only ridicule him. Of course this only made Somen laugh harder; Ramen frowning a little concerned as she noticed Soba's fists tighten.

"You're an idiot, Soba! You saw her come from the sky Geez, I always knew you'd get hooked on drugs or something!"

"Somen!" Ramen spat annoyed. "Soba's not a druggie. Look, he said he's seen her fly on more than one occasion, plus something strange happened in the robbery they were both in. The robbers suddenly collapsed for no reason!"

"That could have been a stroke or a heart-attack," Somen explained, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Simultaneous heart-attacks, you've gotta watch out for those." Soba sarcastically snorted. "Look, I found it really hard to believe it too but I've seen this before; once when I was in elementary school and once when I was ten!"

"Yeah, I remember the second one, that girl we met on the beach" Ramen confirmed. "... Only she was blonde and had crazy spiked up hair! It was a really weird hairstyle!"

"... How much did he pay you to agree with him?" Somen asked still seeing it all as one big joke.

"I did not pay her!" Soba bellowed rising to his feet. "You know what, it doesn't matter whether you wanna believe me or not, I couldn't care less about you! I'm gonna find this girl and confront her about it!"

"Confront her?" Somen smirked amused by his brother's choice of words. "I don't think you know who you're dealing with! This is the heiress of Capsule Corp, the next in line to the throne of the biggest corporation in the market! There is no way you will ever be able to reach her with the amount of guards and security surrounding her and her family!"

"I can try," Soba grumbled. "They must be slacking pretty badly if they gave you a job!"

"That's enough!" Ramen bellowed loudly, rising to her feet. Though she was shorter than them both her presence felt far larger and both brothers shuddered. "Both of you two just shut up and give it a rest! I'm tired of your bickering! Now will you both just grow up and show each other a little respect? Can that really be so hard?"

Both brothers begrudgingly said nothing, folding their arms and pouting in a similar fashion.

"Alright, so we think the heiress is the girl you used to go to school with and also the girl involved in the jeweller's robbery," Ramen spoke calmer this time, "What do we do with this information?"

None of the siblings knew the answer to this. Somen was right; surely the heiress of a company so huge would have a lot of protection around her and would be nearly impossible to get to.

"... Well... I do work at Capsule Corp..." Somen mumbled. "... As much as I'm struggling to believe either of you, I am the only one who can get into the building. Maybe I can do some snooping around."

"... Yeah, I guess that's all we've got right now," Ramen nodded. "We've gotta make sure she doesn't suspect a thing otherwise you could very well lose your job."

"I feel like a criminal," Soba muttered.