Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball.
Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant and my best friend.
Last Time on Dragon Ball IJ: :
Launch and Goku continued to climb the dreaded Muscle Tower. Reaching a floor where the inside is a better weather version of outside, they met their next obstacle, Ninja Murasaki. Seeking to fulfill a childhood dream, Launch faced the purple shinobi in various contests of strength and skill. When the ninja failed to measure up with even his dirtiest tricks, he pulled a genre shift by unleashing Muscle Tower's secret weapon, Android Number 8!
Oddly enough, 8 proved to be a very okay guy, refusing to fight for evil even if it cost him his life. Thanks to Launch and Goku, thankfully the price for his ethics proved much lower than he expected. With Lunch tagging in, they continued their ascent with their new comrade and came face to face with General White himself!
The Master of Muscle Tower was tricky though, getting the drop on them, to drop in on his even more secret weapon, the Jiggler! This pudgy predator went so far as to eat Goku, prompting Lunch to bust out a new move and show her warrior chops. But in the end, it took all of them to put this gelatinous juggernaut on ice.
For their rematch with the wily White, it seemed after token resistance the General had thrown in the towel, releasing the Mayor. But shockingly, it was all a trap to trick our heroes to lower their guard for him to use his really for sure this time trump card, the HYPER-GUN.
All seemed lost, with our heroes down and White's tanks rolling back to Muscle Tower, but the benevolent Eighter found his righteous rage awakened and blotted out General White with a single mighty blow!
With the revelation White's big gun lacked potency, Lunch and Goku are back in action as Muscle Tower seems poised to fall.
See what happens next right now, on Dragon Ball: Intended Journey!
Chapter 7
Jingling Victory
Beware the Price of Forgetfulness!
Murasaki glared, only to stop, wincing in pain. The bandages across his face did nothing to conceal the bruises and missing teeth he had.
The ninja crouched on top of one of the tanks assembled outside Muscle Tower in the predawn light. His bothers perched elsewhere on the tank, clearly discontent and injured. By contrast, the Red Ribbon soldier sitting up in the tank turret in full winter gear seemed utterly comfortable, pouring steaming liquid from a thermos into its cup lid.
"I keep telling you, the General has no chance! Those brutes are tricky. We need to bring that whole tower down on top of them while we have the chance," Murasaki ground out.
"You don't have the authority to order me around, Sergeant Major. You're second in command for security of Muscle Tower, but outside it I'm second in command for the valley. Besides, General White ordered us to sit tight. His orders take precedence."
"Are you an imbecile? Even if they had luck on their side, those two defeated the five of us with no casualties. If they come out, you think your toy soldiers and their overgrown scooters will even slow them down?"
"Meh, you ninjas talk big, but you're just a bunch of sneaks with fancy weapons. There's only one assassin in this world who can carry a real fight, and not one of you are him. And besides, you lost your fancy weapons too," the man chuckled, taking another swing.
Murasaki moved in a flash, standing in front of the tank commander, hand at the base of the man's neck with a needle clutched in his fist.
"I can still kill you at a moment's notice," Murasaki said. Then his eyes widened, and he looked down to see the soldier's pistol pressed against his chest.
"Likewise. Are we done here? You want to desert, that's your business. I have better things to do than chase you down, that's bounty hunters work."
"…Fine, between wasted money on robots and all you fools, it's time to change jobs. Brothers, we're moving out!" Murusaki called.
"Right!" The five dashed off through the snow.
"Don't use the Red Ribbon Army as a reference!" The soldier called after them. A latch popped open near him, and a bearman stuck his head out.
"Sir, aren't we supposed to shoot deserters?"
"They're not worth the effort. Even with these enemies taken down, now that the peasants have armed themselves, it'll be at least a week before we get this operation running smoothly again."
"That's not good, Commander Red wants that Dragon Ball found yesterday, I hear."
"That's right, which is why I'm not wasting a bullet or a drop of stress on those five pajama-clad morons. With any luck, them running out will remind the Commander that it's soldiers and their war machines that win wars, not reject manga villains."
"Or anime filler villains, sir."
"Ha! Good one. Hey, something's coming out," the tank commander said, lifting his hand over his eyes.
"Is it General White?" the bearman asked.
"…No, it ain't," the commander said, screwing the cup cap back onto the thermos.
Eighter marched out of the doors of Muscle Tower and looked around at the tanks.
"Red Ribbon Army!" he yelled, his voice carrying as latches opened on the tanks, letting the occupants hear what was going on, "General White is dead. Muscle Tower has fallen. You will leave this valley, no this region, now. And never return!"
"Isn't that one of the androids? They had some stupidly long name for it," the bearman said, squinting.
"Well, he's slag now. The cannon's armed, send him a gift worthy of treason. Express," the Red Ribbon soldier said with a grin.
"Right away, sir!" the bearman ducked back in, slamming the latch shut as he went. As the cannon moved, targeting the rogue android, the tank commander reached down into the tank and pulled out a bullhorn.
"I don't know when you got ball bearings installed, Eight. But let me dignify your demands with this!"
The cannon fired and struck home, sending a plume of snow and smoke up. The Red Ribbon tank crews cheered, some infantry even firing rounds off into the air.
"Ha, that will teach him to play he… ro?" his smugness slipped as Eighter walked out of the smoke, not even his clothes damaged.
"Fine! I hate violence! I hate killing! It's all so horrible! But letting people who enjoy it have their way is worse!" Eighter declared. He burst into a dash, kicking up lots of snow as he made a beeline for the command tank.
"Reverse! Reload!" the tank commander said, ducking back into his tank. The war machine went into reverse, kicking up globs of snow as it lurched backward. It didn't get far before Eighter caught up with it. Grabbing the front, he dug in his heels and heaved.
The other tank crews and the infantry watched in horror as Eighter lifted the tank up overhead, holding it up by the font.
"Running? Where's all that so-called courage from when you were bullying everyone?! Do you think you deserve to get off easily after making so many suffer?!" Eighter tossed the tank. It flipped over and over in the air before landing on the next hill over.
He turned to face the other tanks and the men pointing rifles at him. He didn't flinch, staring them down.
"Leave. And leave your tanks and all your guns. Never come back. Or I'll make sure you can never harm anyone ever again," he seemed to loom over all the men and their weapons in that moment, as the sun broke over the horizon.
It started with one rifle being dropped to the frozen ground, then another. A pistol there, a bag of grenades there. Men left their tanks with backpacks of supplies. They meandered, unsure it seemed, even as they discarded their weapons and abandoned their vehicles. So Eighter gave a final push.
"RUN! BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!" Eighter ordered.
And so the Red Ribbon Army ran out of the snowy valley, never to return.
Once the last man had been out of sight for a few minutes, Eighter slumped, relaxing his posture.
"That was great, Eighter, you showed them!" Goku cheered, coming out of the door.
"That 'Run' was a nice touch," Lunch complimented.
"You made me feel chills, and we're on the same side," the Mayor told him.
"I'm not proud of it. It was still bullying, even if they were bullies. There must be a better way, I'm just not smart enough to find it," Eighter confessed, staring at the ground.
"Man, you sure do like to feel bad," Goku complained. The Mayor reached up to pat him on the shoulder.
"Young Eighter, take it from someone who's been around for quite a few rides around the sun on this planet. Life is always getting cluttered with problems, and perfect solutions are few and far between. So, there's no shame in doing what you can with what you have. So if you find that better way, wonderful, but don't beat yourself up over not knowing in the meantime. In fact, in the meantime, let's go. I can't wait to spread the word that we're finally free! Hoho, I feel ten, no twenty years younger just thinking about it," the Mayor cheered.
"Hmm, should I bring the tower down before we go?" Eighter wondered, turning back to the tower.
"I suppose that would send a message?" the Mayor wondered.
"Don't be silly, that would be foolish," Lunch objected.
"Oh?" the Mayor and Eighter said together.
"Yes. They've been stealing from this valley for years, right? Well, even if most of the loot isn't in there, you can likely make money back by stripping it down and selling stuff off. And it might be good to keep an armed fortress around; there are more Red Ribbon forces out there, and they might decide to raid to make an example out of you all."
"Good point. Maybe we should repurpose it into a heroic tower of justice or something?" the Mayor admitted sheepishly.
"Can we get going already? Suno's father promised us a feast when we got back?" Goku whined, stomach growling.
X X X
Suno stood on a stool in the kitchen and poured the cup full of the steaming drink carefully. Setting the kettle back into place, she picked up the cup and sipped it. Nodding to herself, she snapped a lid on the cup and hopped down from the stool with it.
Soon she was in a coat and outside, walking briskly through the snow as the day lit up. Her destination was a parked tank where logs had been rolled around, and local men with rifles waited. Some lingering, but not the least bit relaxed, others keeping a watch out. She found her father next to the tank, scanning the horizon with a pair of binoculars.
"Dad," she said, getting his attention by pulling on his pants.
"Suno? Shouldn't you be in bed?" he told her as she silently offered him the cup. He let the binoculars hang around his neck as he accepted the cup and uncapped it to take a sip.
"I couldn't sleep. I hope Goku and Launch are okay."
"There's nothing to do but wait. And it's dangerous here, you should head back to the house. What would your mother think if she woke up and found you gone?"
"The house isn't safe either, is it? If they lose, the Red Ribbon will come back even worse," Suno told him flatly.
He wished he could say something against that. But as strong as those two seemed, Muscle Tower loomed monstrous and invincible in his mind. And their lookouts had reported all those tanks making a beeline for the tower. He felt torn between guilt for not taking his family and just running in some hope they could escape, and guilt on the other hand for him and the other men not taking these guns and going to help. Whatever happened, he couldn't blame those two for doing the heroic thing.
He patted his daughter's head, hoping it gave her some reassurance, and she leaned into his leg.
"Something's coming!" a man on top of the tank turret yelled. Suno backed off as her father rushed around the tank, pulling up his binoculars. He adjusted them frantically, seeing something hiking up the snow.
For a moment, he also saw the line of vengeful tanks he had been dreading. But it was not tons of tanks, or even one tank. It was two people, running quickly across the snow so fast they were kicking up powder in their wake. A woman he didn't recognize, carrying that boy Goku, and a hulking man he thought worked for the Red Ribbon Army, carrying the Mayor.
"Hold fire! Hold fire!" he was the first to yell, but other lookouts took it up. It was only a few minutes later when the quartet arrived at the makeshift strongpoint, but most of the town had turned out, including his wife with a coat thrown on over her pajamas. Suno wasn't the only one unable to sleep last night.
"Goku!" Suno cheered, running up to the blue-haired woman, who let the spiky-haired boy down onto the ground to get hugged by Suno, "I prayed to Kami you'd be back!"
"We beat them all up, Suno," Goku told her.
"It's true!" the Mayor beamed, "The Red Ribbon Army is beaten or fled from our lands. Our long ordeal under Commander Red's boot is done. We are free!"
It took a moment for it to sink in with the adults, but the elders and children caught it quicker, sending up a cheer.
X X X
Suno's family had invited them to an impromptu meal. The Mayor had only intended to help make preparations, but the couple had insisted he stay to take part. Despite the long night, no one felt like sleeping just now. It had been agreed a celebration was in order, but that would take time and no one denied the heroes deserved something in the meanwhile before resting.
"So, you're not going to stay, Goku?" Suno whined, as they reached the end of the meal.
"Yeah, Lunch and I were on a training journey before we started getting mixed up with the Red Ribbon Army. Though we need to find the Dragon Ball before we move on."
"That's right," Lunch said, "If the Red Ribbon Army wants the Dragon Balls, they would come back to get the one here in your valley. But if we take it away, they may not bother you again."
"Yes, Suno's mother mentioned you had one. Can I see what the big deal is all about?" the Mayor asked, the father nodding agreement.
"Here it is," Goku said, getting the Dragon Ball out and putting it on the table.
"So small, yet it's literally moved armies and turned our lives upside down," the Mayor said, leaning over to look closer at it. Eighter looked at it intently, wiping his lips with a napkin.
"Goku said if you gather all seven, you get a wish. Those Red Ribbon jerks want to make some evil wish," Suno told the Mayor and her father.
"Wish, really?" her father asked.
"It's true, when you gather them all, the dragon appears and he grants a wish. I wasn't looking for a wish, but since he asked, I wished for Chichi and Bulma to have tails like mine, since they didn't have any," Goku said, bringing his tail out of his pants to remind them he had it.
"That's a weird wish," Suno said, frowning.
"But a lucky one maybe, I've heard many stories of genies granting wishes and them going horribly wrong. You may have dodged a bullet there, young man," the Mayor told him, pointing with a spoon.
"Son Goku, what would you two wish for now?" Eighter asked, having been silent for most of the meal.
"Huh? Well, I don't really want to gather all the Dragon Balls. I just want my Grandpa's four star ball. The hut, the power pole, and the four star ball were all that he left me, and I'd like to get it back. Though if these Red Ribbon guys are causing trouble around every Dragon Ball, maybe I should look for them all anyway?" Goku wondered.
"I can't really think of a wish? There's something I want, but I don't think it would be right to get it with a wish. I can't speak for Launch, but if she wanted the Dragon Balls for something, she'd likely have told Goku. Her vices don't include keeping secrets," Lunch admitted, tapping her chin. Eighter gave a sigh.
"I see. Sorry for waiting, but after all the suffering it caused, I had to be sure," Eighter said. Reaching into his coat, Eighter pulled out another Dragon Ball and set it on the table. The table erupted in sounds of surprise.
"You had it in your pocket!?"
"The Red Ribbon has had it all this time?"
"Why'd you keep it secret?" Suno asked, seated next to the man, reaching toward the ball just out of her reach. Eighter nudged it into her reach before answering.
"The General, Murasaki, and the others treated me like a piece of furniture when they weren't ordering me around. But I always listened, because there wasn't much else to do. I heard once they found the Dragon Ball they'd raze the valley and pack up to leave. Everyone would be left as homeless, dead, or carried off as slaves. I wasn't brave enough to rebel against them then, but when I happened to find it I thought I could stop them by just keeping it secret. They never thought to order me to turn out my pockets."
"…Heroism upon heroism!" The Mayor shouted, getting to his feet. Hands on the table, he stared intently at Eighter, who wilted a bit under the intensity, "If not for you, we'd have been wiped out long before Lunch and Goku arrived. We owe you everything, young man! Please, would you stay and be part of our community? It would be our honor to have you."
Suno's family echoed the sentiment, and Eighter blushed, looking down at the table.
"That's very kind. But remember, I'm not real, I'm just an android."
"And scientists say humans are just clever apes. As far as I'm concerned, you're more than real enough, and more brave and noble than many people I've known besides. In fact, I'd like to adopt you into my family," the Mayor decided.
"What?" Eighter went. The Mayor nodded before continuing.
"My wife and I couldn't have children. And while our life has been full and I've come to think of the village as my family, at a certain age it's good to have someone younger around to know they'll pick up and carry on after you're gone. For your part it seems like you very much need some guidance and belonging. Of course, no one's forcing this on you, And I'll need to ask my wife…"
"What's adoption?" Goku asked Lunch.
"It's when you invite people who aren't related to you to become part of your family."
"Does that happen often?" Goku asked.
"Well, the orphanage where I lived at, everyone hoped to be adopted because we didn't have families. But someone like me and Launch had even less of chance than the rest."
"So you wanted to be adopted but weren't?" Goku asked. Lunch just nodded at that, pushing imaginary food around her plate with a fork.
"Okay, then how about I adopt you?" Goku asked. The question brought a round of laughter from the table, and one confused Goku, while Lunch giggled.
X X X
Launch sat on the grass, drinking beer straight from the bottle. Night had fallen again, and the wind was no doubt bitter and cold outside. But they were inside, in the indoor forest formerly occupied by a bunch of loser ninja, and currently holding a banquet festival by the people of Jingle Village and some of the surrounding villagers who had come over to see for themselves.
The food was three categories – homemade from the village and hauled over in the Red Ribbon vehicles plundered from their capsule locker, or made right here by the villagers in Muscle Tower's kitchen, and finally food taken straight from the Red Ribbon's own canned food stocks. The booze was all on the RRA, though.
Goku was taking part in the games hastily organized. He was winning all the ones that called for physical feats, but trickier things were getting the better of him.
"Ah, the joys of youth," the Mayor said, taking a seat next to her. He knew who she was; the kids had been eager to see her trick, and she swapped places with Lunch about ten times in half an hour before telling them to scram and bug someone else.
Launch gave a grunt. She was not sitting with the adults and elders around baskets of food, and certainly not hanging with the teens giving googly eyes.
"I'm glad Eighter didn't destroy this place. This level alone is worth keeping. To enjoy summer weather in the winter. It's like a wonder from one of the great cities. Suno was even saying we could turn that control room into an arcade. Just imagine, in a few years if the Red Ribbon stays gone, we might have a tidy little resort for people to enjoy here in the sticks."
"Looking for a retirement project?" she asked.
"Indeed!" the Mayor laughed.
"So, did you want something?"
"You just seemed a bit lonely with Goku being claimed by the kids."
"Nah, I'm used to being on my own," Launch told him casually.
She was surprised to realize that was a bit of a lie. She had been used to that. But ever since waking up on that dinky island Roshi was living on, she'd had company nearly every day. Only days she'd gone shopping on her own had really gotten her away from the Kame School students and/or Roshi during training, and she and Goku had stuck pretty close since the tournament, after all. She really didn't live up to the loner label these days.
'How do I feel about that?' she wondered, taking another drink.
"You'll be leaving tomorrow still?" the Mayor asked.
"No sense hanging around now that we have the ball."
"Well, do keep us in mind for the future. If my circumstances had been different, I certainly would have set out for a few years in my youth, see where the roads might take me in the world, so I understand why you're in no hurry to settle down. But most people reach a point they are more interested in a comfy place to hang their hat up with friends rather than chase the horizon, eventually. As you may have noticed, there's plenty of room around here, and I think any of the villages would be pleased to have our heroes settle down here someday."
"Heh, not sure that sentiment would last; me and Goku aren't the type to be quiet, peaceful neighbors. Lunch now, if she had a say, might join you guys, farming icicles or whatever. But for now, our next stop is…" Launch said, getting the Dragon Radar out of her inside gi pocket. She pulled the device out and turned it on. And nothing happened. Flipping it over, she saw the spiderweb of cracks spreading out from it.
"Ohh, that's not good," the Mayor said, leaning over.
"No shit," Launch said.
X X X
"What? It's broken?!" Goku yelled, sitting with the two of them and Eighter around a blanket.
"Must have happened at some point in the fights. Sorry, Goku," Launch said. Goku shook the radar as if it would wake up, and pressed the button again.
"Perhaps I can help, I have a considerable amount of knowledge with electronics and mechanics," the android said.
"Really?! You're amazing, Eighter!" Goku said, handing the android the device. Eighter spread a pair of napkins on the blanket and set the radar down, before pulling a small toolbox out of a pocket in his jacket. He soon had the back off the radar, displaying a complex arrangement of components. The android sweatdropped.
"I'm not amazing at all. I can't make heads or tails of this, Son Goku," Eighter admitted sadly.
"Really? But Bulma made it."
"Your Bulma must be a genius then. I was working on my own insides earlier, and it's not this complex," Eighter said.
"Son, why would you play doctor with yourself?" the Mayor asked.
"…I can't accept your offer. I can't live in the village or around people."
"Is this because you're an android again? If the villagers don't care, why should you?" Goku demanded.
"Well, I'm dangerous, or rather what's inside me is." Launch realized what he meant.
"The bomb that fail ninja was going to set off?" she asked.
"Yes. I was able to disable its transmitter, so I should be safe from remotes, but Murusaki failed to understand what he was doing. This bomb could topple Muscle Tower on its own if it goes off. I can't risk others in case something sets it off."
"What are the odds of that happening?" the Mayor asked.
"Low for now. But I can't casually stay around people after today until I find a way for my existence not to endanger them."
"Don't worry, Eighter, we can help you!" Goku said.
"Huh, how? Do you know a scientist?" Eighter asked.
"Better, I know a Bulma! You already said her radar's harder than you are. So when we go to find her in that West City place, we'll bring her here sometime to get you de-bombed."
"Really?! How much can I owe you two?" Eighter pondered happily.
"Right then, it's settled. Eighter can live here in Muscle Tower and busy himself; we'll check in on him every day so he won't be lonely. And we'll all await this Bulma to take care of that ghastly device," the Mayor declared, nodding
"Sounds like a plan," Launch said, offering her plastic cup in a toast. The four clunked cheap cups, sealing the plan.
Morning:
"Remember, don't hurry back on my account. The bomb isn't unstable now, and I won't worry about it away from people," Eighter said. The android was beside himself between happiness his friends would return, and self-conscious over them changing plans on his account. The Mayor had assured him such complex feelings were proof he was real in the ways that counted.
"Like this?" Suno asked, throwing a punch. She and half a dozen other girls were lined up by Lunch as parents watched with either bemusement or concern.
"Yes, but remember, fighting isn't a game. Hopefully you'd only use that routine to improve your health and self-esteem."
The girls proceeded to ignore her. Save for Suno, they ran off, already fighting the Red Ribbon Army in their heads.
"Oh dear," Lunch said, eyes closed with a worried smile.
"Did you expect them to not be interested when they learned you'd won the Budokai as well as defeated the Red Ribbon alongside Goku? Kids are always looking for heroes," Suno's mother laughed at the younger woman's anxiety.
"Well, I didn't do any of that. Whether it's hero or villain, Launch is the one who acts, I'm mostly just along for the ride, you know. Thank you for the replacement shoes, by the way. They fit much better than those army boots from the tower."
"Lunch, let's get going!" Goku called.
"Alright, Goku, but I'll need to sneeze for Launch to use this jet capsule."
"Ahh, I miss the Nimbus!" Goku complained.
"Nimbus, as in a Kinto'un?" the Mayor asked. The gathered elders from the village and beyond mumbled excitedly at that.
"Yeah! Master Roshi called it that too, but Nimbus is more fun to say," Goku said.
"You had one of the sacred clouds of Korin, and you lost it? I always heard that was impossible," another elder with a bushy mustache spoke up.
"Wait, you all know about the Nimbus?" Lunch asked.
"Of course! There were never common, but there was a time not a season went by without some traveler coming through, swooping down from the sky on their own personal cloud of gold fluff," the Mayor said.
"Oh, my grandfather told me such stories. But I assumed they were just that," Suno's father spoke up.
"Well of course, you youngsters weren't born yet. One has to be of pure heart to ride a Flying Nimbus of Korin. And how many pure of heart travelers are there these days, I ask?" the Mayor chuckled.
"Yes, for whatever reason, they dwindled and disappeared, bit by bit. The last time I saw one, I'd barely grown my first mustache," the mustached elder said.
"Aww, now I feel even worse about that guy blowing it up," Goku said kicking up snow. The elders blinked at that.
"Blowing it up? Is that all?"
"It's a cloud, lad, you can't blow it up any more than cut it to bits."
"Have you tried calling it since?"
"…NIMBUS!" Goku bellowed after taking a breath. Everyone except Lunch flinched. She watched the sky curiously.
A speck appeared on the horizon and drew closer.
"Nimbus!" Goku cheered as the cloud hurtled down.
"How wonderful, it's alive!" Lunch cheered. The villagers joined in the cheer as Goku hugged the little cloud and gave a little dance of joy at the reunion.
"A hero who rides on the clouds," Suno said in awe, eyes sparkling, "Hey Goku, do you have a girlfriend?"
"Suno!" her mother gasped. When her husband didn't react, she elbowed him in the stomach.
"Suno!" he repeated.
"Of course I do, Launch and Lunch. Plus there's Chichi, and Bulma," Goku counted them off on his glove-covered fingers.
"That's not what she meant, Goku," Lunch sighed.
"Never mind what she meant. You are both too young for such things! At your age, even hand holding is nearly scandalous," Suno's mother objected.
"Is it? Man, I was more a rebel than I realized back in my day," the Mayor said with a blushing grin. His wife chuckled next to him, sending a wink at Suno.
"Well, Lunch said she knows the way to West City, so let's go!" Goku said, hopping onto the cloud. Lunch climbed on behind him and got her bearing with a compass and pointed.
"Bye everyone!" Lunch waved as the Nimbus lifted up.
"Safe travels!"
"Thank you for everything!"
"Our home's always open to you!"
"Your deeds will live on in our stories for centuries!"
"Don't hurry back!" Eigher insisted, even as he cried a bit, waving both arms.
"See ya!" Goku said and the Nimbus streaked off toward the horizon.
X X X
They made great time with the Nimbus. It was only days later they arrived at the famed West City, also known as the City of the West.
"Wow, it's getting bustling. Like Papaya Island," Goku said, watching the ground below them get more built up, fields and winding rivers replaced by crisp roads and packed together buildings.
"Oh Goku, that island is nothing compared to this," Lunch giggled.
"You've been here?" Goku asked.
"Nope. Launch may not prefer the wilderness, but she likes to have brush around to hide in if the heat gets too hot, or just for places to bunk down. Small cities, but mostly towns that I bounced between, and villages more often than she liked, I think. West City is the big time," Lunch reminisced. Though it did have her wondering if her other half would change her patterns now that she seemed to have given up crime. Though she imagined that bounty was still in effect.
She really hoped Launch wouldn't relocate to a big city. As the Nimbus slowed, letting them fly into the bustling metroplex, she couldn't help frowning at the bustle. She'd never liked the idea of living in a big city. Such places seemed so overwhelming and impersonal. Like a theme park – grand to visit, but not a place to live. The most she could see for herself was a very small city, like a county seat or something, with plenty to do but not so… much.
"Wow, what a weird place; no wonder Bulma's so odd, she never had a chance," Goku said, taking in the highway's bustle, skyscrapers, and well, everything.
"We may as well land," she told Goku. They drew some attention, but most people had things to be doing and didn't notice.
"So, how do we find Bulma?" Goku asked. Clearly his tracking skills didn't extend to an urban wilderness. Lunch perked up; this was a chance for her to really help him out!
"Well, let's take a taxi and give him the directions. That should get us there quick," Lunch said.
"Taxi? That sounds familiar."
"We took one to the tournament, silly. Taxi!" she hailed one of the yellow cars down. The furry animal man tipped his cap as they got in.
"Good day folks, where do you need ta go?" he asked.
"We need to get to Bulma's house," Goku told him.
"And that would be where?" the cabby directed that question to Lunch, who sweatdropped.
"Goku, you need to give him her address."
"What's an address again?"
"Oh dear."
One apology later, they were back on the curb, having only traveled a short distance.
"So, addresses are how you find houses without a map? Weird," Goku said. Lunch sighed, slumping a bit next to him.
"Sometimes I forget you're more naive than me on certain things," Lunch said. Goku perked up and walked off, Lunch following him, lost in thought.
"Right. We need to find a phonebooth. That should have a phonebook in it. Her last name is Briefs…"
"Look Lunch, it's like a little tournament."
"Oh!" Lunch said, pulled from her planning. The sidewalk was quite wide here, and a crowd had formed around a circle where a dark-haired man with no shirt and dressed like a kickboxer was standing in a rough ring of open space, laughing. A man with a mohawk and leather jacket was being helped out of the ring, clearly having been knocked around. A poster had been pasted on the nearby wall, declaring a kenpo challenge, 100,000 zeni to beat the champ, all challengers welcome.
"Well, he was all talk. But then, real tough guys don't have to dress like tough guys, am I right, folks!?" the kenpo man laughed. The audience joined him, even some that Lunch felt were dressing like tough guys.
"Well, I've still got plenty more where that came from. Come on, 5000 zeni is all I'm asking to give you a shot to prove yourself and walk away with a thick wad of Zeni."
The crowd murmured.
"Hey, you should fight him, I've seen the weight you can lift on the site," a short construction worker said to his brawny friend.
"No way. Strength is one thing, but that guy fights for a living, he'd make a chump out of me in less than a minute."
"This could be fun," Goku grinned.
"Goku, no," Lunch said, grabbing his tail without squeezing to stop him from going forward. He looked back at her, pouting.
"But aren't you and Launch always saying we should look to get some more money for rainy days?" he asked.
"…I suppose, but I'll go get it. No need to humiliate the poor man," Lunch told him.
"Excuse me? Sir? I'll take that challenge!" Lunch called, raising her hand and stepping to the front of the crowd.
"Huh?" the man and audience went, realizing who had spoken. Laughter broke out.
"Nice gi, girl, you look very cute in it, but this isn't a costume party. Why don't you go back to waiting tables with a smile for tips if you need cash?" the kenpo man laughed. Lunch's cheeks puffed out in frustration, stepping into the ring.
"So rude! Didn't you say all challengers were welcome?" she chastised.
"Go Lunch!" Goku cheered, stepping into her spot in front of the crowd.
"Hey kid, why don't you talk your sister out of this? It won't look good if I beat up a pretty girl," the kenpo man said to Goku, smiling.
"No need to worry, she's stronger than you," Goku said cheerily.
"Well, just a bit?" Lunch said, holding her index finger and thumb apart.
"…Fine, no one can say I didn't give you an out. But don't worry, I'll leave that pretty face alone, I'm a gentleman, after all," the kenpo man shrugged.
"Ready, go!" the announcer man declared. Lunch fell into her stance as he bobbed and weaved on his feet.
"Oh, so you have taken a few lessons then, girly? Well-" the kenpo man was cut off as Lunch sunk her fist into his stomach. She stepped back as he doubled over.
"Done already? Oh dear, were you going easy on me?" she asked. The fighter glared up at her, teeth gritted in pain, taking a few steps back as he straightened up. He looked her over critically now, particularly the arms exposed by the short sleeves of the gi.
"I see. Good nice girl act you got there, but you've done some serious training. I can appreciate some theatrics, but I'm nobody's fool. Take this!" he rushed forward and chambered a kick, striking her square in the side. She didn't budge or so much as grunt under the impact.
"Huh?" he said, eyes wide. Lunch punched him in the face. He went down, dazed, looking up at the sky and seeing stars.
"Whoops! I guess I hit a bit too hard. Maybe you should get him to a doctor, just in case?" she asked his friends, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Take the money," one of the stunned people said, while the crowd stared.
"Are we going to take it to the bank?" Goku asked, as they walked off from the staring crowd.
"Hmm, no, let's just split it. We may need cash away from any banks, the way things are going. Now let's find, aha, a phonebooth," Lunch said, spotting the public telephone parlor on a corner.
"What a small house, it doesn't have a toilet either," Goku said, stepping into the small structure with Lunch. Picking up the thick book in the booth, Lunch flipped through the pages until she found it.
"Aha, Bulma Briefs. Listed under her parents…" Lunch fished a coin out of her pocket and dialed the number,"Hello? Oh, excuse me Miss Receptionist, I would like to talk to Bulma, please? No, I don't think she's expecting us. It's Lunch and Goku. Oh, she's not at school, you say? Yes, please put us through now."
"Lunch, why are you talking to that thing? Does it know Bulma?" Goku asked, tugging on her pants.
"…I guess we never really used the phone at Kame House, did we?" Lunch sweatdropped. Before she could explain a phone, there was a click on the other end of the line.
"Lunch? Is this you?" Bulma said over the phone.
"Yes! Hello Bulma, it's-"
"YOU JERKS! HOW COULD YOU DITCH ME LIKE THAT! I WAITED TWO WEEKS ON THAT STUPID ISLAND! GRRR! GET OVER TO CAPSULE CORP NOW SO I CAN YELL AT YOU IN PERSON!" Bulma shrieked over the phone. She hung up so hard Lunch held the receiver away like it might explode. Delicately hanging it up, she looked down at Goku.
"Goku, we were supposed to pick Bulma up after dropping off Nam," she reminded him.
"Oh, right. Whoops. Well, Bulma made it home fine, so it's all good, right?" Goku grinned at her.
"Errr," Lunch looked away, rubbing the back of her neck.
One Taxi Ride Later:
"Here's Capsule Corp," the cabby said.
"Thank you," Lunch said, handing over the fare and a tip. Goku bounded out before her. A fuming Bulma, wearing blue and yellow workout gear, was waiting for them outside the complex gates, grinding her teeth.
"Hi Bulma!" Goku at least looked a little nervous as they got in front of the fuming teenager. She'd abandoned her former braid for a high ponytail that showed off her spiky hair. Closing her eyes, Bulma tapped her foot and spoke.
"Hello you two, I hope you've been having fun," she ground out.
"Oh yeah. The Dragon Balls are way easier to find this time. Here I thought you were angry," Goku said.
"Oh, I'm not angry… I'M FURIOUS!" Bulma yelled down at him. She seemed to practically spout fangs, her ponytail going straight even. Goku leapt into the air in surprise, and didn't protest when Lunch grabbed him from the air to clutch.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE COMING BACK! AFTER I WAS ANGRY I WORRIED, THINKING SOMETHING HAPPENED! I TRACKED YOU TO THAT STUPID VILLAGE AND FOUND OUT YOU WERE FINE AFTER THAT! YOU NEVER MENTIONED TO NAM COMING BACK FOR ME, AND I REALIZED YOU FORGOT! HOW COULD YOU FORGET ME!?" Bulma demanded.
"…By not remembering," Goku said. Lunch smacked a hand over his mouth and smiled nervously. Bulma's eye twitched, no, Bulma in general twitched, Lunch realized.
"And what brings you here now? What makes me suddenly worthy of acknowledgement by the great adventurers or whatever to waste time on an arc character who's past her arc," Bulma huffed, nose raised.
"…We need you to fix…" Lunch began.
"Well, tough luck! After being treated like this, I'm not in the most generous mood. In fact, I had to wait for you, so you can wait for me. Come back this time tomorrow and maybe I'll consider helping you two jerks out," Bulma snapped. Pulling out a remote, she opened the compound gates, stepped inside, and closed them behind her.
"Well, that went well. If she was really mad, she would have shot us," Goku cheered.
"I should have called Launch out for this," Lunch sighed.
"Lunch, can you put me down?" Goku asked.
Author's Note:
Did you think I forgot Bulma. I did not, but they did!
Hope the new year is still treating you well and you enjoyed the chapter.
Long days and pleasant nights to you all.