Chapter 62
No sooner has one Saiyan exited the room than another enters. Panting with his red cape strewn haphazardly about, his fixed helmet tucked under one arm and the rest of his outfit askew, Gohan leans heavily back against the door to Washu's laboratory almost as if he is barring it. Misaki blinks a few times at this sudden appearance. She has not seen this person and apparently they were in the house with her. Too occupied with Trunks before he got fed up she missed Gohan being escorted into the lab but now she has witnessed his hurried escape. A second dark chuckle comes from the training room. Misaki smiles and calmly shakes her head, her friend has been up to some mischief again it seems. Gohan's eyes are closed. He grips the bridge of his nose and recites as much as he heard from Washu as he can remember. If he can memorise just a fraction of this he can revolutionise modern science on this planet and with that if also comes whether he can even backwards engineer from Washu's technology to something compatible with Earth's level.
Sasami skips up to the man wearing his superhero costume and curiously enquires whether Washu is giving him a test he has to study for hence his mutterings. He dismissively shakes his head and then lets out a long exhale. Gohan has tried to remember all he can yet he feels he is missing the vital keystone for more or less any invention and to prove any of her theories would require decades of data gathering. He looks down at the blue haired girl inquisitively looking up at him and his weird outfit. The Great Saiyaman hands her his helmet and with a look of delight she asks him if it is OK, Gohan nods, she turns to look at her mother and she smiles. Giggling to herself Sasami easily slides on the man-seized helmet over her pigtails and poses like she saw Gohan do on T.V. Misaki claps and faces this strange man who's build and black hair she suspects gives away what blood runs within his veins.
The Queen introduces herself to him in a friendly and not too formal fashion. Gohan reacts as most people would when told they have met one of the rulers of a galactic empire. He replies telling her who he is – Gohan, Goku's Son and the Great Saiyaman. Misaki becomes more interested when he proclaims his vigilante status. Thinking on a Saiyan's power being used in defence of the law she compliments him on spending his free time to keep the planet safe.
"If that is the limit of your resolve when dealing with that Tuffle then you are as much a scientist as you are a fighter. Disgraceful." A mocking jeer comes from within the training room. Vegeta continues to deride Gohan's detraction from the path of a warrior, a path Gohan could surpass anyone at if he put the effort in. He hates the thought that someone given such gifts would throw them away when he toils and works for something Gohan could achieve with ease.
Gohan merely rolls his eyes at this insult over his choice on how he should live his own life and mumbles to himself about the word Tuffle and wonders on this species he believes he has heard mentioned before. He also wonders whether Vegeta hates him more now for hardly ever training or back when Elder Kai unlocked his hidden potential and he became the strongest without having to lift a finger himself, Gohan knows it does not matter for the stigma of being his father's son is enough for Vegeta to bear a grudge. The first half-Saiyan questions whether Vegeta knew what he was walking into and the questionable nature of some of the experiments that Washu would try to carry out. Misaki tuts to herself: Washu should come with a warning label about her overeagerness when given a hapless test subject. Sorting out his uniform and re-aligning his cape, Gohan adds that neither Videl nor his mother would be too happy about some of the things Washu tried.
"Ah yes, the dreaded wrath of Chi-Chi. The cause of your downfall from greatness and the second biggest fool next to your clown of a father."
"That's not the usual envy there causing your hate, you're a bigger man than this. My life is my own, leave my mother out of this." Insults against himself he will let slide but not those directed against his mother. He wants to have a life outside of all the fighting and chaos, he has seen what endless training does to a family and above all else he has chosen this life so he has something he wishes to defend with all his might. There is no joy for him in the fight itself, he is only half-Saiyan. Whatever mood the prince of his race is in, Gohan's astute mind can pick up on how Vegeta lingered on his own mother, how he got sidetracked by the still alive wife of his rival and he shall silence the provocative words with this observation.
The Juraian princess is staying out of this yet attentively listening. Her mother gravely offended her fiancé hence his behaviour and now she has learnt something important from Gohan's perceptive abilities. She knew as much that one single year is by no means enough for him to let go of his beloved wife, it is just enough for her to start making her own impressions on Vegeta's soul. The roots run deep still but thankfully have left an enriched the soil for her.
A smirking face confidently stands behind the swinging open hefty metal door. Both were at the rough same age when they attained this feat. Trunks breaks up his father and Gohan's spat and cockily shows off his own Super Saiyan 2 form to the first to reach it. Gohan congratulates the youth on accomplishing the same as him and commends him on the control he already has over the transformation. Lightning arcs in the air and the lad snorts and points at Gohan. The son of Vegeta challenges the son of Goku. Trunks proclaims that he will not let himself become weak like the scholar and will show his power by beating Gohan. Vegeta watches on deeper in the training room. His son stands little chance, not all of the strengthening of the Kai's has left Gohan. A burst of gold erupts and the hair of the three Juraians gets rustled by a gale of force. Gohan sees the same burgeoning confidence in Trunks that took him when he was his age, the cockiness that cost him his father. He removes his cape for it will only hinder him when properly fighting and drapes it on Sasami to match the helmet she is still wearing. Trunks' blue eyes stay on Sasami for a good few seconds. His mother made that outfit even if it is stupid looking.
"Son, you are not facing him at his prime. This is unacceptable, you are a Saiyan. As weak as he is, depths still exist. … You're not like me, Trunks, you're not skilled enough in this type of warfare. The rage. He is only a threat when enraged. With his explosive anger he might make good game for even myself." His blonde hair retracts and stands rigidly erect, Vegeta descends one level of his transformation and faces both half-bloods. Gohan can sense the massive gap between their powers, Trunks he can face but not Vegeta.
"Great, now you're involved dad this'll be fun. With Gohan here I stand a good chance of damaging you." Trunks positions himself by Gohan's side and grins. He successfully baited both adults into this match so that now he can take on his father with improved odds. Gohan looks down at his newfound ally, unsure of facing Vegeta even if it is 2 vs 1, but reluctantly nods. He can do this for Trunks, and needs the training.
"Where is your pride? Teaming up with another, as if it makes a difference. Very well. I'll show you both what real power is."
The two children of Saiyans step inside the training room and the door slams shut. Bright light starts to pulsate and spew forth from the porthole and Sasami struggles with a cape far too long for her. Misaki scowls at the young Trunks instigating a fight yet she is curious. She peers from where she is stood through the window but has to rapidly blink the brilliance from her eyes. A gentle tap on her arm gets her attention and a quiet Ayeka points towards the television and explains that it would be possible to watch the sparring match on the screen. As a fighter herself, Misaki wants to see this and as a mother she wants to see that Trunks is not being injured. Sasami trails the cape behind her as she walks about looking for Ryo-Ohki and Misaki seats herself on the sofa. Since Ayeka is accustomed to this much of Earth's tech she allows her daughter to turn on the screen and configure it to the surveillance within the training room. Not much can be made out. Brightness can be dimmed however the speed of the actions surpasses any that Misaki can easily follow save a few moments of Vegeta taunting his prey. A tad miffed at this let down she sighs to herself that it would be good if she could see the fights properly.
"You can. I remember Ryoko found a video. It wasn't pleasant but there is one, Ayeka saw it too." Sasami smiles from underneath the lowered visor, still having not found the cabbit, and informs her mother that she can see Vegeta fighting if she wants to.
"What's wrong Ayeka?" As soon as her youngest spoke Misaki noticed a stiffness to her eldest beside her and a gloom pass over her face. There is more to this than simply not wishing to see a video of her fiancé fighting and possibly getting hurt. Misaki is only curious about the fighting style and does not want to push discomfort on her child. It takes a while but Ayeka hesitantly answers whilst looking towards the bookshelf that houses the disk with the recording.
"There is such a recording, and yes I have seen it. You are free to witness it but … b-but you'll do so alone. I-I cannot bring myself to ever see it again, not now. … He was different back then. It's all from when he came to Earth so- not much of it makes for pleasant viewing and remember he has changed a lot now. … And 2 are – 2-2 of h-his – the battles he lost. The ones where- I'll get some tissues."
It is too much for her to speak it aloud. Ayeka turns to leave the room. Those 2 specific moments she cannot watch, it would pain her too much and her emotions she thinks she would not be able to control. She would want to see Vegeta, confirm his existence and worst of all she might haphazardly try what Ryoko just did and plough into the training room but this time her motives would be to feel his warm breath and the touch of a man who is still very much alive. An arm grabs her wrist and squeezes. Even with Ayeka failing to say the words Misaki understands perfectly what she tried to get across. A fight she will watch. An execution she will not.
"Wait, darling. I won't watch it if it distresses you so. Those moments … they're not ones you should idly watch."
"But you should – you should see him shine. His growth. His evolution. … He- he went with a s-smile." Ayeka breaks free and walks off. She manages those words though they stick in her throat. Her mother wants to know of Vegeta and there is no better way for her to see the same thing she does than to watch his transformation before her eyes. She grabs the disc off the shelf and does not look at it as she reaches across to hand it to her mother from as far as she possibly can. Her other hand is raised as she grasps the sea-shell necklace and nibbles on her sleeve.
Misaki quietly thanks Ayeka and looks at the disc cover with an image of her son-in-law on it. The mother tells Sasami to follow Ayeka and not to enter this room unless she cannot hear the television any-more. Sasami chirps that it is about time she started cooking lunch for everybody and heads off with Ayeka into the kitchen, her sister making sure to pick up her translator glasses and a book to distract herself with. Two women that were previously in the kitchen exit to free up space and not to get in the way of Sasami's cooking. Misaki smiles at the two and Mihoshi smiles back with Ryo-Ohki cuddled up in her arms. Snapping to attention, Kiyone nearly salutes the Queen of Jurai but for the papers in her hand does not. With royalty about she has been working, planning perimeters, security checks, reading up on the local geography and vantage points, she cannot appear to be lazing off with the Queen here. Misaki's attention has fallen from the policewomen and to the box in her hand that is feeling awfully heavy in spite of its weight. She pats the seat next to her.
"Maybe not, snuff videos aren't the most legal of films, as well as the fact the people in that were all filmed without their expressed permission as far as I can tell, Ma'am." Kiyone warily avoids this offer.
She has ears and heard what that video is and has no interest in it. It is nice that the Queen of Jurai is wanting her company but since she has a choice she will say no unless the Queen demands it. Quoting technicalities concerning the legality of a video she presumes is filled with death she sorts out the papers in her hand and looks to her partner for support. Misaki continues smiling warmly at them with her hand on the seat. This is not something she wants to be alone for and these women seem nice and are friends of her daughters.
" … S'pose it is evidence though that we've not seen. Since he's not dead though can it be classed as a snuff? The law gets really skew-whiff with coming back to life." The kind hearted woman is winning against the blonde. Mihoshi will be her friend and watch a scary film with her as long as she has a Ryo-Ohki to cuddle. Kiyone feels a knife in her back. Laws about resurrections do complicate things, especially death sentences as to some extent they have been served. The Queen gets one companion. Mihoshi sits next to her and one of Misaki's hands finds its way to the cabbit's fur.
" The blessings of Tsunami protect him. You sound distracted my dear? Trouble? "
The bronze skinned cop looks puzzled by this. To her knowledge she is not troubled and if she gave off the impressions she did not mean to. She begins to wave it off as her partner walks about with a knowing eye. Misaki looks to the other detective for the answer and Kiyone grins for it is truthfully a silly reason.
" Mihoshi saw the outfit your daughter was wearing."
Together the three of them laugh and sit and Ryo-Ohki enjoys the attention and fuss. The disk stays within the box.
" Oh, that is giving me a fun idea. I could have cool outfits tailored for you, if that is what you want. You're not on official Galaxy Police business so your uniform can be purely dictated by me or my family, though you have to let me join in sometime." Misaki jokes and deeply laughs seeing a look of horror sprout on Kiyone's face as Mihoshi lights up at this possibility. She knows she is just trying to distract herself and so when the laughter dies down she opens the box. A disc unlike any she has seen greets her and she looks at her newfound friends for any help. Kiyone takes charge as she works it out and puts this primitive technology into the device it was meant for.
An annoyed woman loudly hums to herself whilst typing in an exaggerated manner. With her green eyes she peers behind her. He waves back at her. She swishes her head back and goes back to work with a pout on her face. A breath blows onto the back of her neck and she tries to ignore it, scowling further as she does so. A foot gets placed on the back of her hovering cushion and lowers it down to the floor. Washu is not impressed. She crosses her arms and her form jitters in size before remaining as it is.
"C'mon now. You said you wanted children not that you wanted to act like one. What'd'ya expect? Stop sulking now." Yamcha is not about to say sorry to his lover when he has done nothing wrong. He leans over the sat down woman and reprimands her uncalled for behaviour. She looks off to the side. He shakes his head, Washu is being stubborn and sticking to her guns about this.
"You didn't even try." Scowling, she bemoans her loss of so much potential data.
She had him in her grasp. He was hers to do with as she wished and as the first hybrid between both Saiyans and Humans he held significant scientific value. However, someone did not do what she told them to. Her experiment fled the lab and the brawns to her brain were completely idle. Yamcha made no move to use his speed or strength to attempt and slow down Gohan. Her learning was impeded by the man she loves and now she holds a grudge. Apparently Gohan means more to him than she does, so she sulks and shuns him.
" Nope. I don't wanna use force on my friends. Not when they're scared, or that strong, or their mother's Chichi."
" Chichi: the girl you lied about loving. Idiot." She sharpens her tongue and insults Yamcha. Not just Gohan now but Chichi is ranking higher than her, or on a different level he is wrongly more scared of Chichi than he is of her. Yamcha flinches at the decades old piece of dirt she hurls at him which has nothing to do with anything. That was not nice. She grumbles as she feels his hands under her arms as he lifts her onto her feet and turns her so she has to face him. Her scowl deepens. He bops her nose, unimpressed with her mood and harsh words.
" And you might want to restrain yourself a bit. Some of those things, not the best to try in front of me."
" Doubting me?"
" No, I just don't like it."
" It's just good science. I don't care about it, just getting samples, he's just a pile of data to me."
" Washu, you've got machines galore here. None of them could do that? Or you didn't learn to simply ask? "
There is little arguing against that point. Washu is hands on in all her work for the fun of it, not out of necessity. She will admit that she is prone to taking it too far and she can see why some of the things she tries to do Yamcha will not like. Washu frowns. Her height fidgets about, rising and falling a few inches before stabilising. She knows Yamcha is right and that she is being unreasonable in being annoyed that he did not betray a friend but there was discovery there, being 20,000 years old she strives for the unique and the unknown so boredom does not consume her and destroy her intellect and passion. She bops Yamcha back on his nose. He smiles at her. It makes Washu happy that he understands her and can put up with her. She is not happy about her uncontrollable emotions. Without realising, she ages a year. She groans and leans forward, resting her head on her partner's shoulder.
" … You're making this hard. Stop." Her voice is quiet and timid. Yamcha feels a minor tremble in her body. He starts to worry. She nuzzles against his collar as he puts one comforting arm around her.
" What? What's hard? You can't decide on your age again?" Their spat has been forgotten, he is here for whatever is troubling her. He has noticed her spasmodic physical changes and how she did not go to her child form straight away when fighting with him. She shakes her head and puts her arms around his waist and stays there, listening to each other breathe as the air around them hums with distant machines.
"No. … Uh, I'm 'training' as you would call it. … Think about it, I make my body grow, and shrink, and age and if there's a baby in me when I do so … th-that won't be good. I'm trying to stop." Her reasoning is simple and she is terrified at how easy it is for her to make one mistake and destroy the thing she desires above all else. She does not know how much of an effect her control over her ageing will have on a developing foetus and she dreads what could happen. Washu squeezes tight and Yamcha hugs her back, understanding this situation and how scared it is making his fiancée. She already lost her first child, he can see that this prospect of potentially losing a second during pregnancy is distressing, as there will be no upper class family to blame only herself and her inability to be and not to fluctuate. "I am trying to make something to stop it, some safety. Results aren't good at the minute, and my cells are the only thing I can test. So help."
" You've got 3 weeks. That's plenty. You think you can handle one body for … 11 months was it?"
Soothing her woes he makes sure that the woman he loves is fine and reassures her that there will not be anything standing in the way of their family together. She smiles and kisses him. He does not understand the science behind it but he does not have to to be there for her. Washu will have her child, she grins, and she will have her child soon according to the man she is holding.
" Yay." A mischievous glint takes her emerald eyes. She rests her forehead against his. 3 weeks was until their wedding and Yamcha has said that is how long she has until she needs to sort her body's age out: from that she deduces what she wants. Washu merrily laughs for he has not realised the impact of his words. "Got you to say it. Baby and a wedding in one day, you promise me a lot so make sure you deliver … then later I'll deliver, daddy." She cannot resist making that pun and then having some fun of her own to show how happy she is. Washu squeezes tighter as she feels his natural knee-jerk reaction to a word he has forbade her from ever using also for the reasons of her ability to change her physical age.
"Wow. Really, just don't, that- oh, y'know how much of a turn off that is. It's too weird. And you are not to become the same age as ours, I won't do that." Yamcha has enough of an issue with her sometimes turning herself into a minor, it pushes him over the limit when she says things like that – it weirds him out. He laughs with her in spite of this though. He hass cheered her up and the grudge over letting Gohan slip the net is in the past where it belongs.
" I'm thinking of going and asking Vegeta for help, d'ya think he will?" Back on topic she releases him and asks a question, her bottom seats itself back on the hovering cushion as she does have a lot of work to do and she is recording Gohan's fight with Trunks against Vegeta.
"Well Gohan would have been a good bet, of course not as skilled as good old Vegeta, but can't very well ask him now. I'll take you to see Goku for a while, he'll definitely help you out for lessons in control and don't forget that I'm here for you if you need anything."
" … What I need right now are a lot of different samples from myself, a flash medical clone will have to do otherwise I'm gonna have to extract a few of my precious brain cells and we can't have that."
A discussion between them breaks out where Washu has to explain the utility of a clone made with accelerated growth. Ethics are the concern and she wafts them away. They are brain dead and designed to be so, she gives no life to them and takes no life, they are meat for her to use and they are used widely. Organ transplants, blood transfusions or on a much smaller scale the skin grafting she did for Ayeka. Not wanting anything messing with her brain, for whatever she devises cannot be allowed to alter any part of the most valuable mind that exists, it is much safer for her to 'grow' a spare one for testing purposes. Yamcha takes a bit more convincing about how humane this is and Washu quotes back how it was universally accepted by Jurai's empire and never viewed as illegal in its history of existing. She then states that she can grow each organ she needs separate if he does not want to see an empty shell of her body.
Flying high above the grounds of Namek tears form and roll down his haggard face. Death has become an inevitability as he has utterly failed and has his complete impotence paraded in his face. His mightiest attack swatted away with expert precision not even singeing the overlord. He will be killed and he will suffer. Empty and with his whole life's purpose crumbled he feels fear and regret. Frieza makes his move. Misaki and the others flinch, Mihoshi has taken to paying less attention to the violent happenings on the screen and more on the cabbit curled up in her lap. Both Kiyone and the Queen see the disparity in the power levels shown on the screen and the hopelessness of the situation, all bravado and courage ripped from Vegeta as his strength is naught to his hated foe. The torture begins. Feet, legs and the rest of her body come into view as Ryoko phases down into the room. Her ears prick up at the pained screams of Vegeta and she looks at the screen.
She wanted that. A small part of her will still settle for it. He did similar things to her, and she likewise has repaid the favour of pain back to him. It pains her to watch and she is glad that it does elicit that reaction from her as she hovers away. Ryoko remembers what happens next and will not be there to see it happen. She glances into the training room. He wants her to be a mother to his son, the one he is sparring against with such a look of joy in his face. Ryoko shakes her head to clear her thoughts and flies through into the kitchen. That can come later. Inside the kitchen Ayeka looks up from her book to see a hungry pirate sniffing the air. She remarks on Ryoko's outfit for she likes this one a lot more than what she was previously wearing, the tawdry rags have been cast aside and shunned in favour of brown cargo pants and a long sleeved black t-shirt that she has borrowed once again from Vegeta. Ryoko makes nothing of it and quips that she will not take back her comments about Ayeka's weird new hairstyle and glasses.
Asking when food will be, Ryoko gets a snappy response from Sasami as she tries to do several things at once as she has a lot of mouths to feed. Giving a quick disapproving look to the elder sister gets her an excuse fired off back at her that she is helping more by staying out of the way than interfering. Ryoko snorts and then asks Sasami if she can join in sometime. The girl is surprised and replies thus that she never showed any interest beforehand in helping with the housework. Still floating about in the air cyan hair gets messed with. Ryoko states that before she had no taste-buds and so could not really learn to cook for others but now she does. She sticks her tongue out at Ayeka. That advantage of trying to win over a Saiyan through his stomach will not be held by just Jurai. Sasami then warns Ryoko that the alcohol used in cooking is not for drinking which gets a hearty laugh from her sister. The pirate floats off in a huff at being insulted so well by a little girl.
" Just wait, you're finally about to get a taste of true fear, one that you've long deserved."
One shot rings out. Ryoko covers her ears but it is too late, she heard it and she can still hear the rest. The wet breaths as blood fills up his lungs, the pained coughs and the taunting of Frieza over his penultimate kill. She loudly lands on the floor and crouches, attempting to shield her senses from that scene being played. The 3 other women have noticed her but Misaki's attention is torn as tears spill down her face. Mihoshi reaches across and turns off the television. She looks across to Ryoko and releases Ryo-Ohki to go to her owner. The cabbit scampers across and the knotted ball of tension that is Ryoko eases a bit. She looks up at Mihoshi and quietly thanks her. Mihoshi warmly smiles back and then tells her to say sorry for trying to rob a few banks. At that the rogue grins as says she did not try, she did break into 3 banks before being apprehended by the boy scout in the training room. Kiyone tuts, another crime she can do nothing about, and looks across to the Queen for support only to find the emotional woman overcome by the first death of Vegeta. Bones protest nearly as loud as her voice does as Kiyone finds herself the victim of one of Misaki's powerful hugs as she wails about how sad it all was watching that happen to her son-in-law.
"He's not your son-in-law, and I don't think Vegeta said you could watch his private vids. I'll cover for you, Mihoshi, you two better prepare though, he'll be mad." Ryoko teleports off, taking offence at Misaki taking her man into the Juraian family and talking as if Ayeka has already won. She takes her pet with her and sits on her bed to calm herself down after what she heard. With Ryo-Ohki meowing in her hands she holds her up and plays with her. Nuzzling her face against her she grins and whispers that Ayeka is going to be in big trouble for making Vegeta's secret videos public and sniggers at that thought.
Whilst Kiyone frets about being an accomplice in the crime of invading Vegeta's privacy and escaping from the Queen's clutches she notices her friend is staring off blankly at the training room door. Mihoshi's brow frowns in thought. Lights still flash and shine through the porthole though not as energetically and brilliant as when they first entered the room. Her partner teasingly asks her if she is waiting for her hero to leave so she can rush him for an autograph. Mihoshi blushes and partially nods whilst musing something to herself. She mumbles to herself about how she can get 'the set'. Her friend is released by Misaki and she laughs, the headband wearing detective says it is not important since Gohan is the main superhero after all.
"But it is important. Partners are super important and you're my partner so you're super, super important as well." Mihoshi grins at her friend and as she beams at her partner Kiyone blushes.
"My, it is such a joy to see how well you two get along. Vegeta chose well when selecting honour guards for my daughters." Wiping the residual tears from her face, the Queen compliments the pair on how settled they are and how they seem to be very nice people. Any two from the Galaxy police force could have ended up on Earth and she is glad that such a friendly duo are here for her daughters and despite this situation thrust upon them that they are still in such good spirits. Kiyone bows her head to the Queen's kind words and Mihoshi does to a lesser degree whilst saying a simple 'Thanks'. "Of course if it is more than praise you seek then be glad to know your efforts here will not go unrewarded. It cannot have been easy for you suddenly having to live on a strange planet in a house full of people you do not know. Recommendations from myself and my family will help your future careers as will the generous salary, but how much hazard pay is likely to be included?"
"Vegeta bullies us. Mostly me." Speaking up, the bubbly blonde tells as much truth as she knows she is allowed to. Ayeka made it very clear that referencing Kain's attack is forbidden so that near death experience for the cops has to be omitted until otherwise told. Apart from when they first landed there has not been any violence in Vegeta's treatment of them but it is not something either of them want to deal with. Misaki nods her head, the owner of the household did not look keen on the idea of having to host two policewomen at a moment's notice and differences around legal matters and his past would always bring conflict.
"Yes, I thought as much. I commend your diligence in your duties but truthfully I feel my husband mainly wanted agents of the law to serve here partially for want of a scapegoat, and I do apologise to you for this. Vegeta looks a hard man to get along with, especially concerning his criminal background and your occupation, but I'm sure you can come to some mutual respect at some point, just like how you made friends with Ryoko."
"Ma'am, are we allowed any days of leave so that we can see family?" Kiyone asks a pertinent question as being friends with Vegeta is not on the top of her agenda but maybe getting to see her parents and family would be preferable to being stranded on a far off planet. Not that many terms of their contract were detailed and her higher ups know little about the finer arrangements as the police force have loaned her out so she now asks her current employer. Mihoshi nods in agreement and Misaki seems mildly surprised. They definitely have the right to and it would be unjust to say no but to this point Misaki had not considered this facet of their stay.
"Hmm. Azusa won't let our darlings be left unprotected but with my job being what it is it would be safe if we rotate out. Shall I give you a heads up for my next visit so you can plan something? We'll cover all travel expenses, within reason. Of course if you want to have a lengthy visit to your homes I would not mind in the least." Just like that it has been worked completely in her favour. A justifiable reason to excuse regular visits and see her children whilst giving her honour guards what they want and maintaining her children's safety. She beams and Mihoshi smiles back as this is good news for her.
With a swish of bright red she bursts out and leaps into the living room, standing proud Sasami announces that lunch is ready in her borrowed Great Saiyaman helmet and cape. Misaki claps and Mihoshi looks on with eyes of want for the uniform and then she turns her attention to the training room door for lunch has been called and who she wants to see is part Saiyan. The three women rise from the sofa and Ryo-Ohki has bounded off following her nose through the open kitchen door. Sasami calls again, directing her voice upstairs where she assumes Ryoko is napping. The heavy metal door is pushed open and out steps Vegeta with a look of disappointment on his face. Since his sparring is done he ascends up to Super Saiyan 3 to continue his training to master the form, he stretches and sniffs the air. Misaki briskly walks past him and looks into the training room to see both hybrid Saiyans panting heavily on the floor with signs of wear and tear but no injuries that her eyes can see. She looks at the father and he just barks at the two to stand up.
Misaki walks into the training room and inspects the exhausted and ki depleted sons of Saiyans, neither of them have responded to Vegeta's call. She offers a hand to both of them to help them up, more so to Trunks than the fully grown Gohan. Complimenting how well they fought, the Queen smiles as they groan and bit by bit begin to move. Gohan reaches up and grabs her outstretched hand and thanks her as he struggles to his feet. His body is knackered, fully thrashed after such intense sparring when he hardly trains and all of his muscles protest from both fatigue and the many blows they were subjected to. Almost leaning on Misaki he stands and pants. Trunks' eyes open and he rolls onto his front. Misaki's hand is rejected. The son of Vegeta shakily stands by his own power and limps from the room. Vegeta smiles and looks at the two kind hearted fools who forsook training, his son is not that weak. The smirk fades as Trunks collapses to the floor after barely making it from the room and Gohan is hastily abandoned with Misaki rushing to the boy's aid.
"Leave him. He is my son, not yours. Mollycoddling him will only serve to leave him as weak as the clown's failed sprog." Quicker than the Juraian can move she is intercepted and Vegeta blocks her path, his son does not require aid. Trunks can fend for himself, it would lessen his honour to be helped by someone and his son knows as much. Misaki goes to reach around him but a firm hand stops her.
"He's hurt. He needs help."
"Hurting a Saiyan only makes him that much tougher. If he wanted help he would ask."
"As if he could. He's just a child." Misaki tries to push past, after being indoctrinated by his father into the Saiyan way there is no chance that Trunks would ask for the help he needs – and especially not in front of his father. Children are not meant to fight, Vegeta should not be subjecting his own son to such pain and rigorous training. Vegeta lets her past, he stands aside and a pulse of ki from Trunks stuns Misaki and keeps her at bay whilst he finds his feet.
"And?" Age has nothing to do with how a Saiyan lives. The blood of a warrior burns through Trunks' veins from birth. He had no childhood of his own, no Saiyan did except for Goku, and his son wanted for this bout to occur and brought it upon himself. Vegeta eyes Misaki. Their parenting methods are too far different for them to ever agree. He hears a bit of Bulma in her voice, the worry and concern, this is all he knows to do. Trunks stands and brushes himself off. Misaki looks about, lost and defeated and wanting to comfort the child. She lets out a long and anxious sigh with a worried frown on her face. It is not her place to confront him like this, if anyone should be speaking up about Vegeta's treatment of his children then her daughter should be. She does not like this but she will stand down so that lunch will not be spoilt.
"It's fine. Dad was tough on me as well when we trained together. Vegeta knows what he's doing, he won't hurt his son without cause. Strange as it sounds this is him caring for him. But I got to catch you later, Videl's going to be mad keeping her waiting like this."
An ally for the Saiyan way steps forwards and puts a hand on Misaki's shoulder. Gohan is out of shape but even his dulled instincts can tell the difference between Vegeta when he truly fights and his light sparring in the training room. As a child he hated training but he had to do it and as an adult he has come to realise that he does not trust himself to hold the same power that his father does. Both times he surpassed him his confidence cost people their lives. He fears how little he can control himself and added to his dislike of hurting others this is all the training he will do out of a duty to protect others.
The helmet and cape are retrieved from a disappointed Sasami. She tries to entice him by saying that she has cooked enough for him as a guest, he still declines and Vegeta states that his share will not go wasted. Gohan turns to Trunks and gives him a thumbs up saying that they make a good team. The son of Vegeta smiles and returns the gesture and promises that he will surpass Gohan. With his goodbyes being said a woman stands up and sheepishly approaches him. Vegeta and Trunks have had enough and answer the call of food. Mihoshi blushes and asks Gohan if they can take a picture together and him sign it. Her partner smiles in the background and Gohan starts to look very awkward in this situation. As he tries to think of an excuse Mihoshi fumbles with the translucent cube device and spawns a camera that technically should only be used for taking highly detailed 3-D shots of crime scenes. Gohan swiftly dons his helmet for he still has to somewhat keep his identity secret.
"What's the point in the helmet? You've got a very identifiable scar on your face, I'd spot you in a crowd easy." Kiyone calls him out on the use of his helmet to hide his face when such a distinct curved scar still runs down to the bottom of his jaw. Strangely she cannot recall seeing it earlier which is puzzling as it is fully healed and was not sustained by his training. Mihoshi is confused and she now sees the scar her friend is talking about. On television he does not have that. Gohan rubs at his cheek and feels the scar tissue through his gloves. He forgot about that when training.
A shallow cut sustained from his battle with the reptilian monstrosity that took Vegeta's life has left this memento on his face. It does not make keeping his identity secret easy. Every time before changing he has to apply a fake patch of skin to conceal the scar running most of the length of his face. Being hit has jolted it long off and destroyed it. This will give him away if an image of him circulates showing the Great Saiyaman to share the scar that the scholar Gohan does.
"Damn, it's come off? Must've been Vegeta, I'm sorry but-"
"If you two stand close it'll be hidden." Enjoying herself and making the most of this moment to play with Mihoshi, the teal haired cop gives some advice. That camera only does a preliminary visual scan and cannot see behind or through objects so if line of sight is blocked the scar will not be on the image. She hides her mouth as she can feel a chuckle coming along, it has been such a long time since she last saw Mihoshi look so embarrassed.
Misaki leaves that scene to play itself out for she thinks that her chance to maybe talk more with Gohan has gone. A beaming smile is on her face as she enters the room: no cause for concern or to show her daughters how aggravated she is by Vegeta's violent parenting. She walks in and seats herself giving kind words to her daughters, the youngest who cooked the meal and to Ayeka who is plating up and serving. Vegeta is at the head of the table and looks across at her, she does not fool him, and he feels a gust being blown onto the flames of conflict from the bellows of Misaki. Behind her mother the purple haired maiden stands still and senses the same thing that Vegeta does. Trunks is trying to pinch food before it is on the table and dealing with Sasami as she tries to defend her food. A black eyebrow raises and Misaki questions why Vegeta is looking at him. She sat next to him when they first had breakfast and her usual seat is by the head of the table so she sees nothing as being wrong.
The elder princess awkwardly stands there and looks to the ceiling. Ayeka's normal spot is taken. The only free seat by Vegeta is Ryoko's who has yet to arrive. This is a conundrum. Her hands get hot holding a plate for too long and she places it in front of her fiancé with a demure blush. Vegeta looks up at her. Hesitation is written in her dark red eyes. The problem gets solved as Trunks seizes the initiative and steals the contentious seat to be next to his dad. Ayeka finishes plating up and takes the chair on the other side of Trunks. The youth looks across at her and asks if she wants to swap. Now Misaki can see what she inadvertently created with it being spelt out clear as day. Her daughter blushes and declines the offer and looks down at her food. Vegeta has begun eating already.
After having roused herself from a short nap her body phases down into the room and above the dining table. With a glower she surveys the anarchy that has broken out over seating position and how both fiancées of Vegeta have been dethroned. Sasami is next to her mother and so her options comes down to sitting next to the young girl, between two policewomen when they arrive or the third option which she chooses. The two rivals glance at each other without a word as Ryoko glides in beside Ayeka, feline eyes then slide past to the lavender haired youth just beyond the princess. Blissfully giggling to herself as she enters, the blonde pony-tailed cop bounces into the room cradling a photo of her with this planet's most famous superhero, and Kiyone follows closing the kitchen door behind her.
Lunch is silent for the most part. Saiyan stomachs keep Saiyan mouths occupied with food. Misaki comments on Ryoko's different outfit to which the pirate responds that it is one of the few items of Vegeta's that fits her well. She grins and jokes that Vegeta can wear her clothes anytime he wants as well. The brow-less eyes of a Super Saiyan 3 look unimpressed. Silence falls again. Ryoko is pleased with the meal but at all time both her and Ayeka keep an eye on the other and how much room there is between them, careful to not bump elbows or knock the other.
"Psycho, how long ago was your fight with Frieza if that Gohan's the same as the kid fighting with you there?" Kiyone breaks the oppressive sound of cutlery on plates and simply asks for details on what she was forced to watch with the Queen.
What she knows about the downfall of the Planet Trade Organisation is hazy and mostly Juraian propaganda, she was a kid at the time but it would be nice to place this event. Mihoshi nervously nudges her partner for there was a threat against them for Vegeta finding out they encroached where they were uninvited to. A Super Saiyan 3 glares across the table at the policewoman. He places down his knife and fork and swallows what was in his mouth. Vegeta silently stands and Mihoshi shrinks in on herself, Ayeka has frozen – realising far too late her mistake.
" 14 years ago roughly. How do you know he was on Namek?"
That question should not have been asked by her. Unless someone has been blabbing his life-story then neither Kiyone nor Mihoshi should have knowledge of Namek's events. The brightness in his hair increases. His blue eyes scan across to Ryoko and a hairless brow raises in question. She raises her middle finger back at him, she is innocent and does not care for the accusation. Misaki uses her speed to cover Sasami's eyes so that her youngest does not see the rude gesture and tuts disapprovingly at the pirate. The deer caught in the headlights behaviour of the purple haired maiden grabs his attention. He does not need to be a detective like the person questioning him to read her body language. Her guilt is apparent. Sparks of static arc between the prongs of the fork he discarded.
"To think a small child like him would grow up into such a strapping young man saving the day as a superhero. He has grown so much, as have yourself, my son. Your fighting style is unlike any from the schools I am aware of. So blunt and … aggressive." Misaki takes the bullet seeing his attention on her daughter. The topic needs to change. He will talk about fighting, she can guess as much. Trunks is impishly grinning at her. This is not how she intended on amusing her grandson.
"My fighting style is my own. I devised it through need and have been perfecting it for over 40 years. I fight to win. You cannot win by playing the defence. I do not hold back against my opponents, and you should do the same if you wish for victory." For now he will bite, seeing the distraction for what it is and giving Ayeka some time out of the goodness of his shrivelled heart to own up to what she has done. He insults the use of 'fair play' and fighting clean, it is not a Saiyan ideology and neither does Goku share in its use.
"Most civilised people don't throw sand and bite and headbutt." Having started this she might as well continue with it and try and defend the Queen. Kiyone quips back about Vegeta's underhanded tactics she witnessed when he was on Namek: the ends justifying the means springs to her mind. He speaks of honour and pride and fights like a barbarian.
"And not a single one of those 'civilised' people can lay a finger on me. It dishonours the fight to place needless restrictions on yourself. … When fighting for survival you'll be amazed what some civilised people will try."
"You could still try and use a bit more style, dad. No rules is fun and all but savage efficiency isn't cool." The son of Vegeta throws his two cents in about his dad's fighting style which he himself has been rigorously schooled in. His father evolved a fight style around his occupation and the many dangers he faced. When aiming to kill every last person he fights there is no need for him to concern himself with rules of engagement, purely survival and victory.
Vegeta directs a light backhand at his impudent son speaking up against him for no reason but his own amusement. This is no joke to him. It is blocked and Vegeta makes a distasteful hiss. One woman saw that attack and is remembering it. Sasami would speak up but she is not following the undertones within the conversation nor does she understand much of what is being said.
"Back on track, how do you know of Gohan being on Namek as a child?"
"Well, at least now that terrible myth about Saiyans not being able to cry-"
A dazzling aura pulsates around an enraged man, his fist so close to going through his table and Trunks has vanished from the room. Misaki spoke out again, getting back at him for trying to attack his child and again to distract him but it has not worked. Mihoshi is cowering even with her not being targeted in the slightest, Sasami holds onto her mother and Ayeka remains frozen in place feeling Vegeta's stare upon her.
His greatest shame has been witnessed. Someone tore through his privacy and revealed a secret that he wants to keep in absolute darkness. He has been disgraced by his guests nosing about. Being broken in mind and body, his whole destiny and the hopes of his entire race smashed out of his bones, his indomitable will broken and they witnessed the dams break before he drew one of his last breaths. This is an outrage for people like Kiyone to have casually browsed such a moment. Vegeta did not die and give his life trying to destroy Frieza for them to gawp. They have stolen into his recordings once before. Ryoko has no reason to show it and no want to see any of it and she seems unimpressed with his outburst but humoured all the same by who they both know the culprit to be. The gales blowing throughout the room intensify and the table creaks in protest as Ryoko holds it in place – she is not done eating.
Her rival was permitted entry into his past directly to seek through his recollection. Ayeka has taken liberty in making his death, defeat and humiliation as he wept and begged Goku for revenge a public show. The princess deeply bows her head. Vegeta reaches an arm out over the seat his son vacated and turns Ayeka's chair to face him. Cowering has saved no-one from his merciless rage. She quietly apologises and asks for forgiveness for her careless treatment of his personal property. Though hard to hear she timidly explains how she meant no offence and had no intention of any except her mother seeing it, and again she apologises.
" Did you enjoy watching me die?" The leering question is posed to all and still Vegeta keeps his steely gaze on the penitent princess. Ayeka flinches heavily and behind her so does Ryoko to a lesser degree. His keen eyes spot that her supposed innocence might be in question. He takes in a seething breath. This cowardice from Ayeka is aggravating him, sneaking and skulking behind his back and now she has the impudence to behave like merely a child who has made a mistake and he suspects her mother being in the room is playing its part. Vegeta growls and the princess shudders and recoils at his anger. He rocks her chair backwards so that her down averted eyes have nowhere to hide. Misaki stands up but is immediately blown back into her chair where Sasami hugs her tighter. "Is this the matinee performance you've been craving: me being broken by Frieza? Pinpointing the moment your fictional Tsunami washed away none of my sins? Answer me! Even shrouded in your delusions of a shining knight fantasy do you see me being killed as something meaningless?"
"Oh, but it is. You're the guy with the most deaths under his belt, where you can come back as long as someone remembers to make a wish, so yeah. You're temporary deaths have the least meaning, relatively speaking, Vegey." Arms wrap around the princess from behind as Ryoko sticks her head over the leant back chair. She will enter the fray here to claim back some of the debt she owes her recent friend. Her own dark grin glows in rebellion at the furious golden warrior. If Ayeka can insult him that much then she can do it better, openly mocking his repeated failure to stay alive and his noble sacrifices.
Ayeka nervously looks over her shoulder at this unexpected saviour and cannot tell if her rival's involvement has made her situation any less dire now she has kicked the hornets' nest even more. The firm hand releases the maiden's chair. Vegeta's aura is a fully lit bonfire now. The midday sun outside appearing dark due to his brilliance. His fists clench and Ryoko flicks some of her hair that is being blown about out of her face. He takes a step forwards. Mihoshi tries to escape but Kiyone grabs her, their duty is protection so they cannot run away in front of their employer. The chair of Ayeka's is let go as the pirate floats up and Ayeka tips forward dangerously close to Vegeta.
"You read my mind and taste what death really is, then tell me how insignificant it is!" Bellowing out each word in a mighty roar he fails to cow the woman standing up to his display of magnificence and power. To make a point Ryoko would put her palm on his forehead but for her dislike of his touch.
"Nope. Not gonna. I'd prefer to keep that a surprise. This is a fair transaction any-who. Missy over there gave you Jurai family films and pics, Ayeka now gave something of yours back. Ya gotta learn to share like we are now. Or maybe a real strong man would be able to laugh off his mistakes and not make my hair go wilder than it already is. Or shall I tell them of the other time I saw you bawl?"
One terrifyingly dangerous laugh is shared between the two killers from the Cold Empire. The dance she is leading is ever so dangerous. Ryoko knows what she is doing and so does Vegeta, his blood is boiling in rage and he is enjoying this. Instead of becoming a grovelling sycophant she is throwing mud in his face and riding out the storm of his fury without batting an eye. She is creating conflict. She is appealing to his Saiyan nature in its truest form and doing it well. Holding respect for her after their conversation outside Vegeta will let her insolence mostly slide. His anger is still there, burning ever so fiercely. Ryoko is in the clear for knowing exactly what to do and doing something a woman has not done in a few years to him. His blue eyes fall back down to Ayeka. Fear is in his nostrils and confusion is in her eyes. He admits he got too physical there than he should have. She humbly apologises and he derisively snorts through his nostrils. His aura simmers down to a low burn.
"Have you- Pardon my interruption, but have you viewed the records I tried to lend you? Would it not be fair recompense to use this as an 'eye for an eye' forgiveness for my daughter's mistake - which I am also partly to blame for." Misaki does the best she can to follow on from Ryoko's reminder of the data chit that he refused to take due to Washu's backups. Her daughter is visibly failing in comparison to Ryoko in dealing with Vegeta's anger. From her short time here she assumes that heads have been butted more often than not with the pirate. This flawed idea is what she can try and offer in lieu of a lifeline for her daughter's mistake.
"Washu has not yet installed a monitor in my training room."
That idea is shutdown. Ryoko hovers back into her seat and begins eating again with her belly now also full with a warm glow of pride at her accomplishment there. She nudges Ayeka with her elbow in a seemingly accidental manner. Vegeta's eyes scan the two cops to see if they have any-more to say and they do not. The mother is comforting her youngest who is distressed by all the commotion and talk of death.
"Lord- L-Lord Vegeta? … It would be possible for you to spare this short amount of time … for my atonement." Ayeka's quiet voice calls into question Vegeta's inability to see the records due to his training regime. She does not raise her head and remains in a humble bow. Heat wafts over her. She is scared. So much anger is emanating from him and she caused it by being an idiot and caring more for impressing her mother than for the man she loves' feelings. Truthfully she did parade his death and she feels awful for having done so. With no thought for him she took too great a liberty. Ayeka wants to atone. If this is how it will be done then she will try and make it so. She does not want for Vegeta to hate her.
'Now of all times you call that into play, from what position do you hold to lord that promise over me? Ayeka, any-more of this insolence and I will not have you at my table.' A silent message loudly scolds her from inside her head. The promise of spending daily time with her will yield him the time to go along with the idiotic plan devised by the panicking Juraians. She has no right to wield this against him when she has publicly wronged and shamed him. His eyes pierce her at daring to raise this. She reacts badly to his threat of shunning her. Ryoko takes note of Ayeka reacting to no verbal communication and slyly looks at the Saiyan pondering what she cannot hear.
"Please, I'm sorry. Ca-can you j-just un-transform … it's making you angrier."
"Ryoko said that she wanted breakfast in bed, and that she would not mind too much in you serving it to her. Do not question my training methods or my ability to control my transformations." Vegeta seats himself and continues eating. He will waste no more breath right now on this for it is not worth it and Ayeka is putting up too much of a pathetic display for him to want to keep on. His silence cuts her as the princess tries to apologise. A punishment like this she does not care for as Ryoko has showcased that the bitterness between them has sweetened, it is Vegeta purposefully ignoring her and holding anger towards her wrong doings that hurts the most.
Going along with things as she helped as much as she felt like, Ryoko says that she does not want breakfast too early and will shout when she wakes up. She then looks across to the Saiyan scoffing down as much food as he can and she points behind her to Mihoshi and says that this policewoman was upstairs chatting with her for a long time and did not see most of the recording. Mihoshi mouths a silent thank you. Ayeka does not touch her food. She moves little and listens to the nothingness maliciously directed at her. Molten metal drips from between Vegeta's fingers and sizzles on the wooden surface of the table. He throws the remnants of his cutlery into the sink and curses not so quietly.
The purple haired woman pushes back her chair and lowers herself down into a deep bow crouched on the floor with her forehead resting on the floorboards. Misaki then joins her daughter, if a bit slower, and pays her respect to the prince she slighted. A voice enters Ayeka's head and warns her that this is the second time she has stolen a possession of his for selfish reasons: the first being Bulma's special outfit and now a gift from Bulma to himself. She tries to respond but has no telepathic powers or knowledge of how to do so. The Queen of Jurai then stands and faces the Saiyan.
" Prince Vegeta, please may I have permission to finish my viewing of your fights. I have not yet fully studied your evolving style nor do I comprehend the power you hold. You said there are 14 years left for me to see, as a fighter I am curious, and as Misaki I want to learn more of your life." A leaf will be pulled from Ryoko's book, the Queen does not stay bowed for long and presses for progress. She asks what should not be asked and to test what sin is causing Vegeta's rage. Ryoko got away with purposely angering him, if this tact works she will try and get her daughter to employ it yet she knows how downbeat Ayeka can be when feeling guilty and in the wrong. She cannot see her prostrate child due to the table, she can see Vegeta and his attention has turned to her.
"To punish Ayeka's cowardice she must also watch, and the police are to be kept from the room. Stand Ayeka, what say you?" He cracks his knuckles and stares at the Queen. Misaki's actions will cost her child and he witnesses the distraught look on the mother's face realising what this will mean for Ayeka. He has more than one death for them to watch and they will suffer through it, but not nearly as much as he did when burning himself alive in an explosion fuelled by his life energy. Ayeka has already seen it, Misaki will inevitably with Washu as her inside agent, if the ki-less cops are out of the equation then this he will use as a punishment.
"I c-ca … I won't watch it. Not that. An-anything else, please..."
"Do it Ayeka. I floated in on the first, you're fault, so you can clean up this mess. Stop whining, mummy's not gonna help, just do it and get it over with. This is spoiling my nice lunch."
Ryoko does not want this to drag on and spoil the mood, Ayeka's whines from the floor are not as sweet to her elfin ears as they were when her sword carved into her back. Her and Vegeta are the only ones eating. Vegeta glances at the pirate who solemnly nods back, she did accidentally hear his demise at the hands of Frieza. His eyes go down to Ayeka. So many of his countless victims have held that look of fear towards him. He stands. Vegeta briskly exits the room stepping over Ayeka's still mostly prone form. Sasami throws a glass of water over the smoking chair that has now been vacated and looks to her mother. The queen wants to help but this is something that her daughter has to handle, an ally cannot fight in every battle. A grain of rice is flicked and bounces off Ayeka's head. The maiden looks up and sees Ryoko flicking another at her, this time it lands and sticks in her hair. Ayeka nods and gets the rice off her.
A roar of anger is exhaled into Frieza's face and then Vegeta releases the rest of his fury. This great alabaster overlord is no threat to him. He is stronger and can never be killed when challenging the being who raised him in servitude. It is not enough. Frieza is dead and Vegeta's fury is unfulfilled, he continues. Gravity is turned on for some modicum of challenge. Fists pound into an already still corpse. This should have been how his grandest of victories played out. Ambivalently his bloodlust filled mind drifts onto how this loss led him to his wife. His fists hang in the air. Vegeta pants and a lone laugh comes from his gravelly throat. Unlike him Bulma survived Namek. Their first meeting was as he slew Zarbon. Anger is replaced by a different emotion. This is all a distraction. The gravity goes higher. He is training to gift Bulma victory over Goku through the transformation he achieved by their bond. Shenron will not be able to save the other of his race from him when the tournament arrives.