Author's Note: Whoever it is constantly asking me when the next chapter will come out. PLEASE STOP! This is my long term multi year passion project and in spite of that I do have a life outside my fanfiction. It will be ready when it is ready so stop leaving me "reviews" asking when it's coming. How about you leave your thoughts about the chapters instead? Say anything besides when's the next chapter, I'll take heavy criticism over that at this point.
Chapter 5 The Dynamic Demi Saiyan Duo Breakup
Today was the birthday of Trunks Briefs, the lavender haired demi saiyan of royal heritage reaching ten years of age. All the z warriors and their families had arrived at Capsule Corp for the expectantly huge party thrown for this occasion. While everyone else were busy either gathering their gifts together or striking up conversations with each other to catch up, Goten could be seen leaning against the gate walls near the entrance. He appeared to be somewhat distracted his eyes looking up absentmindedly into the sky while periodically darting his eyes towards the entrance as if he was waiting for someone. "Hey Goten, what are doing over here little guy? Aren't you gonna enjoy your friends party?" Krillin asked Goten walking towards the boy noticing that he was not participating in the party. "Oh yeah I will, I'm just waiting for another friend I invited to get here" Goten excused himself nonchalantly with a smile on his face. "Huh? I didn't know you had another friend" Krillin said slightly surprised before a thought popped up in his mind and his expression morphed into a sly grin. "Do you mean a girlfriend he he he?!" Krillin teased laughing mischievously. "No!" Goten denied indignantly embarrassed at what Krillin was assuming. "Hey! What are you two talking about?" Trunks asked somewhat rudely walking up to Goten and Krillin. "Goten's waiting for his girlfriend to show up he he he!" Krillin answered for Goten further teasing the young boy. "Girlfriend? Oh man she must be desperate if she took you as her boyfriend ha ha ha!" Trunks joked adding to Goten's embarrassment. Goten glared hatefully at the two people laughing at him, his eye and one of his hands twitching ever so slightly. "Silence them" a creepy voice said in Goten's mind. Goten gasped lightly startled by the voice and what it said. This was starting to worry Goten. Ever since Xavier nearly killed him a few months back he'd been hearing some kind of voice in his head whenever he felt upset or frustrated and it didn't sound like his own thinking voice, it sounded like a different person. It was always telling him to do disturbing stuff. Most worrying aspect of the whole thing was that he also in those moments felt his body attempting to do things that he didn't command it to do with his own volition, almost as if something else was trying to take the wheel of his body. "What's wrong with me? I feel so weird" Goten thought to himself worriedly. "Well I suppose you hanging out with a girl would explain why you've been blowing me off lately" Trunks surmised recalling the fact that he and Goten hadn't been seeing each other as frequently as they did before.
Flashback to just before Zach scared Xavier away
"Hey dweep I heard you got lost on your way back home, how did you manage that?" Trunks asked over the phone. "Well I uhhh..." Goten nervously muttered unsure how to explain himself and a little anxious as to his other friend's reaction to whatever explanation he gave him. "It's alright dude it's not like I expect you to know how you mess up" Trunks excused his friend in a belittling tone. Goten was about to defend himself when another call came through and started disrupting Trunks's line. "Oh sorry Trunks gotta call you back later there's someone else calling! Bye!" Goten said frantically cutting the line with Trunks and answering the new call. "Wait what?" Trunks asked bewildered by Goten's sudden hanging up but he was hung up before he could say anything else. As it turned out the new caller was Zach. "Hi Goten! Just wanted to hear how it went with your parents?" Zach inquired curiously. "Oh hi Zach! Yeah my mom did get a little upset but I'm not in as much trouble as Xavier usually puts me in" Goten replied happily. "Ahh that's a relief" Zach sighed with contentment.
Fast forward to sometime later
"Hey Goten! My mom just bought me a PS5! Get over here and we'll play grand theft auto 6!" Trunks ordered giddily. "Uhhh sorry Trunks I'm doing something else right now...maybe next time" Goten answered back hanging up the phone denying his lavender haired friend's request so he could continue with the activity him and Zach were doing on the other end. "Is it ready?" Goten questioned Zach gaining a smile on his face. "Yep!" Zach confirmed closing up a panel. "Computer! Activate the Video Game Assimilation Simulator!" Zach commanded his super computer. Suddenly the dark vacant lab room the pair were in was consumed by billions of particles and codes with the boys following suit. Within seconds the particles and code coalesced and the room came to life as the scenery transformed into that of desert like landscape dotted with cactus plants and lined by a dirt road with a beautiful sunset in the distance. Western music could also be heard playing from somewhere setting the scene. "Awesome! I'm Dutch Van Der Linde!" Goten announced in a new voice as the AI and its particles had turned Goten into the aforementioned character. He was still himself, his body and voice were just covered up by the program. "And I'm Hosea Matthews!" Zach shouted out also with a new voice and in the guise of another video game character. "Come on! We let's form a gang and be outlaws!" Goten as Dutch yelled out pumped up him and Zach as Hosea jumped onto horses and rode away into the sunset as the title for the name of the game the machine was simulating "Red Dead Redemption 3".
Fast forward to a couple weeks before the party
"Goten! Let's go to the beach! I've got a lot of cool surf moves to show off to you!" Trunks practically screams through the phone already in his bathing suit with a surfboard in his other hand. "Oh uhhh I can't my mom and I are uhhh...on a tour of a national history museum!" Goten stuttered nervously on the other end though it was clear from the fact that he was in his own bathing suit and standing outside on a beach that he was lying. "Wha?" Trunks said confused and disheartened by Goten not joining him for an activity yet again. "Oh the guide's leaving I gotta go bye" Goten hung up his cellphone hurriedly putting it in his bag right as Zach walked over to him. "Hey Goten, do you think I should ask that hunky guy if he'd wanna hang out with me?" Zach asked Goten nervously blushing slightly and pointing at the semi muscular preteen who was sunbathing in the middle of the beach. "Yeah sure, why?" Goten asked a little perplexed to his friend's questioning. "I'm nervous" Zach admitted blushing more and sweating from anxiety rather than the heat of the day. "Aww don't worry Zach! I'm sure he'll love you once he gets to know you!" Goten encouraged Zach trying to boost his confidence. "You really think so?" Zach asked Goten wondering if his friend was being honest or if he was just being nice. "Absolutely! Go on and get his attention!" Goten cheered on Zach lightly pushing him towards his intended target. "Ok! I'll do it!" Zach announced determinedly before pulling out a new gun looking invention of his and then running off to the preteen. "Hi! I'm Zach! Look at this thing I made! Want to see me shoot it?!" Zach exclaimed slightly mad looking evidently wanting to impress his beach crush with his smarts. Unfortunately it did not have that effect on him as the preteen assumed that Zach was trying to kill him given the device's weapon looking design and screamed while running away in terror. Zach slowly walked back to Goten defeated and in shame and said, "I should have waited on bringing my invention shouldn't I?". "Yeah that might have been the better option" Goten agreed in a knowing tone comforting his friend with his blown shot with a could have been boyfriend.
Back in the present
"I'm sorry about that Trunks, but I was hanging out with a friend, not a girlfriend" Goten apologized to Trunks while reiterating his denial of his girlfriend claims. "Is your friend into guys?" Trunks asked skeptically cocking an eyebrow while giggling in a teasing tone. "Well yes actually but he knows that I don't-" Goten's explanation was cut off when Trunks yelled out, "Ah ha! So you have a boyfriend!". "No Trunks! He is not-!" Goten about to snap was interrupted by a light boom noise. Everyone else at the party heard it too and turned to face out into the direction of the city where the mysterious sound came from. Up in the sky, a ufo looking object with a ring of red lights rocked into the sky leaving no exhaust trail as it rose above the tallest buildings. The object then started zooming down towards Capsule Corp at a slower but still great speed. Halfway towards its destination, the object then fired four missiles ahead of itself. They stopped right as they were about to make contact with the capsule corp yard a few feet away from the party gathering. The missiles then turned themselves around to point their pointy ends at the sky and out from their sides came out blue colored laser beams. When all four missiles's beams converged on each other they formed an energy landing pad. Finally the object abruptly halted its approach right above the pad and gently set itself down onto it. "Mom, did you arrange an alien themed air show for my birthday? If you did, it was so lame, you could have had it abduct somebody or had a guy dressed like an alien and say "take me to your leader" at the very least" Trunks complained like a spoiled brat mocking an alien greeting from old tv shows. "Ummm noooo I did not..." Bulma replied with a slight squeak in her voice, scared as to who or what was in the flying contraption. Upon hearing the great scientist's answer, all the z warriors except Goten got into defensive stances, ready to defend themselves and their powerless allies from harm that may come. A door slid open with a cork like click and out came Zach. "Greetings, is this Capsule Corp?" Zach inquired nonchalantly as though his entrance onto the scene was nothing short of bizarre. "Uhhh...yes, yes it is" Tien awkwardly answered stuttering racking his three eyed head as to what was going on. "Oh phew, I thought maybe I overshooted the accelerator there a bit" Zach said sighing with relief. "Wait a minute! You flew that thing?!" Bulma shouted out flabbergasted as to how a kid could both build and drive a freaking ufo like object. "Sure did miss briefs I assume? My buddy Goten invited me to this shin ding and I wanted to show off the project we've been working on together" Zach confirmed confidently. "Goten? Your the friend Goten was talking about?" Trunks asked surprised. "Geez Zach, do you always have to make such a big entrance? Last time you sang the first few verses of the HMS Pinafore, in the rain!" Goten asked jokingly while recalling one of Zach's earlier and more peculiar introductions. "Aw come on man you love them" Zach playfully begged. "Ha ha! True, glad you could make it!" Goten agreed welcoming Zach gleefully. "Goten, who is this?" Gohan asked. "He's Goten's new friend apparently, darn and I was so sure it was a girlfriend" Krillin replied for Goten looking slightly down that his assumption was wrong and that he couldn't further tease Goten or his would be girl about it. "Sorry to disappoint you" Zach said sarcastically. "Hey there little man, what do you and Goten do together?" Goku asked curiously. "Oh all sorts of things! Sometimes we play games, sometimes he helps me with my inventions like this and other times I help him with his homework and stuff" Zach explained enthusiastically. "Oh! You must be why my little boy's grades have skyrocketed the past few months!" Chi chi exclaimed with realization and joy having put the pieces together in her mind. "Well I'm sure when Goten and you have talked he must have told you all about me?" Trunks questioned in a expectant tone assuming that Goten had bragged about him to his surely lesser nerdy friend. "Oh yes, he has indeed told me about all of you!" Zach answered. Trunks smirked in anticipation for Zach going on about he heard that he himself was so cool and practically kiss the ground he walked on in worship like all those in his sayian royal presence should be. "He told me your a little bratty prince boy that has grape colored hair ha ha ha!" Zach laughed wholeheartedly. Trunks was shocked and appalled by Zach's description of him that he supposedly got from Goten. "Ha ha! Zach your so funny! Come on let's party!" Goten laughed cheerily pulling Zach away as they and the rest of the party attendees returned to the festivities and to get to know about Zach oblivious to Trunks silent but seething anger.
A couple hours pass and the z warriors and their families get comfortable with Zach getting to know about him. Goten and Zach elected to keep Zach's blood ties to Dr Gero in the dark for now as they might jump to conclusions. Though Trunks did try to enjoy his party and did find momentary happiness with some of his presents he couldn't get Zach out of his head nor his ill feelings towards him and Goten especially since it sounded like they were making fun of him behind his back. By nightfall the party was wrapping up and Goten and Zach had retreated away from everyone else to the outermost edge of the capsule corp yard where they sat together. "So do you think I made a good first impression?" Zach asked sincerely. "Are you kidding you made a great first impression! My mom and Bulma love you!" Goten reassured his friend cheerfully. "Yeah though Vegeta kinda scared me when after I showed off my intellect he pulled Bulma aside asked if she had another son with someone else, ekkk..." Zach recalled grimacing at the memory and the resulting screeching from all sides it induced. "Ehh yeah we all know not to get on Vegeta's bad side, but you never know where it is and we always manage to provoke it somehow" Goten lamented in a lightly frustrated manner. "But mom is really happy your my friend! She thinks your gonna help me become a scholar like my big brother" Goten continued. "I guess we shouldn't tell her I've also been researching ways to help you train ha ha!" Zach pointed out him and Goten laughing. "Say Goten, where is Xavier? I obviously don't expect him to be very showy knowing how he is but I haven't caught a single glimpse at the bastard the whole time I've been here" Zach inquired looking around for any signs of the devilish son child slightly concerned for their safety. "I was gonna ask you the same thing, he did come with us to this party and I remember seeing him around for a little while but a few minutes before you arrived he just kinda disappeared" Goten replied. Goten himself then thought back to earlier in the day when one of the capsule corp spacecraft had abruptly taken off and flew to an unknown location. Bulma and her father mentioned that they had been having issues with their spaceships randomly launching and going who knows where before returning home. The first few times it occurred after the ships returned they searched every nook and cranny for anybody who might have stolen the spaceship. They never found anyone however so they came to the conclusion that the ships were malfunctioning and launching on their own. Neither geniuses could figure out why this was happening, they'd clean the software out several times over yet still every few weeks one spaceship would just take off. Goten heavily suspected that Xavier was the one coming and going with the ships, only question was why and where was he going each time he left but of course Goten couldn't work up the courage to ask him nor pass the chance for a break from his twin brother's abuse and predatory eying of himself. Zach looked up and saw Vegeta's gravity chamber. "Is that the gravity chamber that Mr widows peak uses?" Zach asked marveling at the machine while making a jab at Vegeta without worry of the prince smushing him to a pulp. "Yeah it's awesome isn't it?! I wish I had something like that for myself back home or in one of your labs!" Goten confirmed wistfully dreaming he had a gravity chamber of his own. "No wish needed my friend! Just give me the schematics for this device and I'll build you one! Better yet! I'll improve it so it can go one million times earth's gravity!" Zach bellowed out with a mixture of determination and slight crazines cackling almost maniacally. "Oh heh you don't need to do all that for me Zach, you've already given me so much" Goten humbly rejected Zach's offer remembering all the good times they've had in the past year since they've known each other. "It's alright dude, the way I see it, you've had a pretty crap life so far so let me spoil you a little, besides it's a good way to redeem myself after all the trouble my grandfather caused the world" Zach brushed Goten's humbleness warmly he genuinely wanting to help his friend reach new heights in strength since he's time and options for training were rather limited. Goten's shocked face morphed into one of extreme gratitude and watery tears of joy and he hugged Zach very tightly. "Your the best friend in the world!" Goten yelled out crying with happiness and no hesitation. "Thank gah you gag Goten now gag can you gag let loose a gag little?" Zach managed to choke out in between gags. "Oh oops sorry" Goten apologized sheepishly letting Zach free and rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I know how you get dude so it's fi-" Zach was cut off when out of nowhere Trunks screamed "Best Friend?!". Goten and Zach shot up like startled cats at the roar of Trunks's furious yell and grew panicked. "How the hell could you replace me as your best friend with his chicken legged nerd!" Trunks questioned very angrily stomping closer to the pair pointing towards Zach's rather spindly thin arms and legs. He was honestly physically weaker than even most human children. "Wait trunks I didn't mean-" Goten attempted to explain but Trunks cut him off again. "I'm a saiyan like you! I can go super! I can bench press whole buildings if I wanted to and make your third class ass stronger than it otherwise could ever be and you prefer him over me?!" Trunks ranted more. "I can explain Trunks just please stop-" Goten again attempted to calm trunks down but it was no use as the lavender haired boy cut him off again. "Yeah I'd like to hear you try! I'm the best friend you could possibly have! What does he do that I don't?!" Trunks asked furiously finally stopping while breathing heavily like a kid throwing a temper tantrum. Goten stared back at Trunks's enraged face with fear for a few moments. Then suddenly he felt a rage rise within him that burned away all the fear he had and with a slight shuddering twitchiness his frightened expression changed into an angry scowl. "Why would I prefer Zach over you?! Why wouldn't I prefer Zach over you?!" Goten barked back. Both Trunks and Zach were taken aback by Goten's sudden change in demeanor. "You insult me! Constantly call me a dummy and you don't show me any kind of respect like a real friend! And you do all of this because you're descended from royalty despite knowing that it ain't worth dick anymore! Hell! Your not even a genius like Bulma so you don't even have brains to brag about! Zach actually cares about me! We actually have fun together! I can have real conversations with him instead of hearing you prattle on about your family is the strongest in the world! Well guess what Trunks?! Your the second strongest, which means you're number two! And do you know what that means?! Your shit! Complete and utter shit!" Goten ranted ferociously until he was left breathing heavily like an animal. Zach and Trunks had stunned expressions on their faces from Goten's intense outburst, neither one had ever seen him like that before. Goten's angry face faltered as his rage abruptly faded as quickly as it came on and he realized what he had just done covering his mouth in shock of himself. "T-trunks I-I don't-I didn't" Goten stuttered shakily trying to muster up the courage to apologize for his outburst before Trunks lost it himself. Unfortunately it was too late as Trunks finally registered everything Goten said to him and now he was staring at Goten with a cold sternness. "Go away" Trunks ordered in an intensely calm tone. "What?" Goten squeaked in shock and sadness hoping Trunks didn't mean what he thought he meant. "Go away and never speak to me again Goten" Trunks demanded again coldly. "N-no no please Trunks I'm so sorry I didn't mean to! I'll do anything! Please forgive me! Goten pleaded with his first friend getting on his knees and putting his hand in a praying position rivers of tears flowing out of his eyes. Trunks just stood there icy glare still in place. He then took an unopened present from Goten he had next to him and threw it in Goten's face knocking the spiky haired boy down flat onto the ground. "Sorry Goten, but this time your mental retardation doesn't excuse you, go cry to your mommy like the worthless crybaby you are and go be a pathetic loser for the rest of your damn life for all I care" Trunks scolded Goten and walked away his mind made up leaving Goten heartbroken. Goten's eyes somehow watered up even more and he wailed in despair. Zach felt terrible about the whole affair. Here he was just trying to fit in with the dragon clan and make more amends for his family's past and now he destroyed a friendship. Sure that friendship was very questionable and a conflict like this may have been bound to happen no matter what but his presence definitely accelerated the process. "I'm very sorry Goten... I shouldn't have come" Zach said bending down and patting Goten on his back. "Sniff, it's ok Zach, you didn't do anything wrong sniff" Goten responded still sniffling. "Look bud, Trunks clearly was not that good of a friend to you, I know you wanted him to be and maybe the two of you did have fun together at some points but it's clear he didn't really respect you at all if this was all it took for him to cast you out" Zach reasoned. Goten nodded his head. He honestly thought the same thing but couldn't bring himself to say it nor could he help but still be hurt by Trunks's words and their friendship ripped apart. "You'd think letting him know about Xavier would change anything?" Goten asked. "Buddy we still haven't gotten enough dirt on Xavier to convince your dad let alone Trunks who's as stubborn as a mule, Xavier's surprisingly good at covering his tracks, if we tried to tell him now, it'd just make things worse" Zach explained solemnly feeling bad that he needed to tell Goten the harsh truth of the situation. "Oh...yeah your right..." Goten sulked sinking his head lower. "Maybe Trunks will one day simmer down and forgive you but we'll need to give it time, till then let's keep trying to expose Xavier, he's the real problem here, just take it easy and we'll work it all out, ok Goten?" Zach eased Goten down by talking about their game plan slowly and talking of a bright future. Goten looked up at Zach cracking a brief smile and said weakly "I hope your right Zach, I really do".
Well now it's just Zach and Goten against Xavier. Will the world finally cut these two prodigies of opposite talents a break, or does the universe have something else in mind?