Devil His Due
Note: this fic takes place somewhere during the 10 days of relaxation before the Cell Games. Areas of speech denoted by an asterisk (*) indicate a character thinking to him/herself. The Trunks mentioned means Mirai (future) Trunks. Baby Trunks is named with the "Baby" in front to distinguish between them.
It was the dawn of a beautiful morning. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and ChiChi was cooking. What a perfect day. Eleven year old Gohan was completely relaxed and enjoying his slumber. That is until...
"GOHAN! GET UP NOW! YOU NEED TO EAT BEFORE YOUR FATHER EATS IT ALL!"
Gohan groaned before replying back to his mother. "COMING!" he yelled then looked back at the clock. 6:30 am. He moaned and dragged himself out of bed. * Why does dad get up so early? It's not like he has anywhere to be.* Gohan thought as he trudged off to the bathroom. Moments later he arrived in the kitchen dressed and awake.
"Morning mom, dad."
"Morning son!" Goku enthusiastically replied between bowlfuls.
Chichi merely motioned Gohan to take his seat at the table then served him a bowl of rice. Gohan immediately shovelled it down and held his bowl out for more.
"Gohan, I accept your father's slobbish ways, but you don't need to imitate him.And I really wish you weren't that Super Saiyan thing when at the table."
"But mom, this is how I eat. If I eat slow, dad will get all the food. And I'm still your son even if I do look a little different."
ChiChi refilled her son's and husband's bowls several more times without speaking before both finally had their fill.
"ChiChi, Gohan and I are meeting the others at Bulma's house today. We may do a little training."
"Just be sure Gohan doesn't get hurt. And Gohan, I want you to bring your books with you. You need to train your mind besides your body."
"But mom..."
"But nothing. You heard me."
"Yes mom. I'll bring my books."
"Good boy."
A little while later Gohan and Goku arrived at the Capsule Corporation, home to Bulma and one could say, Vegeta. Gohan and Goku were the last to arrive.
"Hi all! "
The others immediatly greeted the two Super Saiyans aside from Vegeta of course. Goku joined the other warriors while Gohan lagged behind and grabbed a seat on the sofa with his books. He listened to the others talking as he worked on several math problems.
"Kakarrot, you're pathetic. You're a low class saiyan. There is no way you will ever amount to my greatness."
"He's stronger than you Vegeta."
"Baldy, I'd stay out of this if I were you. This is between saiyan warriors. There's no place for a lowly human."
Krillin hushed. A side conversation between Yamcha, Puar, and Oolong was developing as well. Yamcha was bragging about something close to nothing.
Gohan listened to Vegeta berate all his friends and Yamcha's cocky speech. Out of extreme boredom, Gohan decided to become a little devil for a day.
Gohan surveyed all the various rooms and who occupied which. His first strike was the bathroom. Somebody was bound to use it at some point in the day. Looking about he found a tube of muscle cream. "Relieves all sore muscles with a smooth burning sensation." Gohan read to himself as an idea came to him. "Vegeta, you're first. I'll show you who's got more class."
Vegeta was wearing regular clothes today so Gohan knew that his saiyan outfit was somewhere else, no doubt nearby, ready to be donned at the slightest hint of combat. He decided to check the gravity room first. Sure enough, hanging on a peg on the wall was the saiyan prince's spandex. Flipping the bodysuit inside out, Gohan pasted some of the cream a tactical region before returning the suit to normal.
Gohan then returned to the bathroom and perused the reading selections in there. Sure enough he found what he was looking for tucked in the back of the stack. *Now Mr. Innocent prettyboy, it's your turn. You've done nothing wrong, but you are the son of Vegeta. I must cover my bases thoroughly. Let's see... I'm sure your mother would like you a little more uh, educated. You're just too damn innocent for a guy your age. It gets people thinking. * Gohan thought as he took the magazine out and made his way to the guestroom Trunks was staying in. Sneaking in he quietly looked about. Taking out an empty capsule from his own pocket, he placed the magazine within it then tucked the capsule into one of the pockets in Trunks' jacket. *If I know Bulma, she'll want to wash this jacket shortly after you get back seeing how it's rather dirty. And she'll check the pockets to make sure they're empty. Dirty...well, now it is in another way too.* Gohan snickered to himself.
*Hmmm, what next?* Gohan thought before he heard a door slam and footsteps thundering down the hall. *Shit, who's that!?* Gohan thought while finding a small nook to hide in. Soon the creator of all the noise passed him by. It was Vegeta. Apparently he had grown sick of "socializing" and was now heading off to train in the gravity room. Gohan peered around the corner to see for sure.
*Heheh, I didn't expect results so quickly. This is going to be rather interesting to say the least. Time to get back to my studies. I don't want to be in the wrong place so he can immediately suspect. Vegeta's rather smart to foul play.*
Twenty minutes later a loud howl resounded through the entire house. Baby Trunks added his own shriek as his father's angry voice hurt his sensitive ears. A few minutes later a naked Vegeta entered the room where all were currently seated. He was carrying the saiyan bodysuit he had been wearing.
"BOY!!!"
Trunks looked up from the conversation he was having with Goku. Once he made eye contact with his father, Vegeta chucked the tube of muscle cream at him. It was thrown with such a force that Trunks opted to dodge it rather than catch it. It buzzed by his ear and smashed through the wall of the house.
"Wow! Nice throw Vegeta. Now you have fresh air when you're eating." Goku commented.
Vegeta ignored the other saiyan. His eyes were locked on his son's. Gohan looked closely at Vegeta. He could see within his eyes that the saiyan prince was hiding an extreme amount of pain. The fact that he was naked was an indication that the cream had done its job in his nether region.
Trunks grew annoyed at his father's stare. "What was that all about?"
Vegeta motioned for Trunks to come nearer. Trunks decided to obey seeing how his father was already going ballistic. He got up and calmly approached his father. When near enough, Vegeta tossed the body suit to his future son.
"Put it on." he ordered the younger saiyan.
Trunks looked at him in bewilderment. "Why? I'm already wearing one."
"Change out of that one and put it on."
"But it's yours."
"DO IT NOW BOY!"
"In front of everyone?"
"Got something to hide?" Vegeta taunted.
"No."
"Then stop your senseless babbling and put it on."
Gohan couldn't bear to watch an innocent friend take the heat for his own antic.
"Trunks, don't!" Gohan blurted. Vegeta glared at the son of Goku for a moment.
"What's it to you boy?" he asked Gohan.
"Trunks didn't do that to you."
"It's his cream."
"Yes it is, but he didn't put it in your suit. He's been here with us."
Vegeta contemplated the events once again before finally putting it all together. "You were the only one absent from this room in the past hour." Vegeta mentioned.
Gohan didn't respond.
"Boy, you'd better hope your father makes another brat because you're not going to be around long enough to see adulthood."
Gohan stood his ground. If he showed strength and courage, the saiyan prince may just spare his life. He also inwardly prayed that his father would come to his aid.
"Well at least I now know a lowly saiyan can get under a royal saiyan's skin." Gohan joked.
Vegeta's ki skyrocketed as he too transformed into a super saiyan. It was at this point where Goku decided to step in. He couldn't resist a challenge afterall.
"Vegeta, leave my son alone."
"Kakarrot, you dare intervene?"
"Naturally. Besides, I need a warm-up before I do some serious training anyway. You'll do for such."
This of course erupted the full temper of Vegeta.
Goku continued. "Uh I'll fight, but first you may want to put some clothes on?"
Vegeta growled, but ever anxious for a fight against Kakarrot, he quickly left, put on some clothes, and returned to follow Goku outside. Goku led him away from the house, the city, and into some deserted area.
Everyone else looked at Gohan, stupified.
"I can't believe it was YOU Gohan. You're never naughty." Krillin said.
"Yes I am. Ask my mother."
"But to do such a cruel thing to Vegeta?"
"Cruel?"
"You're right. He had that one coming. But still it was an under-handed thing to do."
"I know, but it was all worth it. My dad gets a good workout and I showed Vegeta that my dad's bloodline is as good if not better than his stupid royal one."
"Let's toast to that." Yamcha mentioned as he raised his cup to the air before drinking. The others did the same.
END.
Just a little story that popped into my head while at work.
Note on the title. "Devil His Due" is actually the name of a champion Thoroughbred stallion I am fond of and watched race years ago. It just seemed to be a somewhat appropriate name for this short story.