Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Night Prowler Addition ❯ Chapter 4

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Chapter 4

“What are you doing in here?!”

Trunks jumped, even in the increased gravity. True to his word, he had not touched his mother’s programmed limits. What she didn’t know was that he kept ankle and wrist weights hidden in the gravity chamber. The extra weight, combined with the increased gravity, had proven to be just the challenge Trunks was looking for. Sweat drenched his hair and ran down his face.

“Answer me!” Vegeta demanded from the gravity chamber doorway.

“I . . . I was just . . .” Trunks began, but stopped when he saw the odd look on his father’s face.

“This is MY training room!” Vegeta continued, taking a step inside the chamber. “I have not given you permission to be in here!”

“Mom said I could,” Trunks said. Even though Vegeta frightened him, he was willing to stand up to him to be able to keep training there.

An icy cold shiver ran down Trunks’ back as Vegeta kept taking small steps forward, slowly closing the distance between them. He was used to his father’s gruffness, but this was something different. Something in his eyes completely terrified the small boy. He stood, petrified, in the middle of the gravity chamber. The sweat of exertion was joined by the sweat of fear as he was transfixed by Vegeta’s stare.

“Vegeta! You’re back!”

Bulma’s voice over the intercom seemed to break the invisible force that held Trunks in place. Vegeta, too, shook his head before looking over his shoulder at the view screen.

“Why would you give this . . . child . . . permission to use MY training room?!” he boomed.

Trunks didn’t pay attention to his mother’s reply. Instead, he used the diversion to escape the chamber. The change in gravity caught him off guard as he charged through the door, making him run head first into a tree trunk on the far side of the yard. He picked himself up and ran blindly to the back door of the house as if ogres from hell were licking at his heels. His bedroom felt miles away and he wished he knew how to fly to get there faster.

Finally, slamming his door shut behind him and fumbling the bolt home, he threw himself onto his bed and cried safely into his pillow.

~~~~~~~~~~

The yell echoed around the gravity chamber, followed by a full minute of ki blasts. Completely spent, Vegeta collapsed to his knees on the floor. His breath came in ragged heaves and he shook all over. If Bulma hadn’t noticed him walking toward the chamber to see why it was operating, he didn’t know what might have happened.

“Damn!” he cursed, falling forward to his hands. The combination of stress, frustration, and lack of proper food was forcing his body to betray him. If he didn’t do something soon, he was going to lose control. He shuddered at the thought.

What would he do if he unconsciously killed his own family? As much as he tried to make them believe he didn’t care, he hadn’t convinced himself.