Bringer of Death

Android Saga - Part 5: Learning Curve

Android Saga - Part 5: Learning Curve 

The next morning Vegeta awoke with a start. It wasn't light that had caused him to wake, nor was his rest interrupted by sound; Bulma had accounted for both in the modifications she made to his room. What her soundproof walls couldn't block out were the prince's highly tuned senses. Since childhood, he had trained his mind to detect anything out of the ordinary while he was sleeping. He surmised that this was the reason he had been able to acquire the ability to sense energy with such ease. Of course, the disturbance he sensed now was unmistakable; surely it could have even been noticed by someone as weak-minded as Yamcha. 

Vegeta looked over at his alarm clock, the red digits revealing it to be barely 3:30. The prince of Saiyans was early to rise himself, but it seemed that his son had beaten him this morning. "What in the name of Frieza is he doing up training at this hour?" 

The prince was more frustrated at himself than at Trunks. The thought that anyone else was more dedicated to training felt like a challenge. Though no one else would have even noticed, Vegeta couldn't stand the feeling of being outdone. Frustrated, he swung his legs out from under the covers and onto the soft brown carpet of his bedroom, then began to dress in his training garb. A simple pair of blue form-fitting shorts and shirt sufficed for everyday activities. 

"Stupid, lazy, routine. It's that woman's fault. Before her, I would have been up training just as early as Trunks." 

As he walked outside into the cool dawn air, Vegeta noticed the familiar hum of the gravity chamber inside the Capsule Corporation ship. "That's right; you'd better use THAT training room." Ever since Bulma had repaired the Bringer of Death, training had been much more productive. His ship's built-in shields allowed him to let loose at a level that the Capsule Corporation vessel simply couldn't handle. 

Suppressing his energy to undetectable levels, Vegeta walked over to one of the portholes on the ship and peered inside. Trunks appeared to be jogging in place, swinging the occasional jab, but was obviously extending very intense effort to maintain his exercises. 

"Hmmm. 300 times the gravity of Earth? Is that all he can handle?" Disappointed, the prince opened the door and walked right in. Had it been anyone else, the training equipment would have automatically disengaged, but Bulma had programmed it to resume Vegeta's last training level whenever he entered. Immediately the ship's engines began to whine, the gravity machine suddenly humming twice as loud. 

"Good morning, Father," the boy said, not surprised by Vegeta's sudden entrance. Within seconds, however, Trunks began to feel the overwhelming effects of the increased gravity, stumbling onto his hands and knees. He wasn't sure what had happened, but the presence of his father left no doubt as to who was responsible. 

"Getting in a light workout before you get to the real stuff, son?" Vegeta taunted. The last setting the chamber had been on was 500Gs - it was quite clear that this was more than Trunks could handle in his base state. Vegeta stood motionless, frowning, with his arms crossed. 

"What's the matter? Having trouble standing, boy?" 

Trunks knew this was the type of push he had been waiting for. As hard as he was on himself, he hadn't had true accountability since Gohan had died. Now, perhaps with his father there to drive him, he could make actual progress, something he felt he hadn't accomplished in a long time. But it certainly wouldn't be easy. 

Inwardly, he fought the pain, trying to will himself to his feet with every ounce of mental discipline he had. 'I have to do this! I can't let my father think I'm a weakling right off the bat. Whatever it takes, I MUST earn his respect!' 

Trunks gritted his teeth, clinching his fists and forcing himself up onto one knee. From there, he made sure he had his footing just right. One tiny slip and a three foot drop could easily snap his neck or break his back. Completely focused on not being a disappointment, Trunks finally stood. Every movement took extreme effort. When he had, Vegeta made no acknowledgement but merely leaned to his right and began stretching as if there was no gravity at all. The boy's eyebrows shook as he struggled to continue standing, refusing to appear weak.