Second in Line (Saiyan OC's)

"Here again!"

*3rd POV

Seika's house, somewhere in East City.

It's been three weeks since the decision to re-train was taken. Seika was still having some difficulty in balancing his work and training schedules; his work as an 'earth-tester specialist' soon brought in quite a bunch of demands due to the near-accuracy of his selection of soil types, and his own name was just beginning to ring some bells in the city as a model for prospective upstart employees.

Weekends, however, had been times of little rest for Sei. His wife's supervision in training turned out to be just as thorough, more so with her claims that such steps would be necessary to preserve Saiyan dignity.

Their son, perceiving his parents' new routine, had meanwhile tried to see to his own training. Bana became an almost-regular visitor to his uncle's house. During his first of many visits there, the kid begged to be allowed usage of the distinctive Gravity Chamber, as had been promised some time before.

"Hah! Did I get that correctly? You wish to enter with the gravity level set to 150x, which is a man's training level?" Vegeta inquired with one hand to the hip. "That's a huge bluff. Trunks couldn't handle it without going Super Saiyan--which I must admit, was in itself surprising. But for you, to want to enter it in your normal form? Got some guts there..."

Bana smiled with no apparent malice. "Better not get too cocky there, Uncle. I am not your son, and I've heard you bowed to my mom for reasons known only to yourself. How about you cease wasting our time and just let me in?"

The Saiyan prince blinked. "Why, that loudmouth... Alright then! I'll set the level to that, but you must hold on to it for at least half an hour! You pass it, you'll get to use it as you please!"

Behind Vegeta's back, the nephew squinted while tilting his own head. This present offer was slightly longer than his last record in that chamber; not that he's disinclined to try.

"Well?" Vegeta barked, "are you just going to rot over there, now?"

"Ah--forgive me." Bana immediately began tailing the oh-so-muscular figure. "By the way, Uncle, is Trunks anywhere nearby?"

"Nah. Said he wanted other places to train than here. Been like that since we hit the ground from Bulma's cruise-liner."

"He trained somewhere else... alone?"

"Yeah, so much like what you're doing now, young wolf. Wonder what my sister would say about this, though."

"Why, thanks so much for the attention! So unlike you--"

"...Silence! If you're any other than my family, you wouldn't have earned this honor; lock that in mind."

"That, I already do. No worries."

"Tch... got everything covered, do ya? Just like your mother..."

"Guess I'll tell her about this."

Vegeta grumbled with clenched fists, unwilling as yet to admit he's been bested for the moment at the game of words.

As expected of Big Sister's son... Wonder what would happen if this half-pint had been there when I came across Kakarot for the first time... Would he have helped me?

...Well, he might--if his mom had given permission, that is. What a valuable addition that would be!

After some minutes, the quiet silence proved to be too much for even Vegeta.

"Nephew!"

"Yes?"

"Your parents, they're fine?"

"Safe and sound. Might be training as we speak, thank you for asking."

"What... did you say?! They are training themselves while letting their son to wander on here? Could they be planning to enter some kind of tournament while letting me out in the cold..?"

"Really, Uncle, I don't see how my parents' training might budge you at all."

"Oh, quit trying to fool me, runt--you know that's how Saiyans perceive things. So then, Big Sis is having a good time with your papa, huh?"

"I hope so, yes. How 'bout you and Aunt Bulma?"

"We, uh... been good. Couldn't care less about her purses after that costly hire, though. Such was her choice, and it's not like I'm the one lording over the Zenis* 'round here... Well, here we are. I'll get somebody to set that stupid level as you wish. Sure you want it at just 150x?"

(*currency in Dragon Ball universe.)

"Well," Bana shrugged, "that's really your call. You own this place--in name, at least."

Vegeta scoffed, but did not protest.

"There," he pointed to a metal railing set on the walls just before the entrance to the Gravity Chamber itself, "you can put off your upper clothes there if you like. Wouldn't like them getting anywhere too sweaty."

Bana let out a big huff. "Really, Uncle, you're worrying too much. Today's menu is just endurance-test, right? I don't see why we ought to get too hyped 'bout that..."

"Wha..? Alright then, just enter! Will be with you shortly."

So it was that Bana got to be in the place that he had visited once before. As soon as Vegeta's figure disappeared along the corridor, the child opted to sit sprawled on the blue-tiled floor.

"*Sighs* My, this is so predictable... The moment Uncle sees me getting over that gravity level, he might as well be ready to kiss the floor again. Better think where Trunks could be hiding right now..."

Meanwhile, in the control room, Vegeta whispered:

"Make it 200x gravity."

***

Any idea of Trunks' real motivation(s) for not showing up this time, besides the stated one? :D