Choice to be Different

Chapter 6:Games People Play

Goku banged loudly on the side of the Gravity Room. "Hey 'Geta! I'm here!" he shouted. Then he sat down and started pulling off his weighted clothes. Inside Vegeta-chan hurried to reset the gravity to a slightly lower level and started pulling on weights.

According to his older counterpart sparring wouldn't do much to improve Vegeta-chan's chances against Frieza but he didn't want to get out of practice. Besides, it was more fun than training on his own all the time. Since moving into the Gravity Room Vegeta-chan rarely saw anyone other than his older counterpart. He didn't have down-time anymore so finding ways to include Goku in some of his training seemed well worth the bother to Vegeta-chan.

The door to the GR cycled open and Goku bounced inside. "Wow 'Geta, you look like you've been living under a rock," Goku greeted the other boy with friendly concern.

'Geta rolled his eyes. Sometimes Goku reminded him too much of Radditz. Trunks had been wrong when he told Goku that he didn't act like a proper Saiyan because he smiled, laughed and liked people. In Vegeta's experience that was all perfectly normal for a third-class warrior like Goku or his older brother Radditz. Well it was normal to be friends with some people anyway, Goku's desire to be friends with absolutely everyone was pretty weird. But what made Goku truly stand apart from every other Saiyan Vegeta had ever met was that there was no air of barely contained violence around him. Even though Goku was a warrior he radiated warmth. Still, when you got beyond the violence Radditz had the same tendency to forget Vegeta's station and the same habit of treating him like a friend. Sometimes it made Vegeta want to smack Goku, because both brothers were morons with no inclination to treat their prince with the proper diffidence, but mostly it made things easier. At least one thing in this world was a little familiar.

"I told Goten and Trunks I'd play tag with them after we were done," Goku told him. "You should come too. Sun's good for you!"

'Geta sniffed disdainfully. "I'm not playing one of their stupid games again."

"Tag's okay," Goku insisted. "Gohan explained it to me. See it's a way to practice hunting. The person who's it is the hunter and everyone else pretends to be prey. If the hunter catches someone they trade. Trunks and Goten weren't very good at it. They'd just run around and make a lot of noise but they're getting better."

Goku did a few quick stretches. Then he bounced on his toes a couple of times to get a feel for the heavier gravity.

'Geta shrugged his shoulders to settle the weighted clothes he pulled on. "I should probably keep training," he said.

The two boys squared off to spar.

"Awww, you're no fun," Goku pouted. "Running around is good training too. You train by yourself too much."

"I have to kill that bastard!" 'Geta snapped. "He destroyed our world. I haveto avenge them. My father was counting on me to save them! Avenging them is all I have left."

Goku's eyes darkened with sadness. "I know. I have to beat Piccolo too. I have to make sure he won't kill my friends again."

"It's not the same!" 'Geta snarled as he attacked. "You beat Piccolo!" Punch. "Frieza's always been too strong for me!" Kick "I don't remember before Frieza." Kick. "My whole life I was supposed to protect the Saiyans from him!" Punch. "I was supposed to stop him!" Punch. "I'm the Prince of all Saiyans!" Kick. "I was supposed to save them!" Kick. "But they're all gone!" Kick. "Five years gone!" Punch. "All I can do is get revenge-" Kick. "Only I can't! I'm too weak!"

Goku absorbed 'Geta's attack. He blocked and fell back. He let 'Geta expend his anger. "It'd still be training," he said. "I'll let you borrow my weighted clothes. If you wear them along with your own stuff it'll be harder."