author's notes: argh, sorry for the long delay. i started a new job, got completely busy with real life, and had trouble with the second half of this chapter, which moved in a completely different direction than i had been planning. i'm also really starting to dislike writing in bra's pov (laugh). i find it very hard to get a feel for her character. i guess that's understandable since she's such a minor character, though. (laugh)

it's a little tricky, because i need the "hira plot" to move and get to a certain point before the "#17 plot" can progress, and until that happens, i have to hold off on the "marron plot", a bit. i guess that's the problem with stories, though. hopefully, by mashing it all together like this, things will move more quickly, if a bit more awkwardly (in terms of writing).

please, if you have any concerns or complaints, mention them. i especially worry because bra's pov is so hard for me, and because hira is an original character—i know how that goes. he feels more like a plot point than a character to me, but still, if you have any complaints, please tell me, you know? (laugh)

and please enjoy this chapter.  

x x x

Trust your genius mother. It's not like Trunks doesn't, but at the same time... it's not exactly like he does, either. He knows better than most people how reckless his mother can be, how cheerfully she can jump into or create danger in order to test, or see, or experiment. Besides, Marron can't even use chi well enough to fly. It just seems - wrong to use her as a guinea pig. He can tell Goten wants to say more on the subject, too—Goten's always been the moral one—and he waits for that to happen. He'll back Goten up, always has, but he doesn't really like starting arguments with no purpose. He knows his mother well enough to trust and mistrust her, but also well enough to know that she doesn't give in when arguing. Ever. It's mostly a waste of effort to try.

So instead Trunks helps himself to one of the sandwiches he'd made earlier. Goten spends another moment looking uncomfortable before doing the same. His mother doesn't seem to notice or care, so Trunks stops thinking about it. "By the way," she asks after making herself a coffee and settling back down again. "Where is everyone?"

"Dad's out back," Trunks says—by which he means training—"and Bra's out somewhere. I haven't seen Grandma or Grandpa, but the animals have been quiet, so I guess they're around." Bulma tolerates her parent's ever-growing zoo, Bra finds the animals cute, Vegeta hates it, and Trunks has always just disliked the dinosaurs and avoids the menagerie when he can help it for that reason. They're tame and friendly, but being coated in dinosaur spit because one felt like licking you is always uncomfortable.

"I see." His mother smiles at him after a beat. "My God, Trunks. You've become so responsible in your old age. What happened?" This also isn't a new argument. Trunks settles for rolling his eyes. Goten, an ungrateful friend, snickers.

It's just about then that the buzzer rings—even though Capsule Corp is half labs and work stations, the living quarter is still large enough that Bulma had years ago hooked up an intercom system that also alerted the residents to visitors in addition to letting one communicate with other rooms without screaming or crossing the compound. A moment later, the unmistakable sound of teenage girls chattering becomes clear, as Bra—and Pan, it seems—heads towards the kitchen. "—What?" Bra's voice, lofty and loud, reaches the kitchen a moment before she does. "It's just a phone number."

"Yeah," Pan says. "The phone number of the guy I like." She sounds significantly less lofty, but any further argument is cut off when they turn the corner into the kitchen and find the people there listening in. Trunks notes with mild amusement that both girls immediately grow wide eyed in exactly the same way, both flushing—Bra for being caught talking about dating despite knowing it to be forbidden, Pan—probably because her uncle is present, Trunks decides.

"Which guy? Hiya?" Goten says cheerfully, not seeming to notice the awkward air of things.

"Hira!" Pan snaps. "His name is Hira and I didn't ask you, uncle."

"Contractual obligation," Goten says.

"Hira?" Trunks' mother says, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

"Oh, come on mom," Bra retorts, in the exact tone Pan had just used on Goten. "This dating rule is really stupid anyway."

"And I'm—" Pan seems to hesitate. "You know. I saw him first."

"It's just a phone number. What, I can't be friends with a boy?" Bra asks this question of Pan and her mother at the same time, glaring at them both for daring to presume.

"Nope," her mother says.

"Oh, come on!" Bra whirls around at her. Bra and Bulma look very much alike, but Bra's face is sharper, her mouth thinner—traits she inherited from her father, features that make her look that much angrier when she is. "This dating rule is totally lame! Like you didn't date when you were my age! Like Trunks didn't!"

"He didn't," Goten tells her. He is ignored—by her. Trunks takes the moment to glare at him, however. He's glad to be left out of this shouting match and has no idea why Goten wouldn't feel the same. Pan's face is flushed and she's moved away from the doorway, where Bra still is. Trunks assumes she wants to distance herself from the match, too.

"I did," Bulma confirms, and looks pleased with herself—a touch Trunks at least could have done without. "But it's my duty as a parent to make sure you don't get to date until you turn twenty."

"Eighteen!" Bra yells. "And you're being totally unfair!" She looks at the other three in turn, clearly trying to get one of them to stick up for her, to no avail.

"There's no point in having this conversation in front of guests," Bulma says.

"How the hell are they guests?" Bra crosses her arms and slouches.

"Basically," she replies, "you get away with everything. You have no rules. I can't be bothered to keep an eye on you, and you wouldn't listen anyway, and your father seems to be allergic to it. And Trunks couldn't be authoritative if he tried." Trunks is annoyed by this. "So I figured I'd make one arbitrary rule for you be absolutely forced to follow. And it's that."

"That's such a stupid way of parenting!" Bra keeps getting louder and louder.

"You could just erase Hira's number from your cell phone," Pan suggests quietly.

"Your jealousy is showing," Bra retorts.

"Why should I be jealous of a girl who can't date?" Pan says. Then she seems to flush slightly and glance over at where Trunks and Goten are sitting. Of course, it probably was sort of stupid to talk about crushes in front of her uncle, Trunks figures.

"Well, I should get going," Trunks says, deciding he's had quite enough of this.

"Me too," Goten says.

"Don't you have a delivery to make?" Trunks asks him.

"Wanna get rid of me?" he replies.

Bra has meanwhile resumed her argument with her mother; Trunks this time tunes it out completely. Pan seems to be paying closer attention to the men than the women—he can't blame her. He's actually a little surprised that Pan would fight over a guy. Something about it seems odd. "Sort of," he says to Goten.

"What delivery?" Pan asks.

Goten tells her, then turns back to Trunks. "You still haven't given me Videl's present."

"Mom's? For her birthday?" Pan blinks. "Hey, I haven't bought her anything yet either, so can we share?"

"No." They grimace at one another for a moment. "It's a sexy present," Goten adds with a lot of unneeded emphasis. "Do you really want to give your mom a sexy present?"

"It's not for another few weeks," Trunks tries to point out. "And I still haven't agreed to give you a capsule house."

"Trunks-kun," Goten whines. Between him, Pan, and Bra's continuing rant about dating, the kitchen is quite noisy. Trunks decides to solve this problem by getting up and leaving. Goten follows, of course—Pan hesitates a moment and does the same. With two members of the Son family trailing him, Trunks decides not to make his retreat a particularly long one. The moment his mother and sister are out of hearing range, he stops.

"So am I getting the capsule or what?"

"Look—" Trunks starts to say; he's already decided that he will be giving Goten the capsule, but he still wants to argue, just for the sake of appearance. Problem is that Goten also realizes this. But before he can finish his sentence, someone's cell phone rings. Loudly. In the tune of the theme song to a popular cartoon. Both men stare down at Pan, who blushes spectacularly and pulls it out of her jeans pocket, turning away from them as if that will mean she's alone.

"Hello?" Pause. "Who is—Jūn?" She holds the cell phone in both hands and speaks in a lower voice as if that'll give her privacy. Trunks doesn't exactly want to eavesdrop, but Goten is clearly doing just that. "What do you mean 'I thought you'd be calling me by'—if you wanted me to hang out with you, then you—" Pan flushes some more. "Fine. Okay. I'll see you there," she says stiffly, before hanging up.

"Jūn?" Goten says. "Two-timing Hiya, are we?"

"No! I'm not! Jūn's—" For some reason, Pan glances up at Trunks and looks uncomfortable by the act. "Whatever! I gotta go meet him."

"Hey, wait a sec—" Goten moves in front of her before she can charge off. "It's already almost seven."

"So what?"

"So, your dad's gonna be mad at me if I let you go and hang out with mystery boys at night." Goten crosses his arms.

"Just don't tell him." Pan looks anxious to get going.

"That's not how it works," Trunks points out.

"If you tell on me, I'll tell Grandma about whats-her-name. Madrid? and Roma?"

Goten winces when Pan says this. It's something of a low blow. "Fine," he says. "But I'm not going to cover for you if you come back at three in the morning. Or wait up for you."

Pan nods, not looking terribly grateful, and takes off through the hallways, not headed for downstairs as much as a window that opens. Goten watches her go, frowning slightly.

"You cover for her?" Trunks asks.

"She covers for me." Shrugs. "Pan's pretty transparent, though, and I've never heard her mention a 'Jūn' before..." Sometimes, Trunks wonders if Goten and Pan are more like siblings than he is with his own sister. They certainly get along better. Nevertheless, Pan's boyfriends are not a subject that interests him.

"But geez," Goten continues, "when did she get so old, anyway? It makes me feel old. Lame." He feels the same.

"But if we can move on from that?" Trunks says.

"I guess, if we have to..."

"Also... Madrid and Roma?"

Goten grins. "Twins." He looks very much like he's daring Trunks to ask for the details—he's sure there are plenty—so he doesn't ask. Just to piss Goten off. Besides, twins, seriously? Bastard.

"I'm hungry," Goten says once he gets the message.

"Knowing my mom and sister, they're still at it," Trunks points out.

"Then let's go out to eat."

"Again?"

"You can afford it." Pause. "Let's go get take out."

"Why, specifically?"

"You're such an adult," Goten pouts. Trunks resists the urge to point out both of their ages. And hit him. Goten continues more seriously. "If we get takeout, we can share with Marron-chan. She hasn't eaten in, what, five hours? She must be hungry."

"Don't you mean, she hasn't left that statue in five hours?" Trunks asks—but he agrees. With his Saiyan blood, he can't picture turning down a meal; the logic seems just as sound to him as it does to Goten. "It doesn't really make up for leaving her there," he adds.

Goten's eyes narrow slightly—Trunks only sees because he's looking for it. "That's not exactly the point."

"So it's part of the point?"

"So should I just leave her to it, then? Don't you feel guilty?"

Trunks shrugs. "Not that I don't feel bad, but..."

"But you don't want to go against what your mother said," Goten says, cutting in. They stare at one another for a second. "It's not like I like going against my mom, either," Goten adds, looking away.

Trunks breathes in, and out. "What kind of take-out?"

x x x

Bra eventually cuts the conversation short in the best way she knows how—flips her hair back, crosses her arms, stomps to her room. Her mother lets her, doesn't even argue. It's not like Bra doesn't mind having easy going parents, being able to do what she wants, but then she does mind, too, at times like this. Times that she isn't getting her way.

God knows why. She flops down onto her bed face-first and lies like that for a few minutes, completely still, empty minded, breath hot and legs jutting off over the end. Unthinking. Not like she ever does. Finally, Bra rolls over and unzips, pulls off, her boots. Her socks. Removes her gloves and accessories, takes off her headband and pulls her hair into a loose bun. Strips completely and changes into jeans and a blouse. Clothes suitable for sulking in.

She's rich. One of the richest people in the world, and even richer when she reaches legal age. And she's pretty, and those are the only two strong points she has. Looks and the money to accent her looks. That's all she has. Which is why it's so unfair that...

Bra pauses in buttoning up her blouse. Designer, of course, latest style, ultra fashionable, cut to show off her breasts and stomach without having to reveal, either. It's actually one of the most conservative tops she has, and. And?

—And when that's all you have, when the only good things about you are your looks and wealth—you deserve to use that, right? All they get you is men, so for her mother to take that—

Bra reaches over to her night-stand and picks up her cellphone. She doesn't know many people whose names start with H—Hira is right at the top of the list. He picks up on the second ring, and Bra's frown—she's like her father when she frowns, she hates it, her brow becomes so much heavier—immediately turns into a coy smile. Even if he can't see it.

"Hira-chan?"

"Oh! Um," there are scuffling noises, and Bra can hear talking in the background. "Sorry, I'm—my family, hang on," Hira says, quickly, flustered, and a few minutes later he speaks again from somewhere quieter. "Hello?"

She's unreasonably happy not to have had to introduce herself. "Hi! Since you gave me your number, I thought I'd call you, you know?"

"Well, yeah." Pause. "I mean, not that I mind! I just wasn't expecting it—you know, two hours later."

"Was I interrupting?"

"No, not really. No," Hira says. "Dinner was over and everything, I was just watching television with my sister and her family."

"Anything good?"

"Uh, old tenkaiichi budoukai footage." He sounds embarrassed. Bra is moderately glad this is over the phone so he doesn't have to see her roll her eyes.

"You want to hang out?" she asks him, eyeing her bedroom window.

"Tomorrow? Maybe the day after would be better, I have tutoring tomorrow afternoon—"

"Like, now." Without Pan acting as supervisor, she means, but has the sense not to add.

"—I." It takes Hira a moment to form an answer. "It's not like I wouldn't want to, but I can't get all the way over to West City, and you can't exactly zip on over here..."

"Yes I can," Bra says, walking over to her bedroom window. Capsule Corp's living quarters are above a series of labs and the greenhouse; she's on the sixth floor. Even so. "I'll meet you at Satan City mall in an hour, okay?" She hangs up before he can reply; he'll be there, she's sure. If not, she'll just call him again.

Time to see how much she remembers about flying.

Trunks had taught her when she was eight or nine, and it takes Bra a few minutes of standing still and feeling stupid to remember how to focus, reach her ki. For the fighters, she knows, it's automatic, as easy as moving, but they have years of practice. A few minutes later, she manages to float a few inches in the air, wobbling only a little. Not wanting to fall six stories to her death, Bra floats in place for another ten minutes, to make sure she can keep it up. It gives her a headache, but she stops wobbling, remembers how to move and adjust her speed and height.

She drops to the floor, pulls on a different pair of boots, and opens the window. She only flies a few blocks, slowly and deliberately, before landing in an alley, walking to the street and pulling out a capsule car. No way she was willing to risk flying across the continent on her own power.

West City was the economic center of the world, but Satan City was quickly becoming the cultural center, even at a quarter of the size, and despite the proximity to East Capital. It was Mr Satan, the city's namesake and world's hero, that was making Satan City prominent and important, and for that reason that the city had been growing steadily for the last thirty years.

Satan City Mall wasn't as sleek and classy as West City's many malls, but it was large, and had a little of everything. It takes Bra much longer than an hour to get there, but she finds Hira waiting for her in the food court anyway, looking nervous and drinking a soda. This time of night, the mall is emptying, lights dimming, and Hira looks like he's afraid he'll be kicked out. "Sorry I'm late," she chirps.

Hira shakes his head. "It's fine. I—" he looks around him, seeming to check for eavesdroppers. There's no one. Just a few tired looking people eating, and a janitor mopping across the court. "Son's here."

"What?" Bra says, too loudly. People turn to look at her. "You're kidding me! This is ridiculous. We're going somewhere else."

"You don't want to see her?" Hira stands up in a hurry, following her as she marches back the way she came. He leaves his soda behind.

"I can't escape!" Bra snaps, throwing her hands in the air. "I thought she was supposed to be—uh, and she'll tell my mom, and that'll end well, and what's a good girl like Pan doing at the mall this time of night, anyway?"

"She's with a guy," Hira says quietly. She whirls around to face him. Her first reaction is annoyance—Hira seems upset, and that's—well, good for him, getting dumped, except—

"What do you mean, a guy?"

"A guy." Hira shrugs, puts his hands in his jacket's pockets. "Good looking. Black hair. I didn't see them up close. They were talking."

"Black..." She bites her lip. "Look, what did he look like? Was it spiky? Was he pretty tall?" Could be Goten. Even Gohan. Or really a lot of people they knew.

"No, it was straight. Longish. I don't know. When I saw them, I headed the other way."

"Are they still here?" Pan has a secret boyfriend? Bra can't just leave that news alone. She has to see. First Hira, now another guy? How pathetic was Pan? Sleeping around, hitting on everyone...

"I don't know. It was right after I got here. Forty minutes ago." Hira puts an odd stress on the time. It takes Bra a second to realize he's trying to point out how long he's been waiting for her, and she's amused.

"Well," she says, "forget them, then. Who wants a girl who can't settle on one guy?" Hira flushes and looks away. "The movie theaters are still open. Let's go."

He doesn't immediately follow her. "There's a new action film," he says slowly.

Bra's back is to him. She rolls her eyes. "Fine, whatever you want," she says. He catches up to her.

They walk to the theater complex together. Connected to the mall, it's open later than the rest of the shops, and therefore more people are milling around. The carpeting is cheap and red, the walls are cheap and purple, and leaning against one of them is a tall, good looking boy, talking to a short girl. Bra stops short and grabs Hira's arm; he stops, too, startles and then looks over at Pan and her boyfriend when Bra points.

She'd thought Hira was much too good-looking for Pan; this guy is even more so. At first Bra wants to charge up for maximum embarrassment, but then she notices that Pan doesn't look happy as much as annoyed, and her boyfriend's feelings seem to be the same.

There are floor-mounted movie posters surrounding them on two sides. Which Bra figures is probably why they chose that corner to talk in—for the privacy. However, it also makes it fairly easy to sneak up on them. Hira looks alarmed and stays behind, so she does it alone.

"—Stupid," Pan is saying.

"Oh, come off it," the boy replies. Something about him and the way he speaks is familiar to Bra, but she can't place it. From where she stands, hunched over between two posters for The Cell Games IV: RETURN OF CELL, she can see Pan mostly from the back, and the boy not at all.

"Whatever! I've been waiting for you to call me, and you're all—"

"See? You were waiting."

Pan flushes. "Not like that! You're the one with the stupid—stalker complex."

"'Stalker complex?'' he mocks.

She puts her hands on her hips and glares at him until he answers.

"I figured you would have called me three seconds after I gave you my number. You didn't."

"Yeah, sorry for having a life. Why so desperate to talk to me?"

"I told you that already," he drawls.

"Sorry if I don't completely believe—" Pan cuts off as the boy steps forward, silencing her with a gesture. Next thing Bra knows, he's leaning over the top of the movie poster, smirking down at her.

"We're being watched."

Pan has to go around the display to see Bra, and her reaction is at first shocked rather than angry, as Bra had expected. "How long have you been here?" she snaps, after a few seconds of blinking.

"Only a couple of seconds." Bra tries not to look embarrassed. "I'm on a date with Hira, you see," she adds. This is enough to throw Pan, who looks around wildly until she sees him, then turns bright red.

"Oh God..." she mumbles. Hira begins to walk over to them, looking just as embarrassed.

"More importantly, who are you?" Bra asks, whirling around at the dark-haired boy.

He considers for a moment, or seems to—his face remains blank. "Jūn. I go to college in town here. I'm a big fan of Pan-chan." He speaks smoothly, but Pan seems surprised by the explanation, and he doesn't appear very emotionally invested in it. Bra figures it's a lie.

"And how did you see me?"

"I saw you sneak up on us," Jūn replies. "I'm surprised Pan-chan didn't. How shameful," he tells her, smirking a bit.

She's bright red and looks like she can't decide whether to be confused or angry. "Whatever, Jūn," she snaps.

"So you two are dating?" Hira asks, nervous and speaking for the first time.

Pan and Jūn look equally horrified. "No." Pan follows up by moving closer to Hira, biting her lip and burning red.

"So what the hell are you both doing at a movie theater, then?" Bra asks.

"It's a long story," Jūn replies. Again, when he speaks, it sounds like he's reading a line. Natural enough, but there's a pause, a slight delay like he's thinking up an answer, a slight detachment like he doesn't really care. Good looking guy, but Bra's only thought is suspicious! suspicious! "Since we're all together like this, why not go see a movie together?"

"What?" Pan snaps. "No way. For so many reasons."

"Yeah," Jūn says, "but I really want to see this film." He nods his head towards the Cell Games: IV poster. Pan turns to examine it, too, and her mouth twitches. She looks up at him, and they seem to agree on something without speaking.

"Yeah, fine, okay," Pan says. "But it's not a double date," she adds, glaring over at Bra.

"Whatever you say," she retorts, and steps closer to Jūn.

x x x