Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ When There Are Two of Me ❯ Part 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I'm not making any money.

Warnings: Yaoi (male x male). Trunks x Goten.

Summary: This fic is completely independent of my other fics. GT doesn't exist.

 

Note: age: Goten 18; Trunks 19.

 

When There Are Two of Me

 

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Redmarshin

 

Part 5

 

Trunks' hand traveled to his mouth in shock while he watched the numbers flowing through the screen. His fingers numbly clicked on the mouse to open file after file. Quietly, his eyes followed the unclosing information.

 

He had been trying to get to these files for the whole eternity it seemed, but now, when he knew what it was, he wished he hadn't been so stubborn. To break the password and to get to the files took much more time, efforts and equipment than he had expected. It seemed that Trunks had been damn good at everything he did…

 

Goten said once that despite his coldness Trunks was considerate to his mother and several others that really cared for him. It appeared that Goten and others had been in a deep obscurity…

 

With a sweaty palm Trunks brushed over his forehead. Ruffling his black hair, he thought what he should do now. He couldn't show that to anyone - everyone saw him and Trunks as one person. He wasn't afraid to ruin Trunks' life anymore, but he was sure that by doing so, he'd ruin his own as well.

 

He could use the information he had and try to reduce the damage that had been done by Trunks, but by doing so he might get caught, and in this particular case the blame would shift directly on him. Nobody would listen to his reasons and justifications.

 

He had to leave things as they were and make sure nobody knew about them.

 

XXXXX

 

“Why didn't you simply track his ki down?” Goten wondered while watching his brother fumble with his pen angry over his paperwork. In other hand Gohan was holding a cup of tea.

 

“Track his ki down?” Gohan snorted in disbelief. He put his cup of tea he had been holding back onto the table. “When have you become so oblivious? He has been suppressing his ki for over a week now!”

 

“He…He's been doing what?!” Goten choked, leaning over the table they both sat at.

 

“Though, I'm not so sure that he's doing that intentionally…” Gohan sighed, leaning back from his wide-eyed brother. “But I'm sure he had learned to sense ki. Suppressing his ki might be only a subconscious defensive reaction to this.”

 

Goten rolled his eyes. “Subconscious? There's nothing subconscious about Trunks. The bastard learned to suppress his ki. I wouldn't be surprised if a week from now he'd start creating ki-balls.”

 

“He might become dangerous…” Gohan rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I can never tell what's on his mind…”

 

“But how in the hell did he manage to learn about ki so fast?” Goten shook his head in disbelief. “It took ages for Goku and Vegeta to do that… And to suppress…”

 

“Well, if he has intentionally suppressed it, then there's only one explanation - he knew how to do it from earlier.” Gohan raised his tea to take a sip.

 

Goten shook his head. “But that doesn't make sense. He wouldn't give away himself so stupidly…”

 

Gohan shrugged. “Well… I said about that to Vegeta and Goku, so they are aware of the situation.”

 

Goten sighed. “Okay.” He leaned back into his chair. “So you won't let him go for a walk?”

 

“No.”

 

Goten rolled his eyes. “You yourself said that he had apologized…”

 

“Yes, he has also admitted that he's an asshole,” Gohan nodded, sipping his tea calmly.

 

“See? And you called him a narcissist…” Goten chuckled, amused.

 

“Oh, he is, but on a much lower level than I had originally thought…” Gohan couldn't help smiling either.

 

Goten ruffled through his spiky hair. “Maybe it would be simpler if I just asked him… Even if he doesn't speak with you, he doesn't seem trying to avoid my questions…”

 

Gohan shrugged. “Well, if he didn't know about it, in this way he'd really get to know…”

 

“True…” Goten sighed.

 

“How is preparation for your exams going?” Gohan interested.

 

“It's fine. Trunks is helping me a great deal,” Goten answered. “I started thinking that I'll manage it.”

 

Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. “He is helping you…?” He dropped his pen onto the pile of paperwork and leaned back in his chair. He was silent for some time. “Why didn't you…?”

 

Goten sighed then raised his head to look at his brother. “You know, he was the only one who suggested help right then when I needed it. You are my brother and yet for some reason it was Trunks who offered his help…”

 

“I see…” Gohan exhaled after a second. “But you do know that you need only to ask…”

 

“Stop spewing shit!” Goten abruptly stood up, enraged. “I haven't forgotten what happened then!” he smashed his fist down the table, cracking it. “Where was that your help then?! You simply turned your tail!” he shouted.

 

“Goten…” Gohan moaned softly. “I…” his words trailed off. He didn't think he had a right to justify himself. Goten was accusing him right.

 

Goten snickered at his brother's silent face. He turned around on his heel. “I'll talk to him,” he threw over his shoulder.

 

XXXXX

 

After seeing Trunks' hair, Goten abruptly halted on his way. His eyes locked on Trunks' hair for several long moments.

 

Trunks outwatched Goten's reaction. He didn't like it.

 

“I finished it!” Trunks suddenly grinned at Goten.

 

Goten's eyes blinked, breaking off the trance. He went to the table to set a box of ice-cream onto it then turned around to look at Trunks. “Finished what?”

 

“The last dissertation!” Trunks produced a compact disc between his fingers proudly then dropped it on the bed and bounced to the table to get the ice-cream.

 

“The third one…?” Goten stammered, looking at the shiny piece of CD. “Already?”

 

“Uh-huh,” Trunks nodded, helping himself to the ice-cream. “I think your brother locking me up was a good thing after all - I had plenty of time.” He grinned around a spoonful. “But I have to hand them in now… How I'm supposed to do that if I can't leave the hospital?”

 

“Are you asking me to bring them for you?” Goten sighed.

 

“Uh… Am I?” Trunks cocked his head to the side.

 

Goten sighed again.

 

“I tried to e-mail them, but I managed to e-mail only one - it seems I have the wrong addresses…” Trunks' face lost the playful facial expression. “If your brother wouldn't be such a tight-ass, I'd bring them on my own…”

 

“Why don't you ask Bulma to do that?” Goten asked.

 

“I told you that story plenty of times - she's afraid of me,” Trunks sighed. “The last time I saw her was when she saw my black hair.”

 

“What did she say?”

 

“Nothing in particular… Asked how I was doing and why I dyed my hair… I said I was doing fine and that I dyed my hair because I felt like experimenting…” Trunks said before Goten asked him.

 

Goten sighed, “There's one thing I want to ask you. I'll bring the dissertations if you answer it truthfully.”

 

“I can answer truthfully without you bringing the dissertations…” Trunks said, his blue eyes seriously concentrating on Goten's black ones. Suddenly, Trunks smiled. “You have beautiful eyes, Goten. Just like your brother.”

 

Goten blinked in unexpectedness.

 

“So what was it you wanted to ask me?” Trunks asked, ignoring a momentary stunned Goten.

 

“It's about your ki. Why did you suppress it?”

 

Trunks looked at Goten's face for some time. “Eh… It would be easier if I knew to what you refer with that word “ki”…” He scratched his head.

 

In turn Goten watched Trunks' face. “It's the energy that surrounds a person.”

 

“Ah, that one!” Trunks seemed to be relieved. “I just leveled it to that of a normal human. I noticed that your brother can find me everywhere if it's up…”

 

Goten stared at Trunks in disbelief. “You…leveled it?” he stammered.

 

“Uh-huh,” Trunks nodded, scooping more ice-cream. “Oh. And I want to ask, too. When your brother bitch-slapped me, he seemed to be almost glowing with that energy. How do I do that?”

 

Goten's eyes flew wide. “He hit you?!”

 

“Uh… Whoops…” Trunks swallowed around the spoon. “I s'ppose I shouldn't have mentioned that,” he grinned around the spoon, his blue eyes amused and guiltless at all. “Anyway, how did he do that?”

 

“I'm not allowed to say such things to you…” Goten sighed, his eyes coming back to normal. “Why did he hit you?”

 

“Because of me he missed his daughter's play at school,” Trunks scooped some more ice-cream. “Hell, this stuff is good…” he let his eyelids droop halfway while enjoying the taste. “And who is responsible for not letting you share this information with me?” he asked then, his blue eyes concentrating on Goten again.

 

“Your mother.”

 

Trunks rolled his eyes. “I have to do something about this soon. It's pissing me off,” he muttered.

 

A bit alarmed, Goten ruffled through his spiky hair. “Will you stay in the hospital as Gohan said?”

 

“For now.” Trunks nodded. “I feel a little guilty that he skipped that family event because of me. I'll be good for several days.”

 

“Several days?” Goten sighed.

 

“Well, you can't really expect me to obey him…” Trunks swallowed the ice-cream. “Or anyone else…”

 

“He's much stronger than you,” Goten said. “If he wanted, you wouldn't leave this ward for a hundred years.”

 

“Oh really?” Trunks smiled around his spoon, his amused eyes settling on Goten. “Then why is he jumping each time when I make a more sudden move? You know what I think?” His eyes lost that amused shimmer and went dark blue. “There's a very good reason why I am not given information. Are you all afraid that after I know the truth, I'd use that knowledge, and you wouldn't be able to stop me?”

 

“Don't be so full of yourself!” Goten snorted. “But really! You ARE a narcissist!”

 

“Huh?” Trunks blinked.

 

“The information is being restricted because we are afraid that you might hurt innocent people! Not knowing your power limits you are dangerous to your surroundings!”

 

“Then why not to slowly teach me?” Trunks leaned forward to softly tap his index finger on Goten's nose. “It's useless to hide information from me,” he smiled. “I'll figure it out sooner or later… Look at you… You just told me that I'm a very dangerous person with ability to hurt a great amount of people. All I need to know is how to gather that so called “ki”…”

 

Goten blinked at Trunks' finger before his nose. Did Trunks just poke him on his nose? He broke his eye-contact with Trunks' finger. He probably would be worried - it all sounded like a threat-, but there were no changes in Trunks' ki. When his eyes met Trunks' he was surprised to hear Trunks gasp.

 

“Sorry, it wasn't a threat!” Trunks waved his hands against him. “I just…”

 

“…Merely stated the fact…” Goten finished for him. “Yeah, I know. Every word or move is new information to you. You have always been like a damn sponge…absorbing everything and making conclusions…”

 

“But you don't seem to trust me…” Trunks drawled.

 

“I don't know you…” Goten muttered.

 

“I am not planning on hurting anyone. Especially not you. You have a different status...”

 

Goten rolled his eyes. “A status? Only you can define things like this…” he was surprised to hear a low growl coming from Trunks' throat.

 

“Don't compare me to him!” Trunks bristled. “You say you don't know me and yet everything I do is being compared to him! You are being a damn hypocrite!”

 

Goten watched Trunks' flashing eyes. It was the first time he had seen him angry. He knew Trunks and Gohan had clashed several times but it was the first time he had seen Trunks angry with him. Besides, Trunks was right - he had to stop comparing the two of them. But the thing was that they were really similar…

 

“I'm sorry,” Goten nodded. He looked at the empty ice-cream box. He watched the rest of the ice-cream on its walls melt and run down over the walls in small white droplets. “And still I want to ask how and why you suppressed your ki.”

 

Trunks frowned. “I said I hate being followed by your brother! I just leveled it! What's the big deal?!” Angered, he turned away from Goten. He watched the trees swaying in the wind. “It's going to rain,” he muttered after looking at the dark sky. “You'd better go home now or you'll have to walk during the rain.”

 

Goten followed Trunks' look to the window. “Are you chasing me away?”

 

“Chase you away?” Trunks leaned his elbow on the windowsill to better see a woman that had just left the hospital - she was the same who had asked the way. “Chase you away?” Trunks repeated laughing softly. He watched the girl walk down the road to the gates. “None of two of us would benefit if I chased you away…” He turned around to look at Goten, his eyes darkened.

 

Goten's eyes slightly widened but he refused to show that Trunks' words had an effect. “Trunks, I won't ask you anymore - how and why did you suppress your ki?”

 

Trunks' fingers dug into the windowsill. “And I won't repeat anymore - I don't like that people can see me like I am a big torch in the night!”

 

Goten gazed into Trunks' eyes for several seconds then stood up. “In that case I don't know what to say anymore,” he shook his head.

 

Trunks' eyes followed Goten's back until it disappeared behind the door. Then they stayed fixed on the door. Then they shifted to the CD next to Trunks. Trunks took the CD. Slowly, canines were bared. Trembling in anger, Trunks stared at the shiny thing in his hand then crushed it. He tossed the remnants at the door, the strength of the impact making the splinters stick into the wooden door.

 

That had damn hurt and he didn't care anymore about leaving things as they were.

 

XXXXX

 

Goten picked his ringing cell phone up. “Hey,” he answered after Gohan's voice greeted him. He looked around before quickly crossing the street in a forbidden place.

 

“No, haven't seen him. I am just on my way to see him, first wanted to buy something. The last time I saw him was yesterday evening.” Goten shortly stopped to let a woman first through the door of the shop he was heading into. “What do you mean he's gone?” He shook his head, following the woman inside the shop. “He'll show up - where the hell can he go? - He has no money, no clothes and no place to live in.” He shook his head again, holding the phone farther from his ear. “Stop shouting at me! - Like I know about his plans! Calm down, he'll show up - it's just one of his whims. He has probably gotten bored again. Yeah, I know he promised. But you yourself know how Trunks' promises are…

 

“Yeah, I'll call you if I know anything,” Goten nodded. “See you.” He hung up. “Darn,” Goten snorted, putting the phone back into his jeans' pocket. “Didn't you say you'd be a good boy…?” he sighed.

 

XXXXX

 

Trunks woke up with a horrible headache. Alerted, he quickly scanned his surroundings. After a second he relaxed and put his head back onto the bed. He was safe. But cold.

 

Cursing under his breath, he got up and went to see if his clothes were dry. After checking the clothes he cursed again - they were not. He went into the kitchen, but of course, the fridge was empty, and not even on.

 

Yesterday, several minutes after leaving the hospital, he had gotten into the rain. All drenched he had walked to the train station. It passed several hours until he found this flat. And then it took another twenty minutes until he picked the lock.

 

It had stopped raining outside. He needed to shop - he had no food, no spare clothes. The only thing that he took from the hospital was his laptop. Actually that was the only thing he needed right now.

 

Yawning, Trunks turned the laptop on. After ordering a whole lot of various pizzas he dealt with the problem of clothes. He had also decided that the bed needed some covers. Then he remembered that there was no sponge, no soap, no shower gel and no towels in the shower - after coming here all drenched he simply stood under the spraying shower and thought how it should be different from the rain he had just escaped from.

 

Yesterday he tried searching for a cash card but the amount of dust and missing simple things, such like towels, forks or plates indicated that the flat hadn't even been touched after furnishing. The search was fruitless, and he still didn't know where Trunks kept his cash cards. Maybe he didn't have them at all. As far as he knew Trunks, it was very believable.

 

He couldn't simply go to Capsule Corporation to look for them. Well, he could, but Vegeta was one of the persons he didn't want to meet. Normal Humans were fine, but those with a very high so called “ki” were different. If a Human or several of them wouldn't be able to stop him, he perfectly knew he didn't stand a chance against Vegeta, Goten's brother or Goten. Not until he knew what they knew and was able to use that knowledge.

 

Frowning, Trunks decided to check the files once again. In this city Trunks had two flats, in Ahitona he had another three, in Fiala he had one, in Gion he had other two, somewhere in Germany he owned a house, somewhere in Moscow he owned three flats, in other words Trunks had plenty of immovable property around the world no one had a clue about.

 

Overall the accounts reached several millions. There also were several big investments that were currently filling the accounts, too. Money made money after all.

 

Trunks leaned back in his chair. He wondered if Bulma had ever noticed Trunks stealing from her… There was no way one couldn't notice such amounts of money missing. Even if Trunks was the one to take care of the finances… To gather such amount of money unnoticed he must have been stealing for what...? - Since he was 10 - 12? Was it possible that a kid could have done that?

 

Actually he didn't really understand Trunks' actions - he was the only heir and it was pretty clear who'd inherit the organization with all the money, anyway. Though, maybe…only maybe he knew why Trunks did that. Deep, very deep inside him there was a small freaky feeling that let him understand Trunks and even admire him. He presumed that Trunks had been thrilling in the feeling while doing that. The excitement of doing something like this, waiting and wondering if he'd silently slide through or finally get caught…

 

But maybe he just thought he knew why Trunks had been doing this. Maybe Trunks had been up to something bigger. Maybe that was his back up plan if whatever he had been doing backfired…

 

Trunks shook his head to get rid of the annoying thoughts. One way or another there was no point in proceeding with searching for the cash cards. Trunks would never be so stupid as to leave something like this simply lying somewhere.

 

Trunks startled at the sound of someone knocking on the door. He closed his laptop and stood up. It seemed that besides a missing dryer and other stuff his other self had also forgotten to install a bell.

 

A delivery boy's reaction to his almost naked state was better than he could have expected. And it had also served well: the boy wordlessly reached out the pizzas and, forgetting about the tips, left. That was fortunate, indeed.

 

He carried the pizzas to the kitchen, put the boxes onto table. After filling the kettle with water and switching it on, he wondered how he was going to make tea. It seemed he was going to have drink simple water, unless he'd go to pick some grass on the streets.

 

“To hell with it,” Trunks huffed before settling on the chair next to the window. He opened the first box of pizza that appeared to be with mushrooms, cheese and salami, and started eating.

 

The flat was on the twentieth floor, and when he looked out of the window he could see Capsule Corporation's white building in the distance. Absentmindedly he chewed on the slice then reached out for the kettle that had just started boiling and switched itself off. He realized he had no mugs.

 

XXXXX

 

While he was waiting for the clothes to be delivered he was lazily lying on the bed and thinking about things that he could do. First he needed to get a normal cash card. He could go to any bank and open an account then transfer some of the money from other accounts he had access to into it. A problem: he didn't have any passport or identity card with him. Another very small problem: his hair was black. A slight problem: he wasn't very sure what procedures he might need undergo while opening an account - would he be asked for some recommendation?

 

Trunks rolled onto his stomach to look at the screen of his laptop. He leaned his head on his elbow. His main problem was identity card. He wasn't able to get his real one, and he had no chance opening an account under a fake one. Not with the resources he currently had.

 

Trunks scrolled the scrollbar down. For his other self that hadn't been a problem: he had twelve accounts under various names.

 

“Hmm…” Trunks pursed his lips. He rolled back onto his back with his hands behind his head. He needed a phone. He could buy one. But he needed to make a call now instead of waiting for a day or so. If there was any chance, the call would solve several problems at once. And create several of them, too.

 

But clothes first.

 

He still had to bring his dissertations and have a talk with his professors. There was no way he was going to screw up his or his other self's work on them. His other self had voiced several interesting ideas and he didn't want them to go wasted; overall he didn't like letting anything to get wasted.

 

But clothes first.

 

Trunks' eyes darkened while he stared at the white ceiling. It would be much simpler if he could go to Capsule Corporation and take his passport with cash cards. Though, he was sure nobody would let him run free if he were caught. He was sure he'd be. He had had enough of those lies. Nobody considered him a person. They held their distance like he would be some infected and dangerous animal. They played with him and watched his reactions from the distance.

 

Long ago he suspected that there hadn't been any accident in the lab at all. Maybe that was a lie, too. Maybe they did something to Trunks. Maybe they knew all about what he was doing and just let him do that, in which case he had to get the hell out from this flat. What was actually Capsule Corporation working on? Genes, cloning, the newest technology… Why not to presume that Trunks had been a small wheel in that picture…? Why after waking up from that so called “coma” he had been watched 24/7? Had they been doing something to Trunks?

 

Trunks cast his eyes over the flat. Maybe all this was only one of Trunks' attempts to free himself from the “machine”… Maybe there was a reason behind Trunks' coldness…

 

Goten… If not this incident with him, he wouldn't have left. Even if he was suspicious and didn't want to stay there, he didn't want to leave Goten. He didn't trust Goten a bit but Goten was the only one he cared about and liked to be around even if he knew the feeling was nothing more than a fake. Though, as it was Goten who cut the connection he treasured, there was nothing to keep him there.

 

After several hours the first set of clothes was delivered and after fishing a bit of money from his still wet trousers, he went out to make a call.

 

TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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