Chapter Text
The Elite Gauntlet
Chapter 1
It was hard to believe summer was almost over. It had gone by so fast. Sizzling summer heat was slowly transforming into autumnal coolness and fall colors were beginning to appear amongst the foliage. The colors outside went from green summer vibrancy to clear glow accented by leaves on foliage turning maroon and gold.
As this seemingly ordinary day in this transitional period from summer to fall reached afternoon, a young woman seemingly materialized out of nowhere. She began to step foot onto the grounds of the world-renowned Capsule Corporation, a strange device in her right hand.
"Looks nicer in person..." she remarked coyly, brushing her brown hair to the side and pulling her black mesh jacket up before she made her way to the front entrance.
As the mysterious woman walked through the doors, a receptionist with black hair clad in a maroon blazer across the room was quick to address the new guest.
"Welcome to Capsule Corporation!" the receptionist greeted her cheerfully. "How may I help you?"
The woman placed her device on the reception desk before answering. "Good afternoon, I'd like to speak with Mrs. Briefs' husband, is he available?"
The receptionist was taken aback by this request. This was probably the first time in her history of employment that anyone had asked about her employer's husband, let alone known that he even existed. She had encountered him several times herself, but never really interacted with him.
"I'll see if I can reach him." the receptionist answered, dialing an extension to contact him. Bulma's elusive husband did have an extension number, and this had to be the first time anyone had used it. "I can't guarantee he'll answer though, he always seems quite busy. May I ask what your business with Mrs. Brief's husband is?"
The woman smiled. "I am only here to give him an opportunity that I doubt he will pass up." she answered. There was an odd monotoned deliver to her voice. "I hear he's a competitive fighter, just what my organization is looking for."
The receptionist had no success in getting in answer from Vegeta's extension and tried one more time, the second attempt was also met with silence.
"It looks as though he is unavailable." the receptionist said. If he wasn't going to answer now, he was never going to answer. "Would you like me to leave him a message?"
"No need to apologize." the woman began, her voice still emotionless. "Instead, would it be possible to leave this with him? This has all the information he will need."
She pushed the device up on the reception desk so that the administrator could see what it was. A dark gray digital tablet the size of a book with a blank screen. On the other side was a strange insignia which looked like the letter 'A'.
"Of course, I'll send it his way." the receptionist said as she examined the device and tried to make out the insignia. After staring at it for a moment she made out a name under the large 'A'. "Is there anything else you need?"
"All I need is for Vegeta to receive the message my superior sent him." The woman answered cheerfully. "On behalf of the Ampheta Organization, I thank you. Have a nice day."
As the receptionist processed the tablet, confused on how this guest even knew the name of Mrs. Briefs' husband. The woman began to head back outside. Once she was out of earshot of any Capsule Corporation employee, she pulled out a similar piece of equipment to the device she had just dropped off. This one was much smaller and compact, which fit in her jacket much easier. She held the object out and selected a name in her list of contacts, her superior.
"Hello Mr. Snow." she started. "It's Uma, one Saiyan has received the invite. I'm en route to the next one. I can't wait to see them fighting for us. Can you believe it? The last two living Saiyans, fighting for us. Only a matter of time now before it actually happens..."
Far away from West City, one may assume that the tranquil green wastelands of Mount Pazou would be less lively than the bustling city. On most days, that assumption would be correct but not on this day. An orange blur shot into one of the trees in the wasteland, startling the various woodland animals from the unnatural movement as the tree cracked in two. The orange blur turned out to be a man. A short man with a bald head so polished it seemed downright glossy. The man was slow to get up, rubbing his freshly shaved head.
"Jeez Goten!" the man cried out nasally with a wince on his face as he got up. "We're sparring! You didn't have to kick me that hard!"
A boy in an orange gi with matching orange pants and a long-sleeved navy blue shirt underneath the gi soon hovered over to the tree which now collapsed from the force of impact.
"I'm sorry Mr. Krillin!" the boy said. "I didn't mean to kick you that hard."
The short man got up, brushing dust off his gi which was similar to the boy's, orange with a navy-blue undershirt. "It's fine, you just gotta go easy on me! I'm not getting any younger."
Another boy flew up to the two, this one with pink hair and also clad in a gi although his was dark green and had an orange belt. "Do ya think it would've hurt less if you weren't bald?" this boy asked, teasing. "Maybe your hair would've cushioned the fall."
"Oh, you're so funny Trunks..." Krillin rolled his eyes. "For your information, my wife happens to like my head shaved. You'll understand someday once you're married."
"Fat chance!" Trunks fired back. "I'll never let a girl tell me what to do."
Before Krillin had a chance to roll his eyes again at the boy, an unfamiliar voice interrupted.
"Excuse me..." the female voice began. "Do any of you know where I can find someone named Goku?"
"Huh?" Krillin was genuinely surprised. He thought that himself and the two boys were the only people in the wasteland. Just seconds ago, that seemed to be the case. A woman in a black jacket was standing next to the damaged tree, seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Who are you?" Goten asked, ever curious.
"My name's Uma. I'm just a courier. " The woman answered with a shrug, her gaze not leaving Goten. The resemblance was undeniable. The spikey black hair was almost identical to who she was looking for. "You must be related to Goku. You're his son I assume?"
"Uh... yeah..." Goten answered nervously. Something about this lady seemed off.
The woman smiled and walked over to the cautious boy. She produced a black square object from her jacket and handed it to him.
"Can you give this to your Dad for me?" she asked him as he looked at the item curiously.
"I guess, sure." the boy said, still looking at the tablet.
The woman smiled again and patted the boy's black hair. "Thank you. That's all I need. I can tell you're a good boy."
"Ah...uh..." Goten stammered. "Thanks, I guess."
"Is that for games or something?" Trunks asked as he came over to look at the object in his friend's hands.
"Haha, no." Uma answered. "Don't be silly..."
Feeling an awkward silence form, Uma saw this as a cue to leave. Her simple mission was accomplished. "I don't want to distract you three from whatever it is you're all doing, I'll be on my way." the woman said, almost sounding cheerful as she turned around. "Have a great day!"
Krillin looked over to the tablet in Goten's hands. "Something about this feels off..." he thought. "Who was she?"
The bald martial arts expert turned back to look for the woman, but she had vanished.
"Yeah, something weird is going on." Krillen thought as he looked back at the mysterious device.
"Goten." Krillin finally spoke as the boy looked up. "We better get this to your Dad and figure out what this thing is. And what's going on."