true life videogame: Chapter 1

Trunks ran through the automatic doors with package in hand. He already called Goten and he was on the way. The game they waited for, was finally here. The game Trunks couldn’t stop talking about. A online RPG. Hot off the presses. Being the richest kid on the world had it’s perks. He requested the first copy three days before it went on sale. Who could they refuse the son of the riches family around? Not caring about anything else, he ran up to his room and ripped though the packaging. The instructions were easy enough. A few wires here, and such. Nothing a genius couldn’t handle.

            Goten burst through the open door, bouncing like he had too much sugar in his system. Sitting down as Trunks got back from the back on the huge t.v.

“Wow. Trunks. I can’t wait.”

“We don’t have too.” He pressed the power button. Nothing happened. “Huh?” He pressed it again and still nothing. He went around back to see if that was the problem.

“Trunks?”

“Not now, Goten. I’m trying to figure this out.” Goten shrugged and crawled over and pressed the on button was the tv. The music blared and Trunks hit his head.

“You forgot to turn on the t.v. Trunks.” Still rubbing his head as he came around he sat down by Goten.

“I was just testing you. I knew the whole time.” He may not the genius his friend was but not even his father would fall for that one.

“Right.”  

X)(X

Bulma wiped her forehead. The was putting the finishing touches on her newest invention. Well, newest to her and it had been done before. A time machine. This time she was going to make a true time machine and not a dimensional jumper like future Trunks had came in.

            Since Buu things had been peaceful. Even Vegeta had chilled slightly. Not a whole lot, but a bit. He wasn’t as bad as people thought. He never showed that side when they were around. Lots of people got in his nerves. That was just him.

            She brought her thoughts back to the matter at hand. She needed to trail run of the software. Pugging it in, she hoped she won’t blow another fuse. This piece needed lots of energy to get a reading. It was the perfect time to test it. The gravity room wasn’t on, her father wasn’t doing anything, and Trunks wasn’t home. He had a play date with Marron and Goten. Perfect it was.

X)(X

“I feel kinda bad Trunks. I think Eighteen and Krillen might get mad for not showing up.” Goten said slight guilt ridden.

“If you want to go, go! And I’ll stay here and play the best game on the market.”

“I was just saying . . .” He shut his mouth seeing Trunks was in one of those moods. It be trying to talk to a brick wall. Pointless.

X)(X

 

Bulma typed in the coordinates. She was only going to go back five minutes at a test. But when a ring sounded put a stop to that.

“Never fails. In the bathtub, or ready to test an invention that could save the world. The door bell has got to ring.” She almost bolted out of her lab. She hated being disturbed. This the was important to her. Whoever better have a good reason for interrupted or else. She swung open the door seeing Eighteen, Krillen, and little Marron who was hiding slightly behind her father’s leg. Bulma looked around but no Trunks.

“Where’s Trunks?”

“He didn’t show up. Neither did Goten.” Eighteen looked up at the ceiling like she could see through it.

“There both here. Upstairs.” Bulma face got scary. Her scary look made Vegeta look tranquil.

“TRUNKS!”

X)(X

“Did you hear something?” Trunks asked reading the backstory the game provided.

“Your mother yelling your name at the top of her lungs.” Goten said not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Oh.” He pushed start on the controller when he realized what Goten said. “What?!” The door slammed open with an angry Bulma on the other side. Trunks paled deadly white. He was in some serious trouble here. Where were evil villains that wanted to enslave earth when you needed them?

X)(X (meanwhile)

Goku appeared in the lab with Chi-Chi hanging on. They got there right after Bulma left. She didn’t hear them calling after her.

“We should have called first.” Chi-chi said shaking her head to clear it from the sudden movement of instant intermission.

“This was quicker.” There was a shiny red button of the panel. Goku kept looking at it, and looking at it. He finger raised just to touch it when a slap on the back of t he head stopped that.

“Don’t even think about it!”

“About what?”

“Touching that?”

“Touching what?” Goku scrathing his head a little.

“You know what, mister!”

“I wasn’t going to touch anything!”

“Yes you were.” She moved to the panel. “You were going to touch this button right here.”

“Which button?”

“This one!” Her pointer finger pushed down, a little too hard.

X)(X

X)(X

Bulma groaned hard as her woke up. Looking around seeing Goku and Chi-Chi. Before she could ask where they got there, she stood seeing her outfit was completely changed. She was wearing armor and had a sword sheath on her hip. The armor was white with light blue stripes. It was full body armor down to her huge, heavy boots. She looked at her heavily armored hands. What was going on here?

Chi-Chi raised her head seeing Goku in strange clothes. It was all black with little pockets in the front and a little knife clipped to his belt. She looked down seeing her state of dress. She outfit was tan and felt like deer skin and leather bands on her wrists. And there was a wooden staff.

Eighteen opened her icy eyes and looked down to see Marron wasn’t there. She sat up looking around frantically. Showing emotion was the alien to her.

“Marron!”

“Mommy!” She heard her but didn’t see her. A small light kept getting in her eyes.

“Marron, where are you?”

“Here, mommy.” Eighteen stopped shooing the light away and looked closer. She mouth fell open seeing the little light creature was Marron. Marron landed in her mother’s open hand, resting her pixel like wings. Eighteen tried to make sense of it but couldn’t. She was in a forest than didn’t look real, for daughter was a fairy thing and the others had on costumes. She also didn’t want to look at herself but did. She was wearing a leather and metal bra with almost thong armor underwear. Even her footwear didn’t cover much as she was sporting leather moccasins. She wasn’t shy about her body, but this was weird.

Krillen came too moments later crawling over to see Marron in Eighteen’s hands. She outfit was revealing to say the least. His though was just as strange. He had paws and a tail. Feeling up he felt ears too. Pointy car ears at the top of his head. He was a black and white cat man. That wasn’t mando cool.

Trunks and Goten looked at each other seeing the all the grown-up as players. Looking down they saw both were barbarian kids. With hides of animals as armor and axes in there hands. Both had two sharp deadly axes in each hand. This was so must cooler than playing the game on the console. But the parents weren’t going to let them have any fun at the moment.

Nodding to each other they both walked backwards hoping to catch up with them later. When they weren’t so shocked and angry. Or they would have if they didn’t bump into something warm and solid. They looked at the thing stopping them. Vegeta stood there decked in black loose fitting pants with charms and symbols all over them. There wasn’t a shirt but he had a lot more charms on chains around his neck. Even his wrists had arm bands with more symbols. Even one on his forehead right in the middle of his widow’s peck. He had a metal staff with a huge black ball anchored on top with gold claw like hands holding it there.

“Where do you think you two are going?” Not even Trunks wasn’t immune to the paralyzing affects of Vegeta’s eyes.

X)(X

“Okay. So we are in your new video game that came ahead of time by three days. So that’s why your didn’t show up for the playdate with Marron. You two showed up using Goku’s instant transmission into the lab seconds after I left. You pushed the button . .” Goku interjected.

“I didn’t. Chi-Chi did!”

“I wanted you not to touch it!”

“But you did!”

“I didn’t mean too!”

“Shut up! Doesn’t matter who touched it! It was touched and with my invention and Trunks’ game must have reacted with each other somehow! That’s why we are here and dressed like this!” Bulma screamed over the fighting couple.

“How do we get back?” Eighteen asked in the toneless way that she was known for.

“I guess we win the game.” Everyone turned eyes to Trunks as he spoke. “I guess.”

“What do you have to do?”

“Save the world by stopping all the evil bosses in this game and their boss.”

“And how do we do that?” Krillen asked still looking at his cat like paws.

“Like all other RPG’s.”

“RPG’s? What is that?”

            Vegeta got annoyed at the whole conversion. This was going nowhere fast.

“Role playing games.” Everyone turned to Vegeta shocked that he knew. “Their common on most planets. First time the whole body been transported inside but most species have their versions of these games.”

“Whoa. I didn’t know you knew about these dad.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me. And never will.”

The shock wore off and the others stood checking each other out. A few snickers were throw Krillen’s way but died off fast.

“So. What are we?” Trunks looked around.

“I’m not such since I didn’t get to look at the character’s list but I think Mom is a warrior. Chi-Chi an amazon, Krillen is a neko . .” He stopped as Krillen didn’t get it. “Cat person. Um . . . Marron is a sprite or fairy. I’m not sure which she is in this game. Goku is a thief I believe, Miss Eighteen I think is a rogue or maybe an assassin. Goten and I are barbarians. And dad is . . . um . . . I’m not sure.” Trunks stepped closer looking him over. Nothing was coming to him.

            Vegeta brought the staff up with both hands looking at the top of it. The black gem was a dead giveaway in his eyes. He’s least favorite character type in these things. Sticking the end of the staff in the ground he crossed his arms uncomfortable over his decked out chest.

“Looks like I’m a craft user.” Trunks took a second to realize what he meant.

“A mage! That’s it! That’s what you are. I’m so stupid at times!”  

“A white mage, black mage, or red mage?” Goten asked not being able to tell. Trunks looked him over. The outfit was screaming black mage but without knowing the game he wasn’t sure at all.

“Maybe black. I really can’t tell yet.”

            The others might as well have been in a other game because this was all Greek to them. Bulma for the first time in her life was confused completely. This was not in her extended understanding.

“What does color have to do with this?” Trunks and Goten stopped there deliberations looking at the others. Forgetting that they hadn’t no idea what any of this was about.

“Sorry. Black mage uses attack magic. Elementals to start with. White mage heals the other players and him or herself. A red mage is a older term meaning they choose which spells they want but can only have so many. Most games don’t use those anymore but you never know.” Bulma decided to drop it as trying to find away back was more important than the works of Role playing games through the years.

            The ground started shaking and loud bangs were heard. Bulma couldn’t stay on her feet with the heavy suit of armor and fell on her butt. She was stuck like a Tuttle on it’s back, unable to get up on her own power.

“What’s that. An earthquake?!”

“In a video game? Is that possible?” Eighteen yelled to be heard over the noise.

“Kinda yes but I don’t think . . .” Trunks eyes went wide as he looked up. A huge T-rex with blue colored skin come into the clearing. It’s roar was deafening. “Looks like this game has a real time battle system.”

“Yeah. They needed to compete with the online games.”

“How cares?” Eighteen stood and raised her hands. “Let’s blast this thing.” Nothing. She pushed her will harder. And still nothing. Her ki was useless, unuseable, blocked. “It’s not working. Can’t even feel it.”

“I don’t think ki attacks were programmed into this game.” Eighteen looked back at Trunks then back at the T-rex.

“Then how do we beat this thing!?”

“By the game’s rules.” Raising his axes and Goten followed his lead.

            Knocked back by the monster’s tail. Hanging on by a life point of two both couldn’t move well at all. The damage they done was laughable. But for good reason. There were all level one where this monster was much higher.

“Wish we had a white mage about now.” Trunks stood helping Goten. Marron in her little sprite form flew to them.

“I don’t like it here! I want to go home!” She held out her hands as light appeared from them. Trunks and Goten’s strength returned. She had healing powers. She was the white mage of this game. “What happened?”

“You helped.”

“I did!? Yea! What I do?”

“Tell ya later. Come on Goten.” Both rushed in again.

            Vegeta rolled out of the way of the massive foot. This was pointless. At current levels they were, there was no way they would defeat this thing. Even out numbered it was too much for level oners and complete newbies. Vegeta stood seeing a possible chance. Coming up behind it he climbed up it tail and jumped on it’s scaly back. The thing seemed to finally noticed as it bucked and tried to shake Vegeta off. Using his staff he dug into it’s flesh, he was able to stay on somehow. Climbing high to it neck Vegeta used his staff as a choker.

            The others looked almost like statues watching it. Bulma who finally righted herself charged with sword in hand. She sliced the skin but it didn’t seem to notice.

“Why isn’t this thing dying?”

“Because is still has most of it’s hit points!” Bulma stood there like a stump.

“Hit points?” Trunks almost smacked his forehand in annoyance. This whole game lingo wasn’t something that could be explained in two minutes.

“Later.” He yelled back smashing the axe into the T-rex ankle. A futile attack but he had to do something.

            Vegeta saw only one way. He pressed his staff hard into the left side of it huge neck. Using all the leverage he had, he made the beast turn.

“Go! I’ll take care of this!” Bulma slashed again barely making a scratch.

“We can leave you here with that!”

“Damn it Bulma! Stop being annoying! We don’t know if are Bodies are in the game or just are minds. If we die here. We might die in the real world. There no way to tell!” The T-rex bucked it’s head against the staff. Using his body weight Vegeta forced it the other way.

            The T-rex bolted with Vegeta still on the back of his neck. Bulma started to run after him when Goku stepped in front of her.

“Bulma. He’s right. We can’t take that chance.”

“But Vegeta . .”

“Can take care of himself. He knows a bit about this kind of thing . . . surprisingly.” She leaned up on her toes to see over Goku’s shoulder and regretted that as she lost balance in the heavy armor. Goku get her settled on her feet again.

            Threw down her sword in a plain fit and pulled off her helmet in pure will alone.

“I hate this thing! This whole armor is too heavy and hot! I can’t move! I don’t want to be a warrior!” Goku walked over to pick up her sword but his hand was bounced back from it. He tried again and again and it still would let him touch it.

“I don’t think you have a choice.” She turned watching Goku’s hand being repelled. She could have groaned.

“We are stuck in our roles then. Perfect.” Bulma stormed over picking up her sword and helmet. Placing them back she looked around then back at the boys. “You’re the ones that know about these things. What do we do?”

“Fight monsters our level and find a town.”

X)(X

Vegeta was smacked with the branches of the trees. For virtual trees, they sure did hurt a bit. More than it should have.

“I had just about of enough of this.” Vegeta looked up to see the largest tree dead ahead. As the T-rex turned Vegeta pulled with all his remaining strength forced the creature head the other way.

Vegeta’s grip broke and he landed hard on the ground. Without his ki he felt pain beyond what he would normally feel.

“These bodies must be real. That hurt too much to be virtual.” Opening his eyes, he sat up with slightly difficultly. He looked around the forest to see if there was anything else, like a town or village. Yet, there was nothing in all directions. “Great.” He walked the direction the T-rex was taking him. It seemed as good of a direction as many. No point going back the other way, as the others surely moved on. They better had if they knew what was good for them. The forest monster’s were too high leveled unless the T-rex was the only high leveled creature here.

He heard the T-rex stir from behind. He turned to see it flip to it massive feet. This was not his day. A quick sigh escaped his lips before he brought his slightly bent staff forward. He motioned to the T-rex. “Bring it on.”