“Hey. Hey...”
A woman's flirty laugh. The smell of wine sung from the man's breath.
“I have a joke for you.”
Another chuckle, deep in one's throat. The woman's chest heaved upward. “Yes, My Lord?”
“There are two women walking on a road. And they both see a traveler.”
“A traveler, My Lord?” A rustling of cloth sliding on the bare skin of a leg.
“Yes. And he says to them...” Her giggle interrupted him, and he restarted. “He says to them both, 'One of you is destined for great riches. Wealth beyond your dreams. The other will be eternally beautiful.' And the women asked, 'Which of us will be forever beautiful?' And do you know what the traveler said?”
“No, My Lord.”
“He said, 'There is only one way to know for sure.'” He leaned forward and whispered into his companion's ear, earning her loud laughter. The chamber attendant opened the door.
“My Lord Second-born? His Holy Lord Trunks, Son of the Throne.”
Goten looked up. Trunks entered the room, smiling.
“Only a crocodile smiles that much. Particularly when he's about to eat,” Goten said wryly.
Trunks, his face still tight with his unreadable grin, looked at the young woman beside Goten.
“Out.”
The woman bowed, eyes downcast, and quickly slid from the bed and out of the door.
Goten laughed. “I could get one for you, if you want. Or are you still in 'wedded bliss'?”
Trunks sucked his teeth in reply. Goten slid Trunks a glass of wine.
“So what do I owe the honor of your visit, nephew?”
Playing into the bantering tone, Trunks picked up the glass. “Recently there was a problem on Arjun. Security breach by a data miner named Movahr. Domestic communication surveillance tracked his CCID back to Chikyuu.”
“Okay,” Goten picked up a fruit. “And where is this Movahr now, and what did he do?”
Trunks was silent. Goten grunted with a dark chuckle. “Never mind. I don't want to know.”
“We are sure his data traveled to the West Quadrant, but my analysts suspect that it passed through here,” Trunks explained. “Movahr was from right here in the North Quadrant.”
“So you think that whatever he did, he had help...or whatever he found he sent back here somehow.”
“Yes. To the latter, anyway,”
Goten let out a harsh sigh. “Information exchange and traffic of data. Isn't this Yamucha's department? Why don't you let him handle it?”
Trunks took another swallow of wine and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You know that I don't trust him. Not as much as I trust you.”
Goten looked Trunks over for a few seconds.
“There was some chatter,” Goten stretched, placing his arms behind his head. “I think what you're looking for may have already exchanged hands. I sent my men on a raid near the Western border. My guess? Whatever they have they're looking to put in a safe place. One that's not under surveillance.”
“...West Castle.”
Goten shrugged, grinning. “What safer place than right under one's nose?”
“God, why were you so evasive about this?” Trunks finally found a chair free of clutter and planted himself, spilling a little of his drink.
“Oi. Don't take your own name in vain.”
Trunks snorted. Goten put his feet up on a nearby stool.
“Don't be mad at me. I thought Yamucha was handling things like this. I just wanted to stay out of the way.” Goten looked over at his guest. “Are you staying the night and heading to West Castle tomorrow?”
Trunks nodded, looking out of the window.
Goten smiled, and clapped his hands twice. And from every entrance to the chamber, women walked in. They were all colors, height, races. And all beautiful.
Trunks looked at the group, then looked at Goten, barely hiding a grin.
Goten pointed to the gathered women. “You,” A brunette with milky white skin stepped forward. Goten looked back at Trunks.
Trunks peered at the woman. “Take off your clothes,” he said.
The petite brunette did as commanded. Goten snickered like a naughty child.
Trunks smiled fully, and motioned for the woman to come closer.
A woman's flirty laugh. The smell of wine sung from the man's breath.
“I have a joke for you.”
Another chuckle, deep in one's throat. The woman's chest heaved upward. “Yes, My Lord?”
“There are two women walking on a road. And they both see a traveler.”
“A traveler, My Lord?” A rustling of cloth sliding on the bare skin of a leg.
“Yes. And he says to them...” Her giggle interrupted him, and he restarted. “He says to them both, 'One of you is destined for great riches. Wealth beyond your dreams. The other will be eternally beautiful.' And the women asked, 'Which of us will be forever beautiful?' And do you know what the traveler said?”
“No, My Lord.”
“He said, 'There is only one way to know for sure.'” He leaned forward and whispered into his companion's ear, earning her loud laughter. The chamber attendant opened the door.
“My Lord Second-born? His Holy Lord Trunks, Son of the Throne.”
Goten looked up. Trunks entered the room, smiling.
“Only a crocodile smiles that much. Particularly when he's about to eat,” Goten said wryly.
Trunks, his face still tight with his unreadable grin, looked at the young woman beside Goten.
“Out.”
The woman bowed, eyes downcast, and quickly slid from the bed and out of the door.
Goten laughed. “I could get one for you, if you want. Or are you still in 'wedded bliss'?”
Trunks sucked his teeth in reply. Goten slid Trunks a glass of wine.
“So what do I owe the honor of your visit, nephew?”
Playing into the bantering tone, Trunks picked up the glass. “Recently there was a problem on Arjun. Security breach by a data miner named Movahr. Domestic communication surveillance tracked his CCID back to Chikyuu.”
“Okay,” Goten picked up a fruit. “And where is this Movahr now, and what did he do?”
Trunks was silent. Goten grunted with a dark chuckle. “Never mind. I don't want to know.”
“We are sure his data traveled to the West Quadrant, but my analysts suspect that it passed through here,” Trunks explained. “Movahr was from right here in the North Quadrant.”
“So you think that whatever he did, he had help...or whatever he found he sent back here somehow.”
“Yes. To the latter, anyway,”
Goten let out a harsh sigh. “Information exchange and traffic of data. Isn't this Yamucha's department? Why don't you let him handle it?”
Trunks took another swallow of wine and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“You know that I don't trust him. Not as much as I trust you.”
Goten looked Trunks over for a few seconds.
“There was some chatter,” Goten stretched, placing his arms behind his head. “I think what you're looking for may have already exchanged hands. I sent my men on a raid near the Western border. My guess? Whatever they have they're looking to put in a safe place. One that's not under surveillance.”
“...West Castle.”
Goten shrugged, grinning. “What safer place than right under one's nose?”
“God, why were you so evasive about this?” Trunks finally found a chair free of clutter and planted himself, spilling a little of his drink.
“Oi. Don't take your own name in vain.”
Trunks snorted. Goten put his feet up on a nearby stool.
“Don't be mad at me. I thought Yamucha was handling things like this. I just wanted to stay out of the way.” Goten looked over at his guest. “Are you staying the night and heading to West Castle tomorrow?”
Trunks nodded, looking out of the window.
Goten smiled, and clapped his hands twice. And from every entrance to the chamber, women walked in. They were all colors, height, races. And all beautiful.
Trunks looked at the group, then looked at Goten, barely hiding a grin.
Goten pointed to the gathered women. “You,” A brunette with milky white skin stepped forward. Goten looked back at Trunks.
Trunks peered at the woman. “Take off your clothes,” he said.
The petite brunette did as commanded. Goten snickered like a naughty child.
Trunks smiled fully, and motioned for the woman to come closer.
