What A Mother Brings To The Table

It was an odd feeling, truly unreal, when one opened their eyes for the first time, and as such, Reginald was not taking well to the fact that he was being subjected to it a second time.

"The child isn't crying"

A voice spoke, androgynous in nature, and monotone as can be. The voice belonged to a grey creature with blackish spots all over his body, silicone like skin with two arms and an almost humanoid upper body, but tentacles where the lower body of a humanoid creature would be.

"Doesn't matter Pirro, check for the power level and place it in the monkey chamber."

Announced a male voice, and in a rather stern tone as well. This voice belonged to a purple humanoid with antenna-like hair, and a bumpy pattern on his callous skin.

"I don't get it, aren't you afraid of what they'll do to you if they hear you?"

The voice called Pirro asked of the second voice, now showing a hint of worry as it did.

"Right, you're new around here so you might not know, I was the captain of the Magenta forces. I really doubt any one of them would have the balls to come at me for something like this."

The unnamed voice stated with more than a little confidence.

"Magenta forces? It was named after you. Even so, am I supposed to know what that is?"

Pirro called out to the person identified as Magenta, clearly confused, but not without a hint of mockery in its tone.

"What the… Forget it, it's my fault for assuming any of you Ladians would know something besides bootlicking… seriously, what would've become of you if lord Freeza hadn't discovered you."

Magenta digressed, although oddly enough, Pirro did not respond to his xenophobia, for it was smart enough to know that harsh words would only exacerbate irrationality.

"I think it might be broken, I assume it's 20, but it's showing 2000. The command centre bastards really get on my nerves, the lower sector has the worst technology made available to it. Do they think they'll find something worthwhile with discrepancies like this? This happened last week as well, some Saiyan kid came up with a power level in the negative!"

Pirro chalked the high-power level to a discrepancy caused by a malfunction by the old machines afforded to the lower sectors of Planet Vegeta.

"Yeah, it's insane, commander Paragus just took over lower-sector 5, and his kid showed up with a power level of 920! The damn thing broke right after too, I think I heard something about Paragus killing the technician responsible… Damn monkeys! They kill their own so easily, their savagery is beyond me."

Barked Magenta, but he had now earned the ire of Pirro, who thoughtfully remarked.

"You know, that line coming from anyone but a Hyperite would've sounded so much more serious."

"Touché… tentacle-bastard."

Faced with another bout of mockery, Magenta quietly grunted out the second part of his response, but decided to leave the matter behind him nonetheless, and proceeded with the process of newborn Saiyan assignment.

"Male, Power Level at birth: 20, Classification: Low-level Saiyan. Alright, now send him to the monkey chamber for a one-month probationary period, he'll either get carted off for low-level engineering certification, or he'll be bound for an infiltration mission. Personally, I don't care to see another low-level monkey meet a premature demise, so I hope the little bastard gets off with an Engineering sentence."

"You said it boss, and I guess I should apologise, that Hyperite comment was a little uncalled for."

"It's alright, just get the monkey to his chamber."

The two creatures, alien to the infant Reginald, filed his power-level to their database and carted him off to the so-called 'monkey' chamber.

Currently, Reginald was processing his situation, as an infant, even one who wielded powers beyond that of most adults, he was helpless and at the mercy of his handlers.

He arrived at a large room filled with children that were in futuristic crib-like containers, and as he was being placed in one such container, he noticed that there were no adults around, only child-rearing robots. There was an observation window, unnecessary, as evidenced by the desolate view that could be seen from the inside.

'Such is the nature of Saiyans, a race of bloodthirsty warriors, they wouldn't even procreate if it weren't for biological instinct obligating them to do so.'

He thought to himself, as he had not seen a single Saiyan adult at the entire facility, perhaps his mother had been there, but he definitely did not have the opportunity to see her.

'And once again, I am at my lonesome, placed here to have my will chipped away by the prattling of newborn babes… And once again, without a single parent to care for me.'

Rather disappointed at the thought, Reginald braced himself for a long period of torturous boredom.

And just as he did, he heard a loud BANG! From the direction of the observation window. And saw a woman pounding at the window using her fists.

"Cress! Baby! Look at me! It's Mom! Wait right there! I'll come and get you soon! Mommy loves you!"

Screamed the, frankly, scary woman, at least, if the loud wailing of his fellow primates… I mean inmates of the 'monkey' chamber were any indication.

She was a woman of average height and slender build. She had a light-pale skin complexion, onyx eyes, and shaggy black hair reaching her shoulders.

"Ma'am, you are disturbing the rearing processes of the Saiyan new-borns, please leave the premises before sector 6 security is contacted. To register a name for your child, please…"

BANG!

The nearby Robot only got halfway through its spiel before getting punched in the head by the scary woman.

"Shut up! My baby was just transferred here, and I want to see him, isn't that why you have the observation window you trash can!"

Shouted the scary woman. The robot, somehow looking offended, responded in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Saiyan Female, Classification: Low-level Meat distribution, Gine. The proper procedure is to register for a name and a subsequent meeting at the help desk located at the front of this facility, not to attack the observation desk with an unregistered name! Furthermore, the garbage bins are F-class Frieza force robots, while I am a designated C-class series 500 helper-bot. Is that understood?"

Somewhat startled by the apparent sass a robot was showing, Reginald was even more surprised by the identity of the woman, Gine was the mother of Goku was she not? What was she doing here? Who is Cress? Her only two sons should have been Raditz and Kakarot, so who was the outlier?…

Reginald was normally a smart fellow, but often times, the smartest of fellows are stumped by very obvious things. However, as is the nature of the smart, they eventually pull through.

As such, realisation dawned on Reginald moments later… and tears graced his tiny cheeks a few moments hence, he was Cress.

He did not fully understand why tears were forming in his eyes at that thought, but he did know that he liked the name; Cress.

'Sweet and simple, as all things ought to be', he thought. Somehow sharing a similar sentiment of the woman who turned out to be his mother, as he stared at the somewhat nervous Gine.

"Fine, I'll handle the procedures, just gimme a minute! Stupid trash-can."

Mumbling the last insult under her breath, she donned a sweet smile as she looked directly at Reggi… nay, as she looked directly at the infant Cress, smiling a little wider at his flushed cheeks and teary eyes.

'My cutie!' she thought, excitedly taking in the cute appearance of her first child, his black hair a mix of hers and his father's, wild but not too long. He shared he onyx eyes, but the rest of his face almost mirrored that of his father.

"Mommy will come and get you soon, okay baby? You just wait until I do, then I'll show you how to deal with these stupid robots and their stupid procedures." She snuck a quick, hateful glance at the helper-bot, who replied in kind, before continuing.

"Just wait for me till then, and remember, mommy loves you!"

Sending a quick flying-kiss over to Cress, Gine quickly walked away with the annoyed helper-bot.

Cress took the scene in and considered his circumstances for a moment, and then immediately began to cry.

'I suppose… No, I think I truly believe it… I just! I think I'm gonna like it here!'

Cress thought to himself while bawling like a baby should. For once, he had someone of his own species who loved him, and unlike his previous self, it was his own mother.

'Cress, huh. I like it even more now. Very well, from now on, I am Reginald Rey Von Homestein no longer. I am now Cress! Son of Gine!' He declared, feeling a warmth in his new heart that had never graced his previous one.

END OF CHAPTER 2