Crossover Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Vendetta ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

House of Élodie, Late Afternoon

 

Minako tried to fall into a defensive stance, but it was extremely difficult to pull off such a move in a kimono. For one, her legs would only move so far apart, and there was no way she could keep her balance. She recognized immediately the hopelessness of her situation. Even if she were strong enough to fight him, she was at a ridiculous disadvantage. Still, she wasn't going to give up without putting forth some kind of effort.

 

“Where's my princess?” she growled. At least, if she had to go through with this, she could get a little information out of him. She had a feeling that the chance of Élodie letting her back out of something she'd already agreed to was around zero.

 

Vegeta couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He vaguely recognized the girl as Rei and Usagi's friend, though she showed a great deal more spirit here than she had that day over two weeks ago. To find her again here was a bizarre twist of fate to say the least. He had a feeling this episode would piss Rei off in the extreme, and he was looking forward to rubbing her nose in it.

 

“I don't know what you're talking about, girl,” he replied, smirking. “It's strictly against Frieza's orders to enslave sitting monarchs or their families.”

 

Minako stared at him for a second in disbelief. “Well, Usagi doesn't really have a throne to sit on...it's a long story, anyway. She's alright though, isn't she?” This question was asked with more of a pleading voice, more consistent with the young woman he'd seen two weeks ago.

 

“That blonde idiot is royalty?” That bit of information really made Vegeta laugh. As far as he was concerned, Usagi didn't have a bit of potential at ruling anything. She hardly seemed capable of taking care of herself, let alone an entire planet. “Surely you're joking...”

 

“So she's a ditz,” Minako snapped. “Is she alright? If you've hurt her...”

 

“Calm down, girl. She's fine. I gave her to Kakorot, and I can assure you, they don't come much more “honorable.” He'd as soon kill himself as lay a hand on her.”

 

“I assume you two have met before,” Élodie interrupted. Vegeta smirked, and explained the two's last meeting.

 

He'd known Élodie for years and used her establishment on occasion. He respected her for her keen business sense, and liked her overall because she understood him. She may not have suffered the misfortunes he had suffered, but she found ways to sympathize without pissing him off. She always knew what to say when he showed up, and she always picked fantastic women for him. Today was no exception.

 

Now he looked more closely at Minako. He hadn't really paid attention to her before because Rei's personality had shone through in such a delightful manner, but now he looked. She was the epitome of pretty, with long, silky blond hair and a slim figure. Her blue eyes, lighter than Usagi's, currently held a look of relief mixed with apprehension, an odd combination. She appeared to be a bit athletic, attempting a basic marital arts defense stance, which he found amusing. He could sense almost no ki from her and did not feel the least bit threatened by her.

 

Élodie took Minako's arm and pulled her to the side. Vegeta smirked at them and their girl talk, but gave them their privacy.

 

“I'm sure you are nervous, but Vegeta knows what he's doing,” she reassured the blond girl. “He will treat you well, and will probably teach you a few things in the process. Do not be frightened.” Then, she addressed the both of them. “I suppose supper should be about ready. Minako, why don't you show your guest to your chambers?”

 

Minako swallowed hard but did not protest. Vegeta offered his arm, and she tentatively accepted it, leading him out of the room and back toward the dining area connected to her room. The walk was silent, and while she was terribly uneasy, Vegeta seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly. He had a small smirk on his face, and seemed to be contemplating something of an entirely different subject. He certainly wasn't the least bit upset about what was going to happen in a few short hours.

 

They reached her chambers shortly and sure enough a young woman whom Minako had never seen before was setting the table for supper. The table was small and low, designed specifically for an intimate meal between two people. The plates and utensils were all familiar to Minako, and Vegeta seemed to know how to use chopsticks, so the actual meal progressed rather smoothly. The food prepared by the kitchen was always wonderful when Minako was by herself, and they seemed to take extra care when preparing a meal for guests.

 

Vegeta had specifically eaten a great portion of his normal evening meal on the ship so as not to be distracted by food. He realized that his body needed the great amounts of food to make up for the great amount of energy he spent in his day-to-day activities, but inhaling vast quantities of food wasn't very sexy. In all likelihood, his normal eating habits would probably scare the girl even more, which was something he wanted to avoid.

 

“So, you're worried about that twit, but what about your other friend? Does her fate not matter so much to you?” he asked, smirking at her deliberately.

 

“Rei can take care of herself a lot better than Usagi,” Minako replied shortly. “She knows martial arts. And anyway, it is my sworn duty to protect my princess at any cost. That's why I'm doing...this instead of working in the kitchens. I have to find Usagi and make sure she's safe. But, since you brought it up, is Rei all right?”

 

Vegeta scoffed. “You are oath-sworn to a princess with no throne? Why bother?”

 

He realized that he was in a similar situation, a prince with nothing to rule over, but it would piss him off to no end to have people swearing to protect him. Kakorot, Nappa, and Raditz before he died were allies and might be considered companions, but they owed him no particular loyalty. He could protect himself just fine, and in his mind, any deposed ruler had better learn to do the same. Money and the promise of a kingdom could easily steer the most steadfast companion away.

 

“She was supposed to take the throne on Earth...after she married its prince. It was fated, but then that creepy lizard guy showed up...” Minako's eyes flashed angrily. “She was so happy, and they loved each other so much...”

 

Vegeta thought about making a snide comment about silly humans gushing about their emotions, but decided not to. She was angry enough with him already, and he didn't feel pushing her farther to be necessary. If it were Rei, absolutely. Making her angry was great fun, but Vegeta didn't feel the need to rile Minako up. He felt he would enjoy this encounter either way, though he wasn't sure why. She didn't seem to show any knack for seduction, and she wasn't his usual `type.' But still, she contained enough spirit to keep him interested, and she certainly wasn't throwing herself at him.

 

Minako sniffled for a few minutes, and the meal continued. However, she had composed herself by the time they were finishing off the dessert, and had not cried enough to make her eyes puffy. Vegeta was thankful she hadn't started that womanish habit of trying to weep on his shoulder. She was confident enough in herself to get over things that upset her.

 

“Come here, girl,” he said, his voice low and quiet. He held out a hand to her, and she looked nervously at him. However, she rose from her knees and took his hand, letting him guide her. He pulled her down so that she sat on the floor next to him, close enough that they were touching. She was facing away from him, and he bent and kissed her hair, at the same time releasing it from the two combs that held it in place. He could tell from her trembling that she was nervous, and for a long time he simply ran his hands up and down her arms and over her shoulders, leaving chaste kisses in her hair. “Relax,” he whispered in her ear.

 

The word had the opposite effect at first. She tensed up and seemed a split second away from bolting, but his hands on her arms prevented it. Eventually, she did relax, though, and her eyes began to drift shut. One of Vegeta's hands traveled down her back, rubbing softly at the tense muscles as it went. With his other hand, he pushed her mass of blond hair out of the way and began lightly kissing the back of her neck. Again she tensed, though less this time and passing more quickly.

 

Without another word, he slipped one hand under her knees and stood, lifting her up in one smooth motion. This time, she did not start, but looked at him. She still looked nervous, but there was a new confidence shining in her eyes. She had set a course for herself, and she was determined to follow through with it.

 

Scientific Research Planet, Present

 

Ami had settled into her quarters easily, comfortable in the modest room. She had a few hours to herself and after investigating her new `home,' she opted to take a quick shower before she was scheduled to get lunch. After lunch, Bulma was going to give her a tour of the facilities, which was supposed to take her all the way to a late supper and then straight to bed. Apparently, slaves had a strict curfew, which Ami didn't really mind.

 

She was just stepping out of the shower when Bulma knocked and entered her room. Hastily, the younger girl wrapped a towel around her and blushed. Bulma unabashedly waltzed into her bathroom holding clothing in her arms. She didn't seem the least bit bothered by Ami's state of undress, offering the clothing with a grin.

 

“I know the blue stuff looks tiny, but it stretches. The lab coats are disposable...they get greasy really fast, so don't worry about getting dirty. I go through three or four a day,” Bulma chattered. When she realized Ami was a bit embarrassed, she turned around to give the girl her modesty, but kept talking.

 

Ami tried to pay attention, but the information didn't seem like much more than gossip. This being determined, she worked herself into the blue spandex-like bodysuit. It did stretch, and while Ami did not normally wear such tight clothing, she was glad to see that it wasn't horribly disgusting. The lab coat was long sleeved and reached her knees, and apparently it's primary function was to keep the bodysuit from getting too dirty while working on machines or with chemicals that might stain.

 

“All right, let's go get dinner,” Bulma said enthusiastically. She grabbed hold of Ami's arm and literally dragged her out of the room.

 

The cafeteria was down one floor and on the other side of the building, and it took about five minutes to get there. Ami realized during that walk that she was indeed quite hungry, and was happy to see that there were no huge lines to get food. There was nothing worse than standing in line, smelling delicious food and knowing that you had to wait even longer to get it.

 

The only two things Ami recognized as she was choosing her food were rice and water. Everything else, Bulma had to explain to her, and she was forced to take the older woman's advice as to what was good. Thankfully, Bulma had been there for two years, and she knew what was edible and what was nasty, so Ami ended up with an exotic, delicious meal.

 

After they had gotten their food, Bulma led her to a table currently empty save one woman, and introduced Ami to Crella. The brunette was the first friend Bulma had made on the planet, and Ami liked her immediately. She was brilliant and kind, explaining things to Ami despite the fact that her questions were simple and could be seen as silly to some of the more knowledgeable staff.

 

Lunch took about half an hour, and the three chatted easily, getting to know each other better. For all Ami asked a lot of questions about the new world she was being exposed to, Crella asked as many about the planet the younger girl had come from. Apparently, Crella's home planet had always been technologically advanced, and the schools she'd been brought up in stressed math and science. She was a natural choice for the research center, and was quite intrigued by the idea of living on a `backwater' planet. Ideas such as cars or even airplanes seemed so outdated to her that it was hard for her to believe anyone still used such devices.

 

Ami endured the questions about her planet and tried to answer as best she could. But it was hard explaining everyday human life. How does one explain television for entertainment or working at jobs that were performed here by slaves or machines? She did the best she could, and Crella didn't seem to mind. Bulma knew more of what she was talking about, and occasionally threw in a comment or two, attempting to further explain things Ami was vague about. Like money.

 

Apparently, currency in space worked like debit cards. Your paycheck goes in, and you use a card to buy things. There were no true banks, but the cards were guaranteed by some sort of universal treasury, and were the only way to purchase without actually trading things. They had no paper bills or coins of any sort, and Crella didn't see the point. As far as she was concerned, that was just a waste of space and manpower. It took a lot of people to make all that money, where as only a few were needed to oversee the electronic flow of money throughout the universe.

 

Eventually, Bulma put a stop to the conversation, insisting that if she and Ami didn't start the tour now, they would never finish. Crella chuckled, as she knew just how large the compound was, and let them leave. Ami followed Bulma, setting her used tray down on a conveyor belt that disappeared into the kitchen, and then the two set off walking. The entire floor was dedicated to leisure activities, and Bulma pointed out a few rooms including a lounge, a very large library and a gym. Everyone had at least a few free hours everyday, and keeping them happy and mentally stimulated was a good way to keep productivity up.

 

The next two floors all contained apartments and personal rooms, so Bulma didn't bother with them. The fourth floor of the building was dedicated to medical research, of which Bulma had little part. Still, she escorted Ami around, introduced her to a few people, and tried to explain just how advanced medicine was in space compared to on earth. Ami marveled at the idea of regeneration tanks, which could heal almost any injury simply by submerging the individual in one of a dozen or so various liquids. Each liquid was specifically designed with key components to aid in healing cuts, bruises, broken bones, illnesses or any malady you could think of. Ami wished Bulma were a part of the medical division, as she had always wanted to be a doctor, but she was glad to know that she would at least be allowed access to all of the information so that she could teach herself a few things.

 

The next floor was more of the same medical research, but the two floors above it were dedicated to mechanics. This was the department Bulma worked in, inventing new things and trying to find ways to improve old things. The entire sixth floor was one large, open room with numerous large, metallic objects set in various locations. People scurried around with clipboards, making notes, or adjusting pieces of the machines. Bulma and Ami stood on a balcony looking down on the scene, and the older woman began explaining each of the projects.

 

Ami picked up on most of the stuff a lot faster than Bulma would have thought, given her relatively technology-free background, but the younger girl felt completely befuddled. Most of the technology they were trying to improve on were things Ami had never even heard of before, and she had no idea what they were supposed to do, let alone the whys or hows of improving them. Bulma chuckled, informing the girl that she had been just as confused at most of the things when she had first started. However, Bulma had gotten used to it all quickly, and she assured Ami that she would as well. Ami was forced to take her word for it, and followed glumly as Bulma lead her up the flight of stairs to the next floor.

 

“This is my office and personal lab,” she explained, opening a door just to the left of the top of the stairs. The office part looked like any normal office, though the computer screen was built right into the wall, and apparently worked like a television as well. A lavender-skinned female-looking alien was currently giving news of universal importance, which seemed a lot more impressive than the doom-and-gloom news Ami was used to getting at home. The office itself was spacious with comfortable looking furniture.

 

Bulma then led her through another door into her private lab. This room was a lot messier and more personalized though those who did not know much about technology would not know that. The tools were all personally chosen, and the projects the owner was working on were her own as well. It was cluttered, but Ami felt comfortable there almost immediately. She had a feeling she was going to enjoy working with Bulma, even though at the moment she had no idea what was going on with any of the projects.

 

“All right, at the moment I have two big, important projects,” Bulma said as she lead Ami over to at large metallic chamber. “This is a gravity chamber. They've been around for awhile, but they're expensive to produce and aren't very efficient. They can only simulate up to about fifteen times standard gravity before they get unstable. I'm trying to find ways to up the Gs without the risk of explosion, or more likely implosion, and I want to do so in a way that is cost-effective.”

 

Ami nodded. Bulma had explained just how important such improvements could be. If warriors were capable of training in fifty times standard gravity, they would be able to gain enormous strength much more quickly. Ami was excited to begin learning just how the machine worked, how it simulated gravity and how it kept from collapsing in on itself. It would definitely be a challenge, and as Bulma said, the profits to be gained if they were successful would be unmatched.

 

“The other big project I'm working on is more of a research thing. Some weapons were taken from warriors on a conquered planet, and we don't know how they work. I don't normally work with this kind of thing, but I recognized the markings on the weapons and they thought I could handle it.” Bulma lead Ami past the gravity machine deeper into the lab.

 

Ami gaped at what she saw. Lying on a table before her were the weapons of the four outermost senshi. Pluto's time staff, Saturn's glaive, Uranus's sword and Neptune's mirror. Their mere presence made Ami assume the owners had to have been defeated. How else could anyone have gotten hold of the items? The question was, were they dead or had they been enslaved like the other girls?

 

“You okay?” Bulma asked.

 

“Yes. I just...I know the owners of these weapons,” Ami replied, sadly. “They were friends...”

 

“Do you know how to use them?” Bulma asked excitedly. “They're marked with planetary symbols. Is there any significance?”

 

Ami nodded. “Only the scions of the planets can use them. Even if I knew how to use them, I wouldn't be able to. They're magical, not ki-based like most of the weaponry and fighting here.”

 

“Damn. Frieza's going to be pissed.” Bulma cursed quietly for a moment, but then turned. “You're sure no one else can use these?”

 

“Absolutely,” Ami nodded.

 

“I guess I'll have to file a report and have them disposed of,” Bulma muttered. Paperwork was the worst part of her job. She loved working on the machines, but then she had to do reports which was horribly boring.

 

“Disposed of?” Ami asked, sounding panicked. “If they're just going to get tossed, can I have them?”

 

Bulma eyed her suspiciously. “Why do you want them? You can't use them...”

 

“No, but I hope to find the owners again once I'm free,” Ami explained. “I can hold onto them until then.” Before Bulma could argue she walked up to the table and placed her hands on the weapons. They vanished, and Bulma squeaked.

 

“How'd you do that?” she demanded. Ami smiled at her.

 

“Magic.”

 

House of Élodie, Morning

 

Minako woke the next morning to find Vegeta still sleeping beside her. It shouldn't have surprised her; he'd paid for a full night, but she couldn't help the tiny gasp that escaped her when she opened her eyes to find his face scant inches from her own. Instantly his eyes flashed open and she had a moment to watch in awe as awareness filled and sharpened his gaze. Then he smiled, a slow, lazy smirk that made her want to blush and cover herself with the sheet and she had to stop herself from smacking him across the face.

 

“Good morning.” He said pleasantly, stretching. “I trust you slept well?”

 

“Fine, thank you.” Minako bit her lip. This was slightly more awkward than she'd thought it would be, at least for her. Vegeta didn't seem the least bit bothered by their situation.

 

She'd thought it would be difficult, having sex with a man she barely knew in exchange for money. Maybe if she were still living on earth and there were people around to judge her it would matter more. Here, in space, she was on her own. It was up to her to make a living, to survive long enough to find her princess and rescue the others. Somehow the idea of survival had given her the strength to do something she would never have thought possible. After all, between selling her body to earn money to buy her freedom, and living the rest of her life as a slave there really wasn't much of a choice.

 

Besides, Vegeta had been gentle, and kind. He had taken his time and shown immense patience with her every time she stiffened or became truly uncomfortable. It hadn't seemed to bother him that she'd had no idea of what she was doing and, despite her ignorance, he had acted pleased with the results in the end. Of course he'd dropped right off to sleep afterwards...

 

"Now where did I put my boots..."

 

The man's voice pulled Minako from her reverie and she blinked, looking up to find he was already moving to the edge of the bed and reaching for a robe. Belatedly Minako remembered that part of her duty was to act as a hostess, not just as a companion. She scrambled to her feet, hurriedly shrugged into the silk robe that Élodie had left her and moved to the door.

 

Vegeta caught her before she could move three steps and she gave an undignified squawk as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

 

"You were good." He said simply. "I think I'll call on you again. Would that be all right?"

 

Minako lowered her gaze, fighting the urge to wriggle away from him and hide her face.

 

"Yes." She said, her voice soft. "That would be all right."

 

He smiled slightly.

 

"Good." Then he let her go, moving past her to the door. When he saw that she hadn't moved he raised an eyebrow, questioning. "Breakfast?"

 

This time Minako blushed and Vegeta chuckled, amusement apparent in his dark eyes. Cursing silently the blonde Princess of Venus slapped some mental steel onto her backbone, squared her shoulders, and pretended as if this wasn't the first time she'd entertained a man. After all, she'd done just fine last night. Things shouldn't be any different just because they'd slept together, right? Besides, Vegeta wasn't very scary anymore, not after she'd seen him naked and watched him sleep. Now he just seemed like a slightly more intimidating male version of Rei.

 

Fifteen minutes later she could only stare in open-mouthed shock and reconsider her previous assessment as Vegeta practically inhaled his food. The night before he'd eaten a healthy meal but this...this was one of the most intimidating things Minako had ever witnessed. Even Usagi had never eaten this much, and she was the only one of the group who could finish off a pizza all by herself. Partway through the meal Vegeta seemed to realize her surprise and discomfort because he stopped for a moment, offering a thin smile.

 

"My people have rather...demanding appetites. I'm sure it looks rather...."

 

Minako interrupted him then, trying to remember how to breathe.

 

"You eat more than Usagi does." Then she frowned. "Don't you ever get fat?"

 

Her comment surprised the warrior into laughter and she watched, eyes wide, cheeks slightly flushed as he howled with amusement. After a few minutes she rolled her eyes and, in a dry tone, managed to say,

 

"I guess you're in a good mood."

 

His laughter subsided and he reached for her hand, giving it a friendly squeeze before he turned his attention back to his food.

 

"You have no idea." He said. Then he was back to shoving as much food into his mouth as he possibly could, and Minako realized the rest of their meal would probably be held in silence.

 

Which suited her, because she couldn't think of a damned thing to say.

 

An hour later, when they had finished their meal and Vegeta's contract was about to run out, the dark-haired man walked with Minako into the entry hall. They stopped just inside the door, Minako fumbling awkwardly for something intelligent to say. In the end Vegeta saved her the trouble, reaching for her hand and uncurling her fingers so that she held her hand palm-up.

 

"I have enjoyed your company." He said softly. "I would like to give you this."

 

With that he reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate silver chain. It had a small amber pendant hanging from it and, when she peered closely at it, Minako could see designs etched into the setting. She watched in stunned silence as he let it slide into her palm, marveling at the coolness of the metal against her skin.

 

He kissed her before she could say anything.

 

"Let's just say that it's a thank-you gift." He murmured. "And some encouragement, for the next time." Then he bowed politely and made his way to the door. Minako watched him go, a slight frown on her face. She wasn't certain that she actually liked him but...well, Vegeta wasn't really all that bad.

 

"Looks like you've got yourself a regular."

 

Minako jumped slightly and turned to see Pacquette standing in the doorway, leaning against one of the columns.

 

"I take it you had a good night?" The girl asked. She waited for Minako to nod before she grinned. "Isn't he positively amazing? He's so handsome, and so strong!" She giggled. "You're lucky that he likes you so much. He doesn't usually give such expensive gifts."

 

"Oh, he doesn't?"

 

"Of course not! You must have been really good for him to give you such a gift. And he said he'd come back for another time. You just wait, within a few weeks you'll have every powerful warrior within ten lightyears knocking on your door, asking for your favor. If Vegeta likes you, they'll all want to see you for themselves."

 

"Oh." Minako smiled pleasantly. "I am very tired now."

 

"I'll bet." Pacquette laughed. "I'll go tell mother. She'll be so pleased..."

 

When she was gone Minako lifted the pendant, letting it twist through her fingers, watching as it shimmered in the dim lighting. It was her very first patron gift.

 

If even half of my customers are this generous, She thought with a delighted smile. It won't be long before I have enough money to buy my freedom and begin searching for the others.

 

With this knowledge echoing promisingly through her pretty little head, Minako went off in search of Élodie. Whatever qualms she'd had about this line of work had disappeared with Vegeta's kindness and generosity. With the loss of her virginity behind her, there was absolutely no reason to hold off on continuing along her chosen path. No more silly ideas of romance for her; from now on the entire area of love was strictly business.

 

She had a fleeting image of Usagi and Mamoru together, staring into each other's eyes with such hopelessly adoring looks that they seemed to shut out the rest of the world. For a brief instant she felt a strange yearning for someone to look at her that way, for someone to desire her in that way. Not for her looks or for her charms but simply because she was the only one the other person could love.

 

Then she shook her head, reminding herself of where she was and what she was doing. Thoughts like that just wouldn't do, not if she was going to survive and find the others one day. She shoved all thoughts of love to the back of her mind, locking them up with one last parting thought.

 

Princesses and celestial warriors can fall in love all they like. She murmured to herself. Prostitutes cannot.

 

And a prostitute, no matter how well dressed, educated and refined, was exactly what she was.