Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ And We Were Angels ❯ Forsaken Ones ( Chapter 2 )

And We Were Angels

By: AMCM74

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Chapter 2 - Forsaken Ones

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Bulma entered her office with a stack of important papers that needed to be looked over immediately. There was no way she was going to get through all of it by her ten forty five meeting. She dropped them on her desk and judging from the sound of the thud, she estimated that, if she skipped her lunch and worked a few hours over quitting time, she might get to see to all of them today.

She would have rescheduled the meeting with the Share Holders, if they were not so concerned about the already lacking attention that the Briefs family was paying the company. It was days like this Bulma wished she had siblings, some one that she could lean on in times like this. It would be really nice if she didn't have to feel so alone.

Speaking of being alone, she leaned over and hit the button on the answering machine. Yamcha had probably left her half a million messages by now. It was what he normally did when they had any sort of spat. She was really starting to feel guilty for lashing out at him the way she did.

Pressing the button she vowed to make it up to him later on in the week. "You have no new messages."

Bulma blinked. Picking up the phone. She listened silently to the strong ring of the dial tone in her ear. "Odd…" Bulma pulled the phone from her ear and gave it a confused look. She dialed her home and checked the voice messages, nothing from Yamcha. A deep sigh of defeat, she decided that after she got out of work she would call him and set the record straight. Right now she needed to focus on this Share Holders meeting. She defiantly needed to put her best foot forward if Capsule was going to have any hope of survival.

Making it seem like her father was just taking a sabbatical and not having an emotional break down was going to be hard enough. On top of that she had to prove the she was going to be a secure and dependable heir for the future of this company. With the world falling down around her ears it was not going to be easy.

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"So why didn't you just beat the shit out of him for daring to appear before you?"

Bardock yawned from his reclined position under a large tree of glowing golden fruit. His black clad legs stretched out before him, each booted foot resting on the lush ground cover of the garden paradise. He pulled up some of the blades of green and let the breeze carry them from his fingers.

"That's your way." Goku paced before him, the agitation seeping from each movement. "Not mine."

The burly angel with the rakish scar settled himself down deeper into the lush grass. "Yeah, well, you know my point of view on matters like this. If it gives you trouble just hit it with a couple thousand lightening bolts. If the problem is still standing when the smoke clears, then it's worthy of talking over." The grin on his face was a bit too devilish for an angel.

"Radditz isn't worth talking over. He made his decision to turn on us a long time ago, and trust me he has only gotten worse." Goku snarled. Strong emotions such as bitterness and anger played on the ivory features. "My own brother! It's sickening just thinking about it. I know you and Vegeta relate to what he did, but I don't understand! I could never understand. We have heard the words first hand. We have seen the wonders of this existence as they happen. We reside in Heaven and know it's joy. How can anyone turn their back on that?" The painful questionings of one that tried desperately to comprehend echoed in Goku's words. It drew Bardock's dark eyes his way.

Bardock sat up and bristled at the ramblings. "Because we are not the chosen ones, Goku. The cold fact is we are merely the servants here. We do all the work and get none of the credit. There isn't anything better for us, as we are. If we want things to change we have two choices. We can fall from grace as Radditz has, retain our powers and immortality. Only then can we live as we desire with out limitations." At Goku's scathing look he conceded with a slow nod. "At least until the great battle. The other choice isn't quite so appealing. We can forfeit our Angelhood and become human. While Humans have the gift of free will and salvation offered to them on a golden plate, they are merely mortals. Eventually they will suffer your coming in one form or another. Don't take it personally, but death is not something that anyone wants to face, least of all those of us who are immortal. We are not geared that way."

"I can't believe you are defending him!"

"I am merely pointing out his reasoning, not agreeing to it. If I wanted to turn traitor I would have done it with the rest, rather than being the one to cast them from here." Bardock watched the brilliant blue of the sky that never knew night. "And don't think I didn't have my own temptations. The Angel of War would catch a lot more action with the fallen ones."

"As true as that is, you still have the Middle East." Goku shook his head.

"Ahhh, you can always count on that. The world will never be without war, pestilence, or famine. So you will never lack for something to do."

"Yippie! Should I thank you for my job security?" Goku sat down and sighed. He ran a hand over his face and scratched the back of his head. "Radditz isn't after that mortal you know."

"He's not?" Bardock squinted his eyes from the sun and looked at Goku shaking his head, "Well, who then? What reason would he have to be there?"

"It's Vegeta he wants."

"You must be joking. Radditz doesn't have a large enough net to catch Vegeta in." Bardock closed his eyes and went back to his relaxation. "I know the guy is pretty pissed off about being assigned to a single mortal. Not that I blame him, it's damn embarrassing. But Vegeta can handle it."

"He's not supposed to handle it." Goku whispered.

"What?" Bardock asked again.

"Nothing." Goku looked out at Eden and sighed. "Never mind. It was nothing."

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"So as you can see, Capsule Corporation is not in any real trouble, and will continue to grow at an expedient rate." Bulma turned an award winning smile on the board members and as she clenched her pointer in both hands. Hopefully between that, her short skirt, and fancy, over the top graphs, they would be too mesmerize to question her much further. "Are there any questions before I hand the floor back over to Mr. Hikari?"

"Yes," one of the older women sat back slowly. She pushed her glasses back down on the tip of her nose. She pushed the management folder shut and set it on the table, before looking pointedly at Bulma with beady eyes. Which reminded Bulma of a shark going in for the kill. "How is your father, Miss Briefs, and should we expect him back at Capsule any time soon?"

"My father has been feeling better. He is admittedly distressed over my mother's tragic death. Although I am assured that once he is back up to functioning at full capacity he will be returning." Bulma felt the tightening in her chest. She tilted her head and smiled as sweetly as she could. What she really wanted to do was lunge across the table and choke the life out of the woman with her own gaudy gold chain.

"So I take that to mean he is not ready to return." The woman crossed her arms over her chest and sat back. "I know the presentation looks very…" she paused to pull her glasses from her face and hold them in her hand delicately. Then emphasized the next word for effect, "Assuring, but I have to say I am very concerned. The fact remains that without Dr. Briefs and his inventions, there is no Capsule Corporation. If he continues to shirk his duty to his business, we all need to think of selling before we all find ourselves suffering extreme losses."

Oh Fucking Hell! Bulma watched the last hour of hard won support go swiftly down the drain. "I can assure you that I have personally been working on some new inventions that will prove to be revolutionary."

"And when have you found the time to do this? I heard that just last night you were out with your boyfriend causing some sort of scene at a well know establishment, and stormed out in a huff." A slow murmur rolled through the room.

"Now, now everyone. Miss Briefs is a bit high strung, but she is the daughter of an eccentric genius who made us all very rich. I sure she will follow in his foot steps given enough time." Mr. Hikari tried to smooth things over, and was rewarded with murderous glares from both women.

A knock on the door startled the group, and the door opened. "Miss Briefs?" It was Bulma's personal secretary. "I need to speak with you…"

"I am sorry, but it's going to have to wait, we are almost done and…"

The woman swallowed and raised dark blue eyes to Bulma. "I am sorry Bulma… It really can't wait. It's your father."

"Oh dear god." Bulma dropped the pointer and ran from the room, pushing the secretary out of the way in her rush.

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Vegeta looked in the window at the woman as she leaned over her father, brushing back the fading streaks of lavender hair. She looked so broken and fragile sitting there, with the last person that meant anything to her in her life.

"How is she holding up?" Vegeta looked over to see Goku standing behind him. The larger angel was staring with intense focus at the room.

"Not well." Vegeta shot Goku a questioning glance, "If you're here for her father forget it. It would crush my charge to lose him now, and I will not allow that."

"Are you saying that you are starting to care for mortals again?" Goku looks surprised.

"No, I just don't want to fail."

"Then it's lucky for you that I am merely in the neighborhood. Mr. Briefs has a while left in this world before I come to collect him." Goku sighed. "There was an accident. A mother decided to pick up her carpool after she had been drinking. There is six year old girl I am here for that's in the ER, and I will be back tonight for her eight year old brother."

"Were they her kids?" Vegeta cringed.

"No, her son was thrown from the car and killed upon impact. She is the only one who survives this."

"Well, lucky her."

"I wouldn't say that, exactly." Goku clapped his hand on Vegeta's shoulder. "You watch over your charge… I have to go now."

Vegeta nodded and watched the other angel walk down the hall. The Angel of Death was a stark contrast to the solid white walls of the hospital interior. Vegeta wondered if any of the mortals that he passed through on his way ever felt his presence.

Vegeta scowled. Goku could walk amongst them without thought, while Vegeta had to concentrate just to remain hidden from sight. It was a sad sign of the times that the link between mortals and the divine was more a stranger to the world, than the messenger of death. His dark eyes stared at the doctor that walked to Mr. Briefs' door and stopped to look through the chart. From the look on the man's face it wasn't going to be good news.