Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ At Odds ❯ Baby Blues ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: I have no claim on DBZ or its characters. However, if Vegeta wants to claim me, who am I to say no?

Thanks again to LisaB for clever insight and great beta skills.

A/N: Well folks I'm getting on towards my eighth month of pregnancy and I'm feeling it. I haven't written anything new in a month and I get the feeling that my creative output may be limited. Please understand that I won't be able to update as often as I was, but I will try to get something up when I can.

Chapter Fifteen

Baby Blues

Gelid City was a tangle of passageways carved into the icy flesh of Planet Glace. At the center, a crystal palace crouched like a bloated, white spider on its web, waiting for innocent prey to devour. Its domes arched towards the sky, the very tops etched from the thinnest ice to allow the filtered rays of the sun to illuminate the halls.

Only the most elite of the Ice-jin could walk its upper byways, years of breeding allowing their skin and eyes to adjust to the light. The less fortunate Ice-jin, those who didn't have the benefit of selective genetics, crept in the darkness, closer to the warm heart of the planet and away from the light their leaders embraced.

The city wove its way deeper underground, growing fouler with the stench of poverty and sulfuric fires. Those who lived at the very edges of the metropolis scavenged the refuse of the city like the parasites they were born to be, the last true remaining Ice-jin who never crawled out of their caves to conquer the universe.

The entire world of Glace was covered in ice, its sun too far away to offer nurturing warmth. The Ice-jin had been born in the world's womb, powerless, sightless, and weak, They were no more than worms that crawled on their bellies. In time, Glace's children grew, spouting arms and legs so they could venture further from the hot core of the world, but the bright light of the surface drove them back. Then one was born who could bear the heat of the tepid sun and the dim light. He led his people to victory among the stars, becoming their king. Since then, the Frost family has ruled for centuries, challenged by no one.

Many of the Ice-jin couldn't stand the light on their skin, and since the Frost family refused to enter the dark, they were forced to rely on slave labor to keep their domain running smoothly. Gelid City became the merchant center of the universe, and creatures from all reaches of space settled there to hawk their wares. Along with the call of the slave market, goods of any kind could be found, no matter how indecent or inhumane. There was no law against commerce, only laws to regulate it--- specifically the percentage the royal family earned.

Bulma had never seen so many races in one place. All of them depended on the Ice-jin in one way or another, either for trade or as slaves. Foreigners moved around swathed in thick clothes or furs to protect them from the crisp sub-zero temperatures that froze bare fingers even inside the city walls. The palace itself was both sinister and beautiful, evoking awe and fear. The upper half was illuminated by the sun, the smooth ice sparkling like a forbidden jewel, but beneath the lighted rooms was a maze of icy corridors that the sun could not penetrate. Naturally glowing rocks were carved into the walls, the blue glow reflecting eerily on the ice.

As Bulma made her way down the passageway, she jumped as the sculpted palace echoed with noises that were far away. Sound carried awkwardly in the odd building, and many secrets were overheard. Shadows danced behind thick sheets of ice as other people moved in parallel passages or in other rooms only feet from her.

She had been at King Cold's court for less than a day, but she had already uncovered the information she was looking for. Cold had a strange monkey boy on display in his menagerie for all to see. Nothing more than an animal in a cage. Bulma grit her teeth and pressed on, following the directions another servant had given her, led by the faint echo of the roar of unhappy creatures.

The twisting passages were difficult to navigate, but eventually she entered a large underground cavern that was brightly lit. All around her were cages that housed exotic animals with small plaques that described their origins. She passed by, her sorrowful eyes taking in the dejected creatures that lay listlessly in their cages or paced with fruitless anger.

She searched for long minutes, frustration and excitement gnawing at her. Finally, she would have what she had been searching for. Her baby would be where he belonged, in her arms. She regretted so much in her life, but nothing more than this. Although she knew that she had done the best thing by sending him away, her mother's heart cried out against it. She would never forgive herself for what happened to Trunks, she could only try to make it better. She would spend the rest of her life making it up to him. She hoped that he would never remember the pain and trauma that she was sure that he had suffered while in the Ice-jin's hands.

Once she rescued Trunks, she would seek out Vegeta, and try to undo the damage that had been done. When she thought of her mate, her heart constricted. Right now he was lost and alone or, as Saffron had put it, loose in the universe. His anger at her had caused him to strike out at the innocent, and she didn't know if she would ever be able to make it right. When she fell in love with Vegeta she had known he was a monster, but it hadn't mattered. He had been her monster to love and cherish. But now he was the nightmare of the universe, and she didn't know if she could deal with that.

At the edges of the zoo, a cage sat separate from the others, immersed in shadow. The plaque claimed that the cage held a Saiyan-Human hybrid, a rare oddity to be enjoyed. Bulma fumed at the cage, enraged that her son had been reduced to an amusement for the elites of the Ice-jin world, something for them to point and laugh at from a safe distance.

Bulma disengaged her DNA Recompositer, changing back to her beautiful human form. She wanted to show herself to her son as she truly was, not as the aged crone she was forced to hide as. She crept closer, peering into the darkened cage. The shadows were deep, and she couldn't see more than a few feet.

"Trunks," she called out softly, afraid of drawing attention to herself.

She edged closer, calling her son's name hopefully. She pressed her face against bars, desperately trying to see passed the darkness, fear edging her heart. What if he wasn't there? What if they had taken him away?

From out of the darkness came a flurry of snarling fangs and reaching claws. Bulma jerked back, falling backwards onto the cold ground as she stared wide-eyed at the creature that inhabited the cage.

A small boy stood at the bars, his long lavender hair falling haphazardly down his back. His tail lashed angrily behind him, and a half formed growl vibrated in his chest. She barely recognized him as the babe she held in her arms for a scant hour after he was born. He stood tall and strong, amazing her with his agility at only a year of age.

The face that stared back at her, looked so much like Vegeta's that her heart ached. It was scrunched up into a vicious scowl, but there was no mistaking the high forehead and arrogant cheekbones. His vibrant blue eyes, so similar to hers, glared at her, only feral menace glowing in their depths, along with a reflection of her horrified expression.

She searched his face, looking for a spark of intelligence, for something beyond animal instinct, but he continued to growl mindlessly at her. She felt power inside of him, deep-seated and intense, like that of his fathers. He boiled with rage, but although he was as dexterous as an eight year old child, she saw no hint of humanity. He was nothing more than an animal in a cage.

"Trunks," she breathed, tears forming on her cheeks. "What have they done to you?"

The regret in her heart bloomed into an agony that she could hardly bear. She clutched her chest, tears running unchecked down her cheeks as she watched her son pace his cage.

He whirled to hiss down at her before striding to the other side of the cage. He grabbed the bars, yanking on them until his body shook, but they didn't even groan. His tail lashed out, the soft lavender fur bristling with agitation. Bulma sobbed as she watched, suddenly reminded of the day Vegeta took her for his mate in the cafeteria on Primas.

Bulma pulled herself up, and Trunks turned to face her, watching her every move suspiciously.

"Trunks, honey, it's me, your mama," she cajoled, wrapping her hands around the bars.

He sprung towards her, his teeth snapping dangerously. She yanked her fingers back, barely saving them from being bitten off.

More tears streamed down Bulma's hopeless face as she watched her son continue his pacing. Bitter defeat rose up inside of her when she realized that she would never be able to get him out of the cage without him killing her. Her dreams of a happy reunion turned to ash in her mouth. She would never be able to hold Trunks in her arms and cuddle him like a human babe. She couldn't wipe away his fear or terror; she couldn't even bathe his dirty face with the hem of her shirt!

"I'm sorry, Trunks. I'm so sorry."

Sending her baby away to protect him had been the hardest thing she had ever done. It had been harder than leaving Vegeta, harder than lying silently under her master's scaly claws. It had been even more traumatizing than dying. As he sat nestled under her heart for nine months, she had bonded with him in a way she never thought possible. Giving birth to him was like giving birth to pure love. As she held him in her arms her soul had sang with the perfect beauty of him, and setting him in the space pod was like gouging out her own heart.

She could have never foreseen the damage her actions would bring. Instead of having the bearing of a prince, her precious child was feral and caged by her enemy. Her mate had set the universe on fire with his rage at her abandonment, leaving her alone and empty with the knowledge that she may never regain his love. Worst of all, she was left with the wisdom that if she had known how things would have turned out that she could not have altered her actions. She had done what she needed to do. There had been no alternatives.

She knelt before Trunk's cage, her face cradled in her hands as she sobbed. Between her wrenching cries she begged his forgiveness, pleading for him to understand why she had to send him away. With every passing moment her sobs echoed in the cavern, Trunks pacing became less furious as he focus more and more of his attention on the strange woman at his feet. Eventually, he came to complete standstill in the center of his cage, his bright eyes staring intensely at her.

Bulma lifted her head, and their eyes met and held for a handful of seconds before he chuffed softly in discontent. He retreated to the back of his cage where she couldn't see him. She wanted to move closer, to peer between the bars, but she dared not to, afraid of her own son.

She sat silently for nearly an hour, waiting to see if he would come back out, but she was disappointed. In the distance she heard a group of people laughing gaily, and she knew that she couldn't risk staying any longer. Even though she wanted to bed down and never leave her son's side, she knew that she couldn't risk being caught. If anyone were to ever figure out who she was, then her life would be forfeit, and she dared not think of what would happen to Trunks.

She stood up and reengaged her DNA Recompositer while receding into the shadows, her spine tingling oddly as if she was being watched. She looked over her shoulder towards the cage, and she thought she saw a flash of sapphire in the darkness, but then there was nothing.

Bulma walked dejected back towards the palace, using the servant corridors. She headed towards the largest dome in the center of the palace that housed the indoor arena. She needed to inform her Android companion that she had found her son, but she didn't know how long it would be before they would be able to leave. She was sure that she would receive no argument. The longer the stayed on Glace the more money the greedy Dr. Gero would be able to charge her. Time, after all, was money.

She traveled underneath the arena and into the gladiator living quarters. As she made her way to the room Seventeen had been assigned, she couldn't help but to think about the college dormitories back on Earth. Although there were a few warrior females, the halls were mostly packed with tightly muscled males that would make any woman salivate. They hung in the doorways of their rooms, in various phases of undress, cat calling any female who walked by while tormenting their fellow competitors with their lewd wit.

Bulma ignored them all, not even blinking when a frantic, naked man chased a laughing female passed her, screaming something about getting his clothes back.

Beneath that level, there was another complex, composed of tiny cells. That was were they kept the prisoners who were forced to fight in the arena, nothing more than cannon fodder for the gladiators who came to Glace of their own free will. It was an effective way of ridding themselves of their criminal element, and it kept the decadent Gelid City aristocrats entertained.

She stopped in front of Seventeen's door, knocking discreetly, while eyeing several empty bottles of booze that were clustered in the corner. She breathed through her mouth, trying to ignore the smell that was invading her senses. She would hate to see this place on a Saturday night.

She heard a muffled response from behind the door which she interpreted it as an invitation. She opened the door, quickly closing it behind her before scanning for the owner of the room. She came to a skidding stop, her eyes squarely on the tight and very naked hind end of Seventeen as he rummaged through the closet. Her mouth popped open, and her eyes bulged before she caught herself. She snapped her jaw shut and whirled around to face the door.

"Seventeen!"

"What?" He leisurely looked over his shoulder to see his temporary boss facing the door as if her life depended on it.

"You shouldn't invite someone into your room unless you're dressed," she lectured.

"Why?" He shrugged and turned away, continuing to peer into his closet.

"Because it's rude. You don't go out into public naked, do you?"

"Dr. Gero didn't program me with a modesty chip. I would go about naked if I wasn't instructed specifically not to. Besides if you want to talk fashion, talk to my sister."

"It has nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with modesty. From now on, I insist that you keep yourself completely dressed while in my company. For your sake as well as mine." Bulma crossed her arms in front of her, glaring at the door. She tapped her foot with impatience as she waited for him to get dressed.

"Why?" Seventeen pulled on a pair of thick leather pants that would help protect him for the upcoming fight he was preparing for. He could care less for Bulma's delicate sensibilities, but she had given him an order that he would be sure to obey in the future. He could do nothing but comply with her demands.

"Because if my husband finds out that I saw you naked, he could very well dismantle you where you stand."

Seventeen straightened, and his icy blue eyes bore into her ramrod back.

"Well, first he would have to take time out from his annihilation of the universe, wouldn't he?"

Bulma's fists tightened at her sides, and she took a deep, wavering breath in an attempt to calm herself before responding. She was sick and tired of people alluding to what a demon Vegeta was. They just didn't understand him the way she did.

"Watch your tongue, Android. Remember, you are here working for me. I won't tolerate any insubordination from you."

"Aye-aye," Seventeen mocked, and clicked his heels together in an Ice-jin military salute.

"Are you dressed yet?" Bulma asked coldly.

Seventeen pulled a leather jerkin over his lean shoulders before answering.

"Yes Ma'am."

Bulma turned around, but didn't move from her place by the door.

"I found Trunks."

"Excellent, shall I make arrangements for our departure then?" Seventeen was more than willing to get off this rock and away from the prickly female as quickly as possible.

"No." Bulma looked away, her eyes finding a particularly interesting stain in the carpet. "He won't be available for transportation for some time. There is no way that I would be able to get him out of his cage, and we can't sneak the whole thing onto the ship without someone noticing."

"Cage?" Seventeen asked mildly.

Bulma grimaced before answering. "They have him locked in a cage at the zoo."

Seventeen didn't reply, and they sat for long moments in silence while Bulma tried to cope with her rising despair. She had no idea what her next move would be. She was tired, and her head was starting to pound with stress.

"We are going to have to stay here for a while longer."

"Very well. Then I will continue my charade as a contestant. Hopefully, I won't get dismantled," Seventeen commented mockingly, and Bulma sighed.

"I'm sorry. That comment was uncalled for." Bulma met his eyes briefly before sliding away in shame.

Seventeen stilled, his entire body stiffening in shock. No one in his entire existence had ever apologized to him. They always assumed that just because he was an Android, he was completely devoid of emotions. A misconception that unfortunately wasn't true.

"Look, you be careful out there, okay." This time Bulma met his eyes, and kept her gaze centered on him meaningfully until he nodded in understanding. She gifted him with a brief smile before turning to leave.

Seventeen watched her go, frozen in place until the door clicked shut. Once she left the room he was able to move again, uncertain of why he was so confused by her soft apology. He had been regaled constantly by abuse and indifference, and he had never flinched. However, one kind word from some little human, and he turned soft.

Maybe it was because she was human. After all, besides Dr. Gero, he had never seen a human being. Seventeen knew that he and his sister had been human at one time before Gero had stolen their bodies and turned them into soulless machines, but there was no recollection of that time. Perhaps she touched on some latent memory, or some sort of trick wiring the Doctor had installed had misfired. Whatever it was, he would be sure not to be caught off guard by her again.

He finished dressing, and left his room, making his way towards the gladiator entrance to the arena. As he neared, he could hear the thunderous applause of the watching crowd. He paused near the gate, looking out over the arena.

Inside he saw a large rusty-skinned male, beating mercilessly on a smaller dark-haired warrior. Seventeen winced as the large man kicked the beaten contestant viciously in the stomach, sending him sailing across the arena and into the far wall, cracking the ice.

"Damn."

Seventeen glanced to the side, seeing another contestant holding his stomach in sympathy.

"I actually feel kinda sorry for that guy."

"Who is he?" Seventeen asked.

"Dunno, some slave from the lower cells. He's a pretty good fighter. He always gives it a go in the beginning, but they leach his ki, so he's weak." The man winced again as the dark warrior took another hit to the face.

"If that's so, why isn't he dead yet?" Seventeen knew all the fights in the arena were to the death. It made no sense to him that the man was still alive.

The contestant glanced at him, his lips twisted in disgust. "They don't want to kill him. They're just torturing him. I guess he's some sort of enemy to the Ice-jin."

There was another roar of applause and Seventeen looked up to see the tall male lifting his hands to the crowd while two other men pulled the dark warrior from the field. Seventeen and his companion moved to the side as the gate opened to allow the men to pass.

They dragged the battered man by his arms, his heels dragging in the dirt. As they passed by, Seventeen looked behind him to see the man's face. Angry black eyes met cool blue before they disappeared down the hall.

"How interesting," Seventeen murmured to himself as he turned to enter the arena.