Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Danger in the horizon ❯ Not so reluctant partners in crime ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17 - Not so reluctant partners in crime

Note: I don't own DBZ or any of the characters

As consciousness returned to Bulma she slowly opened her eyes and tried to ignore the pounding in her head. She focused her blurry eyes and pulled herself up, trying to cautiously balance on her very wobbly legs. As she did so, everything came back to her in a sudden painful rush to the brain.

{Flashback}

Battles, hideous creatures, death everywhere. She saw the job that Vegeta, Nappa and Radditz had been doing. Wiping entire races from existence without mercy. She forced herself to concentrate and not be repulsed by what she saw in Radditz's mind. She saw the plans laid by Prince Vegeta to break free from the tyrant Freeza's yoke. The constant conflicts with Zarbon while in Freeza's servitude. So they do know each other, Zarbon is their mortal enemy. So this is what Radditz meant as being very bad. Oh god no. Freeza is going to come and destroy everything.

As she hurriedly started to withdraw from his mind, she saw the picture of Goku in his memories. His reaction to the picture now made sense. Oh my god. Goku is his……brother? Goku is from the same race as these killers? No!

{End flashback}

"Oh god. What have I done?" she groaned. Bulma slumped back down to the floor curling into a foetal position, clutching her head as the pain continued to throb. Dimly, she could hear raised voices on the other side of the door and could only assume that it was Vegeta, Radditz and Nappa in a heated discussion regarding her actions.

Vegeta's blood pressure was at boiling point as he yelled at Radditz. "Radditz, you are a fucking fool! What possessed you to let down you guard around her!?"

Radditz was currently slumped in a corner, a steady stream of blood trailing from his mouth down to his chin. "I, I don't know why, Highness. My feelings…….." he started weakly before he was interrupted by Vegeta.

Vegeta's hands formed into fists, ready to strike Radditz again. "Feelings!? What feelings? A Saiyan doesn't have feelings! You exist to serve me, not to satisfy your urges! Fuck!" He finished, breathing heavily. It was in Vegeta's mind just to vaporise Radditz where he lay. He turned to Nappa who had not seen fit to add anything to the conversation, and had remained in his current bowing position on the floor. "Where were you Nappa when that woman decided to use her mind tricks on that pathetic lump of skin?"

Nappa gulped and he paled, clearly unhappy that he had been drawn into the discussion. "Training, Highness. I was unaware of Radditz's location or his intentions."

Vegeta backhanded him across the face anyway, regardless of the fact that Nappa had been attending to his duty. Nappa took the lesser of two evils and remained in his position on the floor, too fearful to look at Vegeta's face. Vegeta stalked over to his bed and sat down heavily, rubbing his temples with his hands. "I have to kill her," he stated softly, as if to himself. "She knows too much." This was the first time he felt any regret at the thought of killing another being. As much as he did not want to admit it, Bulma had gotten under his skin and into his mind; regardless of how much he tried to block her out.

Radditz weakly got up from the floor. During the brief and heated discussion with Vegeta, his ribs had been rebroken and one of his cheekbones cracked, which made it difficult. "Please, Prince Vegeta. Don't kill her, she has done nothing wrong. It is all my fault. Kill me in her stead. Bulma is useful to you, I am not." He spluttered, spitting out a little of his blood onto the floor.

Vegeta turned his glare towards Radditz, snarling as he did so. So, Radditz has been thinking of making her his mate? "Who are you to presume that your opinion in this matter is of any worth?" He snapped. "Both of you, leave me now. I will deal with this situation. Alone."

Radditz's face fell as Vegeta told him and Nappa to leave. If he left now, Bulma would be dead in a matter of minutes. He was sure of it. Stubbornly, he raised his chin and stared at his prince in a threatening manner. One further glare from Vegeta and he rethought his position, quickly. He bowed low and with Nappa left Vegeta's quarters to head back up to the med wing to get patched up. I'm sorry Bulma. I tried. I am weak.

Bulma meanwhile had deduced that she was in Vegeta's bathroom. The door was not locked but she did not dare try to escape. "So this is it," she whispered to herself. "The end of my life. I was hoping it would not come so soon." As she spoke to herself the door slid open, revealing the very agitated form of Vegeta staring down at her.

"Get up." He commanded tersely. When she did not obey immediately, he strode over to her and grasped her arms, pulling Bulma to her feet. Vegeta then half dragged her out of the bathroom and forced her to sit on his bed while he remained standing.

Bulma could not at first bring herself to look at his face. "Vegeta," she started calmly, summoning the courage to bring her chin up and stare him directly in the eyes, " if you are going to kill me, then get it over with. Only please make it painless, I couldn't take any pain."

Vegeta was startled by her calmness in facing her own death. But as he locked his own black eyes with her blue eyes he could see her terror and fear. I can't kill her. What has she done to deserve death?

Taking a deep breath, he issued a reprieve of sorts to Bulma. "I'm not going to kill you, yet. You may still be of some use to me and my plans. I assume that after your little trick with Radditz you are aware of all my plans."

Bulma had the grace to look ashamed of her actions with Radditz. "Yes, I do. All I wanted to know was the connection between you three and Zarbon. That's it. I just got more than I asked for." She finished lamely.

"Forget about that fool Radditz. He knows better than to leave himself so open. The only reason he did so is because the besotted idiot wants to take you as his mate."

Bulma's eyebrows rose. "His mate?"

Vegeta studied her quizzical expression. Do humans not mate for life?

"Yes, his mate. However, now is not the time to discuss Saiyan customs with you woman. I want to solve the problem at hand." He paused, thinking. "I have seen your expertise with our pods. Very impressive. What I want to know is can you make weapons and fit them to a ship?"

Bulma nodded shakily, her fear of death still not dissipating. "Yes, I can."

Vegeta smirked. "Good. What I also need to know is about the shield around Earth. Can the shield be breached?"

Bulma thought carefully about her next answer. If she gave him the information, then possibly millions of people could die. If she didn't, the result could end up being the same. "I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't aren't I?" She snapped.

Vegeta walked forward and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "I'm losing patience with you woman, can it or can't it? Don't forget, I can still carry out your execution."

Bulma shuddered slightly at his touch, hating herself for wanting him even after he had forced her to betray her own planet. She forced herself to look at him again.

God, forgive me for what I am about to do.

"Yes, Vegeta it can be. Before I came here to Station Delta to work, I helped run a company with my father called Capsule Corporation. The company is the most technologically advanced company in the world and helped develop the software for the shield. Therefore, I can, with a little time crack the codes and open a portal for a short time without detection." Bulma closed her eyes trying in vain to stop the flood of tears that fell from her eyes. She felt like she had just sealed Earth's fate.

Vegeta took his hand away from her face, a grin firmly in place. "Good. Radditz was right after all about you. You are indeed most useful to me. I definitely will not be killing you." Bulma took a deep breath, relieved at his words. She stood up, making a move towards the door, thinking that he would contact her when work was to start.

Vegeta quickly grasped her by the waist before she could go more than 2 steps. "Not so fast, woman." He breathed down her neck, smirking. "For the next week at least, you will stay with me at all times. I can't let a wonderful little asset like you out of my sight, even for a moment." Yes, and this way I can prevent Radditz from taking you as his mate.

Bulma struggled in his arms, a horrified look on her face. "What do you mean stay with you? You can't mean stay here, in your quarters."

"Of course. That's exactly what I mean. No one will notice. After all you are assigned to take care of my needs." He paused, taking in her horrified look. "Don't worry woman, nothing will happen to you, unless you want it to."

Bulma fell silent; knowing that nothing she could say would change the situation. Now she was joined at the hip for the next week at least with Vegeta. She had gotten herself into this mess, no one else had. It was all up to her to get out of it.

I'm not so sure I want to though.