Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragonball AU ❯ Nine. ( Chapter 9 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Audrey the Interminable 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance / Suspense | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.17.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 11.4K | Visits: 279 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Romance / Suspense | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.17.2004 | Pages: 5 | Words: 11.4K | Visits: 279 | Status: Work In Progress
"Kakarrot!" Raditz practically pounced on the tiny Saiya-jin when he sauntered into their quarters, "Where have you been!? I've been looking all over for you, idiot!"
"Um I got lost comin' home from dinner I stopped t' look at something and when I looked up, you were all gone." This was true, he just left out the part about wandering past the reception hall and the incident with Vegeta and Furiza. Something told him that it was best not to mention that to anyone.
"Never do that again!" Raditz knelt down in front of him and roughly checked him for any injuries that were not immediately apparent, "Baka desu yo!"
"What're you doin', 'nii-san!?" Goku squirmed in his brother's grasp.
"You little moron, you have no idea what's out there!" He smacked the child for emphasis, "There are people out there who hate Saiya-jin and would love to get their hands on a defenseless brat like you!"
"But I'm okay!"
"Yeah. You're okay this time! How can you be so stupid!? You're not going anywhere unless I have you on a leash!"
"Chill out, Raditz! Geeze, you're acting like a mother hen! Goku's fine, right, kiddo?" Bulma winked at the younger sibling.
"You stay outta this! You don't know what's out there either!" He punched Goku in the stomach, "You just listen to what I say, got it kid?"
"Kah." Goku gasped in compliance.
Raditz stood up and stalked into the room he and Goku shared.
He coughed, catching his breath, "Why doesn't anyone tell me what the rules are before I get in trouble?" He sighed, and sidled up next to where Bulma was sitting, reading off of a tiny, hand-held computer screen. "Whatcha looking at?" he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Oh, just a few tech manuals there's some really fascinating stuff here!"
"How come there ain't no pictures?" He turned his head to look at her face, brushing her with a wiry fringe of hair, and poking her cheek with his nose.
"Gaa! That's cold!" She set the manual aside and touched the tip of his nose with her open hand, "Geeze! Go put some more clothes on! You'll catch your death!"
"Catch my death? I didn't know I was chasin' it" He mumbled as he meandered off to do her bidding.
She shook her head, and continued perusing the manuals.
She was the first thing Vegeta saw when he entered the room. He couldn't stand to even look at her.
Wordlessly he brushed past her to sequester himself in his private chambers. After securely locking his door, he sat on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. Cold. He was still cold. He could still feel the frigid touch that was beyond invasive, beyond filthy. He needed to be clean. He needed to purge that monster's touch from every inch of his body. His pathetic, weak-willed, soiled body. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was shedding his boots and blue body-suit and heading for his bathing chamber. The water would be warm. He manipulated the controls, causing a spray of hot water to stream from a spigot in the ablutionary stall, but before he could step in, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His naked chest. He closed his eyes, trying not to think. Don't remember.
"Superb," Furiza had said, his hand slithering across the blue cloth.
He dug the balls of his hands into his eyes, "No!" He flung his arms back to his sides, "No!" He told the pale, desperate face in the mirror. It seemed to be mocking him. That face knew it was weak and it knew that he was weak and He sent a small blast of energy directly between the eyes of his reflection, sending shards of glass into the air, only to land around his bare feet. Cold. He remembered. He was cold and he had to get warm and he had to get clean. He stepped into the steaming stall, and started scrubbing himself. It wasn't warm enough, so he turned it up. He knew he was sweating and he could feel his skin blister but it was still too cold and he couldn't make it any hotter. His skin was dirty slimy he scrubbed until there was no more soap left and then he used his fingernails. His body had responded. He had betrayed himself. His breath came in ragged gasps and he realized he was crying again. Weakling. Only weaklings cry. Disgusting. He deserved it. Everything Furiza did, he deserved it because he was weak.
"Oh, dear me, I seem to have left a mess." Vegeta clutched the sides of his head, No. No. No. Nonononono! "Allow me to clean it up." He jerked back, trying to physically distance himself from even the memory of that touch. Oily and cold. He could taste the greasy saliva even through the sour, still-lingering tang of his own vomit. Vegeta dashed the back of his fist against his mouth , bruising his lips with the pressure, then tilting his head back, allowed the searing warmth of the water to trickle through his parted lips. He needed to clean there, too.
"Yes that's much better." He could still taste it. He gagged again, and retched with enough force to bring him to his knees, once again staring at a puddle of his own emesis. He leaned against the slick porcelain of the stall and slid to a sitting position, hugging his legs to his chest. Pathetic. It was all his fault. He deserved it. He allowed it to happen.
Still hiccupping, he leaned his head on his knees and let the scalding water roll down his shivering back.
The water wouldn't get any hotter.
* * *
"Yamucha-Sama! You don't have to do this! Can't you get someone else to train you?" the cat squeaked, panicked.
"Pu'ar If you're that scared, you don't have to come with." He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. The closer they got to Fry-Pan Mountain, the hotter it got.
Pu'ar shuddered and scooted closer to her master, "I wouldn't do that, and you know it. You might get hurt without me there."
Yamucha smiled, gratified by his pet's loyalty, and patted the cat where she was resting in the seat next to him, "I think we're almost there!" he pulled over the small, topless two-seater to examine his map more closely.
A high-pitched squeal pierced the quiet, as a young, semi-clothed girl fled from something big with pointy teeth and a fondness for tender, fleshy snacks.
"Git, boy!" She paused and gripped the weird shark-fin thing on her head with both hands, "Doncha dare come no closer!" She commanded. With incredible skill that belied her tender age, she flung the blade, decapitating the large, carnivorous lizard. She caught the blade as it boomeranged back toward her, and returned it to its place on her headwear. She watched in horror as the beast's corpse fell to the earth. "Oh, this is jes' too dang freaky!" she placed the first two fingers on each hand on either side of a jewel on the forehead of her strange headwear, and, emitting a beam of light, she vaporized the carcass. "Git outta here!" The dark-haired girl covered her rather pretty face, and began to sob, "That was scary!"
Yamucha, who had already gotten out of his car to get a better view, stood gaping, "Who the heck!?" he murmured.
"N-not exactly the "paralyzed with fear" type, is she?" The floating kitty commented.
They stood watching as the incredibly powerful child ran in their general direction until she noticed them, "Wha..?"
The dumbfounded desert bandit tried to come up with one of his witty lines of repartee, "Uhh Hi." Maybe not so witty.
"Yaaa! It's jes' one menace after another here!" She directed a blast of energy toward him, but he managed to dodge. Barely. Where'd this kid come from!?
Yamucha reacted to this threat as he would to any attack from a worthy opponent. He clocked her on the back of the head. "What a stupid delay." He grumbled to himself, getting back into his vehicle. He did feel a tad guilty for just leaving her there, but an opponent was an opponent regardless of age or gender, he told himself as he drove away.
"Wow It's really hot, Yamucha-Sama" Pu'ar panted.
"Sure is"
&n bsp; * * *
; He ran a dry tongue across parched lips, almost savoring the meaty, coppery taste of the gash on his lip. He was out of the shower, dressed, and was once again sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard. His blood throbbed almost painfully in his heat-swollen extremities, and somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the flaky, itching sting from his scratches and burns. Vegeta closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall behind him. Dehydration was making him lightheaded and slightly nauseated. He really didn't want to vomit again, especially since he was pretty sure that there was nothing left in him to throw up.
Outside the room, Bulma bit her lip and hovered anxiously outside of the door. She'd overheard his outburst earlier and had been pretty damn scared. Now it was as quiet as a tomb in there and she was getting worried. "This is stupid," she chided herself mentally. "You aren't supposed to worry about your captorBut he sounded so" she couldn't think of a word to describe it. "Upset" didn't even come close. "Well, he hasn't killed me yet, so bothering him now can't hurt Can it?"
She tried the door, but it was locked. "Darn it!" Then, knocking, she pressed her face close to the door, "Vegeta?"
"What" His dry throat gave out on him and he coughed, "What do you want?"
"Hostile as ever," she thought. "Are you okay in there?"
"Of course I am. That's a stupid question, now go away!"
"You don't sound okay." And he didn't. He sounded almost panicked.
"Are you contradicting Saiya-jin no Ouji!?"
"I'm just giving you my opinion."
"No one asked for your damn opinion. Now, do as I say and leave me in peace!"
"Open the door, Vegeta."
"How dare you give me orders?"
She rolled her eyes, "Please?"
"No. Leave or I'll kill you."
She was silent long enough that he thought she finally got it into her fool head that he was not to be trifled with and had obeyed him. No such luck, "Vegeta Do you know what I've just spent the last three hours doing?" She said conversationally.
"What!? Why should I care?" What the hell was she up to now?
"I've been looking through tech manuals for almost every piece of equipment on this ship."
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
"Yes. Almost every piece of technology. Including doors. Do you know what that means? That means that I can hotwire the damn door if I want to."
"Hn."
"It'd be a lot easier if you just let me in right now."
"I will not allow you to give me orders!"
"Geeze! Everything with you is orders, orders, orders! I'm not giving you orders, I'm just asking you to open a damn door!" She ranted as she stomped over to where she'd left the data pad, in case she needed a reference while she was working.
In under five minutes she had it open.
* * *
"Soyer not here t'break into my castle?" the monolith scratched at his helmeted head in confusion.
"No, Gyu-Mao-Sama," Yamucha bowed lower, prostrating himself before the Ox-Demon King
"Uh WellI guess I could train ya But first Ya gotta help me put this fire out." He jerked his thumb, indicating the blaze covering almost all of the mountain.
"Thatfire? Out?" Yamucha sweat-dropped.
"Yep. Accordin' to sources that shall go unnamed, I might be able to put out that big mountain-fire with a device called a Basho-sen that my ol' lord owns."
"UhOh?" And this has what to do with me?
"Not that I thought it'd do any good, but yesterday I already sent my daughter, Chichi out lookin' for the old master."
"Ohreally." I can't look up at this guy. If I have to look at the silly feather in his helmet I just know I'll start laughing. I just know it
"If you run into her on the road, how about takin' her along?"
"The road, Gyu-Mao-Sama?"
"Yeah, Yer gonna go find my invincible old master, then I'll train ya."
"Uh OkayI meanYes, Gyu-Mao-Sama. You saidher name's Chichi?"
"Yeah, She's a hothead, but she's a cutie. Hotcha! If you like I could give her to ya as yer wife!"
As much as Yamucha wanted to get married, he cringed at the thought of what a child of this monster would look like. Especially a girl-child.
"Take a look at this , sonny!" The Ox-Demon King pulled a photograph out and shoved it in front of Yamucha's face.
Surprisingly, the girl was very pretty. She had shiny, black hair, clear dark eyes, and a soft, dimpled smile played shyly on her pale pink lips. She'd be a real knockoutin about four years. "Geeze, does this guy think I have some kind of Lolita-complex?" He wondered. Upon closer inspection, the child was strangely familiar Something about the head dress Thankfully, Yamucha's head was still bent, and partially obscured by the photo, because at that moment he swallowed his tongue. Or damn near.
Pu'ar edged around to peek at the picture, "Lord Yamucha isn't that the girl you" She was cut off as he clamped a large, calloused hand over her mouth.
"Yep! The girl we saw on our way here! We'd better go find her before she gets too much farther away!" He smiled frantically up at his majesty, no longer caring about the silly feather. "Well, we'd better get going, right, Gyu-Mao-Sama? Heh! Sooner we get going, the sooner I can start my trainingwell Um Goodbye!" Still grasping the cat by her head, he made a break for his car.
Once they were a sufficient distance away, Yamucha exclaimed, "Ee-yagh! We'll be turned into sausage for this! We've got to do something!" Then, spotting her still-prone form, "There! That's her!" He slammed the brakes on his car and was running toward her before it had even stopped completely, "Are you alright!?" He cradled her roughly, shaking her, "Please say you're alright!"
With a small sigh she opened her eyes slowly, "uhnuh?" Then, realizing she was being held by the man who had injured her, she shrieked.
Yamucha sighed, relieved. Now all he had to do was keep the brat from squealing to her papa what had happened. And keep her from blasting him!
She placed her fingers on either side of the jewel, once again preparing to fire. He knew he had to do something to stop it, since he was pretty sure he was too close to dodge effectively. "W-wait, please, Miss Chichi!" He held his arms out in supplication.
"Huh? How do you know my name!?" She blinked up at him.
"It doesn't matter." He turned away from her slightly and used his most mysterious, melodious, desert-bandit voice. "W-what matters is I want to apologize foryou know." He placed two fingers over his lips, and smiled knowingly at her, "Please forgive me I was just so crazy with love that"
The girl instantly blushed and placed her palms against her cheeks, "With love? For who? For me!?"
"Yeah, right, kid" he thought
"You'd better not be lying!" She glared, shaking a finger at him.
"Look at this face!" He would use his last weapon, the sheer power of his physical beauty, "Is this the face of a liar!?" He affected his most attractive expression, curling his lip suggestively.
"You're makin' a funny face! I dunno about bein' a liar, but you sure are weird lookin'!"
He grit his teeth together, trying to keep from ruining his chance of training under Gyu-Mao.
"Easy, Lord Yamucha! Easyjust this once!" Pu'ar tried to calm him.
"Wow! No one's ever said he loved me before!" The girl resumed her simpering, "I read about it in a magazine onceWhen you're in love you're supposed to go on a "date" andhold hands" She covered her face and squealed, "I can't stand it!"
"Neither. Can. I." he thought laconically. "Miss Chichias much as I'd love to stay here andandget to know you better, there is something that I was assigned by your father to do."
"Are you lookin' for his ol' master too?" the girl sighed, "I dunno where he could be. I done looked under every rock in this field."
Yamucha twitched. This was going to be a long assignment.
* * *
When Bulma got her first glimpse of the seething form resting on the bunk she pondered the wisdom of her actions. She faltered mid-stride under the heat of his glare, but managed to recover almost unnoticeably. With exaggerated boldness, she even went so far as to sit on the bed near his feet.
"What are you doing in here!?"
"You seemed upset. What's up?"
"Go away."
"Oh, C'mon, Vegeta, you can tell me" She patted his ankle.
Jerking away from her touch, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, putting some distance between them. "Out! Now!"
"Geeze! Rude or anything? Here I am, trying to be nice and you're still acting like I'm your servant or something!"
"Not a servant. A prisoner." His voice had regained a modicum of control. He strode toward the open door and called out, "Nappa! Raditz! Come here!"
"What? Calling in your goon squad already?" She followed him, "I'm not that much of a challenge. Don't even want to answer a simple question it's for your own good, now, spill it."
"I'm warning you, on'na, and I never give warnings. Leave me alone." his voice sounded so calm and disinterested, that, were it not for the tension in his body, Bulma would have believed this to be nothing more than his typical bluster.
Her every survival instinct was telling her to butt out and leave well enough alone. Lord knows she didn't need anyone to tell her to look out for number one, but for some reason she couldn't pull herself away. "Something's bugging you. Come on, sometimes talking about it helps"
It would be so easy to kill her. Just snap her puny neck and silence that annoying voice forever. She wants to "talk" does she? It would be too simple to teach her a lesson about disturbing Saiya-jin no Ouji.
"Yo. Vegetaanybody home?" she asked after a moment's silence.
I don't care what I was going to use her for. He turned in her direction, arm already poised to wrap his fingers around her throat.
"Yes, Vegeta-Sama?" Raditz appeared out of the room he and Goku were to share.
He jerked, startled, like someone waking up from a deep sleep. "Get her out of here." he crossed his arms.
There was only one "her" that he would be referring to.
"Hai, Ouji-Sama." He bowed and entered his prince's room. It was no different from the other two rooms, and Vegeta had always considered this another deliberate insult from Furiza. Raditz clamped his massive hand around Bulma's upper arm and proceeded to drag her away.
"Stop it! You guys are such creeps!" she screeched.
Once she was gone, he slammed the door and resumed his silent brooding.
"Lemme go, you big oaf!" She had assumed that he'd let go once they got into the "living room," but he kept pulling her along.
"Not a chance. You're not smart enough to be left out here by yourself."
"Not smart enough!?" she seethed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're a genius. But you've got a lot to learn when it comes to staying-alive type of smarts."
She tried to cross her arms, "Hn."
"Enough of that. Come on." He entered his room, Bulma in tow.
Goku turned his head to look behind him, "Hey, Bulma-girl. I heard you yellin' again!"
"Nose in the corner, Kakarrot!"
"But, 'nii-san, I was just" Goku began protesting.
"I said turn your face back to the corner, or you'll stand there for another half hour."
Goku frowned and leaned his face into the corner.
Bulma raised an eyebrow, "You made him stand in the corner? Kind ofmild for you guys."
"Yeah, well, beating him doesn't work and he's already eaten. I'd say that standing still looking at a wall is a good enough punishment for him."
"La la la la la la Hmmm hmmm"
"Kakarrot! No singing, either!"
"Hoo, boy." Bulma sighed and slumped into a very sterile chair.
"One question." Raditz sat on the bed, facing her, "What the hell did you think you were doing going in Vegeta-Sama's room like that?"
"Like what?" She gave him an annoyed glance.
"Don't play dumb, girl. You know what I'm talking about. You do realize that he was about an inch from killing you, right?"
She just snorted and looked away.
"Not answering?" He stood up and glared down at her.
She tensed almost imperceptibly, but didn't move, "Do you mind not looming?" She was getting very adept at disguising discomfort.
"You think I'm scary, kid?" He bent in close to her, sticking his face mere inches from hers.
"Oh, geeze, what is it with you people and your little "am I scary" games?" She crossed her arms and tried to turn away as much as possible while trapped between him and her chair.
He grasped the arms of her chair and lifted her, so they were still face-to-face while he stood upright, "I mean it."
"Put me down, dammit!"
He smirked and she was reminded that the person she had almostalmost come to regard as Goku's-big-brother had probably killed more people than even she could count.
" 'Nii-san!" Goku craned his neck to look at them again, "Why are you pickin' on Bulma-girl!?"
"Nose. Corner." He glowered.
Goku gulped and did as he was told.
"Now, answer me." He applied a little more pressure to the hapless chair arms and the metal whined and buckled in protest.
She'd grown pale, and her eyes widened so that they dominated her entire face, but she was still trying to glare. She didn't like to be forced into anything, especially being afraid.
His smile widened, "Not talking? Hn. I'll take that as a yes, then."
"I said put me down, stupid!"
"Shut up. Now, I'll go through this with you slowly, so you'll be sure to understand." Her formerly pale cheeks flashed an angry pink, "Why you"
"I said shut up and listen. A lesson in common sense. You think I'm scary"
"Don't flatter yourself!" she interrupted.
"I am much stronger than you could ever dream of being. Right? In my line of work I kill thousands of beings at a time. Right? I would have no problem killing you, no matter how amusing I think you are. Right? I'm one scary badass. Can I continue now? Good. To the other two Saiya-Jin, I'm a weakling. They're stronger, meaner, and whatever smidgen of conscience I have, they don't have. So why the fuck were you in there, deliberately trying to piss off the baddest, meanest, strongest one of us?" He punctuated this question by slamming her chair back down.
"I was not trying to tick him off, he just gets ticked off! I think he was born that way or something."
"Then what the hell did you think you were doing?"
"I was checking to see if he was okay! Civilized people do things like that, you know!"
"You've got a mouth on you, you know that!?"
She stuck her tongue out at him, "Nyaa!"
"Fine. Wanna act like a kid?" He grabbed her by the arm again and dragged her over to an unoccupied corner, and made her face it.
"What are you!? Who do you think you are!?" she tried to glare at him, but he turned her head so she was facing the corner.
"Don't. Move." he growled, "Or else."
"Or else what!?" She bristled, a hint of panic creeping into her voice.
He tightened his grip on her arm and leaned closer, "You don't want to know."
Not wanting to take the chance, she opted to stay in the corner. But she wasn't going to be quiet about it. "This is ridiculous! I am not a child! Standing in the cornerHmph!"
"And shut up!" Raditz flopped onto his bunk and picked up his data pad. Back to reading, and maybe now he'd get some peace. A few more sentences into his current amusement and
"Oh, I almost forgot" Bulma said sweetly, "Raditz?"
"What now!?"
"SWEE SWEE SWEE!"
"Little bitch!" He hissed as he made a break for the bathroom.
Bulma grunted, self-satisfied, though she still did not dare move from the corner.
That is how Nappa found them upon entering Raditz's chambers.
"What the..?" He furrowed his brow and glanced apprehensively from corner to corner. "Where's that idiot Raditz?"
Bulma pointed to another door, "Bathroom." Nappa took a few steps in the indicated direction before she interrupted him, "Might want to wait for him to get out."
He glowered at her, "Did you?"
"Yep."
"I guess it can wait a few minutes. Tell him to report to me when he'sdone." Nappa beat a hasty retreat. He hazarded one last glance at the two of them, faces shoved in opposite corners. Earthlings were definitely creepy.
After several minutes, a grumbling and cranky Raditz emerged from his quarters. "You wanted to see me, Nappa-San?"
"According to Vegeta-Sama, we've got a new assignment. We're supposed to leave tomorrow."
"What kind?"
"Hn. Morons are having trouble quelling an uprising on Citrus-sei. We're gonna go clean the place up for Furiza-Sama."
"We're leaving tomorrow? What about Kakarrot?"
"What about him?"
"His training isn't complete. He won't cooperate."
"We'll make the bastard cooperate." Nappa crossed his arms over his substantial chest.
"And his little friend, we gonna leave her here or what?"
"Guess so."
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"Not like we got a lot of choice in the matter. She can't come with us."
Raditz shrugged, "Guess I better start getting ready, then."
"Yeah." Nappa snorted, "Don't forget to bring your combs."
Raditz frowned at the insult, but merely bowed in response, "Hai, Nappa-san."
"Well, go on." Nappa dismissed him.
If the door hadn't been automatic, he would have slammed it. "Shit." he glared at the back of his brother's head. "Kakarrot. Come here."
Goku raised his brows inquiringly and did as he was told, "Yeah?"
"We get to leave here for a little while tomorrow."
He threw his pudgy fists into the air, "Yay!" grinning, he looked over his shoulder at the back of Bulma's head, "Hear that, Bulma-girl!?"
"No" Raditz "This isjust for boys."
Goku frowned, "Huh?"
"Yep. Just for boys. But don't worry, we're not going to be gone long."
"So Bulma-girl's gotta stay here?" Goku's frown deepened, "I don't like that, 'Nii-san. This isn't a good place."
"You don't like it!?" She squealed from the corner, turning to face them, "I don't want to stay here with all of thoseweird aliens" She trailed off, realizing that she'd been staying with "weird aliens" since she'd been kidnapped from earth.
Raditz raised a brow and flicked his tail for emphasis.
"Oh, shut up!"
He shrugged, "Doesn't really matter what you want, kid." he told her, "When Furiza-Sama gives an order, it gets obeyed."
She sighed, "That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Nope. So" he frowned contemplatively at his brother. How the hell am I going to get the little bastard to cooperate? Guess I've only got one choice.
" Hello !? Are you listening to me, Fuzzy?"
"Huh?"
"Hopeless." She rolled her eyes, "I said, can I move now? Or are you going to have another conniption fit?"
"Oh, yeah, sure. Just stay out of Vegeta-Sama's way."
"Gladly." she snorted.
"Watch yourself, kid. I mean it. A Saiya-jin doesn't get by with treating the prince that way, much less an Earthling."
She practically growled at him as she flounced out of the room and resumed her position on one of the barren chairs in the common room.
Nappa, who had been standing in the room, apparently waiting for something, edged away from her. For some reasonwell, besides the obvious, he was very intimidated by her. More so than could logically be ascribed to her power over his gastrointestinal workings. It frustrated him that he could not explain his almost-instinctual apprehension towards her.
She had just buried her nose in another of the ubiquitous data pads, when the very person she'd been instructed to steer clear of came out of his room. Since she'd been there first, there was no way she was going to up and leave just because of him. "Besides," she thought to herself, "it's not like I've got a room to go to, or anything."
He glanced at her, and, perhaps it was her imagination, but he looked more uncomfortable than irritated. Maybe he was sorry. Ha.
He then ignored her, "Raditz! Kakarrot!"
"Hai, Ouji-Sama?"
"Yes, Gageta-Sama?" They presented themselves in the common room.
He studiously avoided looking at Goku, "You will be prepared for the mission. We leave first thing tomorrow. I don't want any trouble from him." He gestured toward Goku.
"No, Ouji-Sama." Raditz bowed, "I've figured out a way to make him cooperate."
"Hn. Should have come for the bastard sooner. Weeded out his weakling compassion " Vegeta sneered, "before it had a chance to take hold." He continued, "It shouldn't be a difficult mission. The troops assigned to it were just incompetent idiots."
"How much clean-up do we have to do?"
"About two-thirds of the population are still alive. Persistent bastards." Vegeta smirked.
Goku, oblivious to the conversation, stared idly up at his brother. Bulma on the other hand, gulped, her eyes as round as saucers. They were serious. Planet-wide genocide. Unconsciously, she squeezed the data pad until it cracked.
" 'Nii-san?" Goku poked him in the thigh to get his attention, "This is boringcan I go back to our room and play now?"
"No. This is important. Pay attention."
"But you're usin' words I don't know yet." he whined.
"Then stand here and be quiet."
Goku sighed and scuffed his boots.
"So we got an average power level on them?" Raditz crossed his arms and looked at his two companions.
"The survivors have a range of twenty-five to three-hundred." Vegeta replied, "If nothing else Furiza's scouts were thorough."
Raditz snorted, "That's it? The clean-up crew needed help with that ?"
&nb sp; * * *
"Really!?" the girl squealed, "Ya think ya found 'im..?"
"It sounds like it." Yamucha tried to smile charmingly at the girl, but it was getting harder and harder.
"How'd you do it?"
He tossed a bag full of supplies into his capsule car, "I talked to some people around town. The shopkeeper knows of someone who fits his description."
"Oh," she blushed. That child spent far too much time blushing, "You're so smart, Yamucha!"
"I know." he struggled to regain his balance after she'd bowled into him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a childish embrace, "Gaah!"
"It's so nice of you to help me an' my papa like this. Otherwise we might never git back inta our castle."
"Yeah wellheh" He put one hand behind his head, "Thatthat's just the kinda guy I am" 'just lemme go, kid' he thought helplessly.
"And when we get back home" She flushed a deeper scarlet, and releasing him, she placed her gloved hands to her cheeks, "we can get married!" she giggles, "And have our own house and everything I'm sure papa will give us one. And then we can have lots of babies!"
Sweatdrop. Yamucha sent up a silent prayer of thanks that there was no one around to witness this spectacle. The last thing he needed was to be tossed in jail for statutory rape. "Uhh Miss Chichi, we we don't really have time for this now. We have to find Muten Roshi"
She sighed, "I guess you're right. You're so smart, Yamucha, dear!" More giggling.
"Yamucha-Sama," Pu'ar interrupted, "you never told us what you found out"
"Right. Well, according to that shopkeeper, there's an old guy who comes into town every couple of weeks to buy food, supplies, anderreading material. Says he wears an overgrown turtle shell all the time"Yamucha shook his head, "Anyway, a local gang started hassling him one day and well they learned their lesson. Apparently he took them all down, without dropping his groceries or the magazine he waserreading." Yamucha blushed, censoring the story for Chichi's twelve-year-old ears.
The girl clasped her hands in front of her immature bosom, "That sounds like our guy!" She hopped from one foot to the other, "Where's he live? Where kin we find 'im?"
Yamucha straightened his spine, and gazed out to sea, slapping a deep, contemplative look on his face. He imagined he must look quite stunning in that pose, framed by the ocean, the sun glinting brightly off the cool blue water, his face a partial silhouette "Out there. Somewhere." He nodded toward the water.
She wrinkled up her nose, "Out there? Y'mean in the water? How's he keep from gittin' his groceries all wet?"
"Not in the water!" Yamucha gesticulated wildly, forgetting his imperturbable-desert-bandit veneer, "He's supposed to live on an island out there somewhere Sheesh!"
"You ain't gotta be mean like that, Yamucha!" Her lip trembled, "Ifif you don't start bein' nice t'me agin, I'm gonna tell papa that I don't wanna marry you and he'll make you leave forever!"
Crap crap crap "Miss Chichi" He knelt before her, so they were face-to-face, "Please, forgive myoutburst. It's just that, rarely do I have the pleasure of looking at suchbeauty. I can't help but become flustered." He took her hand into his, "Please. Say you'll forgive me."
"Oh" If she got any redder, Yamucha would have sworn her head would pop from sheer blood pressure, "Oh How can I stay mad at someone who says such nice things!?" She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Not for the first time, Yamucha wondered if the girl was actually stronger than him. She planted a stiff-lipped baby-kiss directly on his mouth.
His arms waved around helplessly. All he could think was, "Please, don't let anyone be watching this. Please. I'll be good forever and never steal again. Just please, don't let anyone"
"You pervert! Get your hands off of that little girl!"
At least Chichi let him go. "Look, mister, this isn't what it looks like" He winced. Whenever someone says 'this isn't what it looks like' invariably, it's exactly what it looks like.
"I wasn't born yesterday, son. That's just wrong! I got a daughter her age, you know!" He pulled out a pistol. "Sweetheart, why don't you step away from that man. Come over here. We'll help you find your parents."
"What're you talkin' about? I know where my papa is. An' put that thing away 'fore you hurt someone!"
"Don't be afraid. We'll make sure you get back home with your papasafe and sound."
"But I don' wanna go home yet!" she stomped her booted foot, "We're s'posed t'find daddy's old teacher." She turned her back on the good Samaritan.
"Sir"Yamucha tried again, "This really isn't as bad as you think I mean She was just happy and gave me a kiss that's all."
The man relaxed his hold on his pistol, lowering it slightly. Perhaps he'd overreacted.
" 'Sides," Chichi interjected, "It's okay if I kiss 'im, since we're gonna get married when we get back t'Papa's castle."
Yamucha groaned. This was going to be a long day.
* * *
How dare they deny his genius? Idiots. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth.
"We aren't seeing any results from your research, Doctor. All of your experiments have been failures. The Red-Ribbon Army has no more use for you. Please leave."
Perhaps his experiments wouldn't have failed if he'd been given decent equipment to work with! They'd granted all of the functioning equipment to that idiot villager, and all he could come up with was some hideous, green monstrosity that displayed a disturbing tendency toward pacifism! Fired! The great Doctor! The greatest scientific mind on Earth, pushed aside like some laid-off factory worker!
But he'd have is revenge. He'd already drawn up his plans. Every equation completed. Every variable accounted for. All he needed was the shell.
Or shells, perhaps.
When he first spotted them, he had thought he was dreaming. They were exactly what he needed. A matched pair. Perfection.
They were the reason he was wandering the miserable, filthy streets at such an ungodly hour. He'd been at it every night for the past four days, and so far the search had been futile. All he'd gained was a blister, a cold, and the experience of nearly being mugged.
Tonight was special, though. He could almost feel it. Tonight was the night he'd find them. A soft voice caused him to pause outside the mouth of an alley.
"What did you find?"
"Not much. I guess he was a little too rich. Didn't carry much cash, just these. Credit cards."
"At least it's something."
Those voices. He'd never heard the pair speak, but this had to be them. Cool. Almost unemotional. Oh, they'd make lovely killers. He peered around the corner, almost disbelieving his own luck. It was them. He stuck his hands in his pockets, as though he was warming them.
"Excuse me, children" He smiled politely.
They'd been sitting in the alley, but jumped to their feet at the sound of his voice. The dark-haired one shoved something behind his back, "What do you want?" he shoved whatever it was into his pocket.
He smiled in genuine pleasure at the boy's rudeness, "Just some directions, if you don't mind."
"This is a bad place to be lost, old man." The blonde eyed him coolly.
"I'm quite aware of that, miss, which is why I'd like to remedy the situation as soon as possible."
The boy was about to tell him to get lost, but the words stuck in his throat. For some reason, the self-proclaimed desert bandit came to mind. He sighed, "Where are you trying to go?"
The Doctor's smile brightened, "I'm sure that there's a hospital in this neighborhood, somewhere. You see, I think I turned down the wrong street" He clutched the tranquilizer dart in either pocket
"I know where that is."
"I don't trust him." the girl glared.
He took several steps toward the end of the alley, so he could point the direction. "It's about three blocks down, then you turn left for another two or so. It's hard to miss."
"Ah" The Doctor stepped closer in the guise of trying to see where the boy was pointing, "Three blocks? Are you sure?" He brought his hand out of his pocket.
"Pretty sure. If I'm wrong, you'll still be close enough to see it."
"Yes. I thank you." Now! He jabbed the dart into the boy where his shoulder met his neck. Not an ideal place, but the drug should take effect quickly enough.
"What..?" His reflexes not yet dulled, he brought his hand to the wound, tugging the small sliver of metal out of his flesh, "what did you..?"
"Don't worry. It won't hurt you. You looked like you could use a rest is all." He smiled pleasantly.
The girl stalked toward him, her voice hoarse with anger, "What did you do ?"
The white-haired man turned a clinical eye toward the boy. He was leaning against the wall, sagging downward slowly, obviously fighting the drug and losing. "Oh, don't worry, my dear, your brother will be fine." He took out the other dart, "I suggest you come quietly. I'd hate to have to hurt you. You're far too pretty to damage. Yet."
* * *
"That's all. You're dismissed." Vegeta, having grown tired of listening to his idiot men, turned on his heel and returned to his chambers, "I suggest you get some sleep."
Nappa and Raditz looked at one another. There was one more issue to be resolved.
"Vegeta-Sama" Nappa was the first to speak, though he dreaded the answer.
"What!?" He paused in his path, not even looking at his underling.
"Where should we put the girl?"
"I don't care. Put her in your room." He waved dismissively.
"M-my room, Ouji-Sama?"
"Are you questioning me?" he growled.
"No, Vegeta-Sama."
"Idiots."
Bulma was actually kind of relieved to be put with Nappa, which she never would have believed in a million years. But, strangely enough, he did seem to be the safest of the three Saiya-jin. Nappa and Raditz had orders not to kill her, and Nappa hadn't shown any interest in doing anything else to her. 'Unlike a certain porcupine-looking jerk ' she thought to herself. And Vegeta lord knows what he'd do. She sighed, and decided that she was going to watch her mouth in the future.
Nappa, on the other hand, looked like he'd just swallowed an handful of ground glass. He clenched his fists. Why was he so intimidated by this stupid, weak, earthling? It was insane! He was an elite! He could crush her in an instant well he could if Vegeta-Sama hadn't ordered him not to. Attempting to disguise his discomfort, he glared in her general direction, "You heard 'im. Let's go."
She shrugged, "Okay," and set the cracked data pad on the chair before following him to his quarters.
Raditz, sensing the tension and delighting in aggravating his superior officer mumbled, "Lucky bastard," quiet enough to be just in his range of hearing.
Nappa bristled, but was too embarrassed to respond.
Bulma peered around the room skeptically, "Not exactly The Hilton, but I guess it'll do."
"Uhn You" Nappa mumbled something and stuck his head in a closet.
"What?"
He threw some spare bedding at her and tossed a futon onto the floor. "You sleep there."
She shrugged again, "Whatever. What time is it anyway?"
"Time t'go to sleep. Didn't you hear Vegeta-Sama?"
Bulma blinked at him, "Right. You don't snore do you?"
"Huh? Uh I don't think so"
She just rolled her eyes and tossed the pillow and blankets onto the thin mattress. "Where's the bathroom?"
He pointed.
Bulma sequestered herself in the bathroom and turned on the water. She set about readying herself for bed.
* * *
"You don't look so good, Nappa-San" Goku rubbed some sleep out of his eyes and blinked up at the elite.
"Didn't you sleep well, Nappa-San?" Raditz asked, feigning innocence.
Nappa just growled, "That girl kept me up half the night while she messed around in the bathroom, and the other half of the night snoring . It's like sleeping next to a a" Nappa, never too quick on the uptake on his better days, couldn't think of an appropriate simile.
"I heard that, you jerk!" she poked her head out of the room, her hair half-done, and shook her finger at him, "I do not snore! And you have no idea how to treat a lady! I can't believe you people Making up stories like that about me! Arrrg!" She stuck her head back in and shut the door.
Raditz blinked at his superior. For the first time ever, he truly pitied the elite.
Vegeta strode into the common area, snapping a glove on, "We're leaving now. Where's the woman?"
"She's doin' her hair, Gageta-Sama." Goku pointed, helpfully.
"Hn." He banged on the door once, "On'na, Get out here."
After a moment it zipped open, "Can't you see, I'm busy I" she noticed Raditz's warning glare, and looked back at the prince, slapping a fake smile on her face, "How can I help you, Vegeta?"
He smirked, "You will not leave this room until we return."
"Oh, great. So I'm just supposed to sit here and starve while youRaditz, quit making that face at me" She sighed.
"Don't be stupid. You'll use this. With all of your 'technical manuals' I'm surprised you missed this one," he derided her as he pulled open a cabinet designed to look like a wall panel.
"What is it?" She came up behind him.
"It's"dammit, of all the times to forget the name of the stupid thing! He flushed with embarrassment, "It's" He growled, "you push this button and it feeds you." he pointed.
Her eyes had widened with fascination and she leaned in to get a closer look, "How does it work? Does it convert matter or" She started to poke at it.
"Bulma-girl, don't even think about taking that apart, or you will starve." Raditz rolled his eyes, not realizing he'd called her by Goku's silly nickname for her.
"I wasn't!" She stood up and turned to face him, "There's no harm in looking." She crossed her arms petulantly.
He leered at her, looking her up and down slowly, "Really..?"
"That isn't what I meant, you jerk!" she screeched and stormed out of the common area.
"Enough playing, baka." Vegeta glowered at his underling, "We have a mission."
"We're goin' on a mission!?" Goku smiled guilelessly at his brother, "That sounds real important, 'nii-san!"
"Yeah." Raditz shifted his weight uncomfortably and refused to meet the child's eyes.
"D'we get to ride in the little ship again?"
"No, we're taking the pods"He frowned and pointed, "Kakarrot, go to the bathroom."
"But I"
"No buts. Go now."
"Fiiiine"
&n bsp; * * *
"Um I got lost comin' home from dinner I stopped t' look at something and when I looked up, you were all gone." This was true, he just left out the part about wandering past the reception hall and the incident with Vegeta and Furiza. Something told him that it was best not to mention that to anyone.
"Never do that again!" Raditz knelt down in front of him and roughly checked him for any injuries that were not immediately apparent, "Baka desu yo!"
"What're you doin', 'nii-san!?" Goku squirmed in his brother's grasp.
"You little moron, you have no idea what's out there!" He smacked the child for emphasis, "There are people out there who hate Saiya-jin and would love to get their hands on a defenseless brat like you!"
"But I'm okay!"
"Yeah. You're okay this time! How can you be so stupid!? You're not going anywhere unless I have you on a leash!"
"Chill out, Raditz! Geeze, you're acting like a mother hen! Goku's fine, right, kiddo?" Bulma winked at the younger sibling.
"You stay outta this! You don't know what's out there either!" He punched Goku in the stomach, "You just listen to what I say, got it kid?"
"Kah." Goku gasped in compliance.
Raditz stood up and stalked into the room he and Goku shared.
He coughed, catching his breath, "Why doesn't anyone tell me what the rules are before I get in trouble?" He sighed, and sidled up next to where Bulma was sitting, reading off of a tiny, hand-held computer screen. "Whatcha looking at?" he rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Oh, just a few tech manuals there's some really fascinating stuff here!"
"How come there ain't no pictures?" He turned his head to look at her face, brushing her with a wiry fringe of hair, and poking her cheek with his nose.
"Gaa! That's cold!" She set the manual aside and touched the tip of his nose with her open hand, "Geeze! Go put some more clothes on! You'll catch your death!"
"Catch my death? I didn't know I was chasin' it" He mumbled as he meandered off to do her bidding.
She shook her head, and continued perusing the manuals.
She was the first thing Vegeta saw when he entered the room. He couldn't stand to even look at her.
Wordlessly he brushed past her to sequester himself in his private chambers. After securely locking his door, he sat on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest. Cold. He was still cold. He could still feel the frigid touch that was beyond invasive, beyond filthy. He needed to be clean. He needed to purge that monster's touch from every inch of his body. His pathetic, weak-willed, soiled body. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was shedding his boots and blue body-suit and heading for his bathing chamber. The water would be warm. He manipulated the controls, causing a spray of hot water to stream from a spigot in the ablutionary stall, but before he could step in, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His naked chest. He closed his eyes, trying not to think. Don't remember.
"Superb," Furiza had said, his hand slithering across the blue cloth.
He dug the balls of his hands into his eyes, "No!" He flung his arms back to his sides, "No!" He told the pale, desperate face in the mirror. It seemed to be mocking him. That face knew it was weak and it knew that he was weak and He sent a small blast of energy directly between the eyes of his reflection, sending shards of glass into the air, only to land around his bare feet. Cold. He remembered. He was cold and he had to get warm and he had to get clean. He stepped into the steaming stall, and started scrubbing himself. It wasn't warm enough, so he turned it up. He knew he was sweating and he could feel his skin blister but it was still too cold and he couldn't make it any hotter. His skin was dirty slimy he scrubbed until there was no more soap left and then he used his fingernails. His body had responded. He had betrayed himself. His breath came in ragged gasps and he realized he was crying again. Weakling. Only weaklings cry. Disgusting. He deserved it. Everything Furiza did, he deserved it because he was weak.
"Oh, dear me, I seem to have left a mess." Vegeta clutched the sides of his head, No. No. No. Nonononono! "Allow me to clean it up." He jerked back, trying to physically distance himself from even the memory of that touch. Oily and cold. He could taste the greasy saliva even through the sour, still-lingering tang of his own vomit. Vegeta dashed the back of his fist against his mouth , bruising his lips with the pressure, then tilting his head back, allowed the searing warmth of the water to trickle through his parted lips. He needed to clean there, too.
"Yes that's much better." He could still taste it. He gagged again, and retched with enough force to bring him to his knees, once again staring at a puddle of his own emesis. He leaned against the slick porcelain of the stall and slid to a sitting position, hugging his legs to his chest. Pathetic. It was all his fault. He deserved it. He allowed it to happen.
Still hiccupping, he leaned his head on his knees and let the scalding water roll down his shivering back.
The water wouldn't get any hotter.
* * *
"Yamucha-Sama! You don't have to do this! Can't you get someone else to train you?" the cat squeaked, panicked.
"Pu'ar If you're that scared, you don't have to come with." He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. The closer they got to Fry-Pan Mountain, the hotter it got.
Pu'ar shuddered and scooted closer to her master, "I wouldn't do that, and you know it. You might get hurt without me there."
Yamucha smiled, gratified by his pet's loyalty, and patted the cat where she was resting in the seat next to him, "I think we're almost there!" he pulled over the small, topless two-seater to examine his map more closely.
A high-pitched squeal pierced the quiet, as a young, semi-clothed girl fled from something big with pointy teeth and a fondness for tender, fleshy snacks.
"Git, boy!" She paused and gripped the weird shark-fin thing on her head with both hands, "Doncha dare come no closer!" She commanded. With incredible skill that belied her tender age, she flung the blade, decapitating the large, carnivorous lizard. She caught the blade as it boomeranged back toward her, and returned it to its place on her headwear. She watched in horror as the beast's corpse fell to the earth. "Oh, this is jes' too dang freaky!" she placed the first two fingers on each hand on either side of a jewel on the forehead of her strange headwear, and, emitting a beam of light, she vaporized the carcass. "Git outta here!" The dark-haired girl covered her rather pretty face, and began to sob, "That was scary!"
Yamucha, who had already gotten out of his car to get a better view, stood gaping, "Who the heck!?" he murmured.
"N-not exactly the "paralyzed with fear" type, is she?" The floating kitty commented.
They stood watching as the incredibly powerful child ran in their general direction until she noticed them, "Wha..?"
The dumbfounded desert bandit tried to come up with one of his witty lines of repartee, "Uhh Hi." Maybe not so witty.
"Yaaa! It's jes' one menace after another here!" She directed a blast of energy toward him, but he managed to dodge. Barely. Where'd this kid come from!?
Yamucha reacted to this threat as he would to any attack from a worthy opponent. He clocked her on the back of the head. "What a stupid delay." He grumbled to himself, getting back into his vehicle. He did feel a tad guilty for just leaving her there, but an opponent was an opponent regardless of age or gender, he told himself as he drove away.
"Wow It's really hot, Yamucha-Sama" Pu'ar panted.
"Sure is"
&n bsp; * * *
; He ran a dry tongue across parched lips, almost savoring the meaty, coppery taste of the gash on his lip. He was out of the shower, dressed, and was once again sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard. His blood throbbed almost painfully in his heat-swollen extremities, and somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the flaky, itching sting from his scratches and burns. Vegeta closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall behind him. Dehydration was making him lightheaded and slightly nauseated. He really didn't want to vomit again, especially since he was pretty sure that there was nothing left in him to throw up.
Outside the room, Bulma bit her lip and hovered anxiously outside of the door. She'd overheard his outburst earlier and had been pretty damn scared. Now it was as quiet as a tomb in there and she was getting worried. "This is stupid," she chided herself mentally. "You aren't supposed to worry about your captorBut he sounded so" she couldn't think of a word to describe it. "Upset" didn't even come close. "Well, he hasn't killed me yet, so bothering him now can't hurt Can it?"
She tried the door, but it was locked. "Darn it!" Then, knocking, she pressed her face close to the door, "Vegeta?"
"What" His dry throat gave out on him and he coughed, "What do you want?"
"Hostile as ever," she thought. "Are you okay in there?"
"Of course I am. That's a stupid question, now go away!"
"You don't sound okay." And he didn't. He sounded almost panicked.
"Are you contradicting Saiya-jin no Ouji!?"
"I'm just giving you my opinion."
"No one asked for your damn opinion. Now, do as I say and leave me in peace!"
"Open the door, Vegeta."
"How dare you give me orders?"
She rolled her eyes, "Please?"
"No. Leave or I'll kill you."
She was silent long enough that he thought she finally got it into her fool head that he was not to be trifled with and had obeyed him. No such luck, "Vegeta Do you know what I've just spent the last three hours doing?" She said conversationally.
"What!? Why should I care?" What the hell was she up to now?
"I've been looking through tech manuals for almost every piece of equipment on this ship."
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
"Yes. Almost every piece of technology. Including doors. Do you know what that means? That means that I can hotwire the damn door if I want to."
"Hn."
"It'd be a lot easier if you just let me in right now."
"I will not allow you to give me orders!"
"Geeze! Everything with you is orders, orders, orders! I'm not giving you orders, I'm just asking you to open a damn door!" She ranted as she stomped over to where she'd left the data pad, in case she needed a reference while she was working.
In under five minutes she had it open.
* * *
"Soyer not here t'break into my castle?" the monolith scratched at his helmeted head in confusion.
"No, Gyu-Mao-Sama," Yamucha bowed lower, prostrating himself before the Ox-Demon King
"Uh WellI guess I could train ya But first Ya gotta help me put this fire out." He jerked his thumb, indicating the blaze covering almost all of the mountain.
"Thatfire? Out?" Yamucha sweat-dropped.
"Yep. Accordin' to sources that shall go unnamed, I might be able to put out that big mountain-fire with a device called a Basho-sen that my ol' lord owns."
"UhOh?" And this has what to do with me?
"Not that I thought it'd do any good, but yesterday I already sent my daughter, Chichi out lookin' for the old master."
"Ohreally." I can't look up at this guy. If I have to look at the silly feather in his helmet I just know I'll start laughing. I just know it
"If you run into her on the road, how about takin' her along?"
"The road, Gyu-Mao-Sama?"
"Yeah, Yer gonna go find my invincible old master, then I'll train ya."
"Uh OkayI meanYes, Gyu-Mao-Sama. You saidher name's Chichi?"
"Yeah, She's a hothead, but she's a cutie. Hotcha! If you like I could give her to ya as yer wife!"
As much as Yamucha wanted to get married, he cringed at the thought of what a child of this monster would look like. Especially a girl-child.
"Take a look at this , sonny!" The Ox-Demon King pulled a photograph out and shoved it in front of Yamucha's face.
Surprisingly, the girl was very pretty. She had shiny, black hair, clear dark eyes, and a soft, dimpled smile played shyly on her pale pink lips. She'd be a real knockoutin about four years. "Geeze, does this guy think I have some kind of Lolita-complex?" He wondered. Upon closer inspection, the child was strangely familiar Something about the head dress Thankfully, Yamucha's head was still bent, and partially obscured by the photo, because at that moment he swallowed his tongue. Or damn near.
Pu'ar edged around to peek at the picture, "Lord Yamucha isn't that the girl you" She was cut off as he clamped a large, calloused hand over her mouth.
"Yep! The girl we saw on our way here! We'd better go find her before she gets too much farther away!" He smiled frantically up at his majesty, no longer caring about the silly feather. "Well, we'd better get going, right, Gyu-Mao-Sama? Heh! Sooner we get going, the sooner I can start my trainingwell Um Goodbye!" Still grasping the cat by her head, he made a break for his car.
Once they were a sufficient distance away, Yamucha exclaimed, "Ee-yagh! We'll be turned into sausage for this! We've got to do something!" Then, spotting her still-prone form, "There! That's her!" He slammed the brakes on his car and was running toward her before it had even stopped completely, "Are you alright!?" He cradled her roughly, shaking her, "Please say you're alright!"
With a small sigh she opened her eyes slowly, "uhnuh?" Then, realizing she was being held by the man who had injured her, she shrieked.
Yamucha sighed, relieved. Now all he had to do was keep the brat from squealing to her papa what had happened. And keep her from blasting him!
She placed her fingers on either side of the jewel, once again preparing to fire. He knew he had to do something to stop it, since he was pretty sure he was too close to dodge effectively. "W-wait, please, Miss Chichi!" He held his arms out in supplication.
"Huh? How do you know my name!?" She blinked up at him.
"It doesn't matter." He turned away from her slightly and used his most mysterious, melodious, desert-bandit voice. "W-what matters is I want to apologize foryou know." He placed two fingers over his lips, and smiled knowingly at her, "Please forgive me I was just so crazy with love that"
The girl instantly blushed and placed her palms against her cheeks, "With love? For who? For me!?"
"Yeah, right, kid" he thought
"You'd better not be lying!" She glared, shaking a finger at him.
"Look at this face!" He would use his last weapon, the sheer power of his physical beauty, "Is this the face of a liar!?" He affected his most attractive expression, curling his lip suggestively.
"You're makin' a funny face! I dunno about bein' a liar, but you sure are weird lookin'!"
He grit his teeth together, trying to keep from ruining his chance of training under Gyu-Mao.
"Easy, Lord Yamucha! Easyjust this once!" Pu'ar tried to calm him.
"Wow! No one's ever said he loved me before!" The girl resumed her simpering, "I read about it in a magazine onceWhen you're in love you're supposed to go on a "date" andhold hands" She covered her face and squealed, "I can't stand it!"
"Neither. Can. I." he thought laconically. "Miss Chichias much as I'd love to stay here andandget to know you better, there is something that I was assigned by your father to do."
"Are you lookin' for his ol' master too?" the girl sighed, "I dunno where he could be. I done looked under every rock in this field."
Yamucha twitched. This was going to be a long assignment.
* * *
When Bulma got her first glimpse of the seething form resting on the bunk she pondered the wisdom of her actions. She faltered mid-stride under the heat of his glare, but managed to recover almost unnoticeably. With exaggerated boldness, she even went so far as to sit on the bed near his feet.
"What are you doing in here!?"
"You seemed upset. What's up?"
"Go away."
"Oh, C'mon, Vegeta, you can tell me" She patted his ankle.
Jerking away from her touch, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, putting some distance between them. "Out! Now!"
"Geeze! Rude or anything? Here I am, trying to be nice and you're still acting like I'm your servant or something!"
"Not a servant. A prisoner." His voice had regained a modicum of control. He strode toward the open door and called out, "Nappa! Raditz! Come here!"
"What? Calling in your goon squad already?" She followed him, "I'm not that much of a challenge. Don't even want to answer a simple question it's for your own good, now, spill it."
"I'm warning you, on'na, and I never give warnings. Leave me alone." his voice sounded so calm and disinterested, that, were it not for the tension in his body, Bulma would have believed this to be nothing more than his typical bluster.
Her every survival instinct was telling her to butt out and leave well enough alone. Lord knows she didn't need anyone to tell her to look out for number one, but for some reason she couldn't pull herself away. "Something's bugging you. Come on, sometimes talking about it helps"
It would be so easy to kill her. Just snap her puny neck and silence that annoying voice forever. She wants to "talk" does she? It would be too simple to teach her a lesson about disturbing Saiya-jin no Ouji.
"Yo. Vegetaanybody home?" she asked after a moment's silence.
I don't care what I was going to use her for. He turned in her direction, arm already poised to wrap his fingers around her throat.
"Yes, Vegeta-Sama?" Raditz appeared out of the room he and Goku were to share.
He jerked, startled, like someone waking up from a deep sleep. "Get her out of here." he crossed his arms.
There was only one "her" that he would be referring to.
"Hai, Ouji-Sama." He bowed and entered his prince's room. It was no different from the other two rooms, and Vegeta had always considered this another deliberate insult from Furiza. Raditz clamped his massive hand around Bulma's upper arm and proceeded to drag her away.
"Stop it! You guys are such creeps!" she screeched.
Once she was gone, he slammed the door and resumed his silent brooding.
"Lemme go, you big oaf!" She had assumed that he'd let go once they got into the "living room," but he kept pulling her along.
"Not a chance. You're not smart enough to be left out here by yourself."
"Not smart enough!?" she seethed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're a genius. But you've got a lot to learn when it comes to staying-alive type of smarts."
She tried to cross her arms, "Hn."
"Enough of that. Come on." He entered his room, Bulma in tow.
Goku turned his head to look behind him, "Hey, Bulma-girl. I heard you yellin' again!"
"Nose in the corner, Kakarrot!"
"But, 'nii-san, I was just" Goku began protesting.
"I said turn your face back to the corner, or you'll stand there for another half hour."
Goku frowned and leaned his face into the corner.
Bulma raised an eyebrow, "You made him stand in the corner? Kind ofmild for you guys."
"Yeah, well, beating him doesn't work and he's already eaten. I'd say that standing still looking at a wall is a good enough punishment for him."
"La la la la la la Hmmm hmmm"
"Kakarrot! No singing, either!"
"Hoo, boy." Bulma sighed and slumped into a very sterile chair.
"One question." Raditz sat on the bed, facing her, "What the hell did you think you were doing going in Vegeta-Sama's room like that?"
"Like what?" She gave him an annoyed glance.
"Don't play dumb, girl. You know what I'm talking about. You do realize that he was about an inch from killing you, right?"
She just snorted and looked away.
"Not answering?" He stood up and glared down at her.
She tensed almost imperceptibly, but didn't move, "Do you mind not looming?" She was getting very adept at disguising discomfort.
"You think I'm scary, kid?" He bent in close to her, sticking his face mere inches from hers.
"Oh, geeze, what is it with you people and your little "am I scary" games?" She crossed her arms and tried to turn away as much as possible while trapped between him and her chair.
He grasped the arms of her chair and lifted her, so they were still face-to-face while he stood upright, "I mean it."
"Put me down, dammit!"
He smirked and she was reminded that the person she had almostalmost come to regard as Goku's-big-brother had probably killed more people than even she could count.
" 'Nii-san!" Goku craned his neck to look at them again, "Why are you pickin' on Bulma-girl!?"
"Nose. Corner." He glowered.
Goku gulped and did as he was told.
"Now, answer me." He applied a little more pressure to the hapless chair arms and the metal whined and buckled in protest.
She'd grown pale, and her eyes widened so that they dominated her entire face, but she was still trying to glare. She didn't like to be forced into anything, especially being afraid.
His smile widened, "Not talking? Hn. I'll take that as a yes, then."
"I said put me down, stupid!"
"Shut up. Now, I'll go through this with you slowly, so you'll be sure to understand." Her formerly pale cheeks flashed an angry pink, "Why you"
"I said shut up and listen. A lesson in common sense. You think I'm scary"
"Don't flatter yourself!" she interrupted.
"I am much stronger than you could ever dream of being. Right? In my line of work I kill thousands of beings at a time. Right? I would have no problem killing you, no matter how amusing I think you are. Right? I'm one scary badass. Can I continue now? Good. To the other two Saiya-Jin, I'm a weakling. They're stronger, meaner, and whatever smidgen of conscience I have, they don't have. So why the fuck were you in there, deliberately trying to piss off the baddest, meanest, strongest one of us?" He punctuated this question by slamming her chair back down.
"I was not trying to tick him off, he just gets ticked off! I think he was born that way or something."
"Then what the hell did you think you were doing?"
"I was checking to see if he was okay! Civilized people do things like that, you know!"
"You've got a mouth on you, you know that!?"
She stuck her tongue out at him, "Nyaa!"
"Fine. Wanna act like a kid?" He grabbed her by the arm again and dragged her over to an unoccupied corner, and made her face it.
"What are you!? Who do you think you are!?" she tried to glare at him, but he turned her head so she was facing the corner.
"Don't. Move." he growled, "Or else."
"Or else what!?" She bristled, a hint of panic creeping into her voice.
He tightened his grip on her arm and leaned closer, "You don't want to know."
Not wanting to take the chance, she opted to stay in the corner. But she wasn't going to be quiet about it. "This is ridiculous! I am not a child! Standing in the cornerHmph!"
"And shut up!" Raditz flopped onto his bunk and picked up his data pad. Back to reading, and maybe now he'd get some peace. A few more sentences into his current amusement and
"Oh, I almost forgot" Bulma said sweetly, "Raditz?"
"What now!?"
"SWEE SWEE SWEE!"
"Little bitch!" He hissed as he made a break for the bathroom.
Bulma grunted, self-satisfied, though she still did not dare move from the corner.
That is how Nappa found them upon entering Raditz's chambers.
"What the..?" He furrowed his brow and glanced apprehensively from corner to corner. "Where's that idiot Raditz?"
Bulma pointed to another door, "Bathroom." Nappa took a few steps in the indicated direction before she interrupted him, "Might want to wait for him to get out."
He glowered at her, "Did you?"
"Yep."
"I guess it can wait a few minutes. Tell him to report to me when he'sdone." Nappa beat a hasty retreat. He hazarded one last glance at the two of them, faces shoved in opposite corners. Earthlings were definitely creepy.
After several minutes, a grumbling and cranky Raditz emerged from his quarters. "You wanted to see me, Nappa-San?"
"According to Vegeta-Sama, we've got a new assignment. We're supposed to leave tomorrow."
"What kind?"
"Hn. Morons are having trouble quelling an uprising on Citrus-sei. We're gonna go clean the place up for Furiza-Sama."
"We're leaving tomorrow? What about Kakarrot?"
"What about him?"
"His training isn't complete. He won't cooperate."
"We'll make the bastard cooperate." Nappa crossed his arms over his substantial chest.
"And his little friend, we gonna leave her here or what?"
"Guess so."
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"Not like we got a lot of choice in the matter. She can't come with us."
Raditz shrugged, "Guess I better start getting ready, then."
"Yeah." Nappa snorted, "Don't forget to bring your combs."
Raditz frowned at the insult, but merely bowed in response, "Hai, Nappa-san."
"Well, go on." Nappa dismissed him.
If the door hadn't been automatic, he would have slammed it. "Shit." he glared at the back of his brother's head. "Kakarrot. Come here."
Goku raised his brows inquiringly and did as he was told, "Yeah?"
"We get to leave here for a little while tomorrow."
He threw his pudgy fists into the air, "Yay!" grinning, he looked over his shoulder at the back of Bulma's head, "Hear that, Bulma-girl!?"
"No" Raditz "This isjust for boys."
Goku frowned, "Huh?"
"Yep. Just for boys. But don't worry, we're not going to be gone long."
"So Bulma-girl's gotta stay here?" Goku's frown deepened, "I don't like that, 'Nii-san. This isn't a good place."
"You don't like it!?" She squealed from the corner, turning to face them, "I don't want to stay here with all of thoseweird aliens" She trailed off, realizing that she'd been staying with "weird aliens" since she'd been kidnapped from earth.
Raditz raised a brow and flicked his tail for emphasis.
"Oh, shut up!"
He shrugged, "Doesn't really matter what you want, kid." he told her, "When Furiza-Sama gives an order, it gets obeyed."
She sighed, "That doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Nope. So" he frowned contemplatively at his brother. How the hell am I going to get the little bastard to cooperate? Guess I've only got one choice.
" Hello !? Are you listening to me, Fuzzy?"
"Huh?"
"Hopeless." She rolled her eyes, "I said, can I move now? Or are you going to have another conniption fit?"
"Oh, yeah, sure. Just stay out of Vegeta-Sama's way."
"Gladly." she snorted.
"Watch yourself, kid. I mean it. A Saiya-jin doesn't get by with treating the prince that way, much less an Earthling."
She practically growled at him as she flounced out of the room and resumed her position on one of the barren chairs in the common room.
Nappa, who had been standing in the room, apparently waiting for something, edged away from her. For some reasonwell, besides the obvious, he was very intimidated by her. More so than could logically be ascribed to her power over his gastrointestinal workings. It frustrated him that he could not explain his almost-instinctual apprehension towards her.
She had just buried her nose in another of the ubiquitous data pads, when the very person she'd been instructed to steer clear of came out of his room. Since she'd been there first, there was no way she was going to up and leave just because of him. "Besides," she thought to herself, "it's not like I've got a room to go to, or anything."
He glanced at her, and, perhaps it was her imagination, but he looked more uncomfortable than irritated. Maybe he was sorry. Ha.
He then ignored her, "Raditz! Kakarrot!"
"Hai, Ouji-Sama?"
"Yes, Gageta-Sama?" They presented themselves in the common room.
He studiously avoided looking at Goku, "You will be prepared for the mission. We leave first thing tomorrow. I don't want any trouble from him." He gestured toward Goku.
"No, Ouji-Sama." Raditz bowed, "I've figured out a way to make him cooperate."
"Hn. Should have come for the bastard sooner. Weeded out his weakling compassion " Vegeta sneered, "before it had a chance to take hold." He continued, "It shouldn't be a difficult mission. The troops assigned to it were just incompetent idiots."
"How much clean-up do we have to do?"
"About two-thirds of the population are still alive. Persistent bastards." Vegeta smirked.
Goku, oblivious to the conversation, stared idly up at his brother. Bulma on the other hand, gulped, her eyes as round as saucers. They were serious. Planet-wide genocide. Unconsciously, she squeezed the data pad until it cracked.
" 'Nii-san?" Goku poked him in the thigh to get his attention, "This is boringcan I go back to our room and play now?"
"No. This is important. Pay attention."
"But you're usin' words I don't know yet." he whined.
"Then stand here and be quiet."
Goku sighed and scuffed his boots.
"So we got an average power level on them?" Raditz crossed his arms and looked at his two companions.
"The survivors have a range of twenty-five to three-hundred." Vegeta replied, "If nothing else Furiza's scouts were thorough."
Raditz snorted, "That's it? The clean-up crew needed help with that ?"
&nb sp; * * *
"Really!?" the girl squealed, "Ya think ya found 'im..?"
"It sounds like it." Yamucha tried to smile charmingly at the girl, but it was getting harder and harder.
"How'd you do it?"
He tossed a bag full of supplies into his capsule car, "I talked to some people around town. The shopkeeper knows of someone who fits his description."
"Oh," she blushed. That child spent far too much time blushing, "You're so smart, Yamucha!"
"I know." he struggled to regain his balance after she'd bowled into him, wrapping her arms around his waist in a childish embrace, "Gaah!"
"It's so nice of you to help me an' my papa like this. Otherwise we might never git back inta our castle."
"Yeah wellheh" He put one hand behind his head, "Thatthat's just the kinda guy I am" 'just lemme go, kid' he thought helplessly.
"And when we get back home" She flushed a deeper scarlet, and releasing him, she placed her gloved hands to her cheeks, "we can get married!" she giggles, "And have our own house and everything I'm sure papa will give us one. And then we can have lots of babies!"
Sweatdrop. Yamucha sent up a silent prayer of thanks that there was no one around to witness this spectacle. The last thing he needed was to be tossed in jail for statutory rape. "Uhh Miss Chichi, we we don't really have time for this now. We have to find Muten Roshi"
She sighed, "I guess you're right. You're so smart, Yamucha, dear!" More giggling.
"Yamucha-Sama," Pu'ar interrupted, "you never told us what you found out"
"Right. Well, according to that shopkeeper, there's an old guy who comes into town every couple of weeks to buy food, supplies, anderreading material. Says he wears an overgrown turtle shell all the time"Yamucha shook his head, "Anyway, a local gang started hassling him one day and well they learned their lesson. Apparently he took them all down, without dropping his groceries or the magazine he waserreading." Yamucha blushed, censoring the story for Chichi's twelve-year-old ears.
The girl clasped her hands in front of her immature bosom, "That sounds like our guy!" She hopped from one foot to the other, "Where's he live? Where kin we find 'im?"
Yamucha straightened his spine, and gazed out to sea, slapping a deep, contemplative look on his face. He imagined he must look quite stunning in that pose, framed by the ocean, the sun glinting brightly off the cool blue water, his face a partial silhouette "Out there. Somewhere." He nodded toward the water.
She wrinkled up her nose, "Out there? Y'mean in the water? How's he keep from gittin' his groceries all wet?"
"Not in the water!" Yamucha gesticulated wildly, forgetting his imperturbable-desert-bandit veneer, "He's supposed to live on an island out there somewhere Sheesh!"
"You ain't gotta be mean like that, Yamucha!" Her lip trembled, "Ifif you don't start bein' nice t'me agin, I'm gonna tell papa that I don't wanna marry you and he'll make you leave forever!"
Crap crap crap "Miss Chichi" He knelt before her, so they were face-to-face, "Please, forgive myoutburst. It's just that, rarely do I have the pleasure of looking at suchbeauty. I can't help but become flustered." He took her hand into his, "Please. Say you'll forgive me."
"Oh" If she got any redder, Yamucha would have sworn her head would pop from sheer blood pressure, "Oh How can I stay mad at someone who says such nice things!?" She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Not for the first time, Yamucha wondered if the girl was actually stronger than him. She planted a stiff-lipped baby-kiss directly on his mouth.
His arms waved around helplessly. All he could think was, "Please, don't let anyone be watching this. Please. I'll be good forever and never steal again. Just please, don't let anyone"
"You pervert! Get your hands off of that little girl!"
At least Chichi let him go. "Look, mister, this isn't what it looks like" He winced. Whenever someone says 'this isn't what it looks like' invariably, it's exactly what it looks like.
"I wasn't born yesterday, son. That's just wrong! I got a daughter her age, you know!" He pulled out a pistol. "Sweetheart, why don't you step away from that man. Come over here. We'll help you find your parents."
"What're you talkin' about? I know where my papa is. An' put that thing away 'fore you hurt someone!"
"Don't be afraid. We'll make sure you get back home with your papasafe and sound."
"But I don' wanna go home yet!" she stomped her booted foot, "We're s'posed t'find daddy's old teacher." She turned her back on the good Samaritan.
"Sir"Yamucha tried again, "This really isn't as bad as you think I mean She was just happy and gave me a kiss that's all."
The man relaxed his hold on his pistol, lowering it slightly. Perhaps he'd overreacted.
" 'Sides," Chichi interjected, "It's okay if I kiss 'im, since we're gonna get married when we get back t'Papa's castle."
Yamucha groaned. This was going to be a long day.
* * *
How dare they deny his genius? Idiots. He clenched his fists and ground his teeth.
"We aren't seeing any results from your research, Doctor. All of your experiments have been failures. The Red-Ribbon Army has no more use for you. Please leave."
Perhaps his experiments wouldn't have failed if he'd been given decent equipment to work with! They'd granted all of the functioning equipment to that idiot villager, and all he could come up with was some hideous, green monstrosity that displayed a disturbing tendency toward pacifism! Fired! The great Doctor! The greatest scientific mind on Earth, pushed aside like some laid-off factory worker!
But he'd have is revenge. He'd already drawn up his plans. Every equation completed. Every variable accounted for. All he needed was the shell.
Or shells, perhaps.
When he first spotted them, he had thought he was dreaming. They were exactly what he needed. A matched pair. Perfection.
They were the reason he was wandering the miserable, filthy streets at such an ungodly hour. He'd been at it every night for the past four days, and so far the search had been futile. All he'd gained was a blister, a cold, and the experience of nearly being mugged.
Tonight was special, though. He could almost feel it. Tonight was the night he'd find them. A soft voice caused him to pause outside the mouth of an alley.
"What did you find?"
"Not much. I guess he was a little too rich. Didn't carry much cash, just these. Credit cards."
"At least it's something."
Those voices. He'd never heard the pair speak, but this had to be them. Cool. Almost unemotional. Oh, they'd make lovely killers. He peered around the corner, almost disbelieving his own luck. It was them. He stuck his hands in his pockets, as though he was warming them.
"Excuse me, children" He smiled politely.
They'd been sitting in the alley, but jumped to their feet at the sound of his voice. The dark-haired one shoved something behind his back, "What do you want?" he shoved whatever it was into his pocket.
He smiled in genuine pleasure at the boy's rudeness, "Just some directions, if you don't mind."
"This is a bad place to be lost, old man." The blonde eyed him coolly.
"I'm quite aware of that, miss, which is why I'd like to remedy the situation as soon as possible."
The boy was about to tell him to get lost, but the words stuck in his throat. For some reason, the self-proclaimed desert bandit came to mind. He sighed, "Where are you trying to go?"
The Doctor's smile brightened, "I'm sure that there's a hospital in this neighborhood, somewhere. You see, I think I turned down the wrong street" He clutched the tranquilizer dart in either pocket
"I know where that is."
"I don't trust him." the girl glared.
He took several steps toward the end of the alley, so he could point the direction. "It's about three blocks down, then you turn left for another two or so. It's hard to miss."
"Ah" The Doctor stepped closer in the guise of trying to see where the boy was pointing, "Three blocks? Are you sure?" He brought his hand out of his pocket.
"Pretty sure. If I'm wrong, you'll still be close enough to see it."
"Yes. I thank you." Now! He jabbed the dart into the boy where his shoulder met his neck. Not an ideal place, but the drug should take effect quickly enough.
"What..?" His reflexes not yet dulled, he brought his hand to the wound, tugging the small sliver of metal out of his flesh, "what did you..?"
"Don't worry. It won't hurt you. You looked like you could use a rest is all." He smiled pleasantly.
The girl stalked toward him, her voice hoarse with anger, "What did you do ?"
The white-haired man turned a clinical eye toward the boy. He was leaning against the wall, sagging downward slowly, obviously fighting the drug and losing. "Oh, don't worry, my dear, your brother will be fine." He took out the other dart, "I suggest you come quietly. I'd hate to have to hurt you. You're far too pretty to damage. Yet."
* * *
"That's all. You're dismissed." Vegeta, having grown tired of listening to his idiot men, turned on his heel and returned to his chambers, "I suggest you get some sleep."
Nappa and Raditz looked at one another. There was one more issue to be resolved.
"Vegeta-Sama" Nappa was the first to speak, though he dreaded the answer.
"What!?" He paused in his path, not even looking at his underling.
"Where should we put the girl?"
"I don't care. Put her in your room." He waved dismissively.
"M-my room, Ouji-Sama?"
"Are you questioning me?" he growled.
"No, Vegeta-Sama."
"Idiots."
Bulma was actually kind of relieved to be put with Nappa, which she never would have believed in a million years. But, strangely enough, he did seem to be the safest of the three Saiya-jin. Nappa and Raditz had orders not to kill her, and Nappa hadn't shown any interest in doing anything else to her. 'Unlike a certain porcupine-looking jerk ' she thought to herself. And Vegeta lord knows what he'd do. She sighed, and decided that she was going to watch her mouth in the future.
Nappa, on the other hand, looked like he'd just swallowed an handful of ground glass. He clenched his fists. Why was he so intimidated by this stupid, weak, earthling? It was insane! He was an elite! He could crush her in an instant well he could if Vegeta-Sama hadn't ordered him not to. Attempting to disguise his discomfort, he glared in her general direction, "You heard 'im. Let's go."
She shrugged, "Okay," and set the cracked data pad on the chair before following him to his quarters.
Raditz, sensing the tension and delighting in aggravating his superior officer mumbled, "Lucky bastard," quiet enough to be just in his range of hearing.
Nappa bristled, but was too embarrassed to respond.
Bulma peered around the room skeptically, "Not exactly The Hilton, but I guess it'll do."
"Uhn You" Nappa mumbled something and stuck his head in a closet.
"What?"
He threw some spare bedding at her and tossed a futon onto the floor. "You sleep there."
She shrugged again, "Whatever. What time is it anyway?"
"Time t'go to sleep. Didn't you hear Vegeta-Sama?"
Bulma blinked at him, "Right. You don't snore do you?"
"Huh? Uh I don't think so"
She just rolled her eyes and tossed the pillow and blankets onto the thin mattress. "Where's the bathroom?"
He pointed.
Bulma sequestered herself in the bathroom and turned on the water. She set about readying herself for bed.
* * *
"You don't look so good, Nappa-San" Goku rubbed some sleep out of his eyes and blinked up at the elite.
"Didn't you sleep well, Nappa-San?" Raditz asked, feigning innocence.
Nappa just growled, "That girl kept me up half the night while she messed around in the bathroom, and the other half of the night snoring . It's like sleeping next to a a" Nappa, never too quick on the uptake on his better days, couldn't think of an appropriate simile.
"I heard that, you jerk!" she poked her head out of the room, her hair half-done, and shook her finger at him, "I do not snore! And you have no idea how to treat a lady! I can't believe you people Making up stories like that about me! Arrrg!" She stuck her head back in and shut the door.
Raditz blinked at his superior. For the first time ever, he truly pitied the elite.
Vegeta strode into the common area, snapping a glove on, "We're leaving now. Where's the woman?"
"She's doin' her hair, Gageta-Sama." Goku pointed, helpfully.
"Hn." He banged on the door once, "On'na, Get out here."
After a moment it zipped open, "Can't you see, I'm busy I" she noticed Raditz's warning glare, and looked back at the prince, slapping a fake smile on her face, "How can I help you, Vegeta?"
He smirked, "You will not leave this room until we return."
"Oh, great. So I'm just supposed to sit here and starve while youRaditz, quit making that face at me" She sighed.
"Don't be stupid. You'll use this. With all of your 'technical manuals' I'm surprised you missed this one," he derided her as he pulled open a cabinet designed to look like a wall panel.
"What is it?" She came up behind him.
"It's"dammit, of all the times to forget the name of the stupid thing! He flushed with embarrassment, "It's" He growled, "you push this button and it feeds you." he pointed.
Her eyes had widened with fascination and she leaned in to get a closer look, "How does it work? Does it convert matter or" She started to poke at it.
"Bulma-girl, don't even think about taking that apart, or you will starve." Raditz rolled his eyes, not realizing he'd called her by Goku's silly nickname for her.
"I wasn't!" She stood up and turned to face him, "There's no harm in looking." She crossed her arms petulantly.
He leered at her, looking her up and down slowly, "Really..?"
"That isn't what I meant, you jerk!" she screeched and stormed out of the common area.
"Enough playing, baka." Vegeta glowered at his underling, "We have a mission."
"We're goin' on a mission!?" Goku smiled guilelessly at his brother, "That sounds real important, 'nii-san!"
"Yeah." Raditz shifted his weight uncomfortably and refused to meet the child's eyes.
"D'we get to ride in the little ship again?"
"No, we're taking the pods"He frowned and pointed, "Kakarrot, go to the bathroom."
"But I"
"No buts. Go now."
"Fiiiine"
&n bsp; * * *