Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Feeding Genius ❯ Gleya Again ( Chapter 32 )

Feeding Genius

 

Chapter Thirty-Two

 

Gleya Again

 

Disclaimer: DBZ isn't mine.

 

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I have been awake for the last half hour. Bulma's breathing is steady and even, but she is still unconscious. I am optimistic, however, that she will wake up soon. The gas took longer to affect her than it did me. It will, therefore, take longer to work its way out. There are a few signs that she is coming around. I can see her eyes moving under their lids as though she is chasing dreams, and she has murmured a few times - I cannot distinguish the words though. You do not dream in stasis, it is a black state that passes in a moment without the conscious mind ever realizing it was shut down. Dreams are merely an after-effect of the gas to help desensitise the brain.

 

I am anxious for her to wake. We reach Gleya soon and I need her to be alert when we arrive. It will complicate matters to an extreme should she still be unconscious.

 

I shake her, trying to scatter her dreams. “Woman! Woman, wake up!”

 

She mumbles and holds my clothes so they are fisted in both hands, as though I am a blanket.

 

“Wake up now!” I insist.

 

It is useless. Not even a twitch. If I shake her any harder I am going to injure her. A change of tactics is in order. I need her to be awake, but how? Ugh! These Humans are far too fragile for their own good. How they ever managed to evolve this far is beyond me.

 

Maybe a small injection of ki into her body will do the trick. I trace my hands down her sides. Her skin is taught, soft, and warm, and it sends a disobedient thrill through me as my palms settle on each of her hips. I form a miniscule amount of ki on each index finger and then let it all go in one sharp prod.

 

The extra energy works along the same lines as a small electric shock.

 

I chuckle at my own ingenuity as she instantly jolts awake. In mere seconds she is wide-eyed with shock. She looks slightly disorientated; maybe waking her so suddenly was not a wise idea. Unfamiliar with her surroundings - she panics and tries to move away. There is nowhere to go and she hits her head clumsily on the circular window.

 

“Ow… shit!”

 

She looks up at me through her hair.

 

Recognition of our circumstance is slowly dawning on her face as one hand rubs her head, and the other gouges the sleep from her eyes.

 

“I was having a really weird dream.” She yawns. “Dad was there, and Mom too. It was so realistic that it had me fooled for a minute. I thought I was back home.” She frowns. “They were making syrup pancakes for breakfast, but I didn't want syrup. I wanted cherries and kept throwing the syrup ones away.” She looks down. “I miss them, Vegeta.”

 

I sneer and look away. Her emotions are unnerving - they create a doubt about my plans and I can't afford to have any right now. I have to be one hundred percent focused on the battle ahead. Besides, we haven't got time for this.

 

“Forget your parents and forget your dream, Bulma.” I say harshly. “There is no place for dreams where we are - only nightmares - and they are of the living, breathing kind.”

 

My words smother her sensibilities. She shivers and manoeuvres back onto my lap.

 

“We are approaching Gleya.” I say, pointing out of the window.

 

We are so close now it almost fills the entire glass. It is alive with activity. These stations were originally created to help the Ice-jins broaden their empire. Manoeuvrable outposts, for the generals to command from, and with just as much firepower as the most advanced battle ship. Now they are the heart of the universe -trading posts that interlock in a maze of shipping routes from one end of the galaxy to the other. They are little pockets of riches - too far away for those unfortunate enough to be stuck on planet to ever hope of getting to. Wealth laden ships can be seen darting in and out of the docking bays right now. Merchants are the rulers of the universe under the Consortium it seems. Getting fat off the back of others misfortunes, just as effectively as the Ice-jins got powerful from their destruction. I am looking forward to showing them what it really means to have power.

 

“Are you fully awake?” I ask Bulma. There must be no mistakes in this.

 

She yawns. “Yeah.” Her arms snake to the ceiling and she places both palms there to stretch out her back. “So! How are we gonna do this?” she asks.

 

I am unable to reply. The speaker crackles into life and we both turn to look at it.

 

“Gleya Space Pod.231 you have been verified. This craft is not registered to arrive today. Please state your security code and the reason for your visit.”

 

Bulma stiffens and shuffles so her back is as close to my chest as possible. “Shit! What do we do, Vegeta?” she whispers.

 

“We do nothing,” I reply. “With any luck they will think the pod is empty. These pods aren't cheap. They will want to salvage an empty pod rather than let it drift around space for just anyone to find.”

 

“Pod.231, please state your security code and verify the reason for your visit.”

 

“They'll scan us?” she says, nibbling nervously on a fingernail. “Once for body heat,” she looks at me intensely, “and once for life energy.”

 

“The pod produces a lot of heat as part of the exhaust system.”

 

“Do you think it will be enough to mask us?”

 

“If it is the same design as Freiza's pods, then yes.”

 

“And the energy scan?”

 

“They will not get a reading,” I reassure her. “You have no energy of significance, and I am suppressing mine.”

 

“I hope you're right.”

 

She curls her fingers protectively around my bicep, as though somehow being in contact with me will transfer my strength to her. Such a strange creature! She is so fearless and in control one minute, and the next she is as insecure and needy as any child ever was. There is something, dare is say, endearing about it. Is this the same little woman I've heard swear like a member of Freiza's court - the same woman I have attributed with more balls than the entire Z senshi combined?

 

Look at her now. She is frightened and trembling in my lap. No matter how brave she appears, she is still vulnerable and it is me she clings to when she needs comfort. Me! I am more terrible than the entire hierarchy of Gleya, and yet she holds me with no fear - expects me to protect her as ferociously as I would defend myself.

 

I like the way it feels - her dependency on me. It is easier to smash than any jewel in existence, but so much better to covert and glory in than destroy. Precious. Priceless. I feel capable of any triumph in her presence.

 

There is a beep to my left.

 

“They've taken control of the pod,” she says. “They're guiding us into a docking bay. What will happen when we get there?”

 

“I will have to act quickly.” I say. “They will, no doubt, send several armed soldiers to investigate, but it is too soon to be seen. How long are you able to hold your breath?”

 

“What!” she shrieks. “Hold my breath! Are you mad?”

 

“Yes,” I agree, “But there's method behind it. To Gleya this is an unmanned space-pod that has, somehow, miraculously found its way back to the station unharmed. As a whole they're not completely stupid. If we go all the way to the docking bay we will open the hatch to find several high power weapons trained on our heads. This is clearly insignificant to me, and I might possibly be able to kill all the guards without you getting shot to pieces in the crossfire, but it's not exactly the subtle, unassuming entrance we were hoping for, is it? So I'm asking you - in all seriousness - how long can you hold your breath?”

 

“I… I don't know,” she stammers. “A minute - a couple of minutes at most before I pass out.”

 

Shit. That is not much time at all, but I will have to work with it. I defy any creature to claim they can move as fast as I can when necessity requires it.

 

“The pods are landed backwards.” I explain. “It is easier for a quick turn around that way. The fuel hose is located on the back and all the mechanics are there. It saves them time to have the pod facing the right way to go again.”

 

“You want to use this time as our window of opportunity?” she says. “You want us to leave the pod before the airlock is closed so that when the soldiers come they will find an empty pod?”

 

“Yes,” I agree. “There is nowhere to hide in the airlock, however, so I will be relying on speed to get us out of there unseen. Do you remember what I taught Trunks, just before you left?”

 

She shakes her head. “It seems so long ago now.”

 

“It's called Kinetic teleportation and allows you to teleport, unseen, very short distances. Its nothing like Kakarrot's party piece, but handy for getting out of a tight spot when you need to. Of course it is different using it here. I will have to time it with the rotation of the space station instead of a planet, and that may be a little tricky - more so with you tagging along. You will have to stay close. In fact,” I say, “It will probably work best if I am carrying you.”

 

Her eyes light up at this revelation. “Piggyback again?” she asks with a wink.

 

I shake my head. “Too unbalanced. You will have to go over my shoulder. That way your weight will be evenly distributed.”

 

“Oh!” her eyes half lid. “Sexy cave man style. I can live with that.”

 

I roll my eyes. “This isn't some trashy love novel, Woman. You will be precariously dangled over my shoulder, holding your breath while I try and coordinate my ki with an object I've never studied in great detail before. There is a good chance I could get it wrong.”

 

“What will happen if you get it wrong?” she asks with a little trepidation quaking her voice.

 

“There are too things. If I don't compensate enough then we will simply reappear right in front of them, and if I compensate too much then I could teleport too far and we'll find ourselves outside the station. Either way - it's bad news for you.”

 

Her face is pale and there is a fine film of sweat beading on her forehead. Her brow, however, is furrowed and serious. “I understand,” she says, “I am nervous about this, though. I'm not good with the idea of not being able to breath.”

 

“It will be fine. All you have to do is trust me.”

 

It is said as a guarantee, but I know the importance placed on my words, and her ability to accept them. She shifts awkwardly on my lap, takes my hand in hers, and turns enough to make eye contact. “I trust you implicitly, Vegeta, don't ever doubt that.”

 

“I will not,” I agree. “Not anymore.”

 

By some contrivance, she hooks her arms around me and hugs me tightly. I do not move her. It is a pleasant experience, I find, to have companionship and confidence attached to me before such an important battle.

 

This will be a new landmark for us both. I can feel it. It is the perfect solution to the situation we find ourselves in. Earth is, I am beginning to accept, a nice place to live, but it is too peaceful for my tastes. This - right here - this is where I belong. The front line is my true home and it is far too easy to be complaisant tucked away on the safety of her planet.

 

I was born to rule. I have the power to annihilate entire solar systems, but without an empire I am nothing more than a lonely soldier. Now, however, now I can rule. I can dictate where the Ice-jins failed. They destroyed without discrimination simply because they could. They took the ego trip and let the economy of the universe go to pot. So long as they were content, nothing else mattered to them.

 

I will rule the galaxy like no one else before me. Bulma and I will run it - together. She wants to make Capsule Corp a universal success. Gaining control of the Consortium will give her everything she ever wanted. No one will be ignorant of her genius or my power. We will feed it to every insignificant being on every backward planet until they understand our superiority! It will be a magnificent combination of power and mind. Together… together we will be unstoppable!

 

The lights in the pod dim to red, and it slowly spins so we eventually face away from the station.

 

“Kneel on my lap and put your arms over my shoulder,” I order.

 

She complies.

 

The airlock doors are now passing overhead. They create a deep, black shadow over us.

 

“Take a few long even breaths, Bulma, and when you are ready, nod and hold your breath.”

 

To my surprise she kisses me full on the lips. “I love you, Vegeta,” she says, “Lets kick some Consortium butt!”

 

I chuckle and nod. “You have my word on it.”

 

She is taking long, deep breaths now, holding eye contact with me the entire time. Her eyes sparkle in the dim light and when she is ready her head slowly drops into a nod. I waste no time. In a moment the hatch door is opened and I blast us both out though it.

 

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“Holy crap!” Krillin exclaims, as he shakes the last of the snow from his boots. “What the hell just happened? I mean Tien! I thought you were a gonna for sure!”

 

Tien laughs and leans back in his plush crimson armchair. “Thank my old master. Chaotzu and I had to be good actors to pull off some of the stunts he asked of us when we were training.” He takes a sip on his hot mug of cocoa. “Still, I've never had to play act to someone as powerful as Faylorn before. I was absolutely petrified the whole way down. I thought sure he'd sussed us. I was expecting him to fly out from behind every rock we passed to vaporize us on the spot.”

 

“Tell me about it! I can still feel my heart pounding. Look.” I hold my hand out in front of me. “I'm still shaking.”

 

“It's the day for miracles alright,” Chaotzu says.

 

“That's for sure,” Krillin agrees. “I've never seen Yamcha move so fast.”

 

“Hey!” I protest.

 

“Yeah,” Tien agrees. “That's a bit unfair. He's always been very good at running away.”

 

Everyone bursts out laughing, and I laugh along with them - even if inwardly my pride is a little bruised. We need the distraction to take our minds off the long cold trek we've just completed and then there is the fate of Piccolo to consider. I hope he is okay. I can't say I'm close to the guy, and we've had a few grudges in the past, but he's a good guy now. I don't wish him any harm. I hope Master Suh is good to her word. She seemed genuine enough, but I'm not sure what Faylorn is capable of. Anything could be happening up there and look at us. We are celebrating as though we just secured a great victory.

 

It seems I am not the only one to notice this. The laughter has died down a little too quickly and now there is only the crackling of the fire to break the silence. We are in a chalet at the base of the mountain. We don't have any money with us, so we are doing little more than keeping warm and regaining spirits before we move on. We were lucky that the occupants of this neat little wooden chalet were kind and generous enough to let us in and offer us refreshments. Understandably their generosity doesn't extend to letting us stay over night. We will have to leave in a couple of hours and carry on the rest of our journey. None of us want to risk flight, so we are contemplating a long journey home by foot.

 

“Do you think Piccolo is alright?” Krillin asks, voicing the thoughts of everyone.

 

“I hope so,” Tien says. “Piccolo's one of the strongest guys I know. He can look after himself better than we can. We have to be optimistic.”

 

“And besides,” Chaotzu adds. “He will have Master Suh to help him.”

 

“Yeah,” I agree, but Tien doesn't look so sure.

 

“I don't know guys. I still find it hard to trust her.”

 

“But Tien,” Chaotzu says, a little surprised. “She saved us. When Faylorn ordered her to kill us, I thought sure she had switched sides, but she didn't. She figured out a way to save us all and let us get back to Capsule Corp. to wait for Vegeta. Do you really think she would do that if she weren't on our side?”

 

“Yes, but did you see her? She didn't even flinch when Faylorn was beating up on Piccolo. She is like an actress. No one knows what she is thinking from one minute to the next and I can't get over feeling that she would switch sides a million times if it were in her best interests to do so.”

 

I have to agree with Tien. Master Suh is in what I've heard Bulma call a `grey area.' She told me that those who fit in the `grey area' can be worked on in one of two ways - the easy way or the intelligent way. “Persisting with a problem and coming out the other side,” she would say, “is ten times more rewarding than giving up and never knowing if you could make a difference.”

 

Vegeta is her `grey area' and I am wondering if Master Suh might be such another for Piccolo. If there is anyone who can help her through it then it is Piccolo. I am not sure why, but I think she likes him. It might just save them both.

 

“So,” I say, breaking up the melancholy of the room. “How do you all propose we get back to Western City?”

 

“I'm not sure I want to,” Tien admits.

 

“Why not?”

 

“It feels wrong to leave. Like we're still needed here.” He looks up. “I can still feel Faylorn's energy, can you?”

 

I nod. I can. It feels like thick syrup at the back of my mind. Weighing me down with its sheer enormity. I can't ignore it anymore than I can ignore the mountains outside the window.

 

“There is a town about five miles from here,” he adds. “It has a hotel and communications with the outside world. I suggest we go back there and ask Mr. Briefs if he can settle our tab for a few days while we figure out our next move.”

 

There is a general agreement to this scheme from everybody.

 

“That way Gohan will also know that we are okay. Poor kid! He must be scared out of his mind.”

 

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