Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Ransom Due ❯ Deal's On ( Chapter 8 )

She really wished she hadn't thought of dust particles as it seemed to have jinxed her completely. She had been deciding whether or not to actually get up off of the floor when she felt the distinctive feeling of a sneeze coming on. She tried to stifle it, and the itching in her nose did recede for a moment as she listened in on the Saiya Jin's banter, but the next thing she knew her nose was itching again. Suddenly it was too late.

 

She felt her head rock back with the sneeze, then suddenly nothing. Nothing physical, anyway.

 

“…Well, those cultivars aren't exactly chump change. Maybe I don't think that's really a fair trade, Nappa was saying. “Woah!” exclaimed, cutting himself off in mid sentence.

 

Lunch suddenly realized that not only could she hear the Saiya-jin, she could see the expression on his face, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at her…no, not her. He was actually looking a little to the left and above her position as a blonde figure was rising off of the floor and brushing herself off unceremoniously. It had been the first time she had been able to actually see what was going on when the other was in control. Her mind reeled with the awareness that she had no physical form anymore, that she was an entirely separate entity from the blonde, who didn't seem happy about the fact that she had woken up on the floor. If there had been any residual effects from the whack Vegeta had applied to her spine, she wasn't showing it. In fact, she swept herself up in one graceful motion and was already glaring disrespectfully at Raditzu.

 

“Shit, boss. You bring me all this way and don't even let me watch one of the fights? That's the last time...”

 

Raditzu's hand shot out and grasped the front of the metal collar around the blonde's neck. “Not another word,” he barked, “or I'll…”

 

“When I heard you had that thing they didn't say anything about it being able to transform!” Nappa interrupted, apparently oblivious to the exchange going on between Raditzu and the blonde. All of his attention seemed to be on the readings coming through on his scouter. “It's stronger, too. Hey, wait a minute,” he paused and aimed the eyepiece directly at Raditzu. “You're…”

 

“Forget it,” Raditzu snapped. He was still staring down at the blonde, but he'd been speaking to Nappa. “I don't have to deal with you if I don't deem it necessary, and right now I don't. I'm getting the hell out of here and taking my property with me.” He started dragging the blonde toward the nearest exit.

 

Lunch was still dealing with the mental vertigo of finding herself in some sort of non-physical state and able to watch what was obviously her other self. It had taken a moment for it to become clear that even in her apparitional state she was somehow tethered to the physical body that both personalities shared. She found herself being dragged right along with the blonde as she began to feel another force working on her consciousness.

 

Raditzu's power level was steadily rising, and she could feel it more acutely than she had when she'd been in control of a physical body. She could read the consternation on his features as he quickened his pace.

 

“You're not even going to find out what he wanted with me, are you?” asked the blonde in exasperation. She had even rolled her eyes to punctuate the comment. She had slumped into being a dead weight as though she couldn't be bothered to offer up any resistance to being hauled out of the building, but she wasn't interested in making it an easy task, either.

 

Raditzu abruptly stopped and turned back towards Nappa, who had taken off the scouter and was examining it as though looking for something broken.

 

“Fine. Guarantee me a fair fight and regen after and you can borrow the slave. I've decided it deserves whatever you're going to do with it.” He grinned spitefully at the blonde. She just grinned back, undaunted.

 

“Given the choice between getting something described as `not chump change' and an ass-kicking, you go and pick the ass-kicking. I shouldn't even be surprised. Whatever.” The disembodied Lunch watched the exchange, completely nonplussed. Was her alter ego afraid of nothing?

 

“Let's just get out of the proximity of all the active scouters,” Raditzu grumbled.

 

Nappa's head shot up from his attempts at finding the malfunction in the scouter. “So, there's actually nothing wrong with this thing.” He slid the earpiece back on and adjusted the eyepiece, assessing the readings again before making a satisfied grunt. “I'd not agree to wasting my time on this but now I'm curious. Business I got's swamp side - nothing but low levels and indentured. Most won't have scouters.” He looked thoughtful for half a second before his face broke into a cockeyed half smile. “The whole transformation angle just might make this interesting. That thing's even prettier… well, in a weird sort of way but… you're on Sub Commander.” He made no pretense that use of the title was intended as anything other than sarcasm and gestured toward the exit.

 

The blonde turned her grin on the larger Saiya-jin. “Interesting is an understatement. At least you attempt to flatter me, unlike some people.” She turned back to Raditzu and flashed him a sour look. “I'm willing to see what you're on about. Might even be fun.” Nappa's scouter sounded an audible blip as Raditzu lost what little reign he had on his ki. “Oh,” said the blonde, chuckling. “Looks like we're in a hurry.”

 

Nappa looked back over his shoulder and laughed. “Vegeta's right. You've got your hands full there!” Then he took to the air. Raditzu scowled before lifting the blonde under one arm and following.

 

Disembodied or not, Lunch was speechless watching her counterpart. Now that she could read facial expressions along with hearing what was going on it all became clear. She was making a point to frustrate her Saiya-jin master, and the tactic worked. The more exasperated he got, the more he just seemed to fall in line with what was on her agenda. She still wasn't sure what that agenda was, but she knew the slave collar interfaced with the scouters. Maybe with less scouters around she thought there would be more of a chance to escape, somehow.