Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Royal Namekian Blues ❯ Bulma's Sleuthing and no. 21 ( Chapter 53 )

Royal Namekian Blues

War, What it isn't good for

By Trynia Merin

Disclaimer: I don't own the Anime or the Manga. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction. The fan characters Stellari, Bohr and Fermi belong to me, as does Dr. Minos. Note: Butterfly V had mentioned that Raditz couldn't completely resent his father Bardock since he designed Stellari's armor after it. Good point. I had forgotten to mention that was part of Raditz coming to terms with his past… hopefully I can touch on that in a future chapter!

***

 

Stellari still wore the new armor. Ever since the whole nightmare had started she had not felt the desire to remove it for fear of being killed. Eerily the timing of her receipt matched the exact day 17 and 18 had emerged into the gambit. Now she was thrust headlong into the midst of a huge war where she felt woefully underpowered.

 

Her thoughts centered on her children. Guilt wracked her and she grabbed the coat to wrap around her bare shoulders. Still it didn't help and she smelled the scorched fabric. Unwrapping it from her shoulders she glared at the burns and holes rending the favorite raincoat from what 17 had done. "Dammit! That stupid juvenile delinquent! This was from Italy!"

 

Disgusted she threw what was little better then a tattered rag down. Anger burned in her that represented far more then a stupid raincoat. Something about what Yamcha had said during combat grated on her nerves. How dare he accuse her of such things when he had forever altered his body, some would say mutilated, by Dr. Gero's Android technology?

 

"I can't do this again, I can't," she whispered. Stellari ripped the scouter off. She pushed her face into her hands, still covered by the red wristbands. Her hands brushed against the sweat and blood on her forehead and she started to cry. In and out her chest heaved while she tried to force back the sobs. Her small fingers threaded through her messed up hair and made it stand on end a bit so she looked more like a wild woman then before. She had cut it into a layered bob in an effort to make it more manageable, now it was matted with sweat, blood and lord knew what else.

 

"Precious one," came Raditz voice. He strode into the trees that were planted near the training area.

 

"What?" Stellari asked, glancing at a pair of black boots. Raditz wore his old armor, since his other was badly damaged in the fight with Yamcha.

 

"The Prince needs you back in there," Raditz said.

 

"Raditz, I just needed a minute," she breathed deeply.

 

"I know you did not wish to fight again. But the Prince has need of you. I have need of you," said Raditz.

 

"So do our children," Stellari said.

 

"Kakkarot's mate is watching over them," he said.

 

"She's a fighter as well. And yet you have me Gohan fighting when others would…"

 

"Don't underestimate yourself in my presence, woman," Raditz said sharply. "You are the mate of a Saiyan third class warrior. I myself know that you have combat training. And it is needed."

 

"I'm sorry," Stellari said, brushing tears out of her eyes. "I'm okay."

 

"You are not," Raditz answered. Reaching out he pulled her gently to her feet with a strong hand. She leaned against him, pressing her face into his armored chest. He allowed her to cry, rubbing her back with his hands like he had seen Goku do to comfort Chichi.

 

"I guess I'll have to be," Stellari murmured, lifting her head up after a minute or so. "There's no time for crying."

 

"Precious one, you are human. I cannot expect you not to feel your emotions. But don't close yourself off from our bond and me. If you are troubled, I will know one way or the other. The Prince would not order you to fight if he did not think you capable. You are needed, and you have a duty," said Raditz quietly.

 

"For what purpose? The Saiyan race is what I see before me. After the Androids, what happens next?"

 

"That is a good question, but now is not the time to ponder it. We must survive and save this world first. Then we will see," said Raditz.

 

"Are you two quite done?" Vegeta's harsh voice cut in.

 

"Yes sire, apologies," said Raditz, kneeling. Stellari swallowed hard, forcing back unshed tears as she knelt next to her mate.

 

"I'm sorry, your Majesty. What are your orders," Stellari asked in a wavering tone that took willpower to keep in check.

 

"You will join Bulma and I and recover our lost warrior. I will not have my son and warriors getting in the way of my own objectives. You will tell me what you told Goku, and you will let me know all strengths and weaknesses, Professor," said Vegeta.

 

"Mentally?" asked Stellari.

 

"That would be best," Vegeta said. "You will open your mind to me, and share what you know. That will eliminate the need for talk. We'll be leaving in the next half hour."

 

"Vegeta, how's that possible? She's not Saiyan," Bulma said.

 

"She's the mate of one of my warriors. As the Prince of all Saiyans I can communicate with any of my warriors wherever they may be. And that includes those they have taken as bonded mates. It's not something I can do with just anyone, Bulma," said Vegeta. Striding up to Stellari and Raditz, he placed his gloved hands on both their foreheads.

 

"Relax," said Raditz quietly. "And enter my mind. I will do the rest."

 

Stellari swallowed hard then closed her eyes. Over her bandanna forehead Vegeta's hand pressed, sizzling with blue ki. Raditz own mind moved in hers, and she pushed back her emotions. Within minutes Vegeta's hand retreated, and he grunted.

 

"That will do. Let's be off, shall we?" Vegeta said, motioning to Bulma.

 

"That didn't take very long," said Bulma.

 

"A well disciplined mind is a good thing," said Vegeta, glancing at Raditz. "Enough chat. Come!"

 

Bulma pressed the controls of her jetpack while Vegeta's ki flared around him in a royal blue aura. He blasted off in a blue meteoritic trail with Bulma close behind him. Raditz rose next, glancing down at Stellari who pressed both hands to the ground and thrust up with one leg to shoot up next to him. Oddly he blinked at her then motioned her to follow. Just why he had not bothered to assume she needed help was beyond her. Bulma's jet pack allowed her to fly comparably fast to the Z warriors, enveloping her in a small protective force shield to afford her the same streamlined envelope the Saiyan ki would have resulted in.

 

Vegeta couldn't be encumbered with carrying her and fighting. It was better to fly under her own power. Stellari's scouter blipped with the Prince's traces, and that of her mate. Only a small signature less then 15 indicated Bulma, different from the artificial power cells in her jetpack.

 

"Vegeta," Bulma said through her bond.

 

"What is it Bulma?"

 

"You should have let Trunks come…"

 

"Bulma he's besotted with Bliss. I can't have passion clouding my judgement or his," he said.

 

"But you're passionate with proving you're the best! Can it be your reach exceeds your grasp?"

 

"What are you implying?" Vegeta glared at her.

 

"18 whipped you badly. You're trying to prove your Saiyan pride. But on this planet we had a saying, that pride goeth before a fall."

 

"I am the Saiyan Prince!"

 

"Yes, I know. But that doesn't make a difference to them. They're machines, Vegeta. We're flesh and blood, and they don't care about our morals or pride. They've got their own code. This is just a game to them!" Bulma said.

 

"This is not the place or time for this, Bulma!" Vegeta barked aloud.

 

"Sire?" Raditz started. Stellari's hand reached out to touch his arm.

 

"You both land and try and find a back entrance to the complex. If you find one, Professor, signal us," Vegeta said. Bulma growled under her breath, knowing Vegeta wanted to finish her argument away from his subordinates. All of them knew he'd absorbed what he cold of Stellari's knowledge of the bases. Even her knowledge was limited by the fact she'd only been a small part of Dr. Minos projects. Provincial knowledge was useful, but only in the right context.

 

"As you command, Sire," Raditz nodded. Motioning to his mate, they both broke off and landed on the beach. Bulma and Vegeta touched down near the entrance of the bunker. Her scouter pinged lightly with background power sources of the kis of local animals. No sign of the infinity batteries yet existed.

 

Some inner voice seemed to whisper into Raditz and Stellari's ears. Glancing at one another they crept closer to the source on the beach. Instinct seemed to dictate their paths, and they only questioned once what was drawing them like moths to a flame.

 

"What are we doing?" Stellari asked.

 

"I don't know. Can't you hear it? Someone's calling to us," Raditz whispered.

 

"This is dangerous!"

 

"It could be Bliss. Saiyans can communicate telepathically on many different levels. You and she share a sisterly warrior bond. It's more superficial then the ones we share but…"

 

"We need to focus," Stellari said. She led the way to the rear bunker entrance, and touched the entry coder with a finger.

 

"Stop," Raditz insisted. "Your code may no longer work. Allow me."

 

He touched the end of his finger to the pad, charging the dust around it to stick to the small grease spots left by fingerprints. With his ki alone Raditz pushed each key in a likely pattern. Then it fizzled and popped open. "Too easy," Stellari muttered.

 

"Be on your guard," Raditz nodded. Going first, he slowly stepped inside. He trod lightly for one accustomed to higher gravity. Stellari felt his hand slip around hers, a purely human gesture of protectiveness.

 

Bulma and Vegeta meanwhile slowly rounded to the front. Bulma adjusted her scouter, struggling to pin down any traces of the plastics or Android infinity batteries. Vegeta kept his distance, his eyes narrowing while invisible ki tendrils probed. Nothing echoed back. It was like echolocation in bats that would send out clicks and see how they bounced back. Vegeta knew that it was possible the androids were nearby, but thanks to their vastly different power source they had no ki.

 

"Vegeta," she whispered.

 

"What, Bulma?" he grunted.

 

"Why didn't you let Trunks help you!"

 

"You should know better then to ask me that, Woman," Vegeta snapped back. Bulma tensed, her forehead furrowing much like his.

 

"Bullshit. It's Saiyan Pride. Why is it so difficult to admit you need help?"

 

"I'm the Saiyan Prince," Vegeta said, glaring up at the double doors that dwarfed them. Bulma was both glancing around for an entry coder and staring at readings through her scouter.

 

"Yeah, but so is Trunks!" she snapped at him. "What's your point?"

 

"I… did allow him to assist me," Vegeta sullenly answered. "But I must prove…"

 

"I know, you want to prove to Goku you're the best. But isn't it better to do that by being the FIRST one to defeat the enemy while in a team rather then going it alone?"

 

"If I wanted to 'go it alone' you wouldn't be here," Vegeta responded. "And this is deplorable, sneaking around instead of fighting! If we DO find them, you'll reactivate them so I can fight them properly."

 

"All right, but promise me you'll call Trunks to help if you're in over your head!"

 

"He's training with Nappa. And Raditz and that other scientist of yours, his mate are nearby," said Vegeta.

 

Bulma's wrist computer bleeped, and she raised a gloved hand to tap in the keys. Vegeta grunted, standing to the left with his fists gleaming blue. With shock Bulma saw she was covered skin deep in a blue shell of ki. Vegeta's frown told her why, in case she was about to be booby-trapped he wanted her alive. A quick series of taps on the keys accessed the mainframe, and then Bulma was able to bypass the Red Ribbon locks.

 

"Ta da!"

 

"Too easy. You should have let me blast it in," Vegeta growled.

 

"Well I DO need you to push it open," Bulma said.

 

"Idiotic woman," Vegeta growled. So saying he wedged two gloved hands into the door and easily thrust it open. Slowly he tiptoed in, then extended a gloved hand to Bulma. She gently touched hers to his, then waited as Vegeta formed a small luminescent ball of ki to hover overhead. It cast everything in a ghostly blue radiance overtop the crack of sunlight thrusting into the dark. Stealthily he tiptoed in, with Bulma on his heels.

 

"Nothing," Vegeta grumbled. "If I tell you to leave, you will follow my orders, right?"

 

"Sure, but I'm detecting infinity batteries this way… they use a neutrino power source that leaves a signature on these modified scouters. Do you have your disrupter?"

 

"Yes woman," he grunted, fingering the device around his neck like a collar. It resembled the segmented bands of his armor, and tucked under the turtleneck of his blue shirt. Trunks and Nappa were wearing them also. Vegeta closed his eyes, and then reached out.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Shh, perhaps I can communicate with her. You see what all these devices are," Vegeta said.

 

"Red Ribbon war machines," Bulma said, raising her microcomputer bracelet to direct beams at them. The holofield would scan each of them, and beam the information back to her father's computer banks at home.

 

Vegeta winced, sensing nothing. With each of his warriors he had formed an invisible mind link, much less deep then the one he shared with Trunks and Bulma, but still discrete. As the Prince of all Saiyans he had the highest esper ability to instantly broadcast mental orders to any Saiyan warrior loyal to him. Suddenly a thought popped into his mind. Chablis had wished for the Saiyans loyal to him to come back, but wasn't Bardock among them?

 

"Earth to Vegeta," Bulma's thoughts came in.

 

"What?" he asked.

 

"You might wanna see this," she said, motioning him into the room. At a terminal she pointed a gloved finger.

 

"What is this?"

 

"I'm logging into their data banks. Apparently there are more pieces of technology on lower levels. And not ALL of them are earth."

 

"What?" he blinked.

 

"I need to get down to a lower level," she said. Vegeta snorted, and watched her lead the way to what appeared to be an elevator shaft. She demurely latched the lock, and then Vegeta pried it easily open, the metal rending in his fingers like taffy.

 

"No car," she said.

 

"I need no trifle, hang on," Vegeta said, sweeping her off her feet. Bulma peeped as he stepped into the shaft, and dropped. She cried out for him to stop ten floors down.

 

"Here," she panted.

 

Vegeta aimed a finger at the double doors before she cold protest. Like a precision cutter, Vegeta directed the thin beam to slice around the doors. Then he used a booted foot to kick the door down. Bulma yelped when it crashed to the floor with a hollow clang. "WHAT?" he grunted, carrying her in?

 

"You want to announce us with a brass band?" she complained.

 

"So, that will draw any enemies to fight!" Vegeta answered, then set her down on her feet again. "You need to lose weight."

 

"Shut up, fat-head," she responded. Vegeta smirked at the verbal jab. He knew she was suppressing a great amount of fear, and that their verbal sparring would keep her mind from it.

 

Immediately Vegeta's floating ki orb cast light on a series of familiar objects. His mouth dropped open while his narrow eyes widened at the things that he had not expected to see. "Woman, do you see what I do?"

 

"Vegeta, that's s…"

 

"Saiyan space pod?" he pointed with one finger. "How the HELL did they get their hands on that?"

 

"It looks like the one Raditz came to earth in," she said. "But that one dad and I took into our lab."

 

"This is Nappa's," he grunted, rushing up to touch it with a gloved hand.

 

"How can you tell?"

 

"Please, his spacepod is marked with his name just here," he pointed to tiny letters around the porthole. "Unlike the Ginyu models there is no ghastly painting on the front."

 

"You mean like Goku's?' she asked. "That he used to get her from Yardrat."

 

"Indeed. But how did they get their hands on this? I thought I told Nappa to blow his up!"

 

"Well that's not all… look!" she pointed. Vegeta snarled to see other objects from here to there. Including scouters, a tiny suit of armor, and two long cylinders the diameter of a salt shaker and the length of his palm.

 

"How the HELL did they get hold of these?" Vegeta demanded, reaching out to touch them.

 

"What are you doing! They might have it alarmed!"

 

"These I thought were destroyed with Nappa's space pod. I had hoped to retrieve them, but to find them HERE?"

 

"If they're so valuable why are they in HIS pod?" she asked, trying to get a better look at them.

 

"Because to store them in mine would be too obvious. These are a huge part of Saiyan history, Woman," he said, holding them up, one clutched in either hand.

 

"What?"

 

"The lost Saiyan Race bank. The last piece of my planet Nappa took with us before Freiza could get his hands on it. The entire history of my people is encoded in genetic fashion," said Vegeta, his eyes gleaming with pride.

 

"Wait, you mean there is a RACE BANK, and you hoped it blew up?"

 

"Better then others get their hands on it! But if these bastards…"

 

He quickly examined them, then sighed with relief. "Good, they're still sealed. I suppose these morons had no idea what they were…"

 

"This is like a workshop. Looks like they gutted this space pod and other stuff. But did you not THINK it would have survived?" Bulma asked.

 

"I had hoped it had, but now, these fools must pay," Vegeta said softly. He thrust both cylinders into his armored vest, then glanced around at the other things.

 

"Now we know how they knew about Saiyans," she muttered.

Before Vegeta could stop her she poked her head into the pod, whose door hissed open. He rushed over, grabbing Bulma's arm to keep her from sitting down. "Be careful, fool! You don't want to end up in space do you?"

 

"No, but Vegeta, it looks like the computer's gone!"

 

"WHAT?" Vegeta snapped.

 

"Look for yourself! The navigational computer has been ripped out! It looks like they downloaded a lot from this pod."

 

"Shit," Vegeta cursed. He yanked her out by her forearm.

 

"I don't like this… what else could they have?"

 

"I don't aim to find out. Stand back," Vegeta said. Bulma opened her mouth to protest, but then Vegeta yanked her behind him. Aiming the flat of his gloved hand, his palm began to glow. A wide beam shot out and enveloped the pod and other objects in a blue halo of fire. In seconds the equipment was sent to oblivion in a blinding flash that seared her eyes.

 

"VEGETA! Are you crazy?"

 

"Nobody will have this," Vegeta said menacingly, tugging Bulma after him. "What else did your computer tap locate?"

 

"There's something else here. I think we're only a few floors from the lab Dr. Stellari described… shouldn't we contact her and Raditz?"

 

"I sense they're almost there," said Vegeta. "Let's join them."

 

Grasping her up in his arms he walked to the elevator shaft, and then rocketed towards their destination. Bulma bit her lip to keep from yelping in shock and fear at the rapid descent. Like going deeper into the bowls of hell they dropped into the red Ribbon base.

 

***

Led by a similar glow of ki, but gold, Stellari strode at Raditz side through the darkness. So far all they had seen were corridors and emptied labs that were just places for testing new weaponry. Both had descended stairs to lower levels, Stellari telling Raditz the way to go from memory. Her bare shoulders were painted amber in the light of Raditz ki, and he felt her misery grow.

 

The memories were bubbling up from a past life she wished she had forgotten. Tight lipped she only spoke two or one word sentences to direct them. Raditz was content to follow a half step behind her along the warren of tunnels through more staircases and other rooms. Some were still filled with caches of battle droids, and then other strange things that looked like specimens.

 

"Disgusting," Raditz chuffed, his eyes narrowing to see the weird creatures occupying one lab.

 

"This is the genetics lab," she said. "Dr. Minos failed experiments. He did many unorthodox things."

 

"But all of this was where you worked? You're a polymer chemist!"

 

"Yes, but my plastics made artificial tissues and coatings to contain the creatures as they grew. Plus this was where… the modifications to me… happened."

 

"Modifications?" Raditz asked. Stellari hugged herself, pacing around the lab where the freaks of nature drifted in silent death like a sideshow gone wrong.

 

"Let's get out of here," she said, walking more rapidly so they exited the chamber and entered what seemed a vast space with many small doors and passages leading off.

 

"Where are we?"

 

"The main assembly center and living quarters of those altered," she said. "Many of us lived in small quarters off this main place where we were given our briefings. Those alcoves contain examination rooms and conditioning chambers…"

 

Raditz quickly walked around the rooms to the side, seeing strange devices that were gutted or covered in dust, chairs, and other strange machines. All seemed devoted to probing or testing. Others seemed like pieces of gym equipment with electrode attachments. Stellari wandered around as well, till Raditz quickly rushed back to where she continued her solitary trek. At first she seemed to be taking in the place for old times sake in a random orbit, then it narrowed to the tight steps of someone facing a hard part of their past.

 

"Genetic engineering?" Raditz blinked, catching her shoulder. She stopped by a huge door bolted with three massive deadbolts. An entry coder like the others they had seen was there, still gleaming and ticking with energies.

 

"It smells nasty," Raditz winced. "Like the androids."

 

"Damn," Stellari said. She reached to touch the door, but then she saw the bolts were already drawn back. The door creaked open, startling her.

 

"Someone's already exited," Raditz indicated. "The smell trail comes toward us, not from outside to inside."

 

"How can you tell?"

 

"Saiyans are hunters born. WE can tell an outward trail from an inward. It smells both of plastic and of flesh," he said. Small dried spots indicated a fluid had dripped, then dried. Stellari gripped Raditz hand, walking through the threshold. More tanks on their sides were closed. But there was one at the far end of the others that was wide open, glass and plastic shattered in many pieces. Stellari cried out, pressing her hands to her face.

 

"No, dear GOD no!" she wailed.

 

"This is the source," Raditz growled, his nose wrinkling with the stench of what smelled like regeneration tank fluid, plastic and human flesh. Small drips of liquid pool don the floor, leading in a spotted speckled trail to just outside the door. The cylinders were all on angles; their half-glassed tops bolted down and secured. But judging by the fragmentation pattern, and the outward curve of the metal fragments, Raditz decided something from inside HAD broken out.

 

"Raditz, can you tell how long this thing has been out?"

 

"The trail is still fresh," he said.

 

"But the locks were ENGAGED! All except here!" she protested, turning to him with scared eyes. "That means that whatever escaped expected someone would come looking!"

 

"Damn," Raditz whispered, his insides twisting with the fear he sensed from her. "But there is nothing else here…"

 

"It's that thing," Stellari whispered, trembling as she dropped to her knees. "It's out… out in the world."

 

"What thing?"

 

"21," Stellari stammered. "It's real, and its OUT there…"

"Twenty one?" Raditz growled. "It doesn't smell like the androids and yet it does…"

 

"Shit, we're doomed," Stellari swallowed hard.

 

"What's going on here?" came a sharp voice. Raditz pulled Stellari to stand, hugging her tightly. Through the door rushed Vegeta and Bulma, both taking in the sight of the room with puzzled gazes.

 

"Shit, this looks like one of the holding facilities, and dear GOD what's that?" Bulma pointed.

 

"Something smells awful," Vegeta wrinkled his nose. "Like those fucking tin cans! But worse!"

 

"We've found the nest of the beast," Raditz answered.

 

"What's wrong with you woman! Why are you cowering in fear! Have some backbone! You serve the Prince of all Saiyans!" Vegeta snapped at Stellari.

 

"Vegeta, calm down!" Bulma shot back.

 

"No… he's right," Stellari said, pushing away from Raditz. Vegeta grabbed her shoulder and yanked her to stand in front of him.

 

"Explain, Professor," he demanded.

 

"IT… it's out… it broke out… you can see…" Stellari stammered.

 

"Yeah, big as life," Bulma said, striding up to look at the shattered cocoon of sorts. She dragged a finger through the oily fluid and sniffed.

 

"Smells like Regeneration tank fluid, doesn't it?" asked Vegeta, letting go of Stellari so she swayed on her shaky feet.

 

"Exactly. Whoever did this used something like your Saiyan regeneration tanks and some nutrients to grow something…" said Bulma.

 

"Grew is right," Stellari panted, struggling to grip her self-control.

 

"Shit Vegeta, that means that 21 is alive and well, and worse, it's not an android. It's almost like a…"

 

"Clone," said Stellari, her voice cracking. "With all the best genes of all of the Earth's Special Forces. We've got to find it and STOP it… before it's too late."

 

"You mean before it snacks on the other tin cans?" Vegeta cocked a dark brow. "I agree. But perhaps we should allow it to consume the others THEN fight it. Then we will have one foe to fight, instead of many!"

 

"No Vegeta, that's INSANE!" Bulma protested.

 

"So? Four Super Saiyans can destroy it, potentially five if Kakkarot's Brat has ascended."

 

"Sire, is that wise?" Raditz asked.

 

"We will start the hunt NOW," Vegeta said eagerly, his eyes gleaming. "At LAST an adversary worth my attention. How good it will be to see it gobble up those infernal tin cans!"

 

"Vegeta, you mustn't let that happen," Bulma said quickly.

 

"Try and stop me woman," Vegeta glared at her. "Are you on my side or theirs?"

 

"Please Vegeta, just don't shut the others out!" Bulma pleaded.

 

"Let's go now woman! Can you track it with your devices?"

 

"I don't think so," Stellari said.

 

"Raditz, you and I will do this the old fashioned way. By smell of course," Vegeta laughed harshly; his eyes alight at the thrill of the hunt. Nothing so primal existed to a Saiyan full blood then hunting a prey with great powers. Raditz nodded his own eyes alight with glee. Sweeping up Bulma in his arms, Vegeta rushed off, his nostrils flaring with the smell. Raditz grabbed Stellari, and both females protested as their males followed the outward trial. Just what they would find was anyone's guess.