Surviving Together

Chapter 2 - A New Hell

Bulma moaned quietly as she began to regain consciousness. She looked around at the darkness that surrounded her. Her entire body ached as she held her throbbing head. "What happened?" she whispered as she tried to stand up. After a few attempts she finally managed to rise, but when she did, she started to scream as she felt a hand grab her arm. Her mouth was then covered to muffle her shriek as she weakly fought to pull away. "Girl stop struggling," a raspy male voice said very sternly as he slowly released her mouth and turned on the light. Bulma immediately fell back to the ground in fear as she rubbed her arm.

"Don't think about screaming again, child," Vegeta hissed, gently nursing his still ringing ears.

Bulma was completely shaken as she looked at the shirtless man in front of her. Assuming his intentions, she immediately started crawling away from him, but before she moved very far her back hit something. She turned to see she was leaning against a bed. Feeling trapped, she then looked back at the rather intimidating man in front of her and felt more tears falling. "Please don't," she shook her head horrified as she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

Vegeta watched the terrified girl and almost felt pity for her. He then walked forward and roughly grabbed her arm again and pulled her to her feet. "Stop your crying, child! No one is going to touch you."

Bulma halted her tears as she looked into his eyes to see if he was telling her the truth. She was rather surprised as she finally had a clear look at her captor. He was very dark featured, and had a scowl on this face that could probably scare the King of The Underworld himself, but his face also showed something deeper; his stolen youth. She concluded that he could not be much more than a year or two older than her, but his features were worn and beaten. He looked as though he had been to hell and back in his short life. She suddenly wondered if this was the fate she was domed to.

"Girl!?" Vegeta snapped not liking the way she was staring at him. He found her crystal blue eyes gazing upon him almost too much to bear. He could only remember a few female Saiya-jins from his limited youth on his home planet but none of them he remembered seeing with eyes like hers. She showed innocence and purity, something on a ship full of murderers was rare to see.

"But… But that lizard like guy said I was to be used for…" Bulma could not bring herself to say the words as she shook Vegeta back into reality.

"Freeza," Vegeta corrected, "gave you to us as a sex slave, but Saiya-jins have to much pride to force ourselves on some untouched child." Vegeta stated matter of fact like.

Bulma gulped, as she looked at him utterly shocked. "I'm… I'm still a virgin?"

Vegeta tilted his head sideways and let out a light chuckled. "You mean you didn't know?"

Bulma shook her head as she looked down in shame. "I was unconscious for most of the time I was on the ship that brought me here. Whenever I woke my cloths were more ripped then the time before," she tired to force back her whimpering, "I just assumed..."

Vegeta's grin fell from his face as he looked at her gravely. "I took in your scent child. Your purity is still intact."

"And how long will that last?" she looked at him coldly.

Vegeta scowled as he crossed his arms in his typical manor. "Did you not listen when I said Saiya-jin have too much honor for rape?"

"Saiya-jins?" Bulma repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yes," Vegeta smirked as he shot his tail out from behind him and lifted it in front of her to see.

"You have a tail!?!?" she stepped back.

Vegeta rolled his eyes wondering if she could have stated the obvious any better. "Yes, Saiya-jins all have tails and unbelievable strength," he said with pride.

Bulma reached to touch it, but he pulled it away before she could. "I don't suppose you turn into a giant ape when ever there's moonlight, do you?"

Vegeta's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"

Bulma gulped, 'so that's what he was… I always new something about Goku had to be an alien.'

"I asked you a question!" Vegeta hissed as he started thrashing his tail, anxious to know how she had this knowledge.

"Um… I had a friend back on my home planet; his name was Goku. He had a tail like you, and under moonlight he'd turn into this scary uncontrollable ape. He was always so much stronger than everyone I knew… I guess that was why," Bulma rationalized.

"Goku?" Vegeta shook his head. "That's not a Saiya-jin name."

"I'm just telling you what I know," she tried to justify.

Vegeta looked down, as he grew pensive. 'How could another of my people have been alive without my knowledge?' Vegeta then released the thought as he walked past Bulma and opened a drawer. He pulled out some sweats and threw them at his 'gift.' "Go shower and dress." He said very sternly as he left her wondering what was next.

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"Goku?" Radditz raised an eyebrow. "That's not Saiya-jin."

"No shit," Vegeta grunted at the imbecile across from him. "So explain why this girl would know a boy with a tail who transforms under moonlight?"

"What planet did she say she was from?" Nappa asked clueless.

"Dodoria said she was an earthling," Vegeta remembered clearly.

"Earth!?" Radditz repeated rather shocked. "Kakarrot!"

Nappa and Vegeta turned and looked at the man surprised. "That sounded Saiya-jin," Nappa concluded.

"My brother Kakarrot was sent to Earth as a child to destroy it, but we never received word back from him. Something must have happened. His programming must have been wrong," Radditz assumed. "Where is he now?"

"Dead," Bulma whispered as she slowly entered the room, looking a little better than before.

All three men looked over at her rather curious. "By who?" Radditz asked, though more interested in probing the young lady's curves.

Bulma sighed as she relived the memory, "some orange guy attacked him. Goku fought honorably, but he just was not strong enough." Bulma said teary eyed, "he was beaten to death."

"He probably deserved it," Radditz shrugged cold-heartedly.

"What!?" Bulma bellowed to the shock of the other three men in the room. "Goku was the most noble person I knew! He stood and fought to protect his friends when everyone else ran in fear. He didn't deserve to be beaten to death!"

"No," Radditz chuckled. "He probably deserved worse for being so pathetic that he allowed himself to be ruled by foolish emotions. I mean honestly… protecting some bitch like you?"

"You bastard!" Bulma hissed. "How pathetic are you to stand here and treat your own brother like he's nothing. Goku has people who loved him and mourned his death, which I suppose is something you could never understand since you'll be lucky if anyone stops to spit on your grave!"

Radditz eyes widened at this girls audacity. He stepped forward and raised his hand to strike her. "Why you little bitc--"

"Enough Radditz!" Vegeta threatened as he grabbed the taller man's hand before he could finish the blow. "I've had enough of this topic," he then pushed Radditz back. "We have training to get to," Vegeta hissed as he pointed for the two men to leave. Radditz sent a deadly glare towards Bulma before he and Nappa both headed to their training room.

As soon as they were gone Vegeta sped over and grabbed Bulma's arm rather roughly. "Have you lost your mind, bitch?" He grunted as he pulled her soft delicate figure closer to his body. "The next time you go spitting insults like that I might actually let him follow through, is that clear?"

Bulma met his fury with her own. "Fine, then I'll remember to brace for the punch next time because if you think I'll stand by and listen to some half brained animal disrespect my friend, then you're just as dumb as he looks."

Vegeta looked at her rather surprised. Suddenly she was filled with an intense pride, fearlessness. She did not care that she could have been killed with less then ease in a matter of seconds by the man holding her, she stood her ground willing to face the consequences. It was almost Saiya-jin. Vegeta then released Bulma and smirked. "You have pride… I can respect that, but do not think it will keep you alive very long with a tongue like yours."

"Oh… And who says I want to stay alive? I mean you say none of you will touch me, so what then?" Bulma maintained her ground. "What are you going to do with me?"

Vegeta then stepped back and crossed his arms, "you will work."

Bulma glared trying to hold back the surge of fear she felt from the way he said that. "What do I have to do?"

"The basics for now. You will be on call for whatever task we designate for you. And should you not do it, you will be punished accordingly. And should you let it slip that we are not using you for a blanket every night," he moved closer pouring on the intimidation, "then I might have to compromise my principles. Is that clear?"

Bulma wanted to scream, to beg him just to kill her and end her miserable life, but she could not. She was a fighter and was not going to be walked all over anymore. She was not going to die when Goku, Yamcha and Krillin all fought to try to protect her. She could not let them down. "I understand," she tried to sound strong.

"Good," Vegeta smirked as he grabbed his armor. "I suggest you spend your day figuring your way around the ship child, because come tomorrow I will expect you to begin work." With that thought, he left to join the other Saiya-jins for some training.

As soon as he was gone Bulma fell to her knees as the fear she had been hiding hit her in full force. She covered her mouth to hold back the vomit that was teasing her throat after seeing the images of Goku and all of her other friends' deaths. None of them deserved their fates. But did she? To live with a group of murders that she could only hope would not harm her as long as she did her work. She suddenly wondered why she had to be plucked from her wonderful life and dumped into a hell like this.

After nearly an hour of falling back and forth between utter sorrow and complete rage, Bulma managed to muster up enough strength to do as the man with wildly flared hair, who still has not given her his name, said, and try to find her way around the ship.

Bulma timidly left her cage and began roamed around the ship, however all she found was that it looked like nothing more than a giant maze as every corner looked the same as the last. She had been wandering almost half an hour and was officially ready to give up hope when she bumped into a beautiful long green haired, and green skin colored female. Bulma stepped back as she thought the woman seemed to bare a striking resemblance to the green man who accompanied Freeza earlier.

"Are you lost?" The woman asked surprisingly nice.

"I… Um… I'm…" Bulma stammered out, but nothing came.

"Wait a minute," the woman stopped her. "Are you that earth girl?"

Bulma reluctantly nodded having no idea how this woman could have known.

"My brother spoke of you," she answered simply as she looked Bulma up and down. "Freeza is right, you are much too young for him."

Bulma did not know what to make of this. "You… You're that green guys sister?"

The woman frowned as she nodded, "Yes, Zarbon is my unfortunate brother. If he hurt you I apology, but he has violent tendencies."

"And you don't?" Bulma asked stepping back, not completely trusting this woman.

"No," the sister of Freeza's right hand man shook her head, "only the men of our species are like that. In our culture the males crave war and violence, while the females prefer pacifism."

Bulma was surprised. "You don't fight?"

"No," The woman shook her head.

"Then how do you stay alive?" Bulma asked genuinely wanting to know.

"My brother protects me. I have to admit, even though he commits some atrocities he does have a soul deep down inside." The woman frowned regretfully; knowing his few moments of devotion would not be enough to save his condemned soul.

Bulma looked down, "it must be nice to know someone cares enough to protect you."

The woman sighed, seeing the uneasiness in the young girls eyes. "What is your name, child?"

"Bulma," she answered rather surprised, this woman was the first to ask her that question.

"I am Zarra," the woman said simply. She then looked at the girl in front of her rather concerned. "I here you have been given to the Saiya-jins. Has one of them," she paused a moment, careful to choose her words, "taken you yet?"

Shaking her head, Bulma responded lowly, "I am told tonight." She hated to lie, but she did not like the way the spiky haired man spoke of 'compromising his principles.'

Zarra looked at her sadly. "I'm terribly sorry. I know they are beasts."

'I'll find out soon enough,' Bulma frowned as she tried to push the thought away. "Do… Do you mind showing me around?" she requested very politely, hoping she could lean something after this horrid morning.

Zarra wondered why she wanted a tour, the girl was not likely to last more than a day or two with those men, but she agreed anyway. It was not everyday she meets someone weaker than her. "This way," she pointed down the hall, Bulma immediately moving to follow close behind. Zarra watched amusingly as Bulma tried to hold her head up with pride. She seemed as though she was ready to face what was at the next turn. Zarra smiled, optimism suddenly filling her veins, 'Perhaps this one will make it longer than I expect.'

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Author's Note: It seems Bulma has a new friend… Or does she? In the next chapter Zarra gives Bulma a tour of a lifetime, and the Saiya-jins have some issues to deal with regarding their new 'roommate.' Until next time…