Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Swarm Saga ❯ Of Phobias ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am nothing. I am writing this simply for my own pleasure and am not making any money from it. Dragonball Z and its characters are the property of Akira Toriyama and other various and associated peoples.

 

 

Chapter 2:

 

The box exploded as chairs hit the ground and tables were upturned. The glass gave out from the force of so many kis skyrocketing. It rained down upon the exposed audience below; not that anyone in the box noticed. For three seconds all that could be heard was the sound of heavy breathing before the questions began to fly. “She's a Saiyan?” “This isn't possible” “Who is she?” “How did she get here?” “Where did she come from?” “Which one of you two is responsible for her?” “I thought Goku and Vegeta were the only two left?” “She can't be a saiyan. How is this possible?”

 

Vegeta didn't know but he was damn sure going to find out. He really was getting a little annoyed with Saiyans just appearing out of nowhere. It was bad enough when he found Raditz, then discovered Kakarrot was alive. Then his son appeared from the future to warn them about the androids, that at least had a reasonable explanation, but he knew instinctively that this girl had not pulled a similar trick. She should not be here. He and Kakarrot were in fact the last two living Saiyans. Damn it, they had looked for others, carefully! They had traced any rumors. All they ever found were bodies and supposition. How could they have missed any? After all, this child was no where near old enough to survive Vegetasei. Like his own children, she was born afterwards. Which meant she had parents, plural, TWO, at least.

 

Eighteen went very still. Her daughter was an up and coming fashion designer with a childish crush on the purple haired demi. She was not supposed to be the hero in any scenario. She had only been seriously training for the past two years. The android turned on her husband waving her index finger in front of his face. “I only agreed because you promised me that THIS,” her finger then gestured toward the two girls hovering in the air, “was not going to happen. When she entered this tournament, that was not supposed to happen.”

 

Kuririn froze in the face of his wife's wrath, visibly sweating. She was no longer the vision of icy blond perfection. Her coloring had gone from flawless pale to a blotchy red and her hair was wild about her face. He never liked the idea that his daughter might end up fighting a Saiyan. For that reason alone, he worked hard to keep everyone he knew out of this tournament. Marron should judge her strength against other humans and not powered up aliens from outer space. Instead, his sweet little girl was flying in the air facing off against a creature that was probably here to destroy the world. All the others had. Hell, even Goku had been sent to Earth for just that purpose. This train of thought, however, would not please his wife. “Sweetie, she was doing fine up until this point. Everything will be OK. It's not as if the girl is a super Saiyan.”

 

Vegeta growled. She had better not be. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how one saw it, she did not need to be. Thanks to that Kamehameha wave, the saiyan girl now knew the extent of Marron's power and had even raised her ki to a level above it. At this point, the girl's ki registered as a second class fighter. Vegeta caught himself wondering who taught her. SHIT! “Everyone, lower your levels now or we'll show up on scouters and I don't want anyone getting an accurate count.” He began spreading his senses outward.

 

“There's more?” Vegeta heard the question but made no note as to who asked it. It didn't really matter anyway.

 

“Yes. Where there is one low class fighter her age there are usually more.” He managed to find four other kis moving in their direction which meant it was a standard team of five. Three of them were second class and the fourth was a first class which meant the girl on the field was second class, rare, but possible. The first class fighter would be the leader. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. His head hurt from trying to remember all of the intricacies of the Saiyan Military. Freeza's order was simple; there were no low class fighters. He guessed that Seloli was a scout, someone to precede the rest of the team and get a feel for the strength of the planet's denizens. The others, however, were moving extremely slow. They would not arrive for at least another forty minutes. Well, just let them come and try something. Kakarrot's face darkened and he nodded. Good. Vegeta let his senses ease and returned most of his attention back to the fight in front of him.

 

Seloli had taken advantage of Marron's shock to launch a series of attacks that had the blond bouncing around the stadium before rocketing towards the arena floor. Marron managed to flip over in mid flight and launch one of her mother's attacks at her airborne opponent. The older Saiyan threw her own ki blast to counter and both exploded in mid air as they met. When the smoke cleared, Marron stood in the crater her body had caused and Seloli hovered in the air wiping blood off her mouth. She saluted Marron before charging downward. The younger girl dodged just before Seloli reached her; rocketing into the air. The Saiyan touched down and followed her opponent into the air where they exchanged blows while trying to recover some of their spent energy.

 

After a few more exchanges, Marron backed off and began to gather her energy. “Ka me” BOOM! Marron found herself lying in rubble with Seloli standing a few feet away.

 

“I said it was pretty but it takes to long to put it together. And I do not believe I ever said anything about letting you throw it again.”

 

`So the Saiyan wants to discuss weaknesses huh?' Marron watched the brown furry tip of Seloli's tail curl and uncurl around the top of her calf. Her father had explained to her how he had once grabbed Goku's tail in their second tournament to try for an advantage. `I'll show her a weakness.' Marron hammered forward driving her shoulder solidly into her opponent's stomach. As the girl doubled over, Marron slid her hand down the leg. Just as her fingers touched the soft fur she was thrown like a rag into the arena wall. She groaned from inside the girl shaped indent her body caused. When she opened her eyes, she saw the ki blast coming in her direction. She did not have time to block it.

 

Seloli pulled back on her attack at the last minute. `Krito, can't kill it.' Her brain barely registered the tall man who appeared out of nowhere in front of her opponet. Her leg gave out because her most vulnerable appendage had tightened down enough to cut off circulation. She pushed her ki under her to hover a little and started heading for the blonde.

 

The man suddenly turned around. “Don't you think you've done enough,” he said.

 

She was then yanked back to stare into the cold, blue eyes of another woman. Then she felt herself flying into the opposite wall and heard the familiar snap as two ribs and maybe even her arm broke. She closed her eyes as her entire right torso exploded in pain. Though her lungs were protesting, Seloli tried not to breathe hard as she crawled out of the hole one handed. When she opened her eyes, the unwavering black glare of a short, flame haired man drilled into her. He was Saiyan? He did not have a tail but it was obvious. Even worse, he looked less than happy to see her there. Who was he? She looked away from his intent stare. Across the field of audience members, who had charged onto the field at the end of the fight, Marron walked shakily. Good, she wasn't disqualified. A number of people pushed their way around her and men in white coats tried to lead her to the main building. However, a short brown haired man and a blond woman, who Seloli half recognized as the one who caused her own current state of pain, led Marron in the opposite direction.

 

A large number of the planet's sentient species gathered around Seloli trying to congratulate her and pick her up. She tried to get away, pushing at them with her ki. The last time a crowd decided to `celebrate' her victory she ended up with a very painful desecration on her back. She growled as more than one human slapped her damaged ribs and caused a twinge in her broken arm. The medical team finally found their way over to her and pushed the crowd away. After the initial assessment, they led her back to the main building's medical suite where her arm was set and her ribs bound. She'd pray to all seven gods if it would just get her a regen tank. Afterwards, they walked Seloli to the dressing room she had left her bags in, to retrieve them, then to a private room where she could shower and change before the award ceremony.

 

Once alone, Seloli pulled out her duffel and began to search its contents. She retrieved the thin metal and glass scouter which she affixed over her ear. She began scanning the area looking for the woman who threw her and that man. She needed to confirm her earlier suspicions and begin to formulate a report. Why did this have to happen while she was on leave? The machine let out a series of beeps as it landed solid hits on detectable levels. What she found were the last four power signatures she wanted to see at the moment. “Krito! What are they doing here,” she muttered to herself.

 

Vegeta was about to follow the medical team when he felt the hand on his shoulder. “The others are here,” Goku said. He motioned towards the four grouped near the audience dividing wall. Kami, all four of them were Saiyans. He did not understand it. Where the hell had they all come from?

 

The leader scanned the surroundings. She touched what could only be a scouter on the side of her face. The device was smaller, lighter than what Vegeta was used to. He pushed his ki down further to avoid detection and felt Kakarrot do the same. Her gaze passed over them, too interested in the numbers that danced across the screen over her eye to take in their appearance. She tapped the scouter again and its screen flipped back, away from her face. She turned and addressed her cronies. “She's dropped her power level again. Spread out. Just judging by the ring I'd check the medical ward or the holding cells first. Let me know when you find her. There's a bonus to the first of you who does. And I shouldn't need to remind any of you to keep a low profile.” With that, she stormed off towards the main building.

 

“What did she just say,” Goku asked.

 

Vegeta was ready to snap, `You have ears. Figure it out for yourself,' when he realized that the leader spoke in Saiyago. He fisted his hands and counted to ten, exasperated. He stood next to the most powerful Saiyan in the universe and the damn fool couldn't even understand his own language. “She said, Kakarrot, that they are splitting up to look for the other girl.” The prince wanted to follow the leader, he still didn't quite understand everything, but something niggled in the back of his memory. He pushed the thoughts aside and followed the woman's ki trail.

 

Goku looked around for the boys. Gohan glared at the soldiers as they moved towards the building. His breathing became hard, his ki rising, as he began moving to follow one of the men. The full Saiyan ran over to his oldest son and stopped him. Gohan needed to convince his father-in-law to help clear the area. If the Saiyans decided to begin causing mayhem, best not to have all these people around. He then found Trunks and Goten having them follow two of the others at a discrete distance. Better for them to do the following instead of Gohan, they had not had the experience of being kidnapped repeatedly as a child. He took the last member himself and followed him into the building hoping the fighter had let his guard slip enough to not notice. He was a little surprised that Vegeta had not just blasted all five of them on site. No one trusted their sudden appearance. He supposed Vegeta really was mellowing in his old age.

 

He followed the younger saiyan as he stomped from room to room mumbling under his breath. He could hear the static over the communicator attached to the other's ear. Suddenly, his charge stopped checking rooms and made a beeline for an upper floor.

 

As he reached the top he saw the other three followers step out of an empty room. Goten just pointed at the door indicating that the other band of Saiyans had congregated inside a room at the far end of the hall. Goku walked towards the dressing area behind Vegeta, Trunks and Goten behind them. Beyond the door, two feminine voices rose.

 

Vegeta slowed his small processional wanting to hear the conversation. It wasn't hard; they really weren't keeping their voices down. “Do you have any idea what you did by coming here? When I realized where you were headed … I should beat you right now.” Interesting.

 

“I entered a tournament. I don't see what is so wrong with that. What does it matter to you anyway? Last time I checked I was given a months leave. A leave I'm only seven days into. And, by the way, I don't have to tell you where I'm going.”

 

“When you go to a blacklisted planet you do. You put us all in danger.” Earth was blacklisted? When did that that happen?

 

“This planet is not even listed in the databanks. Somehow I doubt that it's blacklisted. I would have found that out in my research. Besides, the average power level here is 5. In that tournament, there was only one person worth fighting, and she was so green that if you stuck her in the ground she'd grow.”

 

“And yet, somebody had to train her. Have you forgotten about that?” With the force Seloli hit that wall? Vegeta doubted it.

 

“No Commander Aspa, I haven't forgotten that but they would have shown up on my scouter if they had a power level I couldn't handle.”

 

Vegeta froze. The memory that had been bothering him since he had first seen the saiyan commander came screaming to the front of his brain. He felt his blood pool in his feet as one word, one thought, played continuously through his conscience. Bulma. He stopped so suddenly Goku ran into his back. He looked from Goku to Trunks. He had to get out of here. He had to protect her.

 

He turned around to leave, the hand on his shoulder once again halting his progress. “Hey are you ok, Vegeta?”

 

The Saiyan prince just looked at the taller man in front of him and then switched between the two younger men who looked at him curiously. “Trunks, go stay with your mother. Make sure she stays safe.”

 

Trunks took two steps backward and regarded his father. He opened his mouth to protest when he stopped and sniffed the air. His jaw shut with a snap. Straightening to his full height, he turned and grabbed his best friend's arm. “Come on Goten.”

 

When the boys were out of earshot, the older saiyan turned to his companion. “What ever happens in that room, Kakarrot, don't act surprised. Do you remember your power level when Raditz first arrived here?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Can you duplicate it?” The Saiyan prince felt the other's power swell to a pathetically low level. “You killed your brother with THAT?”

 

“I did have help. Actually, all I did was hold him down. Piccolo did the killing.”

 

“Whatever.” Vegeta closed his eyes and raised his hand to tap the taller man's chest. “Just keep your power level there.”

 

Male laughter filled the corridor. “You entered forbidden space gardak. This territory is Freeza's. If one of his men finds out what you are we're all in danger.” Freeza? What did that bastard lizard have to do with anything? Shit. Vegeta had missed most of the conversation.

 

“And this means that I can finally get rid of you.”

 

“After all the work to get me on your team? How are you planning on doing that commander?” Seloli sounded smug. Then again, she was a second class female; the bitch couldn't just kill her without repercussions.

 

“Well, you wanted to come to this planet so badly. I've decided that you can stay here. Garvolt, grab her ship's remote and her scouter. We can't have anyone tracing us now can we? ”

 

TBC

 

A/N: Please review. Cleighm (my beta reader) and I really want to know what you think.

 

Satans Widdle Hellper - Thank you for the wonderful reviews on both sites. I couldn't have asked for a better first review. One thing I've learned though is that you don't mess with the wonder couple outside of a V/G yaoi. This isn't one. But I'm glad you are OK with that. Something tells me that you are going to let me get away with all that stuff I don't let others get away with. And trust me; you couldn't ride me any more than Cleighm already does.