Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Swarm Saga ❯ Of Uncomfortable Answers ( Chapter 12 )

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

 

Beta kudos go to Bardockgurl, for at least trying (It's not her fault computers are evil), Debbiechan, and ilex9. Without these three wonderful women this chapter would never have seen the light of day. Thank you to Goten's Fan for knocking on my computer screen and making sure I hadn't died.

 

Chapter 12: Of Uncomfortable Answers

 

Piccolo stood at the entrance of the inn's cavernous kitchen. With Kuririn pacing back and forth constantly asking if he needed anything, the wall by the door seemed the safest place to plant himself. The Namek watched the other man's nervous twitching with narrowed eyes. Humans moved too much for his taste. The kitchen's size should have accommodated everyone nicely since it usually served, over a hundred guests daily. However, the ki, as well as the stance and posture of those occupying the room ate up all the available space; effectively constricting the room like a giant rubber band wrapped around a sponge.

 

Son grinned at him from around a large sandwich before returning his stare to Vegeta and trying to gain the other Saiyan's attention. Piccolo could not decide if Vegeta purposefully ignored the younger alien or if Goku's attempts simply failed to gain the other's notice. Gohan sat next to Son at the table preoccupied with enjoying the mug of coffee that Kuririn placed before him, his expression almost devotional as he inhaled the caffeine laden concoction. Piccolo grimaced. He thought he had taught the boy to be more alert than that.

 

Kuririn paced in front of him again, and he ground his teeth. The rain had finally started and prevented his escape back outside. He attempted meditation but, with all the thumping coming from upstairs as Eighteen and her guest argued, he was unable to find his center.

 

Trunks entered the room shaking his head to clear the water from his hair and causing Piccolo to rethink his position by the door as the water pelted him in the face. Why couldn't these beings just learn to be still like Vegeta?

 

The oldest of the four Saiyans stood amid the activity glaring at the door as if that action alone would conclude the argument above them and cause the girl to appear. Only Piccolo's own entrance distrupted the single minded staring at the portal. The diminutive prince skimmed his eyes over the taller form before snapping, “Why are you here? This doesn't concern you.”

 

Piccolo didn't really know how to answer that question. Vegeta had a point. However, he lived on this planet and assumed responsibility for the safety of its people and his … friends? He did have a right to be here. He earned that right. Besides, the old man kept screaming from the back of his mind that anything that transpired here tonight had importance. You would think that he was still Guardian of the Earth for all the carrying on he did. Ignoring the old man had become easy enough but, one look at Dende's worried countenance sent him over the edge of the Lookout on a course for this island. Damn kid.

 

From upstairs, a loud thump resounded down the hallway, followed by a few uneasy moments of silence. The heavy sound of a single set of feet rang down the stairs before Eighteen entered kitchen, kicked a chair out from under the table, and dropped the burden on her shoulder onto it. The woman slid spinelessly off until the android snatched the back of her shirt to lift her back into the chair. Upon being released, the saiyan slumped gracelessly over the arm. When she no longer threatened to slide off again, Eighteen stepped back and looked at the assembled crowd.

 

“Well, get on with it. I want to go to bed sometime tonight.”

 

Trunks stalked forward and squatted in front of the still female. His hair cascaded forward as he swiveled his head to the side to look at her face. He reached up and poked her in the shoulder. When the action only shook her a little, he looked up at Eighteen and stated the obvious. “She's unconscious.”

 

Eighteen blinked, staring blandly at the half saiyan. “And?”

 

Vegeta glared at Eighteen and motioned towards the unconscious female. “How am I supposed to get any answers out of her when you've already knocked her out?”

 

“You told me to bring her down here. I did that. The rest is your problem.”

 

Vegeta rolled his head back and released a low guttural sound. “Trunks, back away from the girl.”

 

Trunks turned towards his father, confusion marring his features, before backing up. Everything else seemed to happen in slow motion. Vegeta stretched his arm out in from of him extending his index finger. The rubber band around the room constricted more as the Saiyan prince smirked and pushed his ki to the finger's point. The faint smell of ozone permeated the air as the small blast glowed around the skin before expelling itself. A light purple beam streaked laggardly through the air towards the girl's head.

 

Son jumped up, knocking over his stool, and reached for Vegeta. A look of horror came over his face. He stuttered, trying not to call the other saiyan by name. Eighteen had informed them of the woman's previous assumptions. Vegeta directed them, without any further explanations, to let the girl keep them.

 

The Saiyan woman's nose twitched and her eyes snapped open. She sat upright and forcefully knocked the annoyingly small amount of ki away. The blast moved off to the right and crashed into a sideboard on the far side of the room, destroying it.

 

Son stopped short of Vegeta. “You could have killed her.”

 

“Don't be ridiculous Kakarrot. That was barely enough ki to sting.”

 

Eighteen looked distraughtly at the wreckage. She rounded back on the arguing pair. “That was an antique!”

 

Vegeta turned to the blonde woman with widening eyes. When she simply gave him a lifted eyebrow, he sighed. “I'll buy you a new one.”

 

“Fine. But it had better be of the same quality.”

 

The newly awakened woman used the momentary distraction to remove herself from her chair and begin to leave the room. Piccolo sidestepped between her and the door, baring his teeth. He allowed his fangs to gleam in the light. Fangs, he noted, that were larger than even the Saiyans'. She took a step back. “Going somewhere?” Grabbing her by the shoulders, he spun her around and pushed her farther into the room. “Sit.”

 

She glared at him over her shoulder before flopping in her chair and balancing on the rear two legs. Vegeta's eves roved over the girl then shifted toward him. They shared a conspiring smile. Over the last few years, they developed an unusual friendship. His time working with Trunks and Goten earned him Vegeta's respect as a sensei and had later allowed Vegeta to tolerate his presence. From there, similarities in temperament led to a mutual understanding of each other and their boundaries. Piccolo still considered Vegeta a rough son of a bitch at times but, generally, they got along.

 

The girl noticed the exchange and shot an evil glances at him, as he blocked the door, and then at Eighteen, who stood in the corner lamenting the broken piece of furniture. When she turned back towards Vegeta, the front two legs of the chair thudded to the wood floor. She rolled her eyes and slouched in her chair, crossing her arms under her breasts. “Quinceco bak-ba giri'toe?”

 

The prince then turned to the girl in the chair. A full smile covered his face. The expression seemed out of place on him. He displayed a full set of teeth and an emotion amazingly like joy lit his eyes.

 

---

 

If Vegeta knew nothing else, he knew that he would enjoy this. “What I want is for you to answer questions now that there is nowhere to run and no crowds to disappear into. And you will keep your responses in Universal Standard so everyone can understand. Is that clear?”

 

The woman sitting in front of him gave off the merest hint of a smile as she uncrossed her arms and draped them over the back of the chair. “You're not my commanding officer. I don't have to listen to you.” How he wished that that weren't true. When the bitch decided to dump her problem off on his planet, she became his problem. He supposed he just needed to make the problem understand that.

 

“While you're on this planet, I am. And I believe I told you to keep your answers in Universal Standard.”

 

“I'm still on leave.”

 

Vegeta's punch landed viciously. The problem grabbed her right side. Her jaw clenched and her muscles strained as she tried not to cry out. He had to admit, she was at least well trained. “What's the matter? Are your ribs still sore?”

 

Her eyes shifted around the room and landed on Kakarrot. He glanced over to find that the younger man had taken another step closer to him. The problem caught the motion. She let out a low groan. Vegeta returned his attention to the matter at hand and let out a short puff of air through his nostrils.

 

“Embarrassing Kakarrot, or appealing to his good nature, is not going to get you out of anything this time.” Kakarrot backed off when he realized the girl was faking. The woman just let out a shallow sigh and sneered up at him through her bangs. “Good, you understand. Let's start again. Your name is Mar Negi Seloli. That makes your father's name Negi. Who is your mother?” He didn't recognize her father's name and the problem was too strong to have nobody parents so he should be able to recognize her mother.

 

The girl turned away from him to try her hand at intimidating Eighteen who stared icily back. “My house, my rules. Answer his question.”

 

The saiyan woman did not turn in her chair. “Mar Reta Niku. I have three brothers and a sister as well. Would you like their names?”

 

“No.” Damn it he didn't recognize her mother either. Reta, however, there was a Reta among his father's older generals. He met the man once on his fifth birthday when his father had paraded all of the elites before him so he would know them. He wished he could remember more so as to search for features in the woman's face, but that day remained a blur.

 

“Why are you here?” This, from Piccolo. The question low voiced, direct and to the point. Vegeta swallowed his annoyance.

 

The girl looked over at the Namek then purposefully averted her eyes. Eighteen's voice slid over the sharp edge of her temper. “Answer his question.”

 

The girl raised her chin in the direction of the blonde woman. “She brought me here.”

 

Did this girl think them stupid? She fully understood Piccolo's question. Vegeta snapped, “Quit being impertinent. Why are you on the planet?”

 

“You got me left here.” When Vegeta's face darkened and he made a move to grab at her, the girl backed away, the chairs legs screeching across the wood. “The tournament. I saw some footage. It looked fun. Since we were watching the border when my break started, I came here instead of going home. Now I am stuck here and the fights were not even worth the effort.”

 

Behind him, Trunks spoke up. “From where I sat she got at least one good fight out of it.”

 

“Will somebody please tell the ape to keep its mouth shut? A child could have beaten that girl.”

 

“If that's so, why did you go after her?” Trunks snapped as he moved forward to stand next to his father.

 

The girl's eyes kept shifting from Trunks to himself. She suddenly gave a small snort before her mouth turned down in a sour expression.

 

“I want to know that too.” Kuririn stepped forward a little. He had sweat on his forehead and was pulling at his collar. The girl looked him over again before dismissing him.

 

“Eighteen doesn't know the move you want and I haven't agreed to anything.” The problem's attention snapped back to the short man. Vegeta wondered where Kuririn had gotten that little piece of backbone. The smaller man ruined the effect, however, when he cringed under the woman's stare swallowing audibly. Seloli, in turn, doled out a knowing smile.

 

“She had something I wanted.”

 

Trunks stepped forward into the woman's space causing her tail fur to bristle as she displayed her teeth. “So you tried to kill her?” She pushed at Trunk's chest. When he failed to move confusion flashed across her face.

 

She covered it with a soft snort and a sneer as she said, “I don't kill people who have something I want.”

 

Gohan reached out and touched the younger man's shoulder. Trunks threw him off but, with a soft word, Gohan was able to move him back.

 

Kuririn laughed nervously and twiddled his thumbs in front of him. “I guess I'm lucky…”

 

“Not at first.” That annoying smile that Vegeta was quickly coming to hate crossed her mouth as her gaze roved over both men.

 

Kakarrot spoke next. “So you're not here to blow up the planet?” Just like Kakarrot tochange the topic just as the conversation had become interesting.

 

“How would I do that?” She watched the other full blooded Saiyan with a neutral expression on her face and questions in her eyes. Her gaze flicked between the two of them. “Wait a minute, you two actually used to purge planets. Midorichi-zu. You two got to fight all the time. No wonder you hit like a Be Dorian battle cruiser. Tell me, was it fun? I bet it was fun. I bet it made your blood just sing. I've asked the really old people before but they just punch you in the face and tell you that it's best not to think about it. And the ones that are your age were really too young to remember. But you two... You two were still purging when you were my age weren't you? You've got to tell me how much fun it was.”

 

Did she just imply he was old? “No. And speak in Universal Standard.” Vegeta cast a sidelong glance at Kakarrot who had actually recoiled in something akin to horror. Good. Maybe he wouldn't interrupt again for a while. The woman in front of him leaned forward, her eyes gleaming during her recitation. Now she sat slouched in her chair with a sneer marring her mouth and her arms crossed over her chest.

 

“Was your grandfather Reta a general in the Saiyan Army?”

 

The woman let out a low guttural scream. “Are we really back to that?” When he continued to assess her, she sighed. She pulled herself up in the chair to sit perfectly straight and tightened her tail around her waist as her military training took over. She placed her hands flat on her thighs just before the knee. One foot rested flat on the ground and the other tucked slightly under the chair, raised to the ball, to facilitate a fast stand. Finally, she was beginning to take this seriously. “I do not know. I never met the man.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“He blew up when the planet did. What does it matter?”

 

“What planet have you been living on?”

 

“Kudaka.”

 

“How many Saiyans are there?”

 

“A couple hundred.”

 

Hundred? A few hundred were not killed and he did not know? “How is it that everyone survived the destruction of Vegeta?”

 

“How did you?”

 

“I want a straight answer.”

 

“I do not know.”

 

“What do you mean you don't know?”

 

“I was not born then. It was never important.”

 

Not important? How could it not be important? They spent five years, after stumbling across Raditz during a basic purge, searching for other possible survivors and this girl considered it not important? The survival of the strongest race in the galaxy, her own birth, his heritage relegated to nothing but an insignificant speck to this second class… gardak.

 

“What are your plans now that you are on Earth?” Vegeta started at Piccolo, who had used his momentary pause to ask another question.

 

“Learn what I can. Get off this stinking piece of dirt as fast as I can. And go home.”

 

Vegeta knew his eyes widened as he recoiled but he couldn't stop them. “What? That's all?” Where was this woman's spirit? For all her talk of purging making the blood sing was she really just as watered down as Kakarrot?

 

“Would I live long if I tried anything else?”

 

No. She wouldn't. She knew he had a higher power level; just not how much so. He smirked down at her not even upset when Kakarrot interrupted again.

 

“So you haven't killed anyone?”

 

“That would be like swatting flies; repetitive, easy, and eventually annoying. The people here break too easy. There were some large meat eating animals and those two,” she circled her hands towards Gohan and Trunks, “and the girl might be fun but I was trying to keep my power level off your scouters.” Ha! As if he needed a scouter.

 

Eighteen glided through the press of bodies. Stonily, she stated, “Stay away from Marron.”

 

“I was not speaking of her.”

 

Vegeta landed another vicious punch to her ribs delighting in the crunch of snapping bone. He could not believe he was actually thinking of bringing her back to Capsule Corp figuring he could do a better job of keeping an eye on her. He rounded on the married couple and fixed them with a murderous glare. “If that thing leaves your sight for more than five minutes, I want to know about it.” That said, he stomped into the rainstorm that continued to bombard the landscape.

 

The rest of the group followed him out. “Vegeta,” Kakarrot almost had to scream over the wind, “What was that all about?”

 

“She threatened to kill our children.”

 

“She's not strong enough to actually hurt us Vegeta.” The prince sneered at the scholar, so soft, so human, so like his moron of a father.

 

“Would you stake Pan's life on that? They're girls. Neither one of them has broken a second class power level. Only with proper training will they reach first class by the time they're her age.” He watched the other man pull back and pale. Good. Perhaps he was actually getting through. He powered up enough to slough the rain off of himself. “Are you coming Trunks?”

 

Piccolo watched the four Saiyans take off from the dry safety of the porch. He was debating how much he wanted to get wet when the monk slipped out the front door to stand directly next to him.

 

“How bad is it?”

 

Piccolo looked down at he diminutive man and noticed his proximity. The monk usually placed himself just outside of reach. The gesture encouraged honesty. “I don't envy the task your wife has signed you up for. If you need help, I'll be there.” The monk's mouth tightened as he and Piccolo stood in uneasy companionship before he slipped back into the house. Piccolo watched the rain until it let up, uncomfortable with the new ki signature he had familiarized himself with and which now burned slumberous at the edge of his consciousness.

 

TBC

 

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A/N: Thank you for reading. I am sorry about the wait. I have to finish my Thesis this month so the next chapter will also take awhile. I have no intention of abandoning this story. I'm too invested in it.

 

TheTiny and lilmelfina64 - Thank you for your reviews.

 

LoveOfVegeta -Thank you for the review. I'm keeping my mouth shut. Hope the interrogation was worth the wait. I hate dialogue.

 

Bory - Your reviews just make me happy. Again I'm keeping quiet about Marron and the boys. I'm glad you like the part with Kuririn and 18. It sort of came to me in a flash.

 

Dreamwraith - Yeah, Kuririn is in for an awakening. Um… I hoped this chapter quashed that wondering. Yeah I had fun writing Yamcha's proposal. You were not supposed to ever meet Ookami but she just sort of crept in there. It won't be smooth sailing for him but we'll see. Now that she is there I'm not sure how it will go anymore. Nope, no talking sense into Eighteen. No confrontation between V/18. But, I hope I was able to still not disappoint.

 

Goten's fan - Well, you got me off my duff. Bardockgurl has given me permission to gift you with an official spork. Here is your spork. ---CE Use it wisely.

 

ilex9 - that was my favorite scene from last chapter too. Unfortunately no descriptions here. Too much darn dialogue :P

 

Gadoken King - Thank you. I do have a new Beta and I'm not going to let her back out now. Thank you though.

 

Dacheran - Thank you so much for the honest and critical feedback. It helped a lot. The POV was something I was concerned with originally but CLeighM never had a problem, so I guess I got a little complacent. I'm sure there are typos all over the place in the “me betaed” chapters. You really read into this. You're the first person to mention the foreshadowing. Hm… About the moon, you don't really think I'm going to tell you do you? I have something planned. There is still ten days left to go (in story time) before we get there though. *waggle waggle*