Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Hybrid ❯ Dr. Briefs returns ( Chapter 16 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ...Akira Toriyama does...and that's not my name...so bad luck for me.

Chapter 16

On the Imperial 'hub' planet

"Be careful with that!" The orders were barked roughly from up above the young servant fumbling with the heavy section of equipment. His hands shook as he stumbled over to the veteran workers and handed it over, sweat pouring off of his face.

His master closed his eyes wearily against the shaken boy and pushed his glasses up, a nervous habit. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Good work. Now move on to your next task." The boy nodded and dashed off. He turned his eyes back to the creation his workers were unfolding and managed a grim smile. At least this will keep that creature satisfied and out of my hair. He took a step forward and leaned his elbows against the railing of the scaffold he was on. This prototype engine will definitely peek his interest enough to stop any of the intrusion into my work. He watched a well-versed technician weld together two outer engine components. My real work. He took in the amount of workers and scientists putting his mind into matter and snorted. Not that creating prototype engines whose preliminary tests outclass any of the already existing fighter engines isn't real work, it's just far less satisfying. He glanced over to his left, at his assistant. "Take over the oversight of construction. I'll be in my office."

Weckler blinked in surprise. "Are you sure Doctor?"

He turned toward the youthful science wizard and nodded. "If there's anyone more well-read on this project than me, it's you." He adjusted his grip on his cane and smiled. "It's time you got some experience delegating anyway."

The young mutant nodded appreciatively. "Thank you Dr. Briefs."

"Now get to work boy." He chuckled as he started across the metal catwalk to his office. It was definitely slow going and he cursed under his breath. When he'd first arrived, his ankle had been mangled beyond recognition and at his refusal to willingly work for Frieza, his pusnishment had been to recieve no medical attention. He glanced down at the large metal brace strapped around his leg as he hobbled his way into the office. The leg had healed eventually, but not after healing partially and then breaking again. It was bent out of shape with calcium deposits so large that flexion in the joint was no longer possible. He hopped on his good leg until he could settle into his large chair and tossed his cane to the floor. As if crippling me wasn't enough, now I have to produce creations to dazzle him. Or it's the end for all of the workers under me.

Leaning back in his chair, his mind switched to thoughts of the past. Back to when everything was peaceful and carefree. Back to when he could watch his daughter play while holding his wife. Taking in a shaky breath, he reached over and pulled open the third drawer on the rightside of his large desk. Almost hesitantly, he pulled a thick book with a well-worn leather cover out and just held it between his two hands. He opened the cover almost painstakingly slow, as if it were made of glass, and laid it gently on the desktop. It's been so long since I've seen them... Instead of pages yellowed with age, there was a hollowed-out section in the book filled with small metal disks. Each was marked with a date and a letter. He reached in and pulled out a disk, laying it on the desk and pressing the small button on the side. His heart panged achingly as the small hologram wobbled to life and his long-dead wife danced around the garden with their very small daughter laughing happily in her arms. Tears welled in his eyes at the memory, his memory.

He sniffed and wiped his eyes when the hologram ended. Another one of my many creations. After being torn from them, their memories began to plague him. In an effort to quiet his mind, he developed a process that allowed someone to actually extract their own memories and turn them into holograms using a very precise procedure with electricity. Dr. Briefs put the hologram back into the book and put it away. Not that I ever released this procedure to him. It was only used on myself. Shaking his head, he pulled a large file into his lap from the desktop and flipped it open. Staring up at him from it was his own flesh and blood, but so very different than his mind remembered. Gone was the cherub-like face of his Bulma, replaced with a hauntingly beautiful face of a woman filled with turmoil. My daughter has grown up to be a fierce warrior...a killer. She was hardly recognizable to him and his chest grew heavy with that knowledge. I'm a stranger to my own daughter...

There was a knock on the door, giving him plenty of time to shut the folder before his assistant poked his head in. "Sir, Lord Frieza is on his way to see to the progress of the engine."

Trunks nodded and waved him out. "I'll be down in a moment." Tossing the folder to the desk, he grabbed his cane and hobbled to his feet. It won't be long now Bulma...I will see you again.

Floating aimlessly through space

To say she was seething would be an understatement. Bulma's arms were locked across her chest as her tail cracked back and forth like a whip. She stalked her way through the halls cursing under her breath. "Low life son of a bitch!" Her teeth would crack diamonds they were clenched so hard. Most of the words escaping her mouth were unintelligible as she strode past the galley. A flash of black caught her eye, but it took her almost ten enormous steps to realize it. Back-peddling, she stopped in the doorway and looked in. The flash of black turned out to be Celipa as she sat eating. All the frustration fueling her tantrum was snuffed out as utter confusion made her arms go slack to her sides and her mouth to open. "But you.."

Celipa glanced up to see her standed agog in the doorway. "So you're finally awake."

Bulma snapped out of her stupor and dashed through the door to stand opposite the calmly eating female. "Why in Kami's name would they take you?"

The full-blooded Saiyan chewed for a moment before swallowing. "They didn't."

She could feel her blood-pressure rising by the second. "Then why the fuck are you here?"

Celipa stood up to her full height, which was about five inches taller than Bulma's own five foot seven. "I asked to."

Bulma's aggression disappeared and she stared quizzically into Celipa's snarling facade. "You asked to be kidnapped?"

"For a genius, you sure are dumb." She laughed as she sat back down. "He beat me once, but it won't happen again."

The blue-haired demiSaiyan just stared for a moment. "Apparently we're thinking of two different Saiyans. So if you didn't fight Vegeta then it must have been-"

"Raditz." She took another mouthful of food. "He owes me a fight."

Bulma nodded in understanding. "That's right. I almost forgot how unrelenting your pride could be." She smirked as Celipa's hand tightened on her fork. "Well it's been fun talking, but I've got to run." She spun around and went back out the door, leaving Celipa seething in her wake. She continued in the direction she'd been heading in when she'd stopped and kept her senses open to the others on the ship. There were two powerful ki's near the bridge, while another was deep in the bowels of the ship. Wonder where Bulma's heading? She snorted softly as she investigated even cabin and room that popped up between the galley and the bridge. Most were storage rooms, a few extremely tiny holding type cells that gave her shivers and a maintenence room.

She turned down a wider than normal hall and her keen hearing picked up on a pair of arguing voices. I wonder... Sticking close to the wall, she sidled her way up to the doorway and peered around it. She had indeed found the bridge and the source for the voices. On an enormous screen above the controls was the sneering face of the one creature that managed to strike fear into her. Frieza.. Swallowing the sudden knot that had formed in her throat, she dropped her gaze to the other participant in the heated conversation. "Ra-" Bulma slapped a hand over her mouth at the sight on her first childhood friend. Quelling the tears of happiness that threatened, she focused on being her genius self. Study the situation around you and use it to your advantage. Pressing close, she eavesdropped.

"It's been nearly ten days. Why haven't you produced them?" The threat wasn't hidden.

Raditz stood undeterred. "They've proved harder to locate than we anticipated."

Frieza crossed his arms. "I don't understand. Your monkey-brained Prince assured me that the perpetrators would be easily found." His eyes narrowed. "Did he lie to me?"

The Saiyan was unshakable. "You know as well as I do that Prince Vegeta doesn't lie. He has his honor."

The changeling chuckled. "That, my little ape, is very true." He paced back and forth a moment before stopping and pointing a finger at the screen. "If I find out that you've allowed them to escape, it'll be the last thing you'll ever do." He sighed. "Find Bardock and his little troops. I'd suggest killing them because what I'll do to them will be worse than death." He smiled wickedly. "You can even tell them it's for the best because your extensive knowledge."

Bulma's chest was tight with breath that she didn't think she could let out. Oh Kami, what's going on?! Why is he hiding us?! Finally breathing, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself and tried to sort out her thoughts. Apparently our little break-in's were noticed and Vegeta was sent out to find us...which he did...but he didn't hurt anyone...just took Celipa and me...but why? It doesn't make sense unless..

"I told you once before. I believe we were still children, but I could have sworn I'd said something along the lines of 'I'll never be Frieza's dog'."

Bulma's heart almost stopped beating in her chest. Turning slowly, she came face to face with her gracious host-now clean and dressed in his battle attire. She waited a beat before speaking. "I know this might not count for anything, but I've always defended you." She stared up into his deep black pools waiting for a reaction, but received none. Flustered, she continued. "I did it to the point of being unreasonable and all I got for it was mockery." The intensity of his stare was too much and she dropped her head. "I know that you're incapable of sympathy, not that I was looking for it, but I thought I would tell you that." Feeling her spine return, she cocked her head to the side and glared at him. "Not that there weren't plenty of reasons to believe that you had turned against your own. You've been the most obediant soldier to him."

Vegeta ignored the strange feelings inside him and just continued to glare at her. It bothered him that her single confession could make him want to do things that a warrior would never do. Things that were saved for the weaklings of the universe. Growling more at himself than her, he finally responded. "Are you finished?"

She glared some more. "Yes."

"Good." He grabbed her arm and started to drag her onto the bridge. "You talk too Kami damn much."

Bulma jerked her arm loose. "Don't think that just because I'm stuck on your little ship that you can just manhandle me. I'm not a helpless female that can be tossed around."

"You can certainly play the part." He smiled crookedly and continued to the control panel.

She snapped her mouth shut and glanced over to see Raditz watching her. She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face. "It's good to see you Raditz."

He nodded in return. "Yes, I've been looking forward to seeing you again." He ignored Vegeta completely and took a step forward. "I'm extremely interested in what you've been stealing from the Empire." He held out an up-turned palm. "Perhaps you'd like to share?"

Bulma ripped her eyes away to bore them into the expressionless face of the Saiyan no Ouji. "So I was right. You're nothing but a marionette to the puppetmaster of the universe."

He lifted a brow in surprise. "You didn't actually think I spared you out of compassion?" He crossed his arms. "Did you?" Vegeta could feel Raditz's disapproval, but ignored it. So what if I piss her off? Not like it's going to change the outcome.

The pain in her chest did nothing but fuel the anger running through her veins. "I was a fool to have thought so highly of you." In her rage, her ki started to swell in response. "The only reason you filthy yaros kept me alive was to pump me for information for that disgusting zealot. Too bad for you I've got nothing to say."

Vegeta got up from his seat and stepped beside her. "I know this might come as a shock to you, but there are more important things in the universe than you." His tail swirled behind him as he swept past her and left the room.

Bulma's brow furrowed for a moment before turning back to the only other person in the room. "What if you were in my position?"

He gestured to the chair beside him. "I think you should sit before I speak any further." At her raised brow, he shook his head. "Trust me. I may very well lose my head for saying this out loud." He waited until she sat before continuing. "The reason I'd like to know what you were stealing is that I believe I can help."

At the Imperial Palace

After the screen went blank, the Emperor whirled around to glare at his second-in-command. "I want them found!"

Zarbon tipped his head and strode from the room. So, it's finally time to catch the biggest Saiyan of them all. He brushed past all others as he went through the large marble halls, methodically making his way down to where Dodoria liked to stay. The walls blurred together as memories came forward- ones he remembered with fondness. I didn't think a reasonable creature could be so delusional. If they gave out a prize for Most In Denial, Vegeta would have surely been the recipient. Within days of destroying the Saiyan homeplanet of Vejitasei, scattered reports of surviving Saiyans surfaced throughout the Empire. He didn't have to wait long before Frieza sent them on a galaxy-wide hunt. Dodoria and himself had been appointed as the leaders of the search, with the well-disliked Ginyu Force as their hunting dogs.

The tall green mutant smiled obscenely at only sights he could remember seeing. Saiyan females begging for their children to be spared, only to die violently after watching the youngsters' torture. It seems the actual number of kills on our roster has escaped me after all these years..but the number of times seeing the Saiyan no Ouji recieve the remainders of those kills has not diminished. Zarbon stratched along his jaw in thought. It must have been near two hundred..albeit that some were grouped together...Vegeta must have gotten near the number of beatings. Such fond memories. He stopped walking and glanced up to find that he'd reached his destination. Dissolving his smirk, he held his breath as his access was granted to the underground dungeon. But despite his held breath, the stench permeated his olfactory senses to the point of nauseousness. Dodoria always did disgust me.

The doorway opened to a small hall and that led to set of grime covered stairs. Suppressing his gag reflex, Zarbon strode down the stairs and into the large cavern that Dodoria called home. Very light was emitted from the filth covered lamps on the walls, but it was enough for Zarbon to see a few of the pink creature's unlucky charges. Mutilated corpses lay in heaps next to a shallow pit. Knowing what went on in that pit almost turned the hardened warrior's stomach and he moved past it quickly. Another hall showed up from the cavern and he turned down it, passing various victims in various stages in the torture process Dodoria had perfected into an art form. The heavy scent of decay and bodily waste mixed to churn his stomach some more, but he continued past the cells to his partner's quarters. Walking up to the heavy door, he slammed his balled fist on the cleanest space on it. "Dodoria! Open up!"

There was a shrill cry from the other side and a shuffling sound before the door lurched open and Dodoria's enormous girth filled the threshold. "What is it? I'm busy at the moment."

Zarbon swallowed. No doubt. "Frieza has given orders to hunt down Vegeta and his crew."

Dodoria's eyes alighted with excitement. "On what charges?"

Zarbon shivered at the sight before him with disgust. "Treason."

Back on Vegeta's ship

Raditz finished speaking and let what he'd just told her sink in fully. Bulma leaned back into the chair heavily and hugged herself while apparently staring through the floor. She wasn't a stranger to the information...just the brutality of what really occured. He rolled his head around his shoulders to ease the tension that had grown as he'd spoken at length. Sparing her one last glance, he strode for the door. "I'll leave you to your thoughts." If she'd responded, he hadn't heard as he made his way to one of the two training rooms. A workout would definitely help to relax me after reliving all of that. It wasn't everyday that you revealed your darkest secrets and didn't suffer some kind of recoil from it. The electric tension running through his body put him on edge and it made him uneasy. He spent a good portion of his time meditating to relieve tension because it caused problems for his health.

In layman's terms, having a case of the nerves upsets my body's balance. If he didn't release it, it would corrode his core energy and systematically weaken his ki. But it hadn't always been that way. Back before he'd been the unfortunate understudy of Dodoria, his health had been at close to perfect as possible. Years at the recieving end of Dodoria's so-called 'art' would do that to you. He closed his eyes and allowed the faint memories of the numerous torture session recede before he entered the smaller training room. All thoughts ceased as he watched the stubborn female from the station raise her right leg parallel to her torso and stretch. Shaking his stare, he crossed his arms and cleared his throat. Her spikey mop of hair bounced as her head swiveled to meet his gaze. Her eyes ran up and down his frame before returning to the relaxed droop they'd been at moments before. Raditz could feel his tension getting worse. "What are you doing here?"

She answered without moving. "Training. What's it look like?" He was silent for a moment just watching as she contorted herself into positions that looked severely uncomfortable before striding over and standing across from her. If she was going to interrupt his training session, then he wouldn't miss the opportunity to appraise her as a fighter. She was taller than he'd originally thought, close to six feet, and her build was wider than that of Bulma. She seemed to be a bit more muscular than her female counterpart, most likely a result of her full Saiyan blood. Apparently aware of his perusal, she lifted her head to glare at him. "Are you done yet?"

He took another moment and observed her face. It wasn't as square as what was normal, with higher cheekbones and a finer jaw. Her eyes were large and expressive and set just right beside her equally porportional nose. And at the moment, those brown black eyes are blazing with anger. "Yes."

She relaxed her weight onto her right leg and crossed her arms. "It's rude to stare." At his silent nod her patience ran out. "What the fuck is your problem?!"

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn't smile. It was fascinating to watch her transform from a serenely beautiful creature and into a gorgeously infuriated monster. I can't help but goad her. "You seem tense."

Her arms dropped to her sides and clenched tightly into fists. "I'm about this close to-"

"To what?' He smirked. I hope I know what I'm getting myself into.

Her ki burst from her in a scalding wave and she shot a blast at his face from point blank range. "You're as irritating as your nichan!"

Raditz smiled widely as he threw the blast up and over his head and met her head on as she charged at him. Her shoulder rammed into his chest, knocking the breath from his lungs as he dropped his elbows into her shoulders. She grunted as her body folded to the ground. Pulling his hands close, he shot of a series of small blasts that slammed hard into her body. Testy little thing.

Celipa felt the heat and rolled onto her back to catch all of them into her outstretched hands. So he wants to play dirty, huh? I'll show you dirty! Sweat dripped down her forehead as she wrenched the combined mass of energy off to the right and bucked her hips to land on her feet. Moving in for a swift punch, she feinted as he went to block and jammed her rigid hand into the vulnerable spot of his right knee. Leaping back and crouching like a cat, she smiled as his leg buckled. "Two can play that game."

He grinned at her declaration and straightened his leg, suppressing a wince as the joint cracked back into place. "Never trust a female."

"What?" Celipa growled.

Raditz rolled his shoulders and shot his heel at her head. "Oh. Just something Vegeta said once."

"Smart man." She ducked and spun to the left, successfully slamming her fist into his iron-clad abdomen. Ow...pain..lots of pain.

He noted the faint hesitation in her next swing and rammed his shoulder into hers, grinning with satisfaction as she fell hard to the floor. But she didn't stay down long, springing to her feet and attacking him with a vengence. Sweat beading on his skin as he matched her blow for blow. It seems I've let myself go. Shame on me. It went on like that for nearly an hour, with one of them occasionally gaining the upperhand. Raditz could feel the exhaustion nagging at him, but ignored it. Catching each of her slender hands in his own, he grappled with her. "Finished yet?"

"No!" She gritted her teeth but knew her efforts were futile. Damn weak body. Her arms were quivering as she gave one final shove of her ki. He easily overpowered her and she ended up collapsing to the floor, inadvertantly dragging him down on top of her. She went completely still as his bulk trapped her to the floor. Good job Celipa. Her heart was already racing from the sparring, but it kicked into overdrive as she suddenly became aware of her situation. Neither of them made a sound, but the buzzing in her ears was closer to a roar. It was alien to feel content with someone she'd clearly established as a threat so close to her physically. It had a feeling of rightness that bewildered her.

Raditz didn't so much as blink as they lay on the metallic floor. Well, this is interesting. Instincts long thought dead came to life and he savored the feel of her pliant body pressed beneath his. All the features he'd noticed earlier- the curve of her hip and the soft swell of her breasts- took on a new meaning. The air was suddenly very heavy as his eyes met hers and held. He could see the uncertainty in her cool black eyes and something pulled at him. What the hell? Before he could stop himself, he lowered his head and captured her full lips with his own.

She knew what he intended the nanosecond he moved, but in no way did she stop him. His lips were warm and firm against hers and when he ran his tongue along them, she allowed him access to her more fully. Their tongues explored tentatively as her hands moved to rest on his massive chest. The things he was doing to her stirred a heat low inside her belly and it shocked her. What the hell am I doing?! Pushing against his wall of muscle, she broke away and managed to slide out from beneath him. Unable to look at him, she stood staring at the wall while she caught her breath. "I can't do this." Turning, she walked from the room with as much dignity as she could muster.

A/N: I know...evil, evil cliffhanger ^_^ I'm sssooo sorry for taking so long to update, but I've had to deal w/some medical things and it's been time consuming. I hope this chapter isn't too short, I kinda rewrote the last part like three times. Hopefully it'll be up to par w/my other chapters. Thankies to all my new reviewers and to all my faithful readers...I hope to get the next chapter up faster. I'm also starting another fic that I've yet to post...I'll let ya know when I do. Until next time!