Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend Of the Bond ❯ Happiness, or lack there of ( Chapter 23 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Tennyo_elf 
Beta done by Hollyberry.
Bulma finally meets Freeza.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.14.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
Beta done by Hollyberry.
Bulma finally meets Freeza.
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.14.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
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A soft buzzing filled the air and a harsh, bright light illuminated every inch of the dingy cell. Both of these unwelcome sensations intruded into Bulma’s semi-wakefulness and made her dizzy and disoriented. Fighting a rather large headache, she sat up a bit too quickly and nearly fell back as the woozy feeling washed over her again. After few minutes and some deep breaths later, she tried again to sit up, more slowly this time. When she realized where she was, she gasped.
Bulma immediately tried to reach out to Vegeta with the connection that she knew so little about, but she could hardly feel anything. There was just a faint spark; a reassuring sign that he was most likely still alive. Sighing, she tried to position her legs under her so that she could stand, but couldn’t do it. Her efforts nearly made that awful wooziness return. Her body felt tilted and out of place. Zarbon must’ve hit her head pretty hard when she had tried to run away from him.
Rather than attempt to stand, Bulma decided to drag her body to the nearest wall. Taking her time, she finally reached the wall and propped herself up to lean against it, letting her head hang so that her eyes would be shielded from the light and to ease the pain from her head. She wondered why she was here. Was it because the King handed her over to Freeza for Paragus’ death or was it because of her abilities? She knew that growing up on Chikyuu wouldn’t have allowed her to be this smart, but surely Freeza couldn’t value her that much to have her put into a jail cell? Did the warlord know about her involvement with the rebellion or even Vegeta? She didn’t want to think about that. Instead, she would try to be as positive as best as she could be. Once the pain was gone and she could stand, she would think of a way to get out of here and escape. And she would find Vegeta.
Vegeta…Bulma’s troubled thoughts suddenly focused on her husband. He left in such a hurry this morning, summoned by the king, that she didn’t get to say good-bye to him; she didn’t even get to kiss him one last time. Remembering her dream, she wondered if having a family with him was too much to ask for, too much to hope for. Not knowing what else to do, she let her mind drift to the thoughts on Dragon Balls.
Just as her the pain in her head was starting to abate and her thoughts on Dragon Balls were getting interesting, the door to her cell opened to reveal two visitors: the taller one she knew and hated all too well and another, smaller creature resembling a mechanical white lizard. She slowly got to her feet, using her hands to brace herself on the wall next to her. Bulma remained silent as both figures stopped in front of her and smirked.
“I take it you do not know who I am, Chikyuu-jin?” The white lizard almost looked amused when he asked that.
Bulma wasn’t sure how she should act, so she decided to take her usual bold approach. “What do you want with me?”
“You should learn to have some respect for me, Chikyuu-jin, before you try to demand answers.” His mechanical tail whipped behind him as the lizard folded his arms over his small chest. “I am Freeza, Emperor of the Five Galaxies, and right now, I hold your life in my hands. So, unless you wish to die, show proper respect.”
Bulma’s heart stopped. This was Freeza! This ugly, little creature was the thing that had started all this pain and suffering! This thing had hurt her husband more than anything else in the universe. She wanted to spring at him and beat him senseless, but her injuries prevented her from doing anything more than answering, “No, I will not! So kill me now, you heartless bastard!”
Freeza’s smugness disappeared on his face and was replaced by a scowl. “Fine, be stubborn, Chikyuu-jin, but eventually, you will still do as I say.”
“I’d rather die!” Bulma voice held no fear; or at least, that was what she was trying to tell herself. But her eyes, filled of uncertainty, gave her away.
“It is fortunate for you that you happen to be so smart, Chikyuu-jin, and that your value is high, because if you weren’t, I would kill you right now where you stand for your insolence.” Freeza glanced behind him at Zarbon, who had entered with him, then back to Bulma. “It is my understanding that you have a very clever and inventive mind. Once, I was a completely flesh-and-blood creature but, as you can see, I had to become more in order to survive and become stronger. You will take your skills and enhance this body and all its components, making me ten thousand times stronger than I already am. If you do, I’ll let you stay in my empire, alive, as a scientist. If you refuse, I’ll make certain that you die in such a way no one would be able to recognize you, not even your dear monkey prince.”
Bulma bit back a gasp. She knew he was referring to Vegeta, and by the sound of it, he somehow found out about their relationship. “I refuse to do anything for you. You can rot in that tin suit for all I care!” she replied with a huff and an upwards tilt to her chin.
Despite her brave words, Zarbon chuckled and so did Freeza. “You’re quite amusing, Chikyuu-jin. I suggest that you think my offer over very carefully. In the meantime, I will busy myself by squashing that little rebellion your traitorous monkey has built up. After my forces have gathered and killed all of the rebels, I’ll come back for your answer. And then, once you agree to my request, I might just allow you see him once last time before I kill him.”
Bulma stared at Freeza, her rapid heartbeats alternating with hate and dread. Right now, the thing that scared her most was that Freeza would try and question her about her knowledge of the rebellion. Besides biting her tongue in half to free herself from this horrible situation with her death, she didn’t know what else to do.
“Don’t be foolish and think about killing yourself either,” Freeza said, seeming to read her mind. Bulma kicked herself mentally for letting him read her expressions so easily. “If you do, I’ll have to change my mind and torture you for information about your dear lover’s rebellion, which I’m sure you know all about. But don’t worry. Soon, I will have them all under my thumb.”
Great, she thought, now he’ll be watching me even closer, and if I try anything, he’ll save my life only to torture me and kill me later when I’ve given up my knowledge about the rebellion.
Standing behind his emperor, Zarbon’s smirk never left him. When Freeza stayed silent for long enough, he walked past his leader and stopped in front of Bulma. She glared at him, blue acid flaming forth from her eyes, her hate for him obvious. Still smirking, he didn’t react to the fury in her eyes, or her attempts to slide away from him. Freeza watched with amusement as his right-hand man decided to take advantage of this prime opportunity by placing one hand in the middle of her armored chest, pinning her back into the wall. With his free hand, he roughly cupped her armor-covered breast, fondling it for a minute or two before sliding his hand downward towards her womanhood. Bulma bit her lip, praying he would stop, but he continued. Without ripping her clothes, Zarbon cupped the place in between her thighs then pressed his fingers as deep as he could. He leaned his face forward, flicking her soft check with his tongue and pressing his body closer to her.
“Zarbon, don’t damage her now. I need her intact so that she can make me stronger, remember?” Freeza’s tone was almost playful.
Absolutely disgusted by Zarbon’s unwanted attentions, Bulma’s racing mind finally thought of something, thanks to what the ugly freak of a warlord emperor just said. Hopefully, it would work. “Freeza! If you let Zarbon touch me anymore, I swear I will never, EVER make anything for you! I don‘t care if I die!”
Her heated words made Freeza lose his amused look. He turned away from her and began walking slowly towards the cell doors while Zarbon continued to touch her in unwelcoming ways. Before the doors closed on him, Freeza paused in the doorway and turned his head only slightly to say, “Zarbon, you really do have poor taste in females. Leave that one be and I will find you a more suitable whore to fulfill your needs.” After he said that, he left the two alone.
Zarbon withdrew from Bulma and she sank to the floor, grateful for being spared. When she looked up and saw the cruel light shining in Zarbon’s eyes, Bulma couldn’t look away. Fear finally decided to take over, to paralyze her, making her heart pound harder and her aching head throb more.
“You’d better agree to help Lord Freeza. If you don’t do as he asks, I will have my way with you. And I will make sure that Vegeta is half-dead while he watches us and hears you moan in pleasure by my hand.” Leaving that threat hanging in the air, he turned and left as she watched the cell doors shut behind him.
Alone at last, Bulma curled herself into a ball and began to sob. She couldn’t help it. Just yesterday, real happiness had blossomed; today, terror had taken over. Maybe later, she could clear her mind and think of a way to turn this awful mess to her advantage, so that she could help Vegeta, but now all she could do was break down and cry. It seemed that nothing would allow her to be happy for more than a few days at a time, and she wondered if the last of her happy days were already over.
**********
The occupants in the corridors of the rebellion’s flagship froze as soon as they saw the presence advancing on them. As usual, the very unhappy and moody prince was on edge, like a caged cat ready to pounce on its prey. Vegeta continued to stomp down the corridor, not even paying the slightest attention to the people who literally jumped out of his way. He was going to the main conference room, where he and his co-conspirators were planning to review their main strategy regarding the first few attacks on Freeza’s fleet and his forces situated on different worlds. Before he went inside the conference room, he turned and entered another that was not far from to it. That chamber was empty and dark with a small port window that was filled with stars.
It had been over a week since the rebellion had gathered up all of the defecting Saiya-jins. Vegeta made sure that Bardock and his family was on board the main flagship as well. And it had been about two weeks since he last saw Bulma. It was that last memory of her that kept his fury intact everyday. Try as he might, he couldn’t feel her nor could he hear her voice echoing in his mind, but he was certain she was still alive. Once the door to the room closed, he walked to the window, reached out to rest one forearm on the wall, then gazed out into space. He let his head lean against his raised forearm, continuing to gaze out at the multitude of bright stars, wondering which one of them was closest to Bulma.
His whole world had become Bulma. She was the only one who saw the real Vegeta, even when she had no idea that he was the prince or when the bond seemed its weakest, Bulma was there to understand him, to accept him, and to love him. And now she was in the hands of his worst enemy.
Vegeta felt the ki before the door opened behind him. A concerned Kakarotto stood in the open doorway, looking worriedly at his prince. When Vegeta had told him of Bulma’s capture, Kakarotto, along with his wife, were the only ones who seemed to share in Vegeta’s feelings of loss. At first, when Vegeta saw Kakarotto helping his expectant wife step out of the pod in the docking bay, he almost went livid. Of all people, Kakarotto had broken Vegeta’s decree, showing him a disloyalty he thought the dumb Saiya-jin would never dare commit. But instead of punishing him, Vegeta held his tongue, for he too had broken his own decree by marrying Bulma. After he calmed down, he realized that no Saiya-jin woman would want the strong, but somewhat naïve, Saiya-jin and the best course for him would be to find an alien female as a mate. As it turned out, Kakarotto’s Chikyuu-jin mate also happened to be an old acquaintance of Bulma’s, so he let the infraction pass.
But now, the two stood in silence as Vegeta made no move to acknowledge his guest. Kakarotto knew what was on Vegeta’s mind and took no offense by the lack of greeting. Hearing the footsteps come closer, Vegeta already knew Kakarotto’s purpose in seeking him, but wasn’t ready to go just yet. He continued to study each star, hoping he could pinpoint the one where Bulma…and Freeza…was, wishing he knew so he could take a pod and get her himself.
“Prince Vegeta?” Kakarotto kept his voice low, careful not to speak too loud lest he anger Vegeta any further.
“What?” Vegeta’s voice was oddly quiet.
“The meeting will be starting very soon.”
“I know.”
After a moment when neither said anything more, Kakarotto took a few steps closer. “I’m worried about her, too.”
“Do not try to pity me or patronize me! She is the Princess of the Saiya-jins, my equal; she will not die and she will find a way to escape. There is no cause for me to worry.” Vegeta almost sounded like he actually believed what he had just said, but Kakarotto-Goku knew better.
“Well, maybe there’s a reason why they took her, one that will turn out to be really good for everyone.”
Vegeta tore his eyes away from the window and stared at Kakarotto in disbelief. “There is no good reason for her to be there…with him!”
Kakarotto shrugged. “You’re right, but Bulma’s is really smart and I’m sure she’ll find a way to escape.”
Vegeta averted his eyes from his companion for a moment and then started to walk towards the door. “Of course!” he suddenly declared, startling the other Saiya-jin with his outburst. As if charged with a new purpose, Vegeta briskly left the room with a puzzled Kakarotto following close behind.
The conference room was only a few doors down. Once they entered, they were immediately swallowed by the sea of bodies. The ambient light in the room was slight, but it was supplemented by lit computer screens and projected images of all kinds, in every different color. The ground was the only other source of lighting in the room. Many people were sitting around the room, but others, especially the leaders of the rebellion, including Bardock, were standing closer to the center, conversing about rebellion matters.
As Vegeta made his way to the center, most people in the room went quiet. They all knew that he was the strongest of all the rebellion fighters. As such, he was both feared and respected, especially since his constantly foul moods were readable by the whole ship. After Vegeta joined the rest of the leaders, Kakarotto milled back through the crowd to seek out Chi-Chi and the rest of his family. As soon as he found his seat with them and sat down, the lights on the floor were dimmed and the center platform was raised. All of the rebellion leaders stood up and began taking turns discussing their current strategies.
The person who spoke first was an alien of odd proportions and big eyes named Chasen. “We will divide our fleet into three main attack groups, making sure to keep a distance from each other for evasion purposes.”
“My squadron will be heading towards my planet of Godan,” Chimo then began speaking, “where, I’ve been informed, the Ginyu force is planning to be stationed for an extended stay in six month’s time. During that time, the nearest moon will be passing into its new moon phase and as such, its atmosphere will be extremely delicate. By using the most precisely combined chemical compounds, we plan to enter orbit into the moon’s blind side, thus avoiding detection, and make a controlled release of the compound into the moon’s stratosphere, thereby causing a disruption in the planet below and throwing it into a temporary state of flux.” Chimo then stepped slightly back as he pushed a few buttons and a screen overhead showed a diagram of his planet Godan. “This flux condition will cause everyone on the planet to be temporarily paralyzed, but once it wears off, there will be no lasting ill effects. But it only last for a few hours, so we have to move quickly. My squadron will then go down to the planet, taking precautions to protect ourselves from being influenced by the flux, and kill all the members of the Ginyu force while they are immobilized.”
Vegeta looked at Chimo and almost wanted to hit him. His Saiya-jin nature wanted to shout aloud in protest that they should fight the Ginyu force hand-to-hand; to him, it was a waste to just kill outright and without a fight, but luckily for everyone involved, no Saiya-jins would be joining Chimo’s fleet. Vegeta watched Chimo nod to the next person, who was of the same alien type as Chasen.
“While Chimo’s group is taking care of the Ginyu Force, my fleet will be deployed in smaller segments in order to destroy Freeza’s smaller fleets and outposts around the five galaxies, in wh –” Before she could finish her speech, Vegeta cut the female Sado-jin off.
“If anyone of you takes it upon himself or herself to kill any of Freeza’s scientists, I will personally blast you to hell!” Vegeta’s tone was dead serious. Everyone looked at him in surprise and terror. When Vegeta said no more, the female Sado-jin, named Fukusa continued. She gave Vegeta a contemptuous look before her voice filled the room once again.
“As I was saying…in which most of the Saiya-jins will play an important role. With the demise of those smaller fleets and stations, the effect will slowly cripple Freeza and his empire from the outside in; although, at first, it might not be enough for Freeza to give it his full attention. Our first battle will be with the small fleet near the now-deserted planet of Yardrat. The leader of the Saiya-jins, for this part of our mission, will be newly promoted Captain Seripa.”
Seripa stood and then nodded to the group. “I have will have 255 Saiya-jins reporting to me by the end of this week. The only Saiya-jins that will not be coming for this mission will be Prince Vegeta, Admiral Bardock, and General Kakarotto,” she announced briskly then sat down. As soon as everyone’s attention passed onto the next speaker, she glanced over at the prince and sighed. When she learned that Bulma had been captured by their enemies on the day of the mass defection, Seripa realized how much she had come to care for the Chikyuu-jin. But she also couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that Bulma might already be dead.
Vegeta then spoke, keeping his words short and to the point: “You all have your assignments. As for me, my fleet will be heading off to directly confront Freeza’s main fleet. Our first target will be Dodoria. In my absence, Admiral Bardock will be assuming command while General Kakarotto and I go ahead to engage the enemy. I am well aware that some of you are scared shitless. And make no mistake, some of you are about to die! That is the grim reality of war! But I also want you all to never forget the reason why we are fighting! That is all.”
The room went silent. Vegeta’s harsh words felt empty, but oddly some felt empowered by it, only because their fears and uncertainties were brought into the open by his words. But, unlike their alien allies, the Saiya-jins noted the prince’s words with delight. They would never yield to their fears, for they would die fighting! Battling to the end was a dream for most of them. To fight and die in this war against the strongest foes they could ever have faced gave them all a renewed sense of pride.
Having no need to stay and make idle chit-chat, Vegeta gave one last scan over the faces around the room and left. The rest of the meeting went on, but Chimo and Kakarotto went after Vegeta, quickly following him into the corridor.
“Prince Vegeta, wait!” Chimo called, trying to catch his stride up to the short, but very speedy, Saiya-jin.
At first, Vegeta didn’t want to stop, but when Chimo began to run, he stopped. Vegeta didn’t turn to face him, but instead stood with his back straight, not wishing to make eye contact with anyone. Kakarotto caught up to both and stood behind Chimo, unsure as to what was going on.
“Prince Vegeta, what was all that about?” Chimo’s question almost sounded rude, but it was obvious that he was holding back, trying not to enrage or disrespect the prince.
“Do not attempt to demand answers from me.” Vegeta’s voice was even and low.
“What you said just now, and before…were you trying to purposely hurt our morale?”
“We will not win this battle without the full support of my people. I need only to be concerned that I said the right words for them to hear,” Vegeta said, turning around to face Chimo. Both stared back at each other with emotionless faces; faces that had seen too many wars and equally as many hardships.
“Prince Vegeta, you came to us in support of your cause and we all agreed to follow you, even the other leaders who have no love for you. Your words were needed to encourage them as well.”
“When this is over, I do not plan on ruling any other planet besides my own. For those who fight beside us, I will give back them their planets once we are all free of Freeza’s tyranny, so they need not worry about my words!” Before Bulma was taken from him, Vegeta had entertained occasional thoughts about ruling the universe after all this, but those thoughts went cold when she was abducted. Now he knew what he truly wanted, besides being the strongest in the universe: his planet, his people, and Bulma by his side.
“It will not work out like that. When Freeza’s forces are no more, people will be turning to you for leadership.”
“I don’t need weaklings looking up to me for guidance when they should seek it within themselves.”
“Prince Vegeta, not everyone involved in this rebellion has the outlook of a Saiya-jin.” Chimo’s voice sounded hurt.
This sort of diplomatic situation would’ve been a perfect one for Bulma to handle, but Vegeta did not possess her sense of tact. But neither would he pull any punches. “Rubbish! Those who do not share in Saiya-jin philosophy should not be expecting leadership from a Saiya-jin!”
“And what about her?” Chimo asked, deciding to tread on rocky ground. “Does she share in your Saiya-jin philosophy about fighting and dying as well?” Vegeta scowled darkly back at the alien.
Their odd alliance was already shaky enough and it felt to Kakarotto, who had been listening to this conversation, as if Chimo’s challenging words might threaten to destroy it altogether. He gulped audibly in the stony silence that followed.
“When I finally get her back,” Vegeta said lowly, breaking the silence,” she will have the rank and privilege of being Queen of Vegeta-sei. And then, those who are not Saiya-jin may feel free to seek her out for leadership.”
There was another silent pause in the conversation. Chimo looked like he was about to pity Vegeta. “But, Prince,” Chimo’s tone was soft, “she must be dead.”
Vegeta’s tightly-held anger finally exploded and his face turned slightly red. “YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SAIYA-JIN LEGENDS! I KNOW SHE IS ALIVE!” he shouted into Chimo’s face before quickly storming off.
“But what about the training I was supposed to give you?” Chimo called out, but the prince said nothing and disappeared around a corner. The alien sighed, deciding not to press any further on the subject, but curious as to how Vegeta knew the girl was still alive.
Kakarotto, who had been silent the whole time and thoroughly confused about what had just taken place, finally decided to say something. “What training was that, Chimo?”
Slightly confused and surprised by the question and by who had uttered it, Chimo turned towards the tall Saiya-jin and looked at him fully before answering: “Well, if I’m not training the prince, I might as well train the prince’s bodyguard. I may be weak, but I do happen to possess a few interesting and valuable tricks.” Kakarotto just shrugged and gave him a goofy smile. “I suppose you’ll have to do.”
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Once the bulk of the rebellion’s fleet broke off into its three smaller interceptor fleets, word began to spread around the galaxy of someone actually trying to oppose Freeza and his minions. Most believed that those were foolish enough to go up against Freeza were insane and looking for death. But a greater number believed and hoped that this band of rebels would succeed and save their worlds from the evil tyrant. Finally, there were those who, though not officially joining in the cause by were inspired by the rebels’ efforts, took up their own arms and began to slowly take back what was theirs.
Wherever they went, the rebels could definitely sense change in the air; Vegeta could feel it, and so could everyone else. On the way to their encounter, Vegeta’s fleet stopped by a space station loyal to them, thanks in large part to the implementation of Bulma’s inventions onto their ships. As they were loading last-minute supplies, the crew noted mixed looks; some gave nods of approval, while others refused to look directly at them. But it was clear to everyone involved. Things were changing and from this point forward, their lives would be different. They clung to the small ray of hope that Freeza’s time might be coming to end, and that belief brought immeasurable joy to many.
Unfortunately, their hopes didn’t matter to Vegeta at that moment, nor did he pay any particular attention to it. He was aware of the general buzz of support circling their rebellion and it was enough for him. But inside, he was pained that he could not share it with Bulma, how she would have taken joy in it, and how pleased she would have been to be by his side, realizing his vast plans with him. Instead of allowing his thoughts of Bulma to depress him, he used them to concentrate on his training. In his mind, if he wasn’t going to be spending his time eating, sleeping, or answering the call of nature, he was going to train with all of his might. In his absence, Bardock was more than capable to handle the direction of the fleet and anything else that might prevent Vegeta from training. Kakarotto was training as well and at times Vegeta called upon him to be his sparring partner. And in another and very important aspect, Vegeta was lucky; the “GR” that Bulma made built for him had proven its worth time and time again, as his strength grew with every intense training session.
Hopefully, he told himself, when I see Bulma once again, it’ll be at the moment I defeat Freeza with my own two hands, once and for all, and she’ll be watching when I do it…
**********
Lying on the cold, grimy, and hard cell floor, Bulma felt like she could throw up at any minute. She didn’t know if it was because she had been in this horrible place for two months or if it was because Zarbon had made it a point to come into her cell almost every day to verbally torture her. The vile things that spewed from his mouth made her gag every time. At least his visitations, unwelcome as they were, helped her mark the passing of the days. But in the last two months, she also noted that her cycle had stopped. From what Bulma remembered about her mother telling her in one of her flowery speeches about the birds and the bees, her nausea might be stemming from something entirely different than just Zarbon and his nasty taunts. Could she be pregnant?
Bulma lay on the floor on her side, trying her best to keep down the only bit of food they gave her earlier. She rolled over onto her back and covered her eyes to block out the glare from the harsh overhead light. She didn’t know what to think. If she was indeed pregnant, then she couldn’t just die. Her wish to have a family, her yearning to be with Vegeta, everything rested on her decision to fight and survive. But in order to survive, she wasn’t sure if she could trust Freeza enough to work for him, to bide her time so that she could escape and see Vegeta again.
Bulma’s bright blue eyes began to well up with tears; not out of sorrow, but of joy. If she really was pregnant with Vegeta’s child, then her happiness hadn’t yet abandoned her and she had to do whatever she could to hold onto it with all of her might. Looking back on those times, that seemed so long ago, after enduring her long, hard days as a slave, she would sneak out into her special garden and Vegeta would be waiting for her. There, where the scent of the night-blooming flowers filled the dark hours, he trained her in both her body and heart. Bulma remembered the sweat…and the touches…and the hot breaths they exchanged during their heated training sessions. And she remembered him saying:
“That bright spot is Chikyuu. Because of the time and distance it takes for light to travel through space, you can still see it, even though it was destroyed. While you are on Vegeta-sei, you can look up into the night sky and be able to feel that part of Chikyuu within you. If you leave, then you leave that behind as well.”
Bulma hugged herself. She was determined to hold onto that sunny, precious part of Vegeta-sei in her heart and in her womb, and she was not about to give up either without a fight.
**********
Zarbon had grown to love the idea of torturing the blue-haired woman. Every day, he would stroll unannounced into her cell, telling her about the growing rebellion casualties, giving her no information about her monkey lover and then reminding her, in the most graphic way possible, of all that he would do to her if she didn’t comply with his master’s wishes. In his mind, however, Zarbon was deeply unhappy to be serving Freeza, who was now unable to call himself the strongest in the universe. Yet Zarbon was willing to remain outwardly loyal until an opportunity to switch camps presented itself. As always, his thoughts were purely selfish; Zarbon held himself on top of his personal list, followed by his desire to serve the strongest of all leaders. Recently added to his ideal list of priorities was to have the smartest, and sexiest, woman beside him and in his bed. Of course, he had no illusions of being the strongest. As long as he was stronger than the majority of those around him, it was enough.
For the time being, Zarbon had to obey Freeza’s orders and not touch that blue-haired Chikyuu-jin. Oh well, he thought, time was on his side. That so-called rebellion led by those filthy animals wouldn’t last much longer and the girl would come around sooner or later. Zarbon lightly walked to Bulma’s holding cell, looking forward to torturing her again. If only her stubborn will would break, then she would become putty in his hands. He remembered how easily she fell for him once before when she was weak and vain. Eventually, his good looks could easily change her views.
As Zarbon stepped up to the door of Bulma’s cell, he thought that perhaps there was a better way to woo her. Another way of seduction might work with her, something not as physical as it was psychological? Smirking, he punched in the access codes to Bulma’s secure cell. She was a genius, after all, and she could easily bust out of a normal cell. Once the doors opened, Zarbon was slightly taken aback.
Against the far wall was Bulma, the blue-haired Chikyuu-jin, standing rather tall and determined. Today, she looked quite different to Zarbon. She wasn't trying to cover her obvious fear, and this time he couldn’t detect any in her features. He had never seen her like this…so full of poise and confidence, even on the day she was captured. She said nothing to him, but her presence was almost overwhelming. Curious, Zarbon wondered how this change could have happened to her so suddenly…within a day?
Zarbon took his time and walked slowly into her cell, cautious that Bulma may have been up to something since his last visit. He looked left and right then back to her. She caught his look and held it, raising her head a fraction higher. With a slow, purposeful stride, she closed the short distance between them, and when she was just a few inches from him, she stopped.
Zarbon didn’t like this change in attitude, but before he could demand an explanation, Bulma spoke, her tone demanding and very haughty. “Bring Freeza here. If he wants me to work for him, I’ll need a better place in which to do my work. And I want my own quarters with a place for a bath.”
**********
With Zarbon following close behind, Freeza stalked down the corridor in his ship that led to the female Chikyuu-jin's cell. After two whole months putting up with her stubborn ways, and just as he was about to order her death, the thing decided to be agreeable? He didn’t like it. Why, all of a sudden, had she changed her mind? If the reason sounded acceptable to him then he would make her work deathly hard until she succeeded in upgrading the cybernetic components and made a better body for him. He had no doubt that he would kill her sooner or later, but, for the time being, he could use her as emotional blackmail for Vegeta. Even Gero was breathing down his neck almost every day and knew something was up. It wouldn’t be long before the pesky Dr. Gero demanded his own empire, so he could do things his way. Freeza wasn’t about to let that happen.
Stepping into Bulma’s cell in a displeased rush, he eyed her suspiciously. She was standing, leaning against the far wall, looking down. Zarbon, who had followed him inside, looked confused. Earlier, she looked obsessed with determination, now she looked ragged. Annoyed, Freeza raised his hand, ready to blast the girl and later beat Zarbon for his idiocy when Bulma looked up. Freeza watched as her eyes and face came into his view. In that single moment, when only the buzzing of light could be heard, Freeza’s hand dropped involuntarily and he stepped back. The sharpness in Bulma’s blue eyes reminded him of both Gero and Vegeta; all of them had that look of a will both strong and cunning, and that fierce look had, for just for a second, scared him deeply. Regaining his composure, he stepped closer to Bulma, who remained just as she was.
“Are you sane?” Freeza asked, his voice trying to hide his slight fear.
Bulma smirked, trying her best to imitate Vegeta. “I think I am.”
“Then why, after so long, do you decide to change your ways and say you’ll finally do as I have asked?” Still uncomfortable with the steely look in her eyes, Freeza smiled and turned away from her, trying to seem disinterested. He didn’t know what to think of this ridiculous woman.
“I am, after all, the smartest woman in the universe, and I know that you will kill me, no matter if I help you or not.” Bulma kept her stubborn pride showing on the surface. It was coming to her naturally, although she was deathly scared inside.
“Don’t be so certain about that, woman. You would like to believe that you are so smart, but I have seen others far smarter. And if, indeed, you were as smart as you say, I wouldn’t kill you off so easily.” Pleased with his response, Freeza thought he had won this battle and looked at her with a smirk.
“Then why take the trouble to capture me instead of just killing me outright for my association with Vegeta?”
Freeza gnashed his teeth for a moment, frustrated by her continuing fearless stance. Frowning, he looked away from her again, hating the fact that he needed her intelligence and skill. “Fine, you are right. I do plan to kill you either way, so why work for me at all?”
“If I’m going to die, then I want to die doing the only thing I love: inventing. At this point, I don’t care anymore. At least I can go down in history by making you the ultimate killing machine,” Bulma replied, holding her expression as calm and believable as possible as she lied.
Freeza said nothing, but looked more intently at her. After the buzzing noise from the lights started to annoy him, he came to a decision. He wanted his new body and she was going to make it knowing he would kill her. It would be worth it in the end, but in the meanwhile, he would have to arrange a constant watch on her to make sure that she didn’t pull anything to sabotage the new body. “Fine, Zarbon, show her to her new ‘cell,’” he finally said, before turning to walk out of the room.
Little did he know, Bulma had no desire to make anything that would benefit the white lizard warlord. She would invent as slowly as possible while figuring out ways to get out of this hellish predicament, for herself and for the baby that was growing inside her. Her only real purpose was to plan out an escape to get as far away as possible. If Freeza thought she was going to try anything funny with his new body, then he had something else coming to him. She glared daggers at Zarbon as he moved closer to her, fully expecting him to try something. But when he took her hand gently in his and began to slowly lead her out of the cell, she became confused.
Zarbon paused, bowing to her and kissing her hand, the smirk on his face hidden from her view. Today, he would escort her to her new “cell,” while making mental plans to seduce her. Perhaps he would not join her in bed today, but soon…she would be all his.
**********
Gero was not happy and he knew something was up. Ever since they had made that trip to Vegeta-sei, he believed that Freeza had been keeping secrets, important ones, from him. The twins had shared his uneasiness, hearing hushed talk here and there about Vegeta’s lover being held on board for ransom, or that the future queen of Vegeta-sei had been captured and killed, or that another Chikyuu-jin, like them, was aboard the ship. But of all the rumors going back and forth, Gero didn’t know which of them were true or just a bunch of shipboard gossip among the crew. If Vegeta’s lover was being held captive then Freeza should not be keeping Gero from her. And if there happened to be another Chikyuu-jin, alive and on this ship, then Freeza should have surrendered that person over to him; the soon-to-be Chikyuu-jin ruler of the universe, the creator of God.
No, Gero fumed inwardly, if Freeza didn’t not want to share his information, then he was not to be trusted any longer. His God, his creature, was going to wake any moment now, and Gero did not want that fake living thing to disrupt the delicate process of his God’s triumphant awakening. Two more months, that’s all he needed. Quickly looking over all the planets that were close by, he noticed two; one that had already been purged and another that was scheduled to be within the next year. Grinning, he made a mental note of the first one on the map. It had been bought by a group of semi-weak warriors and merchants. That one would do nicely.
He turned to face the twins, who had been sitting behind him and not bothering to hide the bored looks on their faces. “You two, come here now!” he barked to them.
Trying their best to not hide their disrespect and boredom, they got up slowly from their comfortable seats, and walked, just as lazily, up to Gero. Juunanago placed his hands on his hips, while his sister flipped her hair behind her and crossed her arms over her chest.
“What do you want now, old man?” Juunanago’s voice was bitter.
“Don’t use that tone with me or would you rather I turn you off?” When Juunanago remained silent, Gero continued, “I am planning to do some research on a planet for some time. In my absence, I expect you both to watch Freeza and report to me anything that happens. In two months, you both will be leaving this ship and joining me on that planet. If you don‘t follow my orders, I will activate your self-destruct mechanisms.”
The twins kept quiet for a moment then Juuhachigo voiced her thoughts: “What about this rebellion we keep hearing about? Do you want us to fight with Freeza’s fleet?”
Gero glared back at her. “I only want you two to become involved so that you can get to Vegeta and capture him since Freeza and his men are doing a piss-poor job of it,” he instructed with a small smirk, as he thought of all of his future ambitions coming to their realization.
Yes, when the twins finally come to greet his new God, their deaths would perfect Him, as would the rest of that planet’s inhabitants. All the disrespect he had to endure from them would be paid back in full…of course, the time they’d be babysitting Freeza would prove most useful as well. It seemed to Gero that his two creations were almost too valuable to dispose of, but as in all things scientific, one must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices in order to succeed. “That is all, go away.”
Juunanago and Juuhachigo watched as their maker turned his back on them, his body language dismissing them from his sight. Without a word said between them, they decided to leave the chambers and go for a walk. They went into the light of the corridor, leaving the old man to continue his uninteresting work. When the twins had gone a distance and had finally lost sight of the room, they glanced at each other. No particular emotion showed on their young faces, but it was obvious as to what occupied their minds.
“Sis, in two months!”
Juuhachigo nodded. “Be sure I get a front seat.”
“Of course you will. I’ll even let you bathe in all of the blood afterward, if you’d like.” His sister smirked, happy that her brother was looking forward to killing that bastard.
“Red isn’t really my color, bro,” she said with a sly grin, “but I’m sure it will look good on you.”
Juunanago smirked grew wider as his sister began pick up her pace to walk ahead of him. “Hey sis, what if that ‘other Chikyuu-jin’ rumor is true?”
Juuhachigo stopped and turned back to look at her brother. “Then I want to meet with him, of course!”
**********
A soft buzzing filled the air and a harsh, bright light illuminated every inch of the dingy cell. Both of these unwelcome sensations intruded into Bulma’s semi-wakefulness and made her dizzy and disoriented. Fighting a rather large headache, she sat up a bit too quickly and nearly fell back as the woozy feeling washed over her again. After few minutes and some deep breaths later, she tried again to sit up, more slowly this time. When she realized where she was, she gasped.
Bulma immediately tried to reach out to Vegeta with the connection that she knew so little about, but she could hardly feel anything. There was just a faint spark; a reassuring sign that he was most likely still alive. Sighing, she tried to position her legs under her so that she could stand, but couldn’t do it. Her efforts nearly made that awful wooziness return. Her body felt tilted and out of place. Zarbon must’ve hit her head pretty hard when she had tried to run away from him.
Rather than attempt to stand, Bulma decided to drag her body to the nearest wall. Taking her time, she finally reached the wall and propped herself up to lean against it, letting her head hang so that her eyes would be shielded from the light and to ease the pain from her head. She wondered why she was here. Was it because the King handed her over to Freeza for Paragus’ death or was it because of her abilities? She knew that growing up on Chikyuu wouldn’t have allowed her to be this smart, but surely Freeza couldn’t value her that much to have her put into a jail cell? Did the warlord know about her involvement with the rebellion or even Vegeta? She didn’t want to think about that. Instead, she would try to be as positive as best as she could be. Once the pain was gone and she could stand, she would think of a way to get out of here and escape. And she would find Vegeta.
Vegeta…Bulma’s troubled thoughts suddenly focused on her husband. He left in such a hurry this morning, summoned by the king, that she didn’t get to say good-bye to him; she didn’t even get to kiss him one last time. Remembering her dream, she wondered if having a family with him was too much to ask for, too much to hope for. Not knowing what else to do, she let her mind drift to the thoughts on Dragon Balls.
Just as her the pain in her head was starting to abate and her thoughts on Dragon Balls were getting interesting, the door to her cell opened to reveal two visitors: the taller one she knew and hated all too well and another, smaller creature resembling a mechanical white lizard. She slowly got to her feet, using her hands to brace herself on the wall next to her. Bulma remained silent as both figures stopped in front of her and smirked.
“I take it you do not know who I am, Chikyuu-jin?” The white lizard almost looked amused when he asked that.
Bulma wasn’t sure how she should act, so she decided to take her usual bold approach. “What do you want with me?”
“You should learn to have some respect for me, Chikyuu-jin, before you try to demand answers.” His mechanical tail whipped behind him as the lizard folded his arms over his small chest. “I am Freeza, Emperor of the Five Galaxies, and right now, I hold your life in my hands. So, unless you wish to die, show proper respect.”
Bulma’s heart stopped. This was Freeza! This ugly, little creature was the thing that had started all this pain and suffering! This thing had hurt her husband more than anything else in the universe. She wanted to spring at him and beat him senseless, but her injuries prevented her from doing anything more than answering, “No, I will not! So kill me now, you heartless bastard!”
Freeza’s smugness disappeared on his face and was replaced by a scowl. “Fine, be stubborn, Chikyuu-jin, but eventually, you will still do as I say.”
“I’d rather die!” Bulma voice held no fear; or at least, that was what she was trying to tell herself. But her eyes, filled of uncertainty, gave her away.
“It is fortunate for you that you happen to be so smart, Chikyuu-jin, and that your value is high, because if you weren’t, I would kill you right now where you stand for your insolence.” Freeza glanced behind him at Zarbon, who had entered with him, then back to Bulma. “It is my understanding that you have a very clever and inventive mind. Once, I was a completely flesh-and-blood creature but, as you can see, I had to become more in order to survive and become stronger. You will take your skills and enhance this body and all its components, making me ten thousand times stronger than I already am. If you do, I’ll let you stay in my empire, alive, as a scientist. If you refuse, I’ll make certain that you die in such a way no one would be able to recognize you, not even your dear monkey prince.”
Bulma bit back a gasp. She knew he was referring to Vegeta, and by the sound of it, he somehow found out about their relationship. “I refuse to do anything for you. You can rot in that tin suit for all I care!” she replied with a huff and an upwards tilt to her chin.
Despite her brave words, Zarbon chuckled and so did Freeza. “You’re quite amusing, Chikyuu-jin. I suggest that you think my offer over very carefully. In the meantime, I will busy myself by squashing that little rebellion your traitorous monkey has built up. After my forces have gathered and killed all of the rebels, I’ll come back for your answer. And then, once you agree to my request, I might just allow you see him once last time before I kill him.”
Bulma stared at Freeza, her rapid heartbeats alternating with hate and dread. Right now, the thing that scared her most was that Freeza would try and question her about her knowledge of the rebellion. Besides biting her tongue in half to free herself from this horrible situation with her death, she didn’t know what else to do.
“Don’t be foolish and think about killing yourself either,” Freeza said, seeming to read her mind. Bulma kicked herself mentally for letting him read her expressions so easily. “If you do, I’ll have to change my mind and torture you for information about your dear lover’s rebellion, which I’m sure you know all about. But don’t worry. Soon, I will have them all under my thumb.”
Great, she thought, now he’ll be watching me even closer, and if I try anything, he’ll save my life only to torture me and kill me later when I’ve given up my knowledge about the rebellion.
Standing behind his emperor, Zarbon’s smirk never left him. When Freeza stayed silent for long enough, he walked past his leader and stopped in front of Bulma. She glared at him, blue acid flaming forth from her eyes, her hate for him obvious. Still smirking, he didn’t react to the fury in her eyes, or her attempts to slide away from him. Freeza watched with amusement as his right-hand man decided to take advantage of this prime opportunity by placing one hand in the middle of her armored chest, pinning her back into the wall. With his free hand, he roughly cupped her armor-covered breast, fondling it for a minute or two before sliding his hand downward towards her womanhood. Bulma bit her lip, praying he would stop, but he continued. Without ripping her clothes, Zarbon cupped the place in between her thighs then pressed his fingers as deep as he could. He leaned his face forward, flicking her soft check with his tongue and pressing his body closer to her.
“Zarbon, don’t damage her now. I need her intact so that she can make me stronger, remember?” Freeza’s tone was almost playful.
Absolutely disgusted by Zarbon’s unwanted attentions, Bulma’s racing mind finally thought of something, thanks to what the ugly freak of a warlord emperor just said. Hopefully, it would work. “Freeza! If you let Zarbon touch me anymore, I swear I will never, EVER make anything for you! I don‘t care if I die!”
Her heated words made Freeza lose his amused look. He turned away from her and began walking slowly towards the cell doors while Zarbon continued to touch her in unwelcoming ways. Before the doors closed on him, Freeza paused in the doorway and turned his head only slightly to say, “Zarbon, you really do have poor taste in females. Leave that one be and I will find you a more suitable whore to fulfill your needs.” After he said that, he left the two alone.
Zarbon withdrew from Bulma and she sank to the floor, grateful for being spared. When she looked up and saw the cruel light shining in Zarbon’s eyes, Bulma couldn’t look away. Fear finally decided to take over, to paralyze her, making her heart pound harder and her aching head throb more.
“You’d better agree to help Lord Freeza. If you don’t do as he asks, I will have my way with you. And I will make sure that Vegeta is half-dead while he watches us and hears you moan in pleasure by my hand.” Leaving that threat hanging in the air, he turned and left as she watched the cell doors shut behind him.
Alone at last, Bulma curled herself into a ball and began to sob. She couldn’t help it. Just yesterday, real happiness had blossomed; today, terror had taken over. Maybe later, she could clear her mind and think of a way to turn this awful mess to her advantage, so that she could help Vegeta, but now all she could do was break down and cry. It seemed that nothing would allow her to be happy for more than a few days at a time, and she wondered if the last of her happy days were already over.
**********
The occupants in the corridors of the rebellion’s flagship froze as soon as they saw the presence advancing on them. As usual, the very unhappy and moody prince was on edge, like a caged cat ready to pounce on its prey. Vegeta continued to stomp down the corridor, not even paying the slightest attention to the people who literally jumped out of his way. He was going to the main conference room, where he and his co-conspirators were planning to review their main strategy regarding the first few attacks on Freeza’s fleet and his forces situated on different worlds. Before he went inside the conference room, he turned and entered another that was not far from to it. That chamber was empty and dark with a small port window that was filled with stars.
It had been over a week since the rebellion had gathered up all of the defecting Saiya-jins. Vegeta made sure that Bardock and his family was on board the main flagship as well. And it had been about two weeks since he last saw Bulma. It was that last memory of her that kept his fury intact everyday. Try as he might, he couldn’t feel her nor could he hear her voice echoing in his mind, but he was certain she was still alive. Once the door to the room closed, he walked to the window, reached out to rest one forearm on the wall, then gazed out into space. He let his head lean against his raised forearm, continuing to gaze out at the multitude of bright stars, wondering which one of them was closest to Bulma.
His whole world had become Bulma. She was the only one who saw the real Vegeta, even when she had no idea that he was the prince or when the bond seemed its weakest, Bulma was there to understand him, to accept him, and to love him. And now she was in the hands of his worst enemy.
Vegeta felt the ki before the door opened behind him. A concerned Kakarotto stood in the open doorway, looking worriedly at his prince. When Vegeta had told him of Bulma’s capture, Kakarotto, along with his wife, were the only ones who seemed to share in Vegeta’s feelings of loss. At first, when Vegeta saw Kakarotto helping his expectant wife step out of the pod in the docking bay, he almost went livid. Of all people, Kakarotto had broken Vegeta’s decree, showing him a disloyalty he thought the dumb Saiya-jin would never dare commit. But instead of punishing him, Vegeta held his tongue, for he too had broken his own decree by marrying Bulma. After he calmed down, he realized that no Saiya-jin woman would want the strong, but somewhat naïve, Saiya-jin and the best course for him would be to find an alien female as a mate. As it turned out, Kakarotto’s Chikyuu-jin mate also happened to be an old acquaintance of Bulma’s, so he let the infraction pass.
But now, the two stood in silence as Vegeta made no move to acknowledge his guest. Kakarotto knew what was on Vegeta’s mind and took no offense by the lack of greeting. Hearing the footsteps come closer, Vegeta already knew Kakarotto’s purpose in seeking him, but wasn’t ready to go just yet. He continued to study each star, hoping he could pinpoint the one where Bulma…and Freeza…was, wishing he knew so he could take a pod and get her himself.
“Prince Vegeta?” Kakarotto kept his voice low, careful not to speak too loud lest he anger Vegeta any further.
“What?” Vegeta’s voice was oddly quiet.
“The meeting will be starting very soon.”
“I know.”
After a moment when neither said anything more, Kakarotto took a few steps closer. “I’m worried about her, too.”
“Do not try to pity me or patronize me! She is the Princess of the Saiya-jins, my equal; she will not die and she will find a way to escape. There is no cause for me to worry.” Vegeta almost sounded like he actually believed what he had just said, but Kakarotto-Goku knew better.
“Well, maybe there’s a reason why they took her, one that will turn out to be really good for everyone.”
Vegeta tore his eyes away from the window and stared at Kakarotto in disbelief. “There is no good reason for her to be there…with him!”
Kakarotto shrugged. “You’re right, but Bulma’s is really smart and I’m sure she’ll find a way to escape.”
Vegeta averted his eyes from his companion for a moment and then started to walk towards the door. “Of course!” he suddenly declared, startling the other Saiya-jin with his outburst. As if charged with a new purpose, Vegeta briskly left the room with a puzzled Kakarotto following close behind.
The conference room was only a few doors down. Once they entered, they were immediately swallowed by the sea of bodies. The ambient light in the room was slight, but it was supplemented by lit computer screens and projected images of all kinds, in every different color. The ground was the only other source of lighting in the room. Many people were sitting around the room, but others, especially the leaders of the rebellion, including Bardock, were standing closer to the center, conversing about rebellion matters.
As Vegeta made his way to the center, most people in the room went quiet. They all knew that he was the strongest of all the rebellion fighters. As such, he was both feared and respected, especially since his constantly foul moods were readable by the whole ship. After Vegeta joined the rest of the leaders, Kakarotto milled back through the crowd to seek out Chi-Chi and the rest of his family. As soon as he found his seat with them and sat down, the lights on the floor were dimmed and the center platform was raised. All of the rebellion leaders stood up and began taking turns discussing their current strategies.
The person who spoke first was an alien of odd proportions and big eyes named Chasen. “We will divide our fleet into three main attack groups, making sure to keep a distance from each other for evasion purposes.”
“My squadron will be heading towards my planet of Godan,” Chimo then began speaking, “where, I’ve been informed, the Ginyu force is planning to be stationed for an extended stay in six month’s time. During that time, the nearest moon will be passing into its new moon phase and as such, its atmosphere will be extremely delicate. By using the most precisely combined chemical compounds, we plan to enter orbit into the moon’s blind side, thus avoiding detection, and make a controlled release of the compound into the moon’s stratosphere, thereby causing a disruption in the planet below and throwing it into a temporary state of flux.” Chimo then stepped slightly back as he pushed a few buttons and a screen overhead showed a diagram of his planet Godan. “This flux condition will cause everyone on the planet to be temporarily paralyzed, but once it wears off, there will be no lasting ill effects. But it only last for a few hours, so we have to move quickly. My squadron will then go down to the planet, taking precautions to protect ourselves from being influenced by the flux, and kill all the members of the Ginyu force while they are immobilized.”
Vegeta looked at Chimo and almost wanted to hit him. His Saiya-jin nature wanted to shout aloud in protest that they should fight the Ginyu force hand-to-hand; to him, it was a waste to just kill outright and without a fight, but luckily for everyone involved, no Saiya-jins would be joining Chimo’s fleet. Vegeta watched Chimo nod to the next person, who was of the same alien type as Chasen.
“While Chimo’s group is taking care of the Ginyu Force, my fleet will be deployed in smaller segments in order to destroy Freeza’s smaller fleets and outposts around the five galaxies, in wh –” Before she could finish her speech, Vegeta cut the female Sado-jin off.
“If anyone of you takes it upon himself or herself to kill any of Freeza’s scientists, I will personally blast you to hell!” Vegeta’s tone was dead serious. Everyone looked at him in surprise and terror. When Vegeta said no more, the female Sado-jin, named Fukusa continued. She gave Vegeta a contemptuous look before her voice filled the room once again.
“As I was saying…in which most of the Saiya-jins will play an important role. With the demise of those smaller fleets and stations, the effect will slowly cripple Freeza and his empire from the outside in; although, at first, it might not be enough for Freeza to give it his full attention. Our first battle will be with the small fleet near the now-deserted planet of Yardrat. The leader of the Saiya-jins, for this part of our mission, will be newly promoted Captain Seripa.”
Seripa stood and then nodded to the group. “I have will have 255 Saiya-jins reporting to me by the end of this week. The only Saiya-jins that will not be coming for this mission will be Prince Vegeta, Admiral Bardock, and General Kakarotto,” she announced briskly then sat down. As soon as everyone’s attention passed onto the next speaker, she glanced over at the prince and sighed. When she learned that Bulma had been captured by their enemies on the day of the mass defection, Seripa realized how much she had come to care for the Chikyuu-jin. But she also couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that Bulma might already be dead.
Vegeta then spoke, keeping his words short and to the point: “You all have your assignments. As for me, my fleet will be heading off to directly confront Freeza’s main fleet. Our first target will be Dodoria. In my absence, Admiral Bardock will be assuming command while General Kakarotto and I go ahead to engage the enemy. I am well aware that some of you are scared shitless. And make no mistake, some of you are about to die! That is the grim reality of war! But I also want you all to never forget the reason why we are fighting! That is all.”
The room went silent. Vegeta’s harsh words felt empty, but oddly some felt empowered by it, only because their fears and uncertainties were brought into the open by his words. But, unlike their alien allies, the Saiya-jins noted the prince’s words with delight. They would never yield to their fears, for they would die fighting! Battling to the end was a dream for most of them. To fight and die in this war against the strongest foes they could ever have faced gave them all a renewed sense of pride.
Having no need to stay and make idle chit-chat, Vegeta gave one last scan over the faces around the room and left. The rest of the meeting went on, but Chimo and Kakarotto went after Vegeta, quickly following him into the corridor.
“Prince Vegeta, wait!” Chimo called, trying to catch his stride up to the short, but very speedy, Saiya-jin.
At first, Vegeta didn’t want to stop, but when Chimo began to run, he stopped. Vegeta didn’t turn to face him, but instead stood with his back straight, not wishing to make eye contact with anyone. Kakarotto caught up to both and stood behind Chimo, unsure as to what was going on.
“Prince Vegeta, what was all that about?” Chimo’s question almost sounded rude, but it was obvious that he was holding back, trying not to enrage or disrespect the prince.
“Do not attempt to demand answers from me.” Vegeta’s voice was even and low.
“What you said just now, and before…were you trying to purposely hurt our morale?”
“We will not win this battle without the full support of my people. I need only to be concerned that I said the right words for them to hear,” Vegeta said, turning around to face Chimo. Both stared back at each other with emotionless faces; faces that had seen too many wars and equally as many hardships.
“Prince Vegeta, you came to us in support of your cause and we all agreed to follow you, even the other leaders who have no love for you. Your words were needed to encourage them as well.”
“When this is over, I do not plan on ruling any other planet besides my own. For those who fight beside us, I will give back them their planets once we are all free of Freeza’s tyranny, so they need not worry about my words!” Before Bulma was taken from him, Vegeta had entertained occasional thoughts about ruling the universe after all this, but those thoughts went cold when she was abducted. Now he knew what he truly wanted, besides being the strongest in the universe: his planet, his people, and Bulma by his side.
“It will not work out like that. When Freeza’s forces are no more, people will be turning to you for leadership.”
“I don’t need weaklings looking up to me for guidance when they should seek it within themselves.”
“Prince Vegeta, not everyone involved in this rebellion has the outlook of a Saiya-jin.” Chimo’s voice sounded hurt.
This sort of diplomatic situation would’ve been a perfect one for Bulma to handle, but Vegeta did not possess her sense of tact. But neither would he pull any punches. “Rubbish! Those who do not share in Saiya-jin philosophy should not be expecting leadership from a Saiya-jin!”
“And what about her?” Chimo asked, deciding to tread on rocky ground. “Does she share in your Saiya-jin philosophy about fighting and dying as well?” Vegeta scowled darkly back at the alien.
Their odd alliance was already shaky enough and it felt to Kakarotto, who had been listening to this conversation, as if Chimo’s challenging words might threaten to destroy it altogether. He gulped audibly in the stony silence that followed.
“When I finally get her back,” Vegeta said lowly, breaking the silence,” she will have the rank and privilege of being Queen of Vegeta-sei. And then, those who are not Saiya-jin may feel free to seek her out for leadership.”
There was another silent pause in the conversation. Chimo looked like he was about to pity Vegeta. “But, Prince,” Chimo’s tone was soft, “she must be dead.”
Vegeta’s tightly-held anger finally exploded and his face turned slightly red. “YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SAIYA-JIN LEGENDS! I KNOW SHE IS ALIVE!” he shouted into Chimo’s face before quickly storming off.
“But what about the training I was supposed to give you?” Chimo called out, but the prince said nothing and disappeared around a corner. The alien sighed, deciding not to press any further on the subject, but curious as to how Vegeta knew the girl was still alive.
Kakarotto, who had been silent the whole time and thoroughly confused about what had just taken place, finally decided to say something. “What training was that, Chimo?”
Slightly confused and surprised by the question and by who had uttered it, Chimo turned towards the tall Saiya-jin and looked at him fully before answering: “Well, if I’m not training the prince, I might as well train the prince’s bodyguard. I may be weak, but I do happen to possess a few interesting and valuable tricks.” Kakarotto just shrugged and gave him a goofy smile. “I suppose you’ll have to do.”
**********
Once the bulk of the rebellion’s fleet broke off into its three smaller interceptor fleets, word began to spread around the galaxy of someone actually trying to oppose Freeza and his minions. Most believed that those were foolish enough to go up against Freeza were insane and looking for death. But a greater number believed and hoped that this band of rebels would succeed and save their worlds from the evil tyrant. Finally, there were those who, though not officially joining in the cause by were inspired by the rebels’ efforts, took up their own arms and began to slowly take back what was theirs.
Wherever they went, the rebels could definitely sense change in the air; Vegeta could feel it, and so could everyone else. On the way to their encounter, Vegeta’s fleet stopped by a space station loyal to them, thanks in large part to the implementation of Bulma’s inventions onto their ships. As they were loading last-minute supplies, the crew noted mixed looks; some gave nods of approval, while others refused to look directly at them. But it was clear to everyone involved. Things were changing and from this point forward, their lives would be different. They clung to the small ray of hope that Freeza’s time might be coming to end, and that belief brought immeasurable joy to many.
Unfortunately, their hopes didn’t matter to Vegeta at that moment, nor did he pay any particular attention to it. He was aware of the general buzz of support circling their rebellion and it was enough for him. But inside, he was pained that he could not share it with Bulma, how she would have taken joy in it, and how pleased she would have been to be by his side, realizing his vast plans with him. Instead of allowing his thoughts of Bulma to depress him, he used them to concentrate on his training. In his mind, if he wasn’t going to be spending his time eating, sleeping, or answering the call of nature, he was going to train with all of his might. In his absence, Bardock was more than capable to handle the direction of the fleet and anything else that might prevent Vegeta from training. Kakarotto was training as well and at times Vegeta called upon him to be his sparring partner. And in another and very important aspect, Vegeta was lucky; the “GR” that Bulma made built for him had proven its worth time and time again, as his strength grew with every intense training session.
Hopefully, he told himself, when I see Bulma once again, it’ll be at the moment I defeat Freeza with my own two hands, once and for all, and she’ll be watching when I do it…
**********
Lying on the cold, grimy, and hard cell floor, Bulma felt like she could throw up at any minute. She didn’t know if it was because she had been in this horrible place for two months or if it was because Zarbon had made it a point to come into her cell almost every day to verbally torture her. The vile things that spewed from his mouth made her gag every time. At least his visitations, unwelcome as they were, helped her mark the passing of the days. But in the last two months, she also noted that her cycle had stopped. From what Bulma remembered about her mother telling her in one of her flowery speeches about the birds and the bees, her nausea might be stemming from something entirely different than just Zarbon and his nasty taunts. Could she be pregnant?
Bulma lay on the floor on her side, trying her best to keep down the only bit of food they gave her earlier. She rolled over onto her back and covered her eyes to block out the glare from the harsh overhead light. She didn’t know what to think. If she was indeed pregnant, then she couldn’t just die. Her wish to have a family, her yearning to be with Vegeta, everything rested on her decision to fight and survive. But in order to survive, she wasn’t sure if she could trust Freeza enough to work for him, to bide her time so that she could escape and see Vegeta again.
Bulma’s bright blue eyes began to well up with tears; not out of sorrow, but of joy. If she really was pregnant with Vegeta’s child, then her happiness hadn’t yet abandoned her and she had to do whatever she could to hold onto it with all of her might. Looking back on those times, that seemed so long ago, after enduring her long, hard days as a slave, she would sneak out into her special garden and Vegeta would be waiting for her. There, where the scent of the night-blooming flowers filled the dark hours, he trained her in both her body and heart. Bulma remembered the sweat…and the touches…and the hot breaths they exchanged during their heated training sessions. And she remembered him saying:
“That bright spot is Chikyuu. Because of the time and distance it takes for light to travel through space, you can still see it, even though it was destroyed. While you are on Vegeta-sei, you can look up into the night sky and be able to feel that part of Chikyuu within you. If you leave, then you leave that behind as well.”
Bulma hugged herself. She was determined to hold onto that sunny, precious part of Vegeta-sei in her heart and in her womb, and she was not about to give up either without a fight.
**********
Zarbon had grown to love the idea of torturing the blue-haired woman. Every day, he would stroll unannounced into her cell, telling her about the growing rebellion casualties, giving her no information about her monkey lover and then reminding her, in the most graphic way possible, of all that he would do to her if she didn’t comply with his master’s wishes. In his mind, however, Zarbon was deeply unhappy to be serving Freeza, who was now unable to call himself the strongest in the universe. Yet Zarbon was willing to remain outwardly loyal until an opportunity to switch camps presented itself. As always, his thoughts were purely selfish; Zarbon held himself on top of his personal list, followed by his desire to serve the strongest of all leaders. Recently added to his ideal list of priorities was to have the smartest, and sexiest, woman beside him and in his bed. Of course, he had no illusions of being the strongest. As long as he was stronger than the majority of those around him, it was enough.
For the time being, Zarbon had to obey Freeza’s orders and not touch that blue-haired Chikyuu-jin. Oh well, he thought, time was on his side. That so-called rebellion led by those filthy animals wouldn’t last much longer and the girl would come around sooner or later. Zarbon lightly walked to Bulma’s holding cell, looking forward to torturing her again. If only her stubborn will would break, then she would become putty in his hands. He remembered how easily she fell for him once before when she was weak and vain. Eventually, his good looks could easily change her views.
As Zarbon stepped up to the door of Bulma’s cell, he thought that perhaps there was a better way to woo her. Another way of seduction might work with her, something not as physical as it was psychological? Smirking, he punched in the access codes to Bulma’s secure cell. She was a genius, after all, and she could easily bust out of a normal cell. Once the doors opened, Zarbon was slightly taken aback.
Against the far wall was Bulma, the blue-haired Chikyuu-jin, standing rather tall and determined. Today, she looked quite different to Zarbon. She wasn't trying to cover her obvious fear, and this time he couldn’t detect any in her features. He had never seen her like this…so full of poise and confidence, even on the day she was captured. She said nothing to him, but her presence was almost overwhelming. Curious, Zarbon wondered how this change could have happened to her so suddenly…within a day?
Zarbon took his time and walked slowly into her cell, cautious that Bulma may have been up to something since his last visit. He looked left and right then back to her. She caught his look and held it, raising her head a fraction higher. With a slow, purposeful stride, she closed the short distance between them, and when she was just a few inches from him, she stopped.
Zarbon didn’t like this change in attitude, but before he could demand an explanation, Bulma spoke, her tone demanding and very haughty. “Bring Freeza here. If he wants me to work for him, I’ll need a better place in which to do my work. And I want my own quarters with a place for a bath.”
**********
With Zarbon following close behind, Freeza stalked down the corridor in his ship that led to the female Chikyuu-jin's cell. After two whole months putting up with her stubborn ways, and just as he was about to order her death, the thing decided to be agreeable? He didn’t like it. Why, all of a sudden, had she changed her mind? If the reason sounded acceptable to him then he would make her work deathly hard until she succeeded in upgrading the cybernetic components and made a better body for him. He had no doubt that he would kill her sooner or later, but, for the time being, he could use her as emotional blackmail for Vegeta. Even Gero was breathing down his neck almost every day and knew something was up. It wouldn’t be long before the pesky Dr. Gero demanded his own empire, so he could do things his way. Freeza wasn’t about to let that happen.
Stepping into Bulma’s cell in a displeased rush, he eyed her suspiciously. She was standing, leaning against the far wall, looking down. Zarbon, who had followed him inside, looked confused. Earlier, she looked obsessed with determination, now she looked ragged. Annoyed, Freeza raised his hand, ready to blast the girl and later beat Zarbon for his idiocy when Bulma looked up. Freeza watched as her eyes and face came into his view. In that single moment, when only the buzzing of light could be heard, Freeza’s hand dropped involuntarily and he stepped back. The sharpness in Bulma’s blue eyes reminded him of both Gero and Vegeta; all of them had that look of a will both strong and cunning, and that fierce look had, for just for a second, scared him deeply. Regaining his composure, he stepped closer to Bulma, who remained just as she was.
“Are you sane?” Freeza asked, his voice trying to hide his slight fear.
Bulma smirked, trying her best to imitate Vegeta. “I think I am.”
“Then why, after so long, do you decide to change your ways and say you’ll finally do as I have asked?” Still uncomfortable with the steely look in her eyes, Freeza smiled and turned away from her, trying to seem disinterested. He didn’t know what to think of this ridiculous woman.
“I am, after all, the smartest woman in the universe, and I know that you will kill me, no matter if I help you or not.” Bulma kept her stubborn pride showing on the surface. It was coming to her naturally, although she was deathly scared inside.
“Don’t be so certain about that, woman. You would like to believe that you are so smart, but I have seen others far smarter. And if, indeed, you were as smart as you say, I wouldn’t kill you off so easily.” Pleased with his response, Freeza thought he had won this battle and looked at her with a smirk.
“Then why take the trouble to capture me instead of just killing me outright for my association with Vegeta?”
Freeza gnashed his teeth for a moment, frustrated by her continuing fearless stance. Frowning, he looked away from her again, hating the fact that he needed her intelligence and skill. “Fine, you are right. I do plan to kill you either way, so why work for me at all?”
“If I’m going to die, then I want to die doing the only thing I love: inventing. At this point, I don’t care anymore. At least I can go down in history by making you the ultimate killing machine,” Bulma replied, holding her expression as calm and believable as possible as she lied.
Freeza said nothing, but looked more intently at her. After the buzzing noise from the lights started to annoy him, he came to a decision. He wanted his new body and she was going to make it knowing he would kill her. It would be worth it in the end, but in the meanwhile, he would have to arrange a constant watch on her to make sure that she didn’t pull anything to sabotage the new body. “Fine, Zarbon, show her to her new ‘cell,’” he finally said, before turning to walk out of the room.
Little did he know, Bulma had no desire to make anything that would benefit the white lizard warlord. She would invent as slowly as possible while figuring out ways to get out of this hellish predicament, for herself and for the baby that was growing inside her. Her only real purpose was to plan out an escape to get as far away as possible. If Freeza thought she was going to try anything funny with his new body, then he had something else coming to him. She glared daggers at Zarbon as he moved closer to her, fully expecting him to try something. But when he took her hand gently in his and began to slowly lead her out of the cell, she became confused.
Zarbon paused, bowing to her and kissing her hand, the smirk on his face hidden from her view. Today, he would escort her to her new “cell,” while making mental plans to seduce her. Perhaps he would not join her in bed today, but soon…she would be all his.
**********
Gero was not happy and he knew something was up. Ever since they had made that trip to Vegeta-sei, he believed that Freeza had been keeping secrets, important ones, from him. The twins had shared his uneasiness, hearing hushed talk here and there about Vegeta’s lover being held on board for ransom, or that the future queen of Vegeta-sei had been captured and killed, or that another Chikyuu-jin, like them, was aboard the ship. But of all the rumors going back and forth, Gero didn’t know which of them were true or just a bunch of shipboard gossip among the crew. If Vegeta’s lover was being held captive then Freeza should not be keeping Gero from her. And if there happened to be another Chikyuu-jin, alive and on this ship, then Freeza should have surrendered that person over to him; the soon-to-be Chikyuu-jin ruler of the universe, the creator of God.
No, Gero fumed inwardly, if Freeza didn’t not want to share his information, then he was not to be trusted any longer. His God, his creature, was going to wake any moment now, and Gero did not want that fake living thing to disrupt the delicate process of his God’s triumphant awakening. Two more months, that’s all he needed. Quickly looking over all the planets that were close by, he noticed two; one that had already been purged and another that was scheduled to be within the next year. Grinning, he made a mental note of the first one on the map. It had been bought by a group of semi-weak warriors and merchants. That one would do nicely.
He turned to face the twins, who had been sitting behind him and not bothering to hide the bored looks on their faces. “You two, come here now!” he barked to them.
Trying their best to not hide their disrespect and boredom, they got up slowly from their comfortable seats, and walked, just as lazily, up to Gero. Juunanago placed his hands on his hips, while his sister flipped her hair behind her and crossed her arms over her chest.
“What do you want now, old man?” Juunanago’s voice was bitter.
“Don’t use that tone with me or would you rather I turn you off?” When Juunanago remained silent, Gero continued, “I am planning to do some research on a planet for some time. In my absence, I expect you both to watch Freeza and report to me anything that happens. In two months, you both will be leaving this ship and joining me on that planet. If you don‘t follow my orders, I will activate your self-destruct mechanisms.”
The twins kept quiet for a moment then Juuhachigo voiced her thoughts: “What about this rebellion we keep hearing about? Do you want us to fight with Freeza’s fleet?”
Gero glared back at her. “I only want you two to become involved so that you can get to Vegeta and capture him since Freeza and his men are doing a piss-poor job of it,” he instructed with a small smirk, as he thought of all of his future ambitions coming to their realization.
Yes, when the twins finally come to greet his new God, their deaths would perfect Him, as would the rest of that planet’s inhabitants. All the disrespect he had to endure from them would be paid back in full…of course, the time they’d be babysitting Freeza would prove most useful as well. It seemed to Gero that his two creations were almost too valuable to dispose of, but as in all things scientific, one must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices in order to succeed. “That is all, go away.”
Juunanago and Juuhachigo watched as their maker turned his back on them, his body language dismissing them from his sight. Without a word said between them, they decided to leave the chambers and go for a walk. They went into the light of the corridor, leaving the old man to continue his uninteresting work. When the twins had gone a distance and had finally lost sight of the room, they glanced at each other. No particular emotion showed on their young faces, but it was obvious as to what occupied their minds.
“Sis, in two months!”
Juuhachigo nodded. “Be sure I get a front seat.”
“Of course you will. I’ll even let you bathe in all of the blood afterward, if you’d like.” His sister smirked, happy that her brother was looking forward to killing that bastard.
“Red isn’t really my color, bro,” she said with a sly grin, “but I’m sure it will look good on you.”
Juunanago smirked grew wider as his sister began pick up her pace to walk ahead of him. “Hey sis, what if that ‘other Chikyuu-jin’ rumor is true?”
Juuhachigo stopped and turned back to look at her brother. “Then I want to meet with him, of course!”
**********