Pairing: Nami (One Piece) x Bulma (Dragonball Z)
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Shoujo-ai, distress.
Word count: 1,198
A/N: It should be noted that this takes place in the Cross Epoch universe. What's that? Google or Wiki it. It's a fun little one-shot manga featuring characters from One Piece and Dragonball Z.
Disclaimer: I own nothing in connection with the characters used in this fanfiction.

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First Kill

Snarling mouths filled with teeth. Clawed fingers clutching deadly technology. Yellow narrowed eyes. Bulma could see them all closing in on her slowly. Her legs were beginning to shudder but she stood her ground. It was her job to guard the door of the ship to prevent the enemy from entering while Nami stashed their loot and got it ready to go.

The circle of angry beasts continued to close around her. Chewing her lower lip, the thief felt her finger start to twitch against the trigger.

"Nami," she called, titling her head to shout over her shoulder but not enough to take her eyes off their foes. "How's it coming? You nearly done?"

Then the door shot open, revealing the orange haired woman.

"All ready. Let's go!"

Smiling through her fear, Bulma turned and was running up the stairs as fast as she could. She was one step away from safety when something gripped her ankle and pulled. With a scream, she fell and was slowly pulled back.

"Bulma!" Throwing herself down on her knees, Nami grabbed her partner's free hand, the one that was scrabbling for a grip on the smooth surface. Holding onto Bulma, she clutched the doorframe as tightly as she could to prevent both of them being dragged away.

She pulled as hard as she could but the brute holding Bulma's ankle was much stronger. Soon the arm holding the ship was straining, a few sharp tugs away from losing it's grip.

All the while Bulma was screaming and kicking out in a wild panic. In her state of fear that she would soon be lost to those sharp teeth, now dripping with thick saliva, all her foot hit was air. Then she got lucky and struck the beast in one eye.

It yelped in pain and surprise. It's grip on her was loosened just enough for Nami to pull Bulma free while the blue haired woman scrambled to her feet.

Then there was the sound of many angered roars as the group of enraged creatures lunged towards them. Their teeth were bared, weapons ready in one hand while sharp claws extended from the other to tear the two women to shreds.

Bulma shrieked and, before she knew what she was doing, pulled the trigger on her own gun. One of the beasts fell.

She didn't stop. Her mind was a confused haze as she continued to scream and fire her weapon at their attackers. Most of the shots missed. Some took down one of them right away.

Nami's arms were around her waist, pulling her inside, but Bulma didn't stop her assault. Even after everything she had been through and seen already, there had never been a time where she thought she would surely die by being torn apart and shredded by those they stole from. Had never thought that there would be a whole mob of them with small eyes and huge saliva-covered fangs. Had never thought that she may be pulled from one to another as they ripped her flesh and muscles away.

As soon as she had dragged the terrified Bulma inside, Nami slammed her hand down on the button to close the door. It slid down quickly. The last thing Bulma saw before her view was blocked was the first creature she had shot. It lay unmoving. It's eyes had rolled back to show only white.

Ignoring the scratches and bangs on their ship from the outside, Nami took Bulma over to the control panel and sat her down. She had stopped screaming and shooting. Now she was just quiet and staring ahead of her. Bulma's eyes held a far away yet horrified and confused expression. Nami found it very unsettling.

But there were more important matters to deal with at the moment.

Strapping her partner then herself in, Nami's worked fast to set the ship to hyper speed for a quick escape. There was a loud noise as the mechanics of their space vehicle began to work. Then their bodies were jerked backwards against their seats as they shot away.

Nami clenched her teeth together and tightly gripped the arms of her seat. She watched as the stars whizzed by as white steaks. Then she watched the radar screen to ensure that they weren't being followed. The things they had faced appeared to be nothing more than savage monsters but the weaponry they possessed made Nami fearful that they might have means of pursuing them.

The radar screen remained empty.

When she was sure that they were a very large distance away from that planet, she slowed the ship down. As it suddenly reduced it's speed, she was jerked forwards violently into her seatbelt.

Nami coughed and frowned. She'd never get used to that part of a quick get-away.

With the ship drifting slowly, she looked back at Bulma. She was sitting quietly in her seat, gazing down at her lap. Then her body started to tremble. She sobbed once, quietly. Her gun clattered on the floor when Bulma finally dropped it.

Unstrapping herself, Nami went and knelt in front of her partner. She took off her seatbelt as well then gingerly touched her arm. Bulma's body jerked, surprised by the contact. She looked down to see the woman kneeling before her.

"Nami ..."

Her blue eyes lost their far away gaze and filled with tears.

"N ... Nami, I ..."

"It's okay," Nami slipped the hat off the woman's blue hair, smoothing mattered strands away from her forehead. She glanced at her leg. There was blood showing through the material of her boots. "They can't follow us now. We're safe."

Bulma nodded. In her mind she hadn't escaped. In her mind she could still see the whites of the creature's eyes staring at her.

"I ... Nami, I killed it!" She gasped as she began to cry. All of a sudden her head felt heavy. She couldn't grip onto a single thought that rushed through her head except one; the image of those eyes. White. Staring. Dead. "I killed it! I ... I didn't mean to. They just ... oh God!"

Standing, Nami wrapped her arms tightly around Bulma's shoulders, allowing her to sob heavily into her chest. She was trembling, sweating, screaming. Nami had never seen her like this before. She could feel her own eyes becoming tearful, distressed at seeing her partner in such a state. But she bit those tears back. Bulma needed her right now.

"It's okay," Nami's own voice was shaking. She stroked Bulma's hair with one hand, remembering how Bellemere would do the same to calm her when she was a child. "It's not your fault."

As Bulma continued to cry and scream and shake, Nami looked briefly to the bags of treasure they had stolen. It was of a very high value, hence why they had encountered so many monstrous guards.

But...

She looked back down at Bulma. Her sobs were becoming quieter but her hands still trembled violently as they gripped her dress.

The treasure was of a very high value. But it wasn't worth the pain it had brought to her beautiful partner. Nothing ever would be.

END