Assassins dance

Dr. Gero paced back and forth in his lab. The lights and noises of the room fading into the background as he read the missive he had received. He took a drag of his cigarette before using it to light the letter on fire. He set it down on a dish letting it burn down into ashes. He dropped the cigarette, stubbing out the butt with his boot. With the smell of smoke and ash still lingering in the air, he moved to step in front of one of his many water tanks. He looked thoughtfully at the contents of the tank. The order had been very specific. He rubbed his chin with his hand. It would be a risk. This android was newly created in comparison to his others, her programming incomplete at best.

He pushed buttons on the side of the tank. The water drained and after a few moments the door opened. Bare feet stepped onto the stone cold lab floor. Blue eyes the color of ice on an ocean looked at him in complete obedience. Beautiful, he thought, simply beautiful. Such a rare specimen and he had acquired it easily. It was a shame he had to send it out on a mission where it might be destroyed. He snapped his fingers and the android looked at him smiling. Android was probably the wrong term, she was more like a cyborg having once been human. Old habits died hard though and he still referred to his creations as androids.

He touched the android's hair, letting the silky strands fall through his fingers. "I have a mission my dear." The android remained silent and smiling as it looked at him. "It's very dangerous and you may not come back." No response. The android tilted its head as if it were a confused child. "I'm going to return your personality to you as well as program you with the skills you will need for this mission." He reached up to touch the android on the cheek. "I just want you to know that I'm going to miss you and that you are my finest creation."

He took it by the hand and led it over to a flat platform with a round raised dais. He placed the android there; its wide eyes and child like innocence a stark contrast to the bleak cold of the lab. He walked over to a control panel. He dialed in the program that he wanted and pushed the lever up. A series of lights began spinning above the android's head as it suddenly screamed in pain. It fell to its knees trying to brace itself with its hands. Bent over like it was, it reminded him of a dog being scolded by its master. The thought amused him and he allowed himself a small chuckle.

When the screaming ended the android stayed bent over, tears streaming down its face. When it spoke, it's voice was hoarse from disuse. "You bastard, what did you do to me?" It sat up then arms folding across its chest, trying in vain to cover its naked body. He pushed a button on the console and the android cried out. It started whimpering when the pain did not cease and only after it doubled over from pain did he stop the torture.

"The mission details are in the program I just installed in you. You'll find everything you need in that chest to your left." He pointed to a black box with the red ribbon logo on it. He picked up another cigarette and lit it. He inhaled deeply letting the smoke fill his lungs. The android did not move, it just stared at him with hate filled eyes. "You know that you are the last of my lovely creations. Take comfort in the fact that there will not be any more." He coughed then, his chest spasming as it took great effort to catch his breath. When he finally stopped, he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. His white lab coat revealed the blood that had escaped his lips.

"If you complete this mission," he gasped out straightening himself, "I will set you free." The android looked at him, her pale eyes showing the distrust. The creature could not hide the hope he had seen flash momentarily in its eyes. Hope was such a lying bastard, just like him. He leaned againt the console for support. "I've had the computer run the specs for this particular mission and it recommended returning you to your true self. I don't like this because it means you are less obedient than I prefer but since I am setting you free, you might as well be yourself again." He dropped the cigarette as it had now burned down to his fingers. He snuffed it out, his eyes never leaving the android's.

"You have 30 days to finish the mission. If you are not able to complete your task by the end of the 30 days, the neural synaptics in your brain will burst and you will die." The android started crying again. He scowled at it. He walked over to it and kicked it in the side. "You ungrateful wretch, I have given you so many gifts: a longer lifespan, improved strength and agility, not to mention the added programs like weapons expert and ability to learn any language upon hearing it once." The android dare to look at him with hate filled eyes. He kicked it again. "Stop making me hurt you. I need you in one piece to complete this."

It dared to speak again, "What do you get out of this? My diagnostics tell me that your disease is incurable. You can't take the money with you. Why did you even bother waking me up? Why couldn't you have just let me rest in peace or better yet, destroyed me already?"

He smiled, an vile grin that showed a hint of madness. "Infamy, my dear. You complete this mission in my name and I will go down in history books. They write stories about me, famous actors will compete to play me, universities will have psychological case studies on me to argue about for centuries!" He laughed, a crazed laugh and the android shivered a little. He grabbed it by the hair, lifting it up to be eye level with him. "Now, go! Cry havoc across the universe as I unleash you, my dog of war!" He let the android's head fall out of his hands and walked over to the console again. "Yes, destroy and conquer for me!"

The android's hands fisted at its sides as it stood up. It looked over at its master as if it wanted to defy him again. His hand rested on the control console, an amused look spreading across his face as the android slowly stepped over to the chest. It opened it taking out the clothes it would need. Slowly it dressed itself before bending down to fill a knapsack with equipment. Most of the items were precautionary as the android itself was considered a deadly weapon. It slung the sack over it's shoulder. It took time to smooth it's hair back, placing a black beret with a small brim on it's head. Lastly, it added black fingerless gloves. The clothes it had chosen were stylish to say the least. The black crop top had the shoulders cut out but fit snuggly across the chest but stopping just under the breasts. The black pants were also skin tight with accompanying black knee high boots. If he didn't know better, he would assume that it was an ordinary college girl out for a day of shopping.

This is why she was his best assassin, everyone underestimated her. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and turned to glare at him again. He crossed his arms, his voice becoming almost paternal. "Do you have everything you need?" The android nodded before going towards the door. It paused as Dr. Gero spoke one last time, "And 22, don't get any funny ideas about disarming yourself. I will be monitoring you the whole time." He pointed to his head, tapping it lightly with his finger. The door closed with a soft click as the android left for its mission. Dr. Gero turned back to the computer screen. Oh yes, this would be his legacy.

She touched down in a barren area of the planet. It was better this way, less people, less chance of detection. The android known as "22" jumped out of her ship landing soundlessly on the ground. There was a fine misting rain that made the air slightly cooler for this time of year. She lifted her face to the rain, enjoying the feel of it on her skin. It was different than she remembered, different than when she was human.

She cursed Dr. Gero and the body she now resided in. He was evil, cruel, sadistic. Dr. Gero may have given her back her original personality but he gave her nothing else. When she tried to access her original memories, she would just get vague shadows and glimpses. Worse, he had made sure to include all the memories from previous missions. He wanted her to know just how far she had fallen. She wanted to weep for the disgusting creature she had become but no tears would come. She was just too numb. The rain stopped.

She sighed, more out of habit than needing the breath. She lowered her head to the horizon. The capital city was 20 miles from here. She carried the black knapsack in one hand. She concentrated for a moment. The energy surrounded her and she felt her wings unfold. She started running, her wings catching the wind. In a moment, the world was far below her. She reveled in the sensation. She made sure to fly low enough to be undetectable by radar. In flying she could forget why she was there. She could just revel in the sensation as her shadow sped along the ground below her. To her lament, her flight was over as she reached her destination.

She pulled up just shy of the main gate, dispersing her energy wings. They disappeared with a snap leaving the static of spent energy in the air. She placed her hand to the gate wall and a small panel revealed itself. She pressed her finger to the touch screen, her eyes processing the code to bypass alarms and give herself access to all doors. The panel gave a beep of acceptance and a door opened to her left.

She was surprised to see no guards when she stepped through the door. It was possible that she arrived right at shift change. She didn't think more of it as she pressed further into the building. She quickly accessed a map of the city and headed towards her target.

She was contemplating why the city was so deserted when she heard a thunderous roar coming from a domed building. She headed towards it curious. After all, she had 30 days to complete her mission, why not have a little fun first. There were many large entrances and she randomly chose one. As she walked down the corridor the ceiling became vaulted. The light brightened and the cheers from a large crowd became deafening. She stopped just shy of the entrance. She backed against a wall and moved cautiously.

It was a large stadium. She peered around the room, everyone's eyes were transfixed in the center ring. On the lower levels close to the ring, she noticed a crowd of tailed dark haired warriors. Saiyans, her sensors told her. She looked around the arena. Her target was not among them. She continued to scan the crowd. As she got higher up, she noticed that there was an odd mix of humans and aliens. The highest up were dressed all in clothes a step up from rags. Clearly there was a hierarchy here.

She needed to tread carefully. She chose an open spot near a viable exit and moved swiftly through the crowd. The crowd cheered loudly and enthusiastically. She had a feeling she could have been an elephant at that moment and no one would have noticed. She sat next to a portly human garbed in blue. He was shaking a big fist in the air. He leaned down to get his drink perched right next to her chair. He paused when he noticed her. "I've not seen you before." He said loudly trying to speak over the crowd.

Her sensitive hearing would have picked up a whisper but she thought it best to play along. "I'm new here," she spoke as loudly, "Name's Athena," she lied easily, "What's going on?"

He smiled warmly. "Well Athena you are in for a treat. Tonight is the largest tournament we've ever had. Most of the time it's low level criminals or gladiators fighting, but not tonight. No, we're in luck. King Vegeta is in one of his moods. Someone insulted his generals so he ordered them to give a demonstration of their strength. The best part is the heir himself is battling tonight."

They were half way up but her enhanced eyesight gave her an advantage. She studied the fighters now engaged in battle on the dirt floor. One had extremely long dark hair. He was pummeling an older bald man with a pencil thin mustache. A horn sounded and the two men separated. They bowed to each other then the younger man clasped an arm around the other's shoulders. The bald man clapped the long haired one on the back and they exited the arena.

"Was that the heir?" she asked.

"No. Those were the Prince's bodyguards. The one with the long hair is Radditz. The older bald man is Nappa. They are elite. If I had to rank them in terms of strength, I would say Radditz is 3rd and Nappa is 4th as far as King Vegeta's loyal soldiers go." He took a swig of his foamy beverage setting it down hard on the arm of the chair. "I just lost money. I thought for sure Nappa's many years of experience would give him an edge over Radditz. I still think Nappa could have come through if it wasn't for the rule about the time limit?" He rubbed the back of his neck with a big sweaty palm. "Oh well, all is good. The next fight will win me my money back for sure."

"Who is fighting next?" she asked genuinely curious.

"The prince himself vs their most elite general, Kakarrot!" He clapped his hands together and rubbed them anxiously. "I'm going to make a fortune." He leaned down conspiratorially, putting a hand by his mouth, "You see, everyone's going to bet on the prince because he's undefeated in battle. However, I put all my money on Kakarrot. He's never failed a mission and no one has ever seen him fight the prince before even though they are sparring buddies." He winked at her.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled at the man. Again, she had time. What harm would it cause if she just watched one little fight? A distant memory called to her, telling her that she had been a fan of such fights in the past; rooting for a nameless, faceless victor. The name was on the tip of her tongue. She rubbed her temples, a headache forming any time she tried to access those memories. She leaned forward in her chair as an announcer stepped into the middle of the ring.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I proudly present to you a hero for the people. A man who time and again has proven his worth. A leader who any man would be happy to follow into battle." A man came out to hand him a card. The announcer read it, "And the biggest idiot the universe has ever seen!" The crowd laughed at the joke. "Please give a cheer for Kakarrot!"

She heard a masculine voice yell, "Actually, it's Goku." A man casually strolled out onto the field. He was tall and like all Saiyans had black spikey hair. He was running one hand nervously through that hair. Unlike all the other Saiyans in battle armor, he wore an orange karate gi with a blue undershirt. She stared at him as amazingly he didn't have a tail! The only Saiyan here without a tail. She started to wonder about that when she got a flash of something.

A giant ape was running rampage. It was like she was viewing it from outside herself. A young man and young girl that looked very much like her were riding on the tail of the great ape. The image faded quickly as the crowd grew impatient for the tall Saiyan's opponent. A chant of the man's name went through the crowd, "Vegeta! Vegeta! Vegeta!"

The excitement was infectious and she felt herself chanting along with them. Everyone got on their feet and she had to hover a little to see over the person in front of her. After the crowd worked itself into a frenzy, a man walked out from the opposite entrance of his opponent. He wore typical Saiyan armor except his had a crimson cape attached. The cape moved with every fluid step the man took. The announcer yelled into the mike, "The one you all have been waiting for has arrived! I present to you: Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans!" She gasped. Whoa he was hot! Like a walking advertisement for sex kind of hot. She really wished she could get a closer look at all those muscles. She checked her mouth as she felt like she may have even been drooling.

Vegeta was cracking his knuckles as he walked and a wicked grin was spread across his face. He tilted his head to the side as he approached the center of the arena. He spoke to his opponent and she was sure she was the only person to hear it amoungest the roar of the crowd. "Are you ready to have your third class Saiyan ass beaten all around this arena?" Kakarrot stepped back into a fighting stance his hand raised towards the Prince in a "bring it" gesture. Vegeta nodded before taking a similar pose, one hand palm out in front of his forehead. The announcer ran to the other side of the arena, trying to get as much distance between himself and the fighters.

The announcer suddenly became serious. A wind blew across the arena as everyone waited with baited breath. He raised his hand in the air. Sweat forming on his brow. He looked at his Prince and then at Kakarrot. With a sudden movement of his hand, the man declared "Fight!" dragging out the five letter word into eight syllables. The crowd cheered as the two engaged in battle.

An explosion of power erupted and as the two combatants flew towards each other. The blows came fast and furious. Kakarrot was just as good as Vegeta. It was clear to everyone they were evenly matched. Neither could get the edge over the other. Kakarott managed to land a punch in Vegeta's stomach causing him to exhale sharply. The Prince responded by landing a good kick to Kakarrot's head and he was thrown towards the stands. He managed to stop himself before he injured anyone but unfortunately for everyone watching the fight, he stopped himself right in front of 22. They locked eyes for a moment. He smiled broadly at her, drawing her up into a huge unwelcome embrace.

He crushed her to him and said in a sad voice, "Bulma. It's you, right? We've missed you. Where have you been?"

She pulled herself apart from him. He looked stunned as she slapped him across the face. "I don't know who you are but you don't get to touch me!"

The people closest to her gasped at her audacity to strike a general in King Vegeta's army. He floated back away from her; shock spreading across his face.

"But Bulma, it's me, it's Goku," he pleaded. "Don't you remember me? We're friends."

22's hands clenched in fists at her side. "No, I don't remember you." She put a hand on her chest as she felt unshed tears forming in her eyes. "I don't even remember me!" She shouted at him.

Goku stood there. His mouth agape. He couldn't be wrong. This girl was Bulma. Though it didn't look like the Bulma who had disappeared. This was her but a younger version of her somehow. Maybe she made a wish to Shenron for eternal youth or something. He scratched his head. He felt Vegeta's ki approaching him. He turned around to shield Bulma from his sight. He couldn't risk Vegeta accidentally hurting the girl who may or may not be Bulma. Vegeta wasn't always in control of his temper.

22 was confused as she felt the approach of the Saiyan Prince. Goku/Kakarrot had turned his back on her and was blocking her view of his opponent. She was highly confused and felt her face flush as she noticed everyone was staring at her. This was not good. An assassin should never be noticed.

Vegeta came to a pause in front of Kakarrot. He was hiding something behind him. Vegeta tried to peer around him but the taller man just shifted more to block his view. He grew impatient. "You blasted idiot, what are you doing here? Are you trying to hide something from me?" He tried to move the fool but Kakarrot wouldn't budge.

"Sorry Vegeta, I just got distracted a moment. You know how I am, don't you want to go back to the fight?" He asked sheepishly. A forced grin appearing on his face while he laughed nervously.

Vegeta went to punch him and Kakarrot blocked. Vegeta smirked. He pointed to his right and said, "Goku, is that your crazy woman looking for you?"

Kakarrot panicked as he took the bait and looked away. Vegeta was finally able to view what Kakarrot was trying to hide but as he looked around him all he saw was an empty chair. He hit Kakarrot on the back of the head.

Goku was extremely perplexed. The girl who looked like a young Bulma had vanished. He scanned the area. He couldn't feel Bulma's ki. He shrugged, maybe it was just his imagination. His gut told him though that it was her that he had seen. He gave up trying to find the girl in such a large crowd and followed Vegeta back down to the arena floor to continue their fight.