Beauty and the Beast, by LadyVegeets
Prompt 1: Yellow
Yellow. It was the most ridiculous color he had seen in a while, and Vegeta had seen Dodoria in all his bright pink splendor, so that was saying something.
Why yellow?
She stuck out like a sore thumb on this planet lush with greens, blues, and muted browns. She was an eyesore, glowing like a cheap neon light. A beacon calling out for attention. For trouble. She was a disaster waiting to happen.
Vegeta happened to like disasters.
His boots alighted softly on the blue grass, his arms folded, landing nearby the yellow and black clad woman.
And smirked.
Prompt 2: Tea Pot
She was totally defenseless.
The woman sat in a fold-out chair, food and the comforts of home strewn about her. Vegeta could hardly wrap his mind around the scene. The galaxy's strongest and most ruthless tyrant was, right now, scouring this very planet, and what was the woman doing? Having a goddamn picnic! Ridiculous. Everything about her was entirely at odds with this planet and the mission.
What was she even doing here?
The woman turned and saw him. She froze, her blue eyes flooding with fear.
The tea pot on the portable stove whistled shrilly.
Prompt 3: Dance
Vegeta's gaze slid from hers to the annoying squealing kettle.
"Are you going to get that?" he asked, his brows furrowing. A thought crossed his mind, and his lips curled upwards. "Or shall I?" he offered, raising his palm, gathering his ki to blast her and the tea pot.
The woman hurriedly removed the pot. The whistling died.
Silence stretched between them.
"I don't have any dragon balls," she offered weakly. Even terrified, she was pretty.
Vegeta recrossed his arms. "What do you have?" he asked.
Negotiations for her life had began.
It was a dance he knew well.
Prompt 4: Terror
A soft breeze gently tugged on her blue tresses. Even in this world of blues and greens, her hair color stood out as something unique.
"Wh-what?" she stammered.
"If you have no dragon balls, what can you offer me instead for your pitiful life?" Vegeta asked her, relishing the power trip her terror gave him.
She looked around for help. A vain hope. Those here capable of stopping him would do far worse to her than he ever would.
His smirk widened.
The woman trembled. Then her jaw tightened. She raised her arm and defiantly flipped him off.
Prompt 5: West
Lucky for her, Vegeta was in a good mood. He watched her with narrowed eyes, amused, and waited. Finally, she lost her nerve and dropped her hand.
But she wasn't totally cowed. "Goku is coming here and he will beat you again," she said bravely.
Vegeta scoffed. "That's quaint, considering I broke him like a twig. Kakarot lives because I chose not to finish him."
The woman's face curled into a nasty smile. "Same could be said for you, buddy."
The words were a blow to his ego, but not as shocking as the ki he felt to the west.
Prompt 6: Hope
Vegeta's skin tightened in reaction to the large ki headed their way. Whose was it? Kakarot's? Zarbon's? Vegeta hesitated, torn between the need to test out his new found strength, and to play it safe until he held a monopoly over the dragon balls.
Damnit it. As much as he hoped for revenge, immortality was his end game.
Vegeta grabbed the woman about her slender waist, and sped them to a ravine to hide in.
"Hey mmph—!" The woman cried out as he smothered her with his hand.
"Shut up or die," he warned her, ignoring how pretty she smelled.
Prompt 7: Love
They sat in the ravine, tangled together like lovers. Her soft hair brushed his cheek.
The skies were empty, but Vegeta could still sense the strong ki signature. As he craned for a better view, his hand fell from her mouth.
"How long do we have to stay here?" she asked.
"Shh, woman!"
"I have a name you know! It's Bulma."
"It's Dead Woman if you don't shut up," Vegeta hissed back, throwing her a murderous glance.
"…I think you're just trying to cop a feel."
Vegeta grit his teeth. "For the love of your planet, would you SHUT UP?!"
Prompt 8: Thorns
The woman was turning out to be a huge thorn in his side. Why hadn't he just killed her? Initially, he wanted to toy with her for sport, to see if she would prove useful in someway. Why else was she here if not for some secret agenda? But whatever value she had beyond looking nice, Vegeta hadn't discovered it. And if he killed her now, he risked exposing himself.
Her voice broke through his reverie.
"Are you scared?" she whispered.
"What?"
"Are they stronger than you?"
He cast her a sidelong look, surprised to see her watching him.
"…Yes."
Prompt 9: Rose
"But… I thought you were the strongest in the universe?" Bulma asked. Her crystal blue eyes shimmered with new fear. She was right to be afraid. If Vegeta were honest, the power that Frieza had often kept him awake at nights too.
"I lied," he told her matter-of-factly. "I'm strong, stronger than Earth, but I can't beat them all. That's why I need to wish for immortality."
Bulma hesitated. "If I help you, will you promise to leave Earth alone?"
Vegeta didn't like compromises. "I could make you help me," he threatened.
Her cheeks turned a shade of rose.
Prompt 10: Beauty
"Then you better kill me," she replied. "I won't help you without your word."
"Tch. I could just lie," he replied scathingly.
"Promise. On your people."
He glared at her. How dare she speak of his people. "The saiyans are dead. I killed the last one myself."
"Goku lives."
"Kakarot is a disgrace. I will kill him too."
"You're still alive."
Not for long. Not without immortality. Speaking of which, the ki signature was gone. Vegeta stood up, leaving her in the dirt, and shot into the sky. He didn't need a beauty to help turn him into a beast.
~xox~
Written for the March 2017 BVDN hosted by The Prince and The Heiress google community.