Bulma shivered. Where was she? Dim light from a torch scattered over stony floors and steel-looking holding bars. She shivered and tried to move. A chain yanked her right back, and she yelped. Two chains held her arms to her sides, bolted right into the wall. Her butt was sore, and she felt worn out and terrible. And, unfortunately, most of all, hungry.
"Awake?"
Bulma jumped and shrieked. The light hadn't reached a corner of the holding cell, where King Vegeta's ruthless face smirked at her. He stepped out completely behind the black shadows and in front of her. His arms were clasped behind his back as he paced.
"What do you want from me?" Bulma glared, raising her voice angrily. "Why haven't you killed me?"
King Vegeta ignored her question. "It's been three days since that so-called meeting. All of the people are on my side. Which was expected, now that I'm embracing this technology. And I suppose they are afraid of me. Though, some of them are insisting on peace with other worlds. Which is quite a comical request in itse-"
"I don't give a shit about your recent events," Bulma spat.
"Oh, I think you are. You just don't want your father's failure shoved into your pretty little face."
Bulma turned her face away angrily, refusing to look at him. King Vegeta chuckled, bent down, and kneeled so he could get eye level with her. He took her cheek firmly and forced her to look at him.
"You know perfectly well what I want." He flicked the side of her head. "That helpful little brain of yours."
"Well, you can't have it," she replied quietly.
As much as she tried to hold it back, fear kept leaking through her countenance. She held in her breath, could feel her pulse quickening. He was kneeling too close. She didn't want to feel his murdering, slimy hands on her cheek. She spat on the floor next to him. To her relief, it made him stand back up again.
"I beg to differ, Princess. In fact, Frieza has requested your presence tonight."
Was he joking? Bulma shivered and felt her stomach drop. She lifted her eyes to meet King Vegeta's, who was amused, staring at her. Her anger cut through her trepidation, and she sneered, lifting her chin up defiantly.
"Well you can tell him to shove it." Bulma stuck her tongue out at him.
King Vegeta's response was only a deep, mirthless laughter.
"You truly are only a brat. Unfortunately, one with a brain." King Vegeta sighed.
He walked back up to her. He lifted his hand up, ready to strike. She shrunk down, expecting a hit. Instead, a slice was heard through the chain. A second followed. Her hands were free. Instinctively, she jumped up and stood in a fighting stance.
"Don't make me laugh, girl." Bulma pictured the way he had killed her father. "You would not stand a chance against me." She thought of his face when he had committed the dirty deed. "I am the strongest Saiyan on this entire planet." Bulma imagined her brother's and her mother's dead faces.
Bulma pumped up what energy she had and struck a barage of punches. He dodged each one. "You are greedy tyrant." She aimed a kick at his face, missed. "You kill innocent lives." She drove a punch into his gut, though it didn't faze him. "And worst of all, you murdered my father!"
King Vegeta grabbed her neck, and the air to her lungs was caught off. He lifted her off of the ground. With a winning smirk. he threw her against the wall. Blinding pain exploded into her back, and she screamed. King Vegeta's footsteps retreated out of the cell. On the ground, she groaned in pain. Barely, she heard him address the servant outside. "Clean her up. Get her ready by nightfall. Frieza demands her presence."
Bulma sat on a luxurious bed, though not quite as good as the one at her old palace. The tic-tocking of the clock on the wall knocked repeatedly into her brain like a woodpecker. She droned out the noise in her thoughts.
She'd been fed, cleaned, and groomed. She'd tried to refuse all three, or rather two, since hunger was simply not an option for a Saiyan. She'd been ordered to take a bath. When she hadn't and thrown a fit, they'd had to get two saiyans to hold her, while another bathed her They'd thrown her in a dress that was simply "too cute" for her. She felt disgusted just wearing the damn thing. It was mostly a deep, royal purple that reached her knees. A light blue brightened the dress on the sides and in the middle. The servants had also done her hair neatly and cleaned her nails. She didn't understand the purpose of it. She was sure Frieza would not notice the minor details. The door opened. A servant entered and bowed awkwardly to her. "Uh.. Princess. Would you please come with me. The King and Lord Frieza have requested your presence now."
She didn't move. Instead, she smiled grimly at him and shrugged.
"The other servants said you'd be difficult," the servant said, unconfidentally. He stepped into the room. "Bu-but you have to understand, Princess. We are all doing our jobs. We will be punished if we can't do our jobs." He started whispering the next part. "We all wanted your father to win out. Well, I did anyways. I just. I just thought you would like to know that."
Bulma turned to look at him. For a saiyan, he was small and nervous-looking, with glasses perched on the very end of his nose, which he pushed back up self-consiously every so often. She did need to hear that. She liked him, and she felt sorry for him. Which, she convinced herself, was the ONLY reason she was getting up. He led her down several hallways, until the most distinguished part of the castle- the throne room. Her heart was pounding hard into her ears, and she was finding it hard to breathe. Frieza. The tyrant who had killed millions more than King Vegeta. Who had destroyed countless worlds with a flick of his hand or a push of a button. The most feared figure in the entire universe. And she had to be in same room as him. The long door to the room greeted her, and she could only watch as time melted away, and the door creaked opened. The servant held it for her, whispering something encouraging in her ear as she passed him. Then, the door slammed shut. She gulped.
King Vegeta and Frieza were in the room, but so was Prince Vegeta, who stood uncomfortable at hsi father's side. A few unfamilar faces stood behind Frieza. One was a tall blue figure who stood up to King Vegeta's height. One had long, white hair and orange skin. The last, who looked the most fierce, had purple skin and two long horns sticking out of his head.
Frieza's and King Vegeta's powerful gazes made her want to melt into the floor. Instead, her stubborn and proud nature pushed through and formed an angry countenance on her face. She walked calmly before them, not bothering to bow, as was expected. She saw King Vegeta shoot her a disapproved look.
"Well," she addressed impatiently.
She had never seen anyone like Frieza. She had expected him to be taller, but he was a short, lizard-looking figure with an ice-cold gaze. The power that streamed from him circled around the room, dominating all of them. Instead of being insulted, Frieza cackled with amusement. His lips lifted up in mirth.
"You didn't tell me she was quite the spirited one, Vegeta!" Frieza said. "And I never expected her to be so young. Why, she's only a couple years younger than your brat. And he's what- like 10 years old?"
She caught Prince Vegeta's gaze, and he stared angrily back at her. Their fight flashed in her mind, and she shot him a smug look. He mouthed something vulgar, and she turned away. Their small moment seemed unnoticed by the other two.
"I don't doubt she has a brilliant mind. She looks sharp just by looking at her. She will be a great asset to me." Bulma thought she saw a strange look in Frieza's eyes, something deceiving.
King Vegeta seemed taken aback. "What do you mean, Frieza? She is to help my planet, I mean, she is a Saiyan."
"Your planet will soon be no more," Frieza revealed, grinning.
"What do you mean, no more, Frieza?" King Vegeta said sharply.
"Why do you think King Briefs called that meeting? It wasn't a little rumor. I a, going to destroy your pitiful little planet and rid the universe of your monkies."
"Frieza! You are joking, right?" King Vegeta exclaimed, obviously distressed. "You-you can't. FRIEZA!"
"I will do anything I damn well please," Frieza smirked.
A red light formed in the tip of Frieza's fingers and shot through King Vegeta's chest. Prince Vegeta, amazingly, took no notice of his father's death. Instead, he had backed away from all from them, and seemed unsure on how to escape.
"You needn't run, little Vegeta. You can't escape death on a planet about to be destroyed. No, of course not. That is why I'm having you come with me as well. Grab the two little royal brats, boys."
The three figures that had stood behind Frieza started towards them. Bulma backed away, turned, and took off. Instead of being able to reach the door, the purple one had appeared right in front of her, and she slammed into him, crashing onto the floor.
"There is no where to escape, kid," the purple figure said.
Bulma could feel the tears burn in her eyes. She brushed them away impatiently, gritting her teeth. "I would rather die with my planet! With my people!"
Vegeta, on the other hand, hadn't said a single word or put up a single hand. He simply walked beside the other two strange-looking henchman of Frieza's.
"You're a coward, Vegeta," Bulma yelled.
Vegeta turned to look at her, and shook his head. "You just don't understand, girl. Nor will I explain my actions to you. I can only advise you to do the same as I am."
"Absolutely not!" Bulma yelled, powering up.
"Quite the noble one, just like her father," Frieza laughed. "Getting rid of this habit will certainly be entertaining."