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Shadows in the Dark
"Heard anything juicy lately?" Bulma surprised the old man sitting diligently at his computer console. She let a small tight smile crawl onto her lips as the man took in a quick gasp of air. He then turned in his chair, gave her an open smile and gestured to the seat beside his. She sat down as requested and crossed one leg on top of one the other.
"Depends on what you call juicy, Captain." He was not sure how to respond to the playful manner of the usually serious woman. She came everyday to hear his report which ranged from possible threats to pleas for help. The beautiful, cold woman before him typically listened indifferently while scribbling notes on her yellow pad.
He seemed frightened by her opening greeting, so she curtly replied, "Any threats?" He taped a few keys on his desk and pulled up a new screen in front of them.
"A major deployment recently left Kale in the direction of this region." He pointed to a collection of planets on the border of the despot's territory and neighboring Verda, their current destination. He looked at his captain out of the corner of his eye. He watched as she clinched her jaw tightly and gripped the arms of the chair. Her eyes narrowed angrily at the screen and then swiftly moved to his face. He promptly jumped back into his speech, "They should arrive in seven days."
"They already own those planets. We have to assume they will be collecting Verda next." She spat out the statement like the bitter rind of a lemon. The red planet reminded her of home; the exciting discovery of her own solar system's red planet had been a topic she had followed closely. As one of the few planets still free, she had become familiar with the towns and the people. Having developed regular business partners eager to trade for capsule corporation products, it had become a convenient yet dangerous destination. And now it's more dangerous than ever, she thought to herself. "How exact is your estimate?" She questioned the man beside her.
He glanced at his feet and replied solemnly. He knew she would not like this news either. "Give or take a day."
She swallowed the information slowly and stared vaguely in the direction behind his head. Her eyebrows creased together and she drew her thumb towards her lips. After a few moments of contemplation, she posed another question, "Did you notice any scout pods?"
"No, but they could have been silent." He answered her while she was still focused on an unknown spot behind him.
She drew her thumbnail between her teeth and lightly ran the nail over her bottom incisors. She then pushed her thumb against her bottom lip and drew it away decisively. She took a breath which she released to form the words, "Well, we'll have to assume they are already there."
She spent the next five days preparing for Verda. Physically, completing all the trading in one day would be difficult. Emotionally, she was not sure her nerves would survive. But, Genga had supplies they needed, and those necessities outweighed her personal turmoil.
~~~Five Days Later~~~
Bulma took a deep breath before venturing from her ship, Andraste. She always felt uncomfortable planet-side. The threat of being discovered hovered above her and lurked around every corner. Planets offered too many unknowns; too many variables were out the bright woman's control. Unfortunately, some items could not be attained aboard her ship.
The port was busier than usual. "I guess others know they're coming," she conjectured to her companion. The one eyed man nodded to her and scanned the crowd for danger. "You go and refill the canisters. I'll meet you at Genga's."
Tien gave the small woman a questioning look, "It's too dangerous, Bulma."
She gave the large man a convincingly tough look that she was not sure she felt. "Well, it's do or die. Besides, I can take care of myself," she declared to the taller man. He gave one swift nod and began to part the crowd before him. She watched as the powerful man left her and an exposed feeling crept over her. She pushed the feeling aside, placed her hand on the ki manipulator strapped to her lean thigh and made her way through the mass of people.
She heard a man travelling behind her hysterically shouting, "They're coming … they'll be here soon. We have to leave." A woman near him tried to console the man to no avail. Once again, the feeling began to creep up her spin and she increased her pace in an attempt to outrun her escalating fear.
Bulma soon found herself at her destination. Genga's shop presented itself in front of her with ornate purples and reds draping the window. She grabbed the handle and twisted, but found the door blatantly locked. Damn it, she cursed under her breath. Banging on the door, she looked to her left where a dark alleyway stared at her with all the ferocity of a caged beast. Her breathing began to increase and her heart began thudding in her chest. She walked to a window attempting to peak through, but the inside of the store was shielded completely by the drapery. She banged on the window loudly, hoping the wretched man would open his door.
Again, her eyes shifted rapidly to the dark alley. She looked deeply into the abyss it presented and tried to make out the barely visible shape within. In the most collected voice she could muster she endeavored to convince herself, "Don't be silly, why would someone sulk in the alley?" But she still turned away from the window, and not able to tear her eyes from the alley, she took a step towards the dangerously inviting blackness. She could no longer hear the busy patrons of the street; the swinging doors and trampling feet were all masked by her loud and deep breathing. Each inhale and exhale seemed to last an eternity as she tried to adjust her eyes to the blackness before her. She felt like a moth to the flame as she took yet another step in the direction of the ominous unknown. As she got closer she was convinced that someone or something was indeed in those shadows. She inspected the degrees of blackness and differentiated a slight outline of a human form.
This all felt familiar to the frightened woman, but before she could place the feeling she heard her name being called from behind. "Bulma! The door is over her gorgeous." The stout green man ventured towards his wayward client, and looked at her curiously.
"Do you see someone in that alley?" asked Bulma quietly lifting an insteedy finger in the direction of her attention. She sucked in her breath through closed teeth as she realized she had made the shape more real by voicing its existence.
"Aw, not you too! This whole town's gone apeship. Now, get you skinny ass in my store before I have to carry you." He waddled in front of her and pushed her hip in the desired direction until she picked up her feet. She traveled towards the store and looked over her shoulder before entering the threshold. She saw white boots barely visible at the border of the alleyway's darkness, but before she could look again, Genga shoved her through the doorway and slammed it shut. "Damn! When logical women such as yourself begin raving, you know it's the end."
She closed her eyes and repeated to herself, White boots could belong to anyone. In a daze, she told her obese friend, "They are coming, we tracked their ship." She opened her eyes again to see the green man unfazed by her announcement.
He shrugged his shoulders and placed a sardonic frown on his face. "I aom in business either way, girly. But I guess I'll be missing you." He then replaced his comical look with his industry face and added, "Now, why are you here waking me from my delightful nap?"
She forced her mind into the appropriate mode and announced her desires forcefully, "I need one hundred grams of thulium."
Before she could continue with her demands, her host laughed outloud and answered, "So do you, me and everyone else." He stepped towards her and nudged her lightly with his elbow before continuing, "But for old time's sake I'll see what I can muster up. Just try and contain that crazy while I go out back." He chuckled lightly under his breath while shuffling through a doorway in the back of the room and disappearing from sight.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the muggy, thick air that dwelled in the room. She began to think about her near encounter outside and decided she had indeed been overreacting. Every bad guy in the universe doesn't have me on their wanted list. Just one very powerful one, echoed inside of the woman's head. She turned her body away from that line of thinking and pushed air forcibly through her nose in a huff. Unfortunately, her thoughts were not that easy to escape as a memory gripped her conscious.
~~~Prior to Earth's Destruction~~~
Bulma woke suddenly and confused. She reached for her face with her hand and brushed an object stuck to her cheek. She looked down at the offending tagalong to find a pencil bouncing happily on top of a spread of complicating diagrams. She glared at the overlaid lines and formulas. Glancing around the room, she read a digital display to say four o'clock in the morning. She rolled her eyes in response and said out loud, "Great. It turns out I am his slave."
She stood to her feet, allowing the back of her knees to push the chair away from her. Raising her balled fists in the air, she stretched her arms high above her and made a satisfied squeak as her back decompressed. Her stomach rumbled in displeasure, so she shrugged off her lab coat and walked towards the lab mini-fridge. With a small hiss, the fridge opened and a half-eaten, dried pizza stared back at her. She pulled a face of disgust and wondered about the possible age of the food.
Flicking the small door closed, she turned to the main door of her lab and began her voyage to the large fridge located upstairs. Her bare feet made sticking noises on the hard tile of the hallway outside the barely lit kitchen. She entered the room and headed directly to the fridge. Pulling the door open, she bent over to stick her head into the cool blast of air and viewed the offerings it provided. A clear plastic container on the second self looked intriguing, so she grabbed the food and began preparing it for reheating.
As the microwave started humming, she looked around the large kitchen for the first time since entering. The kitchen table sat near the arched opening to the hallway. Through the opening, the table was highlighted by a nightlight at the bottom of the stairs. Her brows creased in concern as she noticed a chair overturned on the far side of the table. She walked towards the chair and replaced it in its upright position. Looking down at the table, she saw an empty plate sitting before the chair. She picked up the plate, brought it to the sink and jumped up on the counter in a sitting position.
Beginning to feel uncomfortable waiting for her food to finish heating in the dark, she walked to the doorway and flipped on the light with a quick snap of her wrist. Leaning against the wall behind the previously overturned chair was her stoic houseguest. She let out a quick, high pitched scream as her hand flew to her chest and she took a step back. After her initial shock wore off, she yelled, "What the hell are you doing here."
He watched her reaction and winced internally at her unnecessary volume. He had begun to accept that the woman had a taste for the unnecessary, but her loudness still irked him. "I presume you know why this room exists," he answered with indifference to her distress.
"Of course I do." She huffed out before adding, "You know, usually people say 'Hi' or 'Good Evening' when someone walks into the room." Teaching etiquette to this man seemed a daunting task, but Bulma felt she was a pioneer and could take on any challenge. "It's quite rude to sulk in dark corners and spy on people."
Ignoring her last comment, he raised an eyebrow and allowed a small mocking smile to crawl onto his lips. "You call this evening." It would not take long to work the woman into a state given her already compromised condition.
"No!" She shouted. Then staring over his body in the closest imitation of derision she could rally, she continued, "I've been working on your stupid room."
He looked away from her in disinterest and pushed off the wall towards her. He moved with the prowess of a cat stalking its prey to stop a foot in front of her. Although he barely looked down to meet her gaze, his intimidating posture overshadowed her completely. "Inefficiently, I see," he continued in a gravelly, thick voice. His proximity weakened her ability to respond. She could smell the brisk scent of his recent shower and heat seemed to wash over her from his body. She found herself wondering about the Saiyan's natural body temperature. As her scientific mind traveled to guessing at his average heart rate, her gaze drifted from his eyes to the place in his chest where his heart resided. He watched her in annoyance as his banter seemed to encounter apathy.
A dinging from behind them snapped Bulma from her daze and she turned to the microwave. Once she looked back to her guest, she only found empty space. Sighing, she turned back to her food and wondered at Vegeta's strange moods.
~~~Present Day~~~
Bulma, shook her head of the memory and cursed her overactive mind. That particular Saiyan did hide in shadows, but that doesn't mean every shadow contains him. She tried once again to convince herself. She glanced towards the door in apprehension of it being burst open by an irate Saiyan, but that event did not occur. Instead, the green man announced his presence behind the counter with a, "You better have something good for me, pretty girl."
She scoffed lightly at his ridiculous pet names and took a few long strides towards him swaying her hips from side-to-side. "I'm sure you'll approve," she replied in a low, sexy tone trying to sell her product with any aid available. She reached into her pocket, drew out two small capsules, put them on the counter between them and began to describe them, "One hundred KM1000s, the newest in ki manipulation weaponry and five advanced healing chambers, better than anything those Icejin-freaks could develop."
"Outdone yourself again. One day you'll have to tell me how your beauty and brains got in the same gene pool." Genga looked at the woman before him in wonder. When the woman first wondered into his shop, he figured she was a dignitary for a group of scientists, but as time went on he came to realize she was the brains of the operation.
Bulma was reminded of her mother and her in ability to cope with the changes in their lives. She may have gained model-like genes from her, but her father's contribution is what kept her people alive. She gave a close lipped smile to the shop owner and replied, "Yes, quite the mystery." Although she was willing to use her feminine wails to her advantage, she had to admit sometimes her beauty was a curse.
Genga raised a fisted hand over Bulma's hand and dropped a small capsule. "Eight Hundred grams. Don't ever say a never did anything for ya." He looked at the capsule now in her hands and then grabbed his two capsules. Turning around he placed his new acquisitions in a draw and began, "Oh yeah, before you leave. I got a request from a client. Have you made a gravity manipulation system?" He wearily asked the question without turning to face the woman.
Every fiber in Bulma's body froze with a sudden force that knocked the breath from her lungs. She answered in a dazed whisper, "gravity … manipulation." Her pupils dilated with fear, she clenched her jaw and squared her shoulders. Righting her mind, she slammed a fist onto the metal counter between the man and herself before demanding, "What client, what did he look like?"
He looked over his shoulder at the angry woman behind him. Turning lazily, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and answered, "Short, dangerous …"
Before he could continue, she cut him off, "Was he Saiyan?" She held her breath as he mulled over the question.
Now facing the blue haired woman, he slowly and methodically answered, "You know, he just might have been." While delivering his statement he creased his eyebrows together and nodding his head in agreement. The front door to the room creaked open just as the green man confirmed her fears. She whipped around violently to see her compatriot, Tien, enter the room.
As soon as she saw Tien, Bulma immediately ran to him, grabbed hold of the larger man's arm, and whispered through clenched teeth, "They know we are here." Tien stuttered something intelligible in return and Bulma looked towards Genga. In a frantic yet commanding tone she asked the green man, "Do you have a back way out?"
He looked at her with empathy and gestured towards the back room. "There's a back exit. If you take a left out of the gate, it will lead directly to the port." He walked through the back room, looking behind him to see if the pair was following him.
Bulma raced passed Genga and located the back door. She turned to the shop owner and compassionately stated, "Thank you Genga." Grabbing the green man's shoulders, she leaned forward and kissed one of his cheeks. Leaning back, she smiled at him and whispered, "Good luck!" She and Tien ducked out of the exit, turned left and ran towards their ship.
Just after Bulma's Blue tendrils disappeared out of the back door and Genga was still revealing in Bulma's kiss, he heard his front door slam open. He hurried to his counter to aid the incoming customer. Once entering the front room of his shop, he saw the back of a short muscular man leaning against the counter. The intruder's hair and battle uniform immediately announced his identity. Even facing the opposite direction, Vegeta's proximity spewed out danger. At the front door, a blank faced man stood at guard with a stiff posture and hands clasped behind his back. Genga looked to the man leaning at his counter as the Saiyan turned around slowly and glared knowingly at the fat green man.
Genga felt powerless and utterly helpless. The man's eyes bored into his. Vegeta cocked his head slightly to the side raising his eyebrows minutely, anticipating the delivery of good news. Genga stuttered out, "It's done. I put it in her capsule." Genga took a step back, hoping that his usefulness had not run out for the Saiyan prince.
Vegeta's smooth voice cut through the thick air and the scared man gave a small sigh in relief as Vegeta responded, "Good." Vegeta looked down at the pathetic man in front of him disgusted by his obvious display of fear. "And what kind of treat did she give in return," he questioned as he scowled over the counter at the man's trembling form.
Genga reached into the draw behind him and drew out two capsules. He placed them on the counter and said, "Guns and Tanks." He hoped the honest delivery of the technology would spare his life.
Vegeta glanced down at the capsules and grabbed the one labeled 'T,' looked back at the sweating, fat man and haughtily saying, "I have no use for guns."
"Of course not, Sir," Genga allowed the words to dribble out of his mouth. He wiped his forehead with the back of his palm and continued, "Why would a capable man such …"
Vegeta cut him off briskly with a calmly stated innocent question, "Do you know what I despise?" The prince watched the man squirm in fear, gulp air down his throat and shake his head with small, rapid trembles. Vegeta leaned forward, grabbed the sweaty man by his throat and growled, "Traitors."
Genga was trapped by Vegeta's tight grasp and intense eyes. He tried to nod his head in agreement and squeezed out a sentence through his constricted throat, "I would never …"
Vegeta grunted is disagreement and menacingly said, "Your track record says differently." He tightened his grip on the offensive man. He continued, "How do you expect me to trust you, when you could trick that woman?" He pulled the sweating, trembling man over the counter dragging his body like a rag doll over the sharp corners of the metal counter. Cuts formed on the fat man's stubby legs and the potent smell of blood filled the Saiyan's nostrils. The smell reminded him of battle, of victory, and a tingling rush pulsed through his whole body in anticipation. He growled out, "With friends like you, she'd be better off with me." He ended the statement with a snap of his wrist. Genga's head fell limply to the side and a gurgling noise emanated from his mouth as life left his beady, frightened eyes.
Vegeta dropped the dead body and it crumpled to the ground with an empty thud. He turned to his companion and amusingly said, "Now, let's see where the little rabbit runs."