. . Camouflage . .
Lady Rhapsody
. One .
. Vejita .
Until three years ago, my addiction was my life. Power… I had always coveted it, known I deserved it, and have in the past killed millions for it.
I am learning that absolute power is the most orgiastic thing that one could possibly experience. It surges through my veins, invigorating and enriching my every waking moment. I once resented the ridiculous monopoly of authority that Frieza held; now that I am in the same position, the concept is not so offensive to me. I, however, do not plan to make the same mistakes the Cold family made. I suffered for most of my life under their regime, and all the while I was learning, observing, considering. I've always known how I would manage it.
I am on my way to achieving everything I have ever dreamed of, with the exception of one detail. There remains one miniscule blemish on my record, and it is the fact that I have not dealt with the gaggle of fools known as the 'Z senshi'. True, I have obliterated everything they once held dear (with the exception of each other, though I imagine they are growing sick of one another considering the conditions they must be living in), but that is not enough. I have set out from the very beginning to kill Kakkarott, and I still mean to do just that, along with eliminating his weak little companions. With one exclusion, of course.
Delectable little Bulma Briefs.
'Little' probably is not the best adjective to describe her anymore - she would be twenty-three years old now, definitely mature by human standards. When I had associations with her, she was in many ways still a child, though her sexual prowess, I am not too gentile to admit, would suggest otherwise. Hence, 'delectable'.
The passing of three busy years has done nothing to dim my memory of her. I cannot seem to adequately explain my obsession with the ningen. I have certainly encountered women more skilled in bed in my life, and I have beheld many women more beautiful than she. I won't even delve into how ridiculous I find her unconditional love for her friends to be. What was so fascinating about little Bulma was her uncanny duality.
On the one hand, there was the innocence - smiling naiveté, rosy pink skin, and a childlike curiosity about any new knowledge that was presented to her. On the other, the human had an intellect and resolve I have rarely seen the rival of. Besides my obvious sexual interest, there was something else at work, something much more powerful. I recognized something in her that made her twice as irresistible to me.
She would be the perfect asset to an empire - a prolific producer of original, ingenious weapons as well as a born-and-bred socialite with more than her share of charisma . I've seen the weakling capture the attention of people much more mature and influential than she effortlessly, and she already has years of experience helping her father run Capsule Corporation. With this perfect combination, she would be, understandably, indispensable to me. This realization came to me at about the very moment that I found myself staring down the barrel of her newest invention. How lovely that was.
I could perhaps have taken the weapon from her and ended it right then and there... but why? Why would I break the spirit of someone whose fire could become so valuable to me? Let her grow hardened by the city streets, let her become frustrated with her mediocre life... let her come to me. This is why I have thus far only half-heartedly searched for her. She lived in the lap of luxury and loves to be in the spotlight; it is only a matter of time before she cannot handle anonymity anymore. Then, she will come to me willingly, and it will be much easier to handle her.
The flagship lurches as it breaks through Earth's atmosphere, waking me from my half-trance. As we descend, the bustling city, surrounded by a dark cloud of haze and industrial smoke, becomes visible. I do what I always do upon returning to the planet; I scan the burgeoning population for a trace of familiar ki, whether it belongs to Kakkarott, Bulma, or any of the others. As usual, there is nothing. I suppose I should not underestimate them; they were the ones who introduced the idea of ki suppression to me in the first place. Not that that ended up working out in their favor. The bunch of yokels should be congratulating themselves for the situation that they find themselves in; after all, they are the ones who welcomed me in, shared new attacks, and put a roof over my head. I chuckle to myself over the irony of it all.
Life is an amusing experience, especially when you always come out on top.
As I exit the ship and emerge into the biting late-autumn air (I really must locate a more temperate base of operations, and fast), the crowd which has gathered to catch a glimpse of me - their infamous leader - for themselves shrinks back a little. I assume they have heard the colorful rumors about both my past career as a high-ranking officer in Frieza's army and my present dominance in the wake of that empire's destruction. I smirk in satisfaction, for it is only fitting that they be terrified of me. Easier to keep them in line that way - one thing that Frieza had done correctly.
Radditz and Nappa are waiting at the entrance of my compound, erected two years ago, looking rather ashamed of themselves. That is never a good sign.
"Our apologies, Emperor Vejita," Nappa manages to spit out. "But we have had no concrete signs of the Z senshi, nor of the Briefs girl, as of yet."
"I expected as much," I hiss back. It is true - I really did not expect them to be found and trussed up for me when I returned. I have a feeling that Bulma will prove to be nearly impossible to track down, at least for an idiot such as Nappa. "What the hell are you two holding off for, my birthday?"
"We are searching as best we can, Vejita-sama," Radditz replies, more competently than Nappa had been able to. "Just yesterday I appointed a new set of soldiers to assist us. If all goes well -"
"Spare me the details," I interrupt. "Just make sure that they are found in time for the first snow. I will not be happy if the people who could help bring my empire to its full potential turn into little popsicles… if they haven't already in the three years they have been gallivanting about on my planet."
"'People'?" Radditz questions. "I had thought that Briefs was the only one that you intended to keep alive."
Radditz was technically correct. Originally, Bulma was the only one who I thought was of any use to me. But then, over the course of this last trip, I remembered something; something that made me eager to return to Earth much quicker.
Namekians, it is rumored throughout the universe, possess telepathic abilities.
While on a nearby planet, I attended a party commemorating the 'treaty' between myself and their pathetic authority figure. Present at that celebration was the leader's seer, who have since before the time of Frieza been employed by leaders for various purposes, to varying degrees of success. Since another person present expressed interest in obtaining a seer for themselves, conversation at dinner that night was focused around the topic of which alien races were said to be telepathic. Imagine my surprise when Namekians were mentioned.
I am well aware that the green freak would rather die than assist me in my goals, but, as he will soon find out, death is my least favorite punishment. There are worse things than death - more entertaining things than death. The ability to be able to anticipate attacks, weaknesses, or rebellions is one that I would prefer not to live without. Call me greedy.
"Plans change. I want the Namekian as well. The both of them had better be found by winter, or you shall find yourselves in a rather... compromising... situation." I brush past them without another word, eager to get to my suite and wash up before attending to the accumulation of issues that I am sure is awaiting me in my throne room. Sure enough, I can sense the ki's of several of my advisors hovering in that very room, anticipating my arrival.
I decide to deliberately make them stand around for a while and am pleased to find that a steaming bath has been prepared for my arrival. After several mistakes, the staff has learned to accommodate my every whim and then make themselves scarce, or pay. I cannot abide slaves hovering about, no doubt a residual effect of being constantly monitored while in Frieza's 'employ'.
The water is soothing to my strained nerves. This last trip was not simply for recreation or even for diplomacy - had that been case, I would have sent someone else in my place so that I would not have had to deal with the plethora of incompetents present on the planet in question. Recently, rumors have been surfacing that this particular planet has been involved in developing high-tech weapons. Obviously, this cannot be allowed for several reasons. One, I cannot even take the smallest risk in letting a potential threat get away from me. Frieza made this mistake in letting even one Saiya-jin survive. Two, I cannot have tongues throughout the universe wagging about how someone is insubordinate to my empire.
I personally went to the planet because I had to see this technology for myself, and to make sure that the conspirators realize that I am ever vigilant. Despite what Bulma might have previously believed, I have extensive knowledge of certain kinds of technology, gained from traveling all over the universe under the command of a power such as Frieza, who had a multitude of alien resources at his disposal. Replicating her radar was child's play next to repairing your own space pod.
At night, after everyone had passed out, I and several of my agents searched the building for the labs where these materials were being developed. The manipulative bastards had several weapons of mass destruction the like of which they should not have been able to produce, as well as various, more primitive versions of Bulma's own ki-draining gun. The perfect tools to someday take down an empire - my empire, perhaps? Naturally, we sabotaged the weapons before returning to my quarters, subtlety enough so that they would not be able to tell until the things malfunctioned. Damn them all to hell. Of course, I immediately began making plans to obliterate their entire population. The tropical climate of their planet will make for a lucrative vacation destination.
The people on this one pitiful planet could not have been acting alone - the majority of systems within the known universe have been under the control of one dictator or another for hundreds of years. Societies such as this one have never experienced independence and would not even be able to fathom it without help from others. With my current technology, it would be risking too much money and manpower to attempt to eliminate the entire resistance the way I would like to; thus my intensifying the search for Miss Bulma Briefs and her surly green companion. Between Bulma's aptitude for inventing advanced weaponry and Piccolo's telepathy, carrying out this task with a little more finesse than a complete planetary system cleansing will be a non-issue.
In fact, I plan to start searching for the ningen myself. After all, I haven't committed a satisfying murder in a while, and I owe Kakkarott a slow, painful death. Thinking about all this killing calms my anxiety right down, and I allow myself to slip into a light sleep as I languish in the hot, scented water.
"Why don't you come a tiny bit closer..."
Thin fingers beckon me in her direction, deeper into the tub. Potpourri flakes swirl in the water and gather around her shoulders. She looks like a pink mermaid, all lavender curls and flushed baby skin. It's fascinating how this girl, so painfully inexperienced in the ways of the universe, can emanate such sexuality. It coats my skin like the filmy water. With a smirk that earns me a tiny, satisfying twinge of fear veiled beneath long lashes, I oblige her...
Quickly, I shake off the daze and sit up in the water. Any longer into that particular memory and I would have been... inhibited for a short while. It's been far too long since I've partaken in such meaningless pleasures. With three years' worth of stress and irritation pent up within me, I could sure as fuck use some fun. All the more reason to find the woman and her clownish friends quickly. Reluctantly, I get out to ready myself for the duties ahead.
It's going to be a long-ass day.
. . .
"What's wrong with here?"
"We are only two miles away from our last place, you idiot!"
"What the fuck difference does it make, anyway? We've gone three years without being discovered, what's -"
Bulma tuned her companions out as she moved to walk ahead of them, reaching into her hood and massaging her temples in a futile attempt to rid herself of her pounding headache. Chichi, Yamcha, and Krillen had been bickering all morning, ever since they had left their previous shelter in search of a new one. This happened every time they moved; it was becoming a part of the routine, albeit a negative part. Not that there was anything positive about the situation.
"What do you know about safety? You're the one who almost gave us away last year when Radditz walked by!"
"Well if it hadn't been for your-"
Sensing a strong presence suddenly materialize beside her, Bulma looked up to meet the serious gaze of Piccolo. She offered a grimace and nodded towards the others. "Don't you just love when we all get along?"
Piccolo ignored her wry attempt at humor. "Listen girl, there's something I have to talk to you about. Something important."
Bulma, not one to dismiss the fact that Piccolo seemed to have a sixth sense about things, immediately became serious. "What is it? Please don't tell me that Vejita's somewhere around here. Have you noticed that everyone seems especially tense today, too?"
He had noticed, and that was exactly what he wanted to talk to her about. Bulma was a smart girl, but she had not completely figured it out, not that he had expected her to. "Yes, I have, and there is a very good reason for that -"
"Bulma! Check this out!" Goku burst between the pair, showing some semblance of his former carelessness. "Come over here! Piccolo, you too!"
The Namekian rolled his eyes at the Saiya-jin and followed reluctantly. What he had to speak to Bulma about was of the utmost importance, and nothing that Goku could get excited about could possibly matter more at this point in time. He made a mental note to pull Bulma aside later, when she could give what he had to say her full attention. Meanwhile, Goku was pulling Bulma into a nearby alley, leaving their bickering companions to wait for them on the street.
"What in Kami's name are you so worked up about?" Bulma demanded shortly. "We have to keep moving. Even Piccolo said that something's going on today, we -"
"Take a look at that," Goku said, his voice hushed as he pointed to the end of the alley. "and try to tell me that it isn't worth the stop."
At the end of the alley lay a lone, unmoving figure. This in itself was not unusual - Vejita's men liked to rough people up and petty crime ran rampant in the streets - but what was so noteworthy about this particular figure was what was lying next to it. Bulma emitted an exclamation of happiness and jogged over to crouch beside the figure. Piccolo and Goku were close on her heels.
"I'll be damned," she murmured, picking up the bag that had apparently fallen out of the dead man's jacket. "This thing must weigh two pounds!" Excitedly, she opened the bag and dumped its contents on the ground in front of her, where it would be concealed from the view of those on the street. There before her twinkled enough coins to keep them fed and clothed for three months. "May Kami bless whoever finished off this selfish prick!" Hurriedly, she began gathering the coins and shoving them into her bag, glancing over her shoulder defensively.
"See? I told you it would be worth it." Goku looked proud of himself as Bulma stood up and the telltale sound of jingling coins rang through the air. "Looks to me like Vejita's lackeys did us a favor for once. You know what this means, right?"
Bulma gave Goku an incredulous look. He was about to bring up one of the most sensitive topics among the group - the possibility of getting a semi-permanent living space. "Don't even say it, Goku. If you had even the smallest hint of common sense you would know that getting a place to live would be like signing our own death warrant."
Piccolo shook his head and left the two in the alley to argue. They had gone through this many times in the past. Bulma had won before, and she would win again. Though everyone liked to loathe her for her supposed part in their current situation, her word was usually the one they lived by. The Namekian did not mind this - of all the Z senshi, he found Bulma to be the sharpest and least annoying. He would sooner listen to her than Goku any day, despite the hero-worship that everyone else had for him. On the street, the three others were still on-and-off fighting, idiotically drawing attention to themselves. He growled and blended into the crowd around him, not wanting to be associated with the conspicuous humans in any way, shape, or form.
He was surprised he had stuck with them for so long, honestly. He was usually a loner and probably would have struck out on his own long ago if it were not for the strange feeling he got whenever he was around the Briefs girl.
Being a member of a telepathic race, he was used to getting strange hunches about things, but this one was very different in that it was persistent. Whenever he considered leaving, something at the back of his mind pleaded with him to stay close to Bulma, for his own sake. It had nothing to do with liking her or thinking that she knew what to do; it was more akin to the sensation that she was the only life raft and they were all on a swiftly sinking ship. He could not place it, and it frustrated him because he had always felt that her life was inextricably linked with Vejita's, which in this situation that seemed to be a terrible thing. At any rate, Piccolo could not bring himself to leave, and it was moments like this one where he had to pay for it. Releasing an enormous sigh of impatience, Piccolo closed his eyes and began to meditate to quell his temper.
It was going to be a long day.
. . .
Nappa guffawed as the weakling he bumped into fell back on their ass, no match for his enormous bulk. He enjoyed harassing innocent citizens so much that he could do it all day, every day. This day, however, he had business to attend to. After receiving his orders from Vejita upon the prince's return, he had immediately set out to search for the stupid Earthlings. In the meantime, he had decided to take out his frustration on someone. Having had a little too much fun, the burly Saiya-jin had actually killed the person and dumped the body in a random alley. Now he was returning to it, because he had forgotten to check the man's pockets for anything interesting. He didn't really need whatever he might find, being a high-ranking and wealthy person within Vejita's empire, but he had nothing else to do and stealing just because one could was amusing. Also, if the person was carrying any sort of I.D., he could double-check that it wasn't anyone who had been important.
Finally, he reached the district where the alley was located. A small group of hooded figures was engaged in an argument nearby, but Nappa paid them no attention. He wanted to search the body and get on with it - there would be untold amounts of pain in store for him if the human girl was not found by Vejita's deadline. The entrance of the alley loomed before him.
He turned the corner and was faced with something that he had not expected - two other people stood near the body, fighting. What was with everyone today? Nappa thought to himself as he stalked over to the pair. They were both hooded, so he could not make out their identities, not that it really mattered. With the exception of Vejita, he was the strongest being on this planet. If they had tampered with the dead man's belongings, they would soon find this out firsthand.
"You! Weaklings!" he greeted in his booming voice. The people jumped about two feet into the air, clearly caught unawares. As they turned to him, Nappa was shocked to discover he knew just who they were. Standing before him was none other than Kakkarott and the coveted Bulma Briefs! Nappa could have jumped for joy. "Stay right where you are - you're mine now. Vejita-sama is going to love this..."
Goku could hardly believe his eyes. Nappa must have been keeping his ki suppressed, because he had not sensed his approach at all, and apparently neither had the meditating Piccolo. Beside him, Bulma was equally flabbergasted. Unlike her companion, however, an escape plan was already formulating in her mind. Nappa might have been ridiculously strong, but if her memory served her correctly, the same could not be said for his intellect. Very inconspicuously, she reached for the knife that was belted to her waist.
"You'll never have us without a fight," Goku announced with false bravado. He immediately adopted a fighting stance, though his heart was pounding from the knowledge that he could not win. "I'll die before Vejita gets what he wants!"
Nappa burst out into cruel laughter. "He's already gotten everything he wants, with the exception of your pretty little friend and the green man. Feel free to drop dead at any time. He has no use for you."
Before Goku could reply, Bulma moved from his side to approach Nappa. She pulled down her hood, revealing what Goku recognized as her most flirtatious pout. "You finally found me. I suppose you win." She stood before Nappa, still wearing a submissive expression, while Goku looked on in disbelief. "Take me to your leader."
The huge Saiya-jin initially looked stunned by Bulma's approach, then proud of himself. "Ha! I knew a dumb ningen like you would not be hard to capture!" Then, in response to her flirtations: "I can see why my prince would be so anxious to get a hold of you... perhaps I'll have some fun with you before I take you to the palace..." With an excited grin, he grabbed Bulma's waist and pulled her closer.
The girl's reaction was immediate. In a flurry of deft movement she pulled her knife from its hilt and slashed it across the Saiya-jin's groin, earning her an ear-splitting howl of pain and a blinding reactionary flash of ki. Wasting no time, she took off, closely followed by Goku. As they ran, they yelled for their arguing friends and Piccolo to follow. By then, they had noticed Nappa's presence and did not question the orders of their two friends.
Back in the alley, Nappa fell to his knees, clutching himself as he experienced what was quite possibly the worst pain of his life. This, however, would be nothing compared to the beating he would receive from Vejita when he heard about this. He had been kneeling in the alley for less than five minutes when Radditz landed beside him, immediately adopting a fighting stance. When he saw that his fellow Saiya-jin was alone, he looked around in confusion.
"What the fuck happened here?" he demanded, eyeing the body and the pool of blood growing beneath Nappa's knees. "I felt your ki skyrocket."
"Stop gawking at me and go after the humans, asshole!" Nappa growled from behind clenched teeth. "Vejita's going to kill me... I'm never going to be able to fuck again..."
"Ha! You'll be doing the universe a favor, then." Radditz crossed his arms skeptically. "I don't see any ningens around here. Stop blubbering like an idiot and tell me who did this to you."
"Bulma... Briefs..." Nappa growled. "Evil little whore... went that way!"
Radditz's eyes widened in realization. In a flash of blue ki, he took off after them.
. . .
Bulma gritted her teeth in tension as they tore through the streets, desperately escaping the scene of her crime before Nappa came or sent someone after them. Perhaps it had not been wise to make the burly man so angry, but she had really had no choice. Besides, it had worked, hadn't it? She tried not to think about how pissed Vejita would be when he found out that he had nearly achieved his goal and what might result from that. As far as she knew, he hadn't personally conducted much of the search, but with this last incident, that might very well change. The prospect of the Prince himself chasing them rather than just his companions terrified her.
"Good call on that one, Piccolo!" Chichi spat, out of breath and clearly angry. "Aren't you supposed to be psychic? You definitely didn't warn us about this little encounter!"
The Namek didn't even honor her with a response. Bulma couldn't really blame him. Chichi was just taking out her fear and anger on him - they all knew that Piccolo's sixth sense came and went without warning.
"There!" Yamcha called out, gesturing to a large abandoned building. "Looks like a good hiding place to me."
"Bad idea," Goku interjected, his face suddenly blanched. "I just sensed something - Radditz is coming. He's gaining on us!"
Bulma felt her stomach drop. Nappa was one thing, but Radditz was much more dangerous. While Nappa certainly was the brawn, Radditz had the brains. He was a cocky fucker, but for a good reason - they had had a few close calls with the Saiya-jin already. With him so close, there really wasn't any other option but to split up. She herself chose to hide rather than run. Quickly, she ducked into a small, cramped shelter that had apparently used to be someone's home. Her ocean-hued eyes peered through the cracks in the wood, surveying the street outside.
Radditz, ironically, landed right in front of her shelter. The pedestrians on the street easily recognized him and scattered in all directions, scared for their lives. It wasn't often that one of Vejita's guards showed up in the ghettos of the city, and whenever they did it meant death for someone - or many. The Saiya-jin scanned the immediate area with his dark, almond-shaped eyes, his long hair blowing in the wind. Bulma held her breath and tightened her hand around her knife, still slick with Nappa's blood.
Then, there was an unexpected movement from a building across the way. Krillen and Chichi had apparently decided to stick together - dumb move - and had made a grave mistake. It was quite possibly the last one they would ever make.
Faster than the eye could see, Radditz shot over and seized them by the back of their shirts. He dragged them out of their hiding spot kicking and screaming, laughing maliciously. Bulma should have felt torn at this moment between attempting to save them and sacrificing herself for their benefit, but the fact was she did not. Not at all. She simply sat and watched as Radditz manhandled her friends.
"Hello there!" Radditz greeted them with a huge grin. "What have we here? A cueball and the mate of my beloved estranged brother, Kakkarott. Quite the accomplishment on my part, wouldn't you agree? I've been looking for you for a long time now."
Krillen and Chichi squirmed desperately in his grip, tears streaming down both of their faces. They knew that there was no hope for them. If Goku or Piccolo had been nearby, they surely would have come to help already.
"Now, Vejita-sama has no use for the two of you, save for one thing," Radditz started, his voice civil and pleasant, yet threatening at the same time. "Reveal the location of Bulma Briefs and the Namekian, and your deaths shall be quick."
Bulma stiffened. She knew that either one of them would give her location away in a second if they knew where she was. Especially Chichi, who had always been resentful of Goku's close friendship with her.
"She went that way!" Chichi immediately exclaimed, pointing a bitchy little finger in Bulma's direction. So predictable. Like clockwork, Krillen nodded in agreement, having the decency to look slightly ashamed of himself. "Please don't kill us!"
Before Radditz could come and drag her out by her hair, Bulma stood and exited her hiding spot, dropping her hood as she emerged. She had a feeling that if she made Radditz search for very long, it would only end up worse for her. The Saiya-jin chuckled in triumph as he quickly recognized her.
"Hello, my dear, how are you this fine afternoon?" he asked with a mocking bow. He looked her up and down, taking in her shabby clothing and the bloody knife that she still clutched. "Oh how the mighty have fallen! You look quite different than when I last saw you. Though I must say that I like the grown-up version of you better..."
Bulma shuddered as his eyes swept down her figure. The perverted Saiya-jin would like this rugged, bloodstained version of her better.
"Alright, here's the plan," Radditz proposed. "You surrender yourself, and I grant your little friends the honor of a merciful death. You really can't lose - you'll have rid yourself of these annoying bastards and you'll be on your way to a much better life. If you choose to resist me, however, your friends here are going to be in for a world of pain. Vejita really has perfected the art of torture."
Chichi and Krillen, the two 'friends' who had just sacrificed her to the Saiya-jin without any hesitation, looked to her pleadingly.
. Bulma .
This should be one of the biggest dilemmas of my life. Right now, I should be desperately going over fond memories of my two friends in my head, thinking of all the great times we had together. None of this is occurring. Instead, I'm thinking of something else, something completely different.
If I refuse Radditz's tempting offer and he takes them to Vejita to be killed in some horrific manner, will it attract the attention of Goku, Yamcha, and Piccolo? I suppose if it does I could always run off and strike out on my own. It would be much easier to remain hidden that way... Or should I give in to sweet temptation and let Vejita have me? These are not normal, healthy thoughts running through my head. These are the thoughts of a cold-hearted, selfish bitch. Admittedly, that is just what I have become. It is most definitely what I feel like as Chichi and Krillen put on their best 'save me' faces. I feel like a bitch because as I look at them, I think that they are pathetic.
Just like he did.
The Z senshi filed out one by one, each thanking my mother and I for our hospitality. Mom smiled at me, proud of the enormous Thanksgiving dinner that we had just hosted.
"Oh, Bulma, you are so lucky to have such sweet and handsome friends!" she gushed as she shut the front door of the mansion and hurried into the kitchen to oversee the cleaning bots as they made quick work of the pick-up.
As I turned to go up to my room - after dealing with all of my rambunctious friends and their antics, I was ready for a nap - I felt a presence behind me. Guessing who it might be, I turned and found myself face-to-face with the Saiya-jin Prince. My heart skipped a beat, but not from adoration. My reaction to the dark man was more akin to fear, despite our... associations as of late.
"'Lucky'?" he repeated incredulously. He leaned up against one of the columns lining the ornate foyer. "I would hardly call you lucky. Those fools are an asset to nobody."
"It must be easy for a man with no friends to scorn those of others," I retort, against my better judgment. I seem to be doing a lot of things against my better judgment lately. "You're just too arrogant to appreciate anyone but yourself."
"You are not like them," Vejita observed. Though he might have been complimenting me, it did not feel like it. His gravelly, accented voice made everything sound like an accusation or a threat. He moved closer, close enough to play with a lock of my long hair, observing its lavender color. "You may try to delude yourself, but you know that it's true."
"What are you trying to say, Vejita?" I sense that he is getting at something, but I cannot determine what. He is such an enigma. I know he is hiding something from us. I have always known.
"You and I are more alike than you and those people," he says, the poisonous words rolling off of his tongue like honey - the man could have made suicide sound appealing. "We recognize opportunity when it presents itself, we can see people's weaknesses... we are of a different caliber than the likes of them."
I am extremely nervous with Vejita in such close proximity. Odd, considering our affair, but logical all the same since all that we really shared was sex. "Your point?" I ask, pulling the lock of my hair out of his grasp.
He is smug; he noticed my discomfort. "You don't belong with them. You don't need them like you believe you do - you have never and will never need them. They are completely expendable."
"I would never dismiss my friends like that," I counter indignantly, though over the course of our adventures together I have - only in my darkest moments - felt the same. "Never. I'm not heartless like you."
His evil laugh chased me all the way upstairs to my room, where I sat trying to figure out just what kind of game Vejita was playing.
"What'll it be, sweetheart?" Radditz asks, giving Krillen and Chichi a brisk shake and knocking me out of my reverie. "I don't have all day. In case you don't recall, Vejita-sama is a very impatient man."
Resolutely, I lift my chin and make my decision. May Kami forgive me some day - Vejita had been right.
"Fuck you." Then, I ran, leaving Radditz, Chichi, and Krillen staring after me, each wearing an identical expression of horror.
. . .
[[ A. N.: Please remember to review! ]]