-1Disclaimer: You know, I hate writing this in every chapter. I'm a struggling college student. Does it sound like I own DBZ?
***
Chapter Three - Explosion
***
Vegeta was in shock. Had his sworn enemy just offered to provide him with the one thing he sought more than anything else? The thing he planned to destroy Goku with, once achieved? He couldn't believe it. His disbelief soon subsided, however, only to be replaced with searing anger.
"What makes you think I need your help, Kakkarot?" His practical side wanted to accept the offer, but his pride simply wouldn't take it.
"Vegeta, don't let your pride cloud your judgment. You know as well as I do how valuable it would be in our fight against the androids if you were a Super Saiyan, too," Goku reasoned.
Vegeta was suspicious, but his pride slowly began backing down. "Ha! Kakkarot, for once you're thinking of yourself! And even more surprisingly, that actually made sense, coming from you. A Saiyan begging for help… I thought I'd never see the day. But I will help you. I'll pick those androids apart, one by one, and then I'll come for you."
Beaming, Goku held out his hand. "Great! Okay, so we have a deal? You go back to Capsule Corp, I train you…"
Vegeta slapped Goku's outstretched hand away from him. "I will not shake on it, Kakkarot. I'm a prince, you have my word." He said the last part semi-mockingly as he crossed his arms and turned his back to Goku.
"There is one thing I'm just dying to know. Why are you so hell bent on getting me to return to that damn compound, anyway?"
Uhh… how can I explain this without saying, "Because you and Bulma are supposed to spawn a purple-haired demi-Saiyan in the next two years…" Goku thought, scratching his head, thankful Vegeta had his back turned and couldn't see his confused expression as he tried to deliberate on the right answer to give.
He found a suitable response moments later, and said, "Well the G.R. is there. I figure that's your best chance at ascending to Super Saiyan. You really have to push yourself to cross that line, and the gravity room knows how to test your limits…"
Vegeta was satisfied with the response, and put his hand up before Goku could explain further. "Save it for the training. I'll return to the compound immediately. Be seeing you… Kakkarot."
Without saying another word, Vegeta blasted off in the direction of Capsule Corporation, looking forward to some real food, but more importantly, looking forward to his inevitable ascension.
***
Bulma was at work in her lab, putting the finishing touches on a couple of service bots Vegeta had broken in half last week when they tried to assist him in toweling off after a shower. She chuckled at the memory. He certainly kept her hands full, breaking everything mechanical in sight and then demanding she fix it instantly, as if she were more skilled and powerful than Kami himself. Sighing, Bulma encapsulated the finished service bots and put them in her lab coat pockets. She looked through her lab window at the gravity chamber, which sat in the middle of the lawn baking beneath the hot summer sun. She watched heat radiate from the water-proof metal alloy Bulma had encased it within the first time Vegeta destroyed it. But that hadn't stopped him from blowing holes through the roof or disabling the power circuitry when he powered up. Nothing stops that man… Bulma thought.
She sighed again. Why do I keep thinking about him? Things aren't that boring without him here… are they?
Dr. Briefs walked into her lab at that moment. "Hello there, Bulma, having a nice day, are we?" he asked cheerfully. She nodded, half-smiling as he continued, "Your mother and I are having some friends over to play bingo tonight. Would you like to join us?"
Yep. I'm bored as hell. "Erm, no thanks Dad, I still have a truckload of work to do in the lab."
"Alright, well, if you change your mind, you know where to find us." He paused. "And by the way, Bulma, before you get too engrossed in your work, you might want to see to Vegea. He's destroying the kitchen and I have no idea where your mother is."
Bulma's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Vegeta?"
She stood up suddenly, startling Dr. Briefs, and literally jogged to the kitchen. The first thing Bulma saw was Vegeta's flame-haired figure raiding the refrigerator, muttering incoherently to himself.
"Vegeta?" she questioned, moving towards him slowly as if she were afraid it wasn't really him. He did not turn to look at her, but replied, "Go away, woman," in his usual dismissive manner. Bulma didn't listen; she walked up beside the prince and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Vegeta," she said again. He looked up at her this time, visibly scandalized by her touch. Bulma drew back in shock; he almost looked rabid.
"Vegeta, if you need me to make you something to eat…" she began, but he cut her off immediately.
"I don't need your help! I thought I made that perfectly clear yesterday."
Bulma placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him in annoyance. "Oh, you mean yesterday, when you had a huge tantrum in front of everyone? If you don't need my help then can you please explain why you're back, ransacking my fridge?"
Growling, Vegeta backed away from the refrigerator, and let out a string of curses. But he bit back his pride in light of his ravenous hunger, and instead of insulting Bulma outright, he simply commanded, "Fine! Make me a sandwich, woman!"
"Would you like me to grab you a beer, too," Bulma grumbled under he breath, but Vegeta caught it.
"Only if you open it for me first," he said, now wearing his trademark smirk.
Ten sandwiches later the thunderous sound of Vegeta's hunger pains subsided and he lay strewn across Bulma's living room couch, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. Bulma was still reeling from watching Vegeta swallow ten sandwiches whole when she sat down in an easy chair beside the couch.
"You know Vegeta, I didn't think you were coming back," she said matter-of-factly in a feeble attempt to strike up conversation with her prideful housemate. Her eyes appraised his unusually tensionless body. He must be exhausted, Bulma thought. Even the scowl that seemed permanently etched into his face had relaxed into a lazy frown.
"Let me assure you," Vegeta began in response to Bulma's statement. "I would not have returned had I found better training grounds else ware on this forsaken planet. As it turns out, the G.R. is the only useful invention your dimwitted brain could have possibly produced."
"Oh, well, you're WELCOME!" Bulma said as a wave of anger surged within her. "I really have no idea why I fixed that stupid machine while you were gone; maybe if I hadn't you wouldn't have come back. Then you'd still be starving in the woods."
Vegeta's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. "You fixed the gravity room even though you thought I wouldn't return? Why?"
Bulma stifled her anger as she tried to figure out just how to answer his question. She knew why she had fixed it, but could she really admit she was bored without him? That, despite how angry he made her, she still wanted him around?
And risk inflating his ego to an uncontainable amount… No way.
"I thought Yamcha or Goku might want to use it. I didn't invent the G.R. solely for your personal use, you know." That'll strike a chord. Good one, girl!
The tension returned to Vegeta's body as he stood up and narrowed his eyes at Bulma. "I'm going to go train in my gravity room. If you disturb me, I'll--"
"You'll do what, monkey boy? Kill me? Then who would wait on you hand and foot, huh?"
"Foolish woman! You'd do well to treat me with respect, I am the prince of--"
"ALL SAIYANS, I KNOW. Well, guess what? I'm not a Saiyan! And Goku, your only real subject, can beat you into an instant pulp, so that prince thing doesn't hold any weight on this planet!"
The infuriated look on Vegeta's once Bulma finished her tirade instantly softened her resolve, but she didn't back down. He was so disrespectful! She was the only person who had ever offered him a grain of kindness, and he still treated her like a servant!
Vegeta could practically feel his blood boiling in response to Bulma's blatant insult. The fury he felt swelling deep within his chest had obviously shown through his facial expression, for he watched with inner satisfaction as a flicker of fear flashed behind Bulma's bright cerulean eyes. He began to move stealthily towards her. He smirked as she shrunk back until she was pinned against the wall with Vegeta's arms blocking her on either side, trapping her there. Vegeta brought his mouth within centimeters of Bulma's ear and said, "I could kill you before you gathered enough air to scream, you know that? Do you have a death wish, Bulma?"
She shook her head violently, catching her breath in mild surprise at his use of her name.
Vegeta moved even closer to Bulma now. She felt his Saiyan battle armor press against her chest as he whispered, "Then don't… push me."
Vegeta brought his hand back down to his sides, permitting Bulma's escape. His face was still mere inches from hers, and she took the opportunity to examine his cold, obsidian eyes. There was an unidentifiable emotion dancing within his icy glare, and for a moment Bulma was struck with the absurd idea that Vegeta was going to kiss her. But the strange flicker died out suddenly, and Vegeta turned away from her and headed directly for the gravity chamber.
Bulma didn't move; she was frozen against the wall in a trancelike state, lost in thought, trying to identify the intense emotion she was sure she'd seen. She thought it had been something resembling… desire? But, then again, it could have been bloodlust. There was definitely a thin line there. She shook her head. Countless men, including Yamcha, had given Bulma that look, but never before had she been so taken with its ferocity.
Oh, what am I thinking? That wasn't desire, that was pure hatred. He hates me! Not as much as I hate him, though.
She told herself she hated him, but she knew that was a lie. She didn't let people she hated live with her. She didn't cook for them. She certainly didn't get up at 3 A.M. for anyone, let alone her enemies. But Vegeta was an exception. Even when he'd been threatening her, even when he had her pressed against the wall in her own home, she hadn't been truly afraid. She was intimidated, sure, but not afraid. She knew he would never kill her, simply because he had so many opportunities in the past to do so. He argued that he kept her around to fix the gravity chamber, and although that may be true now, Bulma had to question why he hadn't killed her on Namek. It just didn't make any sense. That look in his eyes didn't make any sense.
***
It had been a week since Goku convinced Vegeta to return to Capsule Corp, and he was training harder than ever, patiently awaiting his upcoming Super Saiyan training lessons with Goku.
The computer inside the G.R. displayed a gravity reading of 300 times Earth's normal gravity. Vegeta was locked in a struggle to stay upright as Bulma's battle simulator droids floated in the air above him. The entire room seemed to glow red as one of droids sent a powerful blast in Vegeta's direction, catching the struggling Saiyan off guard and nearly knocking him out completely. But Vegeta refused to give up. Shaking uncontrollably, he forced his body upright once again.
I can do this. I'm a Saiyan. I'm the most powerful warrior in the universe!
He powered up considerably, and his sudden energy increase smashed the battle droids against the walls of the gravity room. But the droids were programmed to act defensively against any offensive attack, and much to Vegeta's dismay, one of the droids released yet another powerful blast. Vegeta headed off the blast with an equally powerful one of his own. When the balls of energy collided, Vegeta's face drained of color as he realized exactly what was going to happen next…
***
Bulma was sitting in her living room flipping through one of her father's science magazines. She paused at a picture of an older scientist with long, sweeping gray hair. The text underneath the picture read DR. GERO. What a creep, she thought. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She drew a deep breath, already guessing who it could be. She opened the door to Yamcha smiling pleasantly down at her. She gave him a hug and a half-hearted kiss on the cheek as he launched into a detailed outline of his new training routine. She listened to him with practiced patience. Bulma didn't really care about his training regiments--she was no fighter, after all--but her years with Yamcha had taught her to be more tolerant of the male ego. His ego, anyway; Vegeta's drove her up the wall.
"Bulma, did you hear me? I asked who made this mess," Yamcha said, snapping Bulma out of her daydreams. She perked up and examined the cluttered kitchen. Vegeta always left it in ruins. She didn't know why he bothered raiding the fridge when she was perfectly willing to fix him something to eat.
"Damnit Vegeta…" she said aloud.
Yamcha shook his head. "I can't believe you let him back in this house, Bulma! That guy is a psychopath!"
"Everyone deserves a little kindness, Yamcha! Look at Piccolo, he's practically one of us now, that wouldn't have happened without Goku's forgiveness, now would it?"
Wait… since when am I defensive of Vegeta? Bulma thought.
"Yeah, well, at least Piccolo knows know to clean up after himself. I've been watching Vegeta train all week. That guy doesn't back down. He thinks he's so tough training in 300 times Earth's gravity… it can't be that hard."
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Everything's a competition with you men! Honestly, I won't be surprised if one day your egos inflate so much they just… EXPLODE."
As soon as the words left Bulma's house, she and Yamcha were both knocked to their feet by an enormous explosion that nearly rocked Capsule Corporation off its foundation. It reminded Bulma of a sonic boom, the kind a spaceship makes when it leaves Earth, and for a split second she thought that perhaps Vegeta had taken off in the G.R. once again.
"What was that?" Yamcha cried. The compound was still shaking, and Bulma sat up, dazed, a soft ringing noise proliferating her ear drums.
"Maybe the androids are here…" Yamcha said, panicked. Bulma knew better. "No, it must have been the gravity room, we better go check it out," she said.
Bulma looked through the kitchen window and gasped in horror at what she saw. Vegeta definitely hadn't left the planet--he'd blown up the entire G.R! It lay in ruins in the patch of grace where it once stood. She immediately ran from the house in the direction of the wreckage, Yamcha following close behind.
"Vegeta!" Bulma called.
"I knew this would happen! He's been trying to do the impossible!" Yamcha said as he and Bulma came to a stop amidst the giant pile of rubble that was once the gravity room.
"Where is he? Vegeta?" Bulma began digging through scraps of metal, her eyebrows knitted together in worry. Vegeta was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he was buried beneath the wreckage. That big lug better not be hurt…
A hand smashed suddenly through the rubble, startling Bulma so much so she screamed and backed up until she was standing back beside Yamcha. Vegeta slowly freed himself from his metal prison, grunting and gritting his teeth in obvious pain. He looked very bad; Bulma gasped at how many cuts, burns, and bruises the explosion had dealt him. She couldn't believe he was still living.
"Are you… okay?" she asked him, reaching her arms out as if she intended to carry him out of the shambled remains of the G.R. by herself.
"Of course I am!" Vegeta shot back unconvincingly.
Bulma felt a familiar annoyance blaze inside her. "How dare you, Vegeta! You almost wrecked my house, what are you trying to prove?"
Vegeta was finally standing up, though he was fighting the urge to hunch over. He straightened himself out and began to laugh at Bulma, but before she could chew his ear off any further, his eyes rolled back in his head and his legs gave out.
"Oh no! You're hurt!" Bulma launched forward and sat down beside the Saiyan prince, cradling his head in her lap.
"No, I don't need help. I've got training to do."
Oh, Vegeta! Will you ever let up your pride? Bulma thought angrily. "You've got to stop training for a while! I mean look at you, you're a complete wreck!"
"But I feel fine. I'm a Saiyan! I can take a little pain, it means nothing to me! And I have to get stronger than Kakkarot!"
"Okay, sure, we all know you're a tough guy, but you need to rest now." Does he ever quit? My gosh…
"I take orders from no one!" Vegeta yelled furiously, pushing Bulma away and making another pitiful attempt to get up. His whole body failed him this time, and he finally lost consciousness.
"Oh no…" Bulma said, turning to her boyfriend. "Hey Yamcha, don't just stand there, help me get him inside!"
***
Vegeta didn't know how much time had passed since the gravity chamber exploded. Everything had warped into a blur since the moment his blast had collided with the battle droid's; after that, all he remembered was searing pain. When he opened his eyes, he had to blink several times before focusing on the figure beside him. It was Bulma, fast asleep on the desk beside his bed, her breathing steady and even.
What is she doing here? Vegeta thought. She couldn't have fallen asleep here on purpose, why would she? Was she… was she watching over me?
He didn't understand her. Her actions contrasted dramatically with her words. He was constantly bickering with her, attempting to reign some once of respect from the feeble woman, but she never backed down. More than once she claimed to hate him. And now she was watching over him like a child? Vegeta was deeply disturbed by the swell of emotion that accompanied that last thought. It was so foreign to him, this feeling of being cared for. He wasn't used to it. He had frightened his subjects and lesser beings into respecting him, but never once--not since his father died--had he felt that anybody cared for him beyond getting on his good side. Bulma was never on his good side, yet she showed him more kindness than he deserved.
Vegeta thought back to the afternoon a week before when he threatened Bulma's life. He had been angry--outrageously so---but had no intention of actually following through on that anger and killing her. He just wanted to scare her a little. When he realized she was more alarmed than frightened, he felt the most peculiar sensation of desire overwhelm him. Desire for this disrespectful, flippant, contemptuous excuse for a woman. He didn't know what to make of it at first, or whether to act on it. As soon as she began searching his eyes, however, he masked the emotion--tucked it away deep inside a black hole in his head, where he hid all unfamiliar and uninvited emotions, out of reach and out of mind. He felt the same desirous emotion swarm over him again as he watched her sleeping form. She had always been an attractive woman. She was so different from the females on Planet Vegeta, and yet, that fire that ignited her anger and fed her determination reminded him of the few Saiyan women he'd encountered when he was a young boy on his planet.
Bulma stirred suddenly, and Vegeta snapped out of his thoughts as she slowly opened her eyes. She rubbed the sleep from them and stretched out like a feline, yawning dramatically. She noticed Vegeta soon after.
"Oh, Vegeta! You're awake! That's good. How do you feel?"
"Good as new. Now, stand aside. I've already wasted too much time. I need… to train," Vegeta said, propping himself up on his elbows. The sudden movement made his body shudder in protest, and a fresh wave of pain crawled through him. That simple maneuver seemed to drain his entire body of energy.
"I don't think so, Vegeta, you can't even get up by yourself! There's no way I'm letting you train. Plus, you completely destroyed the gravity room! There's nothing left to train in."
Vegeta growled, though it sounded more like a feeble grunt. "Damnit, woman. When I recover, there better be a new gravity room in place…"
"Don't worry, Vegeta, I have one encapsulated inside my lab somewhere. I'll search for it later. Now go back to sleep."
Vegeta seemed to finally give in. With his eyelids half closed from exhaustion, he asked, "Woman… why are you doing this?"
Bulma was puzzled. "Doing what? You did this to yourself, buddy boy."
"No, I mean… why do you care what happens to me? I threaten your life on a daily basis and still you…"
Bulma shushed him. "Don't talk, Vegeta, you're still way too beaten up. It's sucking away the little energy you have."
"Just… answer me." His breathing was becoming labored as he struggled to find a voice for his words.
Bulma chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. "I guess… I guess I…" No, don't say you feel sorry for him. He'll die of shame on the spot.
"You what?" He was growing impatient with her delayed responses.
She sighed. "I guess I understand you better than you think. I only ever saw Frieza from far away, but he just radiated evil, you know? I can't sense these things, but it was so weird, I always felt so… cold when Frieza was near. The entire time I was on Namek, the environment had such a sinister feel to it. And when I think about how Frieza made me feel, and consider the fact that you grew up with that monster… If I were you, I'd probably act the same way. So I guess what I'm trying to say is, I know you're a total ass, and you show absolutely no appreciation for anything I do, but I figure that showing your thanks translates as a weakness to you. Just because you don't show it… doesn't mean you don't feel it."
Vegeta's eyes widened at Bulma's confession. He didn't look angry or insulted, much to Bulma's relief, so she continued.
"I never got an evil vibe from you, though. When you threatened me and Krillin on Namek, I was scared, but it wasn't the same horror I felt in the pit of my stomach when I thought about Frieza. You inherited a lot of… distasteful traits from your life with Frieza, but his evilness definitely wasn't one of them."
Bulma examined the expression on Vegeta's face with wonder when she finished her piece. A weak scowl graced his features, but his eyes were filled with… gratitude? Was he actually grateful for her help? For what she said? Bulma couldn't believe it. Moments later, his energy gave out completely and he slipped slowly into unconsciousness.
"You're welcome," Bulma said, and his scowl seemed to soften slightly as if he'd heard her in his slumber.
***
The following night, Vegeta was still recovering from the explosion and Bulma was getting ready for a date with Yamcha. She chose a tight-fitting navy blue mini dress from her closet and matched it with a pair of white sandals. She pulled her hair into a neat ponytail, praising her reflection silently. She checked out her new hairdo and thanked herself inwardly for getting rid of that ridiculous perm.
Bulma checked herself out in the mirror one last time and noted how casual she looked. She used to go all out when Yamcha took her on a date, fussing over what to wear and how to style her hair and whether or not her eyeliner was smudging.
She sighed. These dates were starting to feel so repetitive and… boring. Her heart just wasn't in it anymore. She kept that thought at the forefront of her mind throughout dinner and the movie that followed. Yamcha didn't seem to notice (he'd never been very intuitive). He talked about himself for half the night, and the other half was spent either mulling over strategies for defeating the androids or in complete awkward silence. Finally, Yamcha and Bulma found themselves back in front of Capsule Corporation. Yamcha killed the his car's engine and leaned over to steal a kiss from Bulma, which she returned without enthusiasm. Yamcha pulled back and stared into her eyes with curiosity.
"Something wrong, babe?" he asked.
Bulma shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, it's just that… oh, never mind." Since when did I think Yamcha was so dull?
"Bulma, you haven't said a word all night! You never let me talk about myself for that long without interrupting me, come on, I know something's up."
"I don't know, Yamcha, lately I've been feeling like… like we've hit a plateau, you know what I mean? I just don't see our relationship going much further."
Yamcha didn't look surprised. In fact, he was relieved. "Oh, man, I feel the same way. I had no idea you were feeling like this, Bulma, you should have told me."
Bulma nodded. "I know. It's just that, with the android threat constantly over our heads…"
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I didn't want to give you any reason to be even more upset by breaking up with you."
Bulma smiled appreciatively. This was going better than she thought. Yamcha was more inquisitive than she'd given him credit for. Suddenly, a cheerful voice interrupted their conversation.
"Hey guys!"
"It's Goku!" Yamcha exclaimed.
Their long-time friend was standing just outside of Yamcha's car, peering in at them with curiosity. "Did you guys just break up? That's GREAT!"
Bulma and Yamcha promptly sweatdropped.
****
A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter. As you can tell, this chapter wasn't the one I promised at the end of the last chapter. I'm going to stop doing those little previews, I'll probably change my mind a lot during the creative process of writing this fic. I decided to drag the story out a little longer than I originally planned… this is probably going to be my only B/V-centric fanfic, and I want to throw all I have at it. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed it so far. I'm open to suggestions, criticism, anything really… just let me know how I'm doing. Am I keeping them in character? Am I rushing anything? Come on, people, feedback = better story. And yeah, I took the explosion scene directly out of the show. Not for lack of creativity, just because I want to literally make it seem like this story can be inserted directly within those three years. Anyway, until next week… ;P (This is the last time I write a disgustingly long author's note.)
