Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, finally. Not only am I slow writer, I'm also a procrastinator.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
" " ~ talking
' ' ~ thinking
Chapter 7: Dirty Little Secret
Though she lay in her bed, dressed and ready for sleep, Pan could not meet the sweet embrace of slumber. Her mind ran rampant, so she got out of bed for a walk around the ship. However, when she made it downstairs, she realized she wasn't the only one awake.
The ship's clock indicated that it was well into the night in terms of Chikyuu hours. Everyone slept soundly in their beds, save an angry Vegeta and hidden Pan. He sat in the cockpit in his favored swivel chair, thrumming his fingers against the arm rests. A display screen popped up in front of him. Bulma's face appeared on it. Her hair was tied back sloppily, and she wore no makeup.
"What is it, Vegeta?" she asked groggily, rubbing the crust from her eyes.
"Woman, your ship almost killed the boys today," he complained.
"What are you talking about?" she yawned.
"The Gravity Room is a death trap. What did you set the maximum gravity to?"
"Leave it to you to try to workout at the max gravity. Don't you have anything better to do?"
"I didn't set it that high, the controls fried when we were attacked and set the gravity to maximum."
"You were attacked?"
"Yes and your sad excuse for a ship almost gave out on us."
"There is nothing wrong with my ship, Vegeta!"
"That's why it almost killed your son."
"Oh Kami, is he alright?"
"This message wouldn't have been nearly as pleasant if he wasn't."
Vegeta's keen hearing could pick up movement in the background.
"B, come back to bed, will ya?" Yamcha spoke from the shadows. Bulma blushed profusely before turning to the scar faced man. She whispered to him, but Vegeta could still hear them.
"Yamcha, I'm talking to Vegeta," she started.
"Vegeta! Don't let him know it's me!" he hissed.
"Don't worry yourself over it, scar face. I don't particularly care what the two of you do," Vegeta said. He could see Yamcha jump in the dark.
"Vegeta!" he shouted weakly.
"Save it. If I cared, you would have been dead long ago."
Yamcha blushed before slinking back into the shadows.
"That's another thing, woman. I'll not have you further disgracing my name. If you want to be with him, fine, but don't go around telling people I have anything to do with you."
Bulma blinked in confusion a couple times, her jaw slack. She snapped her mouth closed and opened it again a couple times, unable to bring herself to speak. She nodded.
"We're close to Iroka, and I'm sure Trunks will want to talk to you before we go planet side," he said.
"Thank you, Vegeta," Bulma said weakly.
"Hn." With that, Vegeta cut the communication link and leaned back in his chair.
"You can come out now," he said. He could hear Pan's small gasp and a few curses before she approached him.
"I don't see how you can do that. I had my ki suppressed as low as it could go," she pouted.
"I know you're energy very well. Finding it isn't much of a challenge anymore. Why aren't you in bed?"
"I can't sleep," she said as she took the seat next to him.
"What's troubling you?"
"I'm just worried about what's going to happen when we land on Iroka. I mean what if we find Bra but can't save her. Or what if I mess something up and get myself killed. Or even worse, what if I get you killed?" she asked, her mind running around frantically in her head. Vegeta laughed.
"None of those weaklings could kill me, and I won't let them harm you or Bra. I don't see why you worry over such silly things."
"It's not silly. You won't always be there to save us when we need it. We all need to learn to defend ourselves, and I don't think we're ready to do that without you just yet."
"I'll be around for a long time, Pan. As a full blooded Saiya-jin, my lifespan is much longer than any Chikyuu-jin's."
"I know that. But that's not what I meant. What if we have to separate while we're on Iroka, and I screw up and get someone killed? What happens when I'm not strong enough to protect Bra, or Trunks, or my Uncle?"
"We'll be fine. Where is that Son confidence Kakarott passed down to you?"
"I suppose you're right, but I just don't want to fail anyone. I am kind of anxious to fight, though."
She shifted nervously in her seat. She hadn't been able to sit still in her bed, and she wasn't fairing much better downstairs. This was the most nervous she'd been in her entire life. But why was she getting so upset? She'd fought enemies who threatened her life and the lives of those around her before. So why couldn't she stop thinking about the upcoming battle? And then it hit her like a ton of bricks. After all her recent setbacks and failures, she really needed to succeed if she wanted to impress Vegeta. Impress Vegeta? Of course that's what this was about. Pan refused to let him or Bra down, though for two very different reasons. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to notice Vegeta rise from his seat until he was standing right in front of her.
"Come with me," he ordered. Pan didn't waste a second. She jumped up and followed closely behind him. He went up to the second floor, stopping at his bedroom door. When the door slid open, Pan felt a wave of nervousness wash over her.
"Oh, good night Vegeta-sama, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said quickly. Pan made for her room but was quickly grabbed and pulled back by Vegeta. He drew her close to him, and a few seconds passed before he spoke again.
"I said follow me, silly girl," he laughed.
"Yeah, and I followed you upstairs. I figured we were going to bed," she said.
"We are."
Pan tried to force down the nervous lump in her throat. Her tail mirrored the nervousness she felt, and she knew Vegeta would notice soon.
"What's bothering you now?" he asked.
"Nothing, I'm fine," she lied.
He chuckled, "I'm not going to force myself on you if that's what you're thinking. We're going to sleep."
Pan wished she hadn't been so easy to read, but she couldn't help it. She hadn't really devoted any of her teenage life to boys and intimate dating; she was too busy training and crushing on Vegeta. The Ouji released her and went to his bed. He crawled under the sheets before looking at her.
"Well do you plan to stand there all night, or are you going to come to bed?" he asked. Pan blushed but realized this wasn't the first time she had slept in the same bed as him. She allowed a small smile to creep across her face before she crawled next to Vegeta. He pulled her close and left his arm draped around her middle. 'This will take some getting used to,' she thought. She forced all thoughts from her mind and snuggled close to her sensei. Soon she was sleeping soundly. Vegeta chuckled lightly from behind her, surprised that it had been so easy for her to nod off, despite her previous complaints about having trouble sleeping. Her tail slowly wound its way around the arm he rested over her. He pulled her even closer to him before shutting his eyes and eventually falling asleep as well.
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Bra sighed in her crimson bed. She couldn't sleep, no matter how exhausted her body became. Her mind was on the defensive, expecting someone to walk through her door at any moment to kill her while she slept. So she didn't sleep. Instead, she simply stared at the ceiling, tracing the intricate patterns carved there with her eyes. Some of the patterns looked like words, but she didn't recognize the language. Bra sighed again before rolling over onto her stomach, tired of staring at something she didn't comprehend in the slightest. Thoughts of her friends and family flashed through her mind. How she wished they would find her. But she had no idea where she was and knew it was all but impossible for anyone to find her. A third sighed escaped her lips. The Hime grew frustrated at her helplessness. Sure, she had trained some before she was kidnapped, but she was nowhere near capable of fighting her way out. Even Pan, whom she secretly idolized for her strength, couldn't defeat Akki's two lackeys, and if she couldn't beat the trash, there was no way she could beat the top dog. Bra hated to admit defeat, a strong trait she received from her stubborn father, but she knew she was outclassed. She rolled back onto her back to stare at the ceiling once more. Suddenly the door swung open and Kain and Ziust entered the room. Bra sat up and glared at the duo.
"That look doesn't suit you, Hime. You should be happy to see us," Kain mocked.
"Why would I ever be happy to see your ugly faces?" Bra shot back.
"Such an attitude. Well, maybe this news will cheer you up. Master Akki requests your presence," Kain replied. Bra frowned deeply.
"Come now, he is a kind Master," Kain said as he approached Bra. Ziust followed closely behind. They grabbed her, but Bra was too weak to struggle. Her lack of sleep didn't help the situation. They carried her through the halls until they reached the room she first arrived in. They dropped her on the floor in the middle of the room. To her left, a set of the crimson curtains was pulled back, revealing a tall window, which sat wide open. It was clearly nighttime. Akki stood on a balcony outside the opened window with his back turned to her. Bra looked around the room and saw that Kain and Ziust had disappeared. She pulled herself to her knees. Akki turned to the young Saiya-jin and smiled pleasantly.
"It's nice to see you, Bra," he said in his eerie, melodic tone. The aqua haired Hime sat in silence.
"Don't be so anti-social, my dear," he cooed.
"What do you want from me?" Bra demanded boldly.
"I suppose it's only fair to let you in on my plan, especially since you are the centerpiece of it all," he responded as he walked toward his captive. Bra didn't have enough strength to back away from him, so she sat in place with the sternest look she could manage on her face.
"Now, I'm sure you are aware of the one thing many powerful individuals seek."
"More power," she answered crossly.
"Close but not quite. Immortality is what I seek. I wouldn't need more power if I had never ending life. However, attaining such a thing is no simple task."
"What does this have to do with me?"
"It has everything to do with you. Allow me to give you a history lesson, one I'm certain will peak your interest. I'm sure your family has mentioned a planet by the name of Namek at some time or another. If not, I'm certain you've seen Piccolo. He is from Namek. On that planet, I met your mother and encountered the Saiya-jins for the first time. I was there searching for the Dragonballs, in order to gain immortality. However, it seemed as though I was not the only one with such a goal. Frieza, the being who killed your father once, also quested for the balls. In order to keep my identity a secret from the Saiya-jins, I did not engage either party and instead watched from the sidelines. Unfortunately, the planet was destroyed, along with any hope of finding the Dragonballs. Since the Dragonballs were no longer an option for me, I had to find another means of attaining my goal. On my planet, here on Iroka, there is an ancient ritual that would give me eternal life. It is frowned upon by my people, but they are no longer able to judge me or stop me for that matter. This is where you will want to pay the closest attention, for this is where you come in, dear Hime. The ritual requires the sacrifice of an individual of noble blood, along with many other specific tasks that I will not bore you with."
Bra jumped in, "That doesn't make any sense. There are three of us with royal blood, and if you knew all about us, why didn't you just use the Dragonballs on Chikyuu or find New Namek and use those Dragonballs?"
"Very astute questions, Bra. I knew I'd like you when I first laid eyes on you. To answer you first query, the sacrifice must not only be of noble blood but a virgin as well. And seeing how your father is clearly no virgin since he was a space pirate of sorts for a time and you and your brother are here, and your brother trolls for Chikyuu women often, you are the only other option. I'm sorry my dear, but fate has not favored you this time. As for the Dragonballs of Chikyuu and New Namek, I could not hope to use the Dragonballs on your planet while the warrior Goku resided there. Not only did you and your associates frequent the Dragonballs, you also kept a watchful eye over them, especially that guardian of your planet, Dende I believe is his name. New Namek would be far too difficult to scour the universe for, and your mother seemed more than prepared to assist m--"
"You liar!" Bra cried.
"Allow me to finish," he chuckled lightly, "While I was on Namek, I encountered your mother. You look just like her, you know. I approached her before she evacuated the planet and told her of my troubles. At first, she wished to have nothing to do with me, but with a little persuasion, she agreed."
"Agreed to what?" Bra asked weakly.
"She agreed to bed your father and produce a noble blooded child for me."
"That isn't true. My mom loves my dad!"
"Dear girl, don't kid yourself. Your mother loves the Chikyuu-jin, Yamcha. He was my leverage in such a deal, after all. Out of fear for his safety and the safety of her friends and family, Bulma agreed. It was easy, especially since she believed Vegeta to be worthless because he had attacked Chikyuu before. I'll give your mother credit for being such a wonderful actress. I wished to wait until you or your brother matured, for then you would be in ideal condition for my ritual, so I patiently waited and watched. I watched you and your brother grow. I watched your mother have her secret meetings with Yamcha. I watched Chikyuu's hero, Goku, leave with the Dragonballs and Eternal Dragon forever, I watched your father train that irritating friend of yours, Pan Son. I watched everything, until I finally decided you were ready. I couldn't wait for Goku's youngest son to court you and render you useless to me."
"This doesn't make any sense. There are plenty of other royal families out there. Why did you choose us? Why did you toy with my mom like that? How could you trick her into acting to cruelly to my dad?" Bra was slowly raising her ki without realizing it. Akki quirked his brow and smirked in enjoyment.
"More wonderful questions. I understand that the universe is full of royalty, but I needed an individual of a strong enough bloodline and the warrior race you originate from was the perfect candidate. You are perfect in every way for the task at hand. Your brother, on the other hand, spoiled himself far too soon for my purposes. And as I told you before, your mother was not tricked. She was more than glad to help me."
"This isn't happening. You're lying, you have to be! My dad would know if my mom was up to something. He would know if my mom didn't care about him!"
"He knows you're mother feels nothing for him, just as he feels nothing for her. They were using each other as a means of achieving separate goals. Your father wished to continue the royal Saiya-jin bloodline, and your mother wished to save her friends and loved ones. Vegeta may not have known of her wicked plan, but he did know she was in love with Yamcha."
Tears filled Bra's eyes to the brim before spilling over in a torrent of grief. Akki had completely ruined her view of her wonderful family. Akki snapped his fingers, and his henchmen returned.
"Carry her back to her quarters, she's had a rough day and needs to rest," he ordered before walking back out onto the balcony. Kain and Ziust complied in silence. They deposited Bra into her room, where she wept on her bed until her body finally shut down and forced her to sleep.
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Pan woke up first. She stretched her body a little before trying to stand. Vegeta's arm was still around her, and it didn't look he was going to let go any time soon. She rolled around in his grasp, her tail uncoiling from his arm in the process. In sleep, the Ouji's face had relaxed substantially, forming a neutral expression as opposed to the hardened stare Pan was used to. She smiled briefly. Vegeta's eyes snapped opened and Pan's widened out of surprise briefly. He smirked at her before stretching out.
"Time to get up," he said as he sat up. After giving Pan a ghost of a kiss on the forehead, he rose from his bed and walked to his closet. He seemed to go about his morning routine without taking any notice of Pan. Vegeta sifted around in his closet, disgusted at most of the outfits he found. He silently cursed Bulma as he grabbed a pair of snug black training pants and a red sleeveless shirt with the word 'Badman' printed across the front in all capital white letters. Pan snickered when he turned around.
"And what is so funny?" he growled.
"That shirt, you're such a bad man Vegeta-sama!" Pan laughed. Vegeta frowned as Pan continued to laugh, her eyes closed and hands holding her sides. Suddenly he was at her side, whispering in her ear, "Is it really that funny?"
Pan's laughter cut off immediately, and she opened her eyes. "Don't you like my shirt?" he breathed lightly in her ear. She felt goose bumps rise on her skin and momentarily forgot all about Vegeta's shirt. He grabbed her chin and turned her face to his, wearing a smirk on his face all the while. Her cheeks began burning, and it was his turn to laugh. The Ouji released her chin but pushed her onto her back on the bed. He crawled over her carefully and leaned in close. Pan swallowed hard. 'He must love torturing me,' she thought. His smirk seemed to grow at her thought. When his face was merely inches from hers he spoke again.
"Still think it's funny?" he asked. The young Saiya-jin simply shook her head 'no' in response.
"I didn't think so," he said as he leaned up and began getting off the bed to continue his morning routine. Pan frowned and grabbed his arm before he could escape. She pulled him back next to her on the bed and gave him a stern stare. He only quirked his brow in response, suddenly interested in his pupil again.
"You can be very mean, you know that Vegeta-sama," she stated. Vegeta only shrugged with feigned disinterest. She rolled him over and crawled over him in the same fashion as Vegeta in moments previous.
"You should be nice to me, or I might beat you up," she smirked. Vegeta rolled his eyes at the raven haired Saiya-jin. At this, Pan broke out into laughter. She sat up, but was still atop her sensei.
"How close are we to that planet?" she asked, seriousness taking over her facial expression.
"We'll be there within the next twenty-four hours," he answered, sad to see Pan's playfulness go.
"Good. I'm ready for a rematch with those cowardly lackeys!" she pronounced smugly. The Ouji couldn't help but smirk at his confident companion.
"Come here, girl," he commanded. Pan looked down at him in confusion, so he pulled her down to him. He held her close before kissing her forehead lightly again, rolling her off him, and getting out of bed to go to the bathroom. Pan sat up and got out of bed herself, stretching when she stood.
"I'm going to go change," she declared as she walked to the door. The bathroom door swung open and Vegeta approached her. Pan smiled and said, "I'll meet you downstairs and make you something tasty for breakfast."
The Ouji nodded and pulled her in for a brief kiss before saying "Don't take too long."
Pan blushed but nodded before slipping out of his room and into her own. When she was behind the safety of her closed door, she sat on her bed for a moment to catch her breath. 'That went well,' she thought. She brought her hand to her lips briefly and smiled. The young Saiya-jin shook herself out of her stupor and went to her dresser to find something to wear for the day. She chose a dark grey pair of training pants and a black training shirt. She tied her orange bandana atop her head and left her room. After a quick survey of the ship, she noted that both Trunks and Goten were still asleep. 'Good,' she thought. In a matter of seconds, Pan was downstairs in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She and Vegeta ate in comfortable silence until the sounds of Trunks and Goten stomping about on the upper deck could be heard. Pan sighed and shook her head. Goten entered the kitchen area first.
"Hey Pan-chan! Hey Vegeta!" he greeted cheerfully.
"Hi Uncle," Pan smiled. Trunks entered behind him soon after but gave no such greetings. Instead, he made a quick meal, sat at the table, and ate in silence. Goten made his own breakfast as well, but didn't eat it so silently.
"So, how much longer until we reach Iroka?" he asked between bites.
"Vegeta-sama says it'll be within the next twenty-four hours," Pan answered.
"We're making great time," Goten said.
"Since we're going to be arriving soon, I think I'm going to pass on the Gravity Room today," Pan announced, "I think I'll spend some time meditating instead."
With that, she cleaned the table of her and Vegeta's plates and went back up to her room.
"Wanna train when we're done, Trunks?" Goten asked merrily.
"Sure," was all the lavender haired Saiya-jin said in response. Goten smiled broadly before eating the rest of his meal at a record pace. Vegeta made himself comfortable in the cockpit of the ship and checked the status of the vessel and their journey. A couple hours into their training session, Trunks spoke to Goten.
"So did you talk to Pan for me?" he asked.
"Well, sort of," Goten laughed nervously.
"What do you mean sort of?" Trunks demanded.
"Well you see, I talked to Pan, and it turns out that she isn't actually interested in you like that." He laughed nervously again.
"Then who does she like?"
"I promised not to tell." He knew things would get out of hand if Trunks found out Pan was actually crushing on Vegeta.
"You can't do that to me, Goten!"
"Come on, I promised her. And she's my niece, she's family. I have to put her first, you know that."
"Yeah, yeah."
The two continued training until Vegeta opened the door and the gravity reduced back to normal.
"What's up, Vegeta?" Goten asked.
"We'll be landing on Iroka within the next couple of hours. I suggest you use this time to regain your strength, and Trunks, your mother will be expecting a call from you.
"Yes, father," Trunks answered as he left the room. Goten smiled knowingly at Vegeta before leaving as well. Half an hour later, Trunks reappeared and made his way to the cockpit to contact Bulma. A display screen popped up with Bulma's face on it shortly after he attempted to contact her.
"Hello, Trunks," she greeted.
"Hello, mother. We're almost to Iroka, and we're more than ready to bring Bra back," he said.
"I know you are, dear. I'm sure you'll all do well."
"Did father tell you we were attacked the other day?"
"Yes, and I'm so glad you're alright. Do you know who attacked you?"
"No, no one does. Pan destroyed the enemy ship, and we didn't have enough time to investigate. We had to get back on track."
"I see, well it doesn't matter anyway," she laughed carelessly.
"Yeah, what's important is getting Bra back."
"I hate to run on you, dear, but I still have a company to run. I'm certain that you'll make it back with Bra. You have my best wishes."
"We'll be back before you know it."
The mother and son exchanged brief smiles before cutting the communication link. Trunks relaxed in his chair, waiting patiently for their arrival on Iroka. Soon, the others gathered in the cockpit, also more than prepared to land and rescue their comrade. The ship was silent as the four warriors observed the planet they were approaching. Iroka was a blood red planet with barely any bodies of water. Not a single cloud was in sight. Trunks brought up the information Bulma had regarding the planet. The other three read along with him. 'Gravity: 1.3 times that of Chikyuu's. Atmosphere: Contains breathable air. Terrain: Flat, sandy surface with sporadic chains of mountains generally 4,000 meters tall or greater.' Trunks cut the reading off at that. He only cared to know if the air was breathable and what the gravity was like, and that seemed to be all the others cared about as well.
"Do you think they'll send ships out to shoot us down?" Goten asked.
"They haven't yet. Maybe Akki wants to take us on himself," Pan replied.
"We're entering the atmosphere in five minutes. I don't think they're going to send anything after us," Trunks announced. Pan and Goten stood behind Vegeta and Trunks respectively, anxiously awaiting their arrival on the planet. In a matter of minutes, which seemed to pass like hours, the ship finally landed on the surface of Iroka. The four warriors stepped out of the ship, all dressed in training attire and ready to do battle with anyone who approached them. When the ship's door opened, Pan's jaw went slack. When she looked around, she saw massive buildings made of stone, resembling castles but with jagged edges everywhere. The buildings were everywhere, but it was eerily quiet. She turned to the others and asked, "Where is everyone?"
After an incredibly long wait, I've finally managed to produce another chapter. I'm sorry that it happened to take forever, but school was really killing me this semester. I almost bit off more than I could chew. Almost. Also, sorry to all those Bulma fans out there for making her into a kind of villain.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and stuck with this story. I will finish it, I promise.
