Nira gazed out the window one, clear August day. She had been trying to call for her inspiration to find out what she was going to paint but she just couldn't think of anything. Her friends weren't being very helpful either.

She sighed thoughtfully, what did she want to paint? She new she wanted to paint something but what? Figuring she wasn't going to get anywhere staring out the window she turned her head to glare at the blank paper in front of her. Tell me your secrets she hissed at it in her head.

Nira spun the brush between her fingers, she really couldn't think of anything to paint, damnit. Giving up, she put the paint brush back where she found it and walked out of the art room.

"Didya figure out what you were going to paint, Nira?" Goku asked when he saw her.

"No." she answered, taking a seat beside him.

"Aw, that's too bad." He pouted for her sake.

She shrugged, "Its okay."

Then she noticed the lack of another member of their group, "Hey, where's Vegeta?"

It was Goku's turn to shrug this time, "I dunno. Maybe he's still eating breakfast – oh, wait, never mind. He's there." He pointed at the short man.

Vegeta was strolling into the commons area with his usual grouchy air.

"I wonder whats bothering Mr. Grumpy – gills today." Nira asked rhetorically.

Goku cracked a smile, "I think a better question would be what's not bothering Vegeta today."

Nira smirked.

Vegeta saw the two black haired patients and stalked towards them, looking irritable. "Whats so funny?" he barked.

"Oh, nothing!" Goku replied offhandedly.

Vegeta didn't respond but looked over his shoulder towards the direction of the main lobby. "There are more people there than usual." He stated.

Nira wasn't sure how Vegeta had gotten to the front lobby without security getting on his ass but let that drop when she noticed just how bothered Vegeta was. Something must be really off.

"Whats going on?" Goku and Nira asked at the same time.

Vegeta shook his head, "How should I know? Something isn't right." He snarled.

Nira cocked her head to the side in confusion just in time to hear gun shots coming from the main lobby, a floor below them!

"What the-?" Goku gasped, jumping to his feet.

Vegeta started dashing to, undoubtedly, the main lobby with Goku right behind him.

"Shit!" Nira cursed, bolting after the two men.

She and Goku were ready to take the elevator when Vegeta shouted at them, "Not the elevator you fools! Take the damn stairs!"

The three ran towards the stair - case at the other side of the building.

"Hey, why are we going towards the guns?" Nira panted.

Neither Goku or Vegeta answered her but seemed to pick up the pace a tad. Nira shook her head, "Men."

DBZ

"Get Dr. Gero! Whats taking so long?!" a man shouted into his cell.

He and nine others were in the main lobby, holding many hostages at gunpoint while the other ten went after Dr. Gero. They rounded up all of the nearest doctors and staff after making sure the security wouldn't attack, taking a nurse hostage immediately.

All of the staff were on their knees, hands on their heads. Many of them were crying but a few hadn't so much let a sniffle escape them. Those precious few included Bulma Briefs, Krillin Rival, and Piccolo Kami. The three doctors were side by side in the rows of staff held at gunpoint. They hadn't uttered a word since the first shot was fired, well, Bulma almost had but Krillin had held her back.

The man talking on the cell cursed and pocketed his cell phone. "What the hell is taking them so long?" asked another man.

"They're having trouble with security is all." The man answered before spitting on the ground. "It's really pissing me off."

Behind a door leading to the stair case, three patients stood stock still as they listened to the hostage situation just on the other side.

"Why can't we just attack them now?" Vegeta snarled.

"Because we need to wait for the rest to come." Nira answered.

"Yeah, it wouldn't do us any good to attack now when more could jump on us later." Goku agreed.

Vegeta shook with frustrated rage.

"I know Bulma's out there." Nira said, trying to calm the man down, "But we would just be putting her in more danger if we attack now."

Vegeta growled, "I don't care about that woman! I want to fight."

Nira resisted rolling her eyes, yeah, sure Vegeta. Whatever makes you happy.

But behind her calm mask she was boiling. Piccolo, Krillin, Bulma – all at gun point! She could hardly stand it! She almost wanted to pull a Vegeta and pounce on the bastards and make them eat their own bullets but she had to think rationally. She can't lose control at a time like this.

She took a deep breath and tried to relax her tensed muscles. Too tense can lead to broken bones and that wouldn't be a good thing.

You could almost feel Vegeta's self control breaking, "Didn't you hear me? I want to fi-"

"Hush, I think they're coming." Goku shushed.

The three patients became impossibly still as a parade of footsteps came crashing down the hall. Finally they all stopped in the main lobby.

"Dr. Gero!"

"Its an honor, sir."

"Yes, yes. But please, we should be moving on."

"What about the hostages?"

Nira stopped breathing.

"Hmm. Go ahead and kill them. We've no use of hostages now."

"NO!" The three black haired people burst through the door and dashed towards the crowd of people.

"What the hell-" the closest woman gasped, bring her gun around but Vegeta punched her in the mouth, knocking her ass flat. Suddenly the room was a frenzy of screams and gun shots! Nira could hear Bulma shout, "Everyone, get out of here! Get somewhere safe!" but it was muffled. All there was is blood, the sound of knuckles hitting flesh, and adrenaline.

As Krillin and Bulma got everyone away from the fire fight Nira was dimly aware that Piccolo was fighting as well. Hadn't he told her once he was a black belt?

Nira grabbed a guys gun and smashed him across the face with it, knocking out a few of his teeth, before hitting him again and knocked him out. Then she grabbed a man's hair and knead him in stomach – She could felt his ribs breaking! She felt a flash of pain in my side but she was only dimly aware of it in the battle. She wasn't even sure how many people I got; it was only attack attack attack.

Finally the dust settled and everything was quiet except for the sounds of whimpers and sobs. Nira was breathing heavily now that the adrenaline was wearing off. Goku and Piccolo were also seemed fine other than a few bruises and Vegeta…

"Well, now. So you're the one that asked your men to shoot all of the staff here, hmm?" Vegeta cackled cruelly. One of his feet were on an old man's neck, Dr. Gero. He put more force onto Gero's neck, causing his cry of pain to be chocked into nothing. "Its too bad for you, though, that was a very bad call." He put even more pressure onto the man's neck. "My woman was in that crowd. Did you know that? You almost killed her without a second thought." Nira couldn't see his wicked smirk, "Maybe I should do the same to you."

"Wait!" Nira shouted.

Vegeta turned his head to her, still choking Dr. Gero, and snarled, "What?"

Nira took a few steps forward, "Don't kill him, Vegeta, please. It won't do you any good." She tried to reason.

"So?" Vegeta shouted, "I want to kill him, so why shouldn't I?"

Nira bit her lip, how should she approach this? This man was probably the most dangerous she's ever known but thinking about him killing… it just didn't fit right in her mind. Yes, she knows he's killed dozens of people before but she knows he's changed since the first time she knew him.

She didn't want to see the person she thought as a dad kill a man.

"It won't make you feel any better." She told him, "Its not."

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?!" he shrieked.

"Because if it did why did you have to kill so many?" she stated boldly.

Vegeta's face faltered and then Bulma came bursting into the room!

"Oh my..." she gaped at the bodies littered on the floor, no one could tell if they were alive or not. Her eyes trailed all around the ground until it found…

"Vegeta?" Bulma gasped.

Vegeta tried to put his mask back on but it didn't seem to fit him right. He still kept his foot on Dr. Gero's neck but he wouldn't look at him or anyone else.

Nira watched with trepidation, she hoped with all of her might that Vegeta would choose the road that she hoped he would. But with her body calming down she started to feel her wounds, at first it was just a dull ache in her fists and a few sore spots here and there on her body but then a sharp pain ran through her right side – right under the ribs!

She gasped as her knees hit the ground. She put her hand to the pain and when she brought it back it was covered in blood!

"Nira?" Piccolo gasped, watching the girl fall to the ground, "NIRA?!"

Goku and Piccolo ran to the girl's side.

"She's bleeding!" Goku said in astonishment and fear.

Bulma ran towards Nira and checked her wound, "She's been shot!" she gasped, "Someone call an ambulance quick!"

"On it!" Krillin said from the back of the room, he had just come in when Nira collapsed.

Vegeta stared in shock as Nira slowly fell forward until her whole body was on the floor, she no longer had the strength to hold herself up.

Everything was becoming fuzzy to her; sounds, sights, and even taste.

Piccolo put pressure on Nira's wound, "Hold on, Nira! Don't go to sleep!"

Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth, her hands shook.

"Krillin, make the damn ambulance hurry the fuck up!" Bulma cried over her shoulder.

"Stay with us, Nira." Goku yelled in Nira's ear.

"Whatever you do – don't go to sleep!" Piccolo shouted.

Sleep. Sleep sounds wonderful right now.

"No, keep your damned eyes open!"

But I'm so tired, and I have Piccolo with me, I won't have nightmares.

"Nira! Don't. Go. To. Sleep!"

I feel so weak, though. A short nap couldn't hurt. I won't miss our appointment, promise.

"Nira. Nira! Please, listen to my voice, don't go!"

Good night, have sweet dreams, guys.