Destiny

Chapter 11: Forced Hand

"Well this gives new meaning to out of body experience," Bulma mumbled. She was staring down at her limp body. She kneeled down and examined herself closer. "So this is what it's like to look at yourself from above..."

Vegeta crossed his arms. "Woman, do you have any idea how to get back into your body?"

Bulma rose to stand on her feet. "Not the slightest. This has never happened before, Vegeta. I'm not even entirely sure what is going on." She looked back down at the floor. Next to her body's head was a metal object covered in blood. She bent down to pick it up but her hand passed through it. "Doesn't look like I can touch anything either. Could you pick that up and see what it is?" she asked, looking over to Vegeta. Shrugging he walked forward and picked up the chip-like object.

"It's an epsilon chip. Frieza uses these as tracking devices," he said.

"If Frieza had a tracking device on me he wouldn't need to send out half his army to find me. That can't possibly be a tracking device. And why would it be lodged in my head? Don't they usually put those in the base of the spine?" Bulma stepped towards Vegeta as he looked at it. "Good thing it was just under the skin."

Vegeta examined the chip. He noticed a small needle-like object on the underside. He bent down to Bulma's body and looked at the spot where she had removed the chip. There was a small puncture wound but no skin missing other than that. "Artificial skin hid the chip. The chip served some other purpose. Tarble could probably determine what that was," he said.

"That's all well and good, Vegeta. But I'm more concerned about how I'm supposed to get back in my body. I can't even touch myself." Bulma and Vegeta stared blankly at each other. Bulma rolled her eyes. "That did not come out right."

The prince chuckled softly. "You are certain you don't know how to return to your body?"

"Vegeta, if I did I would've five minutes ago." Bulma crossed her arms and walked away from Vegeta towards her mirror. She examined herself. Her hair had been replaced with strands of blue light. "I look like the elder," she whispered.

"Elder? You mean that old woman you said had achieved some sort of higher state of being?" Vegeta asked. Bulma nodded slowly. "Then perhaps you have as well. Surely you must've seen her go back into her body."

Bulma closed her eyes and tried to remember the elder on her planet. From her memories, she could only gather that the woman's ethereal body simply disappeared and her real body was once again reanimated. Bulma turned and faced her own body. She inhaled and slowly exhaled. Then she disappeared.

Mildly concerned, Vegeta glanced around to see where Bulma had gone. He heard a moan coming from below him. Bulma was coming around. He moved back towards her and watched her pull herself upright and lean against the bed.

"That was definitely one of the stranger experiences of my life," she said.

Juu moved quietly down the dimly lit corridors of the fortress. Night had fallen on Frieza Planet 1 and there were few guards around. The blonde was headed towards the communications room of the fortress. Zangya had managed to lift a passkey to the room from one of the soldiers she was with. Juu reached the large door to the room. After checking that no one was around, she pulled out the passkey from her robes and slid it into the lock. With a quick turn, the door opened and Juu hastily entered.

The lights of the room turned on automatically. Juu glanced around the large room. There were several stations cluttered with different communication devices. Juu only needed the old-fashioned radio. She moved towards the lone desk off in the far left corner of the spacious room.

Let's see if this thing even works, she thought as she slid into the chair. She knew Vegeta had a radio like this in his residence, but after the events earlier in the day she did not want to intrude on the Saiyan contingent. Making unauthorized calls from Planet 1 was risky in and of itself. The last thing she wanted was for it to be traced back to the Saiyans.

After flipping a series of switches to turn the radio on, Juu began tuning it to the correct frequency. After finding it, she secured the transmission and turned on the microphone. "This is Yellow calling Black." Juu waited a moment. All she heard was static. Narrowing her eyes, she brought the microphone to her mouth again. "This is Yellow calling Black. Respond, Black."

There was few more seconds of static before someone picked up on the other side. "This is Black. How's it going, Yellow?"

Juu rolled her eyes at how relaxed Black sounded. "What is your status, Black? Where are you?"

"Still on Alpha Six. How was your meeting with Blue?"

"Satisfactory. We seem to be on the same page for now. We had a discussion of other potential allies. One works directly under Frieza and has very interesting abilities. She could be of use to us. How are things on your end?" Juu relaxed back in her seat. It was a full minute before Black responded to her. Sighing, she leaned forward to the microphone.

"Some of our... compatriots were restless," came the response.

Juu rolled her eyes. "Were implies that they are no longer restless."

"That's because they are no longer here."

Silence reigned between the two for a few moments. "And do you have any idea where they are headed?"

"Where else? I believe his words were 'if you want something done, do it yourself.' I had no idea he could be so proactive. He's usually quite slovenly when you aren't here to boss him around."

"How can you be nonchalant about this? That idiot is throwing a wrench into our plans. What does he think he can accomplish by going off on his own?" Juu pinched the bridge of her nose. "How many did he take with him?"

"About half of the forces on Alpha Six. I don't know if he's stopped anywhere to pick up any others. Personally, I think everyone who was stupid enough to go with him needed to go. We're probably better off without them."

"And the supplies?"

"Three flagships were taken, each armed and with at least thirty smaller fighter ships. It's a good-sized army he's got to attack with. However, I highly doubt any of that will work."

Juu sat quietly for a moment, pondering her next move. "What about Chrome?"

Black chuckled on his end. "He's still here. He tried valiantly to stop Orange from running off. Orange was not hearing any of that."

"This idiot will inevitably force our hand."

"By now he should be about seven days away. What will you do?"

"I haven't figured that out yet." Juu heard voices from the corridor. "Time is short. I will contact you again in two days. Be alert." She shut off the connection and turned the old radio off. She soundlessly left the room and began the trek back to the quarters where he ladies waited for her.

Juu was steaming as she walked down the halls. She got a few strange looks from the soldiers that were on guard and milling about the fortress. A few even started to approach her but one cold glare from her blue eyes shut them down wordlessly. By the time she reached her final destination, Juu was red in the face.

Zangya was the first to notice Juu's return. Most of the others were already resting on the mass of pillows they called a bed. Zangya could tell that Juu was in no mood for pleasantries. "By the sour look on your face, I can see that it did not go well," she said. She watched as Juu removed her robe, revealing a bodysuit with several weapons strapped to her person. Then the blonde started pacing as she began removing weapons.

"That fool is on his way here to stage a coup. Does he really think he can win? He doesn't have the resources and he risks exposing our entire operation." Juu paused her pacing. She faced Zangya again. "The Saiyans will not be pleased to hear about this."

"Let me guess. The fool is none other than Yamcha."

Juu smirked. "Who else?"

"My brothers weren't with him, are they? They normally don't pass up the chance to fight; especially Bojack and Bido," Zangya said. She raised her left hand. Juu noticed the small wire-like strings coming from her fingertips and reaching the high ceiling of the room.

"Your brothers are stupid, but they're not that stupid. They know I'd kick their asses if they pulled a stunt like that. They also know that we are not ready to stage our attack in earnest. Bojack knows not to jeopardize us. Plus, Nana would've told me if they left."

Zangya retracted the barely visible strings and looked back in Juu's direction. "How long until the dimwit arrives here and what are we going to do?"

Juu sighed and began removing the weapons from her body. She found and spot on the mass of pillows and laid down. "We have no choice but to ride this out. I'll need to tell Vegeta. I can't wait for his majesty's reaction."

Tarble knocked on his brother's bedroom door. He heard a muffled growl from the other side. Rolling his eyes, he opened the door and entered. Vegeta was laying on his bed, half asleep. Tarble knew he'd spent most of the night before at the fortress, watching over Kinomi and looking in on Bulma. Though he was sure Vegeta would never admit to that last one, Tarble was sure that's what his brother had been doing.

"Do you have something to say or not?" Vegeta's voice was dampened by the pillow his head was buried in. "Out with it."

"Where did you say you got this from?" Tarble asked, looking at the chip Vegeta had asked him to analyze.

"I never said where I got it from. What do you have on it?"

Tarble took a seat in a chair across from the bed. "These chips can have more than one purpose, but they're usually just used as tracking devices. They're basically undetectable and some people probably don't even realize they have one."

Vegeta heaved a sigh from the bed. "You're not telling me anything I don't already know, Tarble."

"I'm getting there." Tarble looked closely at the chip. "This one has a totally different purpose. Its programming is something I've never seen; only imagined. Instead of tracking, this is something of a limiter. I need to know where you found this, Geta. Frieza could be using these on anyone."

Tarble's words got Vegeta to sit up. There was a concerned look on his younger brother's face. Scratching his head, Vegeta sat with his legs and arms crossed. "The woman removed it from her head. It was lodged under some artificial skin on her scalp," he said.

"That bald spot she has?" Tarble lowered the chip. "What happened when she removed it?"

"The damn thing had been wreaking havoc on her head. She... separated herself from her body once she tore it out. She managed to fix herself, but it was still strange."

"Wait! Separate herself? What does that mean?"

"Just what I said. Her consciousness separated itself from her corporeal body. You said that thing is a limiter. What does it limit? Power?"

Tarble came out of his thoughts about Bulma and nodded. "I would assume it limited Bulma's ability to access all of her powers. She told us that she's only really used her ability to read minds. She's just discovering the other abilities she has. I don't think it would be wrong to say that Bulma might be much more powerful than she appears."

Vegeta huffed and glared at the wall. "She has almost no destructive potential. The only reason I can pinpoint where she is all the time is because..." He stopped and looked at his brother. Tarble had looked up from examining the chip. "The only reason I can sense her is usually because she isn't too far from Kinomi."

He's lying. Who knew Geta would lie over a girl, Tarble thought. He managed to keep a smirk off his face. One would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to notice the way Bulma and Vegeta were around each other. It was subtle since they were still crass towards one another, but it was there nonetheless.

"Well now that this has been removed, Bulma will probably have to learn to control her powers even more. Judging by how powerful this thing was, it'll be like she never had control at all."

"It was limiting her that much?"

"I'm pretty sure Bulma's only used less than a fourth of what she's capable of. That is probably why Frieza had it implanted in the first place."

Bulma sat in the room where the healing tanks were. Kinomi had yet to wake up, but at least she was recognizable again. The swelling in her face had gone down considerably. From the looks of it, she would have a pretty noticeable scar going down the right side of her face from her forehead to the corner of her mouth. Bulma squeezed her fists together as she took in that information. Kinomi did not seem too hooked on her appearance, but Bulma thought she was stunningly beautiful.

Damn that Zarbon. I hope he lives with his scars as well. There's no replacing a nose, is there? Jackass got what he deserved, Bulma thought. She turned her head sharply when she heard the door begin to open. She immediately diverted her head. Sighing, she noticed the dent she'd put in the wall. I have got to get better control of that. What is wrong with me this morning? My mind has been all over the place.

Raditz entered the room. He seemed surprised to see Bulma, but said nothing. Instead, he made his way over to Kinomi's tank. A smirk came to his face. "Her first battle scar. She'll be pretty pleased with that," he said.

"Battle scar? When did acquiring a battle scar become a pleasing thing?" Bulma asked.

"We live for battle. You haven't fought anyone worth fighting if you don't get a scar from them. Kinomi's skin had been flawless. She and Tarble had yet to gain any scars. I don't expect Tarble to gain any anytime soon. She'll be pleased that she left just as big of a lasting scar on Zarbon. I don't think he'll ever show his face properly again," Raditz said with a snicker.

Bulma sighed. She would never fully understand Saiyans. "Vegeta has a lot of scars. I assume he's met plenty of worthy adversaries," she said quietly. She saw Raditz's smile fall. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"Vegeta's scars are from protection, not battle." Raditz faced her. "There has never been someone the prince can't handle." His face was stern as he told her this. Bulma stared at him in shock for a moment. Then she smiled.

"Of course there isn't. Vegeta's potential is greater than anyone I've ever come across."

"Just don't let him hear that. His head will inflate so much that it will implode upon itself like a dying star."

Raditz and Bulma looked back at the healing tank. Kinomi's eyes had opened. It was her voice they had heard coming from the speaker on the tank. Bulma stood up and walked over to the tank, smiling at her bodyguard. "How are you feeling in there?" she asked.

"Like shit." Kinomi turned her eyes towards Raditz. "You weren't getting all sentimental, were you? I can't have that," she said playfully.

"Sentimental? I'm not sure I know what that means," Raditz replied with a snort.

"Whatever. How long do I have left in here, Blue?" Kinomi was fighting to stay awake as it was. The only reason she had even managed to awaken was because she felt Bulma's presence in her mind.

Bulma looked at the tank's control pad. "About eighteen more hours." She was unsure if Kinomi heard her. She was unconscious again. "Well, at least she'll be all right. I can't imagine if she'd never talk again."

"Kinomi is too strong for that," Raditz said. He sighed and looked at the wall. "I shouldn't have left her in there."

The telepath had no idea what to say to Raditz's admission. It was unlike any of the Saiyans to say anything remotely emotional. Vegeta had a few slipups, but they were only around her. She clasped her hands together and went back to staring at Kinomi's healing form. "I'm sure she doesn't blame you. No one blames you. Besides, Kinomi fights her own battles. She would've hated you for stepping in."

The larger Saiyan nodded. "She definitely would have."

It was clear as day to Bulma, without even reading his thoughts, that Raditz held some sort of affection for Kinomi. She wondered if he would ever act on it. Then she remembered who Kinomi's older brother was. Vegeta would definitely have something to say about that. Who knew that Saiyans can be romantics like the rest of us mere mortals, she thought with a small giggle.

The corridors of the fortress were more crowded than usual. A purge had just finished and those on the purging mission were reporting back to Frieza. Apparently the purging had not gone well. Vegeta only heard random tidbits as he made his way towards the infirmary. Zarbon was due to get out of the tank in 30 minutes and Vegeta wanted to be there when he did. He had a few choice words for Frieza's right hand.

A raven-haired woman with a very bright lip color on walked in the opposite direction of Vegeta. He barely spared her a second glance, but he recognized her as one of Juu's women. She was watching him as she flounced down the corridor seductively. As the two passed one another, their arms touched. Her fingers wrapped around his gloved ones. Before Vegeta could move to reprimand her for being so bold, she flashed him a smile and stepped back, bowing her head.

"Excuse me, Prince Vegeta," she said quietly. She looked up at him and gave him a wink. Then she turned and kept walking in the other direction.

Vegeta squeezed his fists together. Blinking, he felt something crumbling in his right hand. He opened it up and saw a small note. He looked back up and saw the woman had disappeared through the crowd. He returning to walking down the corridors and unfolded the note.

D-Block in 15 – 18

The prince crumpled the bit of paper and incinerated it in his fists, dropping the ashes behind him as he walked. D-Block is where the diplomats are residing. Why would she want to meet there? Vegeta put it out of his mind for the moment and continued on into the infirmary.

It seemed Vegeta's scheduling was off. When he arrived in the infirmary, Zarbon was already toweling off from a shower. He walked towards the man silently. Just as Zarbon turned around, Vegeta grabbed him around the neck and slammed him against the wall. Clearly taken by surprise, Zarbon clawed at Vegeta's hand. The prince ignored his protests and took in the sight of his mutilated face. A large chunk of Zarbon's nose was missing. There was a large scar down the left side of his face.

"I'd say this new look is an improvement," Vegeta said.

Zarbon finally managed to shake Vegeta off. "Who do you think you are putting your hands on..." Zarbon inhaled sharply as Vegeta took hold of his genitals and squeezed.

"If you ever so much as breathe in the same direction as sister again, I will mutilate you in ways that would make you useless to a woman."

The taller man swallowed. "Frieza will hear of this..." Zarbon said through clenched teeth. In return, Vegeta squeezed harder.

"Is that so? Well, if you want everyone to know that a mere monkey beat you within an inch of your life by all means report this to Frieza." Vegeta saw Zarbon bite his lip. "I didn't think so." He released the man roughly and turned to walk away.

Zarbon watched Vegeta leave in the same manner in which he entered. The gall of the stupid monkey! How dare he put his hands on me! He looked at himself in the mirror. His hand moved up to touch his nose. While it had healed, there was no replacing the chunk of cartilage that Kinomi had bitten off. That little skank will pay dearly for this.

D-Block was strangely quiet and the corridors were far less crowded. It was to be expected of the place where Frieza put up his most honored guests. Despite its seclusion from the rest of the noisy fortress, there were many security cameras. It was the least private area in the fortress. Vegeta would have been better off meeting Juu in the boiler room.

The prince walked slowly and deliberately down the corridor. There were a few guards conversing along the walls but none paid Vegeta any mind. He came to a crossing in the hall and looked around. There was no sign of Juu. Narrowing his eyes in irritation, he continued down the hall. He was passing a crossing when Juu came around the corner.

It amazes me how she's always the one with the most clothes on, Vegeta mused. Juu was wearing long robes that hid most of her body. Her hands were lost in the gigantic sleeves and there was a small train behind her. Vegeta had no doubt that she was hiding several weapons on her person.

Juu looked up and saw him approaching. "Prince Vegeta. It is an honor to see you once again," she said.

Vegeta glanced up for a moment. There were cameras everywhere in the corridor. There were so many that even Vegeta did not know all the locations. He did know one of the few places there were not any cameras; the most random places ever. Just as Juu got closer to him, he reached out for her and pushed her against the wall. To any passerby it just appeared like Vegeta was engaging a courtesan.

"This is an interesting way to make our meeting seem... inconspicuous." Juu leaned forward, her lips close to his ear. "But there are some who will think such a public display is out of character for a prude like you," she whispered.

Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her a few feet and kicked in a door to a custodian closet. He practically tossed her inside before following and slamming the door shut. He faced her and pulled the string to turn on the single light bulb. "What do you need me for?"

The blonde crossed her arms. "I spoke with my brother last night. He informed me that a few of our... allies got restless and are on their way here to attack this planet. We have six days."

Vegeta blinked a few times, taking in her words. "Are they mad? This is not the place to engage Frieza and it definitely isn't the right time. And how would they even know where Planet One is? No one does. I have told no one of its location."

"That's what I said, but Yamcha is deaf to all reason at times. Even me and my girls were brought here only with Frieza's permission. The fool must've found out somehow, though." Juu noticed Vegeta's eyes narrow. "What's wrong?"

"Yamcha? That idiot bandit that runs around the galaxy stealing from cargo ships?" he asked.

The blonde cleared her throat softly. "Well, we have to get our supplies from somewhere. Someone buying loads of armaments would surely draw attention. So, the easiest route is to just have Yamcha steal some of it to keep them guessing." Juu watched Vegeta cross his arms and look away from her towards the wall. She chuckled softly. "Don't tell me you abhor thieves, Vegeta."

Vegeta looked back at her out of the corner of his eye. "This fool doesn't expect us to join his cause, does he? If anything, Frieza will send us out to eradicate the hindrance. It'll be like squashing a bug under my boot. Does he really think I'll let him live? Frieza will either want him dead or taken into custody for questioning about this rebellion. Torture will make a man say anything."

Juu bit her lip. Yamcha was definitely not the bravest even though he tried to be. If he was captured, Frieza would definitely order him to be tortured. Killing him was no good, either. She knew Vegeta definitely didn't see it that way. Yamcha was either going to force his hand or cause him to choose between killing an ally and condemning him to something even more inhumane. "What will you do then? We are not ready to completely reveal ourselves."

"If anyone is apprehended they will be questioned until they speak. Frieza's methods of torture are not for the weak-minded with false bravado. Your friend is going to die regardless. You should pray that I do not cross paths with him. I cannot afford having anyone with loose lips," Vegeta said. He turned and left the closet.

Smirking, Juu pulled the string to the light. "I would expect nothing less, Vegeta," she said as she followed him out.

Right on cue, Vegeta received a message through his scouter. Frieza wants to meet with the officers. How predictable, he thought has he turned his scouter off.

Bulma was examining Kinomi's scouter. Raditz had left it in the room along with a change of clothes and new pair of boots. Bulma wondered why Kinomi used a scouter. In fact, all of the Saiyans wore them. According to Kinomi, they could sense other people and their power without the aid of them. That appeared to be a secret and Bulma was not supposed to tell anyone else that.

I wonder how this thing really works though, she thought. Looking up, she saw Kinomi was still asleep in the tank. Bulma tentatively put the scouter over her right eye. With a few presses of the button on the earpiece, she got it to work. Several numbers popped up on the tiny screen. She pressed it a few times and a single number popped up. She realized that it was coming from the tank. This is Kinomi's energy. It's not very high. I thought she would be more powerful. I guess that's to be expected given her condition. Bulma continued pressing buttons. A few seconds later, she heard a voice speaking in her ear.

"All officers are to report to the main hall. I repeat, all officers are to report to the main hall immediately," the voice said.

Bulma removed the scouter. Outside the room she could hear the patter of many feet. She glanced over at Kinomi floating in the tank. Exhaling loudly, she moved towards the door and opened it slowly. The majority of the people had passed already. I'm not supposed to go roaming around without anyone with me, she thought. After a moment of hesitance, she threw caution to the wind and exited the room.

Walking among the other men was easier than she thought it would be. Normally she would stick out and they would gawk. At the moment, they were talking amongst themselves about the possible scenarios for why Frieza wanted all of the officers gathered in one place. Bulma would probably never admit it out loud, but it was somewhat liberating to be able to roam about by herself. Rarely was she ever alone and now here she was.

Just as she was about to enter the hall with the other men, a hand closed around her left arm and pulled her from the doorway. Bulma gave a little screech before a hand clamped over her mouth. Her back hit the wall and the wind was knocked out of her. She squeezed her eyes shut, ready for anything.

"Woman, what do you think you're doing?"

Bulma opened her eyes and saw Vegeta glaring down at her. The doors to the main hall had shut and the two were left alone in the corner. Bulma motioned to her face and Vegeta removed his hand. "Were you trying to suffocate me or something?"

"I'm just curious as to why you're wondering about this place without an escort. This army wouldn't think twice about having their way with you if they could keep it from Frieza. You shouldn't be alone," Vegeta said.

"I can take care of myself. I think I proved that with Cold. Besides, I was curious to see why Frieza called everyone together."

Vegeta crossed his arms. "There is a hostile fleet heading this way."

"To attack? Here? Why? Who is it?"

Vegeta briefly thought about telling her what he knew from Juu. He quickly put it out of his mind, citing that he did not fully trust her to remain quiet about it. "Does it matter? All Frieza is doing is telling them how he wants these rebels dealt with."

Bulma chuckled quietly. "You'd think whoever this is would have the sense to at least cloak their ships. They're heading into a deathtrap by broadcasting their arrival."

"So it seems."

Vegeta and Bulma turned their heads to see Cooler approaching them. Vegeta stepped in front of Bulma discreetly. His stance was somewhat protective. Bulma took no notice of it but Cooler did. A smirk crossed his face and he stopped walking a few feet from them.

"Is there something you need?" Vegeta asked, his annoyance plain as day in his tone.

"I'm wondering why you are not at the meeting. Surely Frieza will want a few words with you. You are a very valuable asset," Cooler responded casually.

"Due to Kinomi's incapacitation, I am escorting the woman around. She is a valuable asset as well and I think Frieza would be displeased if anything were to happen to her. I'm taking her back to her chambers and I will speak to Frieza later." Vegeta turned his head to look at Bulma. She was still against the wall and seemingly trying to meld into it.

"I can escort her back. Besides, I'd love a chance to get to know the little flower just a bit more." Cooler looked behind Vegeta and held out his right hand to Bulma. "Come with me. I promise I won't bite."

Bulma chanced a glance Vegeta's way. She knew he could not really go against Cooler lest Frieza hear about it. Swallowing, she took a step forward and put her hand on Vegeta's shoulder. I'll be fine.

The prince blinked as Bulma's hand left him. He'd heard her message clearly. She gave him one last look as she stepped over to Cooler. She then winked and then faced the alien. "Let's go," she said with a fake smile.

Vegeta watched the two leave the area with narrowed eyes. Uncrossing his arms, he headed towards the doors of the main hall and entered the room.

Bulma walked next to Cooler, looking everywhere but at the alien. True to his word, he was taking her back to her chambers. She wondered why he seemed so interested in her. He never had given her much attention before now. He was attempting to make idle chat with her. Her answers were clear, concise, and short. More than anything she just wanted to be out of his presence. There was an eerie sense of calm around Cooler.

"Do you know why I wanted to get you alone, little flower?" Cooler asked.

The question caught Bulma off guard. She finally looked in his direction. "No. I just assumed you wanted to talk to me since you're the only one who really hasn't," she replied.

"I see. The reason I wanted to get you alone is to ask you about my father's last moments." Cooler watched her face closely, but Bulma gave nothing away. "You were the last person he was seen with."

Bulma sighed. "I didn't slip him any poison, if that's what you're asking. I didn't even see when he died. By then I'd already made it back to my quarters. Then I went for a little walk," she said, her voice even.

"Without an escort?" Cooler pried.

"I don't need an escort everywhere I go. It's just that Frieza prefers that I have one. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm not as weak as most of you seem to believe I am." Bulma stopped walking as they came up to the doors of her chambers. She turned and faced Cooler. "Well, thank you for bringing me back. Good..."

"One more question, little flower," Cooler said, cutting her off. Bulma nodded and crossed her arms. "What exactly are your powers?"

Bulma bit the inside of her lip. She knew she could not tell him the full scope of her abilities. After all, that was something she didn't even know. She knew Cooler was smarter than he appeared and he would probably know if she was lying. "I am capable of aura reading, psychometry, and telepathy," she said. It was not a complete lie. She was capable of all those things. She conveniently omitted other abilities.

Cooler appeared interested for a moment. "Psychometry?"

"By touching an object I can tell where it's been, who has made contact with it, that sort of thing."

"Like a fortune teller?"

Bulma shook her head in an irritated manner. "No. I don't tell the future of it." She looked around. She reached forward and touched the big blue jewel on Cooler's armor. After a moment of silence, she dropped her hand. "That jewel is from Seigyoku-sei. It is a blood jewel," she said. She was suddenly feeling very sick. The history of that jewel was terrible to say the least.

Cooler seemed impressed. "Seigyoku-sei is indeed a rough place. I would not be surprised if this jewel was acquired through less than savory means. That is quite an interesting ability." A crooked smile appeared on his face. "This is where I bid you goodbye. Hopefully we can have many more of these talks." He turned and left her standing at the door.

She watched him turn the corner before going into her chambers and locking every lock. If he wanted to he could just blast it open, she thought grimly. I couldn't get anything off of him. It was almost as bad as Vegeta, but I could tell he was actively trying to keep me out.

"There is a fleet heading towards this planet as we speak. No one knows where Planet One is unless they are given direct access codes. It is surrounded by a cloaking shield that is impenetrable. Only three people have these codes and one of them is dead. So how is it that someone has diffused the cloaking device and is less than two days away?" Frieza's voice was very calm despite his obvious irritation.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Two days? That woman said we had six days. How in this godforsaken galaxy did the fool shave off four days?

"This planet is my home. It is my sanctuary; my place of zen. I do not come here to wage war, but apparently some upstart thinks he can. So," Frieza faced them all in his floating chair, "does anyone care to explain this strange phenomenon?"

The room was silent except for the breathing of several very nervous soldiers. Frieza glowered down at all of them while tapping his finger against the edge of his chair. These are the men in my employ? What sniveling bunch of cowardly assholes, he thought angrily. He noticed three men who were actively avoiding looking in his direction. I should have Bulma come down here and flush out the treacherous scum. Then again, I haven't killed anything in a few days. He spotted Vegeta leaning against the wall near the main doors to the hall. He caught the prince's eye and beckoned him forward. The prince uncrossed his arms and moved to the front of the room.

"Vegeta, you wouldn't know who happens to be behind this, would you?"

Vegeta smirked. Frieza was just looking for a reason to kill someone. "Whoever looks remotely suspicious I would do away with. Of course, I'm not in charge so you don't have to listen to anything I say," he replied.

Frieza was surprised that Vegeta could read where he was going so quickly with the line of questioning. Snorting, he glanced back over at the cowering three standing closest to the front. Without warning, Frieza shot slightly past Vegeta's head at the three men. The prince never flinched, but he heard the agonizing cries from the three men Frieza obliterated.

"Feel better?" Vegeta asked.

The overlord stared blankly at Vegeta for a moment before smirking in return. "Only a little, monkey prince. Ready your squadron. You'll be taking out the trash. I want the leader of this rogue faction brought in for questioning. Under no circumstances are they to die. I will deal with them personally."

"Why not send Ginyu and his ilk?" Vegeta asked irritably.

Frieza took a long moment to reply. "Because I told you to do it."

Bulma walked back into her bedroom after a long bath. It was already dark outside. She glanced down at her hands, seeing the pruning of her hands. Perhaps I was in there a little longer than I initially anticipated, she mused. She walked to her dresser and dropped the towel covering her as she opened the drawer.

"You really should be more aware of your surroundings, woman."

The telepath jumped nearly a foot in the air before whirling around to see Vegeta sitting on her bed, arms crossed and frown in place. "Damnit, Vegeta!" Bulma picked up the towel and tried to cover herself.

"Woman, I thought we'd already discussed that there isn't an inch of you left to my imagination anymore."

"That's not the point!" Bulma successfully tied the towel back around her. "What are you doing in here anyway? You're lucky Rika is already gone for the night. If she saw you, she'd immediately report you to Frieza." She turned around and went back to looking through the drawer.

Vegeta snorted. "I may be borrowing Kinomi in a couple of days."

Bulma did not turn around. "Why? She'll be out of the tank tomorrow morning and then she'll be back with me. Frieza isn't reassigning her already, is he?"

"In two days, there will be an attack. Frieza has ordered us to neutralize this attack before any serious damage is done. He wants the leader taken into custody so that he may question them."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bulma turned around. She gasped when she saw that Vegeta was directly behind her. She never heard him move.

"I need to know I can trust you."

"Trust me? Why wouldn't you be able to trust me?"

Vegeta continued to stare at her. He took a step forward, backing her into the dresser. He put his hands on the dresser and leaned forward, trapping Bulma. "Can I trust you woman?"

Bulma stared into his eyes. "Yes."

The prince moved in closer to her. Their faces were inches apart. He wanted to make sure absolutely no one would hear what he had to say next. Belatedly, he noticed that Bulma was blushing and smirked. "Listen closely because I will only say this once." He saw her nod slightly, taking care not to move too much lest she kiss him. "I am the leader of a resistance against Frieza. The people who are coming to attack were a part of this resistance, however they have gone rogue and their mission is not part of my larger plan. When I capture this man, Frieza will definitely want you to find out what you can from him. This idiot knows of me, but not my identity. But he knows enough about the resistance to damage our cause. You will need to lie to Frieza."

"Vegeta, Frieza will find..."

"You must lie to him, Bulma. If you don't, you'll never be free. We'll never be free."

Bulma was starting to lose focus on Vegeta's face. Her eyes fell to his lips as she pondered her options. He had just entrusted her with something that could get him and his comrades all killed. More than anything, Bulma wanted to be free. She raised her eyes to his once more. "I will. I will protect you as you have protected me."

Being alone most of her life had taught Bulma to hold on to whatever she could that made her happy. Kinomi and her kin had become her friends. If they were searching for freedom, then she would help with that search. It occurred to her suddenly that Vegeta had not moved away from her. He was still studying her face intensely. Again, she felt her cheeks heat up. A thought occurred to her.

"You said my name," she whispered.

"It is yours, is it not?"

"Say it again."

The request seemed strange to Vegeta. What pleasure could she get from hearing him say her name? "Bulma."

"Vegeta." Bulma cracked a small smile. "You are my chosen. I never thought I'd..." She was silenced with Vegeta's lips finally meeting her own. The kiss was aggressive yet somehow sensual at the same time. It did not last long as Vegeta pulled away before Bulma could really register what was happening.

"I am your chosen."

Then he was gone.