Chapter 21
17 had been peacefully sleeping when the feeling of a light weight on him and tiny warm breaths caressing his neck slowly coaxed him out of his slumber. He didn't have to open his eyes to guess what was happening. The Saiyan Princess had finally given into her secret craving and was now trying to seduce him. The vain android couldn't hold back a victorious smirk since he had predicted correctly her inevitable animal attraction to him.
"Bra." 17 whispered her name.
"What?" Bra gasped nearly falling over in pure shock. It was the first time he had ever said her name. Never before had he ever addressed her by her name. Usually the arrogant android mockingly called her princess or some used some other insult.
17 found it strange that she sounded farther away than in his bed. Maybe it was because he wasn't fully awake that his senses weren't at their full strength. His fantasy was shattered when the sensation of his neck being licked was not the smooth warm sensation he expected from the sensual princess's mouth. It was rough. Alarmed by those red flags he opened his eyes and found two blue eyes staring at him. But they weren't the blue eyes he was yearning to see. These eyes weren't on his female roommates beautiful face; they were on a fat furry face.
"Meow." Haru purred as he rubbed his head against 17's face stabbing him with his whiskers.
"Get off!" 17 bellowed grabbing the persistent cat by the scruff of the neck preparing to throw him out of his room.
"No!" Bra rushed in to rescue her poor cat by snatching him out of 17's grip. She had moved so fast it was as if he had blinked and the cat disappeared out of his hand. He was so angry he was speechless.
"He likes you." Bra stated much to her own dismay. To prove this point she set Haru down on the floor and the resilient cat immediately jumped back on 17's bed and crawled onto him seeking out the cold hearted android's affection.
"I don't know why but he really likes you." Bra shook her head at the irony. 17 had been nothing but blatantly mean to him and it did nothing to waiver the clueless cat's fondness for the android.
"He must have brain damage." 17 stated the only possible explanation for why the cat was a glutton for punishment.
"Maybe. I did find him in an old computer tower. Maybe he didn't get enough oxygen while stuck in there." Bra shrugged not disagreeing with the reality that there could possibly be something seriously wrong with Haru. Special needs or not, it didn't change the fact that for the most part he was a very loving cat that came when she called him and had loved Yuki almost as much as she did.
"Yuki." Bra couldn't hold off the over whelming flood of sorrow that hit her like a ton of bricks at the mere thought of him. 17 noticed this and swiftly got out of bed. Luckily Haru moved when he stood up so he didn't have to throw the fur ball off of him.
"Let's go out." 17 walked over to Bra who was falling apart in hopes of preventing a total melt down.
"What?" Bra sniffed holding back tears. His invitation caught her off guard serving its purpose.
"To get coffee." 17 thought of the best excuse to get her out of the house and distract her for a few hours.
"But you always get me my coffee." Bra pouted.
"I'm done being your errand boy." 17 said with a slight more malice than he intended to. But he wanted her to believe he was indeed fed up with taking care of her or else she wouldn't react. Startled by his renewed aggressiveness Bra remained silent as he stormed out of the cabin. She secretly worried she'd finally pushed him too far and he'd snapped. Fortunately, it wasn't the case as he reentered moments later carrying some clothes he had brought over from the Capsule Corps vacation home that was still right outside.
"Time to stop hiding." 17 declared continuing the anger act as he tossed the dress, sunglasses, and shoes he had picked out for her. Bra caught the outfit before it hit her and was left standing there holding the clothing as he left the cabin again to let her change.
The stubborn Saiyan Princess didn't feel like going out. But if she was being honest with herself she'd admit it would be nice to go out. To see something other than the same four wooden walls was tempting. She didn't know if she was ready yet, but she knew the mulish android wouldn't take no for an answer and she didn't really have the strength for a full blown fight. So she got dressed in the white and black stripped sun dress.
"Huh?" Bra thought as she zipped up the dress's side zipper. It was fortunate it wasn't a dress with the zipper on the back or else she'd have to call 17 back in to help her zip it up. He'd probably try to zip it down instead of up.
What had taken her aback was that the dress fit her lose. It was surprising because she always bought form fitting clothes. She liked wearing tight clothing that showcased her figure so she knew she must have lost a significant amount of weight because last summer when she wore the same dress it fit her like a glove.
It was true like most girls she strived to be thin but the fact that a size 2 was now too big frightened her that she may be unhealthy thin. Now Bra understood why 17 was forcing her to eat more. Not having looked in a mirror since her time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber she was not self aware of just how much weight she had lost. Now she feared looking in a mirror for what she might see. She could only image how pale and frail she must look. She was secretly thankful for the sunglasses he had provided her with. She'd hate to see just how pale she was, her golden tan having faded due to lack of sunlight in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
It was refreshing to wear something other than sweat pants and a sweatshirt. A girl could only lounge around for so long. It was the smallest of things but dressing up even if it was only to go and get coffee made her feel like her old self. Her old self was questioning 17's selection in shoes. The satin heels would have been Bra's first choice but she'd thought the sensible android would have gone with some flats. Trying to force her into comfort over fashion. Before putting on her sunglasses and going outside she got something out of her bag first.
"You're driving." Bra informed tossing a capsule at an unsuspecting 17 much like he had tossed clothes at her on more than one occasion. The egotistical android wasn't one to be told what to do but if he knew the rich princess then whatever car was in that capsule it was a fast and expensive one.
Viewing it like a gift to be open 17 wasted no time pressing the capsule's release button and throwing it on the ground. What appeared didn't leave him disappointed. A shinny black Porsche. Not just any shinny black Porsche but their top model. Only the most luxurious for the Briefs. There weren't many things he lusted for but fast sports cars was defiantly the exception.
Bra was so accustomed to driving herself ever since she got her driver's license that it was almost an out of body experience climbing into the passenger seat. A staple of independence meaning she no longer had to rely on her parents or older brother to drive her where she needed to go she took her driving seriously since the moment she got her learners permit. It would be hard to give up that power but the fact that 17 looked nearly gleeful as he sat in the driver's seat made it worth it.
"Don't get too happy." Bra teased leaning over her chauffer for the day. She placed one hand on his upper leg near a sensitive area then reached over the steering wheel with the other hand to push the engine start button. Something only she could do because of the finger print recognition function. 17 smirked down at her unable to derail dirty thoughts dealing with how good she looked in that position.
"Hold on tight." 17 slyly suggested as he slammed the petal to the metal and took off at top speed. Usually Bra would bitch about the speed limit but they were in the middle of the woods. The wannabe racer cleared a literal race track before them by Ki blasting anything in their way.
Bra was beginning to regret letting him drive but what was done was done so she just sat back and enjoyed the ride. It wasn't long before they were out of the forest and on their way into the city. Surprisingly 17 slowed down on his own without her having to yell at him. She guessed the last thing he wanted was to be pulled over by law enforcement for speeding. The girl who planned everything in advance had no idea where they were going and for once she didn't care to ask she was just along for the ride.
It was a short ride that ended only a few miles into the city when 17 stopped and parked in front of a coffee house the caffeine addict never been too before. Bra got out of the car and checked out the place. It didn't appear to be anything special and by the small crowd it couldn't be the newest hotspot. However, she guessed there was something about this place that made him bring her there. Perhaps it was the place where he had gotten her coffee before. She had to come clean if it was the same place they did have really good tiramisu.
"I'll order." 17 offered allowing Bra to remain outside and select the perfect table for two.
"He's being awfully generous." Bra thought as she sat down and enjoyed the warm sunlight. Not that she was complaining. Even though she didn't trust his motive it was a nice change from the angry reclusive loner.
It happened to be a Sunday afternoon so the streets were filled with people. It didn't take long for her to catch someone's eyes. Even when she wasn't trying Bra had the ability to draw men's attention like a seductive siren's song.
"A beautiful woman should never be out alone." A blonde man in his mid to late twenties in a well tailored designer suit approached her with a line she hadn't heard before.
"She's not." 17 intervened before Bra could blow off the guy. The touchiness in his voice was obvious as he placed the drink and cookie he had bought her down on the table.
"Thanks babe." Bra played along.
"Sorry. She wasn't wearing a ring." The man used the absence of an engagement ring or wedding band as an excuse to approach what he thought was a single lady. He slowly backed away noticeably feeling 17's anger radiating from his body. Bra couldn't help feel smug at having guys fight over her as she took a sip of her iced espresso.
"You're better than a pretend engagement ring." Bra complimented his unwanted guy attentions repellent abilities.
"Naturally." 17 took credit where credit was due taking his seat in front of her. Bra leaned back and did what she liked to do when out in the crowds. People watch. It was interesting to her. To see the different people, who they were with and how they interacted.
Typically the guys all stared at her, even the ones with a girlfriend on their arms who more often than not smacked them and got angry when they noticed their man checking her out. But today all the couples she observed where different. The guys still checked her out but their girlfriends where equally as distracted. Bra followed their gaze and it lead her back to 17.
Bra wasn't blind or stupid. She knew how good looking the man sitting with her was she just wasn't prepared for such an obvious reaction from women with and without significant others present. She learned from years of getting hit on that men were pigs and did shady things like cheat on their girlfriend or spouse but women were just as bad.
It took sheer audacity to eye a man who wasn't alone. Couldn't the bimbos tell he was with somebody? And that somebody was way hotter than them so they didn't stand a chance in hell of stealing him away. But if she was to get up and leave for a moment they'd pounce all over him. It made her blood boil at how inconsiderate and backstabbing women could be.
"Something wrong?" 17 picked up on her angry aurora.
"No." Bra quickly covered up her lapse in judgment and temporary fit of jealousy.
"Another lucky guess?" Bra questioned the chocolate chocolate chip cookie he had gotten her as a move to change the subject.
"You're addiction to chocolate knows no bounds." 17 jabbed at Bra's limitless sweet tooth. Correction, sweet teeth. She responded by shamelessly taking a big bite out of her cookie demonstrating she had no problem with her addiction.
"The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem." 17 took his teasing a step further earning physical retaliation as Bra leaned over to smack him upside the head.
"Naughty princess." 17 scolded catching her hand and moving it down onto the table where he held it there with both of his hands. There was no anger in his movement which she didn't know how to interpret. They must have looked like quite the power couple. Possibly mistake for celebrities in the form of an actress and her male model partner or vice versus.
"Bra?"
Someone calling her name extinguished their flirtatious game. Bra wasn't eager to see who it was. With her luck it was probably her older brother or one of the Z fighters. A lesser evil would be one of her ex boyfriends but life loved making things hard on her.
"Gohan?" Bra instantly recognized the eldest son and the father of her other best friend. She was actually glad it was him. Out of all the Z fighters he was probably the least likely to cause any problems. She was wrong.
"It's good to see you." Gohan smiled warmly as Bra stood up to greet him properly with a hug.
"I heard what happened from Goten. I'm dreadfully sorry." Gohan made a fatal mistake instantly changing the entire mood causing Bra to pull out of the hug prematurely with a startled look on her beautiful face.
"I'm sorry am I interrupting?" Gohan asked looking over at 17 who he had been surprised to see out with Vegeta's daughter and who's Ki was presently increasing dangerously.
"Yes." 17 snapped unable to hold back.
"Pardon. I'll allow you to recommence your date." Gohan said in a tone more befitting a Vegeta than a Son as he bid farewell.
"Gohan wait!" Bra hurried after him.
"It's not what you think. I swear. Please don't tell my parents." Bra pleaded when she caught up with him.
"You're an adult. It's none of my business." Gohan assured a little cold for his personality.
"But a word of advice." Gohan added in all seriousness.
"If you are dating 17. Don't do it behind Goten's back." Gohan acted as a concern older brother. Bra wasn't sure what to make of his advice. Had Goten told him they were a couple? She didn't have a chance to ask as he went on his way. She wasn't doing anything wrong yet being caught by Goten's older brother made her feel guilty.
"That was pleasant." 17 sarcastically stated the opposite of what that awkward encounter was coming up behind her.
"Want to go shopping?" 17 added when she didn't respond hoping to shock a reaction out of the numb girl.
"Let's go home. The sun is frying your circuits." Bra covered up her hurt by insulting him. But it was half hearted and without much malice. His attempt to shock her by suggesting the one thing he wouldn't be caught dead doing failed to registering with her. Also her Freudian slip though unconscious really struck a chord with 17. Hearing her referring to his cabin as their home didn't make him want to ring her neck. A frightening thought as they returned to the car and she allowed him once again to be the driver.
They drove home in silence but to 17's displeasure. He was used to the chatty socialite talking his ear off about things he could care less about. At one point he considered turning on the radio but knowing the pop princess it was probably preprogrammed with nothing but dance music. Not a rock song in the mix.
He stole a glace over at her and even though her facial expression was partially shielded by her sunglasses he could still read her body langue. The way she sat back on her seat looking out the opposite side of him meant her mind was miles away. Those miles may remain but by speeding up he took out the miles between them and "home."
"Haru! Here kitty kitty." Bra called out as soon as they walked thru the door. 17 headed straight to his couch where he sat down drained by the day's event as she continued beckoning her cat to come to her. He had leaned back and closed his eyes preventing him from seeing Haru coming out of his room. Saving him and his owner from repercussions.
"There's my baby." Bra cooed but subsequently frowned when Haru failed to walk over to her instead jumping onto the couch and then onto 17's lap.
"Off!" 17 ordered pushing the fur ball away.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1." Bra counted down to the inevitable. Right on cue the cat who couldn't take a hit jumped back up and attempted to crawl back on 17 and curl up on him purring.
It was exhausting. No matter how many times he kicked him off within seconds the cat tried again. He would say he was determined but no it was because he was dumb. Feeling his power level increase in frustration Bra sat down on the couch with them and picked him up off 17 and placed him on her own lap.
"Who's mommy's stupid stupid head?" Bra lovingly teased scratching under Haru's chin and behind his ears where he loved it. 17 may be his new love but she knew what he loved. Free from the unwanted affection the android made his escape back to his room.
There he remained for hours, lying in bed unable to rest because the sound of typing wouldn't allow him to. 17 was beyond irritated. Didn't the selfish princess realize how late in the nighttime it was? A time when even the night owls where finally going to bed. But not in the cabin in the woods.
"It's past your bedtime." 17 sounded like a parent as he stood over Bra who was in bed with her laptop once again working on something for their mission.
"I can't sleep." Bra answered without looking up too engrossed in what she was doing.
"Have you tried?" 17 continued the parental mode.
"I don't need to try. I know I can't." Bra gave a childish answer that he did not accept and let her know by closing the laptop on her.
"Hey!" Bra protested but before she could regain control 17 took away her laptop.
"I have something that will wear you out." 17 informed.
"You've missed your chance on that one." Bra rolled her eyes annoyed.
"Is sex all you think about?" 17 mocked in show of that wasn't what he meant. To further prove the point he exited the cabin but not before she easily stole her laptop back. Too easy which meant he had no intention of keeping it away from her at the present.
Whatever the reason Bra dove right back into work. She was trying to get a head start figuring out where Zarbon could have hidden the blackstar dragonballs he had collected with her limited resources. Hacking into the Galaxy Police server before they stole the blackstar dragonballs they had collected and a ship then were safely millions of light-years away would defeat their purpose. The studious princess hadn't gained any ground in her investigation when 17 returned carrying the infamous fire pit and a bowl.
"What are you doing?" Bra asked as he started up a fire.
"Making tea." 17 answered holding the small bowl over the fire with his bare hand. Any normal human wouldn't be able to do such a thing but he was anything but normal.
Curious Bra got out of bed and creped over to get a better look. Without another word he handed her the bowl of exotic strange looking leaves in boiling water. Knowing better than to argue the sensible princess decided it wouldn't kill her to try an all natural herbal sleeping remedy instead of relying on habit forming sleeping pills.
"Ew. Are you trying to poison me?" Bra gagged making a face at the awful bitter taste.
"Poisoning's no fun." 17 in all seriousness answered. It was disturbing but Bra knew if he wanted to kill her he'd probably make it a lot more interesting than poisoning her.
"Finish it." 17 pushed sensing she was giving up.
"Bite me." Bra snapped her go to comeback she hadn't used in forever. 17 never thought he'd actually miss those words coming out of her big mouth. But it was another sign she was slowly becoming her old self again. Even she couldn't miss the meaning behind her change in moods. As a thank you she decided to be a good girl and finish the tea he had gone to all the trouble of hand picking the ingredients.
"Aren't you going to stop him?" 17 inquired as Haru got a little too close to the fire, mischief gleaming in his vacant eyes.
"Nah. He'll just come right back." Bra's answer was not what he would ever expect from the over protective pet owner.
"Negative reinforcement?" 17 asked if she had used that type of discipline.
"Doesn't work. I tried the whole squirting him with water using a spray bottle and it gets him to stop but then thirty seconds later he's back doing the same thing." Bra sighed emphasizing that it had been a tiring trial that yielded no results.
17 could just picture it. This Haru as she called him was the apitamy of what that annoyingly catchy song was talking about. You know the song. The cat came back. He cursed himself for thinking of it because the lyrics "The cat came back, the very next day. Oh the cat came back" would be playing in his head.
"The only way he's going to learn is if he burns himself then maybe he'll know better than to do it again." Bra was like the spokesperson for the Saiyan Method of Parenting. Although 17 found it interesting that they shared the same philosophy when it came to parenting he didn't know why he would ever think of such an irrelevant things such as methods for disciplining children.
"Hmmm." Bra yawned. He had forgotten to warn her it was an extremely potent dose of sleeping tea he had cooked up for her and that it would probably kick in within minutes. It was apparent it was working since she was practically falling asleep sitting next to him.
"Come on sleeping beauty." 17 whispered as he helped her up and escorted her back to her bed.
"You think I'm pretty." Bra giggled the effects of his herbal tea having other side effects than just inducing rapid sleep.
"I like you." Bra confessed groggy and obviously out of it.
"I know." 17 humored her by grabbing Haru away from the fire and setting him down next to her. He didn't take her confession seriously. The word "like" was so overused by her that there was no meaning behind it. This allowed the stand offish android to not be affected. At least he didn't let himself.
Bra wasn't completely asleep yet so she held onto her cat and hugged him to her much like a child hugs their teddy bear.17 had to walk away before all illusions of her were shattered. He preferred the vamped up vixen the Saiyan Princess usually was over a sweet innocent girl she was looking like at the moment. He had known innocence once. A long time ago he had found it in someone, but he couldn't let that happen again….
"I'm leaving." Bra informed slipping on the black cardigan sweater over the A line black dress 17 had gotten her from the other house. It was a convenient disguise, that of one in mourning. If others believed she was still in mourning than they were less likely to suspect she was up to no good.
17 nodded knowing exactly what he must do as she exited his cabin never to return again if everything went as planned. He stayed behind as Bra secured her overnight bag/pet carrier in the back seat of her car and then drove off. The plan was for him to follow just as she arrived at her destination.
There wasn't anything to help pass the time so he just tracked her Ki on its journey. As soon as he felt her where he needed her to be he took off. High above the night sky Bra was just landing on Kami's lookout. She knew it wouldn't take 17 long to get there so she had to work fast.
Everything was right on schedule as Dende and the rest of Kami Lookout's residence came rushing out to her as soon as Bra stepped out of her car. Just like last time they were able to sense her fake distress even before she officially landed.
"Bra? What's wrong?"Dende appeared startled. It was very late at night so he dreaded it had to be an emergency of some sort.
"Oh Dende!" Bra dramatically threw herself at him and clung on to his robe. She sobbed softly into his chest. The fact that Nameks were an asexual species meant her close contact with him was making him extremely uncomfortable.
The talented actress didn't have to look up to know Dende was panicking. He had no previous experience dealing with emotions on the level she was portraying. Never given or received a hug himself he was apprehensive to comfort her with one.
"What is it? Are you hurt? Did something happen to someone?" Dende was clueless as to why she would show up again at such a late hour in a completely opposite state as to her last visit.
"I just wanted to thank you." Bra whispered into him. She could feel him shift as his level of discomfort combined with confusion grew. Dende didn't understand it. Usually thanking someone meant they were happy about something. But happy people didn't cry. The whole concept of happy tears was a human contradiction he never understood.
"And apologize." Bra added pulling away and looking up at the green man with big wide eyes glimmering with un-cried tears. She was so convincing she had Mr. Popo and Korin feeling sad.
"I'm so sorry for my selfish actions last week. Hijacking the Hyperbolic Time Chamber without your permission was inexcusable and I'm ashamed of my behavior." Bra laid it on thick.
"No. It's okay. You needed to get over an unspeakable loss." Dende appeased.
"That's still no excuse for how I handled things. I had no right barging into your home demanding to use the time chamber." Bra continued the self blame.
"And leaving without saying anything? I just don't know what I can do to gain your forgiveness." Bra kept it up with a flawless performance.
"There's really nothing to forgive. You didn't do anything wrong." Dende scrambled to get out of the awkward situation. He never had anyone begging for his forgiveness. He didn't know how to deal with it other than saying there was no need which in this case was how he truly felt on the subject.
"But I feel so terrible about the way I acted. Towards you guys. My family and friends. I don't know how I can live with myself." Bra looked down pretending to be fighting off an assault of more tears.
There was a long pause of awkward silence as Dende thought of a response to that. He looked over at Mr. Popo and Korin who shrugged and shook their head. They weren't any more capable of dealing with an emotional women than he was. They were of no help in the situation. He was on his own.
"I'm certain they don't blame you. They love you and would do anything for you." Dende's generalized words of comfort was all he could come up with but they seemed to do the trick as her sobs slowed down then came to an end.
"You're right." Bra nodded looking up whipping away her tears.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you so late at night." Bra walked up to Dende once again and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"It's no bother." Dende assured trying to distract from the red blush he knew could be seen even on his green skin.
"The Earth is lucky to have you guys as its guardians." Bra praised doing the same with Mr. Popo and Korin who also couldn't fight off an embarrassed blush.
"Take care." Dende bid farewell to the Saiyan Princess as she got in her vehicle. He had a nagging feeling it may be the last time he saw her. He meant it more as in the last time she'd ever come to visit Kami's lookout he had no idea he was foreshadowing more literally.
Bra waved as her air car lifted slightly off the ground then took off. Looking thru the rearview mirror she could see them still standing there watching after her. She knew they'd remain there until she was out of sight before going back inside. As soon as she far out of sight she pressed the button that put down the top turning her air car into a convertible.
"Did you get it?" Bra asked as 17 gracefully settled into the passenger seat mid flight.
"And then some." 17 smirked holding up the blackstar dragonball in one hand and a small fancy black vase like container in the other hand.
"That wasn't part of the plan." Bra reprehended.
"I improvised." 17 shrugged like it was no big deal.
"What is it?" Bra asked.
"Don't know." 17 admitted. She was surprised he wasn't acting like his usual Mr. Know it All. The artifact looked several hundreds of years old making it possibly exceedingly valuable and the reason why the greedy android stole it in the first place.
"What's in it?" Bra questioned.
"No idea." 17 shrugged putting the blackstar dragonball in his lap to examine the ancient container with both hands.
"Don't open it here!" Bra prohibited fearing what might be inside. If it was hidden in a place like Kami's lookout then there was a chance it was somehow dangerous.
"Fine." 17 gave up gambling on the chance that she had other more important things on her mind to force him to get rid of it. His prediction was proven correct when Bra dropped the topic rather quickly, allowing him to keep his stolen possession.
They arrived at the second stage at the planned time. For Bra this next part was going to be the hardest. She pain staking took her time for everything. Taking her bag out of the back of her car, then walking over to the back entrance of the lab and even entering the security code. It was almost as if she was stalling. Thru it all 17 remained abnormally patient with her. He knew perfectly well what she had to leave behind and it wasn't just what was in her carrier.
17 stood by in support over Bra almost protectively as she set the carrier down by the main control panel. He could sense she was fighting not to lose it and break down. She didn't say anything but he knew in her head she was silently pouring her heart out. He leaned back against the wall expecting it to take a while but that wasn't the case when he saw her take a folded envelope out of her sweater pocket, unfold it and then place it on the control panel.
Without a word she programmed the transporter to their intended location. The fact that she typed in something else didn't escape 17's notice but he deemed it as unimportant. Bra stepped onto the platform with him just like they had done months before at the beginning of their epic journey. Who could have fore tolled they'd be doing it again for such a conflicting reason.
Bra closed her eyes and prepared herself for the next nauseating part. It took only seconds but when she rematerialized on the other side she had to steady herself from fumbling forward and tossing her cookies. Once she fought of the travel sickness she looked around and didn't see 17. He hadn't gone on ahead of her because he had never made it over. Quickly she took out her intergaltic video phone and called him. Every ring that went unanswered had her worried.
"What the hell happened? Where are you?" Bra demanded as soon as she heard the other line pick up.
"Technical difficulties." 17 answered unphazed by the set back.
"Go on ahead. I'll meet you at the rendezvous point." 17 instructed much to her dismay. This was exactly what she was trying to prevent. Any delays could mean failure. Especially after what she did.
"Hurry up. I programmed the Capsule Corps security system to go off in exactly thirty minutes." Bra confessed what she had secretly done behind his back. She braced herself for the impact of 17 going on a colossal tirade and berating her for doing something seemingly stupid, but he just nodded and signed off.
Having lost precious seconds Bra wasted no time trying to figure out his strange reaction. She put on her sunglasses which wasn't much of a disguise but it hid her facial features and then hurried to complete her part of phase two. The halls were deserted making her job easier. No one should question her being there as she was an officer's fiancée.
Bra reached Goten's office without any difficulty. His door wasn't even locked making breaking in a synch. She locked the door behind her to secure against any and all interruptions. She took out a capsule and activated it turning it into a indestructible metal box with handle and a finger print lock. She set it on the desk and turned to the safe. It opened after entering the security code he had given 17 who had shared it with her. He really was too trusting. If he had been smart he would have changed it.
The trusting Son's lapse in security measures worked to her advantage. One by one she moved the blackstar dragonballs they had acquired on their previous missions into the cushioned box. After the last one she shut it the advance safe automatically locking itself. Bra picked up the box by its handle and carried it out the office like a briefcase. No one would ever suspect what was inside as she made her way to the docking level.
"He better be there." Bra thought the whole way there. She hadn't bought his story of why he hadn't transported at the same time she had. Technical difficulties? Ha! Not likely in regards to a Capsule Corps product. The company had built its reputation on the dependability of their top of the line products. Besides her mother had built that machine, therefore she couldn't believe it had malfunctioned. That meant 17 must have gotten off the transport just before it transported them. But the question was why.
Bra seriously doubted he would be stupid enough to betray her. At least this early into the game. No if he was going to stab her in the back he'd do it after they had all seven blackstar dragonballs in their possession. She racked her mind for any logical explanation as she hurried down several flight of stairs. She had taken the stairs instead of the elevator because she'd be less likely to run into anyone that way.
Every step she took down her anxiety multiplied. Bra's mind promptly changed to what would she do if he had betrayed her or just wasn't coming. She couldn't fly the ship she intended to pirate so she'd have to either think of an alternative method for her space travel or have to abort the mission. Aborting wasn't an option. She'd be caught and have some serious explaining to do.
"Frell!" Bra cursed as she reached the docking floor and didn't immediately see him by the ship where she told him to be. She ran over to it in a state of panic. She looked around scanning the area and saw no one. She was frozen in panic when the ships door opened above her.
"You're late." 17 stated extending his hand out to her. Bra wanted nothing more than to take his hand and pull him down to the ground so she could kick him for stressing her out. Sadly there wasn't any time. Everything must stay on schedule.
On that note she reached up and took his hand. Holding on tight he easily lifted her up to him. Once she was standing next to him he pushed the button to close the door. Not missing a beat they both walked to the ship's cockpit which was comparably the size of their old spaceship demonstrating the huge difference in size.
Masterfully 17 took charge of the controls and ignited the ships engine. In perfect sync he opened the station's hanger door and took off flying towards it as it was barely starting to open. Bra watched nervously as the rate of their acceleration was faster than the rate the door was opening.
"We're going to crash!" Bra exclaimed.
"No we're not." 17 yelled skillfully maneuvering the massive ship thru the small opening scarcely avoiding scrapping the side of the ship against the door. Bra would have critized his reckless take off but knew he had to do it because opening the hanger door without authorization would trigger the security alarm leaving them a small window of opportunity to get out before the system automatically began closing the door again.
They couldn't see it but that's exactly what happened. The moment they shot out of the station the metal door began closing. Behind them red lights and sirens were flashing throughout the entire compound. They didn't have to witness it to know the place was in a frenzy. Soldiers running around with weapons while officers tried to determine the origins of the breach of security and access the level of threat.
It wouldn't take them long to figure out one of their prized ships had been stolen. That's why 17 flew away full speed ahead. They had to be far enough away so what they were going to do next wouldn't damage the station. Once they reached a safe distance 17 inputted the command for the one thing the ship was capable of that no other ship was. Starburst.
That's what scientist called the ships ability to open a portal through space and time. This astounding capability allowed the ship and it's passengers to exist in and consequently travel through one dimensional space. It also drastically increased the speed the ship could achieve without requiring increased amounts of energy output. Starburst was the sole crucial element they needed to escape.
Bra subconsciously held her breath as the sound of the ships vibrations hummed louder and the interior began to glow signifying the beginning of Starburst. A bright blast of light illuminated the cockpit as the giant ship jumped thru space disappearing into the vast darkness….
Goten was on a tour with the governmental leader of one of the developing planets of the uncharted territory when he received an urgent call from his superior. It was classified 911 code Red of upmost urgency. He politely excused himself to take the call in private.
"Office Son here." Goten saluted into the handheld video communicator.
"At approximately three hundred hours security was breach at headquarters. A large ship was stolen from its docking station along with something from your office." Goten's captain informed right off the bat.
"My office?" Goten couldn't imagine a connection. Why would someone stealing a ship from Galaxy Police headquarters need from his office?
"I'm sending you the surveillance video." His boss said before immediately signing off. Goten was anxious to see the footage and thanks to fast download time he didn't have to wait long.
The video was a wide screen shot of the floor his office was located on. The hall was empty at the very beginning of the footage but it didn't take long for a figure to appear at the top. The first obvious fact was that the intruder was a female. The dress and heels was a dead gender give away. Even though the footage was in black and white. And even though the intruder was wearing sunglasses none of that stopped him from recognizing the culprit.
"Bra." Goten couldn't believe it was her on the screen going into his office in the middle of the night. There had to be a perfectly good explanation he kept telling himself as her image disappeared into his office. She must have been there to see him and it was just a coincidence it was the same time an intruder broke into headquarters.
The hopeful if not naïve young man wanted to believe that with all his heart. However it was hard to deny any wrong doing when she came out of his office minutes later carrying a metal case. Goten's heart sank. He had an awful feeling he knew exactly what Bra had stolen.
To add insult to injury the next footage was from the docking station from which the ship was taken. Goten sadden as he watched Bra appear on the screen again hurrying over to one of their largest most powerful ships. She stopped right in front of it and looked around as if she was waiting for something or perhaps someone. Then the ships door opened above her and someone appeared to help her onboard. That someone made Goten's blood boil.
"17!" Goten growled instantaneously transforming into a Super Saiyan.
Authors Note- Whoever can correctly guess where the curse word "Frell" is from I'll email them the next chapter before I publish it ^_^ Hint: Starburst is from the same show