Life as We Know It

Phase XXVI: Crimson Dreams and Mad Saiyans

I looked around in apprehension, my breath coming in short spats. I took a step forward, debris crunching underneath my shoes. I let a small whimper out as one of the houses crumbled off to my right, staring at the flames engulfing the structure.

I took another hesitant step forward, screams reaching my ears. I turned towards them in time to see several people running across the dirt road, looking behind them in terror as they disappeared into the trees. I stood there frozen, wandering what the hell was going on.

That's when I heard it.

The ground shook with every bang rumbling the earth. My teeth chattered with every boom, stumbling as it became louder, the noise increasing to a deafening roar.

Wait...that was an actual roar!

My eyes widened as my ears rang with the sound, listening to the horrifying vibrations crossing the air.

My body froze as the pounding suddenly stopped, the only sound for several seconds was the crackling of the dwellings burning to the ground. I swallowed hard as I slowly looked up.

A scream ripped from my throat as a roar pierced the air, watching the massive body of an ape as it lifted its head towards the sky, letting a beam of light out of its mouth.

I felt the ground shake as it stomped, piercing growls coming out of it. It roared a second time, beating its huge paws against its chest. It stomped forward, the lower half of its body coming into view. There was dark crimson splattered along the sides of its feet and around its toes. The monsters' long, thick tail swung low to the ground, smacking into a burning building and reducing it to rubble. A sob left me, not taking my eyes off of the thing as I slowly backed away, my shoes crunching over the shattered glass scattered in the dirt.

The massive ape whirled its head around, its mouth curling back as it prepared to roar. I felt my heart stop at the sight of those huge red eyes, feeling terror grip my heart and squeeze. I sucked in a breath, my whole body shaking. It stood there staring at me for a moment before its tail lashed out, grabbing me before I could run. I let a blood curdling scream out as it lifted me off the ground, struggling in vain to try to break free.

A sob escaped me as my muscles screamed with the effort to get away, a cry of desperation coming out of me as I was stopped a foot away from the monsters' nose. It narrowed its eyes at me, the gleaming canine teeth shining from the moonlight and the glow from the flames.

My whole body shook as I hung limply from the apes' tail, knowing that I was fixing to die.

The large ape pulled me closer, its breath sweeping my hair away from my face. I flinched, trying to turn my head away as its nose came closer. I felt the warm, rubbery surface of its nose touch my body, sniffing loudly. I quivered in fear, watching the monsters' eyes widen a moment later.

"What are you doing here!?" It boomed out, its voice made up mostly of snarls and growls.

My mouth opened and closed, too shocked to actually say anything. It can talk!

A squeak left me, feeling the pelt of its tail softly rub against my skin. It slowly lowered my back down to the ground, where my legs gave out as soon as it released me. I was only a few feet away from the apes' form, taking in the sight before me with disgust and bile.

What I thought was blood coating its feet...was actually human remains.

I fought back nausea, turning my head and vomiting on the ground a mere moment later. A sob escaped me. Those poor people!

What the fuck was this monster!? And why did it kill all those poor souls!?

My vision was suddenly filled with brown fur, the apes massive eyes appearing inches from my own. I sucked in a breath, trying very hard not to faint from fright. He was crouched on all fours, his paws on either side of me. I flinched away from his teeth, cowering on the ground. The ape let a breath out, blowing my hair and clothes against me.

"Athea," the monster growled out in a low tone, its' tail coming around to slide against my back.

I whimpered, too shocked that it knew my name to do anything but lay there, frozen.

"Why are you here," it said softly, moving a little closer to me.

"I..."

The ape rubbed its nose against my trembling body, the soft leathery skin making goosebumps rise on my arms.

"Wake up Athea," the monster said softly.

My head jerked up at those words, my eyes widening. The ape nuzzled me again, almost lovingly.

"Wake up Athea," it said again, it's voice growing fainter.

I watched it raise its' head, the monsters gleaming canine teeth inches from my body.

I let out a cry of fright, watching at it slowly lowered its mouth towards me.

I shot up...my breathing heavy and my heart racing. I was sweating, my pillow soaked with it, the faint scent of burnt wood filling my nostrils.

I blinked, trying to fully comprehend the nightmare that just plagued my subconscious. I let out a shuddered breath, pushing the hair away from my face as I slowly climbed out of the bed.

It was a dream...just a dream.

XXX

I jerked awake later that morning, looking around blurry eyed for a moment before a groan left me. I plopped back onto the pillow, blowing a long breath out. Light was just seeping into my room, dark gray that slowly lightened as I laied there, wandering just what the hell was up with that dream I had a few hours ago.

I closed my eyes, laying still for a moment before finally just getting up.

I wasn't going to get anymore sleep this morning.

After a shower and donning a change of clothes, I made myself a cup of coffee, sitting on the couch and listening to the silence as I sipped at the bitter substance.

I was just getting up to put my cup into the sink when there was a knock on the door.

I paused at the island counter, debating on whether to answer it or not.

I had been avoiding Bulma since that day in the gravity room.

I bit my lip, sighing as the noise persisted.

I walked over, cracking it open a little. My eyes widened.

It was Bulma.

Shit!

I almost slammed it shut again, but paused. I deserved whatever the woman threw at me.

I let the door swing open, taking a step back as she stepped in, closing the door behind her. We stood in silence for several minutes, just studying one another.

I finally looked away, swallowing. Guilt swept through me, and I closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry-"

"We don't have time for that!" Bulma stated, her hands clenched at her sides.

My brows furrowed, looking back at the woman and taking in her appearance. Her face had worry lines etched into it, her skin ashen. Her eyes were deep pools of remorse and sympathy.

"What's wrong?"

The blue haired woman took a few shallow breaths, fighting back tears. They finally fell as a sob escaped her, and she fell to her knees. I gasped, bending down to help her up. I grabbed her arm, but she furiously shook her head.

"No," she moaned out, "I've been so selfish, all these years," Bulma stated softly, staring at the ground.

"What are you talking about Bulma?" I whispered, my breath escaping me as dread settled in my chest.

"Vegeta," she said softly, another sob coming out of her. She extracted her arm from my hold, wrapping her arms around her middle.

"What-"

"He's getting worse!" She cried out, her voice cracking.

My heart dropped.

"Oh God!"

XXX

We walked in to total chaos.

Goku and Gohan were on the far side of the room, staring down Vegeta, while Goten and Trunks stared wide eyed a few feet behind them. Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo were standing on the far side of the room, the namekian standing with his arms crossed in front of the other men, his brows narrowed, a serious frown on his face.

"What's going on?" I asked, watching everybody turn towards me.

Their eyes widened.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Goku shouted, whirling around and catching Vegeta as the man launched himself towards me, wrapping his arms up under the shorter saiyans'.

I stared at the scene in front of me, mute and frozen. "Oh God," I heard Bulma whisper beside me, before grabbing my arm and trying to pull me out of the house. My eyes went to Vegeta, who was snarling and growling like a wild animal, thrashing wildly as he tried to get out of Goku's hold. I shivered. His eyes were trained on me, the irises tinted red.

I felt my scalp tighten at the sight, fear of the man resurfacing as Bulma succeeded in taking me away from his line of vision. Krillin's wife, Eighteen, and ChiChi followed us out, listening to the struggles on the other side of the door. We went to the other side of the compound, as far away as we could get. None of us said a word until we settled on the grass, forming a half-ass circle. I stared down at my lap, confused as to what the hell was going on.

Vegeta had been fine a few weeks ago, last time I saw him. My dream came back to me, remembering the frightening red eyes of that monster, and the red tint of Vegeta's.

Was there a connection?

"What are we going to do Bulma?" ChiChi said from beside me, making me lift my head, pushing thoughts of that dream away.

I looked at her with everyone else, only to see her studying me intently.

I blinked, sending her a puzzled look, my brows furrowed. Why was she staring at me like that?

"What-"

"You slept with him, didn't you?" Bulma asked softly, cutting me off.

My eyes widened, my mouth opening and closing in shock.

"Wh—What!?"

"It's okay Athea," Bulma whispered, a tear trickling down her face. A sob escaped her, and ChiChi scooted over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

My gaze went back towards the ground, my lips parted in surprise. Oh God! She knew!? I suddenly felt like sobbing, my face crumbling. I felt a tear fall from my eye, quickly swiping it away as my blue haired friend sobbed in front of me. I closed my eyes, swallowing past the lump in my throat. I had no right to feel bad for myself when it was Bulma that had been wronged.

"Bulma," I whispered, feeling like my heart was in my throat.

"How long?" She asked, her voice becoming a little steady as she looked back up at me.

I swallowed a few times, not knowing what to say.

"How long ago, Athea?" Bulma asked gently, her red rimmed eyes focused on my face.

I buried my face in my hands, feeling like my whole world was crumbling around me. What have I done to my friends!?

"God!" I cried into my hands. "I'm so sorry Bulma! I never meant for it to happen."

A sob ripped from my throat, and I stood, turning and walking away from the women that had befriended me, only for me to turn around and betray them like that.

Someone grabbed my arm.

I lowered my hands, meeting Eighteens' cold blue eyes. She pulled me back towards Bulma and ChiChi, keeping a firm hold on my upper arm. I winced a little at the grip, catching my bottom lip between my teeth.

Something blew up behind us, and we all turned, staring wide-eyed at the roof of Bulma's home. Debris lay everywhere, some of it still raining down from the sky. We all froze at the low animalistic growl that came from behind us.

I felt a shiver go down my spine at the noise, slowly turning when Eighteen did, the woman still having a grip on my arm. She suddenly went flying, her back smacking into several trees before the woman finally stopped, laying motionless on the ground. My lower lip quivered in terror as I slowly met the eyes of the man standing a foot away from me. Vegeta's eyes were focused on me, his irises still rimmed red. His upper lip was curled back in a snarl, his canines elongated and gleaming in the midday light. He was breathing heavily, a rasp coming out of him at every exhale. His chest moved with each intake, the muscles in his body quivering and bunching.

A whimper escaped me as he moved closer, giving me the same look I've seen wild animals give their stalked prey.

"V—Vegeta," Bulma said from behind him, earning an opened mouth growl from the man.

I sucked in a breath, my heart stopping in my chest at the sight, before I whirled around to run. I ran as fast as I could, not paying attention to where I was going, trying to get away from the malevolent chuckles behind me.

A scream escaped me as I ran face first into a burly chest, a sob catching in my throat as I thrashed in the arms encircling me.

"Athea! It's okay! It's me."

A relieved moan escaped me at the sound of Goku's voice, tears leaking out of my eyes as I looked up at the man. He was in his ascended form, his face more angular, his muscle mass increased drastically. His larger brows lowered as he looked down at me, his teal eyes like two shards of glass.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his arms still firmly wrapped around me.

I gave a shaky nod, letting out a shuttered breath.

"Vegeta-" I paused, looking behind me.

I didn't see any sign of the man, my shoulders relaxing after several minutes. I turned back to the taller saiyan, looking up at him with frightened eyes.

"Why is he doing this Goku?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "Why is he chasing me! What did I do to him?"

My face crumbled. "Why does he want to kill me!?" I asked weakly, hot tears rolling down my cheeks as a sob left me.

Goku's eyes softened. "Athea," he paused, sighing a little. "Vegeta doesn't want to kill you," he stated softly, "he-"

"Dad!"

Goku cut off as Gohan landed, his mouth pulled down in a frown, his eyes narrowed. He was also in his ascended form, though at a lower level than the man holding me. His gaze flickered to me before moving back to his father.

"We have a problem," he stated, his fists tightening at his sides.

Goku slowly moved away from me, letting his arms fall as he studied his son.

"What did Vegeta do?" the taller saiyan asked softly, his tone sending a shudder through me.

These were some very dangerous men.

"He's going after Trunks," Gohan stated softly, and I jerked my head towards him. What!? Oh God!

"What!?" I said weakly, whispering the word in disbelief.

"We need to go dad!" Gohan said, blasting off.

"Stay here Athea," Goku commanded, not looking at me. "We don't need you anywhere near the man right now."

"But Goku-"

"Do as I said!" he snapped, glancing at me before taking off, disappearing within seconds.

I waited for his trail to fade before whirling around, running back towards the house. Screw what he said! I can't let anything happen to Trunks! Not because of me!

Not Trunks!

I felt a sob escape me as I neared the house, listening to the sounds of screaming and shouting. Goku was forcefully holding Vegeta back, who was fighting violently to get out of his hold. Trunks was cowering behind Gohan and Piccolo, the two men standing firmly in the way, their faces set in grim expressions. Vegeta suddenly let out a terrifying scream, breaking Goku's hold on him and rushing forward. He knocked Gohan and Piccolo out of the way, a blinding white light engulfing his hand. Vegeta lifted his arm back, a deadly growl escaping him.

"NO!" I screamed, rushing forward and ignoring the others' shouting at me. I fell to my knees in front of Trunks, putting my arms around the boy, covering him with my body.

I could feel the searing hot light inches from my back, melting my shirt and burning my skin. A whimper escaped me, tightening my hold on the young teenager currently quivering in my arms.

All I could hear was the crackling of energy, and the harsh breathing of the man standing behind me. The sounds seemed amplified in my ears, shutting out everything else.

I don't know how long I stayed like that, noise finally penetrating the haze I was in, bringing me back to reality. Sounds garbled through a long tunnel, like I was listening to them underwater, before they suddenly rushed over me. Someone was yelling my name.

"Athea! Can you hear me!?"

My eyes popped open, staring into Goku's worried face for a moment before slowly moving, turning my head to see Trunks beside me, still wrapped up in my arms.

He was okay.

I let a relieved sigh out, letting the boy go. A small scream escaped me as I moved, feeling an excruciating burn on my back.

"Don't move," Goku whispered, moving around me to take a look at the damage. I heard him sigh, whispering "Damn you Vegeta" under his breath.

"What happened?" I asked softly, my heart thudding in my chest.

"We had to...blast him. To stop him."

I felt the blood drain from my face, a small noise coming out of me.

"Is he...did you..."

"No," Gohan said softly, squatting next to his father. "But we came close," he stated, studying me intently. His eyes flickered to the side for a moment, before returning to me.

I looked, my eyes widening.

Vegeta was laying on his back, his hair back to normal, smoke curling from his chest. I sucked in a breath at the sight of the blood, swallowing as I looked away.

"Why...Why..." I couldn't get the words out.

"Why did he go berserk?" Gohan said, tilting his head a little as I nodded.

"You don't know?" Goku asked from behind me, moving a moment later. He walked in front of me, his brows furrowed as he studied me.

I shook my head, looking from him to Gohan. Father and son glanced at one another, worry shadowing their features. Goku bent down, a gasp escaping me as he lifted me in his arms, starting through the house.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked softly, feeling like the whole day had been surreal. Like this wasn't really happening, that reality should be slamming into me at any moment.

But the very sharp pain in my back told me that it was terrifyingly real...

"To the rejuvenation tank," Goku stated softly.

...and it wasn't over.