A/N: Hi guys, thanks for the reviews and hope you enjoy this new chapter! x

Apples
Chapter 35: Little Froggy Experiment

The endless blue skies of the lookout only drew the sigh more heavily from the bored android. The long haired man just sat by one of the many grand pillars on the steps with little aim in his day, icy eyes lazily watching the never changing skies with a sense of…meh. Seventeen was bored, so very bored, which was odd. He wasn't often 'bored,' even when living on his own with only training to pass his time, but now he was bored. And he realised that in his short time with the z senshi he was used to people, he hadn't expected such an influence and so quickly; he'd be more pissed if he was up to the task.

Footsteps were heard first, unable to sense ki and so fixated on his own boredom, the cyborg lazily brought his gaze to the source of the noise. After living at the lookout the small time he had done he wasn't surprised to see who it was; none other than the Saiyajin prince. He had visited a few times to train with Piccolo and he knew Piccolo sometimes visited the prince at Capsule Corp so it was no strange visit although this trip likely an impatient one.

Vegeta walked up in clothes suitable for training, he looked as though he's already spent some time in his Gravity Chamber, most likely bored too and itching for a decent sparring partner that wasn't too busy. He recognised the irritation in the Saiyajin's brows and as the pair met tired glances Vegeta said "The Namek's still meditating?" voice short and all too knowing of the answer.

Seventeen just nodded and replied "almost two weeks now…"

"You counting the days till your roommate returns..?" Vegeta remarked, his tone teasing and didn't let on his suspicions of the Android's attraction to the Namek, but it didn't mean he couldn't have fun "how clingy are you, huh?"

"Very funny, and you would last how long without Bulma?" he smirked, no malice in his voice but at least he was more entertained than before.

"Depends…she does make a mean meal."

At that point having sensed company the young guardian made his way towards the guest, although more a formality by then as he knew why the Prince was here. "Hey, if you're here for to spar with piccolo, I'm afraid he's.."

Vegeta raised a hand to halt the stuff he already knew, "seriously how long does that stuff take?" to which Dende's own shoulders sank a little "it depends really, some are quick some are far longer, and Piccolo has quite a lot to him, exploring that might be a while yet" he spoke slightly apologetic but it was plain to see the Guardian liked having Piccolo around. Not only for help but some calm company too, not to mention himself and the Android were still practically strangers.

"Well…training was the plan, unless your serving lunch this very moment I'm off" Vegeta dismissed himself and turned to leave when the long haired man was caught by a whim, he was bored after all and it seemed there was a wait, and so he offered to train with him instead, the guy might be a lot stronger than him but he wasn't completely out of his depth.

"I wouldn't mind kicking your ass instead" Seventeen smirked and Vegeta's steps halted.

"Delusional or what…but why not." he shrugged and the two headed to a training area on the lookout.

Machines whirred, beeped and hummed, readings on screens and printed out in streams, the Laboratory buzzing with research all around one little creature; one very stressed and confused Namekian frog. The bite mark where that damned spider had sunk its fangs in was red and enflamed, Ginyu occasionally trying to ease the pain with his webbed amphibian hands to little affect. Physically he seemed pressed, breaths rapid and thin and gains more prominent but Bulma could only assume that was due to how the dosage in the bite was made for Vegeta - not the tiny Namekian frog.

But then again, in the initial spider, the moment Android 17 conflicted with the programming his body became stressed and painful from what she'd been told, and Bulma had even looked over his recovering body to see his low life signs, maybe if he'd been a regular human his heart would have given out.

Whatever Dr Gero had left for the z senshi to take on it was clearly not finished yet, especially if somehow the spiders were being modified, this new one far more advanced as well as its affects on Ginyu. The frog wasn't as maddened as Seventeen had been described, he wasn't crazed but he was different, clearly hated her and continued to try and escape, he was snappish and rebellious. As machines searched coding on the robot spider she couldn't believe the complexities; it wasn't as though determining 'souls' was new, the z senshi accustomed to sensing them but through natural and skilled means, now machines were catching up. And this seemed to be manipulating the nature of souls somehow, not reliant anymore on enhancing coding missions in cyborg subjects.

The best she could guess was that Ginyu was giving in to some impulses of his, darker ones, and with a clearer mind than Seventeen's had been he wanted to escape to start of pursuing them. That thought was what terrified her. What if it had succeeded in biting Vegeta, whom it was clearly aiming for? She shook off the thoughts but not clearheadedly as she prodded a little too close to the bound up creature and it tried to bite her, snapping at her fingers and she avoided just in time, the look in its eyes were full hatred and determination to do something about it and it made her heart ache.

Biting her lip as pretty eyes stung with threatening tears she found her own determination, Ginyu's sacrifice, however accidental, shouldn't go to waste and he really was a perfect research subject as much as it hurt to watch him like this. Turning to the broken spider again she looked at the ghastly, creepy thing, it made her skin crawl…especially after she had found that same ribbon logo as before and labelled 'Tester 2'.

Shower steam fogged the air as Gohan stepped out, towelling his muscled body flushed from the hot water and perhaps some frustrations he had just been taking care of, using his ki to evaporate most of the water from his skin and hair he just threw on a pair of boxers and jeans before flopping onto bed with an aching heart and turned his eyes to the ceiling above and let out a sigh.

So…time had time passed, days had turned into a couple of weeks, it it wasn't uneventful considering Gohan was interviewed for the article, it was done and published to help curb the damage done by Angela; Videl had begun her training and she was able to levitate but wasn't completely steady yet and she needed to work on endurance, Videl and his mom were getting closer which was good, Angela had backed off especially since the article came out and for once Gohan didn't sugarcoat and paycheques Gohan didn't want to even think about.

Everything, although a bit tiresome, was productive and working towards to better; the problem of course lay in how the demi-saiyajin was missing his beloved dearly. Every day he could he would visit his love and just sit by him for a while and would leave with a whisper of I love you and a kiss to the cheek. It also didn't help that Piccolo had been so damn attractive just before going into the meditation the teen had some new inspiration and ergo more frustration.

Piccolo was so sexy, those kisses, those smirks, when he'd said "enjoy" and how he'd handled feeling Gohan's hardness, it was just so teasing. He still didn't know what Piccolo looked like down there, to be honest so long as it was something compatible he didn't care, it occurred to him more out of curiosity than anything else, he'd been kneed in that area a couple of times by enemies and never suffered like humans or Saiyajins did either.

It wasn't just sexual either, there were also his Saiyajin instincts to claim his mate, every time he left the Namekian by the waterfall he just itched to stay, protect him and a whole manner of needy selfish things. He hadn't even told Piccolo about the whole Saiyajin biting thing yet, guessed he was just waiting for a decent time for it to come up.

Then he wondered amusedly…since Piccolo was exploring himself and his place in the world and their relationship…did Piccolo ever fantasise about them? Romantically, their future together…sexually?

Feeling a heat invade his cheeks and a tightness in his jeans Gohan just groaned and lifted the pillow from beneath his head before slamming it over his own face, he was already showering far too often and these thoughts did not help that matter.

After a few stressed minutes the teen was able to focus on something other than ignoring his adamant manhood and he returned to his stagnant melancholy. He felt like his arms were empty without his love to open them for. Would be strange for him to visit him again? He went so much and he didn't like being the clingy type, but Piccolo was his. Simply his. Turning in his bed and groaning muffled into the soft pillow beneath he let his exasperation out though not to much improvement, he needed to remind his mother to buy more apples too, he'd eaten the last one an hour ago.

Tiptoes hovered a foot from the ground, dark eyes taking in her own raised shadow with some delight limited mainly by how much focus was fuelled into making this happen in the first place, she knew she could levitate higher, it was even movement back and forth that tripped her up and her endurance for this sort of thing, unused to fuelling her ki in this way Videl made a point of practicing as often as possible; even at home.

In anticipation the girl would tense and overthink things, focus too intensely and as she wavered then overcompensate with varying success; how did anyone manage to fly properly?! Gohan could fly loops around most, Goten could do it without much thought and was still only little, then the few times she'd seen Piccolo fly the grace in his movements were astounding. No matter how she tried she'd never compare to that…to him.

A small twinge in her heart distracted her from the task at hand and she was sent in a tumble to the floor, her reflexes keeping her from harm but she was no less embarrassed by herself. Rather than immediately pick herself back up and try again (like she had already done several times that day already) she just lay there against her plush carpet and felt a little sorry for herself; it wasn't just the training. Although she was used to excelling rather quickly and no matter how Gohan repeated that she was talented she just didn't feel much like it, especially with such titans for comparison; but she also just couldn't shake these feelings around Gohan!

She thought if she saw Gohan's relationship, supported him and took her place solidly as his friend that her heart would adapt, but if anything it was only fuelled with new fantasy fodder, more scenarios and developments in their relationship the more time they spent together and doing new things. Then there was the guilt over those feelings; Gohan and Piccolo were perfect for each other and both were so kind to her; she truly admired them for who they were and would never want to do wrong by either but these feelings tore at her chest the moment her thoughts found time to dwell.

So she decided they wouldn't dwell, she wouldn't giver herself time to feel that way, and training was clearly not working on its own so she pushed herself up from the floor and quickly changed into some fresh clothes; grabbed the car keys and headed out. After a little time thinking of something, anything to do, she figured she'd start with some general good deeds around the city, helping out where needed a hand and hopefully she'd exhaust her day.

That hope lasted only two hours, the one day she needed to be busy was the one day crime was having a day off!

Sulking in her parked car the dark haired fighter tried turning on the radio when love some after love song made her fist curl with frustration and she thumped her head back on the headrest muttering to herself for some kind of reprieve. When none seemed to come she switched of the radio and exited the car, curling her coat around her body against the cold and light snow that covered the city before heading into the closest shop for some distraction.

It didn't help that whenever she walked about in public she received a mixture of looks from passers by, some were neutral, some were excited by any celebrity daughter, some gave her dirty glances for the reveal of her father though the interview had softened some of that and then there was sympathy; complete strangers looking at her like a sad puppy and she loathed it. Luckily only a few in the milkshake bar she entered gave her any notice and the staff were polite in their service as she ordered a Jumbo Deluxe Shake to go and she was left to wait as they prepared it.

Videl tapped her foot against the tiled floor, reading through all the options on menu boards for something, anything, to take up her thoughts and keep her eyes from the few that remained in her direction. She struggled in honesty, her brain and heart screaming to just wallow in unrequited romance for the rest of the foreseeable future and she was about to forget her milkshake and head home when a familiar head or red hair and pair of purple eyes made their order. Angela? Of all the things she needed right now, at very least she wasn't someone easy to ignore.

Small kitty heels clacked against the hard floor as she turned away from the bar to wait like other customers when the teen was frozen, coming face to face with Videl was unexpected and the red head was apparently in no mood for any small talk. "Cancel my order" she snarked over her shoulder, keeping eye contact with Videl as she explained "if you serve the liked of her I'm not interested in your crummy goods" and the girl behind the desk could only nod and hold her tongue at such rudeness.

Videl folder her arms in a defensive manner but kept her voice calm, Angela certainly not worth an assault charge "there's no need to be like that."

"Yes there is" Angela snapped, she really was unhinged, and with that Videl took in more details; she was just as pampered and glitzed as ever but she looked sadder and was fidgeting more with her hair or jewellery, and her words weren't just sly digs while she pursued an interest; she really wanted to hurt. "Why would I give my custom to a place that supports fakes?"

"Fakes?" Videl raised her brow and squared her jaw but still she let Angela have her space to let things out.

"Oh you know…your father was a fake hero, you've only got the good life you do because of how he scammed so many people" and with that Videl's fist curled again, teeth gritting and she had to hold back her temper "and you still walk around like you're special and you're not, you just don't want to let it go and its sad; you cant even let the fake-ness go" Angela smirked at getting all her remarks out and seeing them land, Videl's body visibly shaking and she wondered if she might get to see her cry or make a food of herself somehow.

But instead she shaking stopped and Videl took in a deep breath, her chest using as she, for the first time a while, used her thinking about a certain couple to make someone feel better. Although Videl and Angela were different individuals the fighter couldn't deny they shared something in common; the look of anger changed to one of empathy.

"Look…" and the redhead steeled herself but didn't expect what came next "I could say a million bad things…but I was in a similar spot, we both liked Gohan…" although the past tense was questionable "and we both were rejected. Neither of us stood a chance against them" Videl smiled, it was bittersweet and ached to do but it was natural, real.

Angela seemed taken aback by such a response, but judging by the look in her eyes she seemed to be mulling over the words and the held some significance, Angela may be shallow and all different levels of dumbass but she had her feelings hurt, she got knocked down and her self esteem was hit. "Them?" she asked,

Videl let her shoulders soften and jaw slack slightly as the conversation flowed a little easier, and with thoughts she's had a million times "Gohan and Piccolo, I know you don't think much on it, especially Piccolo, but…seriously, it's something beyond special. I don't think even they know how to handle how much they love each other, it must be really terrifying sometimes…but its not something others can just change, no matter how much we may want to; and they shouldn't change either. Not that part of their relationship anyway."

Glossed lips worried themselves as she took in Videl's words, purple eyes looking to the ground and her own fidgeting hands for a moment before, slowly, her frown cracked into a small smile, she might not feel happy but at least it was entertaining. "That's kind of crazy" she mused, to think that people feel that strongly was a little out of her depth.

Videl just shrugged and enjoyed one of the few times Angela want throwing an insult her way "yeah, sort of, but it works for them. Just know that it doesn't say anything about you, you know, that Gohan didn't pick you…he picked a long time ago."

The girl nodded and even if only a little her expression seemed to brighten "Well…thanks."

A small moment of awkward niceness was passed between them before thankfully the server left Videls milkshake for collection and she had an excuse to leave; picking up the ridiculously large drink she was about to exit when she turned a final time to Angela who was by then re-ordering her cancelled shake and said the words "Angela…you're pretty, and your strong headed…"

"Hey" Angela growled with a furrowed brow to which the dark haired girl rolled her eyes, she hadn't meant it like that, and so she elaborated "that wasn't a bad thing necessarily…what I mean is…you'll find someone. So don't put pressure on yourself, if you want one that badly pick someone suited to what you need, find yourself a nice boy who knows how to take orders," Videl laughed though she wasn't really joking and Angela even seemed to mull the idea in her head with some seriousness; "Gohan isn't available, so just move on" Videl chirped like it was the most simple concept in the world and for Angela it did seem to help.

If only Videl could take her own advice.

With a smile and a nod Videl headed out to her car, slightly jazzed from having said so much in such a small pocket of time, the exchange seeming like a flurry of so many things as she took her seat and placed the shake in its holder. For a long moment she just sat their, listening to her own breathing and what little noise the city was making that day. Her brain numb, ache ever present but and words that triggered it still in her mind but she wasn't worse off for them, at least for a little while. She was sure the maddening process would start all over again soon, it was only a matter of time, but in that moment of calm, slight buzz and tired optimism she just sat back and enjoyed the quiet.

The blue haired scientist watched couldn't tear her eyes away from the her screens in a disgusted curiosity as she watched a dreadful story play out. It had been a stroke of genius to observe Ginyu as she was, the small creature had been anaesthetised into slumber and awoke to a world, realistic, but convenient. Bulma had placed the frog in a VR system, the virtual reality he was in would seem true to what he could recall but it allowed Bulma to observe him and his motives while he believed, at least in VR, that he had escaped the z senshi's research and was reaching his goals.

It was a sad sight in both settings for Bulma to witness, in reality the tiny frog was covered in tabs and wired and machinery to make him believe the digital simulation was indeed where he was and to read his body and other information at the same time. Meanwhile on screen she could watch him on his journey, how the little guy had escaped in the night but didn't go too far, instead he (through events far to easy to be actually true) he'd made his way to the lookout and found the dragon balls, wishing for his old body back and a second wish on great power.

The frog took in more than he'd let on, he apparently listened enough to know earth dragon balls had two wishes but not enough to know at the moment one was already used, also in this fantasy he seemed to have forgotten less powerful fighters, he took on Vegeta, Gohan and Piccolo but otherwise people were not thought of, it was so simplistic but it did tell the scientist a lot. In scenes of battle and gloating he shared how even under Frieza he'd always wanted to be the star, and even how being trapped as a frog was humiliating and he would have his revenge.

Did he really feel like that? He seemed to have settled into his own life here, true it wasn't ideal but that was his just desserts for a life of evil, but all the times he helped her about the lab, made funny faces to make her laugh and other things like that, she hadn't thought he felt so vengeful, not by now…

Then again…what good would it be to Gero's plan by amplifying kindness? Did it target negative, dark desires? Made people's darkness bigger and in control? Of course Ginyu would have residual feelings of embarrassment, ego and ambition, even a sliver of resentment perhaps, but…not like this. This wasn't who Ginyu was today, if given the chance to have his body back, of course he would take it, but he was outclassed by now and she doubted he would choose a purely good life at the behest of the earthlings and would likely just choose to leave.

In a sudden need to push this farther Bulma's dainty fingers danced over keyboards, inputting scrips to the reality Ginyu believed was true. In the fake world she took charge of the model of herself, it was easy enough to do as she cheated through the coding to appear close by to the maniacal murderer Ginyu's character in this was.

There he stood, the tall purple alien complete with a cocky grin and he seemed to be in the process of training soldiers, in dance of course, old habits die hard; when she interrupted him and made her presence known.

"Ah, it's you" Ginyu's low voice said with only mild surprise, he didn't fear much in this fake world and to see her was likely just a passing moment in a grander plan.

Bulma's fingers came to a stillness, her mind blanking in what he wanted to say, what did she want out of this? After several moments of quiet, in in the VR Ginyu looking at her with stretched patience, Bulma finally just typed what was on her mind.

"Ginyu…" her model spoke, "do you really want all of this?"

His eyes narrowed as he answered the strange question "Of course, thats why I did it."

"But…I get that there's a part of you that wants this, of course you do…but…"

"Look, I get you're having some kind of crisis, you know, your friends and husband dead and all, but they were in my way and that's that. If you want to stay alive remain out of my way, or help, I could use some ships if you want to make yourself usefu-"

"For fucks sake, Ginyu!" she snapped at him, Bulma's fingers typing furiously to make the scene happen "you look me in the eye and tell me you didn't find at least a little happiness as a frog, I know this sounds ridiculous but this hatred, it's in you when you have power and goals to increase it, it wasn't then…"

"Wow you are even crazier than I recall…why in hell would anyone prefer to be a frog?"

"I'm not saying you would prefer to be a frog, but as a frog…you weren't unhappy…I know you weren't…" she narrowed her own eyes and grit her teeth, her chest clinching ever so slightly, "say it…" she challenged.

Ginyu blinked, and a moment of confusion seemed to wash over him, like the facts didn't line up with beliefs, memories and convictions clashed, he felt a revulsion at his time trapped at Capsule Corp, but then…why did he help her…why did he do those things, they were small and silly but he did do them…how bazaar.

"I must admit it's a strange one, Ms Briefs…I can see why you might think that…but…" and the scientist sat watching the monitors with baited breath, not knowing what in the world she was about to hear, even Ginyu couldn't deny the facts, but they were separate from him somehow…the darkness too strong, he was a different man than he was before; the spider had changed him. "I suppose we all go through phases, I don't know why I treated you like I did, perhaps making the best of a bad situation" he said while his own voice seemed still puzzled before finally something of absolute truth spilled out "however, right here right now…I think of you as nothing more than someone in my way".

The sprite of Bulma gasped in that instant as a ki blast headed towards her and destroyed everything of her body, leaving nothing behind but an irritated alien who continued his class. The scientist in the real world was in shock, big blue eyes staring widely at the virtual murder of her own person, he hadn't been unaffected by her words, he hadn't forgotten the past, but the dark part of him…the corruptible part of him…had taken over.

The only place she could tear her eyes to was upon the little froggy experiment all clad in metal and wires, so tiny and pathetic as the spider, and she, manipulated his state…but worse than the sadness and guilt, but the fear. What if that had been Vegeta, what if the memories of their relationship and camaraderie with the z senshi was pushed to mere facts as the spider's venom increased the darkness, the ego, the hunger for power, the competitiveness and more. Any of the z senshi, her friends, hell, she wasn't even pure hearted! She didn't believe she had any power hunger but materialism and maybe some selfishness…

Blue eyes stung and her throat stuck as tears cascaded silently over her cheeks and she visibly shook. They'd never had an enemy like this, never so targeted and hurtful; it was terrifying.

And as if things couldn't get any worse, the moment she tried to move her attention on, mind still awash with too many thoughts and worries, and one careless screwdriver to a robotic spider set off a deafening siren, high pitched and sharp to the ears making her grimace and panicked flurry to disarm it. Her nerves totally shot, face still wet from crying and clumsy fingers disconnecting wires as she deemed appropriate.

When eventually, thankfully, the high frequency siren silenced in an eerie stillness the thought resurfaced from her study of the first robot; especially as the robots were being redesigned and improved, that the noise wasn't for help or warning…but signalling and transmitting data, possibly to some base receiver.

Which meant more would be on the way, more of this revenge, more of this fear and they were still behind whatever Gero's plan was, scraping to get ahead somehow. This was far from over.