A/N: Okay guys... confession time. All those character submissions you guys gave me so long ago? I had them saved to my computer... which ran afoul of my ten-year-old son... who handed it to me in two pieces, with profuse apologies... so, I'm kind of operating from memory, and since I'm an old lady with permanent mom brain... it's not that great. So, I'm gonna try it from scratch. BUT... this also means, I'm open for more character submissions! Please keep in mind that they may change somewhat from what you originally intended due to the needs of the story (sorry again, Zerato!), but I'll do my best to keep them in character. I do this, because I believe it gives the people better variety and realism, than if I just made up a bunch of characters myself. And, I don't think I'm wrong... look at the world we've created, guys, look how diverse and entertaining it is! So, here's what I need from you guys as far as character submissions:
Name:
Race: (only Saiyan, half-Saiyan, or Human characters, please!)
Appearance: (please keep in mind that these will be children, and likely wearing basic armor, so mostly I'm looking for hair and eye color, and any other noticeable physical features)
Personality: (I know we want to put background here, but please don't... are they shy? Silly? Absent-minded?)
HUMANS ONLY: Add the character's age, dress, and background.
I'll be happy to take suggestions about parentage (if you really want your character to be a child of Orin and Zucchi, or you're convinced your character would make a perfect child of Vegeta and Bulma, I'll consider it). However, I make no promises... things are going to happen soon that may take the people you want as your character's parents off the table. So, you may have created your character thinking they would be Radditz and Launch's kid, but I know Launch is about to bite it, or that they have too many kids already, so they end up being Turles and Mai's kid, instead. Just, please be patient with me... I don't throw away characters, and I try to give everyone a special place.
And, on that note... on with the story!
Engie climbed out from beneath the console. "Okay, sire, try it now," he said to the small-statured prince. Tarble entered the necessary commands, and suddenly, the console beeped, showing a display.
He smiled. "We're up," he said, and Engie grunted, pulling out from beneath the console.
Wiping his hands on a towel, he said, "Damned space dust got into the sensor array, now we've got feedback at all the consoles." He sighed, making an adjustment to his scouter. "Lemme know if it shuts down again," he said, and Prince Tarble gave him a distracted nod, gazing at the readings. With that, Engie picked up his tools and headed down the corridor, to his next project.
As he headed down the corridor, he ran into Beet. The two paused, gazing at each other. Engie smirked. "You're late," he said, looking the boy over.
Beet's eyes widened. "I am? You said to meet you at 0400," he said, checking his scouter display. It still felt odd wearing them... but they were all tied into the inner workings of the ship, and provided important information, as well as a way to communicate with one another. Plus, for the cubs it was used as a teaching tool, freeing up their fathers to focus on the workings of the ship. On the ship, everyone had a job; whether it was learning the galactic written language the ship's systems displayed in, or flying the ship, or maintaining the ship's many electrical systems. His scouter was telling him it was 0339; he had wanted to arrive early.
Engie scowled. "What did I tell you about second-guessing yourself all the time, cub?" he lectured, causing Beet to blush slightly. "When you gonna stop walking on eggshells around me?" he asked, somewhat annoyed.
The boy sighed, looking away. "Sorry, Engie. I just-"
"You screwed up, and now you're terrified of doing it again," the mechanic said, his eyes hooded. "But your fear is gonna cause you to make other mistakes," he said, shaking his head, and began to walk, prompting Beet to turn and follow him down the corridor. "I don't have time to train that shit out of you, so you're gonna have to work on it yourself," he said, tapping a few commands on his wrist device. Suddenly, a string of symbols appeared on Beet's scouter. "There's your to-do list. When you're done, let me know, and I'll give you more to do," he said, never slowing his pace.
Beet frowned. "But... you haven't trained me how to do this stuff yet," he protested.
"Figure it out!" Engie called over his shoulder, and turned the corner, leaving Beet standing in the corridor.
Beet blinked. "What if I get it wr- oh," he said, suddenly realizing the lesson. If he got it wrong, he was just going to have to deal with it, and get it right the next time.
Just like everything else.
Smirking to himself, he went to the location first on his list. Apparently the ovens in the mess hall were malfunctioning. He sighed... of all the things he had to figure out on his first try, it had to be the one thing that came between a ship full of hungry Saiyans, and their food... "Great," he muttered, and took off in a run to the mess hall. He was going to need to get on this one fast...
Seconds later, Baga glanced up to see Beet rushing into the mess hall. He scowled. "Mess is closed, damned oven's locked up again," he grumbled.
Beet nodded. "That's why I'm here... I'm assigned to Engie," he said, walking to the oven and tapping a button he hoped was right. He was rewarded by a schematic appearing on his scouter.
"I hate these damned things. Why can't we just build a fire, or use our energy to cook, again?" he demanded.
Beet sighed. "Fires and space travel, Baga, lesson 1, remember? And using your energy to cook outside a training room designed to withstand the fluctuations will trigger every alarm on the ship," he said, trying to see where the problem was. "What is..." he opened the oven's lower hatch, reached into it as far as he could go, and pulled out a very angry squirrel. "Who the hell brought this on board?" he asked, frowning at the creature, and wondering if he should kill it or if it were someone's pet.
Baga sniffed it experimentally, then grimaced. "Edama," he said, frowning. "He's probably keeping it as a pet," he said, looking the thing over critically.
Beet scowled. "I have to fix the damage it's done. Mind taking that to his quarters while I fix this thing?" he asked, handing the thrashing creature to Baga.
Baga's nose curled up. "Hell yes I mind! YOU take it!" he said, taking a full step back.
Beet clenched his teeth. He had a very long list to get to. "You're not doing anything until I get this done anyway," he insisted, holding the squirrel out again.
Baga narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. "Not gonna happen. Just let it go," he said, shrugging.
Beet had played this game before, though. Scowling, he stepped towards Baga, allowing his power level to rise enough to cause Baga's scouter to beep. "Take this flea-bitten thing to Edama's room now, or I will personally see to it that your shower is the only one that consistently puts out ice-cold water," he growled.
Baga's eyes went wide at that, and he swallowed. "Fine... just 'cause you asked nicely," he said, snatching the squirrel from Beet's hand, and holding it as far away from himself as he could. Quickly, he left the mess hall, and Beet smirked to himself, then got to work.
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A young boy walked down the corridor, reading a book. His armor was a brightly colored turquoise, yellow and purple, a stark contrast from the armor the other saiyans wore, and proudly bore the symbol of the Ox Kingdom; a gift from his grandfather after they emerged from the Time Chamber. He was so different from the Ox King the boy had grown up with; he was much louder and happier, where the man who had trained him in the Time Chamber, the one he called Big Brother, was quiet and thoughtful... a lot like him. But Gohan liked both of the Ox Kings. Still... he kept getting strange looks because of his armor, which made him feel funny sometimes, but mostly he tried to ignore it.
The red band on his right arm had a gold badge on it with two dots, but was otherwise completely blank, which was also a little weird, but his papa told him that was because he figured out how to control his Oozaru form a lot more quickly than his peers, and was something he should be proud of. Big Brother had been quick to teach him control, he told Gohan that control was the most important thing, more important than strength, because a weak man can find a way to win despite his weakness, but a strong man who isn't in control can destroy the thing he's trying to protect. Big Brother had told him early on that he had a LOT of power, that he needed to learn how to control it BEFORE he learned how to tap into it. That was why his training had to be different than the other cubs' training... he had to learn how to rule the Ox Kingdom one day, not just how to beat people up.
Big Brother insisted on him training his mind above all else, so Gohan focused on his reading, trying to finish this book before his next training session. It was all about a general who had succeeded in several battles, but ended up getting poisoned by one of his men for sleeping with his wife. Big Brother wanted him to learn from the man's victories and mistakes, and had warned there would be a quiz later that day. So engrossed was Gohan in his book, that he bumped into Baga running down the corridor with a squirrel in hand, causing both boys to fall. In seconds, the squirrel scampered down the corridor, and Baga cursed. "Damnit, Gohan, look what ya did!" he snapped angrily.
Gohan frowned, gazing down the corridor. "Sciurus carolinensis," he said softly, causing Baga to frown.
"What was that?" he demanded, trying to supress a growl.
Gohan blinked. "Eastern gray squirrel. Sciurus carolinensis," Gohan said. "They're native to the forests near East City and parts of the Ox Kingdom," he added, frowning. "They're not usually native to space, though..." he said thoughtfully.
Just then he was thwacked in the back of the head by a tail, and spun around angrily, trying to hold back tears. "What was that for?!" he demanded, rubbing his head.
Baga frowned. "'Cause you're a nerd, but more importantly, what are you gonna do about it?" he taunted the boy, studying him closely.
Gohan cocked his head. "Accept your apology," he said evenly.
Baga's face fell. "I never gave one," he said, nonplussed.
Gohan frowned. "Really? I heard you say sorry..." he said, getting up off the floor and dusting himself off.
Baga scowled. "I'm not," he insisted.
"Hmm..." Gohan said thoughtfully. "My mistake," he said as he began to walk away.
Baga growled. "You're a lousy Saiyan, Gohan," he said, causing the young cub to stop without turning around. "You can't just run away from a fight, coward," he said, eyes narrowed.
Gohan's voice was small when he replied, his back to Baga. "I don't want to fight you, Baga."
Baga stood. "Sometimes you have to fight, cub. If you don't fight when you're challenged, you invite others to attack you," he said, scowling.
Gohan glanced back at him. "Uncle Baga, you're always gonna attack me, 'cause you want me to get stronger, regardless of whether or not I fight back. So nothing I do will effect the outcome," he said, then disappeared around the corner before Baga could retort, going back to reading his book.
Baga blinked. "Damned cub got me again..." he muttered, then his eyes widened. "Shit, the squirrel!"
Orin gazed out the window as she washed the dishes, rolling her eyes at the three girls fighting over a scouter. "It's mine, Daggra! Give it!" Kirisa exclaimed, trying to get the device out of Daggra's hands.
"No, it's mine! Yours is the broken one!" Sai said, trying to get the scouter out of Daggra's hands as well.
Daggra, who was wearing her scouter, elbowed one sister and kicked another, knocking both to the ground. "It doesn't matter who had it first, what matters is who can keep it, Mama said!" she said, smirking.
"You already have a scouter!" Kirisa protested, pushing a lock of black hair out of her face as she stood up.
Daggra shrugged. "So? It's mine, now. If you want it, you gotta earn it," she said, eyebrow raised.
Kirisa pouted, but Sai gave Daggra a sly glance. "What do you want?" Sai asked warily.
Daggra smirked. "One thousand zenni," she said smugly.
Sai blinked. "I don't have any zenni," she said, frowning. Kirisa, on the other hand, had been reaching into her armor, and pulled out a small bag. Sai snatched it out of her hands. "Nevermind, here it is," she said, tossing the bag to Daggra. Daggra, in return, tossed the scouter to Sai.
"Hey! That's MY scouter! And MY zenni!" Kirisa exclaimed, turning to Orin. "Mama!"
Orin cast Kirisa a glance, then shrugged. "Train harder so your sisters can't overpower you," she said simply, causing Daggra and Sai to smirk and Kirisa to pout. Just then, an older girl with blonde curls came to their open door. Orin smiled. "Hello, Snip," she said pleasantly, her eyes sliding towards her daughters.
Daggra pocketed her zenni, grinning at Snip. "Hey, wanna hit the sweets stand?" she asked, ignoring Kirisa's dirty look.
Snip raised an eyebrow, looking between her and Kirisa, then smiled. "Sure," she said. She glanced at Orin. "Meron asked for you, Orin," she said, her look innocent, her tone carefully respectful.
Orin regarded her for a brief moment, then dried her hands. "All of my children better be breathing when I return, Snip, or I'll peel your skin off," she said pleasantly, and patted the girl on the head as she left the domicile.
Snip watched her go, hiding a smirk. She then glanced at Daggra. "Do you still have it?" she asked conspiratorily.
The girls glanced at each other hesitantly, then Daggra nodded, gesturing to the back room. Together the group of girls went to the bed, then lifted the furs, revealing a small brown tail.
A Saiyan tail.
Sai went pale. "Snip, we should report this to Queen Bulma," she said, not for the first time.
Snip narrowed her eyes at her. "I told you what would happen to you if you snitched," she said, a dangerous edge in her voice.
Daggra frowned at Sai. "We're not telling anyone anything, right, Sai?" she asked, scowling. Her sister shook her head quickly.
Snip picked up the tail, inspecting it. "You three remember the plan, don't you?" she asked, watching them carefully.
Kirisa bit her lip. "Are you sure about this, Snip? I mean... she's still you..." she pointed out.
Snip scowled. "That coward is not me," she hissed, her eyes narrowed. "I don't care what you do to her. She knows where this came from, and you three are gonna find out. Then you're gonna bring me back, and we're gonna find the place ourselves. No one else gets the credit for our find. Got it?!" she demanded.
In unison, the three girls nodded nervously. Snip smiled, and handed the tail to Daggra, who wrapped it in a piece of cloth before stuffing it into her armor. "Let's go," the blond girl said, and soon the group flew out the door, taking to the sky.
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Tanmen slowly massaged Bulma's shoulders as the pregnant woman leaned back, sighing in contentment. "How long have you been without sleep this time, Bulma?" she asked the blue-haired monarch, eyebrow raised.
Bulma sighed. "Sleep is for the weak," she moaned, wincing as Tanmen hit a sore spot. "Right there..." she hissed.
Tanmen increased her efforts on the knot, until it was worked out and Bulma relaxed her muscles. "No, lack of sleep makes you weak," she said, rolling her eyes. "What did Dr. Zohan say?" she asked curiously.
"That I'm carrying three this time, and that I need to see him instead of Turles from now on," she said, scowling. "That asshole's been dosing me with fertility drugs. I'm not one of his damned experiments," she groaned. "If Vegeta wants any more children after these three, he's got a LOT to make up for..." she declared angrily. "How's little Selba, anyway?" she asked, changing the subject. Tanmen and Tarble had their first child two years ago, and Bulma loved nothing more than doting over her little niece.
Tanmen sighed. "Well, she wandered off again this morning. When I finally found her, she was hanging by her tail from a tree three miles away... playing with a dead snake," she said.
Bulma's eyes went wide. "A snake?! Was she okay?" she asked in alarm.
Tanmen sat down in the chair beside her, picking up her cup of tea. "She was trying to eat it. Tarble says it's typical saiyan cub behaviour, but... she's only two! Did any of your girls do that at two?" she asked.
Bulma sighed. "I wouldn't know. Meron sees them more often than I do. Those girls are their father's children, it's all about training with them. Though, I think Tights might have an aptitude for something other than fighting... this morning she figured out how to deactivate the motion detector outside of her bedroom," she said, smirking wryly.
Tanmen smiled. "Like mother, like daughter," she said. "You should pull her aside and start training her. Better to start their education while they're young," she added.
Bulma smirked. "I kind of have my hands full training Saki. Did you know that girl's already deciphered all of my future self's notes? She's running calculations doing math I didn't start learning until college!" she exclaimed.
Tanmen blinked. "You mean... when you were fourteen?" she asked, eyebrow raised.
"I thought that's what I said," Bulma said, pulling out a pad of paper. "Now if only I can get the girl to come out of the lab... or to go a second without packing heat!" she sighed, jotting down some notes as she spoke.
"She experienced something very traumatic," Tanmen said softly. "Launch and Hasky told me enough of what happened for me to know I wouldn't sleep well after witnessing it firsthand. Especially not at her age. And, to see what happened to her family..." she said, shaking her head.
Bulma frowned. "Chao doesn't carry a weapon everywhere," she pointed out pragmatically.
"Chao became a weapon," Tanmen replied. "Maybe that's what you need to do – get her to train with Meron. Then she won't be so dependent on that thing," she said.
"I can't even get her to leave that Time Machine alone long enough to sleep, and you want me to convince her to go train?!" Bulma asked incredulously. Suddenly, she grinned. "Well... there is one way I can think of... I'll need Chao's help, though," she said thoughtfully.
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Kakarot cheerfully worked out the soreness in his neck. "You're getting really good at that move, Sire," he said, wiping his face with a towel. King Vegeta smirked, as he did the same. "You almost beat me with it."
King Vegeta stopped, scowling. "I did beat you with it, Kakarot," he said, eyes narrowed. "You were knocked out cold."
Kakarot blinked. "Funny... I don't remember that part," he said, rubbing the back of his head.
King Vegeta sputtered. "OF COURSE YOU DON'T REMEMBER IT, YOU WERE OUT COLD!" he exclaimed as Kakarot left the training room. The King followed him out, but just then, a little boy with a book in his hand walked right into him, falling to the ground.
Gohan glanced about in surprise, and when he saw King Vegeta, his eyes went wide. "Oh... sorry, King Vegeta," he said, bowing in apology.
King Vegeta grunted, looking him over. "Gohan, is it?" he asked, his typical blustering muted somewhat.
Gohan gave a nod.
"Your grandfather give you that clown armor?" he asked, watching the boy carefully.
Gohan frowned. "The armor was a gift from my grandfather. But it's not for clowns," he said, with all seriousness, keeping his expression neutral as he met King Vegeta's gaze.
King Vegeta glanced at the book on the floor. "Do you want to keep that?" he asked, pointing to it.
"Yes, King Vegeta," Gohan said, not moving a muscle.
Suddenly, two things happened. An energy beam emerged from King Vegeta's finger towards the book.
And, the book disappeared from its place on the floor, appearing instead in Gohan's hand.
King Vegeta smirked. "Better. But next time, watch where you're going," he scolded the boy, scowling.
"Yes, King Vegeta," Gohan said evenly. Vegeta then grunted and left down the corridor, towards the Mess Hall.
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Three Saiyan girls stood around another older girl. The older girl was tied up from head to toe, only her blond curls and scowl were still visible. "Sai, we're gonna need her mouth uncovered, if we want her to tell us where she found it," Daggra said, rolling her eyes. Frowning, Sai took out the gag.
"I'll remember that, Sai," Snip said darkly, causing the girl to pale. "It's time. Don't forget, once she leads you to it, bring me back," she instructed them.
The girls glanced at each other, then Kirisa pulled out a container of pepper. "Here goes," she said, and flung some in Snip's face.
One sneeze later, and a wild-haired girl stood there instead, her eyes wide.
Daggra glanced at her sisters, then pulled the detached tail out of her armor. Unwrapping it, she showed it to a terrified Snip. "Do you remember where you found this?" she asked.
The girl took a deep breath, and thinking quickly, Kirisa stuffed the gag into the girl's mouth. Even with the gag in, every bird and woodland creature in the forest around them quickly fled, as her muffled screams set each girl's teeth on edge.
"Why did Snip think this would be a good idea?!" Sai cried out over the girl's terrified screams.
"Here, use the pepper!" Kirisa exclaimed, handing it to Daggra.
"No! We went through all this trouble, we have to know! Hold her still!" Daggra said, stepping closer to her. "Okay, Snip, this will be a lot easier if you just relax," she said, and placed a hand on her forehead, closing her eyes.
Seconds later, she stepped back, holding her head. "GAH! What the hell, even her thoughts are screaming!" Daggra cried, trying to get that voice out of her head. However, when she stepped back, she bumped into Kirisa, who dropped the box of pepper, spilling it on the ground. "Damn it, Kirisa!" Daggra cursed.
"Hey, you should watch where you're going!" Kirisa exclaimed.
Sai glanced up. "I sense power levels... low ones. Humans. Guys, we gotta get out of here," she said.
Thinking quickly, Daggra landed a powerful blow on the back of Snip's head, causing her to drop like a sack of potatoes. "Grab her, let's go!" she whispered as they heard the humans coming through the trees.
"No time!" Kirisa exclaimed, and, grabbing both her sisters, used Instant Transmission to whisk them away, a mere second before three human men emerged through the trees, looking around.
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Baga ran down each corridor. That squirrel had to be around here somewhere...
"What's wrong, Baga?" a voice asked from behind him. Baga whipped around to see Edama standing there... holding the squirrel gently in his slender green arms.
Baga's eyes went wide. "You found it!" he exclaimed happily. "I've been running all over this damned ship after it," he said, scowling. "It climbed into the oven and chewed up the wires; now lunch is gonna be late," he said.
Edama blinked. "Then why did you waste time playing with my squirrel, instead of fixing it?" he asked, confused.
Baga frowned. "...'Cause I had to get it to your..." As he spoke, Edama held the now docile squirrel over his head, and quickly swallowed it whole. "...the hell?!"
Edama blinked, then shrugged. "They taste better alive," he said, and walked past Baga. "By the way, Matou's looking for you," he said, and disappeared down the corridor.
Baga turned around and slammed his forehead into the wall, growling. "I hate today..."
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Three children leaned against a wall, watching people pass by. A dark-haired boy was eating a rice cake. A blonde girl was sipping a soda. A dark spiky-haired girl was scanning the crowd.
"Just pick someone, Thirteen," Lapis said, shooting the dark-haired girl an annoyed glance.
Thirteen scowled at him. "I'm trying. There's just so many of them. Besides..." she trailed off, then looked away.
"Besides, what?" Lazuli asked, eyebrow raised.
Thirteen blushed. "It's... just weird, hunting in the city. Before, Ruta and I did it on deserted roads, picking off travelers from West City," she said, glancing around. "I've never eaten in public before."
Lapis stuffed the rest of his rice cake into his mouth, licking his fingers. "What's the big deal with eating in public?" he asked, his mouth full.
Lazuli rolled her eyes at her brother. "You're not eating in public. No one will even know what you're doing," she said, just as a man in a business suit came to sit down on bench in front of them, waiting for the bus. She shared a glance with Lapis, then with Thirteen. Sighing, Thirteen went to sit on the bench next to him, and Lapis and Lazuli casually came to stand in front of them both, as if they were also waiting for the bus.
Lapis stole a look behind him, as Thirteen placed a hand on the man's mouth, stifling any cries he might make as his head began to deflate, then the rest of his body, until all that was left was his suit. "So cool," he said, causing Thirteen to blush, and quickly she stuffed the abandoned clothes into the bag Lazuli was holding.
"Feel better?" Lazuli asked, throwing her empty soda cup into the trash as they casually walked away from the bench.
Thirteen smiled. "A bit... could use another one, though..." she said, stretching. She always felt so warm and fuzzy after eating a good meal. "How much did we get?" she asked, and Lazuli rummaged through the bag. Pulling out a wallet, she thumbed through its contents.
"Payday," Lazuli grinned, pulling out a wad of cash and stuffing it into her pocket. She tossed the wallet back into the bag quickly, and glanced down an alley. "This way," she said, and soon the trio had ducked down the alley. Pulling out the clothes and wallet from her bag, she placed them in a pile against the wall behind the dumpster. She glanced at Thirteen. "Okay, show me," she said, eyes twinkling.
Thirteen stood behind her, and lifted Lazuli's arm towards the clothes. "Okay, so close your eyes," she said, and pressed Lazuli's other hand to her stomach. "Inside you is energy, making your organs work, making your muscles work, and preparing for you to run or jump or fight. Your body stores it all here, in your core. Ki control is all about re-focusing that energy," she said, repeating the lessons her sister had taught her. "For some people, it's instinct... but for others, they have to work to pull it out of themselves," she instructed.
Lazuli nodded, focusing, and was soon rewarded with a faint glow around her hands.
"That's it... now, direct it, along your arm, towards the pile of clothes..." Thirteen said, smiling.
Slowly, the alley began to heat up, the edges of papers curling and blackening...
"Focus..." Thirteen warned her, and soon the heat dissipated, but smoke began to emerge from the pile of clothes...
Then they caught fire.
Panting, Lazuli opened her eyes, grinning at what she'd done. "I did it!" she exclaimed. "God, that was a workout..."
Lapis laughed. "Nice! Now you know how to burn stuff other than food!" he quipped as the fire consumed the pile.
"Bite me, Lapis, you still can't do it," Lazuli said, rolling her eyes at her brother. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Now I just want a nap," she said to Thirteen, who snickered.
"Yeah, I slept a lot after my first time, too," she said. "Get some food in you, you'll feel better," she advised, just as a group of men turned into the alley. They were dressed like punks, three were humans, one was a tiger man, and another was a crocodile man.
"Well... looks like we have some visitors," one of the humans said, chuckling dangerously.
"Hehe... this is our alley!" the crocodile man said, punching his palm.
Lapis stepped forward. "Come on, guys... we were just leavin'," he said smoothly, as the girls made to follow him, Thirteen supporting a very woozy Lazuli.
"Yeah... I don't think so," the human in front said, pulling out a gun and aiming it right at Lapis. "Money. Now," he demanded.
Thirteen had had enough of this. "But we like our money," she said, and in moments she'd jumped the guy with the gun, who tried to shoot her and missed. She'd broken his neck, then grabbed the crocodile man, absorbing him quickly as the other three ran away.
"LAPIS!" Lazuli screamed, and was at her brother's side, holding her hand over his chest.
Blood was leaking past her fingers.
Tearfully, she looked up at Thirteen. "Please... he needs help..." she begged. "I can't lose him..."
Thirteen knelt on his other side, frowning. "He's bleeding too fast... he won't make it to the hospital," she said, looking him over clinically. "This is all my fault," she said softly.
"Help me! We have to do something!" Lazuli cried. Lapis was going pale, unable to speak, barely able to breathe.
Biting her lip, Thirteen said, "I rebuilt Twelve's energy unit once, but... he was an android, his human body had no immune system to fight against." Her eyes met Lazuli's. "You guys are twins, right? I can try masking my cells as yours... but... I'll have to go through your hand. It's gonna hurt-"
"DO IT!" Lazuli exclaimed, forcing Thirteen's hand on top of her own.
Seconds later, it felt to Lazuli as if a hundred needles had pierced through her hand, and she cried out in spite of herself. She could see her hand deflate slightly, and bit her lip, trusting that Thirteen wouldn't completely absorb her. It was strange... she could feel what Thirteen was feeling just then, how she was trying to help Lapis...
Soon Lapis began to gasp in air, and color returned to his face. Lazuli could feel his energy coming back to him. Her hand prickled as it began to regain its normal size, and soon Thirteen removed her hand. The back of it had a handprint on it, the color of Thirteen's skin... as did Lapis's chest, she could see when she moved her hand.
Lapis blinked. "That... was..."
Immediately Lazuli grabbed him, holding him tightly and crying. Lapis stroked his sister's hair. "Easy... I'm okay..." he said softly, and glanced at Thirteen. "You saved me," he said. He swallowed. "You coulda absorbed us both... Dr. G woulda let you, too..." he said, gazing at her.
Thirteen cocked her head. "I don't eat family," she said. Lapis sat up, with help from his sister, who turned her attention to Thirteen.
"Thank you," she said, swallowing back her tears.
Thirteen smirked. "Same fate," she said softly, flicking the girl's earing, her eyes travelling down to Lazuli's hand. She gently brushed her finger against the handprint.
Lapis gasped. "Whoah... I felt that..." he said, looking down at his chest.
Thirteen nodded. "So did I," she told him, and stood up. "You both have my cells now. I've asked them to behave. We'll see..." she said, biting her lip. She looked around. "They haven't gone far," she mused to herself, sensing their assailants' energy signatures almost immediately.
Lazuli helped her brother up. "Let me kill one," she said, scowling.
"Me, too," Lapis said, his scowl identical to his sister's.
Thirteen picked up the gun the gang leader had dropped, and pulled a knife from the abandoned clothes the crocodile man was wearing. She handed the gun to Lazuli and the knife to Lapis. As one, the three left the alley, in search of blood...
They didn't have to go far. Three blocks away, the punks had ducked into an alleyway, waiting for them to emerge from their own. Thirteen could sense them starting to run; seconds later, the three of them were blocking their path, and the punks were backing away, terrified.
Thirteen moved first, going for the tiger man, who had pulled out a gun. Gripping it first, she caused it to melt in his hand as her other hand gripped his throat. The tiger man tried to scream, but couldn't; his vocal cords had already been absorbed. She took her time, slowly absorbing his muscled first, and as the man fell to his knees, she watched as Lapis and Lazuli dealt with the other two.
Lapis had run straight towards one of the punks, ducking low, and moving faster than Thirteen had ever seen him move, he stabbed the man multiple times, ending with a quick slash to his throat, a dark glint in the boy's eyes.
Lazuli, for her part, merely pointed her gun at her man, and calmly pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing his forehead exactly in the center, killing him instantly.
When the tiger man was completely absorbed, the three of them quickly left the alley, before anyone could investigate the gunfire.
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Snip awoke, still tied up, finding herself lying face down in what smelled like urine. Her eyes wide, she pushed herself over, to find she was in some kind of dimly lit metal room... and she wasn't alone. She could see seven other people in the room... cubs.
Saiyan cubs.
Remembering the Saiyan cubs who had tied her up in the first place, she began to whimper. Soon, however, she felt a hand stroking her hair from behind, and she strained to see who it was.
What she saw made her start screaming again...
Soon enough, all seven cubs were sitting on her, or kicking her, or putting their hands over her mouth, trying to get her to stop. When a putrid wad of cloth was stuffed into her mouth, her screams were muffled to the point that she could hear someone saying in her ear, "We won't hurt you, just shut the hell up!"
Doing her best to hold back her great wave of fear, Snip managed a nod, and someone took out the nasty gag.
"I'm gonna untie you, okay?" a voice said, and Snip nodded. Slowly she felt the ropes began to slacken, then they were loose enough for her to wiggle out of them.
She backed away from the group, her back to the wall as she regarded them warily. They were...
They were deformed. Badly deformed. Some of them had stunted limbs, one had three arms, one had two tails... the one who had spoken to her... had two faces...
And the others...
There was one who was so badly deformed, he couldn't walk, he just scooted his weird bulbous body along by his arm stumps.
Tears sprang to Snip's eyes. "What... what did they do to you?" she asked, choking back a sob. Days ago she had found a Saiyan tail in the woods, and had tried to find out who it came from, when she had sneezed. Now, it seemed she'd found out.
"It doesn't matter," the one dragging himself on the floor said. "You're what we're supposed to look like, right? Tell us what we are!" he demanded.
"Hey, be nice!" the one with two faces scolded him. She looked at Snip and smiled. "We were all born down here," she explained. "The workers won't tell us anything, they just do experiments. There used to be a lot more of us, but..." she trailed off, glancing at the beds along the walls.
There were twenty beds.
"We just want to know... why? And, what were we supposed to be? You're not wrong, like us... do you know?" she asked, pleading.
Snip swallowed hard. "Saiyans. We're... we're Saiyans," she said, trying her best to be brave.
"Saiyans..." the boy with three arms said. He grinned. "I like that word!" Snip smiled, starting to relax a little. "Tell us more about the Saiyans!" he said excitedly.
Snip took a deep breath. "Saiyans... are a warrior race," she said to them. "We're very strong, and we love to fight. At least... most of us do..." she said, a blush tinging her cheeks. "I'm... not a very good example. I'm not a good Saiyan," she said morosely.
The one with two tails gave her a half-grin. "You seem alright to us," she said. When she spoke, only half of her face moved... it seemed the other half was completely paralyzed. "What's a good Saiyan s'posed to be, anyway?"
Snip's eyes grew hard. "They're brave... the bravest race in the galaxy! They always want to fight the strongest beings, so they can get stronger... and every time we come close to death, when we recover, we get even stronger," she said. "We know how to fly, and shoot energy blasts, and, when the moon is full, we turn into GIANT APE MONSTERS!" she said, trying to demonstrate with her arms, which hit the short ceiling. She blinked. "Do... do you guys want to leave here?" she asked, glancing at the door.
"Leave? We can leave?" the one with no legs asked.
Snip bit her lip. "I can get you guys out. But..."
"But we won't survive," the girl with two faces said. "And what good would it do? The workers will just make more of us, just do more experiments, on someone else this time..." she said with a sigh. She looked at Snip. "What would a Saiyan do? Stay? Or go?" she asked, blinking.
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Neither," she said, looking at the deadbolted door.
"What do you mean, neither?" the boy with no legs asked.
Snip met his eyes, her own hard, even as a tear escaped down her cheek. "A Saiyan would destroy this place, and the workers... and themselves," she said, and turned away. "I'm not a good Saiyan, though. I'll help you escape," she said.
The deformed Saiyan cubs looked at each other, then turned to her. "No. We wanna take it all down... like Saiyans," the girl with two faces said, all four of her eyes narrowed. "We wanna be strong."
Tears streamed down Snip's face. "I... I know something... that will turn us all into monsters..." she said. She glanced around the room. "This place will be torn apart... nothing will be left..."
The boy with no legs scowled. "Let's do it! Before the workers come back!" he exclaimed.
Snip swallowed hard, then put out her hands. Suddenly energy began to form, and she closed her eyes. "Everyone has to look at the same time... if you don't, you'll be trampled to death by the others," she said, then opened her eyes and turned the energy white, infusing it with blutz waves just like her father taught her to...
It was enough. Her heart began to beat quickly, she gasped for air, and she noticed the others doing the same...
Soon the metal room was ripped to pieces like it was made of foil, and eight giant Oozaru tore through the facility. Rather... eight giant monsters... some looked nothing like Oozaru, but they were all large, and all violent, and all destroying everything in their path. The white globe of energy hung directly overhead, where Oozaru Snip had thrown it, and, when they saw the sun again, when all the screaming humans were dead, when there was no building left at all... she destroyed it.
What was left was a giant pile of debris, and eight naked cubs... with the exception of Snip's armband.
The boy with no legs was on his back, gazing up at the sky. "It's... so big..." he said, and all seven of them gazed around them in wonder.
The girl with two faces smiled. "Now what?" she asked, blinking.
Snip swallowed. "I can get you to Queen Bulma. Maybe there's something she can do to help you..." she said.
"No way," one of the others said. He was one Snip didn't like looking at for long... his lungs were visible outside of his chest, and he didn't have a nose, so he breathed through his mouth. "We just destroyed the workers! We're strong now! I don't want to be pathetic again," he gasped out.
The girl with two faces looked down. "If we go back with others, it will be the same thing as before... they'll do experiments on us, trying to fix us... they'll pity us..."
Snip clenched her fists, shaking her head. "No... not my people..." she said softly.
The boy with no legs watched her closely. "What would your people do, then?" he asked.
Snip swallowed. "They'd give you an honorable death," she said, powering up. Tears flowed from her eyes as she spoke. "If you wanna be Saiyans... then fight me. If you wanna live... then run. I won't chase you," she said, narrowing her eyes as she went Super Saiyan. "But if you fight me, you'll die," she said, sounding strangely like she had two voices, speaking at the same time. "So... this is what I've been doing..." she mused to herself, looking at the group of deformed cubs. She watched them closely. "Well? Are you Saiyans?!" she demanded, power swirling all around her.
The deformed cubs looked like they didn't know what to do at first. But then, the one with three arms ran towards her, hitting her repeatedly. His punches were weak, the product of atrophied muscles, but Snip said nothing of it, merely placing a hand to his chest and engulfing him with an energy blast, causing him to disintegrate. With a roar of fury, the others attacked her at once; those who could, anyway; and one by one she disintegrated them, until all that was left was herself and piles of ashes.
"You're too soft," she said to herself. "Yeah? And you're a psychopath," she responded. Frustrated with the mental tug-of-war, she powered down, her wild black hair falling back around her shoulders. She gazed around her at the destruction. "Goodbye," she said softly to her friends, wiping away her tears, as she took to the sky... and back home.
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Dr. Gero shined a light in Lapis's eyes. "You three took a lot of risks today," she said, frowning, but her voice didn't have its typical undercurrent of danger. She put down her light and placed a stethoscope to his chest, listening closely. She blinked. "Such precision!" she said, smirking. At Lapis's confused glance, she said, "your heartbeat. It's beating exactly every 0.625 seconds... down to the millisecond," she said, caressing his cheek in a motherly fashion. "You have an android heartbeat," she said, then picked up a scanner and began to scan Lazuli's hand.
Lapis cocked his head. "So... I'm a cyborg or somethin'?" he asked, thinking of the cyborgs on his favorite video game.
Dr. Gero rolled her eyes. "I don't like that word. Cybernetic and organic, just mashed together... it belittles the sophistication of my work," she said, running her scanner up Lazuli's arm and to her chest. "You're both still human... but Thirteen's cells have infiltrated both of your blood streams," she said, running the scanner to Lazuli's head. She blinked, then looked over at Thirteen. "Your cells have developed their own neural pathways," she said, frowning as she began to scan Thirteen.
"I didn't mean to..." she said, abashed, color turning her cheeks slightly. "I just wanted to save Lapis. I tried to use Lazuli's cells to mask mine, but..."
"But the human body is much more sophisticated than that," Dr. Gero said, eyebrow raised. "I think I'll add human anatomy to your nightly downloads, it may be of use while we're laying low..." She frowned. "You absorbed DNA from both of them... and incorporated it?" she asked, lowering her scanner. "How does that help you evolve? They're human children," she asked.
Thirteen blinked. "Must have been an accident," she said, shrugging. "My attention was focused on saving Lapis's life."
"Hmm..." Dr. Gero said, then she smiled. "Well, today was certainly an informative day. Did you get enough to eat?" she asked pleasantly.
"For now," Thirteen responded, stretching. "Ready for a nap, though," she said.
Dr. Gero nodded. "Go rest up, then. I'll have a new download ready in a moment," she said, typing some commands into her computer.
Thirteen cast a glance at Lapis and Lazuli, then walked past the alcove holding Twelve. His eyes were closed, but she could still feel him, her cells within him holding the form she'd molded them into, continuing to provide him energy. His blood didn't really pump the same way a human's did, but... she knew it was the same with him. Her cells were spreading. Which meant, she needed to get control, fast, or...
Or Dr. Gero would use it as another way to control her.
Climbing into her own alcove, she glanced over at Fourteen's alcove, on the other side of hers. Not for the first time, she wondered how he and Fifteen thought, what it felt like to be one of them. It was those thoughts that lulled her to sleep, as she felt the now familiar influx of data flooding her senses...
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"So she's armed, what's the big deal?" Chao asked, frowning as Queen Bulma hissed in pain for a moment, holding her side. "Your Highness, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
Bulma waved her away. "Yes, yes... these three won't stop kicking, that's all..." she said, and quickly straightened up. "The problem is that I have young cubs running around, and even though they're half-Saiyan, I'd like to keep them from accidentally picking up one of Saki's weapons and blowing their brains out," she said, her eyes narrowed. "I just... think it would be better, for everyone involved, if Saki learned how to use energy like everyone else around here, instead. Plus... I think she could benefit from some one-on-one time with someone who'd... been through... you know," she said hesitantly.
Chao blinked. "She saw women getting raped and murdered, so you think she should talk to someone else who'd been raped, to tell her... what, that it's not so bad?" she asked, non-plussed.
Bulma looked stricken. "I don't know! I'm just... trying to help her, that's all. If you don't think you can do it -"
"Oh, I can do it," Chao said, stretching. "But not right now."
Bulma blinked. "Huh? What do you mean, you can't do it right now?" she demanded.
Chao scowled at her. "Don't know if you've noticed, Your Highness, but half our forces are off-planet right now. Also, there's that tiny little matter of King Vegeta's orders for us to be on guard for any sign of attack, given the supposedly unstoppable power we're fighting. So...I think I'll follow Meron's orders, and get back to my station, if you don't mind," she said.
Bulma scowled. "What's with the attitude, Chao?" she asked dangerously.
Chao scowled back. "I'm trying to keep you safe, Your Highness," she responded heatedly.
Just then, Sadala appeared. "It's time," she said softly. She glanced at Chao. "Hurry," she told her.
Suddenly, they could sense a large power level. "It's Parsi's signal," Chao said, and, pressing two fingers to her forehead, disappeared.
Sadala looked to Bulma. "Come with me," she said, and, taking her hand, did the same as Chao had, and they both disappeared.
A/N: Ah... there we go. Nice cliff hanger for you guys! Sorry I went on so long... lots of little stories crammed together seems to be my idea of a filler episode. But... life happens even in the middle of war, you know?
Stay tuned! Hopefully I'll have another chapter out this weekend, but if I do, it will be short... in preparation for THE GOOD STUFF...