Light…
It was so bright, and it was everywhere. It stung when she tried to open her eyes, so she kept them shut. She was suffocating in this horrible, disorienting light... Never before had Bulma felt a grogginess like this, and the brightness hitting her in the face only made her even more dizzy. It was blinding, and her head pounding as she sat on her knees and struggled to open her eyes. All she saw, through the blurriness, was the cold grey floor. Surrounded by painful light.
The pod had docked on the landing station of Frieza's base just a few minutes ago, and she'd stumbled out shortly after the door opened. She couldn't remember doing that, though, for she'd still only been half conscious from her deep sleep. She felt the presence of men standing over her, and they were speaking to one another, but she couldn't understand them. Bulma couldn't even tell if they were speaking her language or not, her slurred brain still coming to terms with everything all at once.
It was all coming back to her - the journey to Namek, the fight she'd had with Vegeta, and that horrible bald Saiyan that had hurt her so badly...
"We've been expecting you." One of the men finally said, but Bulma didn't look up. She hadn't understood him, panting as she continued to stare at the floor as she warded off her vertigo.
"Ugh, first timers..." Another clicked his tongue, before bending down. "They're always so melodramatic with the hibernation gas."
Bulma screamed, her head throbbing as she was roughly grabbed by the arms and sharply pulled to her feet. This only made her condition worse, and a second later she was releasing her nausea as freely as it would come.
"You stupid shit!" Someone barked. Bulma could hear a rustling sound, like the person was angrily moving, but it was shortly followed by another voice. "Stop it, Zarbon! Remember Frieza's orders! She is to see him at once – untouched!"
"She puked on my new boots! It took me three missions to pay for these!"
"Air your grievances later! Right now, we take her to Frieza."
"Okay. Okay. You're right..."
And then he stepped closer, and she could feel a hot breath hitting her in the face. "Don't do that again, understand?" This voice rang in her ear. She gulped, not too sure that this was something she could realistically agree to. They didn't wait for her to respond, though, before they began to take her. They pulled her by the arms, not caring whether the rest of her body was able to keep up. Bulma's legs dragged out behind her, until the friction became painful, and the discomfort gave her the will to start moving her feet.
Completely disoriented, she couldn't keep track of where they were going, how many turns they took, or how many different elevators they went through. But finally they arrived at a large door, and Bulma was shoved through it with one rough blow. The men who had been dragging her stepped in behind her, the sounds of their footsteps leading her on.
"Lord Frieza." One of them said.
The room was dark… The Bluehead's wide eyes were still adjusting, but she recognized candles in her peripheral vision. Her heart was pounding against her breastbone, she couldn't believe that he was standing just before her. He was smaller than Bulma had pictured, yet her senses were skyrocketing as he drew near... This was the man Bulma had heard so many stories of, and she found herself petrified with fear where she stood. Her nerves were screaming the word "survive" in her ears. It was a voice telling her to do exactly what she needed to make it through the situation - whether the actions suited her personality, or not.
"So, you're the one Nappa alerted us of..." Frieza's hissed. His voice sounded like a pubescent 13 year old that had already developed throat issues from a lifetime of smoking. She hadn't been expecting it, but as soon as she heard it, Bulma couldn't help but think that it suited him perfectly. His lips barely moved as he continued. "You're the one who has caused us so many issues..."
Unsure if she was even supposed to, Bulma didn't reply, her eyes locked on Frieza's mouth as he spoke. Petrified, she watched as his disgusting lips stretched into a knowing smirk. It was similar to one that Vegeta typically carried, but with no underlying joy or amusement. On Frieza's face there was only maleficence.
"You don't speak unless asked to, it seems... Ver-ry good... But I now order you to talk. So, tell me, girl..." His words faded into a hiss when he said the word girl. "...What do you have to say for yourself?"
He had a large, reptilian tail, with slimy scales that were so menacing in the candlelight. It was swinging out behind him, like a predatory animal waiting to pounce on its prey. Bulma couldn't help but remember an earlier day with Vegeta, where he had declared that he hated lizards, and with so much venom in his voice... The saiyan's opinion was starting to make sense...
Gulping, she opened her quivering lips, hoping she wouldn't sound too shaky when she spoke. "I... I have not meant to cause you any problems..." And then, remembering a warning from Vegeta during one of their late-night conversations, she lowered to her knees and bowed her head. Frieza would use any informality as an excuse to bear pain, and she needed to regard him with the respect that he didn't deserve. "I-I apologize, sir. Please forgive me."
"Very good!" Frieza's hardly sounded pleased, despite his words. "You wait to speak until you are addressed, and you seem to understand your place. Vegeta must have trained his pet very well, I admit I'm impressed…"
Her eyes widened when he reached out and put a claw to her cheek. He didn't hit her, didn't prod her, nor did he even rub her skin. Yet the interaction still burned to the touch, as if his sweat was potent with acid.
"That hardly surprises me, though... I'm sure you know how that monkey of mine can be. He's very demanding, and he has SUCH an overinflated sense of worth... My, my, I do pity such a helpless thing as yourself, having to receive the brunt of his treatment..." He removed his claw from her face and stepped back to get another look at her. His fake smirk dropped to a scowl. "Still, you have served as quite the distraction, haven't you? That can't go completely unpunished, can it?"
'What?' Bulma thought, and that was the only thing she had the time to think she before she was writhing on the ground. All too suddenly her body was twisting as if it was on fire, her skin pulsing with protest at whatever the hell was being done to her. She could hear herself screaming, loud enough to rattle her eardrums. And yet, it was so involuntary that it was as if the cries were coming from someone else, her body acting on its own from the pain. Sweat was bubbling down her cheeks, and even though her eyes were shut she saw only white. Soon, as this horrible sensation continued, her voicebox started to feel as if it was about to explode from the prolonged pressure of her yells.
And then, as abruptly as it started, it all came to an end. The muscle spasms ceased, her screams halted, and she was catching her breath as her vision came spiraling back.
"Help her to her feet!" Frieza barked, and she was being tugged up by her arms again. Bulma opened her eyes and saw that Frieza was standing only a few centimeters from her face. "I'm sure your guilt feels a bit lighter after that, doesn't it? But don't bother thanking me, pet. You've been well behaved so far, and it's only right that you're rewarded with a treat."
She didn't respond, especially since he hadn't asked her to. She just stared at him, horrified to come to terms with all that was happening to her. She blinked - there was a residual pain in her stomach - and she tried to fight back the tears in her eyes when she thought of her unborn child. Had it felt the pain she'd just encountered? Was it okay?
"I hope you understand that it isn't I who is inflicting this on you; it's Vegeta." Frieza continued. His voice was softening into that horribly raspy drone, and he put a claw to her cheek again. "I would never choose to hurt such an obedient pet... Why, it's so unjust... But Vegeta has made the decision for me... Perhaps if you two reunite, you'll be able to personally thank him for doing this to you..."
The muscles in her jaw tightened with the yearn to make a rebuttal, but Bulma didn't dare. How could this monster do something so callous, and then have the nerve to claim it wasn't his will?! Who did he think he was kidding?!
"Show this one to her room, boys... I'm finished with her for now. Remember, this is Vegeta's pet, so we must give her private quarters." Frieza waved to the men that were holding Bulma up. With that, she was turned around and abruptly pushed out the door, and the journey through the countless halls was commenced once again...
.
The sound of Bulma's screams was what woke Vegeta, and he sat upright in a cold sweat as his heart pounded. Yet another night had been spent on this pathetically slow ship, and yet another nightmare about the Bluehead.
This one hadn't been like all of the others, though... It had been far different from them. Even as he gasped and looked around the room, his eardrums were aching as if her yells had been right in front of him. His muscles were shaking, trying to keep steady, his mind racing.
What did it mean? He hadn't seen anything in his dream, and he hadn't heard any voices, other than her scream...
It had been Frieza…
There was no way to prove his suspicion, but Vegeta just knew she had arrived on Frieza's base, something inside was telling him. The saiyan could imagine the types of things she was being subjected to - he understood the techniques Frieza had to break someone's mind... And he was certainly trying to break her...
Trying not to lose his temper, since there was nothing to take his frustrations out on, Vegeta threw off his blankets and stormed for the main cabin. He trailed into the gravity room and immediately turned on the machine, growling as his body reacted to the added pressure.
"Wait for me, Woman..." He started powering up. What was always a challenge for Vegeta was managing to unleash his rage without a resulting explosion that would destroy the ship. A wave of electricity erupted around him as he continued to scream. "I'll KILL HIM!"
.
Sprawled on her hands and knees, Bulma had just been shoved into this awful "room", so forcefully that she fell to her stomach. This room felt more like a jail cell than anything else. Cold metal lined the walls, and thick iron bars formed the door. Pushing herself back up to her feet, Bulma looked at the door that had just been slammed shut. On the other side she saw the men who had been handling her, and she got a good look at them for the very first time. They weren't just staring at her – they were glaring at her.
They were both tall and muscular - although not nearly as toned as Vegeta. One had an olive skin tone, with orange hair that shagged out in small locks. The other had long green hair that flowed into a loose ponytail, his pale sea-foam skin cascaded with jewels as he snarled. Bulma felt most unnerved by the way his eyelids twitched, and she wondered if he was the one whom's boots she'd vomited on.
"What am I going to do in here?" She asked slowly, struck with a false sense of security from the bars that kept them separated.
"You wait." The man with orange hair said, before letting out a husky laugh. His smile was much more genuine than Frieza's had been. He was obviously getting some real type of joy from his participation in her pain.
"Wait for...?"
"You wait for Frieza to decide it's time for another meeting." The green man snapped, his eyebrows furrowing over his perfectly shaped almond eyes. Yes, Bulma frowned after hearing his voice. This was definitely the guy she had puked on...
Not wanting to think about another meeting with Frieza, Bulma decided not to press any further. Instead she turned her back to them, curious to inspect the rest of her cell. She heard a huff come from one of the men, followed by two pairs of footsteps that told her they were walking away. She shrugged - it was clear that the only one permitted to hurt her was Frieza himself. This was hardly comforting at all, but it meant that she wasn't afraid of those two. Vegeta had always described Frieza's henchmen as mindless oafs, and she trusted his opinion...
… Right then and there, she decided that she could outsmart them if she needed to...
"Jeez..." Bulma mumbled. Her room really did resemble what she imagined a prison cell to be like. There was a small, dirty looking bed in a corner. And in another corner was a toilet, which remarkably resembled the ones on Earth. Bulma groaned when she saw it - like hell, would she be using that thing, so completely exposed to anyone passing by!
That was when she looked down, and she saw something on her body that made her gasp. Dangled around her wrist was a gold shackle, and she immediately recognized it as the same one Vegeta had put on her so long ago. Far before they'd grown close to one another, at the time he'd told her it was what the slaves wore on his base to prevent escape.
'When did they put this on me?!' She thought. To think that she'd been so incapacitated earlier that they hadn't noticed them doing it was disturbing, but there were far more concerning matters at hand to focus on...
When would she see Frieza again be? What did he have planned?
"Vegeta..." Bulma whispered, eyes widening as the name crossed her mind again. Was he okay back on Namek? The last time she saw him had been so horrible... Those awful men had been ganging up on him, and he'd been so hurt!
What if Vegeta wasn't alive?
Just then, the barred door slid open, and Bulma gasped. She looked to see some woman, her head bowed, stepping carefully into the room. The woman, dressed in some kind of toga, had long red hair that was the same exact color as her skin. She was wearing the same golden bracelet that was designed for slaves, just like the one Bulma had on. The Bluehead watched as this stranger tiptoed closer, and in her hands she was holding a serving tray.
"Hey..." The Bluehead breathed. For some reason, this woman's demeanor left Bulma with the sensation that she was seeing an apparition. She backed up as the woman stepped closer. "Are you... alright?"
The red woman did not respond. She only drew even closer, holding the tray out as if she wanted Bulma to take it. This lady was avoiding eye contact, though, and her lips were pursed tightly as she moved.
"Are you allowed to talk?" The Bluehead tried again. "You can talk to me. Please..."
Once again, silence. The red woman seemed to give up on Bulma taking the tray. She did not speak as she knelt to set the tray down at Bulma's feet, her head still bowed. Then, without a word, she stood and left the cell. The Bluehead couldn't be offended by the lack of conversation. After encountering Frieza, she couldn't blame the girl for being so tight lipped. There was no telling what that woman had been through, and she'd probably been threatened not to speak...
Still, Bulma wished they could have had a conversation. She thought they might have some common ground, since they'd both evidently been forced into the position they were in now. Disappointed, and still dreadful with worry for Vegeta, she looked down to see what was on the tray.
The only item there was a single black ball, roughly the size of her fist. If it hadn't been for the serving tray, Bulma wouldn't have known that it was food at all. She grimaced as she crouched down to inspect it, remembering Vegeta's comments that she couldn't compare all food to what she was used to on Earth.
"Nngh..." She whimpered, shivering at the idea of putting that disgusting sphere on her lips. But still, she couldn't deny the fact that her stomach was growling, and whatever this was made of did have an appetizing odor... Perhaps it really would be nutritious, after all…
.
"I don't know if I'm ready to train yet." Gohan said groggily, stretching his arms over his head as he stood in the gravity room.
"Hm. You won't be." Vegeta replied. "Just power up, and sit still."
This made no sense to Gohan. What was the point to powering up if he wasn't being asked to train? Was this some kind of a trick? He might have asked Vegeta to elaborate, but whenever he did it only seemed to anger his mentor. And so, he obediently obliged, and in a moment he had made the transition to Super.
"Good." Vegeta said. "Now I want you to stay like that for as long as you can, got it?"
"I..." Gohan started, but he was so confused that he didn't even know what to ask.
"Now that I am able to also achieve the ascended state, I understand you a little better." Vegeta said, not making eye contact. "Your performance during battle makes sense to me now, as it's become clear that you have a severe flaw when it comes to stamina. Your stamina is what works against you the most. Just like it did during battle with the Androids, and just like it did back on Namek."
A blush lined the child's cheeks, and he looked down bashfully.
"While being in super offers more power than I've ever known, I have also noticed the effect it has on my energy. I am able to handle it better than you, likely because I have more experience in combat than you'll ever come close to. What you need to do is stay in the super state at all times. While you bathe, rest, eat, and sleep. Do that for a couple of nights, and then you'll be ready to start implementing fights back into your training."
"Wow..." Gohan was stunned. He'd never considered stamina to have been a factor for his duals at all, but now so much was starting to make sense.
"Now sit there and watch. Pay close attention to my form." Vegeta said, and then he instantly dropped into a series of katas.
.
"How long are we keeping her?" Zarbon droned. "She smells horrible, and she has no respect whatsoever."
"Zarbon..." Frieza replied, boredom lacing his tone. He was reclining lazily in his floating chair, staring at the large monitor above their heads. The display had various different readings on it, endless numbers that floated across the screen in alien writing. "Surely you remember how sick you were after your first time in a pod."
"I NEVER had the bad manners of puking on someone else's shoes!" The green man snuffed, furrowing his eyebrows. He looked down at his boots, which had recently been cleaned and polished.
"Then pay her a visit." Frieza waved a hand, as if this conversation was pointless. "Teach her a lesson."
"I can?"
"Of course. And you want to. Don't you remember? You wouldn't shut up about wanting to know that Woman for days. Go for it."
"I said that?" Zarbon's frown deepened. "But I didn't-"
"YES you did!" Frieza spat, turning on him. "Are you insinuating that I'm a liar, simply because YOU'RE too feeble minded to remember your own desires?!"
"No," Zarbon's eyed widened. This was escalating so fast, and he was so confused. "I just don't-"
"ZARBON!" Frieza yelled. "YOU ACT AS IF I'M an IDIOT!"
The green man jumped, suppressing a yelp at the tone in his boss' voice. He raised his shoulders, holding his breath. This time he'd really angered his Lord...
"I am most generous with you, am I not?" Frieza spoke, and he said it so calmly that it was almost more frightening than when he'd been yelling. "I have given you so much, and I even grant you permission to spend the evening with Vegeta's used pet... Even after he betrayed me for a Woman's body, I still trust you with one... Do not repay me by accusing me of being a liar..."
His green lips parted, and instantly Zarbon was feeling dreadful. Frieza was acting so genuine... Was it really true? Zarbon couldn't recall any aspect of the conversation that his master was referring to, yet there was so much insistence that it had happened? "M-My Lord... I am so sorry... I did not mean to challenge your honesty."
"Hm..." Frieza sighed. The expression on his face was beyond that of anger, and yet the voice that left his lips was near purring. "You've really upset me Zarbon, but I will overlook this... Now go, leave me. Why you men find women so entertaining is something I will never understand, but I still grant you permission."
"I... I thank you, My Lord." Zarbon forced a bow, despite how uneasy he felt. Truth be told, he didn't really want to pay that ugly woman a visit in her cell. But, apparently, he had wanted it at some point... Hadn't he? Zarbon felt so unsure, and he also didn't want to upset Frieza even more by not accepting his offer...
... And so he turned, stepping out into the dim hall, and he began the walk towards the cell reserved for the lowest class of prisoner. And, the more steps he made, the more he assured himself that this was something he was actually excited to do.
.
The iron door sliding open was what rattled Bulma awake, and immediately she was on edge. The Bluehead couldn't even remember falling asleep, but at some point the lights had gone out, and she cursed herself now. She felt so vulnerable in her grogginess.
She was surrounded by darkness, but Bulma knew she wasn't alone, and she sat upright in bed as her breathing picked up. Listening, waiting, Bulma didn't want to speak first. What if it was Frieza who had walked in? He had already hurt her enough when he was supposedly impressed with her conduct, she wouldn't give him an excuse to actually become angry. She wouldn't speak to him out of line.
Trying not the shake, the Bluehead heard footsteps moving across the floor. They were coming towards her, and before long someone struck a match. Bulma watched as the room dimly illuminated, and she saw Zarbon, that angry green man from earlier, standing before her. He was holding a candle by his side, the shadows from the flame enhancing the smooth features on his face.
"What do you want?" Bulma asked, now that she knew it wasn't Frieza. She was trying to sound bold, and the fearlessness in her voice surprised even her when she heard it.
"Watch how you speak to me." Zarbon hissed. "I wouldn't talk like that, if I were in your position."
"All I did was ask a question." Bulma replied. She knew Zarbon couldn't hurt her, but she pulled the sheet up closer to her body anyway. Had this man been ordered to take her to Frieza? Was she due for some late-night torture session?
"I didn't appreciate your conduct earlier." He placed the candle down on the lid that covered the tank of the toilet before turning on her.
"Frieza said I was well learned." Bulma replied, gripping the sheet tighter. Suddenly she wasn't so worried about being dragged to Frieza anymore, for there seemed to be a different purpose to this visit... Didn't Zarbon need to remember that he was only allowed to do Frieza's bidding? She hoped saying the tyrant's name might strike fear in this man. "Frieza said-"
"You need to learn your place with all of us, not just him. You ruined my boots and didn't even apologize, and you dared to turn your back to me after that. After Quantz and I had to waste our time dragging you around the ship..."
"From what I heard, Frieza told you to take me." Bulma bit her lip. Clearly the reminder of Frieza's power wasn't working to deter this creep. It wasn't working at all.
"There's been a lot of talk since word of your existence made it here." The mattress creaked as he crawled on, slowly making his way to her from the foot of the single bed. "What's so great about you that even Vegeta, the universe's biggest prude, couldn't resist?"
"Prude?" She breathed, curling her legs up to hug her knees. Zarbon was so close now, and she was so defenseless...
"I find you rather unappealing on the eyes, but surely there was something about you that made him betray our Lord."
"I didn't make him do anything," A shiver ran down her spine when he put a finger on her foot. His skin felt so cold against hers...
"Don't lie." Zarbon growled. "We all know you bewitched him. Vegeta was always stupid, but he was never dumb enough to pull anything like this until meeting you... Show me what you did to enchant him."
.
'No,' Bulma's voice rang across Vegeta's ears. 'Eww... Ugh, don't touch me!'
"Bulma." Vegeta's eyes widened. He was in the middle of dodging one of his training robots, but he paused. Her words coming to him so consciously and distinctly left no doubt in his mind that she was awake, and she'd really had arrived to Frieza's base, after all.
"What?" Gohan raised an eyebrow. He'd been growing a little bit bored, after hours of sitting still and watching Vegeta train. But this was a sudden twist he hadn't been expecting.
The training bot slammed into Vegeta's stomach, producing a low groan from the man, but he still hardly paid it any attention.
'DON'T!' Bulma's voice shouted, and she sounded this way she always did when she was trying to feign courageousness. 'YOU'LL BE PUNISHED!'
"Bulma." Vegeta repeated, not caring that he was doing this in front of the boy. She was coming through to him, so clearly their minds were connected in some way. Now was his chance to try and speak to her. "Bulma, who is with you?"
'No matter what I do, he's stronger than me...' Her voice gasped, and Vegeta knew she was thinking this internally rather than saying it outloud. 'This can't be happening... Vegeta... I wish you were here...'
"I'm right here!" Vegeta tried. Clearly his latest attempt at communicating was just as unsuccessful as all the others. It was becoming more and more apparent that, whatever type of torture was being inflicted on her was something he was going to have to listen to. He walked to the nearest wall and put a hand out to lean against it, the muscles in his chest shaking as he listened to her whimpering protests.
Her yelps and cries sounded as if she were being hit, and it made Vegeta's knuckles white in knowing there was nothing he could do. He was absolutely powerless…
'I can't believe it.' She wailed. 'He's going to... I can't do anything about it... He's going to...'
.
"STOP!" Bulma howled, and Zarbon slammed a hand over her mouth.
"Were you this uncooperative with Vegeta?!" He spat. "I assumed he'd have trained you better!" He'd propped her legs open with his own, and he was using his strong thighs to hold her in place. She screamed under his hand, and she twisted against his grip, but all it did was make her feel even more helpless.
Her hair was knotted from the struggle so far, a bruise forming on her collar bone from where he'd pressed too hard. His torso was weighing down against her, making her feel like she could soon be crushed, and she grit her teeth.
If only Vegeta were here…
If only they were back on Earth…
If only she had the strength to do something!
"You really are repulsive," Zarbon grunted, which only confused Bulma. If he felt that way, then why was he doing this to her? Why was he pinning her down against her will?! "Let's get this over with." He finally hissed.
Her eyes widened, disbelief at her impending fate.
She closed her eyes, preparing to scream again against his hand, but a booming voice beat her to it.
"ZARBON!"
The horrible green man jumped, though he stayed on top of her. He looked over his shoulder, eyes wide to see who'd just walked in. "Lord Frieza!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Bulma couldn't see Frieza, but his loud voice was so hateful that it brought tears to her eyes. A moment later she gasped in pain as Zarbon was violently ripped from on top of her and thrown into the adjacent wall. She screamed uncontrollably and sat up, kicking herself to the back of the bed.
"L-Lord Frieza!" Zarbon began again. "Sir!"
"What are you doing with our guest, Zarbon?!" Frieza spat. Despite the fact that he was half Zarbon's height, he stood so confidently over the green man who was now gasping on his back. "Explain yourself at once!"
"I-" Zarbon began. "You... You told me-!"
"Don't even think about suggesting that I told you to do anything like this!" Frieza put his hands behind his back. "I told you not to go anywhere near this girl, did I not?"
"Y-Y..." His large eyes widened, and Zarbon was visibly shaking. He could have sworn that his master had insisted on him doing this! Hadn't they just had a conversation about this back in the server room?! "I-I thought..."
"You disappoint me." Frieza hissed before giving him a sharp jab to the rib. "Sneaking in here to take advantage of this woman like that... She has done nothing to deserve such punishment, has she?"
"Ah!" Zarbon cracked as he was kicked. "But, SIR!"
"Get out of my sight." Frieza growled. "You should consider yourself lucky to still be breathing, after pulling something like this against my wishes..."
"But, I-"
"OUT!"
Bulma put her hands to her ears to hear Frieza yell like that. She watched, shaking, as Zarbon quickly rose to his feet and went running from the cell. She had her knees up to her chest, and she felt so cold as she watched him disappear.
"My, my..." Frieza slowly turned to take a look at Bulma, who was cowering on the bed as she stared at him. There was so much fear on her face, and it only made the tyrant smile. "Such a poor girl... How fortunate that I came to check on you before anything happened..."
She was stiff as she watched him approach her. He stood over her, his tail swaying, and she tried to calm her breathing as they watched at one another.
"I wouldn't let Zarbon do anything to you..." He put a claw to her cheek, which made her sniffle. "Ah - don't flinch, nobody likes a flincher..."
He dragged the claw down, from its position under her eye all the way to her jaw. She could feel the skin rip in its trail, but somehow it didn't sting at all. Not yet, at least. "After all, I am here to protect you... Yes, you may require discipline to make up for the treason Vegeta has committed, but you are a very well behaved captive... Aren't you?"
"Ngh-" Bulma's attempt at stifling a sob was unsuccessful.
"Ah, ah... Don't cry, don't cry... I wouldn't ever let Zarbon harm you, would I?" He took a step back, and the added distance immediately made Bulma immensely better. "After all, you can trust me... I'm sure Vegeta's made up the most outlandish stories about me... But I'm really not all that bad, am I?"
"N... No, sir." She breathed.
"Good... Good... I'm glad you can see that... When you are done receiving punishments for Vegeta's errors, I can see us becoming quite the team… Now try to rest up... And don't you worry... I will make sure that nobody else disturbs you while you sleep... I am here to keep you safe, after all…"
With that, Frieza turned and began to make his way out of Bulma's cell. She watched him go, silently crying from where she sat. Even when the door slammed shut and she was left alone, Bulma still found it hard to breathe. As if, by exhaling, she would attract all of the chaos back into the room. Her hands were violently trembling when she grabbed her pillow, and she held it over her body protectively as the tears freely streamed down her face. The cut on her cheek was starting to finally burn from the salt of her tears, and she bit her lip to keep her sobs as silent as possible.
All she could think, as she stared into the candlelit room, was one of Vegeta's favorite warnings. He'd always told her that in the universe there was only evil. He'd always said that trusting in the good of anyone would only result in pain. And, as Frieza's feaux words of assurance replayed in her head, she knew just how true Vegeta had been.
"Veggie…" She choked out, nuzzling her eyes into the pillow. Bulma couldn't even assume he was coming to help her… For all she knew, Vegeta wasn't even alive…
I couldn't bring myself to write in fine detail what happened between Zarbon and Bulma before Frieza barged in, but I also didn't think it was completely necessary. It's easy enough to assume.
Until the next update, stay safe and take care!