Glitch
By Raven Zaites

CHAPTER TWO: UNDENIABLE TRACES

Kai stood at the edge of the glassy water and fell to her knees, her hands splashing water on her face. She sank into the rich, forest soil around her, her now dirty knees sliding further into the earth. She washed her arms and neck, cleansing away the sweat that coated her skin. The water's chilly temperatures gave Kai shivers and a decision against bathing. She continued to wash patches of exposed skin until she felt clean enough to wash off the dirt now caked on her knees.
In a moment's time, Kai realized she was not alone. Her Saiyan prince had tracked her, undoubtedly. She sighed, turned around slowly, her clothes sticking to the areas of wet skin, her hair dripping in corners from when she had washed her face.
"What is it you want?" she asked her follower.
When he didn't respond, she began to walk away.
"Is it true that you cannot fly?" he said at last. It was clear he asked that question for a reason other than discovering the answer.
"I can fly," she lied calmly, regaining composure.
"Really? Is that why you clung to me in such fear when I held you over that cliff? No, woman, I won't believe your lies."
She said nothing and continued walking. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. "Would you like me to prove your weakness so that you won't have to waste your precious time denying it?"
"Fine. I'll tell you the truth. I cannot fly. Is that enough for you?"
He laughed, "that still doesn't explain the pitiful fear in your eyes, woman. A warrior never fears, even if he has reason to."
"He?"
"Damn you, that's not the point!"
"I believe it's one of them."
"Do you always avoid answers like this?" Minutes of silence passed in which the two stood there motionless. Vegita waited for her answer and Kai would say nothing.
"If you weren't afraid, you would have answered long ago."
"Why do you care so much?"
"Because I want to prove to you and everyone else what cowardice you posses, what a poor warrior you make."
"The only one you want to prove that to is yourself. You just don't believe you can defeat me, do you? You need to find all my little weaknesses so that you can assure yourself that even though you cannot defeat me, it does not matter, because I have more weaknesses than you do and you deserve to win. But inside you know, you deserve nothing but to lose." As soon as those words left her mouth she regretted it, expecting some great explosion of anger from the Saiyan prince. Instead she got more silence.
Vegita gave her his coldest glare and said something she would have never expected, "Tell me this, woman, why is it you always bind your hair?"
Kai's eyes widened. "What kind of question is that?"
"Just answer it!" he yelled, causing her to wince at the volume of his voice. Kai hadn't the faintest clue why he was asking her this or why he cared about her hair of all things. It was painfully obvious he loathed her; any question about her hair or any feature of hers was to be followed by an insult. She reached up and fingered it, her ruby eyes darting sheepishly away from him.
"It gets in the way."
Vegita frowned in utter displeasure. She twitched as he reached a hand out towards her face and he sighed when he saw the fear in her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said, his voice resembling a grumble.
He continued to reach out, his eyes never leaving hers, until his fingers undid her hair and it cascaded down her shoulders. Vegita smirked as he looked at her, eyes wide and smooth, raven black hair streaming behind her. She was beautiful.
"What's so funny?" she said, commenting on his smirk.
"Have you ever worn a dress?"
"Are you on drugs?" She grinned at his reaction.
"No, I am not, now answer my damn question!"
"You're not? These questions of yours have been suggesting otherwise."
"I don't care what they are suggesting, they are simply questions meant to be answered! Do I have you explain everything to you?"
"I don't want to anger you, Vegita, I just want to know why you asked these bizarre questions!"
"Because you act, speak, and dress as though you are male. I'm beginning to wonder if you are female at all!"
"Yes. I have worn a dress," she responded through clenched teeth, "and you, Prince of all Saiyans, act far too male for your own good."
"I don't believe you have even touched a dress," he said, angered at her last comment, though he knew it was true.
"Very well," she said, and stormed off. He looked shocked by her sudden disappearance. It was unlike her to leave in the middle of an argument, she was up to something.
"What is that woman doing?" he asked himself, watching her leave. Growing angered he followed her.
"I'll tell you what, Prince," she said fiercely, not bothering to look at him, "I'll make a bet with you."
"A bet? What is it?" he asked, showing mild interest.
"I'll prove to you I can wear a dress for a whole day. Not just any dress, a very revealing one. If I can be this feminine for a day, you have to be masculine for a day in the most humiliating of ways."
"Explain."
She stopped to whirl around and look him in the eyes, a smirk imprinted on her face. "You'll have to wear nothing but your boxers. The whole day, no exceptions."
Vegita frowned. "Very well. And if you can't?"
"Then I'll," she paused, "be your slave for the day. But nothing sexual."
"Don't flatter yourself, woman," he said, glaring, "I'm not satisfied with your bet so I'll add one more thing. You must act like a woman as well as wear the dress. Which means you will give me none of your cheek and you'll act like a proper female. Understood?"
"It's a deal." They shook hands and she whirled back around, heading to her ship. "Stay here," she added, "I won't be long."
"I refuse to wait, you'll take far too long, foolish woman!" he yelled, and gathered her into his arms.
"What are you doing?"
"Molesting you."
She laughed. "You have the most absurd lies."
"And you absurdly believe them."
"You're not flying to my home, are you?"
He grinned and took off, reacting pleasantly when she trembled in fear, eyes tightly closed. Some great warrior, he thought to himself.
"Damn you!" she sobbed, "Put me down!"
"We're almost there, coward."
"If we're almost there, then why couldn't I have walked?" she yelled, forcing back tears.
"You may poses the strength of a modest man, but inside you have all the faults of a woman."
"Ha! So I will win this bet!" she said, taking her mind off the altitude. Displeased with her sudden courage, Vegita swooped down, feeling so much manlier when she clung to him.
"You'll win nothing, wench."
She grumbled to herself, "You're more of a wench then I am."
"What was that?" he asked, laughing as he reviewed her words. "I, Prince of all Saiyans, am a wench, am I?"
"I didn't say that…" she choked out, gasping as he dived upwards and downwards.
Vegita suddenly stopped and descended slowly downwards. "We've made it, thanks to my flying." He landed and then dropped her on the ground, knowing she would be too relieved to complain.
"Ground… sweet ground…"
"Hurry up and dress yourself, your inevitable failure shall begin."
"Ready to have me as your slave, are you? You know I won't take you seriously when you're walking around half-naked."
He frowned. "Don't argue with me, it's not ladylike. As a man, I am superior to you and you must treat me this way."
"It's as though I have lost the bet already," she said, rolling her eyes and walking into her temporary home.
He leaned against the metal hull, crossing his arms around his chest and resuming his usual pose. Vegita hated waiting for people. Now was certainly not an exception.
A short time passed, and out Kai came. His eyes widened when he saw her, unbelieving at the sight.
It was a v-neck burgundy dress, accenting her hair and eyes. The dress was rather short, scandalous, and lace up. It was noticeably tight, revealing any curves on her body.
Kai glared, "You like what you see?" She was displeased at what some other girls would've found quite the opposite; Vegita giving himself an eyeful.
"A wench indeed," he muttered to himself. Kai resisted the urge to attack him when remembering the rules of their bet.
"It was a dress for a costume party and it's the only one I have currently," she said, ignoring the disbelief in his eyes.
Moments of silence passed
"I have an idea," she said, "I'm going to make you a nice cheesecake." Kai realized she was acting far too perky for her own good, but it didn't matter. This was a bet she refused to loose.
"You? Bake?" Vegita laughed at the thought.
Once again, there was more anger restrained. "I do try, I hope you will like it. Do you prefer Japanese style or European?"
"I don't care," he said, then stopped himself, "Where did you learn to cook?"
She smiled sweetly. "Oh, last time I came to Earth. Do you still want your cake?"
"Yes," he said in nothing short of a demand, "And make it big, I have a warrior's appetite as well as strength."
She muttered to herself and scuttled off to the kitchen, mentally listing the ingredients. Vegita frowned and waited outside. "She's beautiful, but so damn unattractive. What's wrong with that foolish woman? It's about time she wore a dress, I was beginning to believe she was male." He stopped and realized the possibility of her overhearing. He cursed himself, leaned against the wall, and pushed away any thoughts of loosing the bet.
Kai clenched her fists and cracked the eggs furiously. So he didn't know all her weaknesses, he could at least guess the acute sense of hearing she possessed. Damn him, she thought, I'm not loosing this bet. I don't care what it takes.
2 tediously long hours passed and Kai came out with two round and very unappealing European-style cheesecakes.
"Those are cheesecakes?" Vegita asked, eying the baked goods carefully and noticing that cake #2 had a very large slice missing.
"Yes," she said, forcing a smile, "they are, in fact, cheesecakes." She shoved them both into his face and, in the most pleasant manner possible, told him to enjoy them.
With a grunt he added, "not likely", and set them on the table. He picked up a fork, wolfed both down faster than she had seen any man do, and tossed his fork into the empty and crumbles trays.
"How… how was it?" she asked, still in shock that it was possible for any man to eat that ravenously. She then realized what she had asked and braced herself for the worst.
"Mediocre."
She could hardly believe it. First she had witnessed the disgusting sight of him inhaling two hours of misshapen hard work, and now he was complimenting her. Her dress certainly had a reaction, that was for sure.
"Thank you!" she cried out, and threw her arms around him. Realizing what she had done, she froze. The realization that she was hugging Vegita came like a bucket of ice water splashed on her in the morning. Kai had her arms around the rudest, most barbaric savage she had ever met who had treated her like some thorn in his side since the moment he had seen her no matter how hard she worked to please him. And worst of all, she had done it willingly.
He felt so stiff and awkward in her arms, as though he was blushing as strongly as she was. "What... what are you doing, woman?!" he asked, completely outraged.
"I have no idea." Kai let go, spun around, and went to take a very long, cold shower, shuddering all the way.
A wide-eyed Vegita went and sat on a couch-like material that sat squarely in the living room and sank deeply in the cushions she had so neatly laid out there. Part of him was angered about what she had done, daring to touch the Prince of all Saiyans in a most affectionate manner without his consent. Though there was that part, that part of him that felt so good when she called him "Prince" and liked the fire that sparked in her ruby red eyes. That part that had been yearning for this moment slightly, but only slightly, since he had first met her.
"No," he said again, as he heard the sound of running water, which meant only one thing, "I am in no way attracted to that wench, and I most certainly will not be dressed in only my undergarments tomorrow. She will serve me, as the slave I so deserved since I earned my prince hood."
With that, he grinned. She was about to discover how powerful the Prince of all Saiyans truly was.


NEXT CHAPTER: BROKEN
The winner of the bet is finally revealed and Vegita discovers for himself whether he loves Kai or not.