The Princess
Chapter 14: Arrival
By: senzubean
I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.
Saturday was a busy day for Satan City Shopping Center. With three levels and over five hundred goods and services establishments, the place was teeming with happy consumers. Most of these consumers were teenagers ,mostly girls shopping for clothes. Bra would normally be part of this but not today. Today she was truly unique. She was wandering about quite aimlessly paying little attention to the people around her, not caring when she bumped into someone and not acknowledging her friends. Bra was a popular girl at Orange Star High and not just a few of her classmates had tried to gain her company that happy afternoon. Bra completely ignored them, leaving them all scratching their heads at the change in the characteristically oober friendly girl.
Bra had just gravitated towards the mall, she didn't care where she was, she didn't want to be anywhere right now. She just wanted to disappear into a crowd of people, leaving nothing for those stupid aliens to hunt down. But she knew that would never happen. They would come looking for her, maybe sifting through an entire mall of people would slow them down. She was scared. She wasn't going to lie to herself about that. All she wanted was for this all to be over and she wanted to finish it herself. Unfortunately, fabricating a battle plan was proving to be more difficult than she had thought. She had been wandering around for a long time thinking before she had started to realize things. Things like she had never been in a real battle alone, save for that one time at the martial arts tournament when this whole mess started, and that technically wasn't a battle. She had no idea what to expect from her enemy, yet another roadblock. Her father had stressed the importance of that detail to the point of redundancy, but she had completely forgotten about it when she really needed to apply it. And speaking of her father, the mall would be the first place he'd look for her. Bra frowned both mentally and physically.
I have to leave. This is my fight, and I don't want Dad interfering.
Bra folded her arms, and walked a little faster.
But, I'm not a warrior. I know that. What chance am I going to have against those monsters when one of the weaker ones nearly strangled me? And if I die, Daddy definitely will not be happy. Bra heaved a sigh and stopped, staring at the tiled floor under her feet. Why did life have to get so hard all of a sudden? I need to think of something else...
She didn't get far in this venture, someone punched her square in the face. Bra gained her balance almost instantaneously and took on a very threatening battle stance.
"Holy crap!"
Bra blinked a few times, recognizing the voice. "Pan." She looked up at her very shocked friend.
"What is wrong with you?" She asked after a few moments of flabbergasted staring.
"Hmph!" Bra grunted as she rose. "What's wrong with you, punching me out of nowhere like that?"
Pan frowned. "That was for ignoring me! I called you everyday for three weeks and you didn't call back. And just now you stared right through me like I didn't even exist!"
"Sorry, Pan." Bra replied sincerely. "I have a lot going on right now and I'm not myself. It's no reason for ignoring you but..." Bra wanted to tell her the truth, but her father had told her not to tell any of the Sons about their family problem. He said he didn't want them involved. Trunks chalked it up to pride, but Bra thought her father was right. This whole thing was so complicated and nasty. Pan looked at her skeptically. Bra flinched internally. Pan wasn't going to be satisfied with an unfinished sentence. She knew that something was up and she wasn't going to leave it be until she knew exactly what it was and how she could help out.
"You're just going to have to tell me what's wrong, Bra chan. I know that it's something big."
"Whatever gave you that idea?"
Pan laughed disdainfully. "Besides the fact you've ignored me, you've also ignored everyone else. I thought Mysti and Sara were nuts when they told me you didn't even acknowledge them, but then I met a handful of other people we know who have been talking about the same thing."
Bra blushed a deep crimson only now realizing what a spectacle she'd made of herself.
Pan smiled wily, "I never thought you'd stare right through Fader."
"Fader?" Bra eeped. Pan nodded slowly. Bra yelled in self loathing. "Damn it!" She had been crushing over Fader for a good year now, subtly, only Pan knew. Pan laughed, she found it extremely funny how Bra was reacting.
"Don't worry, Bra, everyone knows you're kinda weird anyway." Pan teased. "Seriously though, what's going on?"
Bra slumped down and heaved a tired sigh. "It's really better if you didn't know, Pan. I'm sorry. When It's taken care of, I'll tell you." Bra then looked at the floor again, her redness faded into a pale pink.
I can't tell her if I'm dead.
"At least tell me who that guy is."
"What guy?" Bra asked, she followed Pan's outstretched arm to where she had pointed. She yelled in utter choler at the site. Peeping between the leaves of a giant potted plant was Potay.
Bra marched right over and shoved the massive tree out of the way. Potay stood there, casually as if he just happened to be there.
"What are you doing here?" Bra exclaimed.
Potay grunted and shrugged apathetically.
"You're an alien! An alien! You can't just wander around in public!" Bra said as quietly as she could despite her extreme rage.
"You're father seems to have no problem doing it."
"He doesn't have his tail anymore!" Bra said between gritted teeth, she really wanted to kick the crap out of him. "Look at you, you're wagging yours around like you want people to take notice of it."
"Saiyans don't wag their tails, but you couldn't have known that since you're not a real saiyan."
Bra snarled and lunged at him threateningly. Pan caught her arm before she could smack Potay.
"Bra, is he really..you know..a.."
Potay laughed then replied, very sarcastically, "Yes, I'm one of those nasty Saiyans you've probably heard so much about. Feel free to run, I may just kill you."
"As if!" Bra exclaimed. "Pan would kill you, you pathetic weakling."
"At least I'm not stupid." Potay retorted.
"WHY YOU......!" Bra screamed. Pan threw herself on Bra to keep her from starting a fight in the middle of the mall and add to the spectacle.
"Bra, just calm down and we'll talk this over some chili dogs." Pan exclaimed over Bra's cursing and growling. Bra slowly calmed down. She was still visibly enraged but at least she didn't look as if she would tear Potay apart anymore.
Pan exhaled in utter relief, she really didn't feel like getting in between two fighting saiyans.
"We'll go outside and talk about it there." Bra said.
"Why not the food court? I'm kinda hungry." Pan said and put her hands on her stomach like her Grandfather used to do all the time.
"Me too." Potay piped in.
"We're not going to the food court!" Bra exclaimed.
"How come?" Pan asked bewildered for the umpteenth time that afternoon.
"Unless it's free, she won't be providing." Potay pointed out and flashed a smirk in return to Bra's icy glare of death.
"You don't have any cash on you?" Pan asked astounded. This was truly a day of firsts.
"Does it look like I have any money on me?" Bra demanded to know. She was wearing her training outfit, baggy pants with no pockets and a tight tank top. Not to mention her father, in sly wisdom, confiscated each and every one of her monetary resources in order to keep his daughter from the very place she had escaped to.
Pan smiled at her friends way of dealing with her embarrassment. Vegeta would never be dead so long as Bra was alive.
"I'll treat you guys. I had a great report card this term." Pan smiled.
"I'll pay you back." Bra replied.
"Whatever." Pan replied and started off in the direction of the restaurants.
Bra glared at Potay yet again. "Come on, stalker." She grumbled and followed her friend. Potay chuckled, very amused by Bra's complete disgust with him.
Vegeta, after much self loathing and cursing himself, ventured out of his room and down the hall. He stopped and lingered in front of his daughters door. He didn't know what to say to her this time. He'd hoped that standing outside her room would help him think of something, but it didn't. So, he decided he should just try and wing it, praying to kami he didn't screw things up more than he already had.
He knocked on the door, waited, there was no answer.
"Bra, can I come in please." He said in his most non-threatening voice ever. Despite this, there was no response.
"We have to talk." He added. There was no answer.
"I'm not angry with you." He said unable to hide his exasperation. Bra refused to answer. He sighed, he didn't want to resort to this but he couldn't just leave her fuming with anger. That was both unproductive and dangerous. He kicked open the door and poked his head inside. Right away he noticed that his daughter was missing. Unconcerned, he walked over to the bed and stood it up on its side. Bra was not among the stuff hiding under there. Vegeta let the bed drop and looked around the room again. He tried the closet, thinking that maybe Bra had chosen a different place to hide after years of the same place. Again, he found a mess but not a trace of Bra. He scanned the room, thinking that maybe she retreated to somewhere else in the house but he didn't feel her ki elsewhere. Suddenly, it dawned on him that he couldn't feel her ki here either. Only then did he notice the open window. He stood there frozen for a moment then proceeded to curse his stupidity. He hadn't even felt her disappear. Her ki had been low and he was so upset he'd just sort of forgot about it.
"Damn it!" He cursed. His shock fast turned to a mix of fear and anger, mostly anger. "How could she?"
In the living room, Argo was pleasantly flipping through channels while Sala stared at the flashing screen.
"What do you want to watch?" Argo asked his daughter.
"I told you, Dad, I don't care." Sala replied in a monotone voice and sighed.
Argo looked at her concerned and continued to search.
Vegeta ran down the hall to the closet and rummaged for his shoes.
"What's up, Junior?" Argo asked and continued to change the channels.
"Bra left." Vegeta spat, at the same time Sala lunged at her father, grabbing the romote from his hand.
"Sala.." Argo exclaimed then watched his daughter's peculiar behavior. She stood in front of the TV, frantically changing the channels. Meanwhile, Vegeta had finally gotten his shoes on and flung open the door.
"WAIT!" Sala yelled at him.
"Bra escaped, I have to find her before those murderers do!"
"You might be too late." Sala said grimly, finally locating the channel she wanted. Argo gasped at the sight on screen.
"What?" Vegeta demanded, not liking what their reactions implied.
On TV a local reporter was babbling on about something. Vegeta recognized the backdrop behind her. It was that infernal Mall his daughter loved so much.
"...witnesses here at the Shopping Center have informed us that this strange craft arrived about ten minutes ago. It is not known where the craft has originated, but it does not appear to be any sort of earth craft."
The screen flashed to show a space ship hovering over the mall.
" They wouldn't have stopped out in the open like that if they weren't certain Bra was there." Sala said. Vegeta stared at the screen, he didn't respond.
Sala grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards the door.
"Come on, there's still time."
Vegeta snapped out of his shock and threw Sala off him. Sala crashed against the wall leaving him a free path to exit, he practically flew through the door.
"Tell everyone what's happened." Sala told her father and followed.
"So let me get this straight." Pan said as she finished what she was chewing. "Your father's mother, whom he believed to be dead for over fifty years, actually wasn't and has been saving people all over the galaxy all this time. And there's a prophecy involving you and some wacko aliens who wanna kill you."
Bra nodded as she sipped her soda.
"Cool!" Pan exclaimed.
Bra raised one eyebrow and frowned at Pan. "Even the wacko killer aliens part?"
"Oh please, as if Vegeta can't handle that."
"He can't handle it if he isn't here." Potay piped in, the first thing he'd said since they'd got their food.
Bra scowled at him. "Well this is all your fault, you know?"
"Is it?"
"Yes!" Bra replied.
"Did I tell you to take off to the mall?"
"No, but you made me so angry I used my power and scared Dad."
"He didn't seem scared to me. More like angry."
"That's just how he is, not that it's any of your business."
"You're the one who brought me into it." Potay replied and popped a fry into his mouth. Bra growled and crushed her soda cup in her hand.
"Wow, you guys sure don't like each other." Pan said.
"What an observation." Bra replied sarcastically.
"Hey! I just bought your lunch." Pan snapped back.
"Sorry." Bra replied. "This ass hole just puts me in a bad mood."
"You're not too fun to be around either." Potay said.
With that, Bra lost it. She jumped up and slammed her fists on the table. "I tried to be nice to you. I was friendly! You're the one who attacked me twice! You're the one being a jerk!"
"Well it's not like I don't have a reason."
"Oh yeah. 'My Dad was killed since my Mother decided to protect you!'" bra mimicked in a winey voice. "For your information, loser, my father is a hundred times more powerful than your mother, he never needed her help."
Potay jumped up. "She was still here and not with us! If it weren't for your father, mine would still be alive."
"Now you're blaming my father." Bra stated unbelievingly.
Potay spit disgustedly on the floor. "They spent years just trying to find him. He was more important to them than anything. My father and I were important until he showed up again. That's why I hate him, and you, and everyone else! Do you know what it's like to hate everyone you ever cared about?"
Bra looked at him, she was in no state of mind to try and console him. "If you feel that way, it's your problem."
"No, I've made it your problem."
"What are you talking about?"
Potay turned his back to her and folded his arms across his chest.
"Answer me!" Bra ordered. By now the entire food court was openly gawking at them.
"You're bait."
"What?" Bra asked astonished.
"I'm using you to lure that thing that killed my Dad here."
Bra gaped. "How do you even know that will work? It could be someone completely different!"
"If it is, I'll just have to try to lure it out some other way."
"And what about me?" Bra demanded.
Potay shrugged. "I don't care what happens to you."
Pan and Bra both gazed at him in utter shock.
"You're awful.." Pan said.
"Because I'm trying to get what I want?" Potay grunted. "Prince vegeta has used people to get what he wanted, hasn't he Princess?"
Bra was unscathed by that. "I think if you confronted him on that, he'd tell you that he made a lot of mistakes."
"Well everyone's entitled to their mistakes, we'll learn whether or not this is one later." Potay replied.
"I think you already know this is a mistake." Bra said. "I know you're not as horrible as you're acting. You can't be, not with the family you have."
Potay glared at her. "Think about what you just said. Do you suppose Recely was anything but the perfect mother? But your father was once one of the most hated tyrants in all the universe. Things happen to make people go bad and...."
"Lots of people lose their fathers. " Bra interrupted.
Potay scowled hard at Bra. Bra glared right back. Pan bit her nails and mumbled under her breath.
"Hmph!" Bra grunted, turned and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Potay demanded icily.
"Home." Bra replied.
Potay looked after her. This was a problem. He didn't want anyone but him around to fight the murderers when they came. He opened his mouth to throw an insult at her to keep her from leaving but his words were drowned out by the sound of a massive explosion and the shattering of the skylight above. Shards of glass crashed to the floor, sending shoppers scrambling to get out of the deadly rain. The three saiyans were the only people not running and screaming, although Bra was certainly considering running. She was too taken aback by sight of the spaceship hovering over the skylight. Sharp pains tore at her stomach, this was the moment she'd been waiting for, but she wasn't so brave now.
A dark figure appeared over the opening and started its descent. It was a large spider creature, humanoid and female with six long arms, two legs, four breasts and about ten eyes. She was quite sinister looking, most of her body was covered with metal and she was carrying a massive firearm, it took all six of her arms to hold it.
The thing stopped about ten feet above the group of young saiyans. The shoppers and workers of the mall looked on, curious and petrified at the same time, giving them a wide birth, which was not nearly wide enough.
The spider woman chuckled, all of her eyes focused on Bra and nothing else.
"Hello Princess," It said in a multi toned voice, all slithery and evil. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Bra suppressed most of a frightened gasp and very cautiously started to back up. This caused the creature to laugh outright at the girl. "Where do you think you're going? We have business you and I."
"YOUR BUSINESS IS WITH ME!" Potay yelled after shaking off his own doubts. He leapt into the air and charged head on. He pulled back his arm for the first attack. The alien didn't even budge until he was upon her, then in an action so fast it was undetectable by any of the saiyans, she took aim with her gun and fired at the boy. Potay flew across the mall on the end of a huge beam of light, plummeting through the plate glass windows of Bra's favorite clothing store.
Bra gaped at what had just happened. Only an hour before she had been locked in serious combat with that kid. They had been well matched and she would only admit to herself that she had had difficulty fighting him.
I don't stand a chance. I...I'm as good as..dead.
She felt her body falter and start shaking. This wasn't going to help her, she knew but she couldn't stop being terrified. Desperately, she tried to recall some of the things her father had told her about going into battles. He'd told her to think. Think of every conceivable advantage, no matter how trivial and take it. There was only one she could come up with. Only one shred of hope left for her.
I have to summon up that power of mine. Somehow....
Bra looked up at the thing, laughing at her fear.
..somehow I have to find it. Slowly she let her body take the form of a fighting stance.
After all, what better incentive than fighting for my life.
A blue aura of pure ki encircled the saiyan Princess. She summoned up as much as she could and yelled at the top of her lungs. Swiftly she took to the air to end this. Pan was startled for a millisecond, then she too did the same as her friend.
Bra dodged several beams shot at her and managed to land a few blows to the aliens upper body. The creature winced and desperately tried to bat the offending girl away. Bra took note that it was actually quite un-warrior like of the alien to act like that. It was strong, Bra's determined blows weren't sending her flying, but still, the alien was having problems standing up against them. Unfortunately, the creature managed, by grace of her super quick movements, to get the weapon between her and Bra. Bra was forced away by a mighty shove. The alien was unable to take aim though, as Pan was right back in where Bra had been forced from seconds before. The spider growled and snarled, quite angry at having two young saiyans working together and forcing her back. She managed to get Pan away by bringing her leg up and lashing out. Then she swiftly aimed her gun and fired at the girl. Like Potay, Pan flew across the mall, plowing into a food court stand.
Bra screamed as she watched her friend soar away. Angered that she'd been hurt, Bra yelled and charged at the alien. But it was too late, the creature had gained enough time to re-aim the gun on Bra. Her body was forced down into the court fountain, creating a tremendous splash and cracking it's concrete bowl.
The spider woman gazed down hard on the now prone saiyan princess, floating face down in the damaged fountain. Keeping her gun targeted on her, the alien grumbled to herself. Pan, having recovered enough to at least sit up, noticed the hesitation and took the opportunity to get back to the battle ground. Pan realized that she was much too damaged to do anything, she stumbled as quickly as she could through the court.
"Wait!" Pan exclaimed up at the alien. The only thing she could do was try to reason with the monster, she knew that it was probably futile but she had to try. "She's no threat to you!"
The spider scowled, lowered her weapon and descended. Once on the ground she took a few cautious steps towards her target. Bra was awake and trying to pull herself out of the water. Her head was hanging over the lip, and she was panting, obviously she hadn't the energy right now to get herself out. The alien smiled. This was just how she wanted it. She reached out towards Bra, who tried to scramble away to no avail. The creature grabbed a handful of blue hair.
Pan screamed. "NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!"
The alien chuckled, brought up her arm and then slammed it to her side taking Bra's head with it. The young girls head collided with the concrete lip, rendering her unconscious.
Pan winced then felt sick as Bra's head cracked on the stone. Promptly, the alien gathered Bra under two of her arms. She looked at the now crying Pan and smiled.
"Do you know who Prince Vegeta is, dear?"
Pan growled in rage. "You bet I do! Just wait until he finds out what you've done to his daughter! You're as good as dead!"
The alien seemed quite amused by that. "Indeed." She paused and hoisted Bra up against her side more securely. Pan felt for her ki. It was there but nearly undetectable, she could die at any second with a ki like that.
"You will give him a message." The alien said.
"Please! Just leave Bra alone. She hates fighting. She'd never attack anything unless it attacked her first."
"Tell Prince Vegeta these numbers. 7: 45: 89. He'll understand. Now, repeat those numbers to me."
"Just leave her..."
The alien grimaced and aimed the gun at Bra's back. "If you don't repeat those numbers back to me, I will leave her corpse for her father to find."
Pan gulped. "7: 45: 89."
The alien smiled. "Smart girl. The quicker the Prince gets that message the better it will be for the Princess here. Keep that in mind." The alien started to levitate up towards the ship. Pan watched helplessly, then started to summon up as much energy as she could. Gradually she began to rise.
"No! I can't let you take her!"
The alien ignored her and was already inside the ship before Pan rose past the opening in the ceiling. The doors shut and the ship took off. The wind created by the departure pushed her away.
Defeated, she gazed at the vapor trail. "Oh, Bra..." All at once she felt a ki she knew to be Vegeta approach and fly past her.
"Vegeta!" She screamed and descended after him. Sala was close behind them both.
Inside, Vegeta frantically scanned the mess. He didn't see his daughter anywhere. His eyes darted all over the place, looking for any remains that could have once been Bra. Relieving him somewhat was the absence of any scorch marks or charred clumps of material. He did however notice the large blood smear on the lip of the fountain. He went over and touched it. "Bra...."
"Vegeta!" Pan called again as she landed. She ran over to him now crying hysterically. Vegeta's stomach sank even more at the sight of this. "I tried to stop her! I tried!"
"Where is Bra?" He demanded.
"The alien took her!"
"Took her?" Vegeta and Sala said in unison. Vegeta set his jaw and clenched his fists, trying to prepare himself for the answer he was about to get. "Was she dead?"
"No. She was still alive, but she was hurt very badly."
Vegeta released some air in relief. That gave him some hope. "I must find that alien!"
"If we hurry maybe we can still track its ship!" Sala said. Vegeta nodded and powered up, ready to take to the air.
"Wait, it said something!" Vegeta and Sala looked at her.
"What?" Vegeta spat.
"It told me to tell you the numbers 7: 45: 89. She said it was a message for you, Vegeta."
"That sounds like co-ordinates for a planet." He said.
"That's exactly what they are." Sala concurred.
"But, that makes no sense." Vegeta argued. "Why would Polkrif tell me where they've taken my daughter to kill her? He's just signed his death certificate!"
"Has he?" Sala said, eyebrows furrowing. "Obviously he has a plan."
"Hmph!" Vegeta grunted. "I have no time to speculate about it." He was just about to leave again, when another commotion from across the mall distracted them.
"What now?" Vegeta said.
From out of the protesting crowd, Potay emerged. Sala shrieked at the sight of her damaged son and ran to him. Vegeta glared at the boy. Every muscle in his body clenched and he started to emit throaty growls of rage. Sala didn't notice, but Pan did and backed away.
"What are you doing here? What happened?" Sala asked.
"That alien killed Dad." Potay replied.
Tears fell down Sala's eyes. "You shouldn't have fought him."
Potay wrenched himself out of his mother's hold, only to be trapped by another. Potay gasped for air, Vegeta had him by the throat and was intent on squeezing the life out of him.
"Stop it!" Sala yelled and grabbed onto Vegeta's arm, trying to pry him off her son.
"You planned this didn't you, boy?"
"Yes." Potay choked out.
Potay's blatant admittance to that shocked Vegeta. But he fast regained his anger "WHY?"
"I..wanted ..to be... the one..to ..defeat..!" Potay said.
Vegeta snarled and squeezed tighter. "My child could be dead right now because of you!" Sala begged and cried for Vegeta to stop. Potay was starting to go limp from suffocation.
"Let him go , Vegeta." The calm voice of reason halted everyone. They all looked back at Recely. "He made a grave mistake, but he doesn't deserve to die for it."
"He brought your grand-daughter to the enemy! How can you side with him?" Vegeta protested.
"He is part of our family too, Son."
Vegeta growled and threw Potay to the floor. The boy gasped for air. Sala flung herself on him in utter relief.
"I'll never consider that tyrant family." Vegeta spat . He glared at Potay. "I'll hate you forever." With that, Vegeta took off through the hole in the roof. Everyone in the entire mall was silent.
"I want to help get Bra back." Pan announced
Recely looked at her blankly. Then smiled. "You are a member of Kakarrot's family."
Pan nodded. "I'm his grand-daughter."
Recely smiled again. "You will go home to your family and let ours handle this." Pan's face sunk with disappointment. "We appreciate the offer, but there's no need to involve anyone else in this battle."
Pan didn't try to argue. She had just been given an order by a saiyan queen. It was a gentle order, but an order that should not be contested. So, she resigned to that.. "Please bring Bra home safe. She's my best friend."
"We'll do our very best." Recely replied. "Now go, if your family has heard what's happened here they'll be worried."
Pan nodded and flew off.
Recely looked over to Sala and Potay. "It looks like we have some planning to do, come, there's not much time." Then she too flew off, a little more hastily than Pan.
Potay tried to fly on his own, but was unable to get off the ground. Sala put his arm over her shoulder and carried him.
"Why did you do it Potay? You said you saw her murder your father. You must have known you'd never stand a chance." Sala asked as they flew.
"I wanted to help him then. But...I was scared. If I had've helped out then maybe he wouldn't have died." He replied painfully.
"No, you both would have died at the same time." Sala replied.
"Still." Potay argued " I wanted to do something for Dad. I wanted to avenge him."
"I understand that, Potay. But your father wouldn't have wanted you to sacrifice the life of someone else to do that."
Potay looked at her, then clenched his eyes shut. "No, he wouldn't have."