Bulma sat, staring out at the buildings before her. Each painted to reflect the personality of their owners, from plain beige to a shocking orange, the structures told a relatively short history of the False Saiyan race. From little more than mud dried in the sun all the way to a polymer-based structure designed to take an impact that would shake apart continents, the buildings' continued existence belied the fierce resistance of the False Saiyans.
Most would argue that the Proper Saiyans were the more resilient of the two, but Bulma disagreed. They had power, an established history, and a natural drive to fight. The False Saiyans? They had to make their own history, and do it without the immense force granted the elites by their birthright.
But if it had been up to Bulma, she would have never known of the regular Saiyan's existence. It was their own fault, she sneered, that they were now stuck with their Prince being captured. It was their own fault that they were threatened by simple technology that they could have created themselves if they hadn't been so preoccupied with blowing each other up.
Sighing, she stood and crossed the carpeted room to the opposite window. Looking up to the sky, she thought about Yamucha and his journeys. Would the travelers be able to set up a new colony? A lone tear dripped down her face as the reality of the situation hit her all at once: she was alone, in charge of a war she wanted nothing to do with, holding a deadly prince captive, while sending her only anchor off to a distant planet to ensure the survival of her people.
A selfish wave crashed, as she fought back the impulse to set Vegeta free and scamper off to join Yamucha. Bulma was a selfish person at heart, all her actions and inventions were for glory and praise. But, she couldn't afford to be selfish when thousands counted on her actions.
"Bulma, girl, what are you going to do with the bastard? Go talk to Princey-boy, he's me. Not even acknowledging my presence." The raven-haired girl huffed. "As if he's too good to have some manners toward people."
Bulma turned, weary, toward the much younger girl. "Chi-Chi, go train with Toshiro. He's working on blurring after images of himself, I heard." Bulma looked over at the girl, momentarily scared at the fierce look that was burning in the warrior woman's eyes. Chi-Chi held a particularly fierce hatred of the Saiyans, as her mother, who was a half Saiyan, abandoned her. To compensate, Chi-Chi had fueled all her anger into training. And being a quarter Saiyan, her anger was particularly deadly. However, she was a bit too young and brash to do the cause much good for now. In a few years… Bulma shuddered. And the powers above protect anyone that threatened Chi-Chi's future children.
Chi-Chi nodded, and took off. Bulma picked up a set of blueprints, and walked toward Vegeta's cell.
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"My King! It has been days since the Prince's disappearance! We must go find him!"
"Where?" the King roared as he rose out of his throne. "Where do you suggest we being looking?"
Nappa snorted. "In those bastard False Saiyan camps. If we blow everything up, the Prince should survive while those traitors die a swift death!"
The King sneered. "And if the Prince doesn't survive? If he is injured or weakened somehow?"
"Then he isn't worthy of being the Prince."
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"Hey, Jerkface, I have a question for you."
Vegeta didn't even look up.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!"
Vegeta continued sitting in a curled up position, arms cradled in along with his head against his knees.
Huffing indignantly, Bulma sat down outside the chamber. "Look. I'm about to send a communication to the palace, informing them of the situation. If you could be a good little boy and look up, maybe we could get you out of here faster."
Vegeta's head shifted a bit, indicating he was listening. Bulma stood, feeling a sudden need to puff herself up in height.
"I need to know what channel the main palace's communication system runs on so I can broadcast. Any chance you have enough brains in that empty head of yours to recall?"
A growl. "Channel X524."
"Good. Now was that so hard? Since you're in such a cooperative mood, I have a bargain to make with you. If you tell me where the main generator is in the palace, I'll let you out of your cell. The ki-dampeners will still be intact, but you'll be able to walk about. Well?"
Vegeta looked up, meeting Bulma's eyes with his own. A burning hatred shone through from the black depths of his eyes before he spit disgustedly into the far corner of his cell. Standing up slowly, he stalked forward, keeping her eyes locked with his. "The second you let me free, I will enjoy making you scream my name." Taking his left hand, he trailed it down where her face would be if she were inches closer. "You'll beg for mercy. You'll plead me to stop, believing that the agony will never end. And then, only then…" He smiled predatorily as Bulma's breath caught. "I'll end it by ripping the very breath from your body."
Bulma began to retort, but couldn't as Vegeta moved his right hand over to his left arm. Licking his lips, he dug his fingers into the flesh and ripped upwards in a slow motion. Trails of red formed after the nails as Vegeta hissed in pain or pleasure. Bulma stood, transfixed. Vegeta then leisurely swiped his fingers up the path his nails had just taken, liberally coating the first two tips in his own dripping blood. Raising the sodden fingers, he trailed them where he had pretended to caress before, leaving twin streaks of blood where Bulma's face was.
It was a shocking sight; this clear barrier marred with bloody streaks as Vegeta cocked his head and bared his canines. Bulma began to tremble in fear, but she remained paralyzed to the spot as Vegeta raised the cut to his mouth. Without breaking eye contact, he began lapping up his own blood, preventing it from soaking his clothes. Bulma watched as his tongue darted in and out, and her heart began to beat faster as her eyes remained locked with his.
Without warning, he charged the barrier, causing a sparking reaction and him to be thrown back into the wall. Bulma screamed in surprise, and ran off, hearing a mocking laughter coming from behind her.
Vegeta looked down at his bloody index finger that was now beginning to show a faint glow. One more day. That was all he needed.
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"Roshi! I will find another trainer if I must, but I will train to fight the Saiyans!"
Roshi stomped back into the room. "And if you create a miscarriage?"
"Is that worse than dying myself? At least I'll die fighting! It is my right to kill those who killed my family!"
"And it's your responsibility to protect the life you carry!"
Yumiko sat down abruptly onto the couch. "Once I give birth, I will go after the Prince. Mark my words. He will die by my hands."
Roshi sat and draped his arm around his wound-up wife. "Until then, please. Think of our child." His face brightening, he smiled. "Have you thought of a name?"
Shyly blushing, Yumiko ducked her head. "I'm pretty sure it's a girl. And if so, I want to name her Kameko."
Roshi's eyes widened. "Kameko? Child of the tortoise?" He puffed out in pride. "I like it."
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Back in her room, Bulma attempted to calm her breathing. The nerve of that… No matter. It was time to send a message. Gathering her scrambler equipment, she prepared to go to the Communications room as a blast rocked the building. Dropping her armload, she sprinted outside, eyes darting about as she saw the warriors dashing to the shield generators. "What happened?"
Michio stopped, clearly agitated, all formalities discarded. "An Elite Saiyan warrior has broken through our outer defenses and is concentrating on our camp. He wants to blast us from the ground up, shaking our walls down! Get to a safe spot!" With that, he ran off to throw himself onto a generator in an attempt to keep the encampment safe.
Bulma panicked. Where was safe from an attack that might puncture the defen… With resolution, she knew. The safest spot was the most reinforced one. And if her life was to be saved, she had to dive into the cell with Vegeta.
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AN2:
Meeee: Thanks!
Grand Admiral: Sir, yes Sir! *laughs*
And I'm sorry for being gone so long, everyone. I haven't read or written anything for so long… *sigh* But I'm back!