I state here and now, I don't own DBZ. I never did, and I never will. I'm
not making one lead
cent offa this, so keep off my back.
However- I do own Kari and any other new characters I introduce. Please
ask before using!
Anyway, on with the show!
****************************************************************************
**
Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns
Running from the living, Running from the dead. Running from the memories, Just one jump ahead.
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish
Ch. 2: Poisoned
Trunks sighed and stretched as he walked onto his balcony. He could hear his parents bickering over the preparations for the baby's room through the wall and rubbed one ear. For the first year or so, the baby was going to sleep in Bulma and Vegeta's room, to make late night feedings and such easier, and then the baby would be moved to a room of its own. At least, that was the plan Bulma was trying to push through. Vegeta thought it would better if the baby stayed in their room for only six to eight months. Trunks chuckled as he recalled his grandfather telling him that pregnant women aren't sane. They think they are, but they aren't. Trunks noted that this fight was different from their usual bouts, since Vegeta was actually trying to keep Bulma relatively calm for the baby's sake.
"A little brother. I wonder what it will be like," Trunks sighed to the cool night air. A soft wind made his long purple hair dance about his face. He pushed it back uselessly and stared up at the stars. He knew he needed a trim, but he hadn't gotten around to it. He stared at the stars and listened to his parents' voices lower to a more conversational tone, and smiled to himself. The stars twinkled down on him, as if giving their approval of his light mood, and suddenly he noticed that one of the stars was moving. A bright streak of light fell from the sky straight toward the mountains in the distance. For a second, Trunks thought he felt ki coming from it. "Hey. . .hey, Dad!! Come here quick!" Trunks called.
"What is it?" Vegeta came into the room in time to hear something explode in the distance. "What was that?!" Vegeta was on the balcony in the blink of an eye and following Trunks' line of vision. Bulma moved up to join them as quickly as her body would allow.
"I'm not sure. It looked like a falling star at first, but I don't think it was," Trunks explained. "I think I felt something. . .ki, maybe. I don't know."
"Hm, I don't sense any powerful kis from it, but there's definitely something alive there. We'll check it out in the morning," Vegeta said, and Trunks nodded. Vegeta's senses were far better practiced at picking up weak signals.
"Do you think it could be somebody looking for Kari? Their escape pods looked a lot like Saiyan pods, and to my understanding you land a Saiyan pod by crashing," Bulma offered the first thought she had to them.
"Possibly. . .if it is, then it's her problem," Vegeta rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But why would they be coming for her now?"
* * * *
"Nice landing, Bose. Next time, I won't wear a seat belt so you can finish killing me!" the irrate voice snapped in the darkened control room.
"Shove it! We're alive and can walk away. Besides, _you_ chose this place for a landing site. I told you there wasn't enough even ground," the second voice snarled in return.
"Knock it off, both of you! We have a mission here, in case you forgot," the leader barked at both of them, making them fall silent.
"Yes, sir," they both finally said.
* * * *
The early morning sun did little to warm the mountain air as Vegeta and Trunks flew toward where they saw the whatever-it-was land. They swooped lower to try and get a better view, and watched as the trees and grass started to give way to barren ground. They slowed down and hovered in the air as they came upon a crater. The hole was big and deep, but there was nothing in it.
"Maybe it was just a meteorite," Trunks shrugged.
"No, I don't think so," Vegeta shook his head, and they descended to the ground. Vegeta walked up to the hole and examined it while Trunks scanned the surrounding area. The purple- haired youth twitched at the feeling of an unfamiliar ki behind him, and all of his senses went on alert. A faint puffing/popping sound reached his ears and he started to turn, but not before something sharp buried itself into his shoulder.
"What the. . .?!" Trunks winced and grabbed the thing in his shoulder, pulling it out. He held it up in the light and saw that it was a dart with a cylinder that had been full of something a moment ago - something that had just been pumped into him. He drew in a slow breath, and then choked out a cry as a burning pain spread through his shoulder, down his back, and into his chest. Agony exploded through his torso, and he stumbled back toward his father.
"D-dad. . .Dad. . .I need h-help!" Trunks rasped out the words and fell to his knees ten feet from his father. Vegeta turned and stared at his fallen son's pale, pained face.
"What the hell? What's wrong with you, Trunks?" Vegeta moved to his son quickly and knelt down with him. He could see no injury on his son's body, nothing at all to cause such a reaction.
"This was. . .shot. . . into my. . .back! Oh, Kami! Pumped me full of something! It BURNS!!" Trunks heaved out the words and held up the dart. Vegeta took it and looked it over. Trunks continued to heave and gasp in pain beside him, until finally his blue eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over, Vegeta catching him before he hit the ground. Vegeta stared at his fallen child, and then turned hateful eyes to the woods around them. He could feel two faint kis out there.
"WHO'S THERE?! COME OUT, COWARDS!!" he yelled. No answer came, except a small noise he didn't recognize coming from behind him. He snapped his head around and caught a dart like the one Trunks had showed him before it hit him. Then another dart landed in his chest. The one from behind was a feint. Vegeta snarled in anger as he pulled the dart out, and then fire bloomed to life through his chest. It spread through his chest and through his body, burning agony that numbed his thoughts. "Poison. . .damn it!" Vegeta groaned, then gathered up his son. He could hardly move, but he had to get them out of there. He threw up a mental barrier to keep the pain from reaching Bulma through the Bond. His one hope was that he reached Capsule Corp. before he lost consciousness.
Goku, Gohan, and Goten had spent a pleasant afternoon fishing, and were heading home with their prize catch: a fish the size of a small whale. Goku held the head, Gohan supported its middle, and Goten held the tail. Any one of them could've easily held up all of its weight, but the fish was awkward and slippery, and it was easier to have all three of them hold it.
"Man, Mom is going to have a fit when she sees this!" Goten laughed.
"I think it would be best if we have it cleaned and ready for cooking by the time we get home," Goku observed cheerfully.
"Sounds like a plan," Gohan agreed. They didn't hear the strange noises behind them. They dropped their fish as they felt sharp stings in their backs, and fire spread through their bodies.
"Wh-what. . .?" Goku stuttered. He walled off his end of the Bond to keep Chi-chi from suffering while he could still think straight. The pain was increasing rapidly, and draining the strength from his body.
"It-it hurts!" Goten choked.
"Oh, Kami, what is this?" Gohan moaned as the fire-feeling spread through his body.
"We-we. . .have to. . .get back to the house. . ." Goku gasped, and they dashed back home as best as their dying bodies could take them. Goten leaned heavily on his father, who half carried him. Chi-chi was outside hanging up some laundry when she saw her family coming up.
"Well, there you are! What, no fish?" she called playfully, and then saw the pain they were in. She thought she had felt a brief burst of pain from Goku, but she hadn't known what to make of it. "What is it?! What's wrong?!" she ran up to them just before Goku collapsed. Gohan and Goten tumbled down after him. Darts glinted from their backs. "Oh my Kami. . .!!" Chi-chi gasped, and ran to find a phone. She came back out with their cordless, telling the emergency operator as many details as she could. She knelt down by her husband and sons and felt their wrists. "Just collapsed! Their pulses are thready and weak, they seem to have a fever, and. . . there are darts in their backs," Chi-chi pulled one of the darts out and looked at it carefully. "They've been poisoned!" she gasped into the phone.
Kari strolled down the sidewalk confidently, heading straight for her favorite restaurant. She knew men were looking at her, but she ignored it. There were only two men she was interested in getting. Though at the moment, she was more interested in getting a club sandwich with fries, salad, appetizer cheese sticks, soup, and cake and ice cream for dessert. A puffing/popping sound suddenly caught her attention, and Kari spun around in time to see the dart before it buried its business end into her left breast.
"What the fuck?!" Kari cursed as she pulled the dart out. "Who did that?!" Kari yelled to the air, and the people around her on the street sent her confused looks. Kari scowled, and then jerked. The world slid out from under her feet as pain leaped up like fire in her chest and shot through her body, making her knees buckle and her eyes water. She struggled toward the nearest payphone, gasping painfully as she went.
"Hey, are you okay, Ma'am?" a man on the street asked her as she stumbled past him.
"N-n-no," Kari managed to say, and finally found the phone. She dialed up the emergency number and started talking, but then everything faded to black and she hit the pavement with a thud.
"Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you still there?" a voice called from the receiver. The man who had spoken to Kari took the phone.
"She's passed out. She looks really sick," he told the operator. "Her pulse? Hold on, I'll check."
Bulma sat in the hospital room with her husband and son. She had found Vegeta unconscious on their lawn, Trunks with him. A dart was in his hand. Bulma shivered at the thought of someone poisoning her family, despite the discomfort it brought. Vegeta's mental shield had almost completely failed within an hour of his passing out, and she could feel the agony he was in. Moving her own body almost seemed to increase the pain she felt. She turned at the sound of footsteps, and stared in shock as Goku and his two sons were wheeled in to the large room. The doctors and nurses quickly settled them into beds and hooked them up to the life monitoring and support equipment.
"What? What is this?" Bulma asked quietly.
"They've been poisoned, too, Mrs. Vegeta. Same kind of dart and everything," the head doctor told her.
"Oh, no!" Bulma whispered. Once the doctors were gone, Chi-chi came into the room. The two wives saw each other and recoiled in horror.
"No, not you too!" Chi-chi gasped. She looked over and saw Vegeta and Trunks in two beds, eyes shut.
"What's happening? Who could be doing this to them?" Bulma shook her head to try and clear it of the emotional mess that was cluttering it.
"I don't know! But. . .Oh, Kami! Kari!" Chi-chi jerked as a realization hit her.
"Kari? What about her?" Bulma tilted her head.
"Think about it! All of the other Saiyans have been taken down by those darts! She's the only one left! We have to warn her!" Chi-chi said urgently, and Bulma nodded.
"But how?" Bulma started to rise when one more Gurney was wheeled into the room. Kari was laid out on it. The doctors put her in the last bed in the far corner and got her hooked up. "Too late," Bulma whispered.
"This can't be happening," Chi-chi whispered and fought back tears. She pulled up a chair and sat between Goten and Goku, who was across from Vegeta. Vegeta was in the bed closest to the door on the left, Trunks next to him, and Kari by Trunks. Goku, Goten, and Gohan were all in line on the right.
"Vegeta and Trunks were hit this morning, out in the mountains," Bulma said. She could only assume it had happened while they were out in the mountains, but they hadn't woken up to actually tell her yet.
"It probably took whoever did this a while to get down near my house," Chi-chi observed as she reached out and gently stroked Goku's cheek.
"There was probably more than one, since they must have nailed Kari at almost the same time," Bulma pointed out.
"I'm here! What's happened? Has he woken up yet?" Videl came running into the room and skidded to a halt at the sight of all of the downed Saiyans. "Wh-what. . .?"
"We don't know yet. They've all been poisoned, we know that much. But by who and why is still unanswered," Bulma stated as firmly as she could. Videl went over to Gohan, and bent a trembling hand down to touch his face.
"Hi, Sweetheart. It's me, I followed the ambulance. I had to stop and talk to the people at the front desk, though," she whispered to him, but the only reaction he gave was a sharp intake of breath. "We have to find who did this and make them hand over the cure," Videl said as she turned to the other wives. Chi-chi and Bulma nodded.
"I'm going to call Yamcha and Krillin. The more eyes we have looking, the better," Bulma said and carefully stood up. "You guys stay here and. . .keep an eye on all of them," she darted a quick glance to her husband and son, and then left the room to find a phone.
"Hello, Kame House, Maron speaking," Maron chirped cheerfully into the phone.
"Hello, Maron. This is Bulma, could I speak to your father please?" Bulma asked quietly.
"Oh, hi Aunt Bulma! Sure, just a sec," Maron answered, and turned away from the phone. "DAD! AUNT BULMA IS ON THE PHONE AND SHE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" Bulma heard the little girl yell. After a few seconds she heard Krillin's voice.
"Maron, you shouldn't yell across the house like that," Krillin's voice faintly reached Bulma's ear, and she pressed her lips together as she felt tears form in her eyes. Her mind momentarily filled with how long it had taken Trunks to learn that.
"Sorry, Daddy," Maron's voice replied, and there was a soft sound as the phone changed hands.
"Hey, Bulma. What's up?" Krillin asked in his usual care-free tone. Bulma drew in a slow breath to steady herself.
"We have an emergency, Krillin," she said, and her voice caught.
"What sort of emergency?" Krillin's voice had grown low and serious. Bulma licked her dry lips and tried to steady her rapid heart beat.
"There are. . .some kind of assassins here. . .the Saiyans, all of them, Vegeta, Trunks, Goku, Gohan, Goten and Kari, have been poisoned. They're in the Satan City Hospital right now . . .they're dying, Krillin. We need help finding the people who did this so they can give us the cure," Bulma felt her heart clench tightly as she forced herself to admit out loud that her family was dying. For a moment, Krillin was silent.
"I'll be there in ten minutes, Bulma," he said.
"Thanks, Krillin. See you soon," Bulma gave a small nod, even though she knew he couldn't see it.
"Bye," Krillin answered, and hung up. Bulma hung up, and dialed the next number.
"Hello?" Yamcha said casually into the phone.
"Hello, Yamcha? It's Bulma," Bulma's voice greeted him.
"Hi, Bulma," Yamcha sat up a little straighter. She sounded upset.
"Yamcha, we need your help," Bulma started in.
"Is something wrong with the baby?" Yamcha jumped in.
"No, no, the baby is fine. It's. . .the Saiyans have all been poisoned, and we don't know by who. They're dying. We-we need you to help us look for whoever did this so they can give us the cure," Bulma explained. "We're in the Satan City Hospital."
"All of them?" Yamcha's voice revealed his surprise. He didn't think there was anyone who could get the drop on all six Saiyans.
"Yes, all of them," Bulma's voice wavered and filled with tears.
"I'll be there as soon as I can, Bulma," Yamcha said quickly, not wanting her to cry.
"Thank you. Bye," she said gently.
"Bye," Yamcha said and hung up.
Bulma came back into the hospital room and sighed softly. "They're on their way," she told her fellow wives.
"That's something, at least," Videl heaved a shuddering sigh of her own. All three snapped to attention when they heard a tapping at the window. They all turned and stared at Piccolo, who was floating outside with Tien and Chiao-Tzu. Chi-chi got up and opened the window, and let in the trio.
"Hey, we were practicing when we felt the Saiyans' kis drop abruptly. What happened?" Tien explained quickly and looked around at the Saiyans in the beds.
"Gohan. . ." Piccolo's eyes locked onto his once-student, whose face was contorted in pain even in his unconscious state.
"Someone poisoned them. Vegeta had a dart in his hand when I found him and Trunks," Bulma told them.
"And Goku, Gohan, and Goten all had darts in their shoulders," Chi- chi added.
"Who did this?!" Piccolo demanded, close to roaring he was so angry.
"We don't know! I just called Krillin and Yamcha to try and help find out," Bulma said. At that moment, Krillin, 18, and Yamcha entered the room.
"We're here! Holy Kami! They look awful!" Krillin looked around at his fallen friends and frowned. Yamcha obviously shared the sentiment, and then he noticed the other members of the Earth Special Forces.
"Hey, guys. How did you know to come?" Yamcha asked the other Z- fighters.
"We felt the drop in their ki," Piccolo answered shortly. Yamcha nodded.
"I did too, but I didn't know what to make of it until Bulma called," he said.
"And you, 18?" Tien looked to the blonde cyborg.
"The more people we have looking, the better the odds of finding the people responsible for this," she replied.
"Excellent point," Tien smiled a bit.
"I thought so, too," Krillin nodded.
"Do you have any idea where we can start looking for who did this?" Chiao-Tzu asked the three women sitting by their husbands' sides.
"No. . ." Chi-chi and Videl shook their heads sadly.
"Not really, except. . .well, this morning Vegeta and Trunks went to the eastern mountains, because they saw something crash there last night. When they came back, they were like this," Bulma ran her hand over her belly as she spoke.
"Then we're going to the eastern mountains," Piccolo declared, and the others nodded.
"We should get some senzu beans, see if those help them first," Krillin suggested.
"Good idea," Chiao-Tzu said. The others agreed, though Piccolo was anxious to get to the mountains.
"Ladies, stay here with them. Whoever did this might decide not to take any chances and come here to finish the job," Yamcha instructed Chi-chi, Bulma, and Videl. The three women nodded.
"Lets go!" Tien said, and they all took off through the window.
The doctors studied the tiny drops of poison that were left in the darts. The tests all indicated the same thing, and it worried them. They ran one final test, and after several minutes, got their answer.
"Oh, Kami. This could be a real problem," One doctor rubbed his chin as he stared at the read out. "A real problem." He turned from his computer to look at the collection of darts they had accumulated, each labeled by who they had hit. He paused as he suddenly noticed something. One of the darts was bigger than the others.
**************************************************************************** ** The stuff has officially hit the fan, but there's more to come! Next time: Ch.3: "Made Just for Saiyans. . ." - The Assassins Revealed!
Want to tell me what you think? Then e-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! If you're told that address doesn't work, try my brother, Scorpinac@aol.com!
Things Best Forgotten Part 2 by NansJns
Running from the living, Running from the dead. Running from the memories, Just one jump ahead.
"Still Alive" by Leslie Fish
Ch. 2: Poisoned
Trunks sighed and stretched as he walked onto his balcony. He could hear his parents bickering over the preparations for the baby's room through the wall and rubbed one ear. For the first year or so, the baby was going to sleep in Bulma and Vegeta's room, to make late night feedings and such easier, and then the baby would be moved to a room of its own. At least, that was the plan Bulma was trying to push through. Vegeta thought it would better if the baby stayed in their room for only six to eight months. Trunks chuckled as he recalled his grandfather telling him that pregnant women aren't sane. They think they are, but they aren't. Trunks noted that this fight was different from their usual bouts, since Vegeta was actually trying to keep Bulma relatively calm for the baby's sake.
"A little brother. I wonder what it will be like," Trunks sighed to the cool night air. A soft wind made his long purple hair dance about his face. He pushed it back uselessly and stared up at the stars. He knew he needed a trim, but he hadn't gotten around to it. He stared at the stars and listened to his parents' voices lower to a more conversational tone, and smiled to himself. The stars twinkled down on him, as if giving their approval of his light mood, and suddenly he noticed that one of the stars was moving. A bright streak of light fell from the sky straight toward the mountains in the distance. For a second, Trunks thought he felt ki coming from it. "Hey. . .hey, Dad!! Come here quick!" Trunks called.
"What is it?" Vegeta came into the room in time to hear something explode in the distance. "What was that?!" Vegeta was on the balcony in the blink of an eye and following Trunks' line of vision. Bulma moved up to join them as quickly as her body would allow.
"I'm not sure. It looked like a falling star at first, but I don't think it was," Trunks explained. "I think I felt something. . .ki, maybe. I don't know."
"Hm, I don't sense any powerful kis from it, but there's definitely something alive there. We'll check it out in the morning," Vegeta said, and Trunks nodded. Vegeta's senses were far better practiced at picking up weak signals.
"Do you think it could be somebody looking for Kari? Their escape pods looked a lot like Saiyan pods, and to my understanding you land a Saiyan pod by crashing," Bulma offered the first thought she had to them.
"Possibly. . .if it is, then it's her problem," Vegeta rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But why would they be coming for her now?"
* * * *
"Nice landing, Bose. Next time, I won't wear a seat belt so you can finish killing me!" the irrate voice snapped in the darkened control room.
"Shove it! We're alive and can walk away. Besides, _you_ chose this place for a landing site. I told you there wasn't enough even ground," the second voice snarled in return.
"Knock it off, both of you! We have a mission here, in case you forgot," the leader barked at both of them, making them fall silent.
"Yes, sir," they both finally said.
* * * *
The early morning sun did little to warm the mountain air as Vegeta and Trunks flew toward where they saw the whatever-it-was land. They swooped lower to try and get a better view, and watched as the trees and grass started to give way to barren ground. They slowed down and hovered in the air as they came upon a crater. The hole was big and deep, but there was nothing in it.
"Maybe it was just a meteorite," Trunks shrugged.
"No, I don't think so," Vegeta shook his head, and they descended to the ground. Vegeta walked up to the hole and examined it while Trunks scanned the surrounding area. The purple- haired youth twitched at the feeling of an unfamiliar ki behind him, and all of his senses went on alert. A faint puffing/popping sound reached his ears and he started to turn, but not before something sharp buried itself into his shoulder.
"What the. . .?!" Trunks winced and grabbed the thing in his shoulder, pulling it out. He held it up in the light and saw that it was a dart with a cylinder that had been full of something a moment ago - something that had just been pumped into him. He drew in a slow breath, and then choked out a cry as a burning pain spread through his shoulder, down his back, and into his chest. Agony exploded through his torso, and he stumbled back toward his father.
"D-dad. . .Dad. . .I need h-help!" Trunks rasped out the words and fell to his knees ten feet from his father. Vegeta turned and stared at his fallen son's pale, pained face.
"What the hell? What's wrong with you, Trunks?" Vegeta moved to his son quickly and knelt down with him. He could see no injury on his son's body, nothing at all to cause such a reaction.
"This was. . .shot. . . into my. . .back! Oh, Kami! Pumped me full of something! It BURNS!!" Trunks heaved out the words and held up the dart. Vegeta took it and looked it over. Trunks continued to heave and gasp in pain beside him, until finally his blue eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over, Vegeta catching him before he hit the ground. Vegeta stared at his fallen child, and then turned hateful eyes to the woods around them. He could feel two faint kis out there.
"WHO'S THERE?! COME OUT, COWARDS!!" he yelled. No answer came, except a small noise he didn't recognize coming from behind him. He snapped his head around and caught a dart like the one Trunks had showed him before it hit him. Then another dart landed in his chest. The one from behind was a feint. Vegeta snarled in anger as he pulled the dart out, and then fire bloomed to life through his chest. It spread through his chest and through his body, burning agony that numbed his thoughts. "Poison. . .damn it!" Vegeta groaned, then gathered up his son. He could hardly move, but he had to get them out of there. He threw up a mental barrier to keep the pain from reaching Bulma through the Bond. His one hope was that he reached Capsule Corp. before he lost consciousness.
Goku, Gohan, and Goten had spent a pleasant afternoon fishing, and were heading home with their prize catch: a fish the size of a small whale. Goku held the head, Gohan supported its middle, and Goten held the tail. Any one of them could've easily held up all of its weight, but the fish was awkward and slippery, and it was easier to have all three of them hold it.
"Man, Mom is going to have a fit when she sees this!" Goten laughed.
"I think it would be best if we have it cleaned and ready for cooking by the time we get home," Goku observed cheerfully.
"Sounds like a plan," Gohan agreed. They didn't hear the strange noises behind them. They dropped their fish as they felt sharp stings in their backs, and fire spread through their bodies.
"Wh-what. . .?" Goku stuttered. He walled off his end of the Bond to keep Chi-chi from suffering while he could still think straight. The pain was increasing rapidly, and draining the strength from his body.
"It-it hurts!" Goten choked.
"Oh, Kami, what is this?" Gohan moaned as the fire-feeling spread through his body.
"We-we. . .have to. . .get back to the house. . ." Goku gasped, and they dashed back home as best as their dying bodies could take them. Goten leaned heavily on his father, who half carried him. Chi-chi was outside hanging up some laundry when she saw her family coming up.
"Well, there you are! What, no fish?" she called playfully, and then saw the pain they were in. She thought she had felt a brief burst of pain from Goku, but she hadn't known what to make of it. "What is it?! What's wrong?!" she ran up to them just before Goku collapsed. Gohan and Goten tumbled down after him. Darts glinted from their backs. "Oh my Kami. . .!!" Chi-chi gasped, and ran to find a phone. She came back out with their cordless, telling the emergency operator as many details as she could. She knelt down by her husband and sons and felt their wrists. "Just collapsed! Their pulses are thready and weak, they seem to have a fever, and. . . there are darts in their backs," Chi-chi pulled one of the darts out and looked at it carefully. "They've been poisoned!" she gasped into the phone.
Kari strolled down the sidewalk confidently, heading straight for her favorite restaurant. She knew men were looking at her, but she ignored it. There were only two men she was interested in getting. Though at the moment, she was more interested in getting a club sandwich with fries, salad, appetizer cheese sticks, soup, and cake and ice cream for dessert. A puffing/popping sound suddenly caught her attention, and Kari spun around in time to see the dart before it buried its business end into her left breast.
"What the fuck?!" Kari cursed as she pulled the dart out. "Who did that?!" Kari yelled to the air, and the people around her on the street sent her confused looks. Kari scowled, and then jerked. The world slid out from under her feet as pain leaped up like fire in her chest and shot through her body, making her knees buckle and her eyes water. She struggled toward the nearest payphone, gasping painfully as she went.
"Hey, are you okay, Ma'am?" a man on the street asked her as she stumbled past him.
"N-n-no," Kari managed to say, and finally found the phone. She dialed up the emergency number and started talking, but then everything faded to black and she hit the pavement with a thud.
"Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you still there?" a voice called from the receiver. The man who had spoken to Kari took the phone.
"She's passed out. She looks really sick," he told the operator. "Her pulse? Hold on, I'll check."
Bulma sat in the hospital room with her husband and son. She had found Vegeta unconscious on their lawn, Trunks with him. A dart was in his hand. Bulma shivered at the thought of someone poisoning her family, despite the discomfort it brought. Vegeta's mental shield had almost completely failed within an hour of his passing out, and she could feel the agony he was in. Moving her own body almost seemed to increase the pain she felt. She turned at the sound of footsteps, and stared in shock as Goku and his two sons were wheeled in to the large room. The doctors and nurses quickly settled them into beds and hooked them up to the life monitoring and support equipment.
"What? What is this?" Bulma asked quietly.
"They've been poisoned, too, Mrs. Vegeta. Same kind of dart and everything," the head doctor told her.
"Oh, no!" Bulma whispered. Once the doctors were gone, Chi-chi came into the room. The two wives saw each other and recoiled in horror.
"No, not you too!" Chi-chi gasped. She looked over and saw Vegeta and Trunks in two beds, eyes shut.
"What's happening? Who could be doing this to them?" Bulma shook her head to try and clear it of the emotional mess that was cluttering it.
"I don't know! But. . .Oh, Kami! Kari!" Chi-chi jerked as a realization hit her.
"Kari? What about her?" Bulma tilted her head.
"Think about it! All of the other Saiyans have been taken down by those darts! She's the only one left! We have to warn her!" Chi-chi said urgently, and Bulma nodded.
"But how?" Bulma started to rise when one more Gurney was wheeled into the room. Kari was laid out on it. The doctors put her in the last bed in the far corner and got her hooked up. "Too late," Bulma whispered.
"This can't be happening," Chi-chi whispered and fought back tears. She pulled up a chair and sat between Goten and Goku, who was across from Vegeta. Vegeta was in the bed closest to the door on the left, Trunks next to him, and Kari by Trunks. Goku, Goten, and Gohan were all in line on the right.
"Vegeta and Trunks were hit this morning, out in the mountains," Bulma said. She could only assume it had happened while they were out in the mountains, but they hadn't woken up to actually tell her yet.
"It probably took whoever did this a while to get down near my house," Chi-chi observed as she reached out and gently stroked Goku's cheek.
"There was probably more than one, since they must have nailed Kari at almost the same time," Bulma pointed out.
"I'm here! What's happened? Has he woken up yet?" Videl came running into the room and skidded to a halt at the sight of all of the downed Saiyans. "Wh-what. . .?"
"We don't know yet. They've all been poisoned, we know that much. But by who and why is still unanswered," Bulma stated as firmly as she could. Videl went over to Gohan, and bent a trembling hand down to touch his face.
"Hi, Sweetheart. It's me, I followed the ambulance. I had to stop and talk to the people at the front desk, though," she whispered to him, but the only reaction he gave was a sharp intake of breath. "We have to find who did this and make them hand over the cure," Videl said as she turned to the other wives. Chi-chi and Bulma nodded.
"I'm going to call Yamcha and Krillin. The more eyes we have looking, the better," Bulma said and carefully stood up. "You guys stay here and. . .keep an eye on all of them," she darted a quick glance to her husband and son, and then left the room to find a phone.
"Hello, Kame House, Maron speaking," Maron chirped cheerfully into the phone.
"Hello, Maron. This is Bulma, could I speak to your father please?" Bulma asked quietly.
"Oh, hi Aunt Bulma! Sure, just a sec," Maron answered, and turned away from the phone. "DAD! AUNT BULMA IS ON THE PHONE AND SHE WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!" Bulma heard the little girl yell. After a few seconds she heard Krillin's voice.
"Maron, you shouldn't yell across the house like that," Krillin's voice faintly reached Bulma's ear, and she pressed her lips together as she felt tears form in her eyes. Her mind momentarily filled with how long it had taken Trunks to learn that.
"Sorry, Daddy," Maron's voice replied, and there was a soft sound as the phone changed hands.
"Hey, Bulma. What's up?" Krillin asked in his usual care-free tone. Bulma drew in a slow breath to steady herself.
"We have an emergency, Krillin," she said, and her voice caught.
"What sort of emergency?" Krillin's voice had grown low and serious. Bulma licked her dry lips and tried to steady her rapid heart beat.
"There are. . .some kind of assassins here. . .the Saiyans, all of them, Vegeta, Trunks, Goku, Gohan, Goten and Kari, have been poisoned. They're in the Satan City Hospital right now . . .they're dying, Krillin. We need help finding the people who did this so they can give us the cure," Bulma felt her heart clench tightly as she forced herself to admit out loud that her family was dying. For a moment, Krillin was silent.
"I'll be there in ten minutes, Bulma," he said.
"Thanks, Krillin. See you soon," Bulma gave a small nod, even though she knew he couldn't see it.
"Bye," Krillin answered, and hung up. Bulma hung up, and dialed the next number.
"Hello?" Yamcha said casually into the phone.
"Hello, Yamcha? It's Bulma," Bulma's voice greeted him.
"Hi, Bulma," Yamcha sat up a little straighter. She sounded upset.
"Yamcha, we need your help," Bulma started in.
"Is something wrong with the baby?" Yamcha jumped in.
"No, no, the baby is fine. It's. . .the Saiyans have all been poisoned, and we don't know by who. They're dying. We-we need you to help us look for whoever did this so they can give us the cure," Bulma explained. "We're in the Satan City Hospital."
"All of them?" Yamcha's voice revealed his surprise. He didn't think there was anyone who could get the drop on all six Saiyans.
"Yes, all of them," Bulma's voice wavered and filled with tears.
"I'll be there as soon as I can, Bulma," Yamcha said quickly, not wanting her to cry.
"Thank you. Bye," she said gently.
"Bye," Yamcha said and hung up.
Bulma came back into the hospital room and sighed softly. "They're on their way," she told her fellow wives.
"That's something, at least," Videl heaved a shuddering sigh of her own. All three snapped to attention when they heard a tapping at the window. They all turned and stared at Piccolo, who was floating outside with Tien and Chiao-Tzu. Chi-chi got up and opened the window, and let in the trio.
"Hey, we were practicing when we felt the Saiyans' kis drop abruptly. What happened?" Tien explained quickly and looked around at the Saiyans in the beds.
"Gohan. . ." Piccolo's eyes locked onto his once-student, whose face was contorted in pain even in his unconscious state.
"Someone poisoned them. Vegeta had a dart in his hand when I found him and Trunks," Bulma told them.
"And Goku, Gohan, and Goten all had darts in their shoulders," Chi- chi added.
"Who did this?!" Piccolo demanded, close to roaring he was so angry.
"We don't know! I just called Krillin and Yamcha to try and help find out," Bulma said. At that moment, Krillin, 18, and Yamcha entered the room.
"We're here! Holy Kami! They look awful!" Krillin looked around at his fallen friends and frowned. Yamcha obviously shared the sentiment, and then he noticed the other members of the Earth Special Forces.
"Hey, guys. How did you know to come?" Yamcha asked the other Z- fighters.
"We felt the drop in their ki," Piccolo answered shortly. Yamcha nodded.
"I did too, but I didn't know what to make of it until Bulma called," he said.
"And you, 18?" Tien looked to the blonde cyborg.
"The more people we have looking, the better the odds of finding the people responsible for this," she replied.
"Excellent point," Tien smiled a bit.
"I thought so, too," Krillin nodded.
"Do you have any idea where we can start looking for who did this?" Chiao-Tzu asked the three women sitting by their husbands' sides.
"No. . ." Chi-chi and Videl shook their heads sadly.
"Not really, except. . .well, this morning Vegeta and Trunks went to the eastern mountains, because they saw something crash there last night. When they came back, they were like this," Bulma ran her hand over her belly as she spoke.
"Then we're going to the eastern mountains," Piccolo declared, and the others nodded.
"We should get some senzu beans, see if those help them first," Krillin suggested.
"Good idea," Chiao-Tzu said. The others agreed, though Piccolo was anxious to get to the mountains.
"Ladies, stay here with them. Whoever did this might decide not to take any chances and come here to finish the job," Yamcha instructed Chi-chi, Bulma, and Videl. The three women nodded.
"Lets go!" Tien said, and they all took off through the window.
The doctors studied the tiny drops of poison that were left in the darts. The tests all indicated the same thing, and it worried them. They ran one final test, and after several minutes, got their answer.
"Oh, Kami. This could be a real problem," One doctor rubbed his chin as he stared at the read out. "A real problem." He turned from his computer to look at the collection of darts they had accumulated, each labeled by who they had hit. He paused as he suddenly noticed something. One of the darts was bigger than the others.
**************************************************************************** ** The stuff has officially hit the fan, but there's more to come! Next time: Ch.3: "Made Just for Saiyans. . ." - The Assassins Revealed!
Want to tell me what you think? Then e-mail me at NansJns@aol.com! If you're told that address doesn't work, try my brother, Scorpinac@aol.com!
