Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, or Dragonball GT. Those and the characters were created by Akira Toriyama, so please do not sue.
Chapter 9 - Around Satan City
"Are you positive?" Sashima asked, slowly rotating her head around till it faced the direction of the back door, on the other side of the kitchen.
Nodding slowly, Bulma made her way through the immense amount of furniture in the sitting room, pausing slightly in the doorway. "He always comes home at this time to get some food, wash up, and sleep."
"Wait, I'll come with you," Sashima said, making her route to the doorway as well. "If he decides to try anything…"
Bulma sighed. Maybe she was overestimating Sashima, but she doubted if even she could stand up to the forces of a Saiyan. "Vegeta is no ordinary person, Sashima. He is ruthless and will not hesitate to exert harm on anyone he wishes to."
"Maybe so, but I'm pretty confident about this Bulma."
* * * * *
Voices floated from the sitting room of Capsule Corporation and smacked themselves right against the keen ears of Vegeta, who was indeed in the kitchen. He smirked to himself. 'So that woman has a friend over and they are coming for me, eh?' he thought to himself. He had heard every single word uttered ever since he had entered the house, much thanks to his extra-sharp Saiyan ears. 'That other woman seems confident she will defeat me,' the thoughts continued to run, 'but no matter, her ki is only 500 and I'll break her neck before she even realizes it.' Chuckling inwardly, he dug deeper into the fridge for any more meat that might've been left over.
The footsteps came nearer as he sat down with an enormous plate of cold meats and began to devour them greedily at the table. Presently, Bulma and Sashima had both entered the spacious kitchen, Bulma's eyes darting over to Vegeta instantly.
"Vegeta."
"What do you want woman?" Casually he resumed his eating, loudly chugging down an entire gallon of milk as he spoke.
"Where were you when the fire broke out?"
"What fire?" Vegeta looked up from his plate of food and scowled at Bulma's demanding face.
"The one at the hospital, mister! And don't tell me that you didn't have anything to do with it!"
"Look woman, I do not know what the hell you are talking about and I certainly would not waste my time setting an insignificant fire when I could just blow this measly planet to dust!" His eyes lashed out dangerously, just as he had done earlier that day.
Bulma gulped, sensing Vegeta's temper on the rise. If she was not careful he might just blow his top for the second time that day and she might end up worst than two bruised shoulders. Fortunately, Sashima broke the silence.
"Bulma, I don't think it was him."
Her eyes roamed from Vegeta and back to Sashima before making her response. 'How could it not be him?' Her mind shouted at her furiously, 'Who else would do such a thing…?'
Clearing her throat, Bulma spoke. "How can you be so sure Sashima?"
There was that same faraway look in the ruby-colored eyes that Bulma had seen when Sashima had been atop the masses of rubble. Deep down, the sorrow re-coursed itself through her stomach as Bulma was finally struck that Sashima was, once again, in deep thought.
"I was at the door of the hospital room when the fire began," she started to speak, her eyes now glued to Vegeta, "and I saw the person who started the fire."
A gasp and an unbearable silence permeated the kitchen. Vegeta had finished eating and was staring intently at the two women near the doorway, while Bulma, widened eyes, had her own gaze on Sashima. Outside on the grounds of Capsule Corporation, the crickets had momentarily halted their night's song, the air still and unmoving as well.
Sashima continued, "I saw this person. And they were in no way like that man over there," she nodded over in Vegeta's direction. "This man is short with a stocky build. The person I saw was lean and much taller, and he poured some sort of liquid onto newspapers to start the fire. I tried to go after him," this time she looked at Bulma, an almost pained look resting on her face, "but he had gone by the time I was able to get out of the room…and the fire was already getting out of control…"
"Sashima, are you sure? You positive you hadn't saw the person incorrectly?" Still bewildered, Bulma's mouth hung open as she gawked at Vegeta, a slow smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"I swear, Bulma. That person did not look a thing like Vegeta."
"But then…who would want to destroy a hospital?"
"Do you have any enemies? Or know of any rival companies who want to deliberately sabotage Capsule Corporation so the technological industry will go their way?"
Bulma thought for a moment, her eyebrows deeply furrowed. "No, none that I can think of right off the top of my head," she at last replied. "There used to be the Red Ribbon Army, but Goku destroyed them a long time ago…"
"Well then, most likely it's someone who wants to make bad publicity for Capsule Corp…and I don't think, judging from his attitude…" Sashima raised an eyebrow at Vegeta, "that your guest would bother to do that…"
"Listen to the red-haired one, woman. At least she has an ounce of sense in her." Vegeta sneered, thoroughly pleased the woman had been proven wrong and humiliated through her wrongdoings. "Don't you owe me an apology woman?"
Bulma cast her eyes, ashamed, to the floor. Gritting her teeth, she mumbled an almost incoherent answer that sounded something like, "I'm sorry for accusing you, Vegeta."
His sensitive Saiyan ears no doubt picked up the answer. Satisfied, he put on his usual smirk. "That's more like it." Sauntering out of the room, he made his way up the flight of stairs to the second floor.
"Geez does that guy always smirk?" Walking over to the table she picked up Vegeta's empty plate and started washing it in the sink.
"When he's a good mood, yes. When he's angered, then most likely he'll be yelling in your face," was Bulma's response. Taking the chair Vegeta had left vacant, she collapsed wearily onto it and buried her face in her hands. "I just can't believe I was so dense to accuse Vegeta of two things! And in the same day as well!"
"Hey cheer up Bulma, Vegeta doesn't seem like such a bad guy to me…" Rinsing away the soapsuds, the plate was placed in the dish rack to dry. Sashima wiped her hands clean on a paper towel before taking a seat to join Bulma at the table.
"Well that's probably because you've only met him, Sashima. And besides, he was in an unusually good mood. Just don't try and irritate him, because if you do, only Goku will be able to stop him." Bulma threw the empty milk can into the recycling before rising from her seat, stretching out her arms and stifling a yawn. "It's getting late. I'll show you to your room."
* * * * *
"Wow Bulma, I didn't know there were so many rooms in this place…" Sashima stared in awe at the many corridors, rooms, and spaces on the second floor of Bulma's prestigious home. In every direction she turned, she was faced with another vast chamber. At the end of each hallway, more corridors branched off in every which direction. Exquisite paintings lined these hallways, and bright fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling lighted every few feet. "A person can so easily get lost in here Bulma--do you check for starving thieves in these halls every so often?" Sashima joked.
Laughing, Bulma replied, "Well I should hope no thieves get into this place. Much money and time goes into security at Capsule Corporation so that nothing that is not supposed to be known leaks out or anything unwanted sneaks in."
They continued along the main hall of the second floor, pausing every once in awhile for Bulma to show Sashima the important locations. "Here is the main bathroom. Over there is my parents' bedroom, and this one here is mine. And here--" Bulma and Sashima stopped before a closed door near the middle of the main hallway, in front of the railings that looked down onto the first floor, "--is your room."
Pushing wide the door, Sashima's breath caught in her throat. The room was simple, yet stunningly delightful all the same. On the side were two sets of closet doors, the kind where they slid with a touch of a hand. Two dressers flanked the bed in the middle of the room, an elegant table lamp on each. The bed itself rose four feet from the ground and was equipped with matching sets of sheets, covers, and pillows. On one dresser stood its own cordless phone, and at the far side of the room, opposite the closets, a great mahogany desk stood with its own straight-backed chair and desk lamp, amid the necessary writing implements. A bookshelf stood in another corner of the room, piled full and overflowing with the texts. Behind the bed, two windows, their glass smooth as ice, velvet curtains shrouding the outside from view. Opposite these windows, an ancient clock hung on the wall, intoning the time as 11:30 P.M. Between the bookshelf and the desk was another closed door.
"Oh my God Bulma…this is just too much…I don't deserve to stay in such a room!" Sashima protested, still at astonishment with the surroundings.
"No I insist you stay in this room, Sashima. Besides, even if you were in another room, it would look just about the same as this one." Bulma smiled and pointed to the door at the far side of the room. "Oh and that's the door to the bathroom."
"No way…" Sashima gasped, running over and throwing the door open. Inside were a spa-like bathtub, two sinks, and a toilet, all resting on a shiny marble floor. "My God Bulma, this place is good enough for kings to live in! I simply cannot receive such lavishness!"
Bulma shook her head. "It's not lavish; most of the other guestrooms have their own bathrooms attached as well. That's why we only have one main bathroom on this floor."
"Wow…" Sashima had never seen a place so extravagant in the twenty-two years of her life, much less lived in one. 'If these are the guestrooms, then I would probably be dead from seeing too much if I ever entered the main rooms…' Returning to the bedroom, Sashima sat down on the soft blanket, fingering the smooth fabric between her fingertips. "I truly thank you for this Bulma…someday I will pay you back for your hospitality."
"It's nothing. We're friends now, aren't we?"
"Of course."
"Oh!" Hurrying out of the room, Bulma quickly returned with a stack of clothes. "Since you don't have any clothes with you besides the ones in the wash, and since you're about my size, you can borrow one of my nightgowns to sleep in. Here's a pair of slippers as well," said Bulma, as she made for the door. "One more thing…Vegeta's room is at the end of the hall…just for your information…" Her eyes darted nervously toward that particular direction as she spoke.
"Oh that's fine with me," Sashima replied, absent-mindedly taking in the room once more.
"Well I'll leave you to get settled then. Good night." Closing the door as she left the room, Bulma headed silently to her own room at the other end of the hall.
A sudden wave of sleep hit Sashima forcefully, and reluctantly she got up, making sure the door had been locked. She changed into the nightgown Bulma had supplied her, hanging the bathrobe on the chair by the desk. Wearied by the day's events, she flung herself beneath the covers, her head resting gently on the pillows, which were soft as snow.
Burying herself deep into the comforts of the bed, Sashima slowly drifted off to sleep. Both windows flew open and the light switch flipped itself off, throwing the room into darkness.
* * * * *
"Good morning!" Bulma was cheery as she greeted Sashima for breakfast the next morning. Sitting down to a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausage, they discussed their plans for that day.
"I guess I would like to go around Satan City for awhile, see the sights and all…" Sashima began, slowly chewing her food and putting on a smile. Bulma was not exactly the best cook in the world, and she hastened to gulp down some orange juice in order to quench the mysterious flavor of the sausages. "Bulma…since I don't have anywhere else to go…are you sure it's okay if I still here for awhile?"
"Of course you can! My parents wouldn't mind, and I'll be glad if you stayed!" said Bulma, enthusiastically.
"Then I think it'll be better if I bought some stuff of my own then." Fishing into a pocket of her jeans, she dug out her wallet and took out some bills. "They use the Zeni here as well?" she inquired, holding up the money.
"Yup, exact same as we have here." Bulma examined the currency curiously, making certain that it was indeed the type they used in Satan City and the rest of the world.
Replacing the bills into her wallet, Sashima rose from the table and washed her plate and fork in the sink, mentioning, "I'm going to get a few things today, so if you don't need me around Capsule Corp., I won't be back till later this afternoon."
"That's fine. I would go with you and give you a tour of the city, but I expect the police would want to interview me today and there's things to be taken care of in regard to yesterday."
"I think I can manage on my own," responded Sashima, wiping her hands dry and picking up a soda to drink on the way. "Just show me which direction is downtown and I'll be able to find where everything is."
Following her outside, Bulma pointed to the east, where tall skyscrapers could be seen against the morning sky. It was only about 10:30 A.M., yet the heat had already begun to settle in.
"Thanks. I'll see you later this afternoon!" Sashima called back to Bulma as she walked down the main pathway and to the front gates. With a wave of her hand, she exited the gates, turning the corner and out of sight.
* * * * *
"Satan City is much bigger than it looks…" Sashima mused, sitting down at a round table in an extremely modern coffeehouse, her numerous shopping bags cluttered at her feet. She sipped her frappuccino thoughtfully, her eyes roaming out the windows of the coffeehouse and at the many pedestrians who busied themselves on the streets of Satan City. It was no surprise though--the lunch hour was always a busy time.
Her sharp eyes caught sight of a man almost hidden in the doorway of a building opposite the coffeehouse. Dressed all in black with a shock of dark brown hair, he caught the red-haired woman intently gazing at him and quickly entered the building.
"Strange…wasn't that the person who was with me in that department store…and the museum…and that café?"
Sensing danger, she picked up her various bags and packages and entered the restroom. After making sure that the lock was bolted to prevent anyone from entering, Sashima laid her bags down on the tiled floor and placed her right hand over them. In a wink, they were gone. Bulma would get one hell of a surprise when she found them in Sashima's room, but it was better to proceed without any hindrances from now on…
Unbolting the restroom door, Sashima nonchalantly strode out of the coffeehouse and onto the sidewalk in front. She made her way through the crowd, pausing once in awhile as if to look in a shop window. The man dressed in black had begun to tail her once again.
She was already getting tired of being pursued and decided to end it once and for all. Deliberately, she led him down a smaller street, and then another one, and so on, until they reached a deserted part of the city by the abandoned warehouses near the waterfront.
Entering one of the deserted warehouses, she walked among the abundant crates and boxes piled in the center of the cold, barren floor. From behind, the sound of rushing footsteps could be heard, and quickly Sashima put up a ki shield, although allowing her to be struck on the head. The force was softened immensely, even though she knew her attacker thought he had struck her painfully. In reality, she had felt little of the impact, but all the same, she smirked and dropped HERSELF into unconsciousness…
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN: Happy New Year 2003! Yeah I know I said I might get a chapter up every two days since it's break, but yeah…I have other things to do. So wait, it may take awhile. Still don't know how long this story is going to be…estimating at about 30 chapters, more or less. Gah…I'm not too good at writing fight scenes…*cringes in thought of Chapter 10*
Chapter 9 - Around Satan City
"Are you positive?" Sashima asked, slowly rotating her head around till it faced the direction of the back door, on the other side of the kitchen.
Nodding slowly, Bulma made her way through the immense amount of furniture in the sitting room, pausing slightly in the doorway. "He always comes home at this time to get some food, wash up, and sleep."
"Wait, I'll come with you," Sashima said, making her route to the doorway as well. "If he decides to try anything…"
Bulma sighed. Maybe she was overestimating Sashima, but she doubted if even she could stand up to the forces of a Saiyan. "Vegeta is no ordinary person, Sashima. He is ruthless and will not hesitate to exert harm on anyone he wishes to."
"Maybe so, but I'm pretty confident about this Bulma."
* * * * *
Voices floated from the sitting room of Capsule Corporation and smacked themselves right against the keen ears of Vegeta, who was indeed in the kitchen. He smirked to himself. 'So that woman has a friend over and they are coming for me, eh?' he thought to himself. He had heard every single word uttered ever since he had entered the house, much thanks to his extra-sharp Saiyan ears. 'That other woman seems confident she will defeat me,' the thoughts continued to run, 'but no matter, her ki is only 500 and I'll break her neck before she even realizes it.' Chuckling inwardly, he dug deeper into the fridge for any more meat that might've been left over.
The footsteps came nearer as he sat down with an enormous plate of cold meats and began to devour them greedily at the table. Presently, Bulma and Sashima had both entered the spacious kitchen, Bulma's eyes darting over to Vegeta instantly.
"Vegeta."
"What do you want woman?" Casually he resumed his eating, loudly chugging down an entire gallon of milk as he spoke.
"Where were you when the fire broke out?"
"What fire?" Vegeta looked up from his plate of food and scowled at Bulma's demanding face.
"The one at the hospital, mister! And don't tell me that you didn't have anything to do with it!"
"Look woman, I do not know what the hell you are talking about and I certainly would not waste my time setting an insignificant fire when I could just blow this measly planet to dust!" His eyes lashed out dangerously, just as he had done earlier that day.
Bulma gulped, sensing Vegeta's temper on the rise. If she was not careful he might just blow his top for the second time that day and she might end up worst than two bruised shoulders. Fortunately, Sashima broke the silence.
"Bulma, I don't think it was him."
Her eyes roamed from Vegeta and back to Sashima before making her response. 'How could it not be him?' Her mind shouted at her furiously, 'Who else would do such a thing…?'
Clearing her throat, Bulma spoke. "How can you be so sure Sashima?"
There was that same faraway look in the ruby-colored eyes that Bulma had seen when Sashima had been atop the masses of rubble. Deep down, the sorrow re-coursed itself through her stomach as Bulma was finally struck that Sashima was, once again, in deep thought.
"I was at the door of the hospital room when the fire began," she started to speak, her eyes now glued to Vegeta, "and I saw the person who started the fire."
A gasp and an unbearable silence permeated the kitchen. Vegeta had finished eating and was staring intently at the two women near the doorway, while Bulma, widened eyes, had her own gaze on Sashima. Outside on the grounds of Capsule Corporation, the crickets had momentarily halted their night's song, the air still and unmoving as well.
Sashima continued, "I saw this person. And they were in no way like that man over there," she nodded over in Vegeta's direction. "This man is short with a stocky build. The person I saw was lean and much taller, and he poured some sort of liquid onto newspapers to start the fire. I tried to go after him," this time she looked at Bulma, an almost pained look resting on her face, "but he had gone by the time I was able to get out of the room…and the fire was already getting out of control…"
"Sashima, are you sure? You positive you hadn't saw the person incorrectly?" Still bewildered, Bulma's mouth hung open as she gawked at Vegeta, a slow smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"I swear, Bulma. That person did not look a thing like Vegeta."
"But then…who would want to destroy a hospital?"
"Do you have any enemies? Or know of any rival companies who want to deliberately sabotage Capsule Corporation so the technological industry will go their way?"
Bulma thought for a moment, her eyebrows deeply furrowed. "No, none that I can think of right off the top of my head," she at last replied. "There used to be the Red Ribbon Army, but Goku destroyed them a long time ago…"
"Well then, most likely it's someone who wants to make bad publicity for Capsule Corp…and I don't think, judging from his attitude…" Sashima raised an eyebrow at Vegeta, "that your guest would bother to do that…"
"Listen to the red-haired one, woman. At least she has an ounce of sense in her." Vegeta sneered, thoroughly pleased the woman had been proven wrong and humiliated through her wrongdoings. "Don't you owe me an apology woman?"
Bulma cast her eyes, ashamed, to the floor. Gritting her teeth, she mumbled an almost incoherent answer that sounded something like, "I'm sorry for accusing you, Vegeta."
His sensitive Saiyan ears no doubt picked up the answer. Satisfied, he put on his usual smirk. "That's more like it." Sauntering out of the room, he made his way up the flight of stairs to the second floor.
"Geez does that guy always smirk?" Walking over to the table she picked up Vegeta's empty plate and started washing it in the sink.
"When he's a good mood, yes. When he's angered, then most likely he'll be yelling in your face," was Bulma's response. Taking the chair Vegeta had left vacant, she collapsed wearily onto it and buried her face in her hands. "I just can't believe I was so dense to accuse Vegeta of two things! And in the same day as well!"
"Hey cheer up Bulma, Vegeta doesn't seem like such a bad guy to me…" Rinsing away the soapsuds, the plate was placed in the dish rack to dry. Sashima wiped her hands clean on a paper towel before taking a seat to join Bulma at the table.
"Well that's probably because you've only met him, Sashima. And besides, he was in an unusually good mood. Just don't try and irritate him, because if you do, only Goku will be able to stop him." Bulma threw the empty milk can into the recycling before rising from her seat, stretching out her arms and stifling a yawn. "It's getting late. I'll show you to your room."
* * * * *
"Wow Bulma, I didn't know there were so many rooms in this place…" Sashima stared in awe at the many corridors, rooms, and spaces on the second floor of Bulma's prestigious home. In every direction she turned, she was faced with another vast chamber. At the end of each hallway, more corridors branched off in every which direction. Exquisite paintings lined these hallways, and bright fluorescent lights hung from the ceiling lighted every few feet. "A person can so easily get lost in here Bulma--do you check for starving thieves in these halls every so often?" Sashima joked.
Laughing, Bulma replied, "Well I should hope no thieves get into this place. Much money and time goes into security at Capsule Corporation so that nothing that is not supposed to be known leaks out or anything unwanted sneaks in."
They continued along the main hall of the second floor, pausing every once in awhile for Bulma to show Sashima the important locations. "Here is the main bathroom. Over there is my parents' bedroom, and this one here is mine. And here--" Bulma and Sashima stopped before a closed door near the middle of the main hallway, in front of the railings that looked down onto the first floor, "--is your room."
Pushing wide the door, Sashima's breath caught in her throat. The room was simple, yet stunningly delightful all the same. On the side were two sets of closet doors, the kind where they slid with a touch of a hand. Two dressers flanked the bed in the middle of the room, an elegant table lamp on each. The bed itself rose four feet from the ground and was equipped with matching sets of sheets, covers, and pillows. On one dresser stood its own cordless phone, and at the far side of the room, opposite the closets, a great mahogany desk stood with its own straight-backed chair and desk lamp, amid the necessary writing implements. A bookshelf stood in another corner of the room, piled full and overflowing with the texts. Behind the bed, two windows, their glass smooth as ice, velvet curtains shrouding the outside from view. Opposite these windows, an ancient clock hung on the wall, intoning the time as 11:30 P.M. Between the bookshelf and the desk was another closed door.
"Oh my God Bulma…this is just too much…I don't deserve to stay in such a room!" Sashima protested, still at astonishment with the surroundings.
"No I insist you stay in this room, Sashima. Besides, even if you were in another room, it would look just about the same as this one." Bulma smiled and pointed to the door at the far side of the room. "Oh and that's the door to the bathroom."
"No way…" Sashima gasped, running over and throwing the door open. Inside were a spa-like bathtub, two sinks, and a toilet, all resting on a shiny marble floor. "My God Bulma, this place is good enough for kings to live in! I simply cannot receive such lavishness!"
Bulma shook her head. "It's not lavish; most of the other guestrooms have their own bathrooms attached as well. That's why we only have one main bathroom on this floor."
"Wow…" Sashima had never seen a place so extravagant in the twenty-two years of her life, much less lived in one. 'If these are the guestrooms, then I would probably be dead from seeing too much if I ever entered the main rooms…' Returning to the bedroom, Sashima sat down on the soft blanket, fingering the smooth fabric between her fingertips. "I truly thank you for this Bulma…someday I will pay you back for your hospitality."
"It's nothing. We're friends now, aren't we?"
"Of course."
"Oh!" Hurrying out of the room, Bulma quickly returned with a stack of clothes. "Since you don't have any clothes with you besides the ones in the wash, and since you're about my size, you can borrow one of my nightgowns to sleep in. Here's a pair of slippers as well," said Bulma, as she made for the door. "One more thing…Vegeta's room is at the end of the hall…just for your information…" Her eyes darted nervously toward that particular direction as she spoke.
"Oh that's fine with me," Sashima replied, absent-mindedly taking in the room once more.
"Well I'll leave you to get settled then. Good night." Closing the door as she left the room, Bulma headed silently to her own room at the other end of the hall.
A sudden wave of sleep hit Sashima forcefully, and reluctantly she got up, making sure the door had been locked. She changed into the nightgown Bulma had supplied her, hanging the bathrobe on the chair by the desk. Wearied by the day's events, she flung herself beneath the covers, her head resting gently on the pillows, which were soft as snow.
Burying herself deep into the comforts of the bed, Sashima slowly drifted off to sleep. Both windows flew open and the light switch flipped itself off, throwing the room into darkness.
* * * * *
"Good morning!" Bulma was cheery as she greeted Sashima for breakfast the next morning. Sitting down to a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausage, they discussed their plans for that day.
"I guess I would like to go around Satan City for awhile, see the sights and all…" Sashima began, slowly chewing her food and putting on a smile. Bulma was not exactly the best cook in the world, and she hastened to gulp down some orange juice in order to quench the mysterious flavor of the sausages. "Bulma…since I don't have anywhere else to go…are you sure it's okay if I still here for awhile?"
"Of course you can! My parents wouldn't mind, and I'll be glad if you stayed!" said Bulma, enthusiastically.
"Then I think it'll be better if I bought some stuff of my own then." Fishing into a pocket of her jeans, she dug out her wallet and took out some bills. "They use the Zeni here as well?" she inquired, holding up the money.
"Yup, exact same as we have here." Bulma examined the currency curiously, making certain that it was indeed the type they used in Satan City and the rest of the world.
Replacing the bills into her wallet, Sashima rose from the table and washed her plate and fork in the sink, mentioning, "I'm going to get a few things today, so if you don't need me around Capsule Corp., I won't be back till later this afternoon."
"That's fine. I would go with you and give you a tour of the city, but I expect the police would want to interview me today and there's things to be taken care of in regard to yesterday."
"I think I can manage on my own," responded Sashima, wiping her hands dry and picking up a soda to drink on the way. "Just show me which direction is downtown and I'll be able to find where everything is."
Following her outside, Bulma pointed to the east, where tall skyscrapers could be seen against the morning sky. It was only about 10:30 A.M., yet the heat had already begun to settle in.
"Thanks. I'll see you later this afternoon!" Sashima called back to Bulma as she walked down the main pathway and to the front gates. With a wave of her hand, she exited the gates, turning the corner and out of sight.
* * * * *
"Satan City is much bigger than it looks…" Sashima mused, sitting down at a round table in an extremely modern coffeehouse, her numerous shopping bags cluttered at her feet. She sipped her frappuccino thoughtfully, her eyes roaming out the windows of the coffeehouse and at the many pedestrians who busied themselves on the streets of Satan City. It was no surprise though--the lunch hour was always a busy time.
Her sharp eyes caught sight of a man almost hidden in the doorway of a building opposite the coffeehouse. Dressed all in black with a shock of dark brown hair, he caught the red-haired woman intently gazing at him and quickly entered the building.
"Strange…wasn't that the person who was with me in that department store…and the museum…and that café?"
Sensing danger, she picked up her various bags and packages and entered the restroom. After making sure that the lock was bolted to prevent anyone from entering, Sashima laid her bags down on the tiled floor and placed her right hand over them. In a wink, they were gone. Bulma would get one hell of a surprise when she found them in Sashima's room, but it was better to proceed without any hindrances from now on…
Unbolting the restroom door, Sashima nonchalantly strode out of the coffeehouse and onto the sidewalk in front. She made her way through the crowd, pausing once in awhile as if to look in a shop window. The man dressed in black had begun to tail her once again.
She was already getting tired of being pursued and decided to end it once and for all. Deliberately, she led him down a smaller street, and then another one, and so on, until they reached a deserted part of the city by the abandoned warehouses near the waterfront.
Entering one of the deserted warehouses, she walked among the abundant crates and boxes piled in the center of the cold, barren floor. From behind, the sound of rushing footsteps could be heard, and quickly Sashima put up a ki shield, although allowing her to be struck on the head. The force was softened immensely, even though she knew her attacker thought he had struck her painfully. In reality, she had felt little of the impact, but all the same, she smirked and dropped HERSELF into unconsciousness…
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN: Happy New Year 2003! Yeah I know I said I might get a chapter up every two days since it's break, but yeah…I have other things to do. So wait, it may take awhile. Still don't know how long this story is going to be…estimating at about 30 chapters, more or less. Gah…I'm not too good at writing fight scenes…*cringes in thought of Chapter 10*
