"If this is the real Dr. Willis…if he had really died two years ago…then that means the person who had worked at Capsule Corp was a fake…" Sashima mused, pursuing her lips in concentration.
"That makes perfect sense," agreed Bulma, moving her fingers deftly across the keys on the keyboard. "With a record like Dr. Willis's the person would have easy entry into the Capsule Corporation workplace facility. Before entering though, I'm sure they would've cleared all sources of information about the real Willis--or at least the fact that he had already died."
"Then they must have missed this then," Sashima guessed, filling in the silence that followed. "But the question is, why would they want the technology of Capsule Corporation and the ownership documents?"
"Well I checked all of our rival companies, and they are nowhere as high-scale on production and financial levels as we are, but having a go at our technology would have a drastic improvement on their status as corporations. Plus, the ownership documents, if the men had actually been able to get my parents to sign them, it would give them the rights to Capsule Corporation--we would virtually be nothing but a proxy for them." Bulma made a sour face and took a sip from her cold coffee cup, and continued, "Were you able to get any new leads from the police?"
Sashima shook her head, a look of disgust as she reminisced what had happened. "No help at all. I checked the prisons before actually going into the station, and the suspects were there alright--all five of them, and alive as well. Then when I asked the guy at the reception for McIntire, he said he and all the other officers were out on the case!" She snorted, a sudden feeling of indignance. "On the case my foot. I bet they were out for an early lunch or something, and that officer--ugh, the way he was looking at me…he probably wanted to screw me right then and there if I hadn't beat half his face into a mesh."
Bulma smiled despite herself. So this was what life was like for Sashima. As much as she liked her attitude, determination, and bravery, Bulma couldn't help feeling a tad envious for her luck with men. Now that she knew Sashima wasn't one to play typical lady with them, she felt much relieved.
"Now don't be too harsh on them," Bulma chided knowingly. "They were just messing with you."
Snorting in repulse, Sashima pushed a stray strand of hair back from her face and faced Bulma. "You would think they were--until they get real near you and such. Like today, he was reaching up my shirt, and I'm like, 'what the fuck?' and just reacted, right then and there."
"Oh?" The corner of Bulma's eyes perked open at a sudden thought. "You don't like them doing that?"
"Hell no I don't! You think I'm crazy or something?" Sashima scowled. "I keep my distance from them, they leave me alone--but I don't think it's working quite well, is it?"
"Well…no." Bulma had to admit-- she was practically a magnet towards people of the opposite sex. "But still…how do you manage on dates with your attitude?"
"I've never been on one," she replied shortly.
Slowly, Bulma's jaw became slack and dropped, lower and lower until it practically reached her chin. "You've never been with anyone? Anyone at all??" Bulma just could not believe anyone Sashima's age not having been…
"No I haven't and it's not that hard to believe either. I was withdrawn from people most of my life, and no one wanted to be with an outcast anyway, and anyone who did dare to ask was turned down--a little harsh, but I didn't give a damn at that time," Sashima said bitterly, though with a hint of pride in her icy tone of voice.
Bulma sighed, turning back to the computer screen. "That's life for you…if only finding this Willis impersonator was just as easy."
"I wish so too…cases like this which drag a long time are--hey wait a second!" Repeatedly, Sashima whacked her forehead several times, shaking her head in pity. "Duh! How come I never thought of it! I must be losing my touch…"
"What? What is it?" Bulma was practically on the edge of her seat; she could feel Sashima was on the break of cracking the Willis case once and for all--and in less than twenty-four hours for that matter.
"Bulma, do you have a photograph of this person who entered Capsule Corp under the name Willis?" Sashima asked, taking Bulma by the shoulders.
"Yes of course, hang on…I'll need to pull up the personnel files…" With perfect speed and accuracy, Bulma hit the necessary keys on her keyboard, bypassing numerous password and security prompts, until a list of all employees were drawn up. Clicking on the file that read, 'Willis, Paul,' a photograph was pulled up, along with his personal information.
"Hmm…he doesn't look too different from the photograph I saw when you pulled up that other file," observed Sashima, peering closely at the computer screen. "He might have had to change his facial features to pull it off though. Like here--" she pointed to the eyes, "this person's eyes are slightly wider horizontally than the actually Willis's."
"Do you have a plan to track this person down?" Bulma ventured, hoping that she did indeed had thought up of something. Bulma herself had run out of ideas a long while back.
"Yes, and now I feel terrible for not thinking of it earlier," Sashima replied quietly. "By taking a good look at a person or a photograph, I can locate that person anywhere on the globe within a mile radius."
"Whoa, you really can?" Bulma asked, utterly astounded. She had heard of the immortals being able to locate anyone whom they wished, but this was the first time in her life had she witnessed something so extraordinary.
"Give me a few minutes," Sashima said, putting up a hand to silence the blue-haired genius. Never taking her eyes off the photograph on the computer screen, her eyes stared hypnotically deep into the picture, the eyes connecting with one another, a simple, invisible beam of data surging through her mind.
Crossing her fingers for the best of luck, a chill surged through Bulma at the sight of Sashima, perfectly still at the computer next to her own. For the first time ever, Bulma finally understood the phrase "power of the immortals."
From the deepest chambers of Sashima's mind, millions of faces were scanned, thousands rejected every second, until the faces became a great crimson blur. Shutting her eyes tight as if a great whirlwind was howling itself through the insides of her head, Sashima was in a trance-like aura for several minutes until suddenly jerking her head up to glance at Bulma.
"I got it!" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and rushing to the door of the lab.
"Where is he?" Hastily saving all of the data on the two opened computers and shutting them down for the day, Bulma joined Sashima at the door, flicking off the lights and locking the lab up behind them.
"Well, where is he?" Bulma questioned impatiently as they hurried back up the path to her house. Already it was early evening, yet the sun's rays shone as brightly as ever.
"Yeah, he's not too far from here if I'm mistaken." Quickening her pace and pushing her sunglasses farther up her nose, Sashima lead Bulma back to the Briefs' residence. "From what I picked up, he is in the forest about fifty miles to the west of here."
* * * * *
"Shouldn't we involve the police in this?" Bulma nervously pulled at her hair while pacing back and forth in Sashima's room. Sitting on the bed was Sashima, making last minute checks on her outfit, which was entirely black. "To camouflage with the darkness," was what she had said when Bulma had inquired, and it was indeed true. The black Sashima had on was the darkest of all black shades, and even her hair had been wrapped inside a black bandanna to prevent the red from standing out against the night.
"The police?" echoed Sashima, getting off the bed and moving to a pack in a corner of the room, which contained a couple of flashlights, batteries, water, and weapons--all necessary for Bulma. "One guy is not going to be too much a problem for us, and the police needn't get in our way, for that matter."
"But shouldn't we at least think this more through before we proceed with the plan?" said Bulma, fidgeting anxiously. "What if you get hurt and then I'll be left to fend for myself and-and…"
"Bulma, I won't get hurt, and even if I do, it won't be too life threatening, will it? No. And you don't have to come, Bulma. I'll be perfectly fine on my own." Snapping the pack closed, she slung it over a shoulder and headed for the door. "I'll be back before midnight hopefully."
"Wait!" Bulma shouted, rushing after Sashima's long strides down the hallway. "You can't go alone! This is my corporation at stake here, so I should be part of it, too!"
As she caught up, the younger woman threw the pack to her, which she caught neatly using both hands. "Here," she instructed. "You take this. I won't be needing it."
"Do you think we should get Vegeta to come with us?" They were passing the Saiyan's closed door--it was silent on the other side.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not a good idea, I don't think. Training all day, he must have dropped asleep right after dinner, wouldn't he?"
"You're right…" Bulma sighed and followed Sashima down the stairs and into the living room. Her mother and father were already anticipating the two of them; when they noticed the two coming, they rose to their feet in a slow, almost defeated way.
"Mom…Dad…" Bulma whispered, embracing both of them dearly. "I'll be back soon, I promise."
"Do you have to go, Bulma?" Tears glistening in Mrs. Briefs' eyes.
She nodded saying, "This is the quickest way to end our troubles, so don't worry about me. I'll be with Sashima, and I know she'll protect me if anything does happen."
Dr. Briefs turned to the figure dressed entirely in black. "We're counting on you, Sashima. Please take care of my daughter…and please try and return as quickly as possible. If it's…something you feel like you can't handle…" he trailed off, a lump forming in his throat.
"We'll come back quick and intact, Dr. and Mrs. Briefs--that I put on my life." First embracing Mrs. Briefs and lastly exchanging a handshake with the doctor, she motioned for Bulma to not waste anymore precious time.
In the darkness of the Capsule Corporation grounds, the temperature of the air was holding steady--hot and stiff--the markings of a summer storm ready to hit in the near future. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, and Bulma checked her wristwatch. Ten minutes till nine o'clock.
"Can you fly?" Sashima asked all of a sudden, moving to an area concreted to a vast distance--the area for the spaceships produced by the corporation to be test launched. On takeoff day, there would have been mounds of equipment in preparation, but at the time being, all was empty.
"Fly?" Bulma repeated the word as if it was sometime foreign. "Oh…no…I can't--"
"No no no," Sashima broke her off, "Fly--as in plane sort of fly. Are you able to take the controls?"
"Um…" Images of the last time she had flown replayed themselves in Bulma's inner eye. The scene as her plane had caught fire, the moments when she has began to plummet, coming within mere feet of the ground, the last thoughts of death…
Suddenly her feet seemed they were made out of Jell-O, and she stumbled, grabbing onto Sashima for support. "Sorry, I was just…remembering…"
"That's alright; there's more than one way to get there."
"What about you? Can you fly a plane?"
"No, afraid not."
"Couldn't you teleport us there?"
"Well…since it's about fifty miles, I'm not even sure if I can make it there alone by teleporting…"
"Could we take a car? I'm sure it will take only about half an hour at most--"
"Got it! Bulma, I need that plane capsule!"
Taking out the capsule case from her pocket, Bulma handed it over to Sashima warily, completely perplexed. "I thought you didn't know how to pilot an aircraft."
"I don't." Grinning, she reached in and took out the fifth capsule, pressing the cap and throwing it quickly out in front of them. In an instant, a small, single-engine jet appeared from the dust.
"Come on!" Sashima called, sliding open the door to the cockpit. Hopping in and taking the controls, she waited until Bulma had clambered in through the passenger's side, then turned on the front lights for the jet.
At the sight of the familiar controls, Bulma shuddered and closed her eyes tight, chasing away the horrid images. She turned her head slightly, staring out over the grounds, far off into the distance.
"You alright?" Sashima asked worriedly, noticing Bulma's face had begun to pale rapidly. She looked as if she was about to pass out.
"What?" She was jostled away from the terrible images. "Oh it's nothing…so how are you going to get this thing to fly? I'm sorry that I can't teach you how to operate the controls…I mean…"
"No problem," Sashima replied, and again she grinned, adjusting her seatbelt. The entire cockpit was illuminated as Bulma flipped the light switch. Reading the controls on the panel, Sashima inserted the key into the ignition, turning it. The engine and propellers sprang to life with a vociferous roar.
"Okay!" Laying her palm against the throttle and shutting her eyes fast, Sashima began to chant in a strange language. For about a minute she did this, until at last she opened her eyes and cried, "Polar Coordinates: fifty-three miles, one hundred and seven-five degrees!"
"What the--" Bulma started to say, but was slammed back into her seat after the plane rose itself off the launch pad, higher and higher above Capsule Corporation. About one thousand feet up, it began to turn almost a half circle, until they were facing the west. At a remarkably straight line, the jet cruised at a steady pace, as if drawn by an invisible hand.
"What did you do?" Bulma breathed, breathless, as Satan City passed quickly below them. "How're we able to fly…without moving any controls?"
"I concentrated some of my life's energy into the plane," she began, leaning back into a more comfortable position. "By putting enough of it at an object, I can basically control about anything, living or non-living."
"But…won't this affect the amount of energy you have left?" Bulma could not help thinking what might happen if Sashima had collapsed from exhaustion or anything of the like. "I could've at least tried to give you instructions on how to fly this thing…it's not too hard--"
"I failed my pilot's license many times." That was Sashima's only answer.
* * * * *
In about half an hours time, the plane had slowed its speed, flying lower and lower until the tops of the trees from the dense forest below seemed almost near enough to touch.
"Wow! Goku and Chi-Chi don't live too far from here!" Bulma exclaimed, pointing to a nearby mountain.
"We're going to land soon," Sashima warned Bulma as she spotted a clearing up ahead. "Decrease speed by 75% at a velocity of 2.56% per second. Decline at thirty-five degree angle--cease engines upon landing."
* * * * *
"Shit…" Sashima massaged the top of her head tenderly. "Bulma? You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine," Bulma called from beside her.
It was nighttime when the two women stepped out from the jet and recapsuled it. The sun had finally set over the horizon, and long shadows were shed from the surrounding trees and underbrush of the forest as they made their way through it, flashlights in hand.
"The landing was a little too fast, I'm afraid…" Sashima replied meekly, pushing aside the branches and limbs hanging off the trees. The undergrowth tore at her clothes, and the vines seemed to reach out at them as they ventured deeper into the heart of the forest.
"At least we weren't killed," Bulma said good-naturally. "Where do you suppose Willis is? It's going to be almost impossible to find him in shrubbery like this!"
Pursing her lips, Sashima stopped and thought for a second, pondering the best course of action.
"What is it…?"
"We can cover more ground if we split up, but…" She shifted her eyes towards Bulma hesitantly.
"Don't mind me, I'll be fine on my own." Bulma tried desperately to muster enough courage as she could, yet through her voice, Sashima detected a fair amount of fear. Her skepticism must have shown through, as the next thing she knew, Bulma had stomped off ahead, the beam of her flashlight moving erratically against the environment.
"No! Bulma! I promised your parents--"
She crashed through the forest, following the beam of light that emanated itself from Bulma's flashlight. Once, the flashlight seemed to go out as she rounded a bend of trees, and soon, there was no sign of Bulma.
"Fuck…" Sashima cursed herself for ever suggesting to Bulma that they should've split up. The forest was a dangerous place, and even if Bulma did not run into Willis, natural enemies still prowled about--the usual bears, wolves, mountain lions, and other carnivorous animals. Besides that, the terrain was unfamiliar, and one wrong step could cause the loss of a life.
"Damn she sure can move fast in this underbrush." She staggered through the trees, without the need of any light. Since the sun had set half an hour before, her ruby red eyes were free to enjoy themselves as much as possible--they relished the darkness.
"Just where can she be??" Shutting her eyes fast, Sashima scanned the forest for her face. Her heart skipped a beat as an image slid itself into her mind's eye.
"Oh shit! Teleport!"
* * * * *
Grumbling, Bulma tried to keep a steady of a hand as possible while making her way along. There seemed to be no evidence of a path, nor any signs or recent human activity.
"Oh why the hell did I just stumble off on my own?" She muttered angrily to herself. "Sashima won't have any trouble--she can always defend herself or some sort. But me…all I have is this flashlight, a pocketknife, and a handgun…what good would that do for me--AHHH!!"
Her foot catching in the root of a tree, Bulma fell headlong onto the forest floor, skinning both hands as she caught herself and tearing her jeans in the process. From both palms and kneecaps, the blood oozed slowly from the thin wounds.
"Are you okay?" A voice behind her rasped.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Brushing the dirt from her pants, she staggered to her feet, helped from behind.
"I'm so glad you're here; this forest was really starting to creep--" She suddenly ran cold, as her heart pounded in her throat. Next, her stomach tightened itself into a knot as she did a double take at the hands that held her up.
The fingers were much too long to be Sashima's tiny ones.
Before she could whip the handle of her gun around, the unmistakable coldness of metal was pressed against her throat. She didn't have time to react as a burning pain like that of wildfire slashed itself from one side to the other of her neck.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN: Ah blood and gore…well not a lot, as I'm not good at writing that kinda stuff. Not too thrilled at the sight of my own blood, or anyone else's for that matter. My DSL line was down for over half a day yesterday and into this afternoon, so I couldn't get online. All that was left for me was to write, and here I am…another chapter. Heh, another turn in the story…believe me the pieces are gonna fit into place soon…or at least I hope so. I'm just itching to get back to Xavier and Sashima…
Oh yes, I'm on Spring Break and it's been real pleasant. Bored a lot, but at least it's a time that I can use to chill a bit, can't I? My contacts are really starting to annoy me, even though I've only had them for about five days. They still take me about twenty minutes to put in…not enough time before school. Now that's something to worry about…
"That makes perfect sense," agreed Bulma, moving her fingers deftly across the keys on the keyboard. "With a record like Dr. Willis's the person would have easy entry into the Capsule Corporation workplace facility. Before entering though, I'm sure they would've cleared all sources of information about the real Willis--or at least the fact that he had already died."
"Then they must have missed this then," Sashima guessed, filling in the silence that followed. "But the question is, why would they want the technology of Capsule Corporation and the ownership documents?"
"Well I checked all of our rival companies, and they are nowhere as high-scale on production and financial levels as we are, but having a go at our technology would have a drastic improvement on their status as corporations. Plus, the ownership documents, if the men had actually been able to get my parents to sign them, it would give them the rights to Capsule Corporation--we would virtually be nothing but a proxy for them." Bulma made a sour face and took a sip from her cold coffee cup, and continued, "Were you able to get any new leads from the police?"
Sashima shook her head, a look of disgust as she reminisced what had happened. "No help at all. I checked the prisons before actually going into the station, and the suspects were there alright--all five of them, and alive as well. Then when I asked the guy at the reception for McIntire, he said he and all the other officers were out on the case!" She snorted, a sudden feeling of indignance. "On the case my foot. I bet they were out for an early lunch or something, and that officer--ugh, the way he was looking at me…he probably wanted to screw me right then and there if I hadn't beat half his face into a mesh."
Bulma smiled despite herself. So this was what life was like for Sashima. As much as she liked her attitude, determination, and bravery, Bulma couldn't help feeling a tad envious for her luck with men. Now that she knew Sashima wasn't one to play typical lady with them, she felt much relieved.
"Now don't be too harsh on them," Bulma chided knowingly. "They were just messing with you."
Snorting in repulse, Sashima pushed a stray strand of hair back from her face and faced Bulma. "You would think they were--until they get real near you and such. Like today, he was reaching up my shirt, and I'm like, 'what the fuck?' and just reacted, right then and there."
"Oh?" The corner of Bulma's eyes perked open at a sudden thought. "You don't like them doing that?"
"Hell no I don't! You think I'm crazy or something?" Sashima scowled. "I keep my distance from them, they leave me alone--but I don't think it's working quite well, is it?"
"Well…no." Bulma had to admit-- she was practically a magnet towards people of the opposite sex. "But still…how do you manage on dates with your attitude?"
"I've never been on one," she replied shortly.
Slowly, Bulma's jaw became slack and dropped, lower and lower until it practically reached her chin. "You've never been with anyone? Anyone at all??" Bulma just could not believe anyone Sashima's age not having been…
"No I haven't and it's not that hard to believe either. I was withdrawn from people most of my life, and no one wanted to be with an outcast anyway, and anyone who did dare to ask was turned down--a little harsh, but I didn't give a damn at that time," Sashima said bitterly, though with a hint of pride in her icy tone of voice.
Bulma sighed, turning back to the computer screen. "That's life for you…if only finding this Willis impersonator was just as easy."
"I wish so too…cases like this which drag a long time are--hey wait a second!" Repeatedly, Sashima whacked her forehead several times, shaking her head in pity. "Duh! How come I never thought of it! I must be losing my touch…"
"What? What is it?" Bulma was practically on the edge of her seat; she could feel Sashima was on the break of cracking the Willis case once and for all--and in less than twenty-four hours for that matter.
"Bulma, do you have a photograph of this person who entered Capsule Corp under the name Willis?" Sashima asked, taking Bulma by the shoulders.
"Yes of course, hang on…I'll need to pull up the personnel files…" With perfect speed and accuracy, Bulma hit the necessary keys on her keyboard, bypassing numerous password and security prompts, until a list of all employees were drawn up. Clicking on the file that read, 'Willis, Paul,' a photograph was pulled up, along with his personal information.
"Hmm…he doesn't look too different from the photograph I saw when you pulled up that other file," observed Sashima, peering closely at the computer screen. "He might have had to change his facial features to pull it off though. Like here--" she pointed to the eyes, "this person's eyes are slightly wider horizontally than the actually Willis's."
"Do you have a plan to track this person down?" Bulma ventured, hoping that she did indeed had thought up of something. Bulma herself had run out of ideas a long while back.
"Yes, and now I feel terrible for not thinking of it earlier," Sashima replied quietly. "By taking a good look at a person or a photograph, I can locate that person anywhere on the globe within a mile radius."
"Whoa, you really can?" Bulma asked, utterly astounded. She had heard of the immortals being able to locate anyone whom they wished, but this was the first time in her life had she witnessed something so extraordinary.
"Give me a few minutes," Sashima said, putting up a hand to silence the blue-haired genius. Never taking her eyes off the photograph on the computer screen, her eyes stared hypnotically deep into the picture, the eyes connecting with one another, a simple, invisible beam of data surging through her mind.
Crossing her fingers for the best of luck, a chill surged through Bulma at the sight of Sashima, perfectly still at the computer next to her own. For the first time ever, Bulma finally understood the phrase "power of the immortals."
From the deepest chambers of Sashima's mind, millions of faces were scanned, thousands rejected every second, until the faces became a great crimson blur. Shutting her eyes tight as if a great whirlwind was howling itself through the insides of her head, Sashima was in a trance-like aura for several minutes until suddenly jerking her head up to glance at Bulma.
"I got it!" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and rushing to the door of the lab.
"Where is he?" Hastily saving all of the data on the two opened computers and shutting them down for the day, Bulma joined Sashima at the door, flicking off the lights and locking the lab up behind them.
"Well, where is he?" Bulma questioned impatiently as they hurried back up the path to her house. Already it was early evening, yet the sun's rays shone as brightly as ever.
"Yeah, he's not too far from here if I'm mistaken." Quickening her pace and pushing her sunglasses farther up her nose, Sashima lead Bulma back to the Briefs' residence. "From what I picked up, he is in the forest about fifty miles to the west of here."
* * * * *
"Shouldn't we involve the police in this?" Bulma nervously pulled at her hair while pacing back and forth in Sashima's room. Sitting on the bed was Sashima, making last minute checks on her outfit, which was entirely black. "To camouflage with the darkness," was what she had said when Bulma had inquired, and it was indeed true. The black Sashima had on was the darkest of all black shades, and even her hair had been wrapped inside a black bandanna to prevent the red from standing out against the night.
"The police?" echoed Sashima, getting off the bed and moving to a pack in a corner of the room, which contained a couple of flashlights, batteries, water, and weapons--all necessary for Bulma. "One guy is not going to be too much a problem for us, and the police needn't get in our way, for that matter."
"But shouldn't we at least think this more through before we proceed with the plan?" said Bulma, fidgeting anxiously. "What if you get hurt and then I'll be left to fend for myself and-and…"
"Bulma, I won't get hurt, and even if I do, it won't be too life threatening, will it? No. And you don't have to come, Bulma. I'll be perfectly fine on my own." Snapping the pack closed, she slung it over a shoulder and headed for the door. "I'll be back before midnight hopefully."
"Wait!" Bulma shouted, rushing after Sashima's long strides down the hallway. "You can't go alone! This is my corporation at stake here, so I should be part of it, too!"
As she caught up, the younger woman threw the pack to her, which she caught neatly using both hands. "Here," she instructed. "You take this. I won't be needing it."
"Do you think we should get Vegeta to come with us?" They were passing the Saiyan's closed door--it was silent on the other side.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Not a good idea, I don't think. Training all day, he must have dropped asleep right after dinner, wouldn't he?"
"You're right…" Bulma sighed and followed Sashima down the stairs and into the living room. Her mother and father were already anticipating the two of them; when they noticed the two coming, they rose to their feet in a slow, almost defeated way.
"Mom…Dad…" Bulma whispered, embracing both of them dearly. "I'll be back soon, I promise."
"Do you have to go, Bulma?" Tears glistening in Mrs. Briefs' eyes.
She nodded saying, "This is the quickest way to end our troubles, so don't worry about me. I'll be with Sashima, and I know she'll protect me if anything does happen."
Dr. Briefs turned to the figure dressed entirely in black. "We're counting on you, Sashima. Please take care of my daughter…and please try and return as quickly as possible. If it's…something you feel like you can't handle…" he trailed off, a lump forming in his throat.
"We'll come back quick and intact, Dr. and Mrs. Briefs--that I put on my life." First embracing Mrs. Briefs and lastly exchanging a handshake with the doctor, she motioned for Bulma to not waste anymore precious time.
In the darkness of the Capsule Corporation grounds, the temperature of the air was holding steady--hot and stiff--the markings of a summer storm ready to hit in the near future. The sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, and Bulma checked her wristwatch. Ten minutes till nine o'clock.
"Can you fly?" Sashima asked all of a sudden, moving to an area concreted to a vast distance--the area for the spaceships produced by the corporation to be test launched. On takeoff day, there would have been mounds of equipment in preparation, but at the time being, all was empty.
"Fly?" Bulma repeated the word as if it was sometime foreign. "Oh…no…I can't--"
"No no no," Sashima broke her off, "Fly--as in plane sort of fly. Are you able to take the controls?"
"Um…" Images of the last time she had flown replayed themselves in Bulma's inner eye. The scene as her plane had caught fire, the moments when she has began to plummet, coming within mere feet of the ground, the last thoughts of death…
Suddenly her feet seemed they were made out of Jell-O, and she stumbled, grabbing onto Sashima for support. "Sorry, I was just…remembering…"
"That's alright; there's more than one way to get there."
"What about you? Can you fly a plane?"
"No, afraid not."
"Couldn't you teleport us there?"
"Well…since it's about fifty miles, I'm not even sure if I can make it there alone by teleporting…"
"Could we take a car? I'm sure it will take only about half an hour at most--"
"Got it! Bulma, I need that plane capsule!"
Taking out the capsule case from her pocket, Bulma handed it over to Sashima warily, completely perplexed. "I thought you didn't know how to pilot an aircraft."
"I don't." Grinning, she reached in and took out the fifth capsule, pressing the cap and throwing it quickly out in front of them. In an instant, a small, single-engine jet appeared from the dust.
"Come on!" Sashima called, sliding open the door to the cockpit. Hopping in and taking the controls, she waited until Bulma had clambered in through the passenger's side, then turned on the front lights for the jet.
At the sight of the familiar controls, Bulma shuddered and closed her eyes tight, chasing away the horrid images. She turned her head slightly, staring out over the grounds, far off into the distance.
"You alright?" Sashima asked worriedly, noticing Bulma's face had begun to pale rapidly. She looked as if she was about to pass out.
"What?" She was jostled away from the terrible images. "Oh it's nothing…so how are you going to get this thing to fly? I'm sorry that I can't teach you how to operate the controls…I mean…"
"No problem," Sashima replied, and again she grinned, adjusting her seatbelt. The entire cockpit was illuminated as Bulma flipped the light switch. Reading the controls on the panel, Sashima inserted the key into the ignition, turning it. The engine and propellers sprang to life with a vociferous roar.
"Okay!" Laying her palm against the throttle and shutting her eyes fast, Sashima began to chant in a strange language. For about a minute she did this, until at last she opened her eyes and cried, "Polar Coordinates: fifty-three miles, one hundred and seven-five degrees!"
"What the--" Bulma started to say, but was slammed back into her seat after the plane rose itself off the launch pad, higher and higher above Capsule Corporation. About one thousand feet up, it began to turn almost a half circle, until they were facing the west. At a remarkably straight line, the jet cruised at a steady pace, as if drawn by an invisible hand.
"What did you do?" Bulma breathed, breathless, as Satan City passed quickly below them. "How're we able to fly…without moving any controls?"
"I concentrated some of my life's energy into the plane," she began, leaning back into a more comfortable position. "By putting enough of it at an object, I can basically control about anything, living or non-living."
"But…won't this affect the amount of energy you have left?" Bulma could not help thinking what might happen if Sashima had collapsed from exhaustion or anything of the like. "I could've at least tried to give you instructions on how to fly this thing…it's not too hard--"
"I failed my pilot's license many times." That was Sashima's only answer.
* * * * *
In about half an hours time, the plane had slowed its speed, flying lower and lower until the tops of the trees from the dense forest below seemed almost near enough to touch.
"Wow! Goku and Chi-Chi don't live too far from here!" Bulma exclaimed, pointing to a nearby mountain.
"We're going to land soon," Sashima warned Bulma as she spotted a clearing up ahead. "Decrease speed by 75% at a velocity of 2.56% per second. Decline at thirty-five degree angle--cease engines upon landing."
* * * * *
"Shit…" Sashima massaged the top of her head tenderly. "Bulma? You okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine," Bulma called from beside her.
It was nighttime when the two women stepped out from the jet and recapsuled it. The sun had finally set over the horizon, and long shadows were shed from the surrounding trees and underbrush of the forest as they made their way through it, flashlights in hand.
"The landing was a little too fast, I'm afraid…" Sashima replied meekly, pushing aside the branches and limbs hanging off the trees. The undergrowth tore at her clothes, and the vines seemed to reach out at them as they ventured deeper into the heart of the forest.
"At least we weren't killed," Bulma said good-naturally. "Where do you suppose Willis is? It's going to be almost impossible to find him in shrubbery like this!"
Pursing her lips, Sashima stopped and thought for a second, pondering the best course of action.
"What is it…?"
"We can cover more ground if we split up, but…" She shifted her eyes towards Bulma hesitantly.
"Don't mind me, I'll be fine on my own." Bulma tried desperately to muster enough courage as she could, yet through her voice, Sashima detected a fair amount of fear. Her skepticism must have shown through, as the next thing she knew, Bulma had stomped off ahead, the beam of her flashlight moving erratically against the environment.
"No! Bulma! I promised your parents--"
She crashed through the forest, following the beam of light that emanated itself from Bulma's flashlight. Once, the flashlight seemed to go out as she rounded a bend of trees, and soon, there was no sign of Bulma.
"Fuck…" Sashima cursed herself for ever suggesting to Bulma that they should've split up. The forest was a dangerous place, and even if Bulma did not run into Willis, natural enemies still prowled about--the usual bears, wolves, mountain lions, and other carnivorous animals. Besides that, the terrain was unfamiliar, and one wrong step could cause the loss of a life.
"Damn she sure can move fast in this underbrush." She staggered through the trees, without the need of any light. Since the sun had set half an hour before, her ruby red eyes were free to enjoy themselves as much as possible--they relished the darkness.
"Just where can she be??" Shutting her eyes fast, Sashima scanned the forest for her face. Her heart skipped a beat as an image slid itself into her mind's eye.
"Oh shit! Teleport!"
* * * * *
Grumbling, Bulma tried to keep a steady of a hand as possible while making her way along. There seemed to be no evidence of a path, nor any signs or recent human activity.
"Oh why the hell did I just stumble off on my own?" She muttered angrily to herself. "Sashima won't have any trouble--she can always defend herself or some sort. But me…all I have is this flashlight, a pocketknife, and a handgun…what good would that do for me--AHHH!!"
Her foot catching in the root of a tree, Bulma fell headlong onto the forest floor, skinning both hands as she caught herself and tearing her jeans in the process. From both palms and kneecaps, the blood oozed slowly from the thin wounds.
"Are you okay?" A voice behind her rasped.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Brushing the dirt from her pants, she staggered to her feet, helped from behind.
"I'm so glad you're here; this forest was really starting to creep--" She suddenly ran cold, as her heart pounded in her throat. Next, her stomach tightened itself into a knot as she did a double take at the hands that held her up.
The fingers were much too long to be Sashima's tiny ones.
Before she could whip the handle of her gun around, the unmistakable coldness of metal was pressed against her throat. She didn't have time to react as a burning pain like that of wildfire slashed itself from one side to the other of her neck.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
AN: Ah blood and gore…well not a lot, as I'm not good at writing that kinda stuff. Not too thrilled at the sight of my own blood, or anyone else's for that matter. My DSL line was down for over half a day yesterday and into this afternoon, so I couldn't get online. All that was left for me was to write, and here I am…another chapter. Heh, another turn in the story…believe me the pieces are gonna fit into place soon…or at least I hope so. I'm just itching to get back to Xavier and Sashima…
Oh yes, I'm on Spring Break and it's been real pleasant. Bored a lot, but at least it's a time that I can use to chill a bit, can't I? My contacts are really starting to annoy me, even though I've only had them for about five days. They still take me about twenty minutes to put in…not enough time before school. Now that's something to worry about…
