Only Words
7: Revelations
"Put me down, you stupid bitch!" Marron screamed, struggling to escape from Pan's iron grip. Not once did she think what she would do if she actually managed to break free. They were several miles above the ground, and she couldn't fly.
Eventually, Pan came to a halt, and Marron, for a foolish moment, thought that the younger woman had finally come to her senses and was going to head back to the others.
Not a chance. Pan's hands, in one swift movement, detached from Marron's waist and reattached in a pincer grip on her shoulders. Marron's heart rate tripled as she free fell for a split second. Being dangled by her shoulders was no less terrifying.
"Listen here," Pan hissed angrily. "You should be glad that those fuckers want to kill you themselves, otherwise I would have no qualms at all about dropping you right now. And if you don't quit your whining, I might just do it anyway."
"And what purpose would that serve you?" asked Marron. "If I die, so does your uncle."
"You leave him out of this." Pan turned around, and looked back to the way they had come. "Fuck, they're following us."
Marron somehow managed to concentrate enough to understand what Pan meant. She could just feel several kis some way behind them. "How many?"
"If you must know," Pan sneered, "Trunks and Uub." Her eyes narrowed. "They aren't going to stop me!"
As Pan shot off once more, Marron screamed into the distance, "TRUNKS!"
* * * * * *
Somehow, Trunks heard Marron's scream. We're coming, Marron. Just hold on. He didn't know how or when it had happened, but he had started to feel compassion and even affection for the daughter of his greatest enemy. He would do all he could to ensure her safety.
He turned around to call to Uub. "Pan knows we're following her. We have to catch up before she gets to the apartments."
Uub simply nodded, and increased his speed.
* * * * * *
Goten sensed that all of them were headed his way. He shut his eyes and mentally urged them to turn back. Leave me! You guys can't make such a sacrifice just for me. Despite the immense pain he was in, Goten did not wish to be rescued.
"Hmmm, what next?" Bra pondered as she examined a wall of offensive weapons.
Goten dared not look to see what she had chosen. He had already received wounds that would probably never properly heal…assuming he ever escaped. He could no longer see out of his left eye. Bra had carefully inserted the fragments of a broken bottle into it while Goten was conscious. There was a sealed hole right through his right shoulder where she had stabbed him with a red-hot poker. She had barely missed the bones. Goten's body was also covered with tiny cuts, each of them bleeding just a little, to make him aware of ever single one.
Walking towards Goten with a rather nasty-looking, large knife, Bra pouted. "This hurts me more than it hurts you, puppy."
"I'm sure it does," Goten managed to croak. "Especially since you're not the one being jabbed with every sharp object imaginable."
"You should be glad – all that jabbing is stopping me from doing what I really want to do."
Goten lifted his head just a little to look at her. "And what would that be?"
"Don't act so stupid." Bra dropped the knife and strode over to him. She pressed her body close to his, wiped her finger across one of his cuts and brought it to her mouth. She smiled as she tasted his blood. "You taste so wonderful. I want to have my sick little way with you."
"So, why don't you?" Goten asked, trying to delay further pain for as long as possible.
Bra rolled her eyes and swiftly broke Goten's left arm. He roared in pain, but she simply gave a little. "Because, silly, the time isn't right yet. You're still filthy, and mortal."
"What?"
"I can make you stronger than you could ever imagine. Immortal…"
Realising what she was getting at, Goten said, "The jinzouningen aren't immortal. They can be killed. I'll admit, it's difficult, but it is possible to destroy them."
"Yes, but we are immune to the passing of time. Even Saiya-jin grow old and eventually die from age. We do not."
"I won't let you turn me into a monster like you."
"Sweetie, you don't really have a say it. Your free will, your decisions…they belong to me now. I decide if you live or die. I decide if you become a jinzouningen or not." She came close to his ear and whispered, "We could have so much fun together. You can't deny that you'd like that."
A single tear slid down Goten's cheek. She was right. Despite everything she had done, she still looked like his own Bra in his mind. His little princess. The woman he loved. But closing his eyes, he remembered the look of sadistic pleasure that had been on her face when she killed Vegeta.
Since the death of his own parents, Vegeta and Bulma had become like family to Goten. In fact, Vegeta had been the first person Goten had revealed his feelings for Bra to. Though it had earned him a black eye and broken leg, Goten knew it was worth it. By speaking to Vegeta about it first, he had been given the Prince's trust and respect.
To see Bra enjoy killing the man they had both called "father" had broken Goten's heart. Goten opened his eyes to tell Bra just that, but stopped. He had seen something she had not, and decided it would be best to keep her talking.
"What about Juunanagou?" he asked.
Bra snorted. "What about him? I used him to get what I wanted. I have you now, and I don't need him anymore." She smirked. "I suppose we could keep him around until you get used to being a jinzouningen. But we will have to kill him eventually. It doesn't particularly bother me."
Goten suddenly realised that Bra had never been insane. It had all been an act to gain Juunanagou's sympathy. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and had used him to get precisely what she wanted – Goten. You clever little bitch. Goten took a deep breath. The longer he could stall Bra, the better. "And Juuhachigou? Don't you think she'll be a little upset if you kill Juunanagou?"
"Ah yes. Believe me, I will take great pleasure in disposing of that bitch. She never trusted me. I think she's a little clever for her own good."
"Well, well. Too clever, am I?" Juuhachigou finally spoke. She had walked in as Bra had started talking about turning Goten into a jinzouningen. Juunanagou had come in soon after, so he had heard everything Bra had said about using him.
"Juu-kun!" Bra squealed, in a startled tone. "I didn't hear you come in."
"You…used me," he said slowly. He was furious, and Bra knew it. "You betrayed my trust… I…I…loved you."
Bra dropped the innocent act and rolled her eyes. "Loved me? Give me a break! You wanted to fuck me, that's it. And while I don't blame you for that – I am extremely attractive – I'm bored. I need something new."
"Yeah? Well how's this for new?" Without warning, Juunanagou ran over to Goten, and promptly broke the young Saiya-jin's neck.
"NO!" Bra screamed.
"Juunanagou, you idiot!" Juuhachigou roared. "We needed him for the trade."
"Fuck your stupid trade, bitch," Juunanagou retorted.
The door to the room was forced open, and the small form of a woman shoved inside. Another young woman followed her, a look of insane rage on her face.
"You broke the deal, jinzouningen," Pan snarled. "I came all this way, and then you killed him anyway!"
Marron, who had been shoved into the room, curled up into a corner. She was unsure who she should be more fearful of: Pan, who was sure to take vengeance for her uncle's death, or the jinzouningen.
"Technically speaking," said Juunanagou, "there wasn't any mention of him being alive at the time of exchange. We just said to bring the girl here…"
"Then technically, she doesn't need to be alive either."
"Pan, don't do it!" came yet another voice from the doorway. Trunks and Uub had arrived, and Uub was slowly advancing towards the young woman.
"They killed him, Uub!" Pan sobbed openly.
"It was Bra, she did it!" cried Juunanagou.
"You lying son of a bitch!" Bra retorted. She had been by Goten's side for most of the argument, but now felt it was time to join in. "You know perfectly well it was you."
Juuhachigou took this moment of confusion to take matters into her own hands. Pan was still dangerously close to killing Marron, but had stopped dead in her tracks to watch Bra and Juunanagou's screaming match. Unnoticed until too late, Juuhachigou delivered a fatal blow to Pan's head.
The thud of Pan's body silenced everyone in the room. There was a cry of horror from Uub, before all Hell broke loose. Marron pushed herself further into the corner. There was nowhere else for her to go.
Uub attacked Juuhachigou, and at the same time Bra grabbed Juunanagou from behind. Though she had the element of surprise, he quickly latched onto her arms, and threw her over his head. While she stood, Juunanagou ran to the wall of weapons, and chose a large metal spear.
Trunks wasn't sure which battle he should assist in. Though Bra was his enemy, she seemed to have joined his side for the moment. She and Juunanagou were probably quite evenly matched, so Trunks decided that he should help Uub out. He didn't know how well the young man would fare against the jinzouningen.
He ran over and wrapped his arm around Juuhachigou's throat. She struggled in his grip.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" he sneered. "You don't like hugs?"
She finally managed to get a good grip, and tore his arm away. With that same force, she sent him flying into a wall.
Bra's fight was not going so well. It had gotten bad for the former Saiya-jin princess the minute Juunanagou had decided to use the spear. He brandished the weapon with great skill so she had difficultly getting close enough to hit him. He belted her around the head with the spear every time she tried.
"Quit it, Juunanagou!" she screamed.
"Aww, what's the matter?" he jeered. "Now that you're new toy boy is gone, you're willing to take me back? Sorry, Princess, that's not how I work. You dumped me first." He hit her with all his might.
Bra fell to the ground in a daze. As she struggled to stand, Juunanagou came up behind her. He thrust the spear through her back, between her shoulder blades, so that it came out through her chest.
She let out a shocked gasp, and looked over to where Trunks was pulling himself off the wall. He looked straight back at her and saw the tears in her eyes. For one short moment, she was his sister again. His baby sister.
"Trunks…?" she managed to whisper, before Juunanagou pushed her to the ground and crushed her neck with his foot.
"Bra, no!" Trunks could feel a rage burning inside him like nothing he had ever felt before.
"Hey, buddy, she started it," Juunanagou said calmly, with a shrug of his shoulders. "First, she dumped me for Mister Spiky Hair over here, then she had the hide to beat me up!"
While Juunanagou continued to rave, Trunks looked over to Uub. The dark-skinned young man had managed to hit Juuhachigou clear through the wall, and possibly through several more. Marron was still in her chosen corner. She made eye contact with Trunks as she looked at him. She saw the wildness in his eyes, and it scared her.
"Uub, get her out of here!" Trunks ordered.
"What about you?" Uub asked, helping Marron to herself.
"I've got an appointment with old Juu-kun here." Trunks started to power up. "A long overdue appointment."
"Trunks, no!" Marron screamed. "He'll kill you. Trunks!"
"Today's as good as any to die."
"And die you will, you pompous little brat," Juunanagou snarled.
"Uub, go now!" Trunks roared. "I love you, Marron."
"Trunks! TRUNKS!" Marron didn't even try to stop the tears from falling. Uub dragged her out of the room just before the roof caved in, burying both Trunks and Juunanagou.
"We have to get out of here, before the whole building collapses on us!" Uub cried. He took hold of Marron's hand and led her towards the exit. But when they were just steps away, Uub went flying and landed with a sick thud several metres away.
"Forget someone?" Juuhachigou said sweetly.
When Marron realised that Uub wasn't moving anymore, she looked at the woman who should have been her mother in terror. "W-w-what do you want from me?"
"I just want to talk to you, sweetheart." Juuhachigou wrapped her arms around Marron in a constrictor grip. "Give mummy a hug."
Marron struggled uselessly as Juuhachigou squeezed tighter. Before she lost consciousness, she thought she saw herself…or at least, the double she had seen of herself on the day she had arrived. I must be going crazy. Maybe this is what happens before you die…
* * * * * *
A/N: Cliffhanger! I'll try to get the next chapter out real soon, but I can't make any promises!