Chapter 27 - Hi honey, I'm home!
Note: I don't own DBZ
Note: I gave Bulma's parents new names and as always {} means a characters thoughts.
On with the story.... With the ship now in full flight, Bulma relaxed somewhat. Now came the most difficult part of the plan. With their arrival at the edge of the Earth shield only short distance away, the second part of the plan had to be executed perfectly, no mistakes could be tolerated otherwise all the struggles were for nought.
Setting the ship on autopilot, Bulma rose from her seat, rolling her neck to relieve the tension that had built up. Glancing behind her, Bulma observed that Radditz had already left his seat, leaving Vegeta still seated, arms crossed, his black eyes devoid of any emotion. It was obvious to Bulma that Radditz in his own strange way had left to give them some privacy, even if it was only for a few moments. He also knew that it would be better if he were not visible to Earth Shield Control during the so called "hostage negotiations". A small smile fleetingly crossed her face at Radditz's thoughtful gesture.
The battle with Zarbon had given him no major injuries, just cuts and bruises which Bulma noted with great relief. Still stretching her neck, Bulma strode over to Vegeta, flopping heavily in the chair next to him. She reached out to stroke his impassive face, wiping away small splashes of blood on his cheek. "We will reach Earth soon, Vegeta. You will need to be as ruthless as possible during the negotiations or it won't work."
His expression did not change, as he turned towards her, his voice tense, "I could kill you without any effort, Bulma. Do you want that?"
Bulma forcefully pulled his face closer to her, her fingertips brushing as lightly as a butterfly against his lips as she replied. "No, I don't want to die." She paused realising in that instant that Vegeta felt she did not trust him, which was something she had never even thought of. Locking her gaze with his own she continued, "You will do what is necessary to make this plan a success. I trust you, Vegeta, please believe that." She touched her lips with his briefly to reassure him, their eyes still locked together.
As Bulma started to draw away, Vegeta forcefully grasped her arms, crushing her lips against his, his tongue demanding entrance into Bulma's mouth, eager to taste her. Bulma moaned softly as Vegeta's tongue forced it way into her mouth, his hands now behind her head, softly caressing the bonding wound as he almost violently moved his mouth over hers, tasting the sharp metallic tang of iron as the cut on her lips reopened.
Breathless, Bulma placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her. This was not the time or the place for what Vegeta intended to do. {Later, Vegeta..} she scolded mentally. With a feral growl Vegeta released Bulma, disappointment clearly present on his slightly flushed face, "I expect you to deliver, woman. Make no mistake." Bulma's retort was interrupted rudely by the sound of a transmission coming through on the vid link. "Shit!" she exclaimed loudly, "we've arrived. Answer it!" Bulma then scramble for the pilots chair and strapped herself in just as the image came through. Vegeta positioned himself behind her, winding his tail around her throat, just tight enough to make the scene look convincing. Bulma shuddered slightly as Vegeta's tail made contact with her skin, having a strong sense of déjà vu. This was the scene she had been presented with in her dream, only this time she did not have to try and ascertain who was holding her.
The image revealed a rather flustered looking controller, visibly perturbed at the unwelcome arrival of a ship just on the edge of the shield. The controller sighed in annoyance, not even bothering to look at the vid screen in front of him. Speaking in a monotone, he read through the standard response to any craft daring to try and breach the shield, his hand hovering over a switch on his left.
"This is a restricted area. You are to desist in your attempt to enter Earths atmosphere immediately. Move away from the shield. You have 30 seconds to comply before we launch our missiles."
Vegeta smirked before replying. The fool in front of him had not even looked up to see who or what was in front of him. "We will not be leaving. You will open a portal to allow this ship safe passage to Earth."
At the sound of a voice coming back to him the controller suddenly had the presence of mind to look at his vid screen, and what he saw did not fit any standard situation. "Wha.?" He sputtered, his rotund face paling slightly at the sight of two people in front of him. One was a woman, obviously a hostage of the man, going by the injuries on her face and neck, and she seemed very familiar, but he could not remember where. Her eyes were wide with fear as the man behind her tightened what appeared to be some sort of rope around her neck, slowly increasing the pressure.
Vegeta resumed speaking once more. "You will allow me passage to Earth. As you can see in front of you, I have a hostage. A rather important hostage, actually." "Her name is ..Bulma Briefs, of Capsule Corporation." Vegeta paused, letting the man in front of him digest the information. "I would rather think her father would not appreciate having his only child murdered, due to your incompetence."
The controller gasped. It was Bulma Briefs. Heiress to the richest and most influential company on Earth. And now her life was in his hands. "Please help me." gasped out Bulma, fully playing her part. Vegeta growled and tightened his tail fractionally and backhanded her jaw, causing Bulma's words to be cut off. "Silence, bitch!" He turned his attention back to the wide-eyed controller. "Well, earthling? What will it be?"
The controller regained his composure before replying. "I, I cannot authorise this. I am not able to open the portal. I will need to speak immediately with my supervisor." "Do it. You have 10 minutes before the woman dies." Vegeta then reached over and cut the link.
The controller hurriedly contacted his immediate supervisor, informing her of the situation in front of him, nervously glancing at the clock ticking away at the 10 minutes allotted to him by Vegeta.
"Are you sure it is Bulma Briefs, Warren?" she questioned tersely, quite overwhelmed by his description of the situation.
"Absolutely, ma'am. I'd recognise her anywhere. Whoever is with her is prepared to kill if necessary. By the look of her injuries, I'd say he tortured her to get information out of her."
"Warren, keep this link open at all costs. I will contact the CEO who will contact Dr Briefs to inform him of the circumstances. Keep whoever it is at bay, try and buy some time by whatever means possible." She then turned away, frantically contacting the CEO by another vid link, praying silently that he would both be within range.
Warren took a deep breath before contacting Vegeta again, nervous sweat beginning to bead his nose and brow. He was praying for a miracle. It was an almost impossible state of affairs, on one hand Earth Shield control would not be able to use its vast array of weapons for fear of killing the hostage, on the other, if they did not open a portal, the hostage would also die. It would be a public relations disaster. Stalemate.
"Well, woman?" Vegeta barked taking some of the pressure off Bulma's throat, "Do you think this will work?"
"Of course it will Vegeta. They can't afford to have my blood on their hands. Just be open to the possibility that it will take longer than 10 minutes." She turned slightly in the chair and looked up at him gingerly moving her now swollen jaw. Vegeta's mouth was held in a stern line, his jaw muscles clenched tightly. "It will work, trust me."
The vid screen flashed up again after only 5 minutes had passed, revealing the worried face of Warren. "Please keep this link open. Currently we are contacting the people with authority in this situation, but you will need to give us more time." His voice wavered and cracked as he relayed the message, half expecting Vegeta to murder Bulma in front of him. Vegeta merely raised an eyebrow, his lips curling evilly at the flustered man in front of him. "I will give you Earthlings only 10 minutes more. Otherwise it's going to be a trip to the next dimension for Ms Briefs here. Got that?"
"Y, yes." Came the stuttered reply, "I understand."
"Excellent. I will now switch the screen off and leave the link open only to voice transmissions, until your leaders have agreed to my demands." The screen flicked off. Warren sighed. "Why of all day's did this have to happen on my watch?" he questioned plaintively.
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Dr Jock Briefs grumbled as his eternally perky wife nudged him awake on the sofa. "Honey, there's an urgent call on the vid link in your lab."
Dr Briefs just grunted. It was his day off. Being the head of such an influential company drained him of energy and to recharge he took one day off every two weeks. It wasn't too much to ask, after all. "Sarah," he replied gruffly, "If it's those idiots from Techcorp, I'm not interested in a joint project. Just tell them to go away." Feeling drowsy once more, his eyes began to close, taking to him back to sleep, which he counted as one of his favourite pastimes.
Sarah Briefs was not about to give up yet. "Jock!" she shrieked in his ear, "It's about Bulma, she's in trouble!"
His eyes sprang open at the mention of his only child. "Wha..Bulma? Shit!" Dr Briefs suddenly jumped up from the comfy sofa and, grabbing his glasses, almost flew to his lab.
"What was that about Bulma?" a deep voice spoke from the other side of the room.
"Oh Yamcha," trilled Sarah, "I'd forgotten that you were still here. I'm sorry about the doctors rudeness, it's just that we got a call on the vid link in the lab about Bulma."
Yamcha's brow furrowed in worry. He and Bulma had broken up, it was true, but he still saw her as a good friend, someone he would help whenever needed. While she had been working on Station Delta Yamcha frequently came out to the Capsule Corporation compound to keep in touch with Bulma's parents. He had completed his training in on Kami's lookout and decided to relax for a while before the Saiyans arrived. Bulma's parents were always happy to see him and would often let him stay for a few days, although both were disappointed that he and Bulma had parted ways.
"Excuse me, I'll be back in a minute." He stood up, ignoring Sarah's protestations and made his way to Dr Brief's lab, curious to discover what kind of trouble Bulma was in.
Yamcha crept silently into the lab watching Bulma's near hysterical father yell at the screen in front of him. "What do you mean, you won't negotiate! That's my only child up there Bruce, being subjected to only god knows what, and you're telling me that security must be protected!"
"Jock, I'm sorry, but we must look at the bigger picture. This is the whole world that could be in danger. I'm truly sorry old friend."
Dr Briefs voice rose to a loud roar, his face puce with rage. "Sorry! You will be! You will give into his demands; otherwise I may have to release some rather damaging details about you. In addition to that, my company will cease production of all technology forthwith. No one else has the capability to fill the void and in effect the world will come to a stand still."
Yamcha's mouth dropped open at what he was hearing. It appeared that the Saiyans had found a way to get onto Earth after all, by using a human shield. His blood boiling, he didn't wait for the conclusion of the discussion between the two powerful men, instead leaving the Briefs house as swiftly as possible, his destination: Kami's lookout.
Jock calmed down fractionally before speaking again. "Look, Bruce. Just let the ship through. I will take full responsibility for whatever destruction this creature that is holding my daughter hostage does. If she is harmed in any way, I won't rest until I have the bastards heart in my hands."
Bruce was still sputtering in indignation at the threats made against him. It was true. If Capsule Corporation ceased production the world would come to a halt and if those facts about him and his indiscretion with another woman came out, well that would be the end of everything. "I authorise the opening of a portal, but this discussion remains between us. Jock, I will try my utmost to find out where the ship will possibly land, then you can take it from there." He then cut the link off trembling. He had never seen Jock Briefs so incensed before. But he supposed that if it were his only child up there he would react the same way. The CEO of Earth Shield Control opened a link and reluctantly gave the order to stop the computer program and open a portal and allow the unknown ship safe passage.
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{I don't think they will take the bait, Bulma.}
{Yes they will, Vegeta. Times almost up}
Bulma and Vegeta's mental conversation was interrupted by a timid vice coming through on the vid link. "Hello? Are you still there?"
Vegeta impatiently reconnected the visual link, revealing the somewhat relieved face of Warren. "Yes. Have my demands been met?" He replied gruffly.
"Yes. The portal is now open. It will take you approximately 5 minutes to enter Earth's atmosphere fully. As Ms Briefs is fitted with a tracking device we will be able to track her location and uplift her once you release her. Be warned, if any misfortune befalls Ms Briefs before she is released, your ship will be destroyed."
"Fine." The link was then disconnected leaving a moment of static in its wake.
Vegeta grinned widely. His mate was clever indeed. Slowly he removed his tail from her neck, wincing imperceptibly as he saw the beginnings of a nasty bruise on Bulma's jaw. He reached out a gloved hand to softly stroke her face, telling her in his own wordless way that he was sorry.
"Forget the injury, Vegeta." Bulma murmured absently as she revelled in the contact, "It will heal up in a couple of days. Get strapped in, we're going through now."
The ship lurched slightly as it moved forward, entering the blue and green whirlpool of the portal slowly. Bulma could see nothing of the landscape of earth, not even the great landmasses of Africa and Europe, just the swirling portal surrounding them. With the ship then placed on auto Bulma realised it was time to remove her troublesome tracking device and so with trembling hands, she pulled the dagger from her boot, ready to remove the tracking device embedded in her arm. She held it with a white knuckled grip and forcefully slashed the arm off her overalls. Biting her tongue, Bulma slowly brought the blade to her skin, holding the arm taut, just over the area where the tracker had been inserted, cursing herself silently for not doing it earlier. Just as Bulma was about to slash the skin, a white-gloved hand suddenly stopped her from going any further.
"Hold my hand." He commanded softly, aware of her apprehension. Vegeta then used the same small cutting ki beam as he had used on Bulma's neck during the bonding ritual to cleanly cut her skin, revealing the small electronic device. Bulma paled, her fingernails digging into Vegeta's hand in pain as she watched him remove the blood-slicked tracker, seemingly transfixed by the revolting sight. Once Vegeta had removed it he gently staunched the flow of blood with his hand before wrapping the ripped off arm of the overalls around her arm, resisting the urge to kiss her again.
Then he quickly cleaned off the blood and handed the tracker, now quite clean to Bulma, who took it with a disgusted grimace on her face. "Thank you." She said sarcastically, before quickly reworking it's electronics so that it would continue to work even after being removed from its host. Awkwardly Bulma moved back to the pilots seat, scouting for an uninhabited area to land in once they had gone completely through the portal. Vegeta stood behind the chair, bracing himself with his hands on the back.
Bulma squinted through the cockpit window, the bright early morning sunlight breaking through and giving her vision a few problems. "We are almost through. I'm going to try and find a "dead zone" if I can."
The statement visibly puzzled Vegeta. "A "dead zone"?"
Bulma gave him one of her patented superior glances. "Yes a "dead zone". All electronic and electrical devices won't work in the area. Everything just shuts off, goes dead. Hence the name "dead zone." It wasn't the same type of place as Garlic Junior had been condemned to, just a spot where high levels of natural radiation had gathered, making it impossible to traverse by any mechanised or electronic means. Everything in the area was affected by the radiation, causing them to shut off whilst in the area.
"Won't the ship just drop?" came the deep voice of Radditz, just re entering the cockpit, a slightly queasy look on his face. It was obvious that the large Saiyan and space travel did not go together. Strange really considering how much time he had probably spent with his massive frame folded into a pod.
"No. I'll bring it in low enough to crash land the ship. It's the only way we can evade any reprisals." Bulma paused, and then gave a triumphant laugh. "Ha! I've got it! I'll land the ship in the dead zone nearest my home, it covers about 50 square kilometres." She screwed up her nose momentarily. "But it's bloody cold, about 40 degrees celsius below zero."
Vegeta shivered unconsciously after hearing those words, he hated the cold.
Suddenly, a loud popping noise reverberated around the ship. It indicated that the ship been released from the portal and had now entered Earth's atmosphere, allowing Bulma to take control of the ship once more. She brought it up to full power, making it shoot speedily towards the destination she had specially picked out. Vegeta and Radditz were flung back with the force, rolling inelegantly towards their respective seats. With the amount of speed the Batalhian ship had, Bulma deduced that it would only be a matter of minutes before they could land or rather crash land. Once the ship had crashed, herself and the two Saiyans could escape from the area and leave the ruins behind, because as Bulma knew, both Radditz and Vegeta had the power of flight. Bulma was also smart enough to realise that there was no way that they would not be tracked every moment, which was why she chose such a desolate place. She grinned as the landscape of Earth passed under them, happy to be back home once more.
"Okay, brace yourselves, this is going to be one hell of a landing!" she yelled over her shoulder as the ship neared the dead zone, the control panel flashing as it lost power. The ship dipped low over an icy area, almost scraping the surface as it steadily lost altitude. The entire ship then went dark, the engines cutting abruptly. Bulma grasped the control stick as forcefully as possible trying to retain some manual control as the ship lurched violently, skimming the surface of the ice below before coming to a complete stop in a large ice floe.
Somewhat shocked, Bulma sat for several moments, breathing heavily as her senses started to work again, a sudden loud bang reminding her of where she was. She unstrapped herself, her arm throbbing unmercifully as she stumbled to the back of the cockpit, attempting to find the exit in the dim light. Vegeta's hand found hers and guided her to the exit, which Radditz had so kindly supplied by blasting the sealed door open. "Welcome to Earth." She gasped, the frozen air giving her lungs a shock. "We had better leave as soon as possible. This ice won't hold us up for long." She looked around at the ice and snow covering the landscape. "Also, I may just freeze to death if we stay." Bulma finished sarcastically, knowing that ripped up overalls were not conducive to keeping warm.
Vegeta shivered before igniting his ki to keep himself and Bulma warm. "So, where to?" he asked, his teeth chattering, his warm breath creating puff of vapour.
"My home. It's about 500 kilometres south of here and a great deal warmer." She grimaced, aware of the kind of welcoming party there was likely to be. She glanced at the shivering Radditz. "Then we can find your brother. Not to mention that we will have company soon." She looked up into the sky, knowing that it was only a matter of time before military forces massed near the area. Bulma resolved to drop the tracking device once out of the dead zone to put them off the scent. Vegeta pulled her in closer to his warm body, and holding her firmly in his muscular arms slowly rose into the air. "Which way, woman?" he asked, his lips planting a fleeting kiss on her forehead, well aware that Radditz could not see what he was doing. Bulma jerked her head in the direction of her home. "That way."
"Radditz!" barked Vegeta, "Time to leave."
Radditz shivered violently again, quite unable to come to grips with the landscape before him. He rather hoped that the rest of Earth was not as cold and as desolate as this "dead zone". As he rose into the thin air to follow his prince towards Bulma's home another thought struck him. {I will finally be able to meet my brother.} That was one thing he was genuinely looking forward to. He then ignited his ki and sped off, following Vegeta and Bulma.
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Kami's eyes snapped open as his meditation was interrupted. The Saiyans had arrived early, as he had feared. {Strange.I can only sense two of them. Where is the third one?} He stood up and stiffly grasped his cane for support as he left his meditation room, searching out his ever-faithful servant Mr Popo. As he expected Mr Popo was already running inelegantly towards him puffing with the exertion. "Kami! They have arrived!" He panted breathlessly, halting in front of Kami looking into the god's impassive face.
Kami smiled wryly. "I know Mr Popo. I sensed their arrival. Where are Goku and the others?"
"They are all here. Yamcha arrived moments ago with the news of their arrival. The only problem is that he did not know where they have landed."
"Take me to Goku and the others. This is a tricky situation, which will be made even more difficult if tempers rise, and rash actions taken."
Mr Popo led Kami to the area where all the z fighters were gathered. He could hear the booming voice of Piccolo ordering them all to be quiet as Yamcha and Krillen argued about the best course of action to take. Goku was busy trying to calm both of the agitated men down but to no avail. The noise abruptly ceased as Kami made his appearance.
"So you all know that the Saiyans have arrived, yes?" He spoke calmly, like it was just a small problem, which could be solved easily.
"Yes" growled Piccolo, obviously irritated at the appearance of Kami. "Yamcha has given us the news. I suggest we meet them head on, find out what they want."
Kami held up a wrinkled hand to halt his younger counterpart before he launched into a tirade and took off. "Wait Piccolo. Wait until I have said my piece."
Piccolo grunted his disapproval, but kept quiet anyway. Kami cleared his throat and began. "Firstly, there are only two Saiyans here. The third one is not with them. Secondly, and this is important especially to Yamcha and Goku, Ms Briefs has not been harmed in anyway. She is in no danger from them. So keep a cool head. Lastly, they will most likely be making their way to her home. I suggest that you all make your way there to meet them as they arrive."
"They had better not have harmed a hair on her head" Yelled Yamcha, "otherwise I'll kill them!" He then turned and launched himself off the lookout, speeding towards Bulma's home silently hoping that Kami was right, that Bulma was all right.
Goku turned to Kami and nodded in silent thanks for his help. The two days that he and Piccolo had spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had been time well spent. Both of the men had increased their power dramatically and while in there Goku began to feel strange changes within his body. Almost as if he was waiting for something or someone to force him to change. So many times while fighting with Piccolo he had been on precipice of a very big change, but wholly unable to make the next step. He was however, confident of his abilities as a fighter ready to defend his adopted planet and his family, whatever the cost to himself.
Raising his hand in a salute, he launched himself off the lookout, followed closely by Piccolo and the others.
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It was taking most of Vegeta's energy to hold onto Bulma and keep flying, mostly due to the fact that he had depleted most of his reserves fighting Zarbon. He looked up into the blue sky of Earth wondering if he had in fact finished off the loathsome creature once and for all. It had not been an entirely satisfying fight; it had almost been too easy. The immense burst of ki that he had wielded had been incredible, giving him some clue that his transformation to Super Saiyan was not far away.
Vegeta moved Bulma fractionally in his arms, trying to find a more comfortable way of carrying her. Surprisingly, Bulma had remained silent and unmoving during the flight, except for the moment she dropped the tracking device to throw the military off track, suggesting that she was full of anxiety having to face her father after having deceiving him in a very underhand manner. Her face was impassive as if trying to hide her feelings but the fact that Bulma was nervously chewing on her lower lip was a dead giveaway. The cold air served to make her face even paler; the bruise on her jaw now a stark blue and purple blot on her face. The moment that he had struck her Vegeta had regretted it. To his reasoning the injury had not been necessary. Sighing, Vegeta stretched out mentally trying to connect with her. It was no good. Bulma had closed off her mind, putting up a strong mental barrier, too strong for him to break through. He scowled, knowing that he could not stop flying. Part of him wished that Radditz was dead, and then he could be alone with his mate.
Bulma did not want to talk either verbally or mentally with Vegeta at this moment. She felt awful. Bulma did not like blocking out Vegeta, but for now it was necessary. Every second brought her closer to her home and the inevitable recriminations and accusations that would be waiting for her. They would all be waiting for her there she knew, courtesy of her innate predictability and desire to go to where everything was familiar, but no escape from the situation was going to be possible. She only hoped that Goku and the other Z fighters would give her enough time to explain everything. Then there was the no doubt sticky situation with her father. He would be angry, but perhaps the fact that she was for the most part unharmed would soften him slightly.
{Yamcha}. The name rose unbidden into her mind, causing a grimace to momentarily cross her face. He would definitely be the hardest person to win over, after her father. Although they had parted ways he still considered himself her primary protector, after Goku of course. He was hot headed and impulsive at the best of times, and therefore could cause trouble. Brushing all thoughts of Yamcha aside, Bulma fastened her eyes on the horizon once again, her stomach twisting in knots as she realised how close home really was.
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One by one, the Z fighters dropped noiselessly from the sky, landing softly in Sarah Briefs massive garden within the Capsule Corporation. Their appearance excited no comment from the employees moving around the compound, they had seen it all before. Sarah gasped in surprise at the assortment of warriors massing in her garden, fleetingly lost for words.
Goku strode towards her, "Mrs Briefs, it would be a good idea if you could tell Dr Briefs that we are here."
Nodding mutely, the still slightly confused blond woman dropped her watering can and ran into the house, grabbing the first phone she came upon and nervously tried to contact her husband, who was in his own personal lab trying and failing to work on an important invention.
The situation with Bulma was seriously clouding his mind. She was his only child, brilliant and beautiful. The very notion that she could end up dead was slowly breaking his heart. He had heard nothing new from the military as yet, but he had been assured that Bulma was still very much alive at this point in time. When the phone rang, his train of thought was broken. Eager to discover if it was there were any new developments in the search for Bulma, he practically pounced on the receiver. Disappointingly it was only his wife, gabbling almost incoherently about Goku and the others being there and that they wanted to speak with him. Giving a small grunt of agreement, Jock Briefs turned to look at his half finished creation lying on the bench before putting the receiver down. Rubbing his temples in frustration and despair, he left the lab making his way to the garden.
Goku turned to the other warriors. "Please let me handle this for now guys. The last thing we want to do is cause Bulma's parents anymore stress right now, okay?"
Nodding their assented to his wishes the fighters settled themselves on the grass, visibly champing at the bit, ready to go into action. Goku walked calmly up to the now present Dr Briefs and hurriedly filled him in on the details. "So, what we are going to do is wait for Bulma and these two Saiyans to arrive. I would suggest that you and Mrs Briefs keep a safe distance away, because I have no idea what their intentions are. You could both be in danger."
Dr Briefs could barely contain his anger at the situation. "You expect me, Bulma's father to wait in the wings while you calmly talk it over with this bastard!? If anyone has the right to do anything it's me!" Goku placed a gentle yet firm hand on Jocks shoulder, reminding him subtly of his power, before replying tensely. "Dr Briefs, I realise that you have the right, but please leave it to me and the others. I will do my utmost to make sure Bulma is not hurt. If a fight breaks out, we have a very good chance of defeating them. I just don't want you to get hurt. Understand?"
Jock Briefs nodded mutely and grasped his wife's hand in his own. He turned to go back into the house and watch what happened from within. Before reaching the house, he spun on his heel and spoke once more to Goku. "Promise me that you will kill that creature if it has harmed her in any way."
Goku took a deep breath as he looked at the distraught man knowing that he would do the same thing if it were his own family in peril. "I will."
And so the wait began, hours passing almost torturously. Piccolo removed himself from the group, settling near a large tree to meditate while he waited. He could not stand the impatience of the others, their constant chattering and annoying pacing up and down the garden. He knew that he could pass the time without resorting to mindless babble and useless anxiety. None of them would know what to expect from these Saiyans, least of all him and there was no point worrying about it now with the moment almost upon them.
Yamcha was pacing relentlessly, almost ploughing a furrow in the soft grass beneath his feet. He clenched his fists repeatedly, growling impatient for the confrontation, recalling his words at the lookout. He would kill them.
Goku watched the sky patiently, stretching his senses out as far as possible trying to pick up on any unusual energy approaching. He, like Yamcha was ready to kill but only if absolutely necessary. In a strange way, he was rather looking forward to this possible confrontation. He would meet his brother, who he had not been aware had even existed until a week ago. {Perhaps he is not evil as Kami suggested. I certainly hope so..}
Then suddenly Goku's senses picked up what he had been so patiently waiting for. Barely seconds later, Piccolo rose from his cross-legged position near the tree having picked up the same energy approaching. "They are almost here," he growled, removing his turban and cape in preparation. Yamcha ceased his mindless pacing and turned his eyes to the sky. He too could feel it. And the bad news was that one of them was a lot stronger than he had imagined. {This is not good..}
Then, before anyone realised what was happening, they had arrived. Their eyes widened at the three figures now descending rapidly from the sky. As Vegeta and Radditz landed, they took in the sight of some very prepared warriors, ready and willing to fight them. Vegeta smirked. Only two of the warriors present were anywhere near his league, the Namek and Kakkarot. Kakkarot was as he expected, a near mirror image of his father, Bardock.
With her feet now on solid ground, Bulma extracted herself reluctantly from Vegeta's arms, but once her eyes registered the group of warriors gathered in her parent's garden, their full power now on display as a show of force, she quickly grasped one of his gloved hands for support, keeping the almost affectionate display hidden from everyone. She was unable to see her mother and father at all and deduced that they must be within the house, safe from any possible harm.
A tense silence fell over both groups, neither willing to be the first to speak. Bulma glanced back at Vegeta, his handsome face impassive under the scrutiny of the strangers in front of him. "Vegeta," she whispered softly, "I think it's best if I do the talking for now, alright?"
"Fine" He growled, his ire raising as he noticed the appearance of Yamcha, the scarred man who had been his mate's former lover.
In turn, Yamcha noticed Bulma's dishevelled appearance, the bruises on her throat and jaw, the cut lip and arm, before coming to the wrong conclusion, thinking that Vegeta had been beating her. Without thinking, he propelled himself forward in an attacking position, ready to fight. He had barely made it two paces before a brawny arm stretched out and held him by the neck of his gi, effectively halting his progress. Bulma drew back, well aware that if Yamcha made it close enough to even try and land a blow on Vegeta that it would be the last thing he ever did.
Yamcha struggled with Goku, yelling loudly, "That bastard fucking hurt her Goku! Let me take him!" Vegeta glared at the scarred man, almost daring him to come closer.
"Calm down, Yamcha. Keep frosty. We can't afford any reckless behaviour on your part, it could cause problems." He continued to struggle futilely for several seconds before fractionally calming down, Goku then pushing him forcefully behind gesturing for Yamcha to stay with the rest of the group.
Goku stepped forward smiling, his eyes flickering over the two Saiyans, registering that the larger man must be his older brother. He was so big, taller than Piccolo and strong too, but not as strong as he was. In a perverse way it pleased him that he now finally had a real blood relation, despite the fact that his brother had probably murdered countless thousands during his service with Freeza. Goku sensed that the smaller man was very powerful, even more so than him. It surprised him he was so much smaller than his brother, yet was so much stronger. {Now this guy would be a great sparring partner.}
Realising he was wasting time, Goku turned his attention to Bulma stopping directly in front of her and Vegeta. Goku glanced down at Bulma's hand, tightly holding onto Vegeta's. She had never been a hostage or in any danger from these two men. Goku could have sworn that by the way she hung onto the smaller mans hand and the close proximity of their bodies that they were in some kind of relationship. He gave her one of his trademark goofy smiles as he spoke. "It's good to have you back home, Bulma." Bulma's lips quivered for a moment, before a flood of silent tears coursed down her face, the emotion of the moment almost being too great for her to handle.
She let go of Vegeta's hand and flung herself towards Goku, his arms enveloping her in a great bear hug as she sobbed almost uncontrollably on his chest. "It's good to be home, Goku, it really is." She sniffled before being rudely brought back to reality by the low growling sound coming from Vegeta's throat. Disengaging herself from Goku, Bulma could see Vegeta was visibly agitated by her contact with Goku. The Z fighters all tensed visibly but only saw Goku glaring back at Vegeta, not able to hear Vegeta's enraged growling. They were preparing for an imminent battle, but to the great horror of those gathered there, Bulma calmly walked back to Vegeta, placing her hands on his chest, softly whispering for him to calm down.
"Please, Vegeta. He is my friend and means no harm. I will explain everything, just please calm down."
Vegeta remained focused on Goku for a few more seconds, the blood lust evident in his eyes, before snapping his gaze away and looking down at Bulma. "I told you that if any man so much as touched you he would die." Her eyes latched onto his, softening him slightly. "As you wish, woman. But be warned, I am not a pet that you can order around. Next time, I will tear him limb from limb if he touches you again." She nodded, but decided to set aside some time much later to acquaint both Vegeta and Radditz with Earth customs, otherwise there were going to be a lot of dead bodies littering the compound.
Removing her hands from his chest, Bulma turned towards a now captive audience. She cleared her throat before beginning her introductions. "Firstly, thank you all for being here to welcome me back home. As you can see, I am very much alive and well." She directed her smile to Yamcha, still evidently ready to try and kick some ass. "Secondly, I should really introduce my two guests" She gestured behind her to the tall figure of Radditz, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "This is Radditz. He is Goku's older brother." Bulma then stepped back slightly, pressing close to Vegeta. "And this is Vegeta, Prince of Saiyans. There is no evil intent here, all they are asking for is assistance in defeating an evil force called," Bulma was interrupted by Goku. "Freeza." He finished for her. "We all know. Kami informed us of your imminent arrival and that this Freeza would be here not too long afterwards."
Goku looked up with curious eyes at his brother, trying to see a family resemblance. "If you are my brother," he said speaking to Radditz before rotating back to Bulma and Vegeta, "and you mean no harm, then I welcome you as Bulma has." Radditz spoke his first words since arriving on Earth, looking down on his sibling, seeing his fathers face stare back at him. "It is the truth..brother."
Bulma's face broke into a brilliant smile belying the tension she sensed was still swirling around like a malevolent spirit. All things considered it had been a relatively peaceful homecoming.
"I suggest then that we go inside," She glanced sharply at the still scowling Yamcha. "All of us, so that I can fill you all in on what has been happening. I'm cold, tired and I'd guess that my mother and father would like to speak to me also." And with that small statement the uneasy group made its way into the house, ready for a long session of questions and answers, some of which would come easier than others.
Note: I don't own DBZ
Note: I gave Bulma's parents new names and as always {} means a characters thoughts.
On with the story.... With the ship now in full flight, Bulma relaxed somewhat. Now came the most difficult part of the plan. With their arrival at the edge of the Earth shield only short distance away, the second part of the plan had to be executed perfectly, no mistakes could be tolerated otherwise all the struggles were for nought.
Setting the ship on autopilot, Bulma rose from her seat, rolling her neck to relieve the tension that had built up. Glancing behind her, Bulma observed that Radditz had already left his seat, leaving Vegeta still seated, arms crossed, his black eyes devoid of any emotion. It was obvious to Bulma that Radditz in his own strange way had left to give them some privacy, even if it was only for a few moments. He also knew that it would be better if he were not visible to Earth Shield Control during the so called "hostage negotiations". A small smile fleetingly crossed her face at Radditz's thoughtful gesture.
The battle with Zarbon had given him no major injuries, just cuts and bruises which Bulma noted with great relief. Still stretching her neck, Bulma strode over to Vegeta, flopping heavily in the chair next to him. She reached out to stroke his impassive face, wiping away small splashes of blood on his cheek. "We will reach Earth soon, Vegeta. You will need to be as ruthless as possible during the negotiations or it won't work."
His expression did not change, as he turned towards her, his voice tense, "I could kill you without any effort, Bulma. Do you want that?"
Bulma forcefully pulled his face closer to her, her fingertips brushing as lightly as a butterfly against his lips as she replied. "No, I don't want to die." She paused realising in that instant that Vegeta felt she did not trust him, which was something she had never even thought of. Locking her gaze with his own she continued, "You will do what is necessary to make this plan a success. I trust you, Vegeta, please believe that." She touched her lips with his briefly to reassure him, their eyes still locked together.
As Bulma started to draw away, Vegeta forcefully grasped her arms, crushing her lips against his, his tongue demanding entrance into Bulma's mouth, eager to taste her. Bulma moaned softly as Vegeta's tongue forced it way into her mouth, his hands now behind her head, softly caressing the bonding wound as he almost violently moved his mouth over hers, tasting the sharp metallic tang of iron as the cut on her lips reopened.
Breathless, Bulma placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away from her. This was not the time or the place for what Vegeta intended to do. {Later, Vegeta..} she scolded mentally. With a feral growl Vegeta released Bulma, disappointment clearly present on his slightly flushed face, "I expect you to deliver, woman. Make no mistake." Bulma's retort was interrupted rudely by the sound of a transmission coming through on the vid link. "Shit!" she exclaimed loudly, "we've arrived. Answer it!" Bulma then scramble for the pilots chair and strapped herself in just as the image came through. Vegeta positioned himself behind her, winding his tail around her throat, just tight enough to make the scene look convincing. Bulma shuddered slightly as Vegeta's tail made contact with her skin, having a strong sense of déjà vu. This was the scene she had been presented with in her dream, only this time she did not have to try and ascertain who was holding her.
The image revealed a rather flustered looking controller, visibly perturbed at the unwelcome arrival of a ship just on the edge of the shield. The controller sighed in annoyance, not even bothering to look at the vid screen in front of him. Speaking in a monotone, he read through the standard response to any craft daring to try and breach the shield, his hand hovering over a switch on his left.
"This is a restricted area. You are to desist in your attempt to enter Earths atmosphere immediately. Move away from the shield. You have 30 seconds to comply before we launch our missiles."
Vegeta smirked before replying. The fool in front of him had not even looked up to see who or what was in front of him. "We will not be leaving. You will open a portal to allow this ship safe passage to Earth."
At the sound of a voice coming back to him the controller suddenly had the presence of mind to look at his vid screen, and what he saw did not fit any standard situation. "Wha.?" He sputtered, his rotund face paling slightly at the sight of two people in front of him. One was a woman, obviously a hostage of the man, going by the injuries on her face and neck, and she seemed very familiar, but he could not remember where. Her eyes were wide with fear as the man behind her tightened what appeared to be some sort of rope around her neck, slowly increasing the pressure.
Vegeta resumed speaking once more. "You will allow me passage to Earth. As you can see in front of you, I have a hostage. A rather important hostage, actually." "Her name is ..Bulma Briefs, of Capsule Corporation." Vegeta paused, letting the man in front of him digest the information. "I would rather think her father would not appreciate having his only child murdered, due to your incompetence."
The controller gasped. It was Bulma Briefs. Heiress to the richest and most influential company on Earth. And now her life was in his hands. "Please help me." gasped out Bulma, fully playing her part. Vegeta growled and tightened his tail fractionally and backhanded her jaw, causing Bulma's words to be cut off. "Silence, bitch!" He turned his attention back to the wide-eyed controller. "Well, earthling? What will it be?"
The controller regained his composure before replying. "I, I cannot authorise this. I am not able to open the portal. I will need to speak immediately with my supervisor." "Do it. You have 10 minutes before the woman dies." Vegeta then reached over and cut the link.
The controller hurriedly contacted his immediate supervisor, informing her of the situation in front of him, nervously glancing at the clock ticking away at the 10 minutes allotted to him by Vegeta.
"Are you sure it is Bulma Briefs, Warren?" she questioned tersely, quite overwhelmed by his description of the situation.
"Absolutely, ma'am. I'd recognise her anywhere. Whoever is with her is prepared to kill if necessary. By the look of her injuries, I'd say he tortured her to get information out of her."
"Warren, keep this link open at all costs. I will contact the CEO who will contact Dr Briefs to inform him of the circumstances. Keep whoever it is at bay, try and buy some time by whatever means possible." She then turned away, frantically contacting the CEO by another vid link, praying silently that he would both be within range.
Warren took a deep breath before contacting Vegeta again, nervous sweat beginning to bead his nose and brow. He was praying for a miracle. It was an almost impossible state of affairs, on one hand Earth Shield control would not be able to use its vast array of weapons for fear of killing the hostage, on the other, if they did not open a portal, the hostage would also die. It would be a public relations disaster. Stalemate.
"Well, woman?" Vegeta barked taking some of the pressure off Bulma's throat, "Do you think this will work?"
"Of course it will Vegeta. They can't afford to have my blood on their hands. Just be open to the possibility that it will take longer than 10 minutes." She turned slightly in the chair and looked up at him gingerly moving her now swollen jaw. Vegeta's mouth was held in a stern line, his jaw muscles clenched tightly. "It will work, trust me."
The vid screen flashed up again after only 5 minutes had passed, revealing the worried face of Warren. "Please keep this link open. Currently we are contacting the people with authority in this situation, but you will need to give us more time." His voice wavered and cracked as he relayed the message, half expecting Vegeta to murder Bulma in front of him. Vegeta merely raised an eyebrow, his lips curling evilly at the flustered man in front of him. "I will give you Earthlings only 10 minutes more. Otherwise it's going to be a trip to the next dimension for Ms Briefs here. Got that?"
"Y, yes." Came the stuttered reply, "I understand."
"Excellent. I will now switch the screen off and leave the link open only to voice transmissions, until your leaders have agreed to my demands." The screen flicked off. Warren sighed. "Why of all day's did this have to happen on my watch?" he questioned plaintively.
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Dr Jock Briefs grumbled as his eternally perky wife nudged him awake on the sofa. "Honey, there's an urgent call on the vid link in your lab."
Dr Briefs just grunted. It was his day off. Being the head of such an influential company drained him of energy and to recharge he took one day off every two weeks. It wasn't too much to ask, after all. "Sarah," he replied gruffly, "If it's those idiots from Techcorp, I'm not interested in a joint project. Just tell them to go away." Feeling drowsy once more, his eyes began to close, taking to him back to sleep, which he counted as one of his favourite pastimes.
Sarah Briefs was not about to give up yet. "Jock!" she shrieked in his ear, "It's about Bulma, she's in trouble!"
His eyes sprang open at the mention of his only child. "Wha..Bulma? Shit!" Dr Briefs suddenly jumped up from the comfy sofa and, grabbing his glasses, almost flew to his lab.
"What was that about Bulma?" a deep voice spoke from the other side of the room.
"Oh Yamcha," trilled Sarah, "I'd forgotten that you were still here. I'm sorry about the doctors rudeness, it's just that we got a call on the vid link in the lab about Bulma."
Yamcha's brow furrowed in worry. He and Bulma had broken up, it was true, but he still saw her as a good friend, someone he would help whenever needed. While she had been working on Station Delta Yamcha frequently came out to the Capsule Corporation compound to keep in touch with Bulma's parents. He had completed his training in on Kami's lookout and decided to relax for a while before the Saiyans arrived. Bulma's parents were always happy to see him and would often let him stay for a few days, although both were disappointed that he and Bulma had parted ways.
"Excuse me, I'll be back in a minute." He stood up, ignoring Sarah's protestations and made his way to Dr Brief's lab, curious to discover what kind of trouble Bulma was in.
Yamcha crept silently into the lab watching Bulma's near hysterical father yell at the screen in front of him. "What do you mean, you won't negotiate! That's my only child up there Bruce, being subjected to only god knows what, and you're telling me that security must be protected!"
"Jock, I'm sorry, but we must look at the bigger picture. This is the whole world that could be in danger. I'm truly sorry old friend."
Dr Briefs voice rose to a loud roar, his face puce with rage. "Sorry! You will be! You will give into his demands; otherwise I may have to release some rather damaging details about you. In addition to that, my company will cease production of all technology forthwith. No one else has the capability to fill the void and in effect the world will come to a stand still."
Yamcha's mouth dropped open at what he was hearing. It appeared that the Saiyans had found a way to get onto Earth after all, by using a human shield. His blood boiling, he didn't wait for the conclusion of the discussion between the two powerful men, instead leaving the Briefs house as swiftly as possible, his destination: Kami's lookout.
Jock calmed down fractionally before speaking again. "Look, Bruce. Just let the ship through. I will take full responsibility for whatever destruction this creature that is holding my daughter hostage does. If she is harmed in any way, I won't rest until I have the bastards heart in my hands."
Bruce was still sputtering in indignation at the threats made against him. It was true. If Capsule Corporation ceased production the world would come to a halt and if those facts about him and his indiscretion with another woman came out, well that would be the end of everything. "I authorise the opening of a portal, but this discussion remains between us. Jock, I will try my utmost to find out where the ship will possibly land, then you can take it from there." He then cut the link off trembling. He had never seen Jock Briefs so incensed before. But he supposed that if it were his only child up there he would react the same way. The CEO of Earth Shield Control opened a link and reluctantly gave the order to stop the computer program and open a portal and allow the unknown ship safe passage.
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{I don't think they will take the bait, Bulma.}
{Yes they will, Vegeta. Times almost up}
Bulma and Vegeta's mental conversation was interrupted by a timid vice coming through on the vid link. "Hello? Are you still there?"
Vegeta impatiently reconnected the visual link, revealing the somewhat relieved face of Warren. "Yes. Have my demands been met?" He replied gruffly.
"Yes. The portal is now open. It will take you approximately 5 minutes to enter Earth's atmosphere fully. As Ms Briefs is fitted with a tracking device we will be able to track her location and uplift her once you release her. Be warned, if any misfortune befalls Ms Briefs before she is released, your ship will be destroyed."
"Fine." The link was then disconnected leaving a moment of static in its wake.
Vegeta grinned widely. His mate was clever indeed. Slowly he removed his tail from her neck, wincing imperceptibly as he saw the beginnings of a nasty bruise on Bulma's jaw. He reached out a gloved hand to softly stroke her face, telling her in his own wordless way that he was sorry.
"Forget the injury, Vegeta." Bulma murmured absently as she revelled in the contact, "It will heal up in a couple of days. Get strapped in, we're going through now."
The ship lurched slightly as it moved forward, entering the blue and green whirlpool of the portal slowly. Bulma could see nothing of the landscape of earth, not even the great landmasses of Africa and Europe, just the swirling portal surrounding them. With the ship then placed on auto Bulma realised it was time to remove her troublesome tracking device and so with trembling hands, she pulled the dagger from her boot, ready to remove the tracking device embedded in her arm. She held it with a white knuckled grip and forcefully slashed the arm off her overalls. Biting her tongue, Bulma slowly brought the blade to her skin, holding the arm taut, just over the area where the tracker had been inserted, cursing herself silently for not doing it earlier. Just as Bulma was about to slash the skin, a white-gloved hand suddenly stopped her from going any further.
"Hold my hand." He commanded softly, aware of her apprehension. Vegeta then used the same small cutting ki beam as he had used on Bulma's neck during the bonding ritual to cleanly cut her skin, revealing the small electronic device. Bulma paled, her fingernails digging into Vegeta's hand in pain as she watched him remove the blood-slicked tracker, seemingly transfixed by the revolting sight. Once Vegeta had removed it he gently staunched the flow of blood with his hand before wrapping the ripped off arm of the overalls around her arm, resisting the urge to kiss her again.
Then he quickly cleaned off the blood and handed the tracker, now quite clean to Bulma, who took it with a disgusted grimace on her face. "Thank you." She said sarcastically, before quickly reworking it's electronics so that it would continue to work even after being removed from its host. Awkwardly Bulma moved back to the pilots seat, scouting for an uninhabited area to land in once they had gone completely through the portal. Vegeta stood behind the chair, bracing himself with his hands on the back.
Bulma squinted through the cockpit window, the bright early morning sunlight breaking through and giving her vision a few problems. "We are almost through. I'm going to try and find a "dead zone" if I can."
The statement visibly puzzled Vegeta. "A "dead zone"?"
Bulma gave him one of her patented superior glances. "Yes a "dead zone". All electronic and electrical devices won't work in the area. Everything just shuts off, goes dead. Hence the name "dead zone." It wasn't the same type of place as Garlic Junior had been condemned to, just a spot where high levels of natural radiation had gathered, making it impossible to traverse by any mechanised or electronic means. Everything in the area was affected by the radiation, causing them to shut off whilst in the area.
"Won't the ship just drop?" came the deep voice of Radditz, just re entering the cockpit, a slightly queasy look on his face. It was obvious that the large Saiyan and space travel did not go together. Strange really considering how much time he had probably spent with his massive frame folded into a pod.
"No. I'll bring it in low enough to crash land the ship. It's the only way we can evade any reprisals." Bulma paused, and then gave a triumphant laugh. "Ha! I've got it! I'll land the ship in the dead zone nearest my home, it covers about 50 square kilometres." She screwed up her nose momentarily. "But it's bloody cold, about 40 degrees celsius below zero."
Vegeta shivered unconsciously after hearing those words, he hated the cold.
Suddenly, a loud popping noise reverberated around the ship. It indicated that the ship been released from the portal and had now entered Earth's atmosphere, allowing Bulma to take control of the ship once more. She brought it up to full power, making it shoot speedily towards the destination she had specially picked out. Vegeta and Radditz were flung back with the force, rolling inelegantly towards their respective seats. With the amount of speed the Batalhian ship had, Bulma deduced that it would only be a matter of minutes before they could land or rather crash land. Once the ship had crashed, herself and the two Saiyans could escape from the area and leave the ruins behind, because as Bulma knew, both Radditz and Vegeta had the power of flight. Bulma was also smart enough to realise that there was no way that they would not be tracked every moment, which was why she chose such a desolate place. She grinned as the landscape of Earth passed under them, happy to be back home once more.
"Okay, brace yourselves, this is going to be one hell of a landing!" she yelled over her shoulder as the ship neared the dead zone, the control panel flashing as it lost power. The ship dipped low over an icy area, almost scraping the surface as it steadily lost altitude. The entire ship then went dark, the engines cutting abruptly. Bulma grasped the control stick as forcefully as possible trying to retain some manual control as the ship lurched violently, skimming the surface of the ice below before coming to a complete stop in a large ice floe.
Somewhat shocked, Bulma sat for several moments, breathing heavily as her senses started to work again, a sudden loud bang reminding her of where she was. She unstrapped herself, her arm throbbing unmercifully as she stumbled to the back of the cockpit, attempting to find the exit in the dim light. Vegeta's hand found hers and guided her to the exit, which Radditz had so kindly supplied by blasting the sealed door open. "Welcome to Earth." She gasped, the frozen air giving her lungs a shock. "We had better leave as soon as possible. This ice won't hold us up for long." She looked around at the ice and snow covering the landscape. "Also, I may just freeze to death if we stay." Bulma finished sarcastically, knowing that ripped up overalls were not conducive to keeping warm.
Vegeta shivered before igniting his ki to keep himself and Bulma warm. "So, where to?" he asked, his teeth chattering, his warm breath creating puff of vapour.
"My home. It's about 500 kilometres south of here and a great deal warmer." She grimaced, aware of the kind of welcoming party there was likely to be. She glanced at the shivering Radditz. "Then we can find your brother. Not to mention that we will have company soon." She looked up into the sky, knowing that it was only a matter of time before military forces massed near the area. Bulma resolved to drop the tracking device once out of the dead zone to put them off the scent. Vegeta pulled her in closer to his warm body, and holding her firmly in his muscular arms slowly rose into the air. "Which way, woman?" he asked, his lips planting a fleeting kiss on her forehead, well aware that Radditz could not see what he was doing. Bulma jerked her head in the direction of her home. "That way."
"Radditz!" barked Vegeta, "Time to leave."
Radditz shivered violently again, quite unable to come to grips with the landscape before him. He rather hoped that the rest of Earth was not as cold and as desolate as this "dead zone". As he rose into the thin air to follow his prince towards Bulma's home another thought struck him. {I will finally be able to meet my brother.} That was one thing he was genuinely looking forward to. He then ignited his ki and sped off, following Vegeta and Bulma.
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Kami's eyes snapped open as his meditation was interrupted. The Saiyans had arrived early, as he had feared. {Strange.I can only sense two of them. Where is the third one?} He stood up and stiffly grasped his cane for support as he left his meditation room, searching out his ever-faithful servant Mr Popo. As he expected Mr Popo was already running inelegantly towards him puffing with the exertion. "Kami! They have arrived!" He panted breathlessly, halting in front of Kami looking into the god's impassive face.
Kami smiled wryly. "I know Mr Popo. I sensed their arrival. Where are Goku and the others?"
"They are all here. Yamcha arrived moments ago with the news of their arrival. The only problem is that he did not know where they have landed."
"Take me to Goku and the others. This is a tricky situation, which will be made even more difficult if tempers rise, and rash actions taken."
Mr Popo led Kami to the area where all the z fighters were gathered. He could hear the booming voice of Piccolo ordering them all to be quiet as Yamcha and Krillen argued about the best course of action to take. Goku was busy trying to calm both of the agitated men down but to no avail. The noise abruptly ceased as Kami made his appearance.
"So you all know that the Saiyans have arrived, yes?" He spoke calmly, like it was just a small problem, which could be solved easily.
"Yes" growled Piccolo, obviously irritated at the appearance of Kami. "Yamcha has given us the news. I suggest we meet them head on, find out what they want."
Kami held up a wrinkled hand to halt his younger counterpart before he launched into a tirade and took off. "Wait Piccolo. Wait until I have said my piece."
Piccolo grunted his disapproval, but kept quiet anyway. Kami cleared his throat and began. "Firstly, there are only two Saiyans here. The third one is not with them. Secondly, and this is important especially to Yamcha and Goku, Ms Briefs has not been harmed in anyway. She is in no danger from them. So keep a cool head. Lastly, they will most likely be making their way to her home. I suggest that you all make your way there to meet them as they arrive."
"They had better not have harmed a hair on her head" Yelled Yamcha, "otherwise I'll kill them!" He then turned and launched himself off the lookout, speeding towards Bulma's home silently hoping that Kami was right, that Bulma was all right.
Goku turned to Kami and nodded in silent thanks for his help. The two days that he and Piccolo had spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber had been time well spent. Both of the men had increased their power dramatically and while in there Goku began to feel strange changes within his body. Almost as if he was waiting for something or someone to force him to change. So many times while fighting with Piccolo he had been on precipice of a very big change, but wholly unable to make the next step. He was however, confident of his abilities as a fighter ready to defend his adopted planet and his family, whatever the cost to himself.
Raising his hand in a salute, he launched himself off the lookout, followed closely by Piccolo and the others.
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It was taking most of Vegeta's energy to hold onto Bulma and keep flying, mostly due to the fact that he had depleted most of his reserves fighting Zarbon. He looked up into the blue sky of Earth wondering if he had in fact finished off the loathsome creature once and for all. It had not been an entirely satisfying fight; it had almost been too easy. The immense burst of ki that he had wielded had been incredible, giving him some clue that his transformation to Super Saiyan was not far away.
Vegeta moved Bulma fractionally in his arms, trying to find a more comfortable way of carrying her. Surprisingly, Bulma had remained silent and unmoving during the flight, except for the moment she dropped the tracking device to throw the military off track, suggesting that she was full of anxiety having to face her father after having deceiving him in a very underhand manner. Her face was impassive as if trying to hide her feelings but the fact that Bulma was nervously chewing on her lower lip was a dead giveaway. The cold air served to make her face even paler; the bruise on her jaw now a stark blue and purple blot on her face. The moment that he had struck her Vegeta had regretted it. To his reasoning the injury had not been necessary. Sighing, Vegeta stretched out mentally trying to connect with her. It was no good. Bulma had closed off her mind, putting up a strong mental barrier, too strong for him to break through. He scowled, knowing that he could not stop flying. Part of him wished that Radditz was dead, and then he could be alone with his mate.
Bulma did not want to talk either verbally or mentally with Vegeta at this moment. She felt awful. Bulma did not like blocking out Vegeta, but for now it was necessary. Every second brought her closer to her home and the inevitable recriminations and accusations that would be waiting for her. They would all be waiting for her there she knew, courtesy of her innate predictability and desire to go to where everything was familiar, but no escape from the situation was going to be possible. She only hoped that Goku and the other Z fighters would give her enough time to explain everything. Then there was the no doubt sticky situation with her father. He would be angry, but perhaps the fact that she was for the most part unharmed would soften him slightly.
{Yamcha}. The name rose unbidden into her mind, causing a grimace to momentarily cross her face. He would definitely be the hardest person to win over, after her father. Although they had parted ways he still considered himself her primary protector, after Goku of course. He was hot headed and impulsive at the best of times, and therefore could cause trouble. Brushing all thoughts of Yamcha aside, Bulma fastened her eyes on the horizon once again, her stomach twisting in knots as she realised how close home really was.
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One by one, the Z fighters dropped noiselessly from the sky, landing softly in Sarah Briefs massive garden within the Capsule Corporation. Their appearance excited no comment from the employees moving around the compound, they had seen it all before. Sarah gasped in surprise at the assortment of warriors massing in her garden, fleetingly lost for words.
Goku strode towards her, "Mrs Briefs, it would be a good idea if you could tell Dr Briefs that we are here."
Nodding mutely, the still slightly confused blond woman dropped her watering can and ran into the house, grabbing the first phone she came upon and nervously tried to contact her husband, who was in his own personal lab trying and failing to work on an important invention.
The situation with Bulma was seriously clouding his mind. She was his only child, brilliant and beautiful. The very notion that she could end up dead was slowly breaking his heart. He had heard nothing new from the military as yet, but he had been assured that Bulma was still very much alive at this point in time. When the phone rang, his train of thought was broken. Eager to discover if it was there were any new developments in the search for Bulma, he practically pounced on the receiver. Disappointingly it was only his wife, gabbling almost incoherently about Goku and the others being there and that they wanted to speak with him. Giving a small grunt of agreement, Jock Briefs turned to look at his half finished creation lying on the bench before putting the receiver down. Rubbing his temples in frustration and despair, he left the lab making his way to the garden.
Goku turned to the other warriors. "Please let me handle this for now guys. The last thing we want to do is cause Bulma's parents anymore stress right now, okay?"
Nodding their assented to his wishes the fighters settled themselves on the grass, visibly champing at the bit, ready to go into action. Goku walked calmly up to the now present Dr Briefs and hurriedly filled him in on the details. "So, what we are going to do is wait for Bulma and these two Saiyans to arrive. I would suggest that you and Mrs Briefs keep a safe distance away, because I have no idea what their intentions are. You could both be in danger."
Dr Briefs could barely contain his anger at the situation. "You expect me, Bulma's father to wait in the wings while you calmly talk it over with this bastard!? If anyone has the right to do anything it's me!" Goku placed a gentle yet firm hand on Jocks shoulder, reminding him subtly of his power, before replying tensely. "Dr Briefs, I realise that you have the right, but please leave it to me and the others. I will do my utmost to make sure Bulma is not hurt. If a fight breaks out, we have a very good chance of defeating them. I just don't want you to get hurt. Understand?"
Jock Briefs nodded mutely and grasped his wife's hand in his own. He turned to go back into the house and watch what happened from within. Before reaching the house, he spun on his heel and spoke once more to Goku. "Promise me that you will kill that creature if it has harmed her in any way."
Goku took a deep breath as he looked at the distraught man knowing that he would do the same thing if it were his own family in peril. "I will."
And so the wait began, hours passing almost torturously. Piccolo removed himself from the group, settling near a large tree to meditate while he waited. He could not stand the impatience of the others, their constant chattering and annoying pacing up and down the garden. He knew that he could pass the time without resorting to mindless babble and useless anxiety. None of them would know what to expect from these Saiyans, least of all him and there was no point worrying about it now with the moment almost upon them.
Yamcha was pacing relentlessly, almost ploughing a furrow in the soft grass beneath his feet. He clenched his fists repeatedly, growling impatient for the confrontation, recalling his words at the lookout. He would kill them.
Goku watched the sky patiently, stretching his senses out as far as possible trying to pick up on any unusual energy approaching. He, like Yamcha was ready to kill but only if absolutely necessary. In a strange way, he was rather looking forward to this possible confrontation. He would meet his brother, who he had not been aware had even existed until a week ago. {Perhaps he is not evil as Kami suggested. I certainly hope so..}
Then suddenly Goku's senses picked up what he had been so patiently waiting for. Barely seconds later, Piccolo rose from his cross-legged position near the tree having picked up the same energy approaching. "They are almost here," he growled, removing his turban and cape in preparation. Yamcha ceased his mindless pacing and turned his eyes to the sky. He too could feel it. And the bad news was that one of them was a lot stronger than he had imagined. {This is not good..}
Then, before anyone realised what was happening, they had arrived. Their eyes widened at the three figures now descending rapidly from the sky. As Vegeta and Radditz landed, they took in the sight of some very prepared warriors, ready and willing to fight them. Vegeta smirked. Only two of the warriors present were anywhere near his league, the Namek and Kakkarot. Kakkarot was as he expected, a near mirror image of his father, Bardock.
With her feet now on solid ground, Bulma extracted herself reluctantly from Vegeta's arms, but once her eyes registered the group of warriors gathered in her parent's garden, their full power now on display as a show of force, she quickly grasped one of his gloved hands for support, keeping the almost affectionate display hidden from everyone. She was unable to see her mother and father at all and deduced that they must be within the house, safe from any possible harm.
A tense silence fell over both groups, neither willing to be the first to speak. Bulma glanced back at Vegeta, his handsome face impassive under the scrutiny of the strangers in front of him. "Vegeta," she whispered softly, "I think it's best if I do the talking for now, alright?"
"Fine" He growled, his ire raising as he noticed the appearance of Yamcha, the scarred man who had been his mate's former lover.
In turn, Yamcha noticed Bulma's dishevelled appearance, the bruises on her throat and jaw, the cut lip and arm, before coming to the wrong conclusion, thinking that Vegeta had been beating her. Without thinking, he propelled himself forward in an attacking position, ready to fight. He had barely made it two paces before a brawny arm stretched out and held him by the neck of his gi, effectively halting his progress. Bulma drew back, well aware that if Yamcha made it close enough to even try and land a blow on Vegeta that it would be the last thing he ever did.
Yamcha struggled with Goku, yelling loudly, "That bastard fucking hurt her Goku! Let me take him!" Vegeta glared at the scarred man, almost daring him to come closer.
"Calm down, Yamcha. Keep frosty. We can't afford any reckless behaviour on your part, it could cause problems." He continued to struggle futilely for several seconds before fractionally calming down, Goku then pushing him forcefully behind gesturing for Yamcha to stay with the rest of the group.
Goku stepped forward smiling, his eyes flickering over the two Saiyans, registering that the larger man must be his older brother. He was so big, taller than Piccolo and strong too, but not as strong as he was. In a perverse way it pleased him that he now finally had a real blood relation, despite the fact that his brother had probably murdered countless thousands during his service with Freeza. Goku sensed that the smaller man was very powerful, even more so than him. It surprised him he was so much smaller than his brother, yet was so much stronger. {Now this guy would be a great sparring partner.}
Realising he was wasting time, Goku turned his attention to Bulma stopping directly in front of her and Vegeta. Goku glanced down at Bulma's hand, tightly holding onto Vegeta's. She had never been a hostage or in any danger from these two men. Goku could have sworn that by the way she hung onto the smaller mans hand and the close proximity of their bodies that they were in some kind of relationship. He gave her one of his trademark goofy smiles as he spoke. "It's good to have you back home, Bulma." Bulma's lips quivered for a moment, before a flood of silent tears coursed down her face, the emotion of the moment almost being too great for her to handle.
She let go of Vegeta's hand and flung herself towards Goku, his arms enveloping her in a great bear hug as she sobbed almost uncontrollably on his chest. "It's good to be home, Goku, it really is." She sniffled before being rudely brought back to reality by the low growling sound coming from Vegeta's throat. Disengaging herself from Goku, Bulma could see Vegeta was visibly agitated by her contact with Goku. The Z fighters all tensed visibly but only saw Goku glaring back at Vegeta, not able to hear Vegeta's enraged growling. They were preparing for an imminent battle, but to the great horror of those gathered there, Bulma calmly walked back to Vegeta, placing her hands on his chest, softly whispering for him to calm down.
"Please, Vegeta. He is my friend and means no harm. I will explain everything, just please calm down."
Vegeta remained focused on Goku for a few more seconds, the blood lust evident in his eyes, before snapping his gaze away and looking down at Bulma. "I told you that if any man so much as touched you he would die." Her eyes latched onto his, softening him slightly. "As you wish, woman. But be warned, I am not a pet that you can order around. Next time, I will tear him limb from limb if he touches you again." She nodded, but decided to set aside some time much later to acquaint both Vegeta and Radditz with Earth customs, otherwise there were going to be a lot of dead bodies littering the compound.
Removing her hands from his chest, Bulma turned towards a now captive audience. She cleared her throat before beginning her introductions. "Firstly, thank you all for being here to welcome me back home. As you can see, I am very much alive and well." She directed her smile to Yamcha, still evidently ready to try and kick some ass. "Secondly, I should really introduce my two guests" She gestured behind her to the tall figure of Radditz, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "This is Radditz. He is Goku's older brother." Bulma then stepped back slightly, pressing close to Vegeta. "And this is Vegeta, Prince of Saiyans. There is no evil intent here, all they are asking for is assistance in defeating an evil force called," Bulma was interrupted by Goku. "Freeza." He finished for her. "We all know. Kami informed us of your imminent arrival and that this Freeza would be here not too long afterwards."
Goku looked up with curious eyes at his brother, trying to see a family resemblance. "If you are my brother," he said speaking to Radditz before rotating back to Bulma and Vegeta, "and you mean no harm, then I welcome you as Bulma has." Radditz spoke his first words since arriving on Earth, looking down on his sibling, seeing his fathers face stare back at him. "It is the truth..brother."
Bulma's face broke into a brilliant smile belying the tension she sensed was still swirling around like a malevolent spirit. All things considered it had been a relatively peaceful homecoming.
"I suggest then that we go inside," She glanced sharply at the still scowling Yamcha. "All of us, so that I can fill you all in on what has been happening. I'm cold, tired and I'd guess that my mother and father would like to speak to me also." And with that small statement the uneasy group made its way into the house, ready for a long session of questions and answers, some of which would come easier than others.