CHAPTER 2 – The Hand that's Dealt
"DIE YOU AKUMABITO!"
No one corners the Prince of all Saiyans and gets away with it. He would blow Sen away with his signature move. The attack was a bit messy but quite effective. There was the orb to contend with, but without Sen giving orders to the damn nuisance, Vegeta would discover a way to destroy it. "BIG BA..."
Suddenly, they were distracted from their plights. One of King Yama's subordinates walked in on what appeared to him to be two very agitated Saiyans.
Sen reassessed their situation first. She snapped her fingers and the orb returned to its original form. It raced towards its owner, was snatched out of the air, and jammed behind Sen's chest plate. Vegeta also stepped down from his attack...literally. Emitting a low growl, he levitated down, landing lightly onto the floor; his deadly gaze never leaving his quarry.
"Uhhh, my boss wanted me to check on you two. Is everything alright here?" The blue man with the white shirt struggled to recover from the spectacle he walked in on. The Saiyans merely grunted "yes" simultaneously then glared at each other.
"Well yes. Uh-huh...I would have guessed differently by the look of this room." He pressed the bridge of his glasses, pulled a pen from his clipboard and used it to scratch one of his horns. "Of course...this will have to be reported. Does anyone care to explain?"
Turning to the subordinate, Vegeta opened his mouth to speak but Sen beat him to the punch. "Training exercise, sir."
The blue guy studied the two for a moment and his comment was not without skepticism. "Really." He began to write something on his clipboard.
Vegeta walked up to peer over his shoulder, crossing his arms as he did so. He wanted to know what the grunt was writing about him. The subordinate cleared his throat and tilted his clipboard away and glared at the Prince. With a "humph," Vegeta turned away with his nose pointed to the ceiling but remained tentative. Sen slid over to the opposite side of the man and tried to get a glimpse herself. She too got caught in the act, but smiled broadly at him.
"Got a name, handsome?" Sen lightly rested her arm on his shoulder. The blue guy's cheeks redden and he stopped writing to get a better look at the female. While she had the grunt's attention, Vegeta noticed the end of her tail delicately wrapped itself around the wrist of his pen hand.
"Give me a break." Vegeta wasn't sure how much of this disgraceful display he was willing to take.
The blue man shot a warning glance at the Prince and returned a bashful smile to Sen. "Not many ask my name...It's Resol but you can call me Reese."
"Well Reese, I'm Sen, spelled s-e-n and that's Prince Vegeta."
"Oh, we know all about that one! But you are a bit of a mystery. We can't seem to find your records."
"How unfortunate. When you do find them, I suppose this bit about the training exercise issue (she pointed to the clipboard) will be added?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well, Reese, could you write somewhere that it was Vegeta doing the ki blasts and not me?"
"HEY! You can include that weapon of hers!" Reese sent another warning glance at Vegeta then turned to Sen with a questioning one. Sen chuckled seductively.
"Oh you mean this little thing?" Sen retrieved the object in question, and presented it to Reese. "Why it's just a grooming device." She glanced over at Vegeta to catch his expression. "See?" The warrior used the same command she used earlier, exchanging her name for Vegeta's. The orb repeated the sequence of movements and floated behind Sen. As she extended her tail, the device ran the prongs down its length, repeating the movement several times, and then continued onto her scalp. Pleased at Vegeta's mortified expression, she caught his eye and mouthed the words: It's a comb.
The damn onna was mocking him! The Prince stiffened, his eyes flashed with anger. 'If only I could rip that smirk right off her face...better yet, why not her whole 'groomed' head.' He silently mouthed back: You're dead. And to give emphases to the threat, he mimicked a slicing gesture with a finger across his neck.
"Looks innocent enough but personal belongings are prohibited."
With a snap of her fingers the orb returned to Sen's grasp. She stared at the shiny sphere, rolling around in her palm. "Oh, can't we make an exception in this case? You see, my father made it himself and gave it to me when I was very young. I've kept it with me ever since."
"I'll see what I can do. Our wise overseer has been known to grant special requests to favorable clients. Maintaining your body would suggest such a status. Keep it for the time being."
"The onna deserves nothing!" All this was making Vegeta sick to his stomach.
"You are too kind, sir," Sen interjected then stuck her tongue out at the Prince.
Vegeta's blood boiled now but he felt powerless to end such blatant disrespect. Now was not the time to deal with Sen's insolence. 'The time will come soon enough.' And with that thought the Prince relaxed and went to lean against the wall next to the door. Eyes furrowed, he continued to watch Sen with an ever so slightly grin gracing his lips. His thoughts were filled with various injuries he could inflict upon the onna.
"Yes, well, don't thank me yet. King Yama has the final say...to all things here."
Reese finished his report, dotted the last 'i' and winked at Sen. "Ok, I will be back as soon as the Boss is ready for you. By then, we should have your records in order." He turned to leave but was stopped by Vegeta blocking his exit.
"I require subsistence."
"What do you mean?" Suspicious, Reese watched Vegeta over the rim of his glasses.
"Food, you lamebrain! I'm famished!"
"Hmmm, let's see." Reese rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. Normally the souls that past through here have no need for nourishment. But because these two retained their bodies, then naturally they would need to eat. "My, my, that may pose a problem. Our kitchen doesn't open again until the next shift..." Vegeta dropped his arms, took another step towards Reese, and leaned until his nose was only inches from the poor bastard's.
"Look, Resol! You would not want the Prince of Saiyans meeting with King Yama on an empty stomach...it could get ugly...very ugly!"
Reese swallowed. "I see your point. I'm sure we could conjure up something."
"Good." Vegeta patted the grunt's cheek then returned to his position against the wall.
Looking over at Sen, Reese added with a smile, "I saved some macaroons from lunch today, would you like them, Sen?"
"Sounds delicious, handsome." It was Sen's turn to wink.
Reese gave a salute to Sen and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
The silence was broken by Sen taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly. "Gods, I'm starving."
Vegeta huffed, "Do I care?"
Sen surveyed the room, "You really trashed this place." Aside from the huge spider crack in the marbled floor, there were singed pock marks all over the walls.
"Do I care?"
Trying to strike up a conversation with Vegeta was hopeless. Sen shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the adjacent wall. Vegeta eyes followed her. He watched her tail wrap itself around her waist with the tip neatly tucked behind its base. She turns to rest her back against the wall and slid to the floor. She stretched her legs then crossed them at the ankle. The warrior began to fiddle with her arm plates, occasionally wiping them on her sleeve. "What am I doing here anyway?" She mumbled to herself.
"Do I care?"
"Yes, yes, I think I get it now, Vegeta!" She laid her head back and closed her eyes. She got nothing. Sen tried to make sense of all this, but even that seemed hopeless. Her life was gone, therefore so was her purpose. Then there was this place. Sen knew little of the Afterworld. 'I should've tried to get answers from Reese.' After making a mental note to do just that, Sen attempted to clear her mind and rest. Her stomach growled. Shifting a little, she glanced over at the Prince. He was still watching her.
"Get a life."
"Ha-ha. You can count on it."
Sen looked directly at Vegeta, trying to read his face. "What do you mean?"
"Meaning, my life is far from over. Yours however, is non-existent." No doubt, Bulma was busy collecting the dragonballs, he was certain of it. He knew his mate well. She would take it upon herself to bring back those Vegeta had killed at the tournament. But when she finds out that her prince is dead, would she wish him back?
Sen ignored the last comment. The way she saw it, their journeys were paralleled. "We both have our bodies. Why?"
"This is King Yama's doing. Only he knows the answer to your question. The Prince was a bit puzzled by the onna being here and the warrior has not been forthcoming with information to make this any clearer.
"What is this King Yama like?"
"Unless you are willing to answer my questions, onna, I would prefer you remain silent."
Sen was willing to oblige his request. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
"DIE YOU AKUMABITO!"
No one corners the Prince of all Saiyans and gets away with it. He would blow Sen away with his signature move. The attack was a bit messy but quite effective. There was the orb to contend with, but without Sen giving orders to the damn nuisance, Vegeta would discover a way to destroy it. "BIG BA..."
Suddenly, they were distracted from their plights. One of King Yama's subordinates walked in on what appeared to him to be two very agitated Saiyans.
Sen reassessed their situation first. She snapped her fingers and the orb returned to its original form. It raced towards its owner, was snatched out of the air, and jammed behind Sen's chest plate. Vegeta also stepped down from his attack...literally. Emitting a low growl, he levitated down, landing lightly onto the floor; his deadly gaze never leaving his quarry.
"Uhhh, my boss wanted me to check on you two. Is everything alright here?" The blue man with the white shirt struggled to recover from the spectacle he walked in on. The Saiyans merely grunted "yes" simultaneously then glared at each other.
"Well yes. Uh-huh...I would have guessed differently by the look of this room." He pressed the bridge of his glasses, pulled a pen from his clipboard and used it to scratch one of his horns. "Of course...this will have to be reported. Does anyone care to explain?"
Turning to the subordinate, Vegeta opened his mouth to speak but Sen beat him to the punch. "Training exercise, sir."
The blue guy studied the two for a moment and his comment was not without skepticism. "Really." He began to write something on his clipboard.
Vegeta walked up to peer over his shoulder, crossing his arms as he did so. He wanted to know what the grunt was writing about him. The subordinate cleared his throat and tilted his clipboard away and glared at the Prince. With a "humph," Vegeta turned away with his nose pointed to the ceiling but remained tentative. Sen slid over to the opposite side of the man and tried to get a glimpse herself. She too got caught in the act, but smiled broadly at him.
"Got a name, handsome?" Sen lightly rested her arm on his shoulder. The blue guy's cheeks redden and he stopped writing to get a better look at the female. While she had the grunt's attention, Vegeta noticed the end of her tail delicately wrapped itself around the wrist of his pen hand.
"Give me a break." Vegeta wasn't sure how much of this disgraceful display he was willing to take.
The blue man shot a warning glance at the Prince and returned a bashful smile to Sen. "Not many ask my name...It's Resol but you can call me Reese."
"Well Reese, I'm Sen, spelled s-e-n and that's Prince Vegeta."
"Oh, we know all about that one! But you are a bit of a mystery. We can't seem to find your records."
"How unfortunate. When you do find them, I suppose this bit about the training exercise issue (she pointed to the clipboard) will be added?"
"Yes, of course."
"Well, Reese, could you write somewhere that it was Vegeta doing the ki blasts and not me?"
"HEY! You can include that weapon of hers!" Reese sent another warning glance at Vegeta then turned to Sen with a questioning one. Sen chuckled seductively.
"Oh you mean this little thing?" Sen retrieved the object in question, and presented it to Reese. "Why it's just a grooming device." She glanced over at Vegeta to catch his expression. "See?" The warrior used the same command she used earlier, exchanging her name for Vegeta's. The orb repeated the sequence of movements and floated behind Sen. As she extended her tail, the device ran the prongs down its length, repeating the movement several times, and then continued onto her scalp. Pleased at Vegeta's mortified expression, she caught his eye and mouthed the words: It's a comb.
The damn onna was mocking him! The Prince stiffened, his eyes flashed with anger. 'If only I could rip that smirk right off her face...better yet, why not her whole 'groomed' head.' He silently mouthed back: You're dead. And to give emphases to the threat, he mimicked a slicing gesture with a finger across his neck.
"Looks innocent enough but personal belongings are prohibited."
With a snap of her fingers the orb returned to Sen's grasp. She stared at the shiny sphere, rolling around in her palm. "Oh, can't we make an exception in this case? You see, my father made it himself and gave it to me when I was very young. I've kept it with me ever since."
"I'll see what I can do. Our wise overseer has been known to grant special requests to favorable clients. Maintaining your body would suggest such a status. Keep it for the time being."
"The onna deserves nothing!" All this was making Vegeta sick to his stomach.
"You are too kind, sir," Sen interjected then stuck her tongue out at the Prince.
Vegeta's blood boiled now but he felt powerless to end such blatant disrespect. Now was not the time to deal with Sen's insolence. 'The time will come soon enough.' And with that thought the Prince relaxed and went to lean against the wall next to the door. Eyes furrowed, he continued to watch Sen with an ever so slightly grin gracing his lips. His thoughts were filled with various injuries he could inflict upon the onna.
"Yes, well, don't thank me yet. King Yama has the final say...to all things here."
Reese finished his report, dotted the last 'i' and winked at Sen. "Ok, I will be back as soon as the Boss is ready for you. By then, we should have your records in order." He turned to leave but was stopped by Vegeta blocking his exit.
"I require subsistence."
"What do you mean?" Suspicious, Reese watched Vegeta over the rim of his glasses.
"Food, you lamebrain! I'm famished!"
"Hmmm, let's see." Reese rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. Normally the souls that past through here have no need for nourishment. But because these two retained their bodies, then naturally they would need to eat. "My, my, that may pose a problem. Our kitchen doesn't open again until the next shift..." Vegeta dropped his arms, took another step towards Reese, and leaned until his nose was only inches from the poor bastard's.
"Look, Resol! You would not want the Prince of Saiyans meeting with King Yama on an empty stomach...it could get ugly...very ugly!"
Reese swallowed. "I see your point. I'm sure we could conjure up something."
"Good." Vegeta patted the grunt's cheek then returned to his position against the wall.
Looking over at Sen, Reese added with a smile, "I saved some macaroons from lunch today, would you like them, Sen?"
"Sounds delicious, handsome." It was Sen's turn to wink.
Reese gave a salute to Sen and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
The silence was broken by Sen taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly. "Gods, I'm starving."
Vegeta huffed, "Do I care?"
Sen surveyed the room, "You really trashed this place." Aside from the huge spider crack in the marbled floor, there were singed pock marks all over the walls.
"Do I care?"
Trying to strike up a conversation with Vegeta was hopeless. Sen shrugged her shoulders and walked over to the adjacent wall. Vegeta eyes followed her. He watched her tail wrap itself around her waist with the tip neatly tucked behind its base. She turns to rest her back against the wall and slid to the floor. She stretched her legs then crossed them at the ankle. The warrior began to fiddle with her arm plates, occasionally wiping them on her sleeve. "What am I doing here anyway?" She mumbled to herself.
"Do I care?"
"Yes, yes, I think I get it now, Vegeta!" She laid her head back and closed her eyes. She got nothing. Sen tried to make sense of all this, but even that seemed hopeless. Her life was gone, therefore so was her purpose. Then there was this place. Sen knew little of the Afterworld. 'I should've tried to get answers from Reese.' After making a mental note to do just that, Sen attempted to clear her mind and rest. Her stomach growled. Shifting a little, she glanced over at the Prince. He was still watching her.
"Get a life."
"Ha-ha. You can count on it."
Sen looked directly at Vegeta, trying to read his face. "What do you mean?"
"Meaning, my life is far from over. Yours however, is non-existent." No doubt, Bulma was busy collecting the dragonballs, he was certain of it. He knew his mate well. She would take it upon herself to bring back those Vegeta had killed at the tournament. But when she finds out that her prince is dead, would she wish him back?
Sen ignored the last comment. The way she saw it, their journeys were paralleled. "We both have our bodies. Why?"
"This is King Yama's doing. Only he knows the answer to your question. The Prince was a bit puzzled by the onna being here and the warrior has not been forthcoming with information to make this any clearer.
"What is this King Yama like?"
"Unless you are willing to answer my questions, onna, I would prefer you remain silent."
Sen was willing to oblige his request. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.