Last Time:
"It's creepy!" Chichi pointed out "We keep hearing strange animal sounds! I say we stick together, find the others and get out of this hell hole!"
"Well it seems we don't have to go far to find the others."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Bulma asked while looking in the direction 18 was facing.
"Thank Dende!, Where have you guys been and where is Goku?!" Chichi demanded with hands on hips.
"Calm down Chi," Bulma warned through gritted teeth while looking at Vegeta's face :: he looks strange, all of them look strange::
"Ah, guys," Chichi began worriedly "why are they staring at us like that?"
"I don't know." Bulma replied " They look like they are, they are"
"Hungry." 18 finished gravely
Chapter 13
Bulma stepped gingerly towards Vegeta "Hey, Vegeta, what's cooking?"
To the ears of the boys the only sound they heard was a high pitched 'Chirrup! Chirrup!' accompanied by continuous flapping of wings.
"Pessst, Krillin, that one must be the mother hen."
"Yeah Yamchua, looks like she's getting ready to attack and protect her bird family."
"Shut up imbeciles! No sudden movement." Vegeta angrily warned the two, he wasn't going to allow them to ruin his chance of getting something to eat, especially now when he should be participating in a test of his abilities. Food provided energy, and energy is what he will need a lot to crush the test.
Bulma, 18 and Chichi were staring at the trio. "What are they talking about Bulma? What birds?"
"I don't know Chi, but I don't like the way how it sound."
The boys took a threatening step towawaist and neck. A piercing scream was heard 22 Vegeta started his count down
"I may be wrong but I think we should get ready to run ladies." Bulma warned while backing up
"2..."
"Run? Why?!"
"1..."
"I'm not running," 18 Screamed, "I can take all three of you!"
Krillin stampeded towards his wife "Heh, heh, heh, heh, this one looks juicy! She's mine!" Krillin leaped into the air while 18 stood in her fighting position. He body slammed her. The jolt of the impact was so unexpectedly strong it sent 18 slamming into a nearby tree.
"18!"
Bulma made a mad dash towards her injured friend only to find herself being obstructed by a wall of muscle.
"Where are you going little 'sparrow'." She trembled at the sound of Vegeta's voice "Its dinner time" he finished with a hungry smirk
"Ugh, how did shorty get so strong?" 18 questioned while opening her eyes to glare at her persecutor.
Chichi and Bulma heads snapped to the location of 18's voice, both breathing a sigh of relief when they realized she was O.K.
Yamchua sneaked up behind a preoccupied Chichi and grabbed her painfully around the waist and neck. A piercing scream was heard which jolted Bulma's head in Chichi's direction.
"Let me go!" Chichi blared continuously while kicking and wriggling to free herself. "Yamchua if you don't let me go right now you'll be sorry mister!!"
"Hey Krillin, this is how you trap a bird. This way they won't be battered or bruised like your bird."
"The weakling said something right for a change." Vegeta commented while eyeing his blue-feathered prey.
Krillin scoffed at his companions comment. "Well I thought it would be a quick and easy way to kill the bird. I'm hungry!" Krillin walked over to the still slightly dazed 'sparrow'.
"Aw look she's shaking her head to clear her thoughts, let me help you clear your thoughts little one," He pulled 18 into a kneeling position by tightly gripping her around the neck "You won't have to think of anything ever again!"
Bulma realized with horrifying precision that Krillin was about to kill his wife, but she was not sure how to evade Vegeta, who was too close for comfort with his arms folded arrogantly across his chest. He started to move towards Bulma causing her to automatically back away from him.
Krillin squeezed tighter causing 18's neck to turn and ugly shade of purple. Vegeta took two steps. Bulma took two steps backwards.
"Let her go!" Chichi screamed while squirming in Yamchua's vice grip "You'll kill her!"
"Hey look, my little bird is trying to protect your bird Krillin"
Vegeta took one more step not taking his piercing gaze from Bulma's form as she stepped backwards.
Krillin stopped squeezing "How do you know that, for all you know your bird could just be trying to get away!" Krillin loosened one hand and turned towards Yamchua "All these things do is chirrup!"
18's thought :: this is my chance!:: she mustered up all her strength and kicked Krillin in his prized jewels.
"Ohhh!" Krillin dropped 18 and grabbed his injured groin. In the meantime 18 scrambled towards Yamchua and his squirming captive.
"Hahahahahaha!" Yamchua's grip loosened "Oh this is a Kodak moment! Did you see that Vegeta?! Haaahaahahaha!"
Bulma backed into a tree and lost her balance falling on her bottom. Vegeta didn't notice this since his attention was drawn to the commotion his companions were making "Your pathetic!!"
Bulma's thought :: it's now or never, while he is distracted :: she made a mad dash towards Chichi. 18 slammed into Yamchua, who was still laughing at Krillin's misfortune, he released Chichi and stumbled backwards. Bulma, who was already behind Yamchua, made a sweeping kick at his legs resulting in his uncontrollable fall.
Chichi still a little dazed couldn't believe her eyes "WOW!"
"Lets go!" Bulma commanded while jumping up and running away from the boys, not once looking behind her to make sure they were following her.
"Where did you learn that Bulma?" Chichi questioned Bulma
"Don't you think living with a guy who does nothing but train all day would have eventually rub of on me?!"
"Hey come back here!" Yamchua screamed after his sparrow's retreating back.
Vegeta's animalistic growl could be heard while he chased after the 'birds'.
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Heavy panting could be heard from all three escapees as they ran as fast as their surroundings would allow through the woods. This process proved to be difficult however since the forest was laden with huge trees and of course huge trees had huge roots, roots that were almost always seen on top of the soil.
"There.... seems to be..... a clearing up ahead!" 18 shouted between breaths. As if on cue the clearing was perfectly visible to all three women
"Hey, do you think they are still following us?" Chichi asked worriedly while glancing back to make sure she saw no sign of their pursuers thus, she didn't notice the sudden stop of her companions.
"CHICHI LOOK OUT!"
"STOP!"
Chichi looked around frantically to see why she was being warned to stop "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....!"
'SPLASH!'
Water rippled outward in a circular motion at Chichi's point of impact.
The two remaining women carefully ran to the edge of the cliff peering over in order to locate their friend.
"Water is down there." 18 observed
"Thank Dende, I wouldn't be able to explain to Goku that I allowed Chichi to die! We need to find a way down to make sure she's O.K."
18 scanned their surroundings to find a safe route down the cliff. She heard footsteps and shouting in the distance and realized that soon they will be surrounded and outnumbered. She stood ready to defend both herself and Bulma "Bulma, find somewhere to hide."
"No way, you can't fight them 18. I don't know what's going on but you seem to have lost your ability to fight." Bulma pleaded with the android.
"Look I can slow them down..."
"Oh no," Bulma pulled a reluctant 18 by the arms, "We all saw how much resistance you put up the last time, and no offense, but all you succeeded in doing was getting yourself hurt! We can run and search at the same time!"
OBSERVATION/GAMES CENTER (AN: OGC )
Rotiart sat in his chair observing the women's frantic attempt to escape being killed. :: One down, five to go, this is even more entertaining than I thought ::
A strangled breath escaped Goku's lips the same moment Chichi hit the water.
"He is trying sooo heard to live." Salika noticed while sliding her finger tips across Goku's lips,
"Get of him!" Piccolo growled as menacingly as he could growl even though he was restrained with no way of escaping to assist his comrade.
"You should be paying attention to regenerating your limbs, idiot! Or do you want me find more painful ways to help you spend your time!" Salika smirked at his obvious discomfort ::so weak::
Piccolo glared at the female before him.:: I am powerless, this restraint drains my energy every time I move................. hang in there Goku, the others will come....................... Vegeta won't let his pride be crushed ::
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Cruz observed the 'players' actions and smiled. "The women are smart and they fight back, Mimbek could never have predicted these turn of events."
---Flash Back---
"The King's time has ended Cruz, soon he will be killed. His son is no longer here so join me and we can rule......."
"My allegiance is only to the king and his rightful heir." She smoothly replied
"Your allegiance should be to Frieza!"
"Mimbek, I know your secret...."
Mimbek stared shell shocked at the woman before him :: could she know.......... no it isn't possible::
"You will be relieved of your post."
--- End Flash Back ---
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Chichi fell head first into the freezing water. She swam to the surface as quickly as possible to get some much need air. She burst upon the surface of the water and took a deep breath.
"Ohhhh, this is just not my day! I better get out of this water Dende only knows what kind of sea creatures lives here." Chichi swam to the river bank and climbed out.
" Hope the others are O.K." She stared up towards the height from which she fell. "Holy shit! That's not a cliff that's fringing mount Everest! The fall alone should have broken my neck!" Chichi shuddered at the thought.
::I won't be able to get back up the way I came. I better look around::
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Once again the girls were running through the woods dodging branches and jumping over massive roots.
"Hey.............where's the ............other one?!"
"It probably fell off the cliff."
"We must catch and kill the others!" Vegeta interrupted is companions banter "Split up!" Vegeta took the left while the others took the right.
Bulma stole a glance over her shoulders and realized the were no longer being pursued. "Where are they?!" She slowed to jog with 18 beside her. 18 surveyed the area around them but saw no sign of the males.
"This whole situation doesn't make any sense! Why are they calling us birds?!" Bulma stopped to replenish her lungs
"They..............probably see birds?" 18 contributed ::why am I so tired? I've done more strenuous tasks than running, besides, my system should down play that aspect of my human makeup::
"Yeah?................ But why? I don't even remember how we got to this jungle"
"Neither do I, all I remember is the talk last night about.........."
"VEGETA'S TEST! Yeah me too 18. I've been playing around with the idea that maybe we too are included in his test. The test obviously doesn't just prove how strong you are but also how smart you are, how to get out of life threatening situations, among other things. "
18 looked uncertain at Bulma's logic.
"I mean," Bulma continued "The cell with the nursery rhyme, with the whistling."
"Well, if we should take every thing literal then that would explain why we are the 'birds' and why they keep saying how hungry they are. How about the rest, where the bird fly away?"
"I don't know" Bulma replied dejectedly with her head in her hands
"Let's keep looking for a way of this cliff." 18 said while walking away, not realizing that Bulma was preoccupied with the riddle that was scribbled in their cells.
" 'Away she flew' ," Bulma recited the line, pacing back and forth, she didn't notice that 18 had left her behind. " I got It 18!.." Bulma spun around to face the female "18?!... Where are you?... Just great!" Bulma ran headlong in the opposite direction of 18's departure. :: I think going over that cliff is our only way of escaping those hallucinating idiots! ::
"18!!" Bulma shouted every two minutes. But the shouts not only got 18's attention, they also resulted in a certain sayajin prince locating his diner.
A few minutes later Bulma located the clearing she was looking for, the same clearing where she lost there friend. Unbeknownst to her Vegeta was barreling towards her from behind.
:: All mine (I wish you could say that to Bulma instead of a stupid bird. You know it's sad really, putting food before finding the love of your life) Bulma is not the love of my life! (Of course she's not, but think about it, shouldn't finding her take top priority)::
Vegeta's mental struggle distracted him from slowing down to the necessary speed so that he didn't send both him and his lunch over the cliff.
"Bulma behind you!" 18 shouted to warn her associate.
"What?!" Bulma was slammed off her feet and over the cliff. While descending she realized that her feet and arms were tightly wrapped around well chiseled chest and waist. She was unable to scream her terror as the water below came speeding up towards their bodies.
'SPLASH!'
Her lungs were burning.
T.B.C.
AN: I hope this chp will make things clearer 4 all those who didn't understand the prev. chp. Oh, and like always, thank you thank you thank you 4 all your reviews!
