Disclaimer: DragonBall and DragonBall Z were created by Akira Toriyama and is copyright © Toei Animation and FUNimation. No infringement is intended.
Chapter 16
Without You
"Who put a damn slug in my bath?" The harsh question echoed off the tiled surfaces of the room, effectively silencing the other bathers.
Frightened black eyes stared up at the Saiyan. Thin antennae twitched and shivered. Droplets trickled down green skin. Whether it was sweat from fear or condensation from steam, Brussi didn't know. Or care. All that mattered was some... thing... was using her personal bath. Disgusted, she grabbed one pointy ear and half hauled the strange creature out of the sunken square pool. Only the roughly shouted order from a guard kept her from teaching this newcomer her first lesson in seraglio etiquette.
Not the most friendly of meetings. Brussi chuckled at the memory, half-closed eyes gazing at the ceiling. The laugh sent a dull ache radiating through her gut and amusement gave way to a groan. The clear mask over her nose and mouth fogged slightly, muffling the noise. Off to the side, a soft whoosh-hiss sounded at regular intervals and was accompanied by wafts of cool air over her lips. The faint scent of disinfectant mingled with the fresh oxygen.
Fuzziness still edged Brussi's thoughts. Blearily, she realized her armor had been removed, though the tight undershirt and shorts remained. Her boots and hand guards were gone as well. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but it had been long enough for someone to find her and settle her indoors.
She grunted at that. Her slight good mood quickly darkening. How humiliating to have been seen in such a state by gods knew who. She should have come in under her own strength, not gotten carried in like some pathetic weakling! Her hands fisted as she growled softly. Showing weakness was never good, especially in a strange place filled with people of unknown ability and intent. And she had managed to reveal too many of her own deficiencies without learning any of theirs. Her cheeks burned slightly with shame.
Well, if anyone thought this made her an easy target, they were badly mistaken.
Brussi silently vowed she would show them she wouldn't be used. She may have knelt before Vegeta, but that didn't mean he was going to get free reign over her. She would die before performing certain "duties" again.
The Saiyan ground her teeth and pushed down the fear that threatened to rise. He was powerful, certainly, so she would need to be careful. But she couldn't let fear dictate her actions. Taking deep breaths, she concentrated on settling her mind. Her churning emotions gradually subsided, leaving in their wake a renewed determination. And weariness. The urge to sleep again tugged at her and her eyes drifted shut.
"The next time I catch you in my bath. I swear I'll make slug soup!" Brussi towered over the seated green woman and glowered. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips and her tail lashed angrily behind her. She may not have been able to give this slug thing a proper beating, but she could still instill a hefty dose of fear. It didn't matter to the Saiyan that this newcomer looked as though she was a few years shy of adulthood. All new harem women arrived at a similar age.
The younger woman looked up at Brussi with wide eyes, her expression a mixture of alarm and confusion.
A throaty laugh cut through the general murmur of the other women. "You'd better be careful, little bug," said a sandy haired woman, "She eats anything."
Brussi started awake and shook her head, trying to dislodge the memory. The guilt she had squashed earlier returned to tickle the back of her mind. She forced her eyes open. Her brows drew down in irritation. She didn't have time to waste on such foolishness. The Prince had been correct. She needed to focus on training, on becoming stronger. Allies came and went. All a Saiyan truly needed was their power. With it they could forge their own destiny.
She snorted, rolling on to her side. She certainly didn't need some tag-a-long now that she had found one of her own race. Better, she had found someone who could train her to her fullest potential. The Namek would just get in the way.
Brussi yawned and once again closed her eyes. She would give her injuries a few more hours to heal. Then, she'd seek out Vegeta. She needed to convince him that she could improve with time. Needed to prove she wasn't a weakling to be discarded. Relaxing against the soft mattress, her thoughts resumed drifting in her half asleep state.
There was nothing Brussi detested more than weakness. Those who suffered from it were beneath contempt. And that green woman seemed to possess it in abundance. The Saiyan was near to clawing her own ears off from all the screaming and crying. What had the slug thing expected, that she'd never be called on? She hadn't even come back with so much as a bruise or a scrape! It was too much!
Brussi stormed over to the bawling woman's alcove. Practically tearing the entrance drape off its hooks, she entered the small room. She grabbed the younger woman by the back of her dress and dragged her out. Brussi hurled the woman to the floor of the common room. The noise stopped at last as she glared down at the miserable, tear streaked face.
"Shut up... shut up, shut up, SHUT UP! I'm tired of your sniveling and whining! If you don't keep quiet, I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your vocal chords!"
Brussi pushed off the crisp, white sheet that covered her. This was fast becoming annoying. How could she be expected to rest if her mind kept throwing up these old memories? Damned brat, even when she wasn't around, she managed to get under the Saiyan's skin.
Well, if Brussi couldn't sleep, then she'd look for the Prince. Might as well spend the time training as wallowing in the past.
She sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. A wave of dizziness swept through her at the motion. She gasped as her vision swam and her stomach lurched in protest. She covered her eyes with her hand, bumping the breathing mask slightly. Growling quietly, she pulled the thing off. Her nose wrinkled as the harsh odor of disinfectant increased, invading her sense of smell.
Brussi sat still, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the vertigo to fade. After a moment or two, it did and she slowly scanned the room. Strange machines were scattered about the area. Some had monitors, which were dark as they weren't being used. Others had rows of controls and lights. Electrical cords snaked over the uncarpeted floor and several cabinets lined one of the walls. There were a few chairs and tables, one of which held her missing armor.
Must be the infirmary Prince Vegeta mentioned, she thought. Heh, I don't need this. She dropped the mask onto the mattress. Swaying a bit, she pulled herself into a standing position. But, before she could move, a sharp pain lanced her abdomen. Her knees gave and she sat down hard on the bed.
Damn it... Her arms crossed over her stomach and her teeth clenched. Sweat beaded on her face. She forced herself to breathe through the throbbing. It eased after a few moments, though to her disgust she found herself shaking. How am I supposed to prove my worthiness to be trained if it only takes two hits to put me in this state?
Perhaps fate was catching up with her. Maybe, just as her own people had earned their ticket to hell with their bloodlust, she was getting a personal taste of inadequacy for her willing use of threats and violence to control others in the seraglio. Especially against a very frightened young woman who had witnessed her own mother's murder barely a month before. Someone who had been so damned sheltered she didn't know what happened in a harem.
Brussi chuckled bitterly and rested her face in her hands. This was ridiculous! She couldn't afford to be plagued by events that took place years ago. Guilt and regret made one weak. Besides, she hadn't carried out the threat to rip out Mai's vocal cords. She hadn't needed to. The Namek had kept very quiet indeed.
At least until the incident with Dorei's injuries. Up until then, Mai hadn't shown any spark of courage or cleverness. How she had managed to harden herself enough to blackmail Dorei, Brussi didn't know. The Saiyan had felt the faintest trace of respect for that bit of audacity.
Afterwards, the Namek had started to become less afraid of the others, to the point she had challenged Brussi over some trifle or other. The Saiyan couldn't even remember what it was, only that Mai had spent a good five minutes with their faces just inches apart, arguing very loudly. The idea of being called out by someone so obviously weak had amused Brussi so much she could only respond by laughing.
She still wasn't sure if she shouldn't have smacked the brat instead. Since she hadn't, Mai had gotten some strange idea into her head that Brussi would tolerate her presence. No more than a few days would go by without the Namek trying to start some sort of conversation. Brussi had tried to ignore it, but Mai would just quietly talk about whatever things came to mind. The Saiyan had even snapped at her more than once, threatening just about every sort of physical violence in an effort to get the younger woman to shut up.
Still, it had made no difference, only managing to keep the brat silent for a few days.
It had been irritating, distracting... downright maddening. But the persistence of it had eventually gotten to Brussi. She had found herself sitting near the window, a place the Namek favored, and actually listening. Though she hadn't dared to respond and in doing so admit she was paying any attention to Mai's prattling.
It wasn't until Mai had challenged Dorei one too many times that Brussi came to realize that she felt anything more than apathy towards the younger woman. Dorei had drawn back her hand in preparation of striking Mai. Brussi had caught the favored woman's wrist, squeezing it so hard that she could have fractured bone. Dorei had backed off, though she was furious.
Brussi rubbed her face wearily. The pain in her abdomen was finally no more than a faint shadow of itself. She briefly considered trying to sleep again. The more time she took to heal, the better she could train.
Unfortunately, she doubted the memories would leave her alone. She didn't want to relive the next few events in the form of some nightmare. Already, old guilt was mingling with the new, and both were still dogging her thoughts. She tried to suppress the feelings. But it didn't work.
Damn it, brat! You're making me soft. Brussi grimaced, pressing her chin into her fist. Why can't I just forget?
Because that would be cowardly, she answered herself. What was worse? Feeling guilt over a deed? Or refusing to think about it to avoid feeling guilt? What kind of warrior was afraid to face on their own past?
Dorei had convinced the pig Seisan to give Mai a harsh beating. Dorei had known she couldn't strike out at Brussi for interfering. The Saiyan had already established a reputation for taking a striping without breaking.
Mai, on the other hand, hadn't yet received anything more than a few quick lashes. She'd never experienced an outright whipping. And the one Dorei had arranged was one meant to be brutal.
The Namek had been left whimpering in pain in the middle of the common room. Brussi had dragged her to bed, but the experience had left its mark. Mai barely left her alcove and had trembled whenever anyone approached her. Brussi had needed to use some rough and heartless words to pull the younger woman back from the edge.
But Mai had never completely recovered, becoming annoyingly soft and peaceful in her disposition. Brussi had suspected cowardice until the Namek had shown she could still be stubborn about certain things. In the end, the Saiyan had felt a distasteful sense of responsibility for the situation. She had then found herself standing between Mai and the others while trying to toughen the Namek's spirit.
And now you're willing to leave that person to a powerful stranger she has no chance of fighting off, a nasty voice chided. You know she'd put her life on the line to help you. Guess that means she's the brave one.
"Grrr..." Brussi angrily pushed off the bed. She ignored the twinge in her gut, grateful that she didn't feel the nauseating vertigo this time. Prince or no, she wasn't going to sit by while some... male... did as he pleased to Mai. Not now that they were free from such things. You'd better appreciate this, brat. And it's only until I can find a safe place to dump you.
She slowly headed towards the door, conscious of the slight weakness she still felt in her legs. The cold floor made her feet tingle a bit. She glanced over to the table holding her armor and other items. It was past the exit, almost on the other side of the room. Deciding she would try the door first, she continued on her way.
The portal seemed simple enough. It appeared to be the sort that slid into the wall. There was a control panel to the side of it, probably either to open and close it or lock it.
Brussi approached the door and stood for a moment to see if it would open on its own. When it didn't, she muttered a curse and wondered if it was locked from the outside. She hoped not. Trying to break the code would probably take some time and there were no windows in the room to use as an alternative. She reached for the controls, but paused as the sound of voices carried through from the outside hall.
Brussi leaned close and pressed her ear against the door.
"Thanks for ride, Bulma." It was some male's voice. She didn't recognize it. She gritted her teeth. Just how many of that cursed gender would she have to put up with?
"It's no problem, Krillin." The voice of the woman who had brought Brussi and Mai here. Brussi listened more intently, barely breathing. "I hope you don't mind that we stopped here. Vegeta couldn't keep from getting into a fight with that Saiyan woman. She's in the infirmary. I swear I don't think I'll ever understand what gets into him."
Brussi growled quietly and resisted the urge to punch a hole in the door. For the second time since she'd awaken, her face grew warm from humiliation. It was bad enough that she had suffered two defeats in one day. Did the woman have to broadcast it to the rest of the planet's citizens?
"You might as well get used to it. Vegeta's just that way. And I wouldn't be surprised if Goku shows up at some point to spar with her." The male, Krillin, laughed.
Brussi's lips twitched at that. So, the resident males were going to each have their turn, eh? She'd be sure to make it costly for them. She might have lost to Vegeta, and that Namek male, but she wouldn't give up without a fight.
"Hmph... speaking of which. What happened?" Bulma sounded both annoyed and curious. "He never showed up here, even after I sent Trunks. And what happened to Yamcha? That lazy bum better not have taken off after he met up with Vegeta."
"Oh yeah," Krillin said slowly. "They probably got the same message from Dende as I did."
"What message?" asked Bulma. The voices sounded louder now and Brussi could hear them pace around.
"Well, Dende said everything was taken care of," Krillin explained. "I was already at the crash site when he told me. I was really relieved we weren't facing another Frieza or King Kold."
Brussi's interest peaked at that. Dende... that's the name that green bastard mentioned...
Bulma made an annoyed sound. "And of course no one thought to let me know! I shouldn't have even bothered looking for you. I swear you guys-"
Brussi didn't hear the rest. There was a muted mechanical click somewhere inside the door. Making a quick decision, the Saiyan hopped back towards the bed. Her stomach twitched with sharp little pains and her legs threatened to buckle at the sudden exertion, but she made it. Snatching up the discarded mask, she put it back over her face and lay down again. She got the sheet back over herself a scant few seconds before the door opened. She kept her eyes closed as the two entered.
"Huh. I guess she's still asleep," Bulma said. Her shoes tapped along the hard floor as she approached the bed.
"Hmm... I'm not so sure." Krillin's tone was suspicious. His footsteps joined Bulma's, the pair coming to a stop after a few seconds. "I thought I sensed something just before we came in."
Brussi tried not to react in any way. She kept her breathing even. She didn't know what the man meant by "sensing," but it didn't sound good. What confused her more, though, was that his voice seemed to come from somewhere on level to her ear. Before she could think more on it, a finger poked her in the arm.
Brussi's eyes snapped open. A mix of anger and instinct slammed through her. She growled, nearly leaping from the bed. Her hands were in position to defend or strike. Only the hose connected to the mask and the sight of the male kept her from doing more. She stared at the man who was tensed, standing ready to fight.
He was short. Very short. Brussi doubted he would even come close to waist high. He wore what appeared to be casual clothes, a yellow shirt and dark pants. His brown hair looked like some animal had sat on his head and gone to sleep. Completing the picture was a strip of a mustache under a non-existent nose. She looked him up and down.
Then she threw back her head and laughed.
"Grrr... all right, that's enough!" Krillin's face flushed as he guessed the reason for the woman's reaction.
Brussi's stomach began to throb again and she settled back, cross-legged, on the mattress. Her laughter trailed off. She smirked at the man. Her words were muted by the mask, but the lingering amusement was clear. "My apologies. I didn't know they made men so small. You are a man, aren't you? You look too old to be a boy."
Krillin grumbled, easing into a more regular stance. He frowned at the Saiyan and eyed her warily.
Brussi gave him one last contemptuous look, then dismissed him from her mind. She doubted he was very powerful at all. She fixed her gaze on Bulma. "I want to know where Mai is."
Bulma's eyes widened slightly. "You mean Piccolo didn't tell you when he came back? It looked like you two were arguing. I thought it was because of your friend." She frowned and crossed her arms. "Sorry, but since some people seem to think I don't need to know what's going on, I can't help you."
The humor inspired by the little man was swept away by Bulma's answer. Brussi stilled and her expression became cold. She pulled the mask off her face. Her hand squeezed around it until it shattered, the cracking loud in the sudden silence. The Saiyan scowled, her words angry and hard. "That bastard said he took her to someone named Dende. Don't lie to me, you know who he is!"
Bulma and Krillin stared at Brussi, then exchanged cautious looks. A mad Saiyan was never good. They stepped back a pace or two. Bulma spoke again, trying to sound calm. "Now just a minute. There's no reason to get upset. If she's with Dende, then she'll be fine."
"Uh, yeah. That's right," Krillin agreed. He smiled weakly and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "He's a friend. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Besides, he's a Namek like her."
Brussi flung the pieces of the mask to the floor. The hard plastic made tink tink noises as it scattered over the linoleum. Brussi's scowl deepened as her patience began to give out. "I don't care if he's a Namek! Tell me where to find him!"
Krillin and Bulma again glanced at each other, then back to Brussi. Krillin's expression became harder. It wouldn't be good if this Saiyan got to the Lookout. "Look, I know you're worried. But trust me-"
Trust him? Brussi nearly screeched with rage. How dare that shrimpy bastard even suggest it! Trust a damned male? She glared at him, wanting to rip his arms off. Her fists clenched so tightly the knuckles popped and turned chalky. He glared right back, subtly shifting his position to a defensive one.
Brussi forced herself to calm down. This was getting her nowhere. These two didn't seem to be willing to give out the information she needed. She doubted beating it out of them would be an option. The woman was clearly under the protection of Prince Vegeta. The necessary violence would result in at least some noise and it was possible the male Saiyan would hear. Brussi knew she didn't stand a chance if he got involved.
The short male presented another problem. Brussi didn't believe he had much power, but she had been proven wrong before. She didn't know his fighting techniques or if he had some weapon hidden in his ridiculous clothes. She wasn't going to make the same mistake again. She wasn't going to risk being beaten a third time, especially not when it could mean Mai's safety.
Reigning in her anger, she smoothed the scowl from her face and unclenched her fists. She took a few deep breaths. Gathering as much calm as she could scrape up, she slipped out of the bed and stood before the two. She cursed inwardly at the slight pangs in her gut and the weakness that still threatened her legs.
Krillin kept his wary stance for a few seconds more. He gazed up at the Saiyan woman, trying to gauge her mood. When she made no aggressive move, he began to relax.
Brussi kept her expression neutral. She said in an even tone, "I'm sure you trust this Dende as an ally. But Mai and I aren't used to giving our trust that freely. You can understand."
Krillin nodded, partly out of understanding and partly to humor the woman. Maybe they could get this cleared up without having a fight. "Sure. It must hard to come to a strange planet and not know who to trust."
"Good," said Brussi with a slight smirk. "I'm glad we agree."
Without another word, she kicked the short man hard, sending him flying into one of the walls. His head hit with a thud against the surface and he slumped to the floor. She whirled around, sending her fist into the neck of the stunned human woman. Bulma fell in a heap with barely a sound.
Brussi's abdomen cramped in pain. She clenched her teeth, nearly doubling over. Her legs were a bit shaky, but she forced herself to keep standing. The tightened muscles protested as she leaned down and snatched the bag hanging from Bulma's shoulder. She could only hope that what she needed was inside.
Brussi shuffled over to the table with her armor. The suit might be damaged, but she was certain she would need it. She had made no allies this day. She pushed away the thought and shrugged on the jacket. The boots were a little more difficult, since she had to bend again to pull them on. Finally, she slipped the hand guards over her wrists.
Feeling a little more prepared to face what might come, she glanced back at the two unconscious natives. She gave them a mocking little salute. "Sweet dreams."
Then, Brussi hurried to the door. It took a second to hit the right button before it slid open. She stepped into the hall, checking for any others that might be lurking about. Seeing no one, she began to move as quickly as her battered body would allow.
Her footsteps echoed in the corridor. She grimaced at the loud sounds, knowing it was a risk. She remembered the complex held several buildings, including a very large main one. If the infirmary was in an inhabited area, she might run into someone capable of stopping her. Adrenaline dulled the pain in her stomach and steadied her gait. She rummaged in the bag as she went. She tossed away anything that wasn't of use. She found three capsules. One looked similar to the one that contained the flier. She dumped the bag and worked her way through the building.
Brussi opened every unlocked door she could. The winding hallways were confusing and so far she hadn't seen any windows. There were several rooms that held equipment of some kind, others that were filled with boxes. She growled, the delay wearing on her nerves. Worry that she would have to go back and use one of the natives began to gnaw at her.
But as she thought it, she came across an empty bedroom. The furnishings were mostly bare. The large bed was stripped of any coverings, the table and dressers without ornaments. There was a hint of dust in the air and the stale smell of a room that didn't get used often. Her attention was quickly drawn to a window on the opposite wall. Deciding it was as good as a door, she ran over to it and punched out the glass. Sharp slivers exploded outwards and some pattered to the carpet. Brussi jumped out on to the mown lawn, garnering a few cuts from the shards still on the sill. She knew she didn't have much time.
Brussi continued running until she had nearly made the boundary of the grass. There, she threw down the most likely looking capsule. With a poof, a flier appeared. It seemed to be the same type the human woman had used before.
The Saiyan grinned and hopped into the machine. Now, she just needed to remember how the human had controlled it. She studied the buttons, thinking back to the trip that had brought her and Mai to the complex. It took some pressing and false starts before she managed to get the engine to engage and stay on. Taking the control handle, she smirked and said, "All right. That green bastard took off that way. So I'll start there."
The flier rose, rather wobbly, into the air and streaked off in the general direction that Piccolo had taken when he'd abducted Mai.