I'm back! Again… This nice, long chapter is dedicated to everyone sticking around for the story! Thanks a bunches!

"I have just been biding my time
Sharpening my axe
And learning your every move
You'll never see it coming…" –Silent Drive, "Professional."

(Something new from me.. A lyric I find profound at the beginning, and some of the funniest comedic lines I've heard at the end of the story… ENJOY!)

Chapter 09: Hospitality

Juuhachigou pulled the left side of the shirt across and over the right, and buttoned it in place at her side. She felt kind of funny dressed like a normal person. She was used to expensive dresses and being primp and proper at all times. Now, she looked like a mere peasant. She wondered what her brother would say when he saw her.

"I'm sure Akira won't mind you borrowing her clothes," Bulma assured her. "I would have given you some of mine, but you and her are the same height and all. It just makes more sense."

"Thank you. It's better than running around in the nude."

Bulma smiled. "I'm sure it is." She picked up a dark green jacket and walked toward the door. "Let's go find the others. Maybe Vegeta is back."

The two women walked out into the hall. Bulma instantly gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Chichi was lying on the floor in front of them, face down. A clicking noise caused them both to look up. Not twenty feet away from them stood four men with guns pointed directly at them. It was the last thing Bulma remembered seeing as she fell to the ground in a heap next to her two new friends.

"Take them out to the transport," the leader said. "And report to Prince Arthos that the ship is clear."

The men saluted and ran off to carry out their orders.

(Change scene)

He had work to do, not that anyone would question him, but he'd never allowed himself to be so distracted before. The woman was truly the most beautiful he'd ever seen, and he couldn't seem to keep his damn eyes off of her! He turned to his right-hand man, willing himself to get back to his main task.

"Has the ship been cleared?"

"Yes, your highness. They are just bringing out the last of the suspects now. What do you wish done with the ship?"

"Have it brought to the base and locked in the main hanger bay for now, Ansolus." Arthos turned toward setting sun, taking in the various hues of red, blue and purple. "On second thought," he started. "Take my personal transport back to the palace and make sure my guest is well taken care of."

Ansolus grinned. "Proving too much of a distraction, my prince?" He chuckled when Arthos glared over his shoulder at him. "I saw that exchange between you and her in the forest," he went on. "No female's ever had that affect on you before. It's usually you who makes the girls crazy."

The prince closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Just do as I say," he commanded harshly.

"Yes, of course," the other man went on good-naturedly. "Would you like her placed in your room, sire?" He joked.

"If the two of us hadn't grown up together, I'd blast you for such disrespect!" Arthos shouted back. "Now, get to it!"

"Okay, okay! The room across the hall then."

Arthos clenched his fist tightly at his sides and turned his attention to a lower ranking soldier passing b him. "Are you almost finished yet! Make sure they're fitted with ki-suppressors, too! I don't want any mistakes."

(Change scene)

Groggily, Vegeta lifted his head and blinked slowly. What happened? He remembered killing one of Gero's men, but after that, he couldn't recall a thing. He lifted a hand to his face, but it wouldn't reach above his shoulders! He was shackled to the wall. He tried powering up, but was immediately bombarded with a wave nausea.

"Ki suppressors," he hissed quietly to himself. He'd been placed under them once before, and the memories were not pleasant ones. Being locked in the dungeons of your own palace, surrounded by hundreds of criminals that you'd sentenced yourself. He shuddered at the thought. One day, he'd repay his brother for that. One day soon!

"Looks like we've got a live one finally," a gruff voice cut through the stagnant air.

Vegeta glanced up just as a shadow engulfed his body. The man before him was tall with a thick, black ponytail, and he was dressed in drab olive green pants and a matching button up shirt. There were a few small insignias embroidered on the right side of the shirt's chest. Vegeta fought back the sneer gathering in his throat. This guy was obviously attached to the Riessian military, but it was just an educated guess. He'd only ever been to Riessei once, and that had been three years ago. He'd never had the chance to accompany his parents or any of Vegetasei's ambassadors on diplomatic matters here before. He shook those thoughts from his head as the man knelt down in front of him with a grin on his face.

"We have some questions for you."

Vegeta glanced sideways into the other cells. Everyone was accounted for, even the moronic men Gero had set up to meet them for the exchange. Everyone but Akira that is. He glared up at the humanoid kneeling before him. There was no way out of this. With the ki suppressors in place, his captor had complete control over the situation.

The man took a key from his belt and reached behind Vegeta's head. "No funny stuff, monkey boy, or you'll find yourself tailless," he threatened.

Vegeta's tail tightened around his waist involuntarily. They'd somehow seen his tail, so they knew his was a Saiyan. He growled low in his throat. 'Just perfect,' he thought angrily. He was rewarded for his growl with a sharp blow to the side of his head.

"Now, didn't I just warn you? No funny stuff!"

(Change scene)

Blinking, the young woman let out a sigh. 'What happened?' She focused on the pillow beside her. It was white and fluffy. Akira frowned at it. She pushed herself up, finding it hard to sit in the position she was in. She'd been lying on her side. The Saiyan woman was too stunned to move at the moment though. Her surroundings were new.

"What the hell," she whispered, pushing off the blanket that covered her. Instantly, she regretted it and wanted to scream. Akira slid out of the bed as quickly as possible and searched the dimly lit room for a mirror. "Oh, for the love of all that is holy," she grumbled as her eyes took in her appearance.

Her hair had been allowed to curl naturally and was pinned up here and there, but that wasn't her main problem. Her slender body was draped in an expensive, white silk gown. She scrunched up her nose and started ripping out all the pins in her hair. These were not her normal fighting clothes. What had happened to them! She stormed over to one of the dressers and pulled the drawers open one by one, trying to find her things.

"This is not funny," she growled. Giving up on finding her clothes, she decided on a more plausible goal. Finding out where she was. She went over to the main doors and opened them slowly. Just as she was about to walk out the door, she had a flashback.

She stared into the deepest brown eyes she'd ever seen.

'Who was that guy?' she wondered.

"Intriguing," he whispered.

Akira suppressed the shiver that tried to overcome her whole body as she remembered how that stranger's voice had whispered that one word. She didn't have time for such thoughts. She had to find out what happened and where the others were.

Back in the room, a pair of brown eyes watched in amusement as the woman disappeared into the hallway. She hadn't noticed him once as he had stood in the darkest corner of the room watching over her. Slowly, he walked over to the door and followed her at a safe distance.

(Change scene)

Bulma watched quietly as the Saiyans fought amongst themselves over what was going on. It seemed, to her, that they were unable to function without their leader, Vegeta. It was getting on her nerves.

"Will you guys please shut up," she yelled.

They all turned to glare at her, but she simply returned their gesture. Radditz looked over at Juuhachigou and Juunana. "Do you have any idea what's going on?" He inclined his head to the right, where Gero's middlemen were still unconscious. "This has to have something to do with you."

Prince Juunana frowned, slightly annoyed with the Saiyan's lack of respect, but he replied honestly, "I have no idea what's going on. Riessei is the ruling planet of our empire. It's possible that we are being looked for by the military."

Nappa growled. "Well, that's just perfect!"

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't we be trying to figure out a way to get free instead of bickering with each other?"

Nor sighed. "Princess Bulma is right."

"I don't know what you expect us to do," Brolly cut in. "These things around our wrists are ki suppressors," he announced, holding up his arm for them to all take notice. "We couldn't overpower a gnat if we wanted to," he grumbled angrily.

Chichi sighed. "There's got to be some way around them." She turned to Radditz and asked, "Can't you pry them open and rewire them or something?"

He scowled at her. "You've obviously never been captured before. They're designed specifically so that the captive can't get into them."

Kakkarot gave his eldest brother a hard look. "Don't snap at her. She was just asking if it could be done."

Before the arguing could continue, a loud clank resounded throughout the room, and all the captives glanced toward the door. A large humanoid with dark brown hair and black eyes entered the room. He was as wide and tall as Nappa, and he had a sour twist to his features.

"Well, well," he cooed. "Looks like everyone's up." He stood in the middle of the hall and grinned at them. "Hmm, who wants to be next for questioning? We're just about through with you other friend. I'm sure he'll be singing any second now."

Bulma narrowed her eyes. "What'd you do to V-?" The rest of her sentence was cut off by Turlis' hand slapping over her mouth.

"Are you insane?" He whispered in her ear. "You'll give us all away."

The guard smirked evilly. "Looks like we found our next guest for the interrogation room," he announced, staring into Bulma's terrified gaze.

(Change scene)

"Did you see that blond woman they brought in?"

Akira pressed her back to the wall and listened carefully to what the two guards were saying around the corner. Hopefully, she'd learn something useful.

"You bet! I wish I could be in the interrogation room when they question her," the other insinuated.

The Saiyan woman scrunched up her nose. 'Perverts.'

"If they ever get to her, you mean. That one guy is still in there. Marden's been torturing the guy for over an hour already."

"Damn! He must be one tough son of a bitch."

Akira turned her eyes to the floor thoughtfully. An hour was a long time when you were being tortured for information, even at the hands of the least vindictive inquisitor. It had to be a Saiyan. None of the others could probably handle it, except perhaps Juuhachigou and Juunana. She didn't know much about them, but she did know that Juuhachigou had defended herself decently when they'd fought.

'I have to find out where this Marden guy is,' she thought to herself. 'The others are safe for now.' Slowly, she allowed her back to slide down along the wall until her rear came into contact with her heals. She squinted her eyes at the wall across from her. With her keen eyesight, she could see the faintest outline of the guards' shadows in the polished steel, but she couldn't tell what way they were facing. It wasn't dark enough. They'd spot her if she tried to sneak up on them, and she didn't really want to use ki, which she'd need to boost her speed.

'Damnit,' she cursed. They couldn't afford to be caught. Riessei was one of the most powerful empires next to the Cold's and the Saiyans. 'And that guy was strong,' she reminded herself, seeing a flash of the deep brown eyes in the back of her mind. She had to shake her head slightly to loose the image. Her Saiyan pride reared its ugly head, and she chided herself for allowing him to catch her off guard.

"Hey, Laron, did Marden finally give up?"

Akira got to her feet quickly as she head footsteps coming her way. 'Shit!' She glanced behind her. She didn't really want to backtrack, but she didn't have a choice. Gathering the long skirt of her dress up to above her knees, she stealthily slipped down the hall to the closest doorway. 'Please don't anyone be in here,' she thought as she pushed the button and it slid to the right.

Thankfully, it was dark inside the room, and she could make out the outlines of computer terminals and other odd equipment. She could hear the men turning down the hall toward her, and she scurried over to the corner. Looking up she noticed that there weren't many light fixtures. As long as she stuck to the shadows, she'd be safe. She hid between two large cabinets and waited.

"What the hell?" She heard. This voice was different than the two guards she'd been eavesdropping on a few minutes ago. The lights came on, and she held her breath. "I don't have time for this," the man said. "You two check this room out and make sure it's secure before you leave. I have to go choose Marden's next victim," he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" The guards replied, saluting the larger man before he walked out of the room.

Akira heard the door swoosh shut, and she smirked. 'I can work with this.'

"This is pointless. Someone probably just came in here to drop off some junk and left the door open."

"I know, Zi, but Laron will have our asses if we don't do as he said. Just give everything a quick check, and we can go back to our post."

"Fine!"

Akira spotted a shadow on the floor in front of her, and she waited patiently for this Zi person to come into view. He walked right past her, but obviously spotted her out of the corner of his eyes because he froze to the spot.

"What!" He took a step back and turned toward her. "Hey!"

Akira punched him, catching the underside of his jaw and sending him backwards a couple feet. He landed with a thud against the console and knocked over an important piece of machinery.

"Phayon!" He called out to his friend as he held his throbbing face. The force of the blow had made his sight go blurry for a moment.

The other one rushed toward her, but Akira kicked him in the chest. Phayon landed on his back and slid across the floor. The Saiyan woman glanced between the two startled men and suppressed a grin. They were completely shocked.

"How about you just tell me how to get to this Marden guy, and I'll promise not to kill you?"

Zi frowned. "Do you think we're stupid? You caught us off guard." He moved into a defensive stance. "You can't possibly beat us."

Akira sighed. "Why do you men never listen to me?" She glanced at Phayon. "Are you going to be as stupid as your partner?"

He seemed a bit more perceptive to her strength, probably because she'd used more force with him. His eyes averted to the door, which was only a few feet away from him. Akira narrowed her eyes.

"Coward," she whispered, stalking toward him. "Just tell me where Marden is!"

He sprang toward the door, and Akira started after him but was pulled back into the room by Zi. He tossed her back against the counter and summoned a ki ball in his hand. "Now, you're going to tell me who you are, and why you want to see Marden so badly," he told her.

Akira glared back at him. "We'll see about that." She moved forward so quickly, he didn't have time to blink. Her fist sunk into his stomach, and he wheezed, leaning forward slightly. His hands fisted in the material at her waist, and she grasped his throat tightly with her other hand. "Get your hands off me," she hissed.

He immediately released her fearful of the sudden change of tone in her voice. She continued to squeeze at his neck until the lack of oxygen made him pass out. Akira pushed him away from her and stepped over his body. She wondered if she should even waste the time trying to find Phayon. No doubt he was probably going to call for backup or something.

"I don't have time for this," she grumbled, heading in the direction where Zi and Phayon had originally been guarding. She was guessing that Laron had to have come from where Marden was, so she'd continue in that direction.

As she turned around the corner, a figure emerged from the shadows behind her. He glanced into the room, noticing Zi's prone body on the floor. 'The woman took out an elite guardsman. Impressive,' the mysterious man thought. He'd have to get closer to her next fight. He wanted to see her in action.

(Change scene)

Vegeta bit down on his tongue to keep from swallowing it as the sharp blade sliced straight down his stomach. It was a surface cut, but with the ki suppressors and his weakened state, it felt like the blade was scraping through his insides. He'd give the man credit. He was good at this, but Vegeta knew he could withstand the pain.

His vision was blurry in his right eye, and his left was completely swollen shut. Faintly, he felt something trickling down the side of his face. Had he just been hit again? 'Good, I'm numb to it finally,' he mused, coughing up blood.

"All you have to do is give me your name," Marden told him, placing a reassuring hand on Vegeta's shoulder. "I already know you are a Saiyan."

Vegeta felt something pull at the tip of his tail, and he tensed up. "Fuck off," he spat. Perhaps he could insult the man into distraction and divert his attention away from his precious tail.

"What was that?"

The ex-prince attempted to scowl, but it hurt like hell! "I said fuck off, you cowardly space rat."

"Cowardly, eh?" Marden glared down at him, but Vegeta couldn't really make it out. The man was still pretty blurred. His captor turned to his instruments and picked up a small knife. "I've always been curious about the Saiyan physiology, particularly your tails."

Vegeta was actually about to panic, but a soft noise caught his attention, along with a familiar scent. "Now, I'm sure this will hurt. Hopefully, we'll get you to scream this time."

Marden chuckled evilly and was about to lean down when someone grabbed hold of his thick, black ponytail and tilted his head back slightly. A knife was pressed against his jugular at the same moment, making him freeze instantly. He dropped the knife in his hand.

"Where are the keys to the holding cells?" Akira demanded harshly.

Marden frowned. 'A woman snuck up on me!' "I've no idea what you're talking about," he lied.

Akira looked down at Vegeta, taking in the state of his various wounds. "Then, I guess you have no use to me," she whispered to the man, slicing her knife straight across his thin neck.

Vegeta felt Marden's blood splatter across his bare chest, but paid it no mind. His vision had finally returned enough for him to make out details again, and he couldn't help but chuckle and cough at the same time.

Akira raised an eyebrow at him as she pushed the dead man aside and stepped forward. "What's so funny?" She asked Vegeta as she ripped a long strip of cloth from the bottom of her dress.

He felt her wiping gently at the blood on his face, and he smirked despite the pain. "You look all proper. When was the last time you dressed like that?"

"When you're fully healed, expect to be punched in the face for that," she warned him, tearing at the restraints so he could be free of the chair he was strapped to.

Neither Saiyan seemed to notice the person hanging back in the dark hallway just outside the door. He watched the scene before and felt like his insides were twisting into knots. The way her hand seemed to gently wipe away at the man's face made him want to rip the man to pieces in a jealous rage. His eyes narrowed into slits as he saw the man place his dirty hands on her hips as she reached down to wrap her arms around his torso to help him to his feet. Their bodies were too damn close!

Vegeta placed his weight on his right leg and allowed Akira to support him by placing her arms around his chest. He let his right arm drape over her shoulder, and they limped toward a small table near the door. He pointed to a set of semi-transparent plastic cards.

"I think those are the keys we need."

Akira nodded, reaching for them with her left hand. "Let's get the others and get off this rock."

"I couldn't agree more," Vegeta mumbled.

(Change scene)

Bulma screamed as Laron pulled her away from Turlis' arms. "No!" She kicked and clawed at the man, but it was no use. She couldn't have hurt him even without the ki suppressors. Laron pulled her out of the cell and slammed the door shut before Nappa could pick himself off the floor and grab the princess from him.

"I have a feeling you're going to tell us everything we need to know," he whispered into her ear.

Bulma whimpered. "No, please," She begged.

"Actually," a voice called out from behind Laron. "She won't be telling you anything."

The princess' face lit up. "Ak-!"

"Yes! It's me," Akira called out, hoping the moron who was holding onto her ward didn't hear what Bulma was going to say. 'When's that girl going to learn that she can't be calling out our names!'

Laron turned toward Akira and laughed. "You really think you can take me? You're just a mere woman." His eyes shifted to Vegeta. "Looks like Marden had some fun with you."

Akira helped Vegeta to get comfortable leaning against the wall before she turned to face her next opponent. "Let's get this over with quickly."

He shook his head with a grin on his face. "Fine by me, sweetheart." He let go of Bulma, pushing her forcefully against the metal bars. Akira eyed the princess anxiously, hoping she wasn't hurt. Bulma hit them hard, though, and she slumped to the floor. Akira was surprised when she heard Vegeta growl deep in his throat from behind her.

"Wait a second," Laron started. "Aren't you the girl Prince Arthos took to the palace? How'd you get here without him knowing?"

'Prince Arthos?' Akira frowned. She'd heard of him, but she had no idea what this guy was talking about. "I think we're done here." She lifted her hand and blasted him cleanly through the chest before he could even retort.

Akira pulled out the keycards and walked over to the cell. She opened it quickly, passing the keys to Kakkarot and using her ki to cut through the suppressor on his wrist and the collar around his neck. "Get the others free," she told him before rushing over to Bulma.

"Are you okay?"

Bulma nodded, holding her left wrist with her right hand. "I think I broke my wrist, though."

Akira gently took the younger woman's wrist in her hands and massaged it. "The bones don't feel broken or out of place. You probably just sprained it."

"I'm sorry. I almost said your name."

"It's over now. Don't worry about it. All we have to do it find the ship, and we're out of here."

Nor came up beside them. "It's in the main hanger bay. I heard a couple guards talking about it when they were taking us off the ship. I was fully unconscious," he told her.

Akira frowned. "I'm not sure where that is, though. I didn't come across it on my way here."

A loud choking sound came from behind them, and everyone turned sharply toward the main doors. Bulma gasped, covering her mouth with her hands and moving closer toward Chichi and Juuhachigou. By the door, Vegeta was being held off the ground by a man dressed in black robes. The man had his fingers tightly wrapped around Vegeta's neck. Nor, Kakkarot, and Akira moved forward, stopping a just a few feet away from the stranger who held their friend and prince's life in his hands. They couldn't see his face because the heavy, black hood covered it, but Akira could make out a strand of long, dark brown hair. She was startled when the man turned toward her.

"I offer you the luxury of being my personal guest," his deep, yet cultured voice spoke to her. "And you repay me by freeing my prisoners and killing my men."

"I didn't ask to be your 'guest'," Akira spat back at him. "Release my friend."

He chuckled. "I don't think so."

Bulma glared at the man, pushing her way to the front of the group. "You let him go, now!"

The man pointedly ignored her, continuing his conversation with Akira. "I was impressed with your skill, however. There aren't many women out there capable of sneaking their way through a palace and it's barracks."

"Hey! I told you to let him go," Bulma screamed again. She felt so responsible for everything, and she had to do something!

"Shut up, wench!"

The princess gasped in shock. No one had ever spoken to her like that in her entire life. Her shock quickly turned to anger, though, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you speak to me like that! Do you have any idea who I am?" She demanded.

"By all means, enlighten me, girl," he taunted.

Akira moved forward and latched her hand around Bulma's elbow. "Keep your mouth shut," she hissed.

The man turned his attention back to her, and Bulma bit her bottom lip. It was now or never! She lunged forward, catching him off guard and causing him to release Vegeta. As the three of them landed on the floor, Bulma managed to move as far away from this stranger as possible. Turlis and Kakkarot were surrounding her and Vegeta in less than a second.

Meanwhile, Akira couldn't believe her eyes. The man's hood had fallen back as he fell, exposing his face. It was him—the man from the woods! His dark eyes met hers, and she blinked slowly. She's sort of pieced it together that he was this Prince Arthos guy, but she hadn't figured it was the same guy. She watched anxiously as he got to his feet, not bothering to replace the hood over his handsome face. She stepped forward to engage him. The others had to get out of there. They weren't fully recovered. Ki suppressors had a terribly draining affect.

"Find the ship," she called out over her shoulder. "I'll hold him off."

Nor wanted to argue with her, but he had a feeling this guy didn't want to hurt his little sister, so he rushed everyone out of the cell block. Akira brushed back a strand of silvery hair from her face and silently readied herself for the fight. Arthos surprised her by actually smiling.

"I don't wish to hurt you," he stated softly.

Akira eyed him suspiciously. "Is that so?" She asked as they started to circle one another slowly.

"You really want to fight with me?" He inquired, slightly surprised. "Even though you know I'm stronger than you?"

"If it gives my friends the time they need to escape," she told him. "Then, yes."

His eyes bore into her intensely at her proclamation. "Very well then."

He lunged forward, and Akira quickly powered up to block his punch. It triggered a strange dance of kicks and blocks. She noticed after a minute that he was toying with her, perhaps even expecting her to tire herself out. She faked a jab to his gut to cover the ki blast she was gathering in her other hand. Arthos noticed it, and his eyes grew wide. He'd underestimated her! He quickly blocked the ki ball at point blank range, the force sending her backward several feet into the wall. He didn't allow her a second to gather her wits.

Akira gasped as two steely hands grasped her wrists and slammed them into the wall above her head. She watched the prince's eyes as they traveled down her face, stopping at her mouth. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat as he forcefully kissed her, moving his body up against hers. Faintly, she felt him shift her wrists together to hold them with one hand while his free hand slid lightly down her right arm to her shoulder. She couldn't help but let out a moan, which allowed him to deepen the kiss. It was at that moment Akira realized just what was happening. He was trying to seduce her! Her eyes shot open, and she brought her knee up sharply, connecting with his groin.

Arthos broke free from the kiss, a strangled cry slipping out of his mouth as he released her and fell to his knees. His forehead fell against her flat stomach as he gasped for air. Akira took a deep breath, trying to regain her thoughts. She slipped away from his suddenly, watching him place one hand on the wall where she'd just been. He rested his head against the cold steel, still trying to recover from the pain.

The Saiyan woman wasted no more time as she turned and ran in the direction her comrades had gone. Arthos turned his head to watch her disappear through doorway. He'd definitely underestimated her, and now he wanted her even more! He attempted to stand, but fell back to his knees. 'She's stronger than she looks,' he thought irritably.

(End Chapter)

Well, there you have it! A nice long chapter after about a month of neglect on my behalf. Very sorry, people! I hope you enjoyed. Don't forget to let me know what you think.

Next time: The gang's back in space finally. We'll meet Vegeta's two little brothers back on Vegetasei. Akira and Bulma had a cute little heart-to-heart. Nor's left in charge of finding them a new 'job' while Vegeta's in the regeneration tank, and Bulma and Akira take over Vegeta's room so that everyone has a place to sleep for the time being. It probably won't be a very long chapter, mostly filling for the story.

PANDORA ;-)

"Father, forgive me for I've committed an original sin… I poked a badger with a spoon!"

"Ah ha! I've never heard that one before! Five hail mary's and two hello dolly's!" – Eddie Izzard, "Dressed to Kill."