. A Story with No Name .
From One Room to the Next
AN – Dum de doo…I haven't a clue where this is going. O.o; But isn't that the fun of a story? XD Ok, so I do have a vague idea, better then what anyone else does. XD Ok, well, I do have a question for whoever is reading. What would you like to see most? Just, whatever. Anything from exceptionally gory violence, to loads of action, to lemon, to affairs, just whatever you guys are hoping to see in this story. Just throw it out, and since I don't have much of a firm grip on where this is going, I may work it in for those of you who speak up. Hehe. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter.
That night was one of the longest the majority of them had ever endured. Many had rested upon their lonely beds, awake for the long hours of the night, while the others danced in fleeting dreams of anticipation. Their only friends had been the biting fear of loss and the empty sky, speckled with empathetic stars. But the sun soon rose, and day eased them of their selfless pain. The sun had only just finished its triumphant rise to ascension when the first person appeared upon the Capsule Corporation lawn. Krillin was the first to land, and Vegeta was already outside waiting as though he had been there for hours. Shortly after, the two Son's appeared, and after planting their feet, they dropped their suitcases upon the cool grass. Goten turned to look at Krillin and Vegeta and smiled a boyish grin.
"Mornin' Uncle Veggie-boy! Where's Trunks?"
Vegeta didn't even make eye contact with the young boy and simply diverted his gaze towards a window on the side of the house. Goten nodded and ran inside without a second thought, leaving the adults behind. Krillin smiled as he watched Goku's youngest son bolt inside and turned to his old friend.
"Heheh, so, did you get any sleep last night?"
Goku laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his head.
"Not a wink."
Krillin chuckled and prodded Goku's leg with a finger.
"Oh, please. You? Not sleep? You were probably out the second you hit the sheets, and I'd bet all the money I've got that Goten had to wake you up by jumping on your head."
Goku laughed and timidly rubbed the back of his head.
"Nuh uh!"
Krillin laughed again when the sliding glass door opened to allow Trunks and Goten through. Trunks dragged an old suitcase behind him, and he dropped it near the others. Vegeta straightened up and turned his back to the group, lifting a hand to indicate for them to follow. Goku picked up his suitcase and grabbed Goten's, quickly following after the fellow Saiyan, and the two kids quickly followed suit. Krillin blinked and ran up to Vegeta.
"Hey, Vegeta. What about Piccolo? Ain't he coming?"
Vegeta lowered his eyes smoothly to fall upon the smaller warrior and stared at him bluntly for a moment. He snapped up his gaze and focused upon something, causing Krillin to do the same. Piccolo stood ahead and to the side, having stayed the night with no need to leave. Krillin coughed and nodded.
"Oh…heheh…"
He quickly fell back next to Goku. As they passed him, Piccolo took to walking at Vegeta's left, silent as always. They rounded the side of the house to come across their mode of transportation. It wasn't as big as the ship Goku used, however it looked much more aerodynamic, having been elongated to help with speed. The door was open and they could see Dr. Briefs sitting with his legs dangling over the ramp, calmly smoking a cigarette to help relieve the stress of preparation. He looked up, his eyes glazed with an all-too-familiar fatigue (to him, at least), yet soon the veil of exhaustion lifted at the sight of other beings. He smiled at their presence as they made their way to the ramp, and he lifted a hand in greeting.
"Good morning. Didn't expect you'd all show up so soon. No matter, Dear's almost finished loading the supplies, so you all can blast off whenever she's finished. Till then, you can put your trunks into the cargo area. I know she looks small, but she's got great floor space."
As he spoke his last sentence, he turned around to gaze upon his pride and joy. Goku took his load of suitcases into the ship, and Krillin mimicked his actions perfectly, albeit less clumsily. Trunks grumbled, obviously getting irritated with the burdensome load, and drudgingly carried his own suitcase deep into the bowels of the ship.
After loading their belongings, the small group of friends sprawled onto the cool grass in front of the ship and waited for Mrs. Briefs to return with her final load of supplies. Soon, she came bustling out of the house with armfuls of bags and boxes and behind her followed a small army of robots carrying even more bags. A cheerful smile rested happily upon her face, and she paused as she passed Vegeta.
"Vegeta, could you be a dear and get the last few bags?"
Vegeta narrowed his eyes coolly and grunted his response, straightening up and walking inside the house to gather the remaining supplies. Bunny and the robots soon disappeared within the depths of the ship, and as Vegeta came back out with several bags, the robots filed out and glided back into the house. Vegeta, like all the others, disappeared within the ship and soon reappeared with Bunny at his side. She had her hands clasped together and tucked just below her chin as they stepped out onto the grass where the others were waiting.
"Oh, dear! I hope that was enough. Oh! I'm going to miss you oh so much Vegeta! You're so heroic, going out into mean, evil space to save my beautiful daughter! I don't know how to ever repay you!"
Vegeta hmphed and rolled his eyes so she couldn't see. Vegeta looked to Dr. Briefs who was sitting to the side petting his favored pet, Scratch.
"Is the ship ready yet?"
Dr. Briefs looked up and blinked, seeming as though he only just realized that his wife had returned. He stood up and nodded, trying to hide his mild surprise.
"Should be. I just want –"
"Come on then, we mustn't waste time."
Vegeta's strong voice interrupted whatever the old scientist was about to say. The small group of warriors stood and walked into the ship, the two boys running and giggling the whole time with excitement. Once everyone had gotten inside, the great, mechanical door shut, closing out the peacefulness of Earth, and everyone onboard flocked to the windows to bid farewell to the duo that still stood on the ground. Mrs. Briefs was crying (for whatever reason) and waving hysterically while Dr. Briefs stood holding Scratch in his hands, boredly watching the massive ship. As the others bid their silent farewells, Vegeta began preparations for take-off, his fingers expertly dancing across the mass of colorful buttons and knobs. The ship jolted slightly as the technology readied for departure. Vegeta lifted his head and turned it so he could look at the people still crowded around the small windows. His lip curled slightly as he spoke.
"Hey, idiots, sit down already. We're leaving."
Everyone rushed to their seats, knowing well the Vegeta wouldn't wait to type in the final sequence, and strapped themselves into their seats. Vegeta pushed one last button that sent the ships engines into an empowering roar, and he calmly made his way back to the seat as the ship vibrated softly beneath his boots. He sat down just as the ship shot away from the earth, charging away from the planet like the chariot of a god rushing madly into a bloody, decisive battle.
They felt the tension dissipate as Earth shrank from view, yet none dared rise from their seats just yet. The light increased as the ship streaked past the grand sun, and just as the light began to fade and their position change, a glint shone upon every set of eyes. It was a glint of honor, excitement, and vigor. And, just as quickly as that glint had sparkled upon their brows, darkness swiftly consumed them and drenched every sparkle of hope with the enigmatic blankness of space.
……
Everything was dark. I didn't realize it for a long time, but it was. Pure emptiness and unnerving solitude surrounded me, and I began to feel it after a while. The thick air that consumed me was unnatural, and a pang of fear suddenly burned through my heart. At that conscious sense of feeling, my world exploded. That empty darkness now swirled with a million colors and sounds, and pain steadily coursed throughout my body. I gasped and finally took enough control of my weak, confused body to force my eyes open. I moaned from the dull ache that rhythmically pulsated through my veins, and I gathered strength within my arms to turn myself slightly. I blinked away the heavy weariness and looked around me, seeing nothing but darkness and feeling nothing but cold.
Beside me, another stirred because of my movements, and a soft rumble bubbled through their lips. The voice, although it was rather weak and unsure at the moment, held a virile depth, yet was so soft and gentle it could have lured a frightened lamb from hiding. I perked up, as best as I could in my muddled and dull confusion, and stretched out my hand, instantly knowing that the usually friendly yet shy voice could belong to only one man.
"…Gohan? Gohan, is that you?"
He shifted slightly, seeming as though he'd heard me. My heart skipped a beat as those feelings of emptiness and loneliness faded. His muscled chest shifted as he turned himself to look at me, and although all details were lost in shadow, he looked at me carefully.
"Bulma? Is that you?"
I smiled at his still-adorable voice and nodded, more to ease the strangeness of having a conversation with another unseen.
"Yeah, you alright?"
Gohan shifted once more, and the mass of sleek shadows that had at one time been lying upon the ground now floated beautifully before me. The block of blackness that I knew to be his head nodded as his arm glided to his head.
"Yeah, I guess. Feel like I've been hit by a car though…"
I laughed for a moment, trying to ease the strangeness of our situation, though my efforts had been in vain. Silence returned, so I tried to focus upon my hands to ease the awkward aura that had captured my heart. They were beginning to capture a ghostly appearance against the background of black, and I turned them over, trying to feel fascinated by their existence. Gohan tensed up, suddenly becoming more aware towards the situation he was in.
"Where are we?"
His voice had gotten stronger, acting much like his father would have had he been in the same situation, and a smile flitted across my face at the thought. It was comforting to think of Goku at a time like this, but that didn't matter now. I lifted my shoulders lightly, darting my eyes around the area, trying to grasp what little detail I was beginning to see.
"I have no idea. Last thing I can remember is fighting over the covers, then going to sleep."
Gohan rubbed the back of his head again, looking around the room as well.
"Huh…that's weird. That's all I can remember too."
Gohan seemed as though he saw something, and his vague form shifted and reached for something that lay on the ground.
"…Mom…? Is that you?"
He drew himself closer to the figure that lay sleeping upon the ground, and he lightly shook her, careful not to use too much strength.
"Mom! Wake up, please wake up…"
She moaned lightly as she shifted in sleep, and soon her eyes fluttered open to be met with darkness and the sound of her oldest son's voice.
"…Go…Gohan? What on Earth…?"
Gohan breathed a sigh of relief and pushed himself a few inches away from his mother, giving her some room to maneuver as she pleased. She lifted her thin arm to her head, rubbing it quietly for a moment before becoming more aware of her surroundings.
"Where am I? Gohan? What's going on?"
Gohan looked around yet again, searching for any other shapes while answering his mother's question.
"I don't know, neither of us can remember a thing."
I smiled, knowing well that a look of confusion dulled Chi-chi's face.
"Not a single thing since last night. What about you?"
Chi-chi turned her head towards me, watching my vague shape with confusion.
"I…I…."
She suddenly remembered, and her head snapped down in pain. I straightened up seeing this, and Gohan did the same.
"Chi?"
Her eyes were closed tight and her hands clenched her dress as though it was her only lifeline.
"Guys…I…Goku…he…"
Gohan straightened up and leaned forward, softly placing a comforting hand upon her tense shoulders.
"Mom?"
She looked up at her son through a veil of confusion and hurt, but soon wrenched her eyes shut once more.
"I woke up in the middle of the night and went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of water. While I was looking for a glass, Goku came up behind me and…growled at me. He picked me up and said that I was going to go with him without a peep, otherwise he'd beat me like an old bitch…"
She reopened her eyes and glared at the ground as she relived the short memory. I couldn't believe what she was saying. Goku? I could have sworn that he didn't even know what a bitch was, let alone use it in front of his wife. Gohan seemed just as shocked, and he leaned a touch closer to his mother for comfort. Chi-chi's eyes softened as she carefully pondered over what had happened, and she slowly lifted her head.
"His…his eyes were cold. His voice was so cruel…and he had a grin that was…evil. His hands were rough…too rough…wait…it couldn't have…"
Her eyes slowly widened as she looked between her two friends.
"Oh…dear god…that wasn't Goku…"
Gohan blinked curiously, again fearing for his mother.
"Mom…?"
"That man wasn't you father, Gohan. Goku doesn't have a cruel bone in his body, but the way he threw me over his shoulder was nothing but. His hands were too rough; your father's hands are a little softer, and much stronger. More comforting then offending…"
I leaned forward as well, placing my hand upon her knee in an attempt to comfort her.
"Chi…what are you talking about?"
She blinked, staring at me for a moment before realizing what I was talking about. She timidly focused upon her hands, finally answering my question after an unnerving silence.
"A man that looked exactly like Goku took me away when I was getting a drink. He flew into the air and met up with some other people near a mountain range northeast of your house, Bulma. Yamcha and Tien were there, I saw them, but Goku threw me over to one of the freaks that were floating up in the air. I think he knocked me out or something, that's all I can remember…"
Gohan's eyes narrowed in thought, when suddenly, a voice softly mumbled in the background.
"…What…?"
We all looked back, and to our surprise, 18 was sitting up a few feet away and looking around the room. I smiled, growing more confident as our group slowly grew.
"Hey 18. It's us."
She blinked, seeming so calm even though she was suddenly in some pitch-black room without a clue as to how she got there.
"Bulma…? Where are we?"
I looked around blindly and shrugged, feeling her eyes on my back.
"No idea."
A dim light suddenly flickered above our heads, and a soft glow filled the room. After a moment, we could comfortably see again, and we all gazed around quickly, anxious to see our surroundings. It was a very small room with boxes and bags of every origin. Tall stacks of boarded crates hid the walls, and I instantly recognized it to be some sort of cargo room. My eyes fell upon a small bag that was nearby, and I readily reached out to pick it up. I looked it over, my acute eyes scanning over the fibers of the bag and the various stamp-like markings that lay claim to its pale exterior. It had been tied tightly and diligently, obviously the tedious work of its owner. I looked it over a few times more, inspecting the peculiar shapes that, I soon saw, formed some other language I had never seen.
"Huh…how strange…I wonder where we are."
Gohan was inspecting a box carefully, seeming completely lost in his own world, when he suddenly spoke.
"I have no idea, but wherever we are, it's not on Earth."
I blinked, raising a fine eyebrow at his assumption.
"What?"
He lifted his head away from the box and turned it to look at me. His eyes were narrowed in serious thought as he made eye contact with me, only to break it again and continue his studies.
"This writing…it's different. It doesn't resemble a single language I've ever seen. But…it kinda does, somehow…"
I blinked, watching him curiously, when he suddenly spoke again.
"Have you ever seen anything like it? I mean, I'm not one for linguistics, and you are part of a world-wide corporation."
I could feel a glint of pride (or haughtiness) sparkle in my heart when he said that, but I brushed it aside quickly to answer his question. I crawled forward and carefully scanning every curve, accented shape, and marking.
"…Hm. It looks a little like…kinda like Greek, but it flows better, like Arabic. That's strange, I don't think I've ever seen it."
I looked to him, and he looked to me. His black eyes widened slowly in shock of the proof I had given to his hypothesis. He knew that I would at least recognize the symbols and styles of any written language that was advanced enough to have such a facility, however small. Chi-chi was about to say something when a door, unseen to us, was roughly pushed open somewhere in the mass of cargo. The first voice was gruff and strong, but it had an ironically sweet depth. He spoke in a language I had never heard, although the style in which he spoke and the accent he used seemed undyingly familiar. A second voice spoke occasionally between the mumblings of the first, however its sound was nasal and tight, almost hissing at times yet being too precise to have such an effect. This second person spoke the same language, but I could tell it wasn't his first, due to the sharp contrast of his accent with the firsts.
We all stayed as quiet as possible, fearing what this new change would bring. However, our silence proved futile when a stack of boxes was pulled away to reveal the body that belonged to the gruff voice. He was of medium height with unruly locks of black that gutted every which way. His eyes were considerably small and looked like little beads of onyx. He was barrel-chested, yet still somehow sleek and muscular, and had thick arms with a sturdy set of legs. He didn't seem the least bit surprised at seeing a group of people in the middle of the cargo room, and actually seemed calmer in finding us. He took a cautious, almost courteous step forward, holding his hands out before him, palms down, as though in a sign of peace. The four of us sat staring at him, unsure of what his intentions were, when his rough voice attempted niceness.
"Hok…Mo no it deron fer."
18, being the bold woman she was, jumped to her feet. Her pale eyes were narrowed in rage.
"Who are you, and where the hell are we? You better fess up."
He withdrew mentally, watching her shockingly as she spoke. He then turned to the young, blue-skinned person that had obviously been the second voice. The large man spoke again, talking too quickly for any of us to catch a single phrase, and any agitation within his mind was obvious only through his voice. The young man lifted his hands up and pointed his palms to the ceiling, shrieking a little, obviously hurt by whatever the first had said, once again talking too quickly for me to catch. The bulky man rubbed his head and turned back to us.
"I didn't realize you understood muak. I mean you no harm, but you better stay obedient if you want it to stay that way."
His eyes darted to 18, who, too shocked to act any other way, retreated slightly. He straightened himself up, giving a harder glance around the room.
"You were all brought her last night. Not really sure why, but you are to be sent to the Emper as a sort of…compensation. Come this way."
No one knew what to do, so we just sat there blinking, too dumbfounded to regain control over our motionless bodies. He turned, pushing his way around the much scrawnier boy of blue, and quickly began walking through the unseen maze of boxes. The boy suddenly looked straight at me and gave me a slight smile.
"Come now, Earthling. You don't want him pissed, trust me."
He waited as we stood and timidly followed at the first man and closed off the small line of people after the last of us were between him and the older man. Chi-chi and I stood near the front of the line while Gohan and 18 held the back. The burly man led the way for quite some time until he finally stopped at an old looking door and turned to look at us.
"There. That's your room for the trip. Down the hall is the cafeteria," he said while raising a powerful arm to indicate the direction. "And restrooms are down that way, second door to the left."
He pointed in the other direction, and we all turned back to look at the old door he had described. He turned and sighed, seeming very tired, and continued speaking.
"Look, I'm your caretaker 'till we get to Lord Frieza's ship, so if you go missing or get killed, I loose my job. Stay in there unless you're bladder's explodin' or if you're starving to death. Any emergencies, just call me. The number's near the door."
He opened the door and held out his hand, motioning us inside. It was then that I noticed he was missing three fingers off his right hand, unnaturally so (of which was obvious from the scar tissue covering the stumps of his middle, ring, and pinky). We slowly made our way into the extremely small room, and before he closed the door, I turned around and asked a common question, more for convenience sake.
"Sir, what's your name?"
He paused in his actions, having already diverted his gaze from us, and slowly turned his head to look at me. His eyes were wide with a shock that I could tell rarely graced those black eyes, and his mouth hung barely ajar. Those glistening old eyes watched me, calculating me with a practiced caution.
"…What did you say?"
I barely twitched an eyebrow as I folded my arms across my chest, feeling almost offended that he was reacting the way he did.
"I asked for your name. What, don't you have one?"
He stared at me, completely disbelieving of what his ears were hearing. He blinked, suddenly realizing his mouth was agape, and closed it while returning the normal social mask of strength everyone presented to some extent.
"…Tovke."
I smiled and nodded, carefully remembering the name incase some situation in the future permitted it.
"Cool name, mine's Bulma."
He was watching me, his eyes slowly growing ever softer, but when I spoke my name, he suddenly perked up, as though he had heard that name before. I raised an eyebrow as he stared at me for a moment, and suddenly, his eyes took a full scan up and down the entire length of my body. I screeched, slamming my foot down on the ground.
"How dare you! I am not something pretty for you–"
"Please, Miss, silence. I was just, wondering why you of all people…but no, I suppose it makes sense."
I glared daggers at him, and growled at him once more.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
He smiled, seeming almost flattered, and shook his head.
"Nothing, Miss, nothing at all. Now, my shift's over. Good night."
He turned quickly and shut the door, seeming almost reluctant to leave so quickly. His heavy steps faded into the queer silence that consumed the hall as he left a bewildered group in the midst of a dank darkness. And with that, they were left all alone with nothing but muddled thoughts and the soft roar of an engine rumbling steadily in the distance.
AN – Heh, well, there you go. Remember, if you're hoping for something, anything at all, to happen, please feel free to give me your ideas. You could even say something like 'I love violence', just whatever. XD Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it. Oh, and Happy Halloween. XD