Chapter 4:

KIDNAPPED?!

Bulma awoke, some time after her being knocked out, in a strange room. She was lying on a turquoise blanket draped over a small cot. The walls and ceiling of the room were of a cold metallic substance, and the floor looked like glass over the top of a river...it seemed to move by itself, always shifting and changing. She stretched and sat up to get a better view of her confines, and was shocked at how small the room was. The walls were no more than about 8 feet apart, and the ceiling was about 10 feet above the floor. There was a heavy-looking door opposite from her bed, and Bulma walked over to examine it. It had no knob, no handle, no speaker, and no keypad, but there was a small, circular window towards the top of it. It appeared that the only way in or out lay on the outside of the door. She was stuck.

"This reminds me of a prison cell." Bulma whispered to herself as she walked back over to the bed. "I wonder where that...that...that thing put Vegeta. I wish I could know what is going to happen now. I only hope that I can find a way out of this."

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't see the person who entered quietly through door.

"My name is Incoz. I am the one who brought you here and this is my true form." said a voice.

Bulma looked up and suppressed a gasp as she stared, openmouthed, at the being before her. He was translucent, almost invisible if not for the great pink eyes set in his "head." He had an almost unnoticeable, fuzzy outline that was in the shape of a snake with arms. When he spoke, a flat, purple line appeared and moved to mouth his words.

"I do hope that you find your...room comfortable. It displeases my master, Doctor Ungo, when his subjects are unsatisfied. Your stay is short-lived on this vessel, however. If you would like a tour of the ship, you need only ask." Incoz told his stunned captive. 'So beautiful and smart, the doctor picked an excellent subject for his research. She is...perfect.' he thought to himself.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME?! AND WHERE'S VEGETA?!" Bulma screamed when her voice returned.

"I am an Wountinu. A body-possessor. I can control another being's body for a short amount of time, and I am in the services of Doctor Ungo. He was the one who sent me to retrieve both you and the Prince of the Saiyans. My master has a founded a great interest in you, he finds that the properties of Saiyan and human DNA have most wonderful potentials in his field of science. He is a genetics researcher for the Yangh of planet Kraston, they are an extremely intelligent race of people who have embraced and used his genius for over 1,500 years. And you are but a new research subject, you and the Saiyan Prince that is." Incoz answered.

"But wh-where's Vegeta?" Bulma asked again, flustered by the sudden onslaught of long-winded answers the Wountinu gave her.

"He is safe. I have stored him in a room where he cannot use his power, and he has no way of escape. I can let you see him if you wish, though."

"Y-yes please." Bulma stuttered.

"Fine, lets go. I'll give you a tour of the ship while we're at it." Incoz clapped a clear appendage on Bulma's quaking shoulder and guided her out of the room.

"This is the master controls room, and this is the navigation room, the storage area is down below; that is where the sustenance is kept, here are my quarters, the lavatory as you call it, and here is where your Prince is kept." Bulma was surprised at the tiny ship. It was smaller than her house! But then, it only seemed to be a transport ship...for test and research subjects such as herself and Vegeta, according to Incoz. When they stopped in front of Vegeta's quarters, Bulma saw that the Saiyan Prince was lying unconscious on the floor, without any visible marks on him. But then again, he might be dead. Bulma looked pleadingly at Incoz, she just had to know if Vegeta was gone forever. "You wish to go in and visit him? All right, it's not like you two can do any harm. But know this, I'll be standing right next to the door should you try anything." he warned before tapping a flat screen next to the entrance. The door slid open silently and Bulma stepped into the room.

"V-Vegeta? Oh Vegeta, what's wrong?" Bulma whispered, her voice choking up as she knelt down next to his still body. "Vegeta, Vegeta listen to me. If you can hear me, please wake up! Please Vegeta...you can't be dead. Wake up, I can't be alone..." she cradled his head in her lap and willed him to open his eyes. Tears fell down onto his face as Bulma cried silently.

Everything was black. The last thing he could remember was flying into the sky with the woman over his shoulder. Now he didn't even know if he was dead or alive. He vaguely felt hot droplets of water splashing his face and sliding down his cheeks, he could hear faint whimpers and a woman's pleading voice. 'But who would cry for me?' he thought as he put two and two together. 'I've never been anything but evil. Nobody likes me, and yet, here I am...possibly dead...and someone is crying for me. How bizarre. Wait! How can I feel the tears, how can I hear the voice crying if I'm dead? How can I be thinking if I'm dead? So I must still be alive!'

Bulma's crying stopped when she felt Vegeta's head stir on her lap. She heard a painful moan and nearly shouted for joy when the Saiyan opened his eyes. Her happiness was stifled, though, when Vegeta's eyes focused...and narrowed angrily at her.

"V-Vegeta...I..." she stuttered.

"Woman! What is going on here?! Where am I?! And what the hell are you doing here?!" Vegeta demanded.

"V-Vegeta...alien...kidnapped...don't know...stuck...you were...unconscious...I..."

"Woman...you are not making any sense!" Vegeta growled, sitting up and looking about him.

"Don't be so hard on her...Prince." said Incoz as he stepped into the room.

"Who the hell are you?!" Vegeta inquired rudely.

"My name is Incoz. And the lovely Ms. Briefs here knows just about as much as you do...almost nothing. My Master sent me to retrieve a Saiyan and a human from earth...for research procedures. He has taken an interest in you two in particular. As for where you are, you are on my transport ship. And Bulma here was worried about you, so she asked to come see if you were all right; although I would never harm one of the good doctor's test subjects, the consequences are far too...harsh." the transparent being answered.

"Woman, is this...true?" Vegeta asked of Bulma.

She simply nodded her head affirmatively.

"Oh, and one more thing I think you should know, Vegeta. I was the one causing you to black out all those times. I was the one who controlled you without you're knowledge." Incoz added, his purple mouth curling upwards proudly.

"WHAT?!" Vegeta roared. "I AM NOT SOME PSYCHO DOCTOR AND HIS TRANSPARENT ASSISTANT'S LAB RAT! I DEMAND THAT YOU RETURN ME TO EARTH AT ONCE! DO WHAT YOU WILL WITH THE WOMAN, BUT I AM THE CROWNED SAIYAN PRICE...NOT A GUINEA PIG! I OUGHTTA BLAST YOU TO THE NEXT DIMENSION FOR EVEN TOUCHING ME!"

"Oh dear. I do believe you've hurt her feelings. Doctor Ungo won't be pleased with this..." Incoz tusked as he looked over at Bulma.

Bulma's body was convulsing from her sobs. She had been concerned about Vegeta, and he'd just blown her off. She didn't want to have to go through this alone, she was afraid, so very afraid.

"Come now, my dear. Back to your room." Incoz said soothingly, gently picking Bulma up by her shoulders and beginning to lead her away.

"Get your ha-" Vegeta started, causing Bulma and Incoz to turn to him. "I- I mean...leave her here. I need to get some things straight. I am the Prince, now do as I say!"

"Very well. But before I go, Prince, might I suggest not trying to escape...it is impossible. Save your energy if you know what is good for you." Incoz instructed before leaving, Vegeta just growled.

"Vegeta...leave me alone please. I think I'm still in shock. I need to rest. Please..." and with that, she dropped into a dead faint. Vegeta caught her as she began sinking to the ground.

"Fine woman, rest while you can." Vegeta said as he carried her to the single bed. After setting her under the dark red blanket, Vegeta laid down on the floor to sleep.

* * * * *

The next time Bulma awoke, nothing had changed. She was in Vegeta's bed and he was on the floor and Incoz was nowhere to be found. She got up slowly and stepped carefully across the sleeping Saiyan warrior to peak out the window in the door. No one was in the halls, and the ship was peaceful.

"You're finally awake I see, woman." grunted the Saiyan from the floor.

"Vegeta, I-I...I thought you were still asleep! Why did you fake me out?" Bulma questioned.

"Woman, I was not 'faking you out,' I was simply meditating." Vegeta replied, opening his eyes and sitting up.

"Oh, that's mental training, right? Well, enough chit-chat. We've gotta find a way out of here...preferably soon." Bulma said as she began running her hands over the walls surrounding the door.

"Outta my way human. I'll just blast us out of here...I think a Big Bang oughtta do it..." he attempted to power up, but failed.

"No Vegeta. Didn't you hear what Incoz said? You can't blast your way out, he says it's impossible. Futile. Don't bother. Let someone else find a more...docile way out."

"And whom would that be?" he taunted.

"Me of course!"

"Oh really woman? And how do you suppose you can get us out of here?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way. I've just gotta-"

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? I come to bring you your dinner and find you trying to escape. It is impossible, my dear. Give up while you're ahead." Incoz stated as he entered with three robots carrying trays of food behind him. He instructed the robots in some foreign language and they set the food in the center of the room. "And one more thing before I go, we will be arriving at planet Kraston in three hours. Be ready to disembark by then. Sayonara."

"I guess we should eat." Bulma suggested. "I wonder what this...this stuff is."

"Who the hell cares. If it's edible - - I'll eat it. I'm hungry." Vegeta grunted.

"But what if it's poisoned?" Bulma asked worriedly.

"Then you'll probably die. But my immune system is much stronger than yours. I can't catch your simple diseases, contract those STD things nor carry them, and can't be poisoned." the Saiyan stated bluntly.

"You could try to be a little more sensitive you know. I do have feelings." Bulma grumbled, walking over to the food.

"Well I don't, not that it's any of your business." Vegeta replied, also heading towards the food.

"Come on Vegeta, you can't really believe that! Everyone has feelings. Even you."

"I told you I don't, now, if you don't want your head to be blow off, I suggest you shut your mouth!"

"You wouldn't hurt me, Vegeta."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because you have threatened me numerous times. And they were all empty, you never carried them out. I think that even a barbarian like you has morals. I don't think you enjoy killing women or children, just threatening them."

"Really, I would gladly kill Kakarrot's brat. How do you explain that, woman?"

"Competition. You're just jealous because Gohan reflects his father in so many ways, and there is always the possibility that he will in power too. That and I think you just didn't like his guts, the way he stood up to you is the same as when I do."

"His standing up to me was disrespectful, yours is...is..."

"Is what Vegeta?"

"I don't know, now just let me eat in peace. We've already wasted enough time on this pointless conversation."

"I think it's nice to talk about nothing in particular. And do you realize that this is the first real conversation that we've had in the entire time you've stayed with me! That's pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"No one's asking you, and you'd better be careful about whom you're calling pathetic woman. You are nothing but a loudmouthed weakling yourself."

"I wonder if Yamcha is missing me...Do you think he'll come after me, I mean us?"

"No. He's got enough whores as is, so he won't miss you, and he has enough people who hate him to forget about me."

"That's not very nice Vegeta. I know Yamcha isn't the greatest guy around, but he's the best I could do."

"You could do much better than that unfaithful baka."

"Why thank you Vegeta! That was very sweet! But anyway, you never did tell me why you hate him so."

"Who says I hate him...I loathe him."

"Well...why?"

"I...ummm...I just don't like the way he treats you. On planet Vegeta, he would have been mauled for his unfaithfulness and you would have been free to take another mate. It's just the way things are, we may be barbarians, but we don't hurt our mates...be it physically or emotionally." the two were quiet for a while, each contemplating Vegeta's words.

"Is that why you don't hurt me?" Bulma pondered aloud.

"Is what, woman?"

"Because you want me for a mate?"

"N-no, I don't hurt you...because you would be a waste of time and energy, that and I need you to fix my Gravity Chamber. You may be loud-mouthed and ugly, but you do know how to build and fix machines."

"Thank you!"

"For what?"

"For the compliment."

"What compliment? I was trying to insult you...stupid woman."

"Well, you complimented me instead...and I thank you for it. More green mush?"

"Yes, give it here. So tell me woman, why do you continue to forgive that baka when he cheats on you all the time?"

"Well...promise me you won't tell anyone..."

"Why?"

"Just promise me Vegeta!"

"Fine, fine...I promise."

"About eleven months ago, I gathered the dragonballs."

"So?"

"So...I didn't tell anyone and I made a wish."

"I repeat my 'so.' What's so great about that? And what does it have to do with that asshole you call your boyfriend?"

"Well...I wished for the perfect Prince. And though the dragon said he couldn't grant that wish because apparently he already existed, he did grant that I would know who he was in at least a year! So the only reason I'm sticking it out with Yamcha is because I'm waiting for my Prince Charming! As soon as Mr. Wonderful arrives, I'm gonna ditch Yamcha for good!"

"Nice plan woman, only one technicality."

"And what would that be, Ve-ge-ta?"

"What if this prince doesn't show? Or what if he's some hideous alien? Frieza was a prince of sorts you know."

"Well you see Vegetable brain, I wished for the perfect prince for me! Which means that it won't be somebody who is evil or nasty, because I'm not. And he will show, because it was a wish granted by the Eternal Dragon."

"Well I guess that pretty much rules out me as this Prince Charming of yours. Thank all deities in the universe for that!"

"I don't know Vegeta, you're not so bad once you sit down and have a civilized conversation. And you have kinda turned over a new leaf, Gohan and Krillin told me about how you saved their lives more than once on Namek."

"I only did that so I would have an audience to witness my victory over Frieza."

"Too bad you didn't."

"I would have, if it hadn't been for that imbecile Kakarrot and the purple haired punk."

"Don't be so bitter all the time, lighten up, will ya?!"

"Not until it becomes a mandatory part of fighting."

"Whoa! I didn't realize that we were done eating. About how long until we arrive at planet Kraston do you think?"

"Maybe 20 minutes. Why?"

"Just wondering. I wish we had a faint idea of what we're facing. Who do you think this Doctor Ungo is?"

"Who knows, probably just another mad scientist. But he won't touch me if he knows what's good for him."

"What about me...I can't protect myself Vegeta. What happens if I get hurt or killed...or raped? You may be able to escape, but I won't."

"Fine, I'll keep you safe for as long as I can. I give you my word as Prince of the Saiyans. Because if you were to die...no one will be able to fix my machine."

"What about my dad?"

"Listen, do you want my help or not?!"

"All right, I'm sorry. Thanks."

"Nan-de-moh. I don't care. I just want to get the hell back to your pathetic planet. I need to continue my training."

"Do you think you'll be able to defeat the androids?"

"Of course. I will recycle those tin cans! And I will destroy whoever dares to doubt me!"

"I'd like to see that." said Incoz as he entered the room.

"Humph, continue your disrespectful behavior towards royalty and I can assure you that you will, asshole."

"Nan-de-moh. We're on Kraston now. I came to lead you to the Doctor, he will be most pleased to see you, considering how long he has been watching you. Come with me now - - take this device Bulma, our gravity is 70 times that of Earth and this will keep it at your normal setting. Oh and Vegeta, the entire planet is covered in a ki dampening atmosphere...your power attacks are useless. So don't try anything."

A/N: Tee-hee! How'd ya'll like that chappy eh? Okay okay, sorry I haven't updated in so long but life has been hectic lately. R & R via Fanfiction.net or my e-mail addy: Trunkszgrl@hotmail.com (or both!) DOMO ARIGATOU TO ALL!