Chapter 13.
Pan sat at the kitchen table. She had to smile from the bright faces she saw and the welcoming arms from her family. After she screamed, her father had run straight into her room and cradled her as she wept. Pan couldn't say anything even if she wanted to. First it was her father, then her mother, grams and even Goten came inside and hugged her. She was still crying when she came downstairs. She didn't know why she was crying, she just was. And the throbbing pain in her neck, wasn't helping. Pan looked up as her mother placed a full tray of chocolate muffins in front of her and a large jug of orange juice.
"Here you go honey." Videl rubbed her back and sat next to her. "How are you feeling sweetie?"
"Much better…thanks mom." A large smile grew on her face for the first time in days.
"Oh honey." Videl teared and just hugged her again. "It is so nice to see you smiling again. it really is."
"I love you Momma." Pan sniffed, and Videl hugged her even tighter.
"I love you too Pan. My darling daughter. I am proud of you."
"How? How can you be proud of me?" Pan turned away and Videl cupped her face, turning her face gently to face her. Pan saw her mother's eyes were as she knew they were. Warm, loving, forgiving and always understanding.
"Because you are strong enough to realise what you did wrong. Because I love you, because you are a kind, loving, good, pure person."
"But I went away."
"But you came back." Pan slowly closed her mouth as her mother smiled. "There are so many people, children like you, who ran away for less and worse reasons than you did. And I am not going to ask why you left. That isn't important." She pulled Pan into her arms and stroked her hair. "The point is, you were strong, as always. And because you are strong, you came home. You weren't afraid to come home, you weren't blind to your family, you know we would take you back willingly, no questions asked. We love you Pan, you father, uncle, grandmother and I. and that will never change. I dare say even Vegeta loves you in his own little way."
"Vegeta…" she sniffed and rubbed her eyes, cuddling up into her mothers embrace like she was 4 years old again.
"Speaking of Vegeta, Bulma has invited us to come to dinner today. Well, not just for dinner. We will be leaving in an hour or so." Pan looked up suddenly. "Now don't worry, I told Bulma not to expect you. I understand that you don't want to go and no one expects you to do anything you don't want to. so if you want to stay here, you can. I will even stay with you if you want."
"No."
"No? no you don't want me to stay with you?"
"No…I want to go…" I have to make things right.
"Oh honey!" she hugged her tightly again and kissed her head. "The Briefs will be so happy to see you. I am proud you. You have always been the brave one." Pan froze, a reminder of her not so dream like dream. "Honey? Did I say something wrong?"
"No Momma. You didn't do anything wrong. You never did." Pan finally loped her arms around her mother's neck and held her back. A tear slid down Videl's cheek and she kissed Pan's head again.
"Now eat your muffins while they are still warm and your juice still cool. Then get a shower and we will leave when you are ready."
"Thank you." Videl kissed her cheek and left her to find Gohan. He was going to do a summersault when he found out Pan was going to come outside of her room, and the house.
Pan ate her muffins and drank her juice, ran up the stairs and washed her hair. She then rummaged around her wardrobe, pulled out a pair of scissors, a sowing kit and threw a red t shirt on some dungarees. "Goten!" she shouted.
"Yeah?" Pan scuttled into the hall way.
"Goten, do you have some way of helping me with a very childish, very outrageously characteristically made by me plan to be…me."
"Oh yes!" Goten ran into her room as they began to formulate.
"I need you to…"
At CC.
"Videl! So glad you could come." Bulma skipped out in her famous red knee height dress, and hugged Videl, who was in her usual denim jeans and jacket.
"Glad to be here."
"And you came to Gohan." Bulma kissed him on the cheek French style and smirked at a cowering Goten. "Oh yes Goten, you get one too young man."
"AA!" Goten tried o run for it, but Gohan grabbed his collar and pulled him back. He then leaned closer to his younger brother and whispered into his ear.
"If I have to go through it, you do to."
"AH man." He groaned as Bulma purposely left a big red lipstick mark on his cheek.
"And where is…oh." Pan was no where in sight. "Never mind." Bulma chirped. But she frowned on the inside. Vegeta will be so heart broken… Videl and Gohan were also in on the act, but they didn't quite know what exactly Pan was up to. "Well, come in, come in." Bulma ushered them inside to the living room (or mansion sized lounge ha!). "Take a seat and make yourself at home. I will just see how Trunks and Bulla are doing. They are cooking today." Gohan and Goten sighed with relief. "And what was that in aid of? Is there something I don't know about here? Do you not like when I cook?"
"Oh, we love when you Cook Bulma!" Goten sweat dropped and pleaded.
"Gee Bulma, I like it." Gohan pulled at his collar, Bulma didn't look convinced.
"I need to go and check on them." Bulma pouted and left. Both Son men relaxed.
"Vegeta?" Bulma saw Vegeta with his eyes closed, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, as usual. He was leaning against the kitchen side and not moving, making both his children have to dodge around him as they cooked. This, in between having a flour fight, verbal sparing matches and trying not to piss off the Prince of all Saiyans in the process. "Vegeta…" but Bulma could tell the difference between a proud, usual scowl, and a worried and disappointed one. "You couldn't expect her to."
"Hay, how's the food coming along?" Goten intervened. He had a job to do after all. Bulma forced a smile. She didn't want to worry Goten or let them know how disappointed they were that Pan couldn't come. It was obviously breaking Vegeta's heart.
"Cool." Trunks chirped as he threw some sort of dough into the cooker. "I think."
"I tell you one thing right now Boy, it will not be cool if you have inherited the woman's cooking skills." Vegeta spat and looked out the window. That was a pretty weak insult from Vegeta. He must really be upset. "I think I will go upstairs."
"NO!" Goten raised his hands and stood in the door way.
"What?" Vegeta raised a suspicious brow.
"Oh, what? Erm, well." Goten scratched behind his ear. "I just…(I cant believe I have to do this. Pan will pay for this.)…I just wondered if you wanted to…to…" damn her! "To spar with me?" Vegeta seemed to be considering it, but.
"No." Vegeta didn't even explain himself and tried to walk past him.
"Wait! I, I don't like you." Goten panicked. What had he just said?
"You don't like me?" Vegeta crossed his arms and wondered why Goten had either 1, grown some balls, or 2, he was up to something. Most likely the latter.
"I don't like you. You have an attitude problem and I think that it is about enough. I want you to s step outside w with me Vegeta. Please." Goten tried his hardest to scowl, but it looked like he was terrified, so it didn't quite work.
"Do you want a beating brat?"
"Erm, yes?" she better step in before he gets chance to.
"Then walk." Goten squinted his eyes, unsure. But he made his way to the door and sighed when Vegeta followed him. Trunks and Bulma were still gob smacked. Did he really just challenge Vegeta? Was he insane? Trunks ran into the living room and screamed at Gohan, telling him how he was about to lose a brother. They all ran to the door way and watched as Goten took his time warming up.
"And a couple more of these." He twisted his hips and looked frantically around. Where is she? Doesn't she know I am about to become so flattened, that even Babidi will be able to use me as an arm rest?
"Are you ready boy? Or are you going to stall a little longer."
"Erm er, I erm."
"Get your guard up boy!" Vegeta clenched his fists and prepared to power up. But something made everyone but Videl and Bulma bolt round and look up at the ridiculously high roof. "…Oh my Kami…" Vegeta couldn't keep his mouth shut. Pan was stood on the roof, wearing a female spandex blue body suit, with his white gloves and boots, scouter and armour. He didn't even think he had that armour anymore. She had her long ebony hair flowing behind her free, and an arrogant, pleasantly familiar smug grin on her face.
"How about a real challenge PV? Or do you like beating up little boys?"
"I would prefer an actual spar, with you." Vegeta smirked. She was back!
"Then get your guard up, boy!" She levitated down to the floor and struck a Saiyan Man pose. "Because this isn't going to be pretty, Princy boy."
"I hope not. I don't do pretty." Vegeta roared and shot up at the sky. Pan grinned, winked to her parents and flew up after him. the grin on Vegeta's face was the largest it had ever been. But when he turned around, she was gone. "Pan?"
"Peek a boo!" a fist punched him in the gut and sent him backwards. But he quickly sprang after her and booted her in the back. She went hurtling to the ground and made a huge crater. Trunks was the first there and ran into the very bottom of it.
"Pan!" he started to dig around for her…and found a dirty glove. "PAN!"
"Oh quite your whining." He span round to see Pan, smirking and hair a mess. "All it did was ruffle my hair a little. Now if I can have that glove back, I can get back to having a little fun." Trunks smiled and threw the glove towards Vegeta. Pan flew after it and her fist soon slipped into the glove, and continued to power its momentum, until the now covered fist made a move for Vegeta's back. But he swerved and grabbed her foot. He span her around and smiled from the cheers and 'faster faster!' Pan screamed through her giggles and smiles. Everyone on the ground cheered and smiled. This must have been the only time, when Vegeta had been caught just playing. Because this wasn't fighting like they knew it. Soon though, Vegeta released her foot and smirked as she struggled to stay straight. "Just…give me a minute…" she smacked her head, and then looked to Vegeta. "Now was that really necessary? I came here for a fight, not a game of thumb war. I could always find someone else…"
"Not if you want to live." He chuckled and flew at her. "You want a fight?" he powered up to SS. "You got one!" Pan grinned madly and clenched her fists. Vegeta hovered next to her, making ti a fair fight by letting her power up.
"AAAAA!" she started to scream…and Vegeta frowned. What is she doing? that isn't how you become Super Saiyan. She isn't pushing her Ki outwards…but backwards. No, she is sending it out in a channel…why is she doing that? something isn't right here.
"Pan, stop! What are you doing!" Vegeta grabbed her arms and she exploded in a…blue aura? SS gave off a yellow glow, why was hers blue? "Pan, you are powering up wrong. Stop before you hurt yourself."
"IIIICCCCAAAAANNNNTTTTT SSSTTTOOOPPPP!" Pan cried and her body went into spasm, twitching and glowing. But her hair didn't change to a golden colour or stand up to the heavens. Her eyes didn't turn turquoise, but a blank white.
"PAN! Snap out of it!" Vegeta tried to shake her out of it, and even the people on the ground sensed the tension and foreboding feeling in the atmosphere. The eerie feeling had completely replaced the fun loving one from only moments before. Gohan held Videl…as the earth began to tremble. From what Vegeta could sense, her gathered Ki had surpassed that of a SS, and beyond even a SS2. but her hair was still her natural ebony and her canines had yet to grow. Not to mention her facial bones had not protruded like they should have. What she is doing…it isn't natural…that's it. this has to stop. "PAN!" he shuck her again, and her face snapped to him.
"Do not touch my Mate, mortal!" her voice was not her own, deeper and filled with poison as her aura seemed to repel Vegeta into the very crater he had made before, making it deeper. As he got to his feet, he looked to Pan and tried to concentrate on where her Ki was going. Because it wasn't building up within Pan like it should…it was almost as if…it was being sent elsewhere…
Then everyone turned to the house as a blood curdling yowl and an energy signal of pure power erupted from the very lower levels…where…
"SHIT!" Vegeta powered up as fast as he could, preparing for the worst. "How does he keep getting so powerful!" Pan was the only one with her back to the house now, fully 'absorbed' in gathering power. Her body and mind had gone into autopilot. She had blanked out again.
Vegeta, Trunks, Goten and Gohan all stood in a line, Pan momentarily forgotten, facing the up coming threat.
"Who is that Vegeta?"
"It looks like Cell, but it isn't. I will Explain later Gohan."
"You had another version of Cell, in our house, and didn't think about telling me?" Trunks screamed and Vegeta rolled his eyes.
"Boy, Later. Now, we need to."
"But what about my daughter?" Gohan followed suit and powered up to SS2. Goten and Trunks soon powered up together stood back to back, as they were training partners.
"Bulla! Get her out of here and take Gohan's mate and your mother with you!" Vegeta yelled and Bulla didn't answer. "Bulla!" but a high pitched scream echoed from the house…and Vegeta's blood ran cold…Fuck! She is still in the house! He powered up to SS3 and every inch of his body pulsed with fury. "IF YOU HAVE TOUCHED MY CHILD I WILL…" he didn't continue as the heart wrenching scene played before him.
KT-CHT
KT-CHT
KT-CHT
KT-CHT
The unmistakable foot steps echoed throughout the mansion and Pan had stopped her screaming, making every Son and Briefs family member, quiver in dread. Very soon, a tall shadow overcast the open door…and there he stood. The Imperfect Cell stage look-alike in all his powerful glory. His brilliant eyes glowing blood red, like blood was evaporating from his very tear ducts and raising like smoke. Then it turned to a pure chaos black and he stepped from the door way. What he was holding, made everyone gasp and Vegeta roar.
In his arms, was an unconscious, heavily bleeding Bulla…with Cell's tail penetrating the skin of her neck like a syringe.
"My baby!" Bulma tried to run to her, but Vegeta span round and stared at her. It froze her in place and allowed for Videl and grab her arm, and pull her back.
"Woman, get out of here before…" he didn't even need to finish the statement for them to know they had to leave. Then, a slow, soft chuckle emitted from the stoic creature, and his mouth had curled into a sickening smirk. One that was far more blood thirsty than even Vegeta had ever seen. And he had been a mass killer himself, and had to work for Frieza for many years. So this was very, very merciless. "Let her go." Vegeta ordered, and powered up straight to SS4. "Now android." The smirk grew wider, and more sinister as his tail seeped deeper into Bulla's exposed neck. The blood didn't come from her neck however. Not, it came from thick, inch deep cuts in her arms, face, body and legs. He had spared no part of her from attack. Her clothes had large chunks missing from his claws, almost like a wild animal had mauled her. in a way, one had. Because there was a very primal, animalistic ambiance surrounding the creature's entire being. It even reached out to the Z fighters, and chilled their blood. "I said, let her go." When he sank his tail further into her neck, he panicked. "What do you want!" when the creature looked away from him, and up to Pan as she hovered in he air, as if on strings, Vegeta grit his teeth. Great, he had to exchange one daughter, to save another.
"I wish to trade." Was all he said, though he already knew it from the hungry way his eyes roamed over Pan. "Or I kill the mortal."
"How do I know you will not just kill her anyway? And then kill Pan."
"I would never hurt her…" he then looked to Vegeta, with the same evil snicker on his face. "But it doesn't matter. You don't have a choice, mortal. Give me Pan and this female will live. Don't, and she will die and I will take Pan anyway. And you better decide soon. This one will not last for much longer."
"Damn you!" Vegeta growled and then flinched, his eyes wide like he had been hit in the head. "Of course! Pan!" Vegeta then sped off towards Pan, and grabbed her. But as soon as he brought his fist back, Major dropped Bulla and sped off towards them.
"NOOO!" but it was too late. Vegeta had stuck her out cold and hung her over his shoulder. Major fumed, lived as hell. "How dare you touch me mate! Filthy mortal!"
Major swung his tail forward, but Vegeta caught it and punched him in the face, his Ki diminished back to a pathetic level. Vegeta then kicked him in the back and followed him as he crashed to the floor, bleeding from his mouth, but no where near as much as Bulla was.
"First thing first, how dare you touch my daughter!" Vegeta cradled Pan in his arms and kicked Major in the ribs, hard. "Second, Baka, how dare you try and make me decide between one child, and another." Another kick to his ribs sent him crashing into the front of the house, but not through it. "And third, how dare you lay claim to Pan as your mate!" Vegeta kicked him in the head, and he went unconscious…for the mean time…
ooOoo
Bulma was crying on Trunk's shoulder in the med wing. Pan was laid asleep in one bed, Bulla in the other. While Pan seemed to refuse to become conscious, no matter what medicine or smelling salts were administered, Bulla was far worse. She had lost a lot of fluids through Major's tail and blood from his attack. She was on a life support machine and at least two different drips. One for plasma, the other for special Saiyan blood, courtesy of her father and brother.
"Oh my baby…" Bulma whimpered and Videl was just the same on Gohan's shoulder.
"Oh Gohan, our baby. That monster wanted her."
"But why? That is what I want to know." Vegeta was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and deep in thought. "Why would he want her?"
"I still want to know why you knocked her out cold Vegeta? She can't wake up since you did that…"
"Look, I did the right thing. Remember when she was powering up, didn't you feel it?" Vegeta opened his eyes, scanning Pan for any sign of awareness.
He found none. "She tried to power up and at first, she was succeeding. Then…it all changed. Her Ki was building up and growing exponentially. Until it went elsewhere. Then, it just evaporated from her body, lost. But it wasn't. her power keeps on increasing, as if it was gathering."
"But it wasn't."
"Ah, but it was." Vegeta pulled away from the wall and walked between everyone and stared down at Pan. "It was indeed. Just not in Pan's body." He then looked to the door, and then to Bulla. "It gathered in the body of that creature. It was pathetically weak when I first came across it. then, when I brought it here, it seemed to grow a lot more powerful. And today, when Pan was here, when she tried to go SS, her body went into a chain reaction and she lost all control."
"But she yelled at you, I heard her."
"Did you hear what she said boy?" when he received silence as the only answer, he sighed. "She said 'Do not touch my Mate, mortal'. And the voice you heard, was not her own. In fact…it reminded me of the creature."
"What could it have to do with my baby Vegeta?" Videl sniffled and Bulma pulled away from Trunks.
"And why did it hurt our baby?"
"Well, I don't know the original reasons for them, but I have a pretty good idea. When I first met him, he acted very oddly, trying to follow 18, I think he may wish to absorb her. but he was…well not like Cell. And I don't mean his Ki signature or that he is not the same being. He acted, well, almost…love stricken. Desperate. But that could have been an act. Then of course, he started to do something odd. He recited the very same lines that I heard Pan say when I found her, back when she had run away."
"You don't think that creature has something to do with where Pan went, do you Vegeta?" Gohan held Videl close, the idea not too appealing to him.
"Yes. I truly do. That is why I brought it back here, to study and question. But then of course, the damn thing became stronger, so I retrained it. then Pan came and it increased its strength ten fold, more than I."
"Right after Pan started to power up!" Trunks went wide eyes, coming to the same conclusion as his father. "They are connected!"
"And did you see the possessive way it looked at Pan? And how he referred to her as his 'mate'? I think, something darker, more sinister happened while Pan was in only Kami knows where. Something so evil, that pan doesn't want to talk about it. Now we all decided not to pressure her to talk about it, but now I feel that the time has come to get answers from her. We need to know everything, and I mean everything. Where did she go? Who was there? What where they doing? Why where they doing it and why did she go? We need to know now. They are connected, in a way. I think the creature let me bring it here, because it would bring him closer to Pan."
"Then we need to get her out of here."
"No, that would be unwise Gohan. If we did that, it might try to escape, and it might come to your home, where there is no way to stop him. That, and pan is hardly in the state to leave. No, if she is here, we could get answers from it, if Pan decides to remain silent. As I get the impression that what ever happened, wherever she went, she doesn't want to go again. I know her well; she is as stubborn as me. So she will not talk unless it is the last resort, and even then she may be reluctant. But if the creature knew she was here…we could use her as a bargaining chip for information."
"Bargaining chip is the right word Vegeta. Because using Pan over it like that, is more than a gamble."
"That is a risk, we have to take…"