Bulla pulled her hair tight and ran the flat iron over it once more. It singed her scalp, but she didn't have time to care. The round periwinkle clock sitting on her vanity ticked away, stopping for no one. She twisted her fried hair round and round into a knobby bun. She sprayed her hair haphazardly misting her head. She used a bristled brush to slick her hair down to her sore scalp. Her bedroom door rattled on its hinges.
"They're here, Eschalot," Vegeta called over his banging fist.
Bulla ripped the iron's plug out of the wall and hurried to the door.
"Daddy," she spat, "What's the hurry?"
Vegeta walked off with Bulla still talking. He quickly rounded the corner with her hot on his heels.
"The Sons are never in a hurry," she added as they tromped down the stairs.
"Did you eat?," he asked her.
"Yes, why- Is something wrong?" she wondered aloud as they stepped into their sun kissed courtyard.
"No," Vegeta finally replied, throwing the gravity room door open, "You'll need your strength."
"Whis-Sama!," Bulla cried.
"Look at you Bulla-Chan, all grown up now, are we?," Whis said with his velvet smooth tongue. He returned Bulla's hug staff and all, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He wasn't exactly as she remembered. His stiff riff of white hair was the same and his lilac eyes still peaked beneath prim lashes. His pale, ageless complexion caught her eye like usual, but his cheeks weren't rounded with delight.
"So what did dad bribe you here with?," She asked him.
"Ho-ho not a thing you little snoop, but the frozen raspberry lemonade was a fantastic extra incentive."
Whis had his hand cupped over his open mouth. He turned and braced his drifting tunic with his left hand. He walked toward the gravity room wall, using his staff as a walking stick with his free hand. His fist was like a tight knot in the small of his back. Goku and Vegeta followed him to the sidelines. Without a greeting, Goten stepped forward and rounded his shoulders toward Bulla. Bulla whipped her head toward Vegeta, eyes wide and baffled.
"Wait, you guys aren't sparing today?," She asked.
"In a little while, "Goku replied with a nervous grin.
"Dad-," Bulla called.
"Turn to your opponent," Whis interrupted with firm instruction. Chaotic bubbles brewed in Bulla's gut. Blush glowed beneath her eyes like angry red fog. Goten's brows creeped up his forehead like they tried to escape the situation. His dark eyes looked through Bulla, stale and gob smacked. He went through the motions as Whis requested.
Bulla mimed Goten, baffled at Whis' voice. Bulla felt comfort wash over her while she stared at her long-time sparring partner. He was familiar and routine. His directionless half groomed hair made her exhale. The jagged unkept spikes made her feel at ease. He had Chi-Chi's rounded chocolate eyes and Goku's duped smile.
"How are you Bulla-Chan?," he asked.
His voice was his own; somehow the brittle inflections were pleasant, persuading even.
"Fine," Bulla said.
She thought there was no point in talking. It would be the usual.
We're both the genetic rejects, she thought, This Always end the same, but why are you here?, she thought as her eyes raised to Whis' tall, thin figure sitting in the distance.
"Eyes straight ahead," Whis requested, "Today you will spar as normal, except you will conclude when one of you is unconscious."
"What?," Vegeta snapped.
"Let's go- chop chop," Whis instructed and squeezed Vegeta's shoulder.
"Goten," Goku chimed in, "Just watch out for her legs and you'll be fine. Pace yourself, like we talked about."
Goten wasted no time he shoved his fist into Bulla's gut. Her legs crumbled and she fell on her knees. Bulla raised her eyes to the heel of his boot. She stiffened her spine in attempt to avoid rag dolling across the floor. Bulla slid to a stop. She hopped to her feet with a heel print on her face. She side stepped the blinding Kamehameha wave. The after print still strobed her eyes as she rounded her approach. She dashed toward him like a bullet. Her eyes were dead set and fixed on Goten; the trance was predatory, and he felt it. Her fist made contact, but it rimmed his forehead rather than taking the blunt of the blow.
"She definitely has speed," Whis thought aloud, "However, he has more raw power."
Goku nodded his head in agreement.
Bulla took the opportunity. She shoved her shoulder into his chest knocking him down. She straddled his waist and slammed her fist into his face over and over. Cartilage crunched beneath her knuckles. His nose popped like an over ripened cherry. Goten's face stung as he saw the world painted red from his own coagulated blood. He overpowered her, shaking his arm free. He grabbed her bicep and tossed her backwards overhead like a child's ball. Blazing hot air encompassed her in mid air. She imagined the burning fires of hell must be similar, but the golden ki blast was beautiful and brilliant, like a burning star.
How ironic, she thought.
She sailed through the air in an awkward cartwheel before crashing into the ground. She scrambled to her feet. Her old black athletic shorts melted into a waxy plastic. Her plumb-colored shirt was tie dyed with their blood. Goten propped himself up on his elbows with his body still plastered to the floor. Bulla set her teeth on edge. Her huffing breath got Goten's attention.
"New outfit?," Goten choked up.
"You've made my shorts into a hefty bag!"
Goku and Vegeta winced at the sound of her sneaker coming into contact with Goten's head. An amused smile curled Whis' lips. The fight muddled together. Minutes became a half hour and Whis became bored of the silence.
"Vegeta?," Whis said.
"Hm."
"Can she use ki attacks?," he said as Bulla blocked the tired slapping punches and kicks from Goten.
"No."
"Not even to break a combo?"
"No. She can fly and give herself a power bump, but that's it," Vegeta replied.
"Your boy's stout Goku, but he's clumsy. He also lacks instinct. They're both similar in that regard," Whis said.
"I don't know, maybe more drills would help?," Goku proposed.
"Possibly. Instinct is something that can be refined, if it's already there."
"He's such a glass cannon. If I can get that out of him, we're talking tons of potential. Chi-Chi would never let him take time to do it," Goku said.
"Glass cannon, you say," Whis mused and framed his chin with his hand.
Bulla and Goten had been exchanging blows for well over an hour. Goten shoved his fist in Bulla's face over and over again. She would rise from the broken tile a little more battered, a little more bruised. Goten grabbed Bulla's shoulders tighter. He rammed his knee into her belly again. He leaned over her, forcing her to support his body weight. She shimmied free from his grip. Her thin shoulders and head ducked beneath his arms with ease. Bulla grabbed his wrist and wrenched his arm behind his back. She clenched her teeth and shoved his arm until the soft tissue splintered. Goten's ear splitting cry filled the G.R.
"Oh, Goten," Goku sighed. He smacked the palm of his hand to his forehead. Vegeta brought his chin forward. The corners of his lips tucked themselves into his cheeks. He settled onto the bench with his tense muscles melting.
Goten ambled away, nursing his shoulder with his hand. Bulla's guard dopped at the sight of his rounded back. His shoulders huddled up toward his ears. Bulla's fists fell to her sides. She propped her hands on her knees and caught her breath. She raised her sweat burned eyes to Whis.
"Well?," Whis goaded her.
Bulla walked to Goten's side. She side swiped his legs from under him with a lazy, stiff legged kick. He fell back hard and heavy onto the G.R. floor. His head smacked the floor with a bulky thud. He groaned and rocked his body from side to side before falling into a flat backed dead man's pose. His mangled arm hung loose on his shoulder.
Goku hopped up, "Get up Goten, you can do it!," he cheered.
"Bulla, please," Goten croaked as she walked toward him.
"Finish the job Bulla," Whis reminded her from his seat.
Bulla lingered over Goten's panting body. Her chin grazed her chest. Her vision blurred beneath dark lashes.
"I'm sorry," She hummed.
Bulla picked the tape off of her hands and threw the tangled wads onto the G.R. floor. She turned her back on the baffled men in the bench.
Are you fucking kidding me, Vegeta thought as he watched her storm to the door. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes tight to quell his anger.
"What are you doing?," Vegeta barked at her.
She pulled her hand from the door like it was hot.
"Leaving," She said.
"Leaving?- No, you're going to knock him out, even if that means kicking his brains across this floor."
"No," she said.
"Do. It. Bulla."
"I refuse."
She froze under her father's stare. His tone was no nonsense, but what caught her off guard was her own name. It was her human name- Bulla.
"If you insist, do it yourself," she suggested and crossed her arms.
"Vegeta's brows raised and his cheeks roasted.
"First, he's not my opponent, and if you can't handle this gimpy meat-sack, how will you ever handle anyone else?"
Goku pulled Goten upright. He sat wobbling with his legs crossed. Whis raised his staff and closed his eyes. Goten's skin glowed. Whis' chanting soothed the searing pain and quieted Goten's restless spirit. Bulla and Vegeta were oblivious to anything but their raging voices.
"Bulla, you need to be able to do this," Vegeta reasoned.
"Daddy, lets have a reality check, I will probably never have to use this outside of this room."
"You are going overseas in less than two weeks," he was exasperated, "I can't send you in good conscious knowing that you'll end up on the back of a milk carton because of common scum."
"There it is," She said.
"What?"
"I know I'm weak, you don't have to-"
"Weak doesn't even cover it," Vegeta snapped, "Most humans are born with a higher baseline than you. I can't even tell where you are most of the time based on your ki. You have no idea what it's like to sit on my ass like some invalid and try to figure out where the fuck you are on a daily basis. Are you at school, sitting in math class or in a ditch somewhere?"
Vegeta wiped his face, as if to wipe away the frustration. He grabbed Bulla's shoulders and lowered his voice, "You're going with Whis tomorrow, or I will recant my permission for you to travel. I am your father; I'm not your friend. I am responsible for-"
"Fine, I'll go," she nodded, "But let's just rip the band aid off. You're just concerned about me living up to your name. You're embarrassed of me- you and mom both. I'm painfully, pathetically weak- right? Pathetically average?"
Bulla brushed off his grip. The G.R. door whipped open and slammed shut so quickly, her words still burned through him.
"Blunt isn't she," Whis mused.
"Girls are just mini-women. They're just as vicious, I guess," Goku added, "I'm glad I never had girls."
"What about Pan?," Whis asked.
"She doesn't count. I can give her back to Gohan at the end of the day," Goku laughed.
"So, I guess my girlfriend will never outgrow being whiny, huh?," Goten reasoned.
Whis hee-hawed, failing to cover his teeth this time, "You just got flogged by a girl who is pushing 120lbs soaking wet. Women are just like men in this regard; some of them aren't to be trifled with," Whis crowed and gestured to Goten's arm, "Anyway, we'll carry on outdoors. We need plenty of space for the next exercise."
Goku, Whis, and Goten headed for the door. A deep frown sunk into Vegeta's face. Emptiness gobbled up his pride. Silence creeped in yet again.
"Vegeta," Whis turned to him, "Am I still to take Bulla?"
A long pause sealed Vegeta's lips, "If She'll go, yes."
