"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Bulma angrily flailed as they lifted off the ground, "I said fly me to the hospital, not carry me there!"
"Alright-alright!" Vegeta snapped back, sweating. His feet touched ground again. "Where is your damn aircraft anyways?! It'd be much simpler for me to just—"
"Just shut up already!" she screamed and then groaned, holding her stomach, "Ooooh, you're useless! Just get my dad—he'll fly us there!"
"We don't need your father! I am perfectly capable of operating one of your—"
"NOW! Or I swear I'm going to make you deliver this baby!"
"Geh!" Vegeta flushed with horror. "Alright—fine!" He sat her down on the bench outside their mansion and hurried back inside. "Woman's gone insane is what," he muttered. He found Dr. Brief in his large garden tossing feeding to a flock of birds. "You there! Scientist!" Vegeta shouted, "You must come with me at once!"
"Whoa, slow down there, Vegeta," Dr. Brief casually replied, removing the spent cigarette from his mouth, "What's got you so riled up?"
"I don't have time for your stupid questions!" Vegeta snapped back, "Bulma is giving birth and you must deliver her to a doctor immediately!"
"Oh is that all?" he replied, petting the black cat on his shoulder, "Well I'm glad it's finally happening. Little guy should have been born a week ago."
"I said now!"
"Alright, hold your horses, I'm coming." He sat the bag of birdseed down and the flock immediately covered it. "Like the haircut, by the way. And say, you weren't here the last time a baby was born, were you? No wonder you're so excited!"
"Just shut up!"
Bulma yelled almost as much as Dr. Brief got her into the aircraft, but he somehow wasn't even slightly troubled by it – as usual. However, when Vegeta tried to join them, he frowned. "You sure you want to come looking like that?"
"Like what?!" Vegeta angrily demanded before looking down at his boxers. He flushed. "Oh damn it!" he yelled, running back into the mansion.
They took off without him, but it didn't take him long to catch up. Fully clothed and still embarrassed, he flew next to the plane, honestly glad he couldn't hear Bulma's raging anymore. He didn't wait for Bulma's father, however, once they arrived at the hospital. He grabbed his yelling wife and rushed her inside, scaring everyone in the lobby.
"A doctor, at once!" he demanded.
"Oh sure," smiled the pinch-eyed receptionist, "And your name?"
"Just get the doctor now!" both father and mother screamed.
Vegeta was all too happy to relinquish his banshee of a wife to the hospital bed and earthling nurses. Dr. Brief settled with a magazine, assuring him that Mrs. Brief would be arriving with Trunks soon. Vegeta stood next to the doorway with his back to the wall, arms folded as he listened to the nurses constantly reminding Bulma to breathe, as if that was somehow relevant. He was just glad this horrible pregnancy business was finally over. The child would emerge and that would be that.
Except it wasn't. Trunks arrived with his grandmother and the child still wasn't born. A whole hour passed and the nurses were still going on about breathing. Bulma kept groaning and complaining, but each time he peeked in the doorway, nothing had changed. Finally, he'd had enough.
Vegeta growled and stormed into the room, startling the doctor and nurses. "Alright, woman, what the hell is taking you so long?!" he demanded, pointing at her, "I've been standing out here for over an hour and you still haven't given birth! Stop being so lazy and just push it out already!"
Bulma's shoulders shook as her blue hair clung to her sweaty face. "Vegeta…" she growled. Vegeta recoiled as the face of a monster emerged through those locks with sharp teeth and eyes lit with tongues of fire. "What did you just say to me…?!"
The Brief family about fell out of their seats as a tremendous din exploded from the birthing room, including crashing, smashing, shattering, screaming, and scurrying. The next second, Vegeta flew out of there with wild, wide eyes as Bulma pursued him in her hospital gown, beating him over the head with a bedpan. As he escaped into the hallway, she held the container up like a war hammer.
"AND STAY OUT!" she screamed, slamming the door behind him.
Vegeta bent over and panted. "She's completely lost her mind…!"
Trunks blinked at his father. "I'm never having kids."
(**Scene Break**)
Her eyes snapped open and gleamed with the light reflecting off the transparent, super dura-steel. It would be soon. She could feel it. She gazed up the tube toward the hatch that led to the courtroom above. No noise came from it. Not surprising. As much as Laswe would have liked to, they weren't able to invite the public to view the trial outside of a broadcast. The courtroom aboard The Bench was too small to accommodate onlookers. And with the Hammer still under repairs, there wasn't an opportunity to make use of those courtrooms. Good. Anything to make her enemies feel uncomfortable.
It was a petty thought, but it was the least she could hold onto. It was too late to reclaim anything, but at least she could prevent those she had once considered her allies from prospering. Even those beneath the powerful could still have their day. They could bite the ankles of those who towered over them – take the legs out from under them. And after they left them bleeding, they would eventually fall. It wasn't exactly a victory, but the defeated couldn't be picky. At least anything was better than completely giving up. She would show Vegeta he had been a fool for sparing her life. She would spit in the face of his declaration.
Voices, thundering and chanting. Yes, things were getting started. They were no doubt taking the Justiciar Oath. The damned thing. She should have never approved it. It was against justice. That had been her mistake. Trying to be kind. Compromising. Giving power to the weak. And how grateful they were – using the power she gave them to judge her now. Of course, that was only possible because she had been replaced as the most powerful. But maybe there was still a chance to make a difference. Maybe, her defeat wasn't absolute.
As she rose up the tube into the courtroom, she prepared her mind for battle. The red line lit on the floor and she walked it toward the center stand, not looking at any of her former colleagues.
Nettelish looked upon her solemnly, her glowing violet eyes disguising the black saiyan irises underneath. "Nevrrest of Planet Blech, you face the judgement of this court. Computer. Present charges."
Nevrrest's profile lit on a screen. "Prisoner 0002, Nevrrest. Alias: the Crimson Fighter. The following charges have been substantiated by evidence and judicially approved: 78 accounts of blackmail, 45 accounts of tampering with evidence, 35 accounts of unlawful harmful force, 17 accounts of torture…"
These charges are laughable, Nevrrest thought, her eyes shifting around to ease her boredom, On a different day, this would make for a good joke. Until very recently, I hadn't harmed a single innocent person. Now look at them. Crying over murderers and thieves…
"…5,482,976 accounts of energy theft, 7 accounts of attempted murder, and 21 accounts of murder."
Nettelish continued to watch Nevrrest, the other justiciars seeming to be waiting for something. "Computer, distinguish these charges."
Now the lists of names began. She remembered them all. Scum. Trash. Villains. They should thank her. Not just anyone would be willing to go the lengths she did to keep them in line. She kept them scared and the good people at ease. But once the truth came to life, they were too squeamish to stand it. What had she ever seen in these former allies of hers?
"…and the attempted murder of Prince Vegeta."
"Nevrrest." She looked at her judge. "You have been made aware of the charges against you. What have you to say of them? Do you—"
"Protest?" Nevrrest spat, "Oh that's hardly an accurate word, honored Justiciar Nettelish. I condemn these charges. I admit to nothing. And anything you can prove, I will shine the light of justice upon. So, Grand Judge…please proceed."
If these words affected Nettelish, she showed no sign. And to Nevrrest's surprise, neither did the rest of them. Nettelish lifted her hands from the judicial spheres. "Very well. The Accused has spoken. Let the trial commence. Prosecutor, you may begin with your opening statement."
"Thank you, Grand Judge," Laswe buzzed into the air from his chair, "However, the Prosecution wishes to waive its right in this proceeding and to allow the Defense to present its case first."
What? Nevrrest made a face, What in the worlds? I mean…what could he possibly hope to gain from changing proceedings?
"Very well," Nettelish acknowledged, "The Defense may proceed."
"Thank you," Horkion stood and Laswe sat back down. The minarite placed his single arm behind his back. "Honored court. The Defense submits the former justiciar Nevrrest is a traumatized woman whose actions were based not on malice, but what she perceived as the only way to protect both herself and her fleet from harm…"
What?! she wrinkled her face even further, That is seriously his defense of me? And how exactly is he supposed to back such an outlandish claim?
"…And we are prepared to defend this claim through evidence and eye-witness testimony."
Oh really? she scowled, What witness?
"Very well, Defense," Nettelish nodded, resting her chin on her folded knuckles, "You may call your first witness."
Horkion drew a big breath, as if wishing for luck. "The Defense calls Son Goku to the stand."
"What?!" Nevrrest cried out loud this time, rattling her chains. The door creaked open and she wheeled around with wide, wild eyes as the terrible saiyan, dressed in orange and blue and looking gentle, walked the aisle toward the stand. Her heart thundered with horror. She could almost sense the commotion behind the cameras, how the galaxy would wheel with surprise and excitement to see the Legendary Super Saiyan speaking on her behalf.
No! Why?! It doesn't make sense! she thought, sweat gathering on her erect feathers, I was certain he would be the Prosecution's primary witness! Unless…
Vegeta's threat echoed in her mind. "I am sentencing you to him!"
She understood. He had come to ruin her. Instead of working to condemn her, he would spoil her pride in front of the entire universe – portraying her as some poor, weak fool. No, she wouldn't let him. She would defy Vegeta's words. But she had to stop him. She had to before it was too late. Her mind rushed through the Justice's rule book, exploring every loophole. Her sweat grew into fat beads and ran down her beak.
The saiyan took the stand and Horkion approached. "Son Goku—"
"STOP!" Nevrrest cried.
Nettelish looked at her kindly. "The Accused has something she wishes to say?"
Her fangs emerged from her beak and ground together. "I…" There was only one way out. "…Wish to retract my earlier statement. I admit to all charges." She glared at Goku. "Just don't let that man speak for me."
Nettelish cocked a brow. "That man is Honorary Justiciar Son Goku." Nevrrest's face looked like it was resisting the urge to break. "But very well. The Accused shall be referred to as the Convicted. I declare this trial resolved and the sentencing hearing may now begin…"
(**Scene Break**)
Fed up with waiting, Vegeta finally left the hallway and wandered the hospital, grumbling to himself. Now he at last understood why she had demanded he promise he'd be here – it was a living nightmare! White walls, annoying nurses, and wasting valuable time that could have been spent training. He could only hope the child would be worth it somehow. After all that had occurred the last couple of months, it just had to be.
He approached a large window where a small fox man in green shoes and a white t-shirt stood, his fluffy tail wiggling whimsically. When Vegeta shifted his gaze to see what had the earthling so mesmerized, he saw an entire room full of infants in little beds behind the glass. A nursery for newborns, not so different from the ones that had existed on Planet Vegeta. Only this furred man wasn't here to measure the strength of these children as an onlooker on his native home would be.
Vegeta turned to move on.
"That's mine right there," said a goofy voice.
Vegeta looked over his shoulder and saw the fox pointing at a carbon copy of himself wrapped in a complacent little bundle. Vegeta snorted at the man. "No, really. I would never have guessed."
"Really?" blinked the fox, "Well I think she looks just like me."
"Hrmph," Vegeta growled with annoyance, turning to leave again.
"Hey," the annoying anthro stopped him, "Is yours in there? Which one is it?"
Vegeta looked at the rows of human infants dismissively. "None. My offspring is still in the process of being born, if my wife can ever manage it."
"Yeah…it can be tough," the dullard nodded. He held up his hands like they were something new. "But once you hold them in your arms, it's the whole world. The whole world, I tell you. You'll see. I can tell this is your first time."
"Hrmph."
"But hey, a little advice," the fox put a hand on his back, making him stiffen with rage, "Don't worry too much about how your kid turns out." He nodded at his baby through the glass. "Like little Junior there. She may look just like me, but she could turn out to be anything. Anything at all. That's the great thing about kids. They're not limited by anything."
Vegeta thought about Trunks for a moment, which stopped him from slugging the poor man. It was true, in many ways the boy was a mystery. As an infant, Vegeta had despised him. He seemed such a reserved, whimpering little thing – pale and practically bald. Stubborn, perhaps, but that was all. But after his failure against Cell and his days with the Trunks from the future, Vegeta had grown curious of his child. He noticed how different the boy was from one week to the next, saw the subtleties of the mother's weak genes and his powerful ones, and the boy's own unique nature.
So, as it happened, the dumb fox was right. He was eager to see his new child – to uncover the mystery of that future person the baby would also become.
He finally escaped the fox and the earthling resumed looking at his baby through the glass. As Vegeta turned the corner, the fox gasped. "Oh! She yawned just like my wife. I wonder what that means…"
As time passed, Vegeta's wandering turned into laps around the hospital, passing by the ward where Bulma was ever so often just in case something had changed. And then, it happened. An incredible, infantile scream echoed through the hospital. The sound called to him. It could be any baby, but somehow, he just knew. Within moments, he was back to the hallway where Trunks and the grandparents waited. A nurse was there with them.
The nurse turned to him with a big, bright smile, holding a clipboard to her chest. "Congratulations! Your wife's given birth to a healthy baby girl."
"A girl then," Vegeta said, as if making an announcement.
He headed straight for the door. More nurses filed their way out, cheerfully chatting, and Vegeta weaved past them, pausing as he spotted Bulma on the hospital bed, holding a squirming pink bundle to her chest.
Bulma looked up with an expression of both nervousness and joy. "Vegeta!" she said with forced certainty, "She's beautiful! And um…well she doesn't have a tail and um…"
"May I have her?" he asked.
Bulma sweated a little and smiled. "Yeah! Sure."
Vegeta took the bundle into his arms and pulled back the folds of pink cloth. The baby screamed as she was exposed to the cold air, a powerful sound that hurt his ears. Vegeta studied her and quickly determined why Bulma looked so nervous. It was like he was holding a baby version of his wife in his arms. The child looked just like her – smooth, soft skin, large blue eyes, and thick locks of aqua blue hair.
The nurse from before entered. "She's really lively, isn't she? And look at that hair! I've never seen a baby born with so much hair before."
Vegeta caught his breath. The nurse was right. The child had a full head of hair, not like the thin wisps that Trunks had been born with. The hair was nearly two inches long and lay about her head almost like a grown woman. Maybe…just maybe…
Vegeta brought the baby girl close to his face. The baby stopped squinting and seemed to notice him for the first time. Her face wrinkled with rage. She took her little leg and slammed her foot as hard as her baby body could into his cheek. The nurse gasped with horror and disbelief and Bulma squeaked with surprised, covering her mouth. Vegeta blinked, as if tasting the blow. His lips spread into a wide smile and he broke out into uproarious laughter.
"So, you wish to challenge me already, Little Warrior?" he asked with amusement, "I don't think you're up to the task just yet. But, given time, you may give me a run for it! Hahahahaha!" The baby stared at him with wonder at his reaction. Then she wiggled with delight and started laughing as well.
Bulma sighed with deep relief, the nervousness melting from her face as she sank into the pillow. "Well, it's a girl." She grew smug and held up a finger. "You know what this means? Remember our deal? If it's a boy, you get to name him one of your saiyan names. And if it's a girl, I pick the name."
"I remember," he assured, wrapping the baby in the pink blankets again, "Very well. What will you call her?"
"It was a tough decision," she folded her arms and nodded, "Pantaloom or Thong were some good options. But I've decided on Bulla."
"Not a favorable name, but we are agreed." He looked at the nurse. "How soon will mother and child be in condition to leave?"
"Uh…" the nurse blinked several times, "Well…I mean we'll need to run some tests first and—"
"Very well, get it done," he commanded, "We wish to leave at once. And bring our son to meet his sister as well."
"I," the nurse stuttered, "I mean sure!"
Trunks entered the hospital room shyly, peeking around the doorway and standing on his tiptoes as he approached to get a look at the baby. Vegeta placed Bulla back in Bulma's arms and looked at Trunks. "This is your sister Bulla," he told him, "I expect you to be a good role model to her. No slacking off! And when the time comes, you will assist in her training."
"Oh don't be ridiculous," Bulma scoffed and then smiled at her son. "Well come here, Trunks! Come meet your new sister!"
Trunks climbed up on the bed and sat next to his mother, looking at the squirming bundle with uncertainty. "Hi."
The grandparents entered as well, all aflutter over the new baby. Vegeta gave them all some space, not wanting to get sucked into their cooing nonsense. He stood outside the doorway again, this time calm and satisfied. He knew for certain now what Bulma had said months ago was true – his was a strong, proud royal family. Plus one.
(**Scene Break**)
The wind in his hair, Goku flew through the sky toward the location Sepis had given him – the location the arlian had said he and Nevrrest would be setting up their home on Earth. Goku had missed seeing Nevrrest on their official arrival on Earth. He suspected she was avoiding him. But he had seen the metal sheet tent and starting supplies they had been provided to begin Nevrrest on her planetary imprisonment sentence. He had also been told by Horkion that he would need to meet with her at least once a month to make sure she was behaving correctly. Honestly, he was looking forward to it. And more than anything, he looked forward to the day he would get to fight her again. Hopefully, next time would be under better circumstances.
He arrived at the location and was happy to discover they had chosen a beautiful, secluded spot. It was a rainforest, absolutely brimming with life – plants and animals of all kinds. It reminded him of his grandfather's mountain, only a lot warmer and very wet.
He heard the beeping of Sepis's scouter. The underbrush rustled and Sepis emerged quickly through the ferns. "Friend Goku, you're here already!" he rejoiced.
"Yep," Goku smiled, "And I guess we'll be meeting like this every month from now on."
"I'm glad they made you an honorary justiciar, Goku. I'd rather see you than anyone else." He grabbed Goku's hand and started leading him. "Come on. Nevrrest's waiting. She actually said she wanted to speak to you. I'm surprised."
"Really?" Goku blinked as they walked, "Well I'm glad she wants to talk. I wonder what about?"
"I don't know. But she seems pretty serious about something."
They came to a clearing next to a waterfall. Goku could tell Sepis had been hard at work. Not only had the basic tent and supplies already been set up, but he had already started constructing tools and furniture. A justice probe also greeted them, humming and beeping. Sepis stroked the probe's dome like it was a pet.
"This is my liaison probe," Sepis explained, "So I can continue to assist the Justice as part of my probation. I'm really grateful for all they've done. I deserved far worse. Both Nevrrest and I did."
"Well, the Justice is going to grow and get a lot better now," Goku assured, placing his hand briefly between Sepis's antennae, "I can tell. You and Nevrrest are just the first step toward that." He spotted Nevrrest standing on an rock outcropping at the edge of the waterfall. He could see the aqua numbers 0002 reflecting off the water, the prison collar around her neck, and the monitor sutured to her wrist just like the one he used to wear. Expression serious, he approached and stood behind her. "Hey, Nevrrest."
Her feathers stiffened and her plume flattened, as if cringing at the sound of his voice. "I suppose you think you're clever."
"Not really," Goku replied, rubbing the back of his head, "I mean, I did take a part in tricking you in the courtroom. But that wasn't my ide—"
"Oh I know that wasn't your doing," she snarled, hunkering down further, her shoulders twitching, "That had that harpy Nettelish written all over it. If I had known the real purpose of your appearance was to force me into being condemned to your planet I would have fought to the bitter end. But…I have been beaten. So there is nothing to be done. Still…you didn't have to insult me with what you did with the dragon balls."
"Dragon balls?" Goku asked, "You mean bringing Nettelish back to life or—"
"Stop playing dumb!" She turned her head and looked at him with a shaking gaze, her irises shrunken. "I'm referring to this pathetic attempt of yours at pity!" She threw a cylindrical object at his feet and it lit with a brightly colored hologram of a planet.
Goku blinked at the image. "What is that?"
"You should know damn well what that is," she growled, clenching her fists at him, "That is Planet Blech. And until a few days ago, it was nothing more than a ball of mud, stripped of its resources by the Planet Trade Organization. And now suddenly I've been told it's been completely restored, including all life with the exception of my people. What? Did you think I wouldn't hate you if you gave me back my home? Well? Answer me!"
Goku blinked again. "I…don't know how to tell you this, Nevrrest. But it wasn't me. I told the Namekians to save Porunga's last wish."
Her anger disappeared into shock. "What?"
"Come to think of it…" He looked up. "Vegeta had two wishes he could have made with the Earth dragon balls. So, it must have been him who wished your planet back." Her breathing shook and she looked down, staring at the ground in utter disbelief. "Well, anyhow, now that we're all here alone together…" He held up his hand and gave a quick, deft movement.
Nevrrest choked on her breath as her prison collar shattered. "What are you—bluuh!" She grabbed her beak and dropped her knees, holding back the nausea as her power came rushing back to her as rapid and powerful as the waterfall she stood by.
"I talked to Laswe about it," Goku explained, "It was really hard to convince him. But I got him to agree to look the other way if I removed your collar." He squatted down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you to stop getting stronger, Nevrrest. You have so much talent. As long as you stay on Earth and we keep it a secret, you can continue your training."
"Goku…" said Sepis with amazement, watching them both from a distance, "You could be charged for doing that."
"I know. And I've agreed to take full responsibility and face judgement if it gets found out," Goku assured, "But we won't. No one on Earth even knows who Nevrrest is. Besides, even if it does get out, it's worth it." He looked at the blecha again. "Nevrrest. I hope you'll use this chance to really show me what you can do."
She coughed. "You…are a damned idiot." She blustered a few more times and finally seemed to get a hold of herself. She slapped his hand away and stood up. "Fine. I'll resume my training here on Earth. But you'll regret it someday, Goku. I'll make all you saiyans pay."
"If that what it takes to keep you motivated," Goku shrugged, "Then I don't mind."
"Krrrr," she snarled.
"Goku…may I ask," Sepis prodded, "How exactly did you convince Laswe?"
Goku put his hands behind his head, walking off from Nevrrest with him. "I told him I'd teach him the Kaioken. Don't tell Chi-Chi, though. She's gonna be pissed when she finds out I'm leaving again…"
"Goku!" Sepis hissed with horror, "Don't you know better than to anger your female? You really are brave…"
Nevrrest turned her back to them, shutting them out as they walked away. She spotted her reflection in the rushing water, a rapid that carried the image of a blecha bearing the mark of 0002. She squinted her eyes at the woman reflecting back with defiance, slapping it with a splash of her tail and walking away.
(**Scene Break**)
Within the social circles of West City, it was said that the Capsule Corp estate was a land of non-stop parties and delights of all kinds. This, of course, wasn't true. But that didn't mean the rumor was unfounded. As it happened, the heiress of the estate, Bulma Brief, was very fond of parties and threw several of them a year. And on that day, there was a party taking place, but not one that had been planned in advance. But months of planning or not, a Capsule Corp party was still filled with music, tables pilled with food, drinks, and various kinds of entertainment.
Having recently given birth, Bulma had chosen to dress a little more conservatively than she usually did to hide the strain the pregnancy had wrought on her body – though naturally she intended to have her true beauty fully restored as soon as possible. She relaxed in an outdoor recliner amidst the party bustle, a glass of wine in hand.
"Seriously, though!" Chi-Chi remarked, sitting under an umbrella in the recliner next to her, "You'd think with the way he loves to stuff himself, he'd show up to these parties more often."
Bulma nodded astutely. "Vegeta's the same way. I mean, this is his homecoming party. But will he show up? Of course not. He'd rather just hide away in the gravity room."
"Hmmmm…" Chi-Chi sighed, watching as Goten competed against Trunks in a game of stacking towers of rocks on their heads, "They sure are a handful."
"Tell me about it." She tipped back her glass of wine.
"And it's only going to get worse."
"Why?"
Chi-Chi sat up and leaned over. "Didn't you hear about her?"
"Who?"
"The saiyan woman, of course! What if she's as obsessed with training as they are?"
"Oh her?" said Bulma smugly, "I wouldn't worry about it. Vegeta's not that easily impressed and I doubt Goku even notices what she is."
"Goku may that not be that romantic but he isn't blind, Bulma."
"Look," she continued, spreading her hands in a shrug, "She didn't even show up to the party. Maybe she's shy. Anyhow, if she ever tries anything, we'll show her what for." She winked and giggled.
"Hmmm…" Chi-Chi sighed again, her lips pursed with worry.
Over at a table laden with food, Gohan frowned at his father with disappointment. "Really? You're leaving again already?"
"Shhhh!" Goku flailed and put a finger to his lips, "Keep it down, Gohan! I don't want your mother to know! At least until after the party."
"I mean," Gohan continued sadly, "Do you have to?"
A green giant stormed in. "Goku, you idiot!" Piccolo roared, his shoulders hiked and his back arched, "How could you even be thinking about leaving at a time like this?!"
"Shhhh!" Goku wildly shushed, "She'll hear you! And why? Has something happened?"
"Imbecile!" Piccolo continued to shout, making Goku even more anxious, "Of course something's happening – Gohan and Videl's wedding is next month!"
"Dah!" Goku stumbled back with horror. He stooped, grabbing his head. "That's right! Oh man, I totally forgot!" He smiled anxiously at Gohan and tapped his forefingers together. "Is there a way you could move it back a few months…?"
"NO!" Piccolo bellowed.
"Daaah! Okay, okay! I'll be there! I'll just have train him quickly is all…I can manage!"
"You'd better," Piccolo grumbled.
Gohan smiled. "Thanks, Dad."
By the garden, Krillin laughed as he chased his daughter Marron through the bushes. "Rawr! Monster's gonna get you, Firefly!" His little girl squealed with delight as they rounded a corner. Krillin's mock roaring turned into a brief wail as his shoe caught on a rock and he fell head over heels. Marron didn't even notice and kept running, laughing as she bounded around another corner. Krillin spat out grass and sat up, looking behind him at the offending rock. "Where did that come from? I don't remember that being there earlier."
No sooner had he said this then the rock started to emerge from the ground. Krillin screamed as Horkion stuck his head and arm out, blinking with a yawn. "Oh I'm sorry," said Horkion, "Where you using this spot?"
"Wha…" Krillin stared, "What are you doing in the ground?!"
"Oh, I was just having a soak," said Horkion, scooping some of the dirt into his hand, "Your soil is amazing. Really, I haven't relaxed in minerals this good in ages. Did you want to join me?"
"Uhhh…" Krillin continued to stare.
"Oh wait," Horkion blinked, "Your people um…don't soak minerals through your skin. Did you um…want to eat the dirt?"
"Eeeh…"
Laswe snorted as he walked by eating an ice cream cone. "Weirdo."
Android Eighteen walked behind him. "Goon."
"Eh-heee…" said both Krillin and Horkion, sweating as they awkwardly smiled.
Continuing to lick his ice cream, Laswe wandered through the garden till he spotted Dr. Brief relaxing by some flowers with a cup of coffee. "Ah, Dr. Brief!"
"Well hello there," Dr. Brief casually answered back, his cat climbing onto his head, "Good to see you. You enjoying yourself?"
"Well," said Laswe smugly, "It's a little shy of the banquet's back home…but yeah, I'm enjoying myself. Besides, you have some pretty amazing food on this planet." He held out his cone. "Take this 'ice cream' for instance. It's an ingenious creation."
"Oh," Dr. Brief blinked, "Well I'm glad you like it."
"Thank you," Laswe assured, "And I wanted to express my thanks for all the help your corporation has given the Justice. Thanks to your workers, we should have the Hammer space-worthy again in no time."
"It's no trouble at all," Dr. Brief replied.
Laswe smiled as a deep voice resounded. "Laswe."
Laswe turned to see Oom'Bagu, dressed in his best woven threads and his wrist cuffs polished. "Oh hey, Oom'Bagu. Who's your friend?"
Oom'Bagu looked at the flailing frog in his hands with trepidation. "This…is Captain Ginyu."
"Eh?" Laswe made a face, "Who would name a frog after that loser?" The frog gave him a horrified and angry look.
"No, you do not understand. This is not a mere frog. This is Captain Ginyu of the Ginyu Force."
Laswe squealed with his strange laughter. "You're kidding, right?" He ate more of his ice cream cone.
"I am not."
Laswe froze in mid-bite. "What, for real?"
Horkion sprang from the dirt like a jack rabbit. "Captain Ginyu?! Where?!" He clasped his fusion band and leered threateningly at a nearby cook, causing the poor man to rear with fright.
"No, no, Horkion," Laswe giggled, "Oom'Bagu's trying to say that…that the frog is Captain Ginyu."
"That is what I'm saying," Oom'Bagu assured, looking mildly irritated, "I have sensed Captain Ginyu before. I recognized his emotions. This is the same Ginyu."
Laswe blinked. "Uh…"
Horkion joined them and leaned close to the frog, squinting at it. "…Captain Ginyu?"
The frog rapidly shook its head.
"Ha!" Laswe cried, slapping his side, "You idiot! That is you, isn't it?! You arrogant fool, you must have accidentally body swapped into a frog!"
"But," Horkion blinked, "How did he get here?"
"Hey." They turned to see Trunks standing nearby with Goten. "What are you guys doing with Slippy?"
"Slippy?" Oom'Bagu asked.
"Yeah, he's my pet frog," Trunks explained with annoyance.
The three justiciars looked between the boy and the frog. "…We are admiring him," Oom'Bagu stated, "He is a handsome pet. Is that alright?"
"I guess," Trunks shrugged, "I mean I think he's kinda stupid. He won't even do any tricks. He just hides all the time. But whatever. Come on, Goten."
"Bye!" Goten happily waved as they wandered off.
They all looked at the frog again. "So," said Horkion, putting his hand on his hip, "We've finally captured the infamous Captain Ginyu. But um…what do we do with him?"
"I am not sure," Oom'Bagu admitted with an awkward blink, "If would be difficult to put an amphibian on trial." An image flashed through all their minds of the speechless frog croaking and flailing on the stand.
Laswe cracked a laugh. "Are you kidding me? Payback's a bitch when you cross Vegeta apparently. I say we leave him. It's not like we could punish him any worse."
"You have a point," Oom'Bagu agreed and carelessly chucked the frog over his shoulder into the pond, the tiny Captain Ginyu wailing all the way.
Mrs. Brief, floating through the party as though it were her own personal wind, approached Bulma with a hand to her cheek. "Bulma, dear, have you seen the baby?"
Bulma shot to her feet. "What?! What do you mean have I seen the baby?"
"Well I just went to feed and change her and she wasn't in her crib. So I was wondering if you knew where she might have gotten off to."
"She's a baby, Mom!" Bulma hollered, "She shouldn't be 'getting off to' anywhere!"
"Oh dear," Mrs. Brief remarked, "Do you think maybe your father has her?"
"No, dear," Dr. Brief called with a wave of his coffee, "I've been out here all afternoon."
"Stay here," Bulma demanded, storming toward the mansion, "I'll find her. Maybe she climbed out of her crib."
"I don't think she's old enough for that," Mrs. Brief remarked with uncertainty.
"With that saiyan blood in her, who knows!" she huffed.
Bulma searched the nursery, but didn't find any sign of Bulla. That frightened her. She searched the house high and low, but to no avail. Finally, she decided to check the most unthinkable place possible: the gravity room. To her shock, that was exactly where she found her – and she wasn't alone. Sweaty and dressed in his training clothes, Vegeta sat in a folding chair in the middle of the deactivated gravity room, their newborn baby resting in one of his arms.
Bulma swelled with joy. "Well look at you two!" she remarked, entering suddenly, "Don't you look adorable."
"Shh!" Vegeta shushed irritably, putting a finger to his lips, "Quiet, woman. You'll wake her."
"You should have said you were watching her," she mildly scolded, "I've been looking all over the place for her."
"I heard her crying," he stated simply, "So I attended to her. I don't see why I need to report that to anyone."
She smiled and bent forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind. "I guess I'm just not used to you being so dependable. You sure you'll be alright on your own with her? She'll need to be fed and changed soon."
He gave her a sharp look. "Don't tell me you expect me to do that."
She straightened and put her hands on her hips. "What, you expect me to have to burp, feed, and change her all on my own? Please, you skipped out on that with Trunks. Don't expect me to let you off that easily this time."
He grimaced and his brow twitched. "Oh fine. But only if I absolutely must. Otherwise, I'll be leaving that to your mother."
Bulma chuckled with challenge. "We'll see." She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.
He grumbled. "Don't you have your party to get back to?"
"I guess I do since you don't want to have any fun, as usual." She headed for the doorway and stopped to give the sight of him and Bulla one final look, the powerful saiyan warrior in silent vigil over his child. "Well then, I'll leave our baby in your capable hands…Mr. Brief."
EPILOGUE
"You're a liar, Trunks!" Bulla accused, standing on her tiptoes in her little red shoes to glare at her older brother.
"Oh…" said Trunks in a spooky voice, "But I wish I were. But it's all true." He leered over her, taking the tails of his high school jersey into his hands as he spread his arms. "And those who dare enter are consumed by the lost souls of warriors! Aaaah!" He pounced on her.
"No-no! You're a liar!" she snapped, fending him off by beating him upside the head with the flat of her hand.
Trunks laughed and backed off. "Okay," he grinned, "But don't say I didn't warn you…"
"Mmmyyhh!" she stuck out her tongue and pinched her face as he walked off, "Stupid Trunks. I'll tell Daddy on you!"
Of course, Bulla didn't intend to leave it at just that. She would prove her brother wrong – by finding out why their father had locked himself in that room for herself. The Capsule Corp Mansion was a big place and she knew every nook and cranny of it. There were few things that could keep Bulla Brief from what she wanted, least of all a locked door. And she wanted to see her Papa and to know why he'd been hiding all day and not answering when she called for him.
Luckily for Bulla, she was still little enough that she could fit inside the mansion vents. In fact, she often liked to use them if she wanted to take a shortcut from one end of the house to the other. It was like her own personal domain, where no one could find her. It didn't take her long to reach the vent attached to the guest room where Vegeta was. She pushed her hand against the vent cover, bending the metal so she could slip out and pushing it closed behind her so that it appeared to be still on its screws.
She didn't see any ghosts of saiyan ancestors, like Trunks had claimed. Instead, her father was talking to an image of a strange translucent creature, projected from a hovering probe. Bulla was certain she had seen the creature before, but she wasn't sure where.
"Now about that incident with the police officer a few months ago…" the creature was saying.
"He wasn't harmed," Vegeta grumbled, his arms folded and glancing away dismissively.
"I know, I know," the creature assured, holding up his hands, "But you have to be more careful. There's nobody in our system who has a better probation record than you and I don't want to see you mess it up over something as silly as a traffic ticket."
"I have it handled," Vegeta growled.
"Right, okay, I'll drop it." The creature flipped through a notepad. "So, how's the family?"
Vegeta grunted.
"Come on, Vegeta," the creature placated, "I know these annual meetings put you in a bad mood, but I like to think of us as old friends. So just humor me."
"They're fine," he gruffly replied, "They're—"
Having decided she had fully assessed the situation, Bulla stood up. "Daddy! Daddy, when will you be done with your meeting? I want to play checkers with you!"
"Uh…!" Vegeta froze with horror at the sight of his daughter.
"Oh…" the creature blinked and then smiled, "Well hey, Bulla! Do you remember me? My name's Laswe. You sure have grown!"
Bulla ignored the alien and grabbed her father's hand, tugging on his arm. "Come on, Papa, I've been waiting forever. I want to play with you now."
Vegeta blushed a little. "Bulla, go," he commanded, pointing to the door, "I'll play with you soon."
She pouted at him. "You promise?"
"Yes, now go, at once!" he insisted.
"Okay, you better," she threatened. That was when she noticed the strange, blue glow coming from under some bandages on her father's arm. It wasn't unusual for her papa to be wrapped up in some place. He was always hurting himself while training. But she had never seen one of those injuries glow before. Curious, she waited for him to look away and stood on her tiptoes, ripping the bandage off.
"Bulla!" Vegeta cried with a gasp.
Bulla stared at the numbers on her father's arm with delight. She had never seen them on him before. Where had they come from? She stretched to touch them and in her childish desire to show off, counted them as she put a finger to each number. "Zero…zero…zero…one!" She smiled, eager for praise at the recognition of the symbols.
Instead, her father recoiled like she had just struck him with a hot iron. "You stupid brat!" he snarled and pointed violently at the door, "Get out of here, now!"
Bulla gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes and she wailed, balling out rivers down her cheeks as she bolted from the room. She ran all the way clear across the house until she was in the laboratory, tackling her mother right off her workbench. Bulma squealed as she fell onto the floor and blinked as Bulla hugged her and cried into her shirt.
"Bulla?" said Bulma, "Honey, what's wrong?"
Bulla wailed. "Daddy…yelled at me!"
"He did what?" said Bulma with disbelief. She had a hard time picturing Vegeta doing that. Sure, he yelled at Trunks sometimes, but Bulla was a different story. He wasn't above snapping at or scolding her, but yelling at her? She sat herself and her daughter up. "Tell me what happened, sweetie."
Bulla poured over the tragedy of how she had just wanted to play a game of checkers with Daddy, how she had asked Daddy nicely, and about the pretty numbers on his shoulder. Bulma nodded as she listened and soon understood. This had always been a sensitive day for Vegeta – a day haunted by the past. It was an irrevocable reminder of a time where he had nearly lost his pride forever, something he was ashamed of. Bulma always tried to give him a wide berth on this day.
They didn't even have to keep it on the calendar. It was always marked for them, starting at six in the morning when they'd both be awoken by a sudden blue light joining them in bed. Every year, neither of them would say a word. Bulma would simply watch as Vegeta would get out of bed, wrap his shoulder in bandages to cover up the mark, and head to train until the probe from the Justice would arrive. Neither one of them could really complain about it, as much as they wanted to. Aside from this annual nuisance, the Justice had completely left them in peace. And when Bulma thought about it, Vegeta being forced to answer some routine questions about his activities that year was hardly that big of a deal. Of course, she knew Vegeta didn't feel that way about it. And he never would.
Bulma fixed some loose strands in her daughter's blue hair before standing with her in her arms. "Come on," she winked, "I know something that will make you feel better."
Bulma knew they would have to tell Bulla someday, just like they had been forced to tell Trunks years ago. She had been hoping to wait a few more years, but Bulla was a very smart girl. Now may be the best time. At least, it would help her understand Vegeta's outburst. Bulma carried her daughter to one of the master bedrooms – the one shared by Vegeta and herself. She sat Bulla on the bed and searched through her drawer until she found the capsule with the pink star on it.
Bulla watched as her mother popped it open and a pink shirt fluttered down through the air. Bulla caught it and turned it over in her hands until she could read the words written on it in large black letters. "B…bad…man," she pronounced.
Bulma sat next to her. "That's right. Okay, Bulla, are you ready? I'm going to tell you a story."
"A story?" Bulla asked with interest, "What kind of story?"
"A love story," Bulma smiled. She put her arm over her and together they gazed at the wrinkled, pink shirt. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful, smart, very brave, and adventurous girl who fell in love with a very…very…bad man."
END
The story continues in Dragon Ball Z: Light and Shadows