Chapter 5: The Moon and the Sun in Conflict (Part II)
Bulma returned to her new home escorted by two Saiyan Royal Guards, frowning. As soon as she was home, she went straight to her bedroom without a single word to her parents and older sister. The two blonde-haired women wondered what happened and the two Saiyan guards with her told Dr. Briefs and Panchy of the king's apology for the trouble his son did, and the fact that he is letting them decide if they wish to continue with working on the Gravity Room or return to their home. They would still get all the benefits the king promised to give them and the Earth in exchange for their services, in favor of the apology. Without waiting for any response, the two guards left.
Bulma was sitting on her bed, reminiscing what just happened between her and Vegeta earlier...
"I, the Crown Prince of all Saiyans and of Planet Vegeta, Vegeta Yonsei, sincerely apologize to Nappa, Bardock, Beets and Bulma Briefs about this incident. I acknowledge my irresponsibility as a Crown Prince and therefore shall make amends with you as compensation for the trouble I did."
Seeing the prideful Crown Prince of the Saiyans humbled this way, Bulma glared at him with a suspicious look.
"I wonder what kind of compensation would you give me? Hm?" she asked with a haughty smirk.
The four adult Saiyans in the room stared at her in astonishment. Bulma valued her young life well and she will never forgive Vegeta as easily as those who feared him. She knew he needed something from her so she used that knowledge to gain the upper hand on him.
Vegeta was stumped by that question. He clearly didn't know what to say.
"Well..." Vegeta stuttered, looking away. His cheeks flushed red as he mumbled in a shy way. "I could make you my Crown Princess if that's what you want."
Bulma blinked at him, flustered and she staggered back. "What?" she gasped breathlessly. "Are you crazy?! Who would want to marry someone like you?!"
The Saiyans all stared at her in shocked. Vegeta gaped back at her in disbelief, unable to comprehend the fact that she just rudely rejected him, of all people.
"What?!" Vegeta retorted back, feeling insulted. "You're the one who's crazy! Are you even aware who you just rejected?! I am-! "
"-Yeah, yeah. You are the Crown Prince of all Saiyans, blah blah blah. I don't care about any of that, or even how good-looking you are. Your spoiled and selfish attitude is a huge turn-off for me! I will never marry someone with a nasty personality such as yourself!"
"As if I would want to be mated with someone like you! Never! Not in a million years! Over my dead body! Don't get the wrong idea just because I offered you that! You asked me for a compensation, it is the only thing I could think of considering your status! You are a fool for rejecting it! You should be beheaded!"
King Vegeta cleared his throat in a loud way, causing the quarreling kids to be silent, "Yon, enough!" he ordered his son. "Bulma, you should go. Forget about what he said. He doesn't know what he's talking about. Nappa, have someone take her home."
"Yes, your Majesty," Nappa obeyed, showing Bulma the way out of that suddenly dangerous room.
Vegeta snarled, looking like he was about to attack, "Wait, where are you going, girl! I'm not done with you, yet-!"
"Yon! Stop it!" King Vegeta hissed, glaring at his son and pulling him back by his tail.
Bulma stepped out of the room, sticking out her tongue at the wild prince his angry father was holding by the tail...
Bulma's scowl deepened, feeling rather pissed and insulted at the fact that Vegeta thought she's so gullible he can fool her with his offer to become his Crown Princess. She had furiously denied his offer, which made the Crown Prince clearly in shock and disappointed. Who would want to be that jerk's princess?
Bulma snorted lightly. Something in her heart tugged with a slightest bit of regret. When she was younger, she had a great fondness for fairy tales and dreamt to find her own prince charming who would save her from trouble, protect her with his life, and make her a beautiful princess like the female protagonists of popular animated series. She has now realized that not all princes are as charming as those in the movies. And the first real prince she ever met was definitely a stuck-up, selfish, arrogant royal brat who has an inflated sense of superiority and has a tend to bring unnecessary trouble to those around him.
Just who does he think he is?! He almost got her and his subordinate killed and he has the nerve to think he could buy her with a fancy royal title?!
Bulma wanted to go home, to return to Earth, and never come back to this god-forsaken planet. She wanted to dismiss the experience as a mere nightmare and get her normal life on Earth back. She don't want to see that Prince Vegeta ever again.
Moments later, Bulma came out of the room. Her parents and older sister were conversing amongst themselves on what they should do. Her father considered that his family return to Earth, but he'll stay in here to continue working for the king. Bulma overheard Panchy and Taitsu agree, but Bulma interfered, saying she didn't want to leave her father behind. They discussed about their plans of staying or leaving, until they decided to leave after all because that is what Bulma wants.
When Prince Vegeta received the news from his still angry father, he didn't take it lightly. These people did everything to make him feel guilty and humiliated so he could regret what he did. Why is that annoying woman making things so hard for him? He had already lowered his pride to apologize to her, but it wasn't enough to make her forgive him. Vegeta was used to getting everything he wants, and people around him bending to his every will because they all feared his wrath and his power. But that woman, that Bulma Briefs, seems unaware of what he could do to her, despite actually witnessing him unleash his powers on Planet Banpah, or perhaps, she just didn't care about it or her insignificant life. He knew she was being this confident because she knew he needed something from her. She was using the fact that the Gravity Room was her idea to wrap him, the Prince of all Saiyans, around her little fingers. He got to admit though, she has guts, and while it greatly annoyed him, it also made him want to make her life a living hell. He had to find a way to return the favor and make her think that she needed something from him too. To just make things fair for the both of them. That foolish woman... He'll make sure that she will submit to him no matter what.
In order for him to do so, he has to resort to that.
But how will he do it? He was grounded in his palace for three freaking months! He wasn't happy about that fact. His father was displeased of his rash behavior and that he dared to offer the position of the Crown Princess to an alien visitor, which is actually only meant for pure-blooded Elite Saiyan females. He was scolded for doing this, and for daring to ignore Saiyan Royal laws. His ki was also sealed by these limiters his father put around his wrists so to prevent him from using his powers to cause even more trouble. These things were only meant for criminals, so it made the prince feel like he was one. He didn't like it one bit.
Aside from that, the low-class turned newbie Elite Royal Guard, Bardock, was assigned to watch over him, along with the prince's royal attendant, Nappa. While Vegeta knew he could always fool that stupid attendant of his, that Bardock guy is different. It's like the man didn't care that he's the Crown Prince, the strongest one among their kind, and that he could kill him whenever he wanted to! Vegeta wondered if Bardock was a crazy idiot just like that Earthling girl and would want a death wish for going against him this way. Way to go for him on getting to his master's bad side and this only made Vegeta very pissed.
He decided to wait for the perfect time, when he knew that everyone's fast asleep, to sneak out of his palace and ambush the Earthlings' place.
Late evening came and Vegeta pretended to be asleep when Nappa last checked on him. Once he was sure that the coast is clear, Vegeta carefully opened the window and jumped out of it. Good thing that the limiters kept his ki under control so the scouters won't detect his movements. He stealthily passed through several gates until he reached the place where the Briefs family stayed. He carefully sneaked into the house through the back door, luckily those two young guards were busy chatting with each other so they didn't notice him pass by. He used his ki senses to locate the woman's room and entered through her window, only to be greeted by someone throwing salt at him. But before Bulma could scream, Vegeta shut her up with his hand, with his free hand gesturing for her to keep quiet or he will kill her right there.
Bulma nodded in agreement and once Vegeta made sure that she was going to be quiet, he removed his hand over her mouth.
"Did you just throw salt at me?" Vegeta hissed at her, shaking the salt off him.
"I thought you were some evil spirit. What are you doing here at this hour? Aren't you grounded?" Bulma asked him in a low voice.
"I wanted to see you," Vegeta admitted. "I heard from my father that you decided to leave after all."
Bulma gave him a sly smirk, "So you came all the way here to try and change my mind, huh?"
He snorted haughtily, "Don't be ridiculous. It's good riddance. I came here to say my goodbyes. You should feel honored that I did it personally."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Of course, I had to tell you a warning too. You may think you have won but don't forget that we Saiyans are conquerors of planets too. Since you decided to go against me, one of these days I may lead a purging mission to Earth and have you and all your people eliminated. You and your puny little mudball, I'll make sure that you will all pay for what you did to me in here."
"You're not serious! That's grave threat! If the king learns about this, you-," Bulma gasped.
"-I have already surpassed the power of the King since I was little. I only obey him because he's still my king and my father, but I can clearly disobey him and rebel anytime I want to. Even he won't be able to stop me once I decide to make a serious move and make use of my power to do whatever I want."
"You're crazy!"
"Why else do you think my people feared me?"
"I don't fear you-," Bulma's words were caught under breath when Vegeta pushed her back to her bed. He hands gripping her wrists above her head, pinning her effectively under him. He appeared dominant being on top of her like that, even more so with the intense, dark gaze of his eyes glaring down at her like he only see her as an inconsequential insect he could easily crush right here and now. Plus, that the way he pinned her arms over her head with his ridiculous strength like a iron grip... It made Bulma feel her heart pound with dread within her chest.
"You should be. I could destroy your puny mudball from here if I wanted to," he told her with a spine-chilling whisper which made goosebumps rise up on her skin.
She glared back at him, not wanting to back down from him. But what else can she do against such strength? Although...
Bulma scowled before raising her knee to hit him on his precious manhood. Vegeta quickly staggered backwards, falling back on the floor in agony, hissing curses at her.
"I guess no matter how strong you could be, all men have the same weakness," Bulma giggled with a victorious smile.
Vegeta growled back at her. How dare this woman do this kind of dirty trick on him?! "Why you dirty little- I swear when I get to Earth, I really am going to blow it to spacedust!" he hissed at her.
Bulma rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I am perfectly aware of how powerful you are, but I don't fear you. I will never fear you, because you are such a self-entitled prick who needs to learn a lesson, else you will never become an efficient ruler. Abusing your strength to threaten those weaker than you until they give in and obey you isn't a good attitude for a future king. If you continue being a prick, this kingdom will never have a bright future! You will have countless enemies against you, while no one will ever take your side. Just think of the way you threaten me and my people here, I will not do the Gravity Room because I do not want to help someone like you. It's your loss. Do you still think you're still tough?"
Vegeta snarled, "Of course, I do," he said. "You say you do not fear me or my power. We'll see how long that fearlessness would last."
Bulma's eyes widened in fear when he let out an ominous smirk as his eyes slowly turned towards her sister's bed.
"You do have quite a deep sleeper for a sister, I'm amused." Vegeta commented, walking towards Taitsu's bed like a hungry predator that has found its prey.
"Oneecha-!" Bulma tried to call her older sister but Vegeta's mean glare hushed her with a death warning.
"-Shhh! I told you to be quiet. If you make any loud noise, I will be forced to kill you both in here." he hissed at her.
Bulma closed her mouth, and silently pleaded for him to stop this. Vegeta chuckled darkly.
"Yes, that's what I want to see from you. Fear me, girl." he said, looking like he was enjoying the waves of fear her ki was emanating with such a sadistic glee.
"You jerk, you are going to pay dearly for this one day," Bulma growled at him.
Vegeta's expression turned a little psychotic, mocking her words, "Is that supposed to scare me? You will tell your father tomorrow morning that you change your mind and that you agree to work on the Gravity Room. I want you to work with him. If you do not appear in the CPRD Department and insist on leaving tomorrow, I'll have my ship prepared to hunt you down. Oh, and if you dare tell anyone about this, I will make sure that your death will be specially gruesome and agonizing by the time I get to you. Do not think that I cannot do it. You have witnessed what I could do on Planet Banpah, and I haven't used my full power yet. Do you understand, girl?"
Vegeta walked to the window and said, "That's all I'm here for. I'll see you tomorrow."
Then he was gone.
Bulma frowned, "He came all the way in here just to tell me that?! I... I can't believe him!" she gasped to herself.
Bulma sat on her bed, thinking about that encounter she just had with that jerk. She truly wanted to ignore all his warnings and threats, doubting that he won't have the guts to do such a thing. He was an arrogant little prick with an inflated sense of superiority and has a habit of abusing his powers to threaten anyone. He was all talk. She wanted to show him that despite his threats to her life, she will not back away in fear. She wanted to go back to Earth, but the fact that she may appear as a coward before that jerk by running away made her hesitating. She wanted to make him regret what he'd done to her. To make him pay dearly for it. And considering his attitude, it's obvious that if she ever returned to Earth, he may really do something unnecessary. He may follow her there and do a killing spree until she agreed to his conditions. Earth may be in serious trouble.
After witnessing Vegeta's inhuman abilities, she knew that he was especially dangerous. His powers are even more frightening than those Banpah Odani. Bulma cannot believe that his people see him as their hope of liberation. Someone like him may cause more danger than good. Bulma knew that it's better to stay in here and work for the Gravity Room, not because she wanted to obey him out of fear, but for the sake and safety of the Earth, and teaching him a lesson he will never forget.
