Chapter 3: Flying High

"Mama! Mama!"

"I'm busy with the birds, Vegeta. Go ask a servant."

"But Mama! Those birds are fighting!"

"What?! Show me."

"Awe… They stopped. That was funny… Mama, why is that bird letting the other one stand on its back when they were all fighting before?"

"Vegeta, were the birds all singing and dancing before until the one on the bottom drove them off?"

"Yes."

"The one on the bottom is a female, she has chosen her mate and now he stands on top to help her make special eggs that will turn into baby birds. A few weeks from now there will be a new nest."

*Pouts* "Awe… But babies are noisy and they poop too much. They're only funny when they fall out!"

Suddenly another male bird attacks the bird on top from behind, ripping him off and killing him with a quick cut of the beak. Then he tries to mount the screaming female. Then the room explodes in screeches. His mother ducks as the flock rushes forward while he jumps up and down excited. They rip the second male to shreds until it was nothing but blood and feathers. Then they begin flying away.

*jumping and clapping* "That was awesome!".

"By the Goddess," his mother says standing, "What a stupid male. But even her beloveds have free will I suppose. Poor girl, you want to come here, sweetie?"

The bird hops into her arms and starts to softly coos.

"Momma? What's wrong with the bird? It sounds hurt but I don't see any injuries."

"Vegeta, tell me. Why was that bird ripped apart?"

"Because it killed the other bird."

"Vegeta, you've seen other fights that lead to deaths. Yet the flocks have never responded like that before. So, what was different this time?"

*Thinks a bit* "Was he really well liked? Father calls it 'Avenging'." *chuckles* "It's a great way to have fun out on missions. He showed me while we were out last week."

"No. That was not it. Remember, these are the descendants of the birds who belong to the Goddess. And what does she value above all else?"

*Thinks longer* "Her lover?"

"Good. As sad as this is to lose another bird, you can't learn anything unless there is blood involved sometimes, so maybe it's the moonlight's will after all. Vegeta, this is again a secret of the Goddess. The male can display all he wants, but in the end, it is the female who chooses. No matter what your father and Goddess save us General Nappa may teach you in the future, it is the will of the Goddess that the female chooses her mate, whether it's birds or people. Now. I want you to comfort this poor bird until she sings happily again."


*Tweet Tweet Chirp Tweet Chirp*

Vegeta opened his left eye and saw two yellow birds on his nightstand. He lifted his head off the pillow and opened the other as well. "What are you two doing here?"

"Get back here you little twerps."

He saw Dr. Brief run past the broken door holding a large net as three other birds fly around just out of his reach. The birds turned around and flew back past the door again. Dr. Brief stopped and bent over putting his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath.

He glanced in the room. "Oh… Vegeta… You're a la…late riser this… morning."

The birds leave the nightstand and fly onto the curtain rod.

"Oh, perfect… there's more in here…" he said standing straight and walking in. "Wait, why is there a different… color curtain draped over the… middle of the rod?" He turned to Vegeta, "This isn't even your room now is it?"

"My adventurous late night," Vegeta said sitting up and lowering his feet to the floor. "So, what's this latest fiasco?"

"Well, I thought I'd be nice… and feed the birds this morning… but Scratch jumped off my shoulder into the large cage and spooked a bunch of them. I've been trying to catch them ever since."

"Didn't you program the servants to help?"

Dr. Brief began catching his breath, "Last time some birds got loose, the robots were too harsh and killed most of them." He turned around, "I'll let you get dressed and do whatever you do."

Vegeta's eyebrow went up, "Not going to ask me for help?"

Dr. Brief turned around, "Would you?"

Vegeta smirked. "The possibility of me saying no has never stopped you from asking before."

"You think this is funny, don't you?"

Vegeta chuckled, "I think it's fucking hilarious."

"I didn't ask because you would only end up hurting the birds as badly as the robots would."

Vegeta's face hardened. "My mother was a bird breeder. I can obviously do a much better job than your feeble attempts at aviculture," he snared. Vegeta stood and held out his hand, "Give me that damn net."


"Stop squirming," Vegeta said trying to get the small bird untangled from the net. "There, we go." He held the bird pinning the wings to the body and opened the small door to the large enclosure. He put his hand in and released it. It flew onto a stick where a friend joined it and they started singing and jumping excitedly.

"And that's 14," Dr. Brief said. "Should be the last one."

"Good," Vegeta said going to the sink along the wall to wash his hands.

"Hard to believe you've surprised me twice in one day. You did fast work with the net. I didn't even know you could twist it like that to trap the birds without hurting them."

"My mother made me practice extensively after she realized she gave birth to a demon."

Dr. Brief's shoulders dropped. "You used to let them out, didn't you?"

Vegeta smirked glancing over his shoulder, "Did you expect any less of me?"

"If this conversation had happened yesterday, I would have assumed you killed them for sport."

Vegeta paused his hand right before grabbing the faucet knob. He briefly clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white before relaxing and turning off the water.

Dr. Brief did not notice having turned around to face the cat sitting on the table casually licking its front paw and swiping its face. "Now Scratch, that was every bad of you chasing the birds this morning. Daddy is very mad at you."

The black cat placed it's paw down and meowed.

"Don't play cute. That's not getting you out of this this time."

It meowed again.

"Say sorry like you mean it."

It meowed a third time.

Vegeta shook his head watching this as he dried his hands. He tossed the disposable plant fiber drying cloths in the trash.

Suddenly Mrs. Brief came into the room. She was still in her night dress and robe. "Oh! Here you are, and Vegeta too. Thank goodness. Bulma hurt herself bad last night. I had the servants take her to the med bay."


Vegeta looked at the scene disinterested leaning against the wall. Bulma was on a high bench with her arm in a sling and her feet bandaged. Her mother and father were at her side as the doctor in white looked over a clipboard.

"Seems you had an exciting night, Ms. Brief," he said looking up from his notes. "Dislocated shoulder, broken toes on both feet, and otherwise bruised everything on your right side."

Bulma moaned rubbing her head with her left hand.

"And of course, the side effects of dehydration from over consumption of alcohol." The doctor placed the clip board on the counter. "Bed rest for a week while your feet heal, then short walking trips using the braces. No using your arm for a month. But if you ask your alien friends to intervene, I'm sure you'll be perfectly fine in less than an hour."

Vegeta noticed the mild flippancy in his last sentence. "I'm in the room you know."

"All the more reason it will take less than an hour. I will go get the wheelchair ready" The doctor left the room.

"Awe, my poor Sweetie. I'll go call Chichi and see if Goku can do something." Mrs. Brief hurried from the room.

"Am I needed anymore? Or are there more people who want to patronize me?" Vegeta said.

"No, I can get the robots to push the wheelchair." Dr. Brief nodded, "But thank you for coming down."

"Whatever," Vegeta left the room.

Bulma moaned. "Why was Vegeta here anyway?"

"He's the one who found you last night and woke us up."

"Vegeta did?"

He nodded, "He was a big help last night. He knew something was wrong and didn't leave us alone until your mother agreed to stay up with you. You need to thank him next you see him."

"He'll just yell at me for slowing down work on repairing the ship," she rubbed her head again.

"Probably, but that boy has good instincts. He's definitely not the dumb brute I thought he was coming into this house. After last night, I trust him."

Bulma's eyes widened, "What? You? Really?"

He nodded. "And unlike you, I don't have a crush to cloud my judgment. Whatever happens between you kids will happen. I won't intervene."

Bulma grabbed her head in pain unable to think.

The doctor returned pushing the wheelchair with two male nurses. "All right Ms. Brief, you're all cleared to leave."

The two men gently lifted her up and helped her into the chair. Then one began pushing her out as Dr. Brief fell in alongside.

"So Bulma, what do you want to do first after the robot gets here?" Dr. Brief asked.

"Coffee…"


"Here you go, Sweetie," Dr. Brief said handing her a cup at the kitchen table. "I'll go start some toast to get something gentle in your stomach."

Mrs. Brief stepped past the vacuum bots in the hallway and entered the kitchen.

"I knew I would find you here," she said sitting down next to her daughter. "Chichi said Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo had already left and won't return to from the woods until dinner time. She said I could try calling Krillin since it was an emergency. When I called, he said he'd fly over to Master Korin's right away to see what he could do."

"Darling, since I'm up, do you want me to start the teapot going?"

Mrs. Brief turned to him and clapped her hands together. "Yes, thank you. I married such a good husband."

She put her hands back down in her lap and returned to Bulma. "You know, Vegeta was very protective of you last night."

"Mom, just because Vegeta woke you up doesn't mean he's secretly in love with me."

"Oh, I don't think he is in love with you either. But I think the woman he does marry will be a very lucky girl."

"Here's you toast," Dr. Brief slid the plate to her as he sat down with his own cup of coffee. "I wouldn't go that far. But at least we know he believes in respectfully treating a woman that's intoxicated."

"You're the one who said he was 'rarer than the blue moon'."

"Ah… He asked you what that meant?"

"Hmhmm," she nodded.

Bulma tried again to process this new information only to once again instantly hit a brick wall.

"Will you two stop talking," she moaned.

Mrs. Brief gasped. "Oh dear. I need to feed the birds," she said standing up.

"Vegeta and I already took care of the birds."

"Oh, is that what you two were doing in the sunroom?"

Dr. Brief nodded, "He said his mother raised birds. He was a big help… When he wasn't laughing like a maniac."

"Why would he…" Mrs. Brief put her hands on her hips, "Wait, did you let Scratch get in the cage again?"

"Don't worry, all 20 of your birds are accounted for."

"I own 23."

Dr. Brief took a long sip of his coffee.


Krillin landed on the porch with a small bag in hand. He quickly entered the doors into one of the living rooms and stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him is Vegeta doing push-ups on his right thumb… with Dr. Brief's cat purring loudly on his back.

"I wouldn't put your jaw on the floor like that. It is rather unsanitary."

Krillin shut his mouth. "Umm, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing push-ups. What does it look like?"

"And…" Krillin points at the cat.

"This creature has decided to offer its meager weight to my quest to become Super Saiyan. Its growling also intensifies if I do not meet its expectations for speed."

"Ah… So why are you not in the ship?"

Vegeta turned his head and glared at him. "Because that damn machine buckled and caught fire only after a week at 400 times this planet's insignificant gravity!" he barked. "And that woman goes and seriously injures herself in a drunken rage, delaying the repairs even further!"

"Well, I'm here to deliver a senzu I managed to…"

"Then why are you wasting time talking to me! Get going!"

Krillin jumps back putting his hands up, "Ok! Ok! Do you know where she is?"

"Go follow her damn ki! You've known her longer than I have and even I can find her easily!"

"All right! I'm going," Krillin ran out of the room.

He leaned against the hallway wall and took a centering breath. "Ok… where is she… Ah! There she is, upstairs. Her parents are with her too." Krillin hurried off.


"And there you go, babies," Mrs. Brief said placing two birds into the large cage. "Mommy is so happy you come when I call. Just need to find your sister and everyone will be together again."

"Yes, I am perfectly aware of the meetings today," Dr. Brief said into his newest experimental cell phone, now miniaturized to two inches thick thanks to the electronics from Raditz's scouter. "And I'm telling you, my daughter injured herself and is having overly enthusiastic reaction to the pain —"

"Oh! What's that Daddy? Let me take it apart!"

"Bulma! Sit back down! You can't have my phone! Honey!"

"Sweetie get back in the wheelchair, we can get you stuff to take apart in a little bit."

"No! I want it now!"

"I need to call you back. Reschedule everything before 1 p.m." Dr. Brief hung up the call and put the phone in his inside coat pocket.

The door opens, "I'm here."

"Krillin! My little bald friend!"

"Sweetie! Please sit down!"

"Krillin! For the love of god get over here and give her the damn bean!" Dr. Brief said struggling to get her to sit.

Krillin takes it out of the bag, "Ok. Here's the senzu, Bulma."

"No! I don't wanna eat any beans! They make you fart!" Bulma continued to struggle.

"Just shove it down her throat already!"

"Ok!" Krillin gets on her lap and forces her into her chair.

"I said no!" Bulma shakes her head avoiding his hand.

Dr. Brief switches positions and grabs her head from behind. Krillin shoves it down her throat.

Bulma blinked several times as the senzu bean took effect. Then she rotated her previously bad shoulder.

"There," Dr. Brief said. "Now let's get your braces off." He turned to Krillin, "Going to need you to leave the room. Need to take her shirt off to get at her shoulder brace."

"Got ya. I'll be in the living room then." Krillin left the room and began heading down the hall.

"Yeah! I'm all better!" Bulma suddenly stood up knocking her father to the ground. She then overpowered her mother and ran from the room.

"Woohoo! I'm free!"

Krillin thought he heard shouting coming from the sunroom.

"Krillin! Krillin! Get Back here!"

He turned around and ran back.

He saw Mrs. Brief standing in the door. "What happened?"

"I don't think what you gave her got rid of her pain meds. They went that way," she pointed in the opposite direction.

Krillin ran off.

Coming to the intersection, he saw Dr. Brief leaning against the wall across from their private elevator. The lights said it was going down.

"Yeah, she's loose. Get the security people to the private elevator exits in the offices and labs. Thanks Becky." He hung up.

"I'm here," Krillin ran up.

"Good," he said, "I'm getting too old for this. The security can handle her. Help me back to the room."

Krillin came over and Dr. Brief leaned on him. They made their way back down the hall. "How the hell did she run so fast with those walking boots on?" Dr. Brief panted.

After they left, a nearby door opened. Bulma peaked her head out. "Good. They're gone," she said. She sat down and took her boots and braces off leaving her in her bra and barefoot.

Then she pranced down the hall waving her arms up and down. "I'm free as a birdie. La La La La La."


*Chirp Chirp Tweet Tweet Tweet*

"And where did you come?" Vegeta said to the bird sitting on top of Mrs. Brief's grandfather's giant time keeping piece.

"Woohoo! I'm flying."

Vegeta turned and saw Bulma running down the hall with her arms extended out. And without a shirt on on top of that.

"Oh, gods not again…"

"Vegeta!"

The bird squeaked in fear and flew off.

"Hi there, handsome. What are you up to?" she said walking up to him. She leaned into him

Vegeta sighed, pushed her back, then took off his shirt.

"Oh! Jumping right to the chase. I like this side of you."

"No, you won't."


Dr. Brief, his wife, and Krillin are sitting around the table in the sunroom. Dr. Brief is still catching his breath.

"Doctor! Mrs. Brief! Short bald man! I've captured the woman!"

"Was that Vegeta?" Krillin said.

"Oh, sounds like Vegeta caught Bulma again," Mrs. Brief said standing. "You stay here, Darling. Krillin and I got this."

The two exited the room, and Krillin couldn't believe his eyes.

Vegeta was in his shorts carrying Bulma. His tank top was serving as a gag, his sweat pants were tied around Bulma's middle pinning her arms, and a cord tying her feet together. Bulma was struggling hard, but he kept a good grip on her.

"Baldy, go find something to tie her down with. I'm not catching her again!"

Mrs. Brief turned to Krillin, "Head outside, there should be some rope or bungee cords in one of the tool sheds.


Bulma continued to struggle after being tied to a chair. Vegeta's shirt was still wrapped around her mouth as a gag.

"So what the hell is she on this time?!" Vegeta said retreading the rope into his sweat pants.

Krillin laughed nervously, "Hehehe. Seems the senzu bean didn't do anything to the pain meds in her body."

"Well just perfect," Vegeta said slipping his pants back on. "So how many hours of this shit do I have to suffer though now?"

"Yes, cancel the alert. Bulma's been captured. Tell the security teams thank you for this." Dr. Brief pushed the button to hang up. "We'll find out in a minute," He dialed a new number and put it to his ear. "Hello, has the doctor left for lunch yet? ... … Good, can you get him for me? … … Yes, hello. The medicine brought healed her just fine but didn't do anything about the pain meds in her system. She's loopier than a rollercoaster. Can you pull some Narcan from one of the emergency kits? … … "What do you mean there's no Narcan in the emergency kits?! That's basic — Ok, ok… So how long until you can write a prescription and get it to a pharmacy? … … … Ok. Call me when you find one with it in stock and send someone to pick it up. Thank you. Good bye."

He hung up and sighed. "An hour at least probably, since it was the time it took for the meds…"

"Not my problem." Vegeta began walking out the door, then stopped. "Oh, Mrs. Brief," he looked back. "I found one of your birds out of his cage. It was on your grandfather's clock before Bulma came charging in and spooked it."

"Oh, you found my missing baby? Well, let's go get her." She walked up to him. "And thank you for helping catch the rest this morning." She grabbed his arm and lead him out of the room. "Now let's go get you a net…"

She led him out of sight.

"Ummmmm… What the hell have I missed?" Krillin asked.


Across the city, a local tabloid editor is having a meeting with a group of writers in their joint cubical office section. On the wall is a cork board with photos of Capsule Corp and many paper notes connected with string.

"I can't believe your pulling the plug on this story!" the female reporter with red hair yelled. "We have real solid evidence the Briefs are dealing with aliens under the table and you're throwing this away! This is the scandal of the century!"

"This isn't like five years ago when we could print this stuff without worrying!" the editor said. "Last paper to write an alien story caused a riot and got people killed.

A man in a military uniform began walking up behind them.

"And with Joseph Raymond and his Committee of Unhuman Activities lording over everyone with the PEAI Act, I'm not risking this paper on an absurd story targeting one of the most powerful families on the planet."

"Isn't not reporting all suspicious activity to the planetary defense forces just as big a risk?"

The editor turned around and saw the military officer behind him.

"It's a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in prison last I checked."

"General Cumberland?" the editor asked, "Why the hell is someone like you here?"

"I'm here because someone in this paper actually obeyed the law. It is also the reason this building is currently surrounded awaiting my orders."

The editor shook so hard he fell to the floor.

"Now of course there are some optics the committee would be worried about; this cesspool is technically a news agency. Law enforcement will overlook the delay in reporting suspicious activity on account you wanted to make sure you had solid proof as a professional standard on the condition you hand over all information, including sources and witnesses to be subject to interview."

"The fuck we are!" the reporter said. "This is a free press buddy! You can't force anything! We have righ—"

General Cumberland pulled out a silenced pistol and shot the red-headed reporter three times in the abdomen. She went down. "Not in times of war," he said. The general pulled out a radio. "Shots fired. Arrest everyone in the building and strip this place bare. Deadly force approved." He lowered the radio.

"Oh god… this whole thing is real isn't it? …That's why you're here in person," the editor stuttered.

General Cumberland put the gun to the editor's forehead, "No comment."


Krillin and Vegeta were watching TV in the living room while eating food Mrs. Brief had cooked for them. Krillin had just finished his one bowl. Vegeta was finishing the last of his 10 bowls.

"Live news reports coming in from downtown as 14th tabloid has been raided by the extra-terrestrial task force following the murders of nine people in Pepper City two months ago. One person has reportedly shot in the raid, making it a total of three people shot during arrests under the Prevention and Elimination of Alien Interference Act since it's signing into law last year..."

"Damn…" Krillin said, "People are going nuts."

"What is a tabloid?"

"Hmm?" Krillin glanced at Vegeta and saw him looking at him. "Oh! Umm, it's like a newspaper, except it specializes in rumors, gossip and a lot of made up crap."

Vegeta looked back at the TV. "And this murder in Pepper City?"

"A tabloid accused a business of being spies for an alien invasion. Someone actually took it seriously and went in and shot the place up."

"Even though it was published by disreputable news outlet?"

"Yep."

"Every species has their idiots. It's good your government is cracking down on these 'tabloids' if they are provoking violence like that."

Krillin chuckled nervously. "I don't think that's actually it," he thought.

"Oh boys," Mrs. Brief popped her head in the doorway, "The Narcan just arrived and Bulma has been given a small dose. Thank you for coming over Krillin. Bulma should be back to normal shortly. I'm sure you have plans for this afternoon."

"Are you sure you don't need me for anything else?"

"She's out of the worse of it. Besides we have Vegeta here if something goes wrong."

Krillin glanced at Vegeta.

Vegeta glared back while shoving more food in his mouth.

"Well, ok. If you don't need me anymore. Thank you for lunch, Mrs. Brief," Krillin nodded his head, then Mrs. Brief moved out of the way so he could exit.

After he left, Mrs. Brief came in and sat next to Vegeta.

"Vegeta, I wanted to say thank you for today. You helped us with Bulma twice and helped catch the birds as well when you didn't have to."

"I just have a low tolerance for incompetence and stupidity. Don't get used to it."

Mrs. Brief smiled, "Whatever you say."